Chris Norman is from Detroit, Michigan. He was a Defensive Linebacker for the Michigan State University Spartans Football team from 2009-2012. Chris Norman is a Grace Sight because his faith commitment to Christ was so genuine that after college he gave up a promising career in the NFL to enter Seminary to prepare for the ministry.
Chris Norman was a 4 year letterman in Michigan State Football. He was injured in the 2011 Capital One Bowl against Alabama and the injury led him to reexamine his spiritual life. On May 24, 2011, Chris Norman gave his life over to Jesus Christ (Source). In this a video of Chris Norman's testimony made by Desiring God, Chris Norman reveals how God has provided for his needs after he made the decision to go to seminary instead of the NFL.
Chris Norman has interwoven Matthew 13:44 into his testimony when speaking about his faith :
In the Gospel there's a story about somebody that stumbles across a field and then they found a treasure hidden in that field. As a result of finding that treasure, they sold everything they had so they can buy that field. That's pretty much what happened to me when I found Christ. So once I met him and fell absolutely in love with him, everything else was not as attractive in comparison (Source).
As a Christian, I look forward to hearing what Chris Norman does in his ministry in the future. His ministry will be much more important than any play he could have made on the football field.
Grace Sight #27 is Freddy Vest.
Freddy Vest is a calf roper from Pilot Point, Texas. On July 28, 2008, Freddy was calf roping in Graham, Texas and he had a cardiac arrest and fell of his horse. Friends administered CPR for 45 minutes while an ambulance came and his heart had to be restarted twice as medical personnel pursued treatment for him. When Freddy miraculously regained consciousness he shared the testimony of having been with His Lord in the time after he had the heart attack when he was seemingly dead to the world.
Here is a video of Freddy Vest's testimony of his experience.
Freddy Vest said this about his experience:
There's a Bible verse that says, "Absent from the body is present with the Lord." And when I fell of that horse, I was dead before I hit the ground. I was with the Lord. And He didn't allow me to see what heaven was like, but he let me experience what it felt like to be in heaven. He showed me the love that's there. And there's more love than you can imagine. And the peace that you have, it's a perfect peace. The only thing I can relate it to is when I was four years old I'd be out playing real hard all day and just be exhausted when I would come in. And I'd crawl up in my mother's lap and she would cradle me and hold me and rock me. And that was the most peaceful, safe, loving place. And that feeling if--you could multiply it times a thousand, you still wouldn't be close to what it really feels like when you're there with the Lord (Source).
Freddy Vest's testimony is a reminder that the Christian life doesn't end at death, but it is just beginning.
Grace Sight #26 is John Calvin's Institutes 2.16.19
When I was at the University Reformed Church's Men's Retreat on Feb. 15-17, 2013, the speaker Jason Helopoulos read this meaningful paragraph from John Calvin's Institutes. It is a powerful paragraph located in 2.16.19 of the Institutes that is worthy of reading and meditating on again and again because of it's powerful words about Christ.
“We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is ‘of him’ (1 Cor 1.13). If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects (Heb 2:17) that he might learn to feel our pain (Heb 5:2). If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Gal 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgement, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain and from no other” (Institutes 2.16.19).
John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French theologian and reformer. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion are described this way on Wikipedia:
The Institutes of the Christian Religion is John Calvin's seminal work on Protestant systematic theology. Highly influential in the Western world and still widely read by theological students today, it was published in Latin in 1536 (at the same time as the English King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries) and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French) (Source).
You can read the entire contents of the Institutes of the Christian Religion online at the Reformed.org Website.
To read other posts on the blog about John Calvin search for the John Calvin Label.
The photo of John Calvin is in the Public Domain as the copyright has expired.
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" (Rev. 14:13)
1. R.W. Schambach died on January 17, 2012, at the age of 85 from heart failure. He was a Pentecostal Christian Evangelist/Preacher for 60 years. His work lives on in the Schambach Foundation.
2. Rev. Kang Young-Sup died on January 21, 2012, at the age of 80. Rev. Kang Young-Sup was the chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF). He was a North Korean Christian leader who was working for the reunification of North and South Korea (Presbyterian Church USA, January 23, 2012).
3. Gary Carter died on February 16, 2012, at the age of 57 from a brain tumor. He was a Hall of Fame Major League Baseball catcher in the 1970's and 80's. "Gary Carter said he became a Christian after reading a book by former basketball coach John Wooden, a man he respected. He said the Bible has all the answers to man's problems, including the greatest problem, the forgiveness of sins through Christ's death on the cross ."
