Ambassador_Martial_Arts's Xanga

New AMA site

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:40:47 GMT

Our new, public, Ambassador Martial Arts site is up and running. Check it out at:
http://shepherdwarriors.us/ama

Today I Weep

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:02:46 GMT

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TODAY I WEEP

I was wondering why I was feeling so heavy and broken this morning. Every song on Cornerstone University’s radio station, WCSG, was making me cry before the Lord for His mercy and grace. I know I need brokenness. Yet this seems to go beyond myself.

It dawned on me that as we celebrate the inauguration of Obama as our new president, today is also just two days from the infamous day when Roe vs. Wade made abortion legal on demand. Millions of unborn have been slaughtered in a nation that now welcomes perhaps one of the most liberal presidents in history; one who has promised to enact the Freedom of Choice Act which will make void any state laws limiting abortion. The taking of unborn lives at any stage could become the norm throughout the United States, a nation that supposedly protects the rights of the innocent.

Make no mistake. Obama is no “savior”. While I am commanded to pray for those in authority, I will pray for a change in heart, for repentance and conversion. I weep for this nation. I weep for our sins. I weep for our unbelief. I weep for our callousness, and hardness of heart. And I weep for the judgments yet to come. The problems we are seeing now are just “the beginning of sorrows”, if we as a nation do not repent, and seek the Lord and the “old paths”.

No, today I do not celebrate. Today I weep.

Book of Daniel Kata

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:35:04 GMT

Newly available on Dvd is our Book of Daniel Kata. A video clip with it done slowly with narration can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZtSlWqGyaM

When Winning is Losing

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:01:04 GMT

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WHEN LOSING IS WINNING

By Pr. Phil Lewis

Nobody likes losing. And there is deep sense of loss when we see a man, whose character, origins, and moral positions are quite questionable, rise to the highest position in our nation. But for those of us who follow Christ and believe in the sovereignty of God, we know that we must pray for this new leader, and trust that God allowed him to become president for such a time as this. We must remember that what we count as gain, must sometimes be counted as loss, that what can be meant for evil, God can turn for good, and that sometimes losing, is winning.

Singer John Fischer wrote: “losing is winning if it turns you around, all looks clearer when you’re close to the ground; when you know you’re lost, then you can be found; you walk out a winner!” When expectations are dashed, when hopes are betrayed, or when we stare failure in the face, it is hard to consider loss as gain. So when is losing, winning?

Losing is winning when it brings us to our knees in true repentance, and humble dependence. James 4:10 says “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” It is true that we need “change” in our nation. But the change God seeks is one of the heart. Repentance is a “180”, a complete turn-about. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matt. 3:8). 2 Chronicles 7:14 states “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” We must repent of our sins as a nation, and particularly as the people of God (“For judgment must first begin at the house of God” 1 Peter 4:17). We must acknowledge that we are not our own, and that we don’t have the answers, nor the capability to lead ourselves. Jesus said “for without me ye can do nothing.”

Losing is winning when it turns us to Christ – we acknowledge where our only hope lies. The Apostle Paul declares “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus”; “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”. Nothing compares to fully experiencing the life and power of Christ. All things we hold dear, and even all expectations do not compare with our life in Him. He is our healer – “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Mal. 4:2) “he hath torn, and he will heal” (Hosea 6:1). The one who can bring healing to our souls as well as our nation is Jesus. And He is our wisdom – “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”. Only Jesus has the answers. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Prov. 21:1) God is still on His throne, and no circumstance, no hardship, and no loss has caught Him by surprise, nor is beyond His control. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Yes, even our losses and our failures, if they “turn us around”.

Finally, losing is winning when it gets us on track. It doesn’t leave us where we are. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Prov. 24:16). This is the indomitable spirit. We get back up and continue to “fight the good fight”: 1. To live right – turning from any wicked ways, and seeking the Lord while He may be found, calling upon Him while He is near (Is. 55:6,7). 2. To serve one another: We need to get our eyes off ourselves, our own desires, and our own expectations. God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than ours (Is. 55:9). In Isaiah 58 He tells us to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to free the oppressed, to break every yoke. He implores us to feed the hungry, house the poor, clothe the naked, to take care of our own, and stop accusations and doing “our own thing”. When we begin truly living this way, the Lord declares “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.” (vs. 8) And He adds “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” (vs. 12) Losing is winning when it gets us on track to live right, to serve others, and – 3. -To be a witness. King David experienced brokenness, deep personal loss and failure in his sin with Bathsheba, conspiracy to murder, and all the consequences thereof. As conviction and repentance drove him to his knees, and to God, he penned the following words: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” (Ps. 51:12, 13). In His brokenness he understood that God’s power to restore would make him an effective witness to others.

