We Hobble Onward

Christianity Is The Matrix

2012-01-30T15:22:00.001-06:00

I don’t know if you can tell from my blogs lately, but I’m kind of going through something with regard to my faith. It just hit me, just now while typing, that part of my problem, part of the problem for most Christians is that our faith seems to be in Christianity and not in Christ. We are all too easily convinced that what our pastor says is right, how we were raised is right, what our parents say is right. We aren’t learners, we’re accepters. We accept what we’re told. We swallow gladly the dogma we’re handed. And if anyone dares step towards the periphery of these topics they’re immediately seen and labeled as outsiders because, from the perspective of those in the mainstream, they’re walking away from mainstream ideology/theology. I can’t ask, ponder, or propose questions that aren’t welcome by the establishment. But the more I do, the more I find I have more questions.

Most people have seen The Matrix. Here are a few quotes that seem to fit nicely with the control exercised the Christian establishment. Just replace "The Matrix" with "Christianity" and you will see what I mean.
The agents would be those in the Christian bubble that don't want you asking questions, those that give you overly-simple answers to questions that don't necessarily have an answer, those that point fingers at you for sinning just like the Pharisees that pointed fingers at Jesus and called him a drunkard and a sluggard.

Not in any particular order...

Morpheus: The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system (tithing), that they will fight to protect it.
[Neo's eyes suddenly wander towards a woman in a red dress]
Morpheus: Were you listening to me, Neo? Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?
Neo: I was...
Morpheus: [gestures with one hand] Look again.
[the woman in the red dress is now Agent Smith, pointing a gun at Neo's head; Neo ducks]
Morpheus: Freeze it.
[Everybody and everything besides Neo and Morpheus freezes in time]
Neo: This... this isn't the Matrix?
Morpheus: No. It is another training program designed to teach you one thing: if you are not one of us, you are one of them.
Morpheus: You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind. (Walk out of the mainstream bubble)

Morpheus: I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.

Morpheus: What is the Matrix? Control. The Matrix is a ~~computer-generated~~ dream world built to keep us under control in order to change a human being into this.
[holds up a Duracell battery] (So they can use us)
Neo: No, I don't believe it. It's not possible.
Morpheus: I didn't say it would be easy, Neo. I just said it would be the truth.

Morpheus: I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?
Neo: You could say that.
Morpheus: I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, that's not far from the truth. Do you believe in fate, Neo?
Neo: No.
Morpheus: Why not?
Neo: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.
Morpheus: I know *exactly* what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it (I feel it). You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world (the world of the Matrix, the world the establishment created, the delusion). You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Neo: The Matrix.
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
Neo: Yes.
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us (borrowed straight from Christianity). Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage (borrowed straight from Christianity). Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.

You know, this analogy also fits with a Max Lucado story I read my kids, titled "You Are Special." The Wemmicks were made by the Carpenter. All the Wemmicks would put stickers on the Wemmicks that weren't accepted. The Carpenter told one of them (Punchinello) that he didn't need to listen to the other wemmicks because he was made special. As Punchinello began to believe the Carpenter, the stickers started falling off. This isn't a story about how Christians should feel when non-Christians are mean to them. It's equally valid for how Christians treat each other, and also for how all people treat each other, no matter their faith, belief system, race, life style (gay or not), class, etc. No one deserves to be judged.

Share your thoughts.

Tolerance For Same-Sex Marriage

2012-01-29T10:35:00.000-06:00

Tolerance is an idea that many Christians don't support. They believe that tolerance equates to affirmation or approval of sin. But can Christians support same-sex marriage and stay true to their conscience?

From The Thirsty Theologian,
"Once, when I was visiting at a cousin’s house, I overheard a conversation between my cousin and his father (my uncle). My cousin owns a service station/convenience store, and he had just hired someone whom his father judged to be of dubious character. My cousin commented, with a touch of irony, to this effect: “That’s true, but sometimes we have to accept the fact that everyone is not as wonderful as we are.”

"A few years ago I was visiting with a good friend of mine when the subject of a mutual acquaintance came up. I made a somewhat snide comment about a particular character flaw in this individual, to which my friend replied, “Yeah, I know. That’s something I’ve had to ignore in order to remain friends with him.”

"I present these two anecdotes as a lesson that has affected my thinking more than it should have. I say “more than it should have,” not because it is wrong, but because it is not particularly profound, and because I should already have been thinking along those lines. Instead, both of those occasions were epiphanies."