4. Pope Shenouda III died on March 17, 2012. Pope Shenouda III was the leader of the Coptic Christians in Egypt for 40 years. Christianity Today said, "Pope Shenouda was extremely popular among millions of everyday Christians. A charismatic reformer and an advocate of Christian rights and interests in a predominantly Muslim country, many considered him to be just like a father (Christianity Today, March 17, 2012)." For more information on his death read the News Article from the Coptic Orthodox Church Network. 5. Edmond Perret died on March 24, 2012, at the age of 87. Edmond Perret was a Swiss pastor who served as the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) from 1970 to 1989. After merging with the Reformed Ecumenical Council the organization is now known as the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).
6. Charles Colson died on April 21, 2012, at age 80. He was the founder of Prison Fellowship and a prolific author of Christian thought. He was referred to as "America's best-known Christian leader after Billy Graham (Christianity Today, April 21, 2012)." For more information on Charles Colson on the Light Blogs you can read his Autism Light post that was written to honor his inspirational role as a Grandfather of a young man with autism.
7. Andy Griffith died on July 3, 2012, at the age of 86. He was an actor who starred in the Andy Griffith Show and Matlock and recorded albums of hymns. His wife Cindi Griffith said, "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord."
8. Kitty Wells died at her home in Madison, Tennessee on July 16, 2012, at the age of 92. Kitty Wells was known as the "Queen of Country Music" and broke ground for women to be headliners in the country music industry. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976. Kitty Wells was a member of the Church of Christ in Tennessee.
9. Stephen Hill died on August 5, 2012, at the age of 55 of a massive heart attack. He was a Gospel singer known for his tenor voice. Over three decades in music, he collaborated with notables including Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Vern Gosdin, Charlie Louvin, Dottie Rambo, Sam Moore, Marie Osmond, and Nancy Sinatra."
10. Willa Ward Royster died on August 13, 2012, at the age of 92. She was a gospel singer from Philadelphia and founder of the famous Willa Ward Singers. She sang the song "Surely God is Able" which was the first Gospel Song to sell 1 million copies (Philly.com, August 15, 2012).
11. Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon and said the famous words in 1969, when he stepped on the moon, "That's one step for (a) man and one giant step for mankind." During a trip to Israel, Neil Armstrong had the opportunity to walk on the steps that Jesus walked on at the Hulda Gate leading to the Temple Mount, and he said to his guide Israeli archaeologist Meir Ben-Dov, "I have to tell you, I am more excited stepping on these stones than when I was stepping on the moon (Christian Diarist, August 27, 2012)."
12. Dr. Sun Yi-yin (Freddie Sun) died on August 29, 2012, at the age of 76. Freddie Sun was a Christian Chinese leader who worked with Christian Aid. Bill Bray, of Christian Aid said, "When we look back at the history of China, we will see that Freddie Sun is probably one of the two or three greatest Chinese leaders (Christian Post)."
13. John Chapmandied on November 16, 2012, at the age of 82. John Chapman ("Chappo") was a Christian Evangelist and author from Sydney, Australia. Wikipedia says,"He wrote several books including "A Fresh Start", "Know and Tell the Gospel", "Setting Hearts on Fire", "A Sinner's Guide to Holiness", and "Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life", all published by Matthias Media (Wikipedia: John Chapman - evangelist)."
14. Bishop K.H. Ting died on November 22, 2012, at the age of 97. Rev. K.H. Ting was an Anglican Bishop who provided visionary leadership for the church in China ((Episcopal Digital Network, November 26, 2012)).
15. Zig Ziglar died on November 28, 2012, at the age of 86. Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker and author. He became a Christian in 1972, and his faith informed his career as a motivational speaker.
16. General John Gowans was promoted to glory on December 8, 2012, at the age of 78. He served as General and the International Leader of The Salvation Army from 1999-2002 and during his life wrote over 200 songs. A story on his death is available from The Salvation Army International News.
17. Frank Pastore died on December 18, 2012, at age 55 from injuries in a motorcycle accident. He was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 8 years. Frank Pastore was converted from atheism and became one of the top Christian Radio hosts in America with a passion for Christian apologetics.
18. Inez Andrews died on December 20, 2012, at the age of 83 from cancer. Anthony Heilbut said, "She was the last great female vocalist of gospel's golden age." More on her life and career can be found on her New York Times Obituary.
19. Dr. William J. Prince died on December 27, 2012, at age 82. Dr. William Prince was a General Superintendent and one of the International Leaders in the Church of the Nazarene from 1989-2001. He also served as the President of Mt. Vernon Nazarene University from 1980-1989.
20. Dr. Millard Reed died on December 27, 2012, at the age of 79. Dr. Millard Reed was a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene, serving many years at Nashville First Church of the Nazarene. Most recently he served as the President of Trevecca Nazarene University from 1991-2005.
Dedication: This post is dedicated to some personal Christian friends who passed away in 2012.