God desires to draw us close to Himself, to change us into the likeness of His dear Son. Sometimes this means “tearing”, so He can heal. Sometimes we simply have wrong priorities. Sometimes He has plans beyond our comprehension. Sometimes He is simply drawing us into a deeper understanding and relationship with Him. Job, one who feared God, did nothing to deserve the loss of his goods, his family, his health. Yet at the end of his ordeal he stated “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” (Job 42:5) He came to a much deeper, personal, knowledge of God. Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation, but to be of good cheer, because He had overcome the world (John 16:33). Paul declared that we are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” The final chapter for you and for me has been written by God. When you can’t see His hand, you can trust His heart.

Despite any loss in your life - be it national, or personal, brought about by others, or by your own personal failure, God is still God, He is still for you, and losing is still winning when it drives you into His arms as you acknowledge His Lordship, accept His plan, act in faith, and attest to the ultimate victory He has for you.

Amen. And God bless.

Pr. Phil Lewis

September AMA Conference

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:45:10 GMT

The AMA's 4th Annual Conference is coming up September 12th & 13th. The formal sessions will be from 8:30am to 5pm on the 13th, but I expect some extra fellowship and perhaps some informal sessions and sharing for those who come out on Friday evening. The church where this will be held, Northbridge Community Church in Cooper, MI (see http://www.northbridge.cc ) has graciously allowed the use of its field for camping and the building and bathrooms for the night as well. So if you don't want to get up early Saturday morning, come ahead and camp out for the night. We are planning sessions on Hapkido, Iaido, Tai Chi/Chi Gung, Arnis/kenpo knife drills & disarms, Street-legal weapons for self defense, as well as Wing Chun, and possibly another art. All this for just $25.00. You will be responsible for your own meals. For those doing the Street-legal weapons session, you will need $5.00 extra for the couple weapons we will be studying and practicing with, as they are yours to keep. This will include a long padlock, and a small wooden cross. I am still finalizing the list of instructors, and will list these soon. Go to the website above to find the location if you are not familiar with it. For more information, don't hesitate to write or call Prof Lewis at:
pr.phil@yahoo.com
616 780-0868

Faith, or Fear

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:49:34 GMT

FAITH OR FEAR

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1

He who has fear, has torment, the Bible tells us (1 John 4:18). Tortured thoughts and state of mind cause us to hold back, to procrastinate, to hide, and to cower. Faith, on the other hand, lends to courage, to boldness, and to action. It is imperative for us to examine our actions, or lack thereof, to see if we are exercising faith, or fear.

Even when faced with uncertainty, and difficult choices, it must be our belief in God’s goodness, guidance, and sovereignty which guides us. God is good all the time. He knows how to give perfect gifts (James 1:17). He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will never short-change us. All His thoughts towards us are good (Jer. 29:11). The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He has given His Spirit to guide us into all truth. He leads us with His right hand. His Word is a lamp unto our feet. And even when what we see happening around us, or to us, does not make sense, our God is in control. He is the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and the ruler over all creation. He holds the hearts of kings in His hand, and turns them in whatever way He desires. And He promises to work all things out for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him (Rom. 8:28). So why do we fear?

Fear, like faith, involves “substance” and “evidence” (see Hebrews 11:1). When we take our eyes off of, and lose connection with the sure hope and glory of God’s presence, promises, and power, we are left with the substance and evidence which the devil and circumstances so easily provide. Yes, circumstances, when filtered by the devil’s lies, will deceive us into doubting God: Is He truly with me in this? Will He see me through it? How can He allow this? What good can come of this? Do I really need to submit to my authority? Doubting God will lead to doubting those in authority over us, doubting the application of His Word to certain things, and ultimately, to forming our own opinion and acting independently outside His will.

Fear does not come all at once. It comes by a shift in our focus. We begin to see the waves instead of the Master. We start to look at our surroundings and our circumstances. The natural realm of circumstances will never tell us the truths of the spiritual realm in which God operates. Deception creeps in as the “waves” look too high, the “water” too deep, and the “distance” too far. These all tell us “It’s too hard!” “You will never make it”. “You don’t have to do this!” “No one can expect this of you!” And if you listen to these masters of deception, you will begin to sink. You will sink because of fear. And you will sink into fear. You will be lost in the high waves and deep water of the troubles around you. As you sink deeper, you become isolated, and no one can tell you anymore that you can walk on water. But it need not be so.