The blogger continues on and describes the idea this way,
"I’m not talking about overlooking blatant sin, or lowering our “standards” (assuming those standards are Biblical); but we ought to be understanding and tolerant, knowing that we are not without our own faults. Ephesians 4 exhorts us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love” (vv. 1-2), and to “be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (v. 32)."

In light of the current political climate (Presidential election), how does this work in government and society?

What if Christians acknowledged that they believe in the supremacy of God and not the supremacy of government? Even those who consider homosexual behavior to be sinful can believe in the equality of all people under the government, a government that supposedly promotes freedom and equality for all under the Constitution. Christians can admit that many sins are not covered by our criminal justice system, nor should they be, as they are more matters of individual conscience. In the end all will be judged fairly before God and no one will be speaking up in accusation or defense on Judgement Day. All will leave it to God to do the judging. In the meantime, we can work toward the most equitable society possible on earth. We can stop erecting walls between ourselves and those who hold different views. We can love others who believe differently than we do.

Share your thoughts.

Noah's Ark Contradiction Part 2

2012-01-28T09:32:00.000-06:00

A regular visitor to my site (which amazes me because I took a 6 month break, but I'm grateful he/she still visits (bethyada, I really need to get to know you!) shared this website at Creation Ministries International that offers one perspective showing how it all might have gone down. Very compelling!

From the site:

"For example, horses, zebras and donkeys are probably descended from an equine (horse-like) kind, since they can interbreed, although the offspring are sterile. Dogs, wolves, coyotes and jackals are probably from a canine (dog-like) kind. All different types of domestic cattle (which are clean animals) are descended from the Aurochs, so there were probably at most seven (or fourteen) domestic cattle aboard."

So if we assume that not all versions of a species we today existed back then, it might be possible, according to their calculations, that around 8,000 pairs were on board. They even allow room for dinosaurs! But they assume most animals were very young and so also very small.

How much room was there on board?

"The Ark measured 300x50x30 cubits (Genesis 6:15), which is about 140x23x13.5 metres or 459x75x44 feet, so its volume was 43,500 m3 (cubic metres) or 1.54 million cubic feet. To put this in perspective, this is the equivalent volume of 522 standard American railroad stock cars, each of which can hold 240 sheep.

If the animals were kept in cages with an average size of 50x50x30 centimeters (20x20x12 inches), that is 75,000 cm3 (cubic centimeters) or 4800 cubic inches, the 16,000 animals would only occupy 1200 m3 (42,000 cubic feet) or 14.4 stock cars."

When the calculations are considered, this does seem plausible.

Read the site for more.

Thoughts?

Taxpayers Still Owed $133B

2012-01-26T09:45:00.001-06:00

Money makes the world go 'round, so they say. Everyone is concerned about keeping their jobs, finding a job, concerned about the economy, bailouts, taxes. The list goes on. But all the hot issues are economic in nature. In the news today a watchdog group says that taxpayers are still owed approximately $133B from the bailout. this report reminded me of something I read recently concerning the forgiveness of debt and the year of Jubilee, so I decided to look it up and share it with everyone.

From Wikipedia, "The concept of the Jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. In the Biblical Book of Leviticus, a Jubilee year is mentioned to occur every fifty years, in which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest. In Christianity, the tradition dates to 1300, when Pope Boniface VIII convoked a holy year, following which ordinary jubilees have generally been celebrated every 25 or 50 years; with extraordinary jubilees in addition depending on need. Christian Jubilees, particularly in the Catholic tradition, generally involve pilgrimage to a sacred site, normally the city of Rome.

"The year of Jubilee in both the Jewish and Christian traditions is a time of joy, the year of remission or universal pardon. In Mosaic law, each fiftieth year was to be celebrated as a jubilee year, and that at this season every household should recover its absent members, the land return to its former owners, the Hebrew slaves be set free, and debts be remitted."

From Wikipedia
Debt Relief
Origins
"Debt forgiveness is mentioned in the Book of Leviticus, in which God councils Moses to forgive debts in certain cases every Jubilee year – at the end of Shmita, the last year of the seven year agricultural cycle or a 49-year cycle, depending on interpretation.

Contemporary
"Personal debt has become an increasingly large problem in many developed countries in recent years, due to credit bubbles. For instance, it is estimated that the average US household has $19,000 in non-mortgage debt. With such large debt loads, many individuals have difficulty making repayments on debts and are in need of help. There are many companies who offer debt consolidation services.