Much has been writen in the post-mortems on the 2012 General election in which Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney. Here are some of my favorite online articles and quotes about the results of the United States Presidential Election in 2012 that speak to Christians. You may find them encouraging in putting things into perspective and giving some thoughts for going forward. I am happy to be in unity with much (but of coure not all) of what is being said by this group of Christian writers and leaders who have put love, peace, sharing one's faith, prayer, honoring the President, and proceeding with their faith's work at the forefront of their reaction.
Now with the votes counted, it is important to remember that whether we are personally pleased with the outcome or not, God wants us to pray for those chosen to be our leaders – at the national, state, and local levels. The Bible urges us to do so with both respect and thanksgiving (see 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:1–3)--Billy Graham.
But here is a fact, the most important calling of my life - and yours - continues.
It may feel like everything has changed and that the way forward has been dashed. But the reality is quite the opposite.
We should eagerly and urgently pray for our President. We should pray for his health and his family, for his stamina and his character. We should even pray that he and his administration will be remembered as one of the greatest of our nation’s history, measured even by the convictions that are most important to us.
Christians, above all people, should pray for and show respect for our President and all of our elected officials. After all, unlike those who see politics as ultimate, we recognize that our political structures are important, but temporal, before an inbreaking kingdom of Christ. We don’t then need to be fomented into the kind of faux outrage that passes for much of contemporary political discourse. And, unlike those who see history as impersonal or capricious, we see behind everything a God who is sovereign over his universe.
I would urge that alarm over the moral catastrophe of this recent election should be expressed not in the Christian political posture but in the way actual Christians relate to the culture and to non-Christian people we know.
Instead, we need to go back to the basics of living as disciples of Christ, living missionally for Christ and demonstrating the Gospel in tangible ways within our schools, workplaces and communities.
Once the election was "called," I prayed for the President again. I asked God to guide him and give him wisdom as I will continue to do for the next four years.
Our country faces some tremendous challenges socially, economically and in foreign affairs. We may disagree on how we would rank the issues and what role we can have in making a difference after our votes have been cast, but we unite around the truth that our Father is the Creator of the Universe and ultimtely nothing will happen without his sovereign hand permitting it. And that includes the results of the election on Nov. 6, 2012 election.
More than ever we need to pray for the political leaders who are given the power and responsibility to lead our country. It is inevitable that a crisis will happen in the next four years. We need to pray for our leadership as they navigate rough waters ahead. However, we need to realize that our leaders are only human and neither 4 repeat years of Obama or 4 new years of Romney would have turned either man into superman.
Elections have consequences and let's hope that for the Christian the consequence is a revival to live our faith with a determination of the song that said, "I have decided to follow Jesus, though no one join me, still I will follow." As much as I love America, my hope is in God alone and not dependent on the greatness or even future existence of America. In that light I can live at peace with changing my prayer from "God Bless America" to "God Help Americans".
The Christian Heroes website is a Grace Light because they are sharing information about heroes of the Christian heritage. If you are interested in learning about men and women who furthered the cause of Christianity visit this website at www.christianheroes.com.
The Christian Heroes website lists this as their purpose:
This web site exists because far too few Christians know of their true heritage. They know very little about the men and women of faith who were obedient to the call of God. These men and women are heroes, Christian heroes, who laid down their lives (often literally) and gave us the rich Christian heritage that we have today (Source).
The structure of the website includes the following sections of links to biographies:
People Index
Missionaries
Evangelists
Reformation
The Christian Heroes website is an inspiring Grace light in an Internet that is often bent on glorifying sin and pride. Check the website out and learn about the heritage of Christian heroes.
Michelle Aguilar is from Dallas, Texas. Michelle had a weight problem because she turned to food after her parents got divorced. She joined The Biggest Loser competition in Season 6 with her mother Renee (who she hadn't spoken to in 6 years). Michelle credits God for helping her stay in the competition when she was tempted to be the first person in The Biggest Loser history to voluntary leave the show. She stayed and would go on to narrowly become the winner of The Biggest Loser competition in Season 6 (Fall, 2008), losing 110 pounds.
Her website says, "Michelle credits her faith in God for her ability to emerge a stronger woman, forever changed by the circumstances of her life, but not defined by them (Source)." The following is a video created with Michelle Aguilar as part of the I Am Second series in the Spring of 2009.
Family: Michelle's husband is Micah and the couple was married in 2009.
Book: In 2011, Michelle Aguilar published her book called Becoming Fearless. You may purchase a Kindle version of the book at Amazon.com. Here is a trailer of the book.
Social Media: You can follow Michelle Aguilar's Facebook Page to learn about her through social media.
Special thanks to Michelle Aguilar for being a Grace Light. She is an inspiration to others needing to renew their Christian faith and can relate especially to those who struggle with weight problems and the divorce of one's parents. You can find out more about Michelle Aguilar at her website at www.michelleaguilar.me.