Peter knew where to look when be began to sink. He cried out “Lord save me!” He immediately changed his focus. More importantly, he recognized that only the Lord could stop him from sinking. He knew Jesus was greater than the waves, was walking on the water, and could walk him through this. You and I may be called to “walk on water” in some way in our own lives. Perhaps you are experiencing this now. There is something seemingly impossible to deal with in your life. You feel you are being asked to do the impossible, bear the impossible, believe the impossible. And you are right. Without God and an implicit trust and focus on Him, you cannot do this. God does not call supernatural people to do ordinary things. He calls ordinary Christians to do supernatural things as they showcase God’s enabling grace in their lives. And God’s grace is received by faith (Eph. 2:8,9).

Faith is an action. It is the laying hold of the presence, promises, and power of God. By faith we believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. By faith we choose to seek Him in praise and prayer. By faith we choose to submit to His Word and to the authority under which He has placed us. By faith we step out in obedience in that which we are being called to do, trusting that His power is unlimited and His grace is sufficient. By faith we choose to see how God sees, to look at things from eternity’s perspective, and to expect God to move on our behalf for His honor and glory. By faith we trust and receive God’s love for us. And “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).

What is God calling you to do? What is that difficulty you are going through? What challenge lies ahead? Is there some area in which you are “sinking”? Call out to Jesus. Reach your hands out to Him. Keep your eyes focused on Him. In the words of a contemporary Christian singer: “Don’t give up, and don’t give in – this is a race that you can win…God loves and believes in you, He knows the pain that you’re going through, …He’s with you every step of the way, and He’s by your side.”

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:22, 37-39)

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13)

Blessings.

Phil Lewis

Kenpo Cadeado & other videos

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:22:53 GMT

Video clips from Prof Lewis's Shinsei Kenpo, Arnis, and other catagories can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/philoseraptor

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:46:57 GMT

Men of Valor

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:02:57 GMT

MEN OF VALOR

In a day when men are often becoming more effeminate, unfaithful, absent from the home, and so readily giving up their God-given right of authority, it is no surprise that this nation is considering a woman candidate for President. This is a sad state of affairs, and reminds us of when Deborah, in the Old Testament, had to take the leadership in going to battle against God’s enemies. This is not about politics, nor about any remote possibility of Hillary being one to lead this nation. This is a call for men, especially Christian men, to rise up, and to become men of valor, trained to fight for our own, to fight for what is right, and to fight on until the end. In order to take our rightful place, we need to become men of purity, of purpose, of power, and of promise.

Men of purity are those who keep themselves pure in thoughts, words, and actions. This includes not only sexuality, but your manner of conversation, as well as attitudes towards yourself and others. God’s Word tells us that there should not even be a hint of immorality among us. But it also tells us to get rid of gossip, slander, bitterness, and any conversation that is unedifying. Our very thoughts are to be brought “captive” to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Men of purpose are those who know why they are here. They are “apprehending” the reason for which Christ “apprehended” them. They are getting a hold of God’s vision for their lives. These men see themselves as reflections of Christ, and of the Father’s heart in this world. They know they need to be “salt” and “light” in this world, and they also know that they have specific roles to play in God’s Kingdom through Christ’s Body, the Church. This brings us to the next point.

They are also men of power. They understand their position in Christ Jesus. They recognize that in Christ they have a place of divine authority. If they are married, they are the spiritual “covering”, or protection and authority for their wife. If they have kids, they desire to lead, protect, and nurture them as well. And they begin to walk in the authority that God has delegated to them. In Christ, these men of valor will take authority in the spiritual realm and readily do battle with “principalities”, “powers”, “rulers of this dark world”, and “spiritual wickedness in high places”. They will begin to walk in real freedom from the power of sin, and to experience the reality of exercising Christ’s Kingdom authority for themselves and for others.

Finally, Christ’s men of valor are those who are men of promise. This means they are faithful to their God, to their family, and true to their word. They are men of integrity. They can be trusted to follow through. They will not waver on their purity, or on their purposes, or on their promises. They are steady, rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. Their faith remains unshaken as they continually look to the ultimate promise-keeper, the Lord Jesus, author and finisher of their faith.

Yes, these are the men of valor which will rise up and be leaders in a lost generation that is searching for answers and for hope. They will be called “repairer of the breach”, “the restorer of paths to dwell in.” They will lead their families and others towards the one solid foundation for life – Jesus Christ.

Stick vs. Knife

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:27:25 GMT

In this video clip, a former student and I have fun demonstrating the advantage of stick vs. knife.

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