Bankruptcy
"The primary mechanism of debt relief in modern societies is bankruptcy, where a debtor who cannot or chooses not to pay their debts files for bankruptcy and renegotiates their debts, or a creditor initiates this.

Alternative Debt Relief Measures
Historical
"If a debt cannot be or is not repaid, alternatives that were common historically but are now rare include debt bondage – including debt peonage: being bound until the debt is repaid; and debt slavery, when the debt is so great (or labor valued so low) that the debt will never be repaid – and debtors' prison. Debt slavery can persist across generations, future generations being made to work to pay off debts incurred by past generations. Debt bondage is today considered a form of "modern day slavery" in international law, and banned as such. Nevertheless, the practice continues in some nations. In most developed nations, debts cannot be inherited. Debtors' prison has been largely abolished, but remains in some forms in the US, for example if one fails to make child support payments.

Contemporary
"In modern times, the most common alternatives to debt relief in cases where debt cannot be paid are forbearance and debt restructuring."

Is the debt forgiveness idea something worth considering? How would that work in a modern economy? Everyone's debt forgiven overnight. The years leading up to a debt-forgiveness day would see a dramatic decrease in loans awarded and credit risk taken. Sounds like responsible borrowing to me, though. The credit bubbles only occurred because creditors were greedy and consumers were greedy and everyone wanted to look wealthy rather than be wealthy.

Thoughts?

Noah's Ark Contradiction

2012-01-25T14:09:00.004-06:00

The story of Noah's Ark is known far and wide. But the contradictions of the story are not really known at all.

Did you know...

In Genesis 6, God tells Noah to bring two of all living creatures including two of all birds.
Gen 6:19-20 "You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.”

and

In the next chapter, Genesis 7, God directly contradicted himself or he changed his mind. Instead of two of every animal, male and female, God tells Noah to bring seven of every clean animal - although this is also read by many as seven pairs. Genesis 7 also contradicts God's statement in the previous chapter by stating that instead of two of all birds, seven of all birds were to be brought.
Gen 7:2-3 “Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth."

The passage in Genesis 7 steps outside of biblical chronology, because the animals which are clean and unclean were only revealed in laws given to Moses after the exodus of Israelites from Egypt. It isn't until Leviticus 11 that we see which animals are ritually clean and unclean, many hundreds of years later after Noah.

Many have done the research, recreated models of the Ark and have found that they have trouble getting two of each species to fit, let alone seven. If it happened as the bible says, then it had to be a miracle, much like the fish and the loaves that multiplied themselves while passed around during Jesus' teaching.

From: RationalWiki

See here for the point being made clear that we have way too many animals for them all to fit:

Obama: His Third State of the Union Address

2012-01-24T22:36:00.001-06:00

2012 State of the Union Adress..."None of the proposals constitutes a single bold stroke to revive the economy, but the heart of his message was that America’s wealthiest citizens must do more to cement the economic recovery and pull the country from its dire fiscal condition." -By Scott Wilson and David Nakamura, The Washington Post, 1/24/2012

I wonder...how much does Obama's speech really matter to people? Will it change the way we spend tomorrow? Will it change the way we vote? Some have said that it wasn't a State of the Union description as much as it was a platform for campaigning. With all of the partisanship in Washington, I'm convinced we need someone who can think outside the box. Honestly, in my mind that person is Ron Paul. Everyone says he's brilliant on the economic front, but disastrous with regard to his foreign policy. I disagree. I think he's brilliant on both. He wants to let Iran be as sovereign as we are. What's wrong with that? Your average politician wants to shut Iran down before anything bad happens, like a nuclear bomb detonated over the United States. I don't want to see that happen, but I think we need an approach that isn't blood thirsty. I think Americans are tired of war. I think Ron Paul has some good ideas. He's smart, he looks at the evidence, looks at the world with a set of eyes that aren't biased towards American propaganda. Who wants another Iraq war?

See here:

Atheist Appreciation

2012-01-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been exploring the flip side of the religious elephant in the room. Not everyone believes religion has merit. It's a spectrum, and all along that spectrum are people trying to figure out what works. And as they do that they're trying to share what they learn, defend themselves, and love others. Religious and non-religious alike do this. Since opening myself up to the possibility that mainstream Christianity has it wrong, I've considered the possibility that I should not just live on the fringes of the Christian bubble, but maybe I should step outside that bubble for a bit, try to gain a fresh perspective from those "on the outside." A friend really led the way with their curiosity, their desire to find intelligent conversation that wasn't so blinded by dogma disguised as the only real truth.

