I read the blog "pyromaniacs"

I find them a bit arrogant

Honestly, while they are very keen to complain about just about every evangelistic movement, they don't seem very keen to suggest exactly how to go about evangelism.

"Socialism"

Why are Christians nowadays so against the redistribution of wealth? Why are they so quick to label it as socialism? Isn't it an inherently Christian concept?

"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

What's wrong with drunkenness?

The Sola Panel has a good summary

The bulk is over...

... and not in the way I was expecting. I noticed that the thermogenics I've stocked up on for my cut have an expiry listed of 11/08. I figure in order to finish them by then I'd better start the cut immediately. I'm pretty bummed but at the same time my body will welcome some time off (expect for plenty of cardio, of course). Bring on the diet!!!

Phew

Well it's almost at the end of six weeks of hardcore training and I am beginning to feel the effects of overtraining. I've been taking NO-Xplode before my workouts, which really helps me push my body much more than I ever have before, but for the first time in a long time I'm actually waking up the next morning with my body aching all over.

The positive thing is the amount of growth that I've seen, even in six weeks. I can't wait to get rid of some body fat and have it show through. I was probably too high in body fat when I started, but I was sick of restricting calories and wanted to try something else. Funny how six weeks later I'm sick of food and looking forward to actually eating less, just because the training won't put so much of a toll on my body. Seriously, even the afternoon after training day, my body's had 26 hours to recover and my muscles are still feeling deeply fatigued. I can't wait for the weekend.

So what's to come? I'm tempted to call my bulking phase short at 7 weeks, just because it's taking so much out of me. I'd probably be stopping this week if not for the fact that I'm updating this blog on progress. It's called High Intensity Training for a good reason, as I'm discovering. Thankfully I haven't had any injuries as some other people who have followed the same program have reported.

So after the end of week 8 I will be starting a HST program for the cutting phase. I'm looking forward to it, not least because of the fact that the program begins with ~2 weeks completely off working out. That should give me time to up my cardio and bring my calories down to maintenance level. Once the two week period is over, the calorie restrictions will begin.

Doubtless after a few weeks of that I'll be craving for some more food, but right now my main thought is getting through the last two weeks of HIT without dying.

I could survive for 1 minute, 6 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds Pedia

Many of you are afraid of the Holy Spirit

For those who haven't seen Driscoll's 18 theses, number 8 appears to have stireed up some controversy over on The Sola Panel. Considering the absolute frustration I normally get from reading Christian blogs, this was just infuriating.

The interesting thing is that I completely agree with Driscoll. In so many cases it seems the we make the mistake of compartmentalizing the Holy Spirit to 'the guy who gives some gifts but mostly helps us interpret the Bible.' We forget that in Acts 1:8, Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit when he says "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The trouble is that the charismatics have come along and spoiled it, imagining that the Holy Spirit gives us 'powers' more akin to Gandalf than the power to preach the gospel with boldness. But the fact remains that many people are afraid to give their lives fully over to the working of the Spirit. Tonight when the topic came up Brian put it best: we have our fleshly selves and God's Spirit working within us. We choose to either give our decisions over to our earthly natures, or the Spirit.

How different would it be if we stopped treating the Christian life as merely an intellectual exercise, but also a spiritual one where the Holy Spirit works in power to transform and change us into a people belonging to Christ who proclaim his gospel to the world!

God and pro-choice

No, not in that sense. But it's interesting how it is the Christian-conservative view to try and not give people the option to choose to not obey God's law. From teaching abstinence only to rallying against euthenasia and gay rights, if it is against God's law it should be illegal, or at least discouraged.

Interestingly enough, however, this doesn't seem to be God's view. Indeed, he gives us free choice in the greatest choice at all - the choice between salvation or eternal separation from him. God has given us all free will, in both the good things and the smaller things - and we have to deal with the consequences.

Maybe this is why I disagree with such legislation. We can't force Christianity through legislation, but rather by the loving and urgent sharing of God's word with a world that needs to hear it so importantly.

Content

This blog has been light on content lately. I plan to change that, battling the busy-ness of life and the addictiveness of The West Wing. I hope to have some decent content soon, as there's plenty of stuff I want to share.

Now that song is stuck in my head...

Source

If this is the way you draw attention to your church, you're doing it wrong. Ever wonder why people think that Christians are so judgmental?

Sarah Palin: Iraq War is "a task that is from God"

"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right.
Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending
[U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure
that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's will."

Source

These people really, really scare me.

I'm in a melancholy mood today

http://community.livejournal.com/scans_daily/5408800.html

I miss Calvin & Hobbes

Gym progress

Well it's week 4, I'm just back from gym, my biceps feel tight and I'm only going to workout twice this week as I'm feeling slightly overtrained. Thankfully I had a great workout today and feeling good, so I thought I'd report on my progress halfway through the bulk. Weights do not include bar weight.

Squats (Smith machine): 60kg -> 70kg*
Leg Extensions (machine): 80kg -> 91kg
Leg Curls (machine): 70kg -> 75kg
Dumbbell Pullovers: 25kg -> 35kg
Shoulder Press: switched to machine, 77kg
Seated Rows: 65kg -> 72.5kg
Bench Press (machine): 73kg -> 79kg
Bicep Curls: 35kg -> 40kg
Tricep Extensions: 75kg -> 84kg
Weighted Pull-ups: 68kg -> 79kg
Tricep Dips (weight of plates on lap): 20kg -> 35kg
Calf Raises: 20kg -> 25kg
Abs (Incline crunches): 7kg -> 20kg

* Why are squats less than I originally had? Because I have switched from partial to full squats, and my knee seems to be holding out OK.

Repo Man