What do I mean by that? If we can step outside our Christian bubble for just a moment, step back and look at mankind, those that have believed in Christ before, during, and after his arrival, and then those that haven't. Two basic groups in my example. Those that believe, through the years, at least according to some theories and opinions, have believed a message and a "truth" that has transformed and changed many times and now has taken a different shape from the original idea that was Christ and his purpose.

This is called dogma (the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers. Although it generally refers to religious beliefs that are accepted without reason or evidence, they can refer to acceptable opinions of philosophers or philosophical schools, public decrees, or issued decisions of political authorities). This dogma is held by its believers to be the one true reality. But what they fail to see, because they never step outside their bubble, is that their beloved dogma has changed form over the years. Their hindsight reaches back as far as their parents (one to two generations at most) and so they do not look historically or evolutionally. Their paradigm is static. "This is what I was taught and it's right." They accept the dogma without question, without research. And in their zeal to share what they "know"/believe to be the one real truth of our existence in this universe, they preach their message with the agenda to "save" all those others who exist outside the bubble. They want them to be "in the know." And while the motivation to "save" is sincere, the application of their methods are not. And so what is perceived by those on the outside is a hypocritical and insincere "faith" by weak-minded and unintelligent people with a need to hang on to a religious myth that they apparently need to have so they can feel better about themselves, be good, pursue happiness, and feel complete, not feel lonely, to have purpose, etc. The belief in this one idea (God) answers/meets so many of mankind's apparent needs.

What happens to populations that continue to replicate from the same gene pool? Birth defects, retardation, etc. The same is true for the Christian bubble. The very fact that there is a bubble should show Christians that their methodology is all wrong. That their methods are divisive and that they erect walls made of unbending and absolute dogma between them and those outside the bubble. The fact that they believe and believe absolutely is fine. But it makes no sense, it's almost insane, really, to try to convince those on the outside to just forget everything they perceive as truth and join the opposing side (since Christians created sides by saying we're right and everyone else is wrong).

All people are entitled to believe as they do. They didn't reach their opinions in some crazy fashion where they purposely chose to believe something that is false. And because everyone reached a conclusion with honest effort, those opinions and beliefs should be respected, just as the people who hold those beliefs should be respected. Christians need to understand that there is a vast field of hearty meat to be enjoyed outside the bubble. That non-believers have something to contribute, that non-believers are not the enemy simply because they do not share the same ideas. By creating this bubble where only like-minded individuals are allowed to trespass, Christians are self-limiting their opportunity to grow, to love, to learn, to expand. Their ideas stagnate, their arguments stagnate, their future stagnates. Holding fast to an idea that provides purpose for life (God) is fantastic. But letting that idea get in the way of friendship with everyone else is silly.

What have I found since stepping outside the bubble? Fresh air, fresh ideas. Something different, a different perspective on the way the universe operates. And it's beautiful. It's beautiful because it's another example of mankind's ingenuity and effort to explain the unexplained. It's daring. It's bold. And it's welcome. I don't have to take a position on the issues. I don't have to disagree with the "outsiders." My refusing to disagree, refusing to point fingers and tell people they're wrong doesn't mean I'm in any way accepting or contributing to their position. It's not about choosing sides. We are one people, all the same, born with capacities and limitations, born with desires, born with curiosities, born with ambitions and goals. We're all looking for meaning and purpose. And no one is of greater or lesser value for holding any particular opinion or belief.

Where Am I Now?

2012-01-23T15:03:00.002-06:00

For those who've wondered about my theological position, here you go. I think this sums it up best, and, as my blog is titled, I Hobble Onward. This is a journey. We all share it. The question is, do we take the time to love those that share our journey?

What resonates with me about Universalism is that, like a recent comment on my blog, Christ is the Star of the story and he accomplished (past tense) all the work. It's done. It's fulfilled (past tense). In other words, it's complete. And so when I begin to think on what that means for me, my relationship with God, my wandering on earth as a confused creature, it resonates that God does love me, cares for me, and wouldn't send himself to earth as a human, to suffer a lower form, unless he had an extreme love for us. What also interests me is that Christ died for humans, not angels or other creatures. We're beloved by God, and we don't even understand the depth of that love. And because we don't understand, we replace it with alternative answers like hell (which is really mankind's need for judgment-to be released from the shame of what they know they did wrong-which was actually accomplished on the cross!), judgment, fire, burning, punishment, torture forever and ever and ever. This is man's psychology speaking up and filling in the blanks for an exam that was already submitted on our behalf. And so, as I think of all of that, I come to the conclusion that Universalism does have merit, that God wants to redeem his creation, that God won't let something like sin have victory over him by keeping his people in hell for all eternity, and that all will one day be redeemed.

What I don't know is how I reconcile the verses in the bible that appear to discuss an eternal punishment (Matt 25) with the ideas and verses that discuss eventual reconciliation for all mankind. I'm not afraid to admit I don't know things. I'm on a journey, and I hope others join me in asking questions, like, If Universalism is true, then how does that affect the way we live (with eternity in mind or not)? I think it frees us from the fear of hell, which allows us to worship God without false motivation, without being prompted by a hot pitch fork, saying in the back of our minds "Worship God or go to Hell!" I'm free to be me. A sinner. A sinner loved by God. God loves sinners. If he didn't he wouldn't have died for them. Life isn't a competition to see who lives better. It's like churches and Christians today seem to say "Only winners get redeemed!"

Here's a question...what happens to people that want to go to heaven but don't arrive at what some people think are the right conclusions? They go to hell? How can that be? Would you send your kid to hell for not figuring something out? Did Jesus die only for those that figure out the Southern Baptist doctrine, or the Methodist doctrine, or the Calvinist doctrine (only a Calvinst would think so!) Ridiculous. But that's my opinion. We all have one. What's yours?

Also, as I've begun to question the end times I found the first century appealing also, and the possibility that the tribulation already occurred. What does that mean for the way we live now? Are we waiting for Christ? Has he already come and gone? I don't have answers. I have questions. And like my website says, I hobble onward, in pursuit of answers.

The Myth of Hell

2012-01-21T15:15:00.005-06:00

2 Thes 1:9-10 9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from[a] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

How would a position of love, grace, and mercy deal with an enemy?...Abraham Lincoln said, "If I make my enemy my friend, have I not destroyed my enemy?"

Doesn't this fit with what we know of God's greater plan, to redeem his creation? When looking at context, we have to look past particular verses and look at the character of God. We have to look at the sum of the verses, the sum of God's character.

Matt 25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Again, an example of "eternal" or "everlasting" punishment or destruction. But what is the context? And what do the greek and hebrew actually say?

The greek for eternal is aionion. The hebrew version is owlam.

In Exodus 40:15 we see owlam is translated everlasting: Ex 40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

But in Hebrews, we see the everlasting priesthood was not everlasting. It was changed: Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

A look at Strong's concordance show's that the word aionion can be used to describe an age, not just eternity. The bible has examples of the word aionion being used as both. So, looking at the whole bible, the context, and character of God, which use fits better in Matt 25:46?

Another look...
Jude 1:7 says Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Are the cities still burning right now? No.

Eternal fire could mean eternal because God is eternal and he sent it, but it quenched its thirst and finished its job. The cities were destroyed. There's nothing left to burn. And so it burned for an age and then was finished.

The most important thing to note about punishment is the purpose of punishment and its agreement with the rest of scripture. In Matt 25:46 the word for punishment comes from the Greek word kolasis. Kolasis comes from the word Kolazo and it means to “prune” or to cut off the old so the new will grow. Jesus gives a good example of this in His dealing with the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He condemns them to Hell and calls them Children of Hell, and asks them, “how can you escape the damnation of Hell?” then, tells them, “you won’t see me again UNTIL you say “blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord”.

UNTIL. It was temporary.

Obviously their “AIONION” stay in Hell served the purpose or it will serve the purpose of allowing them to see the truth about the messiah. The punishment is temporary. The nature of discipline is that a child is corrected unto better judgment. Discipline is not forever. Would any human parent whip their child for all eternity for disobeying? Being made in the image of God, do we not share his moral convictions? Does God gain anything from creating an eternal torture chamber? Will sin have victory over God by sending his children to hell forever, or will God have victory over sin by redeeming his creation and reconciling his children back to himself? Is God not like the father in the parable of Prodigal Son? Did the father whip and torture his son? The good son was confused and jealous at the father's action to reconcile their relationship. As will be many Christians on the Day of Judgment.

If we choose to interpret this verse (Matt 25:46) as meaning "eternal death," how then do we reconcile it with:

1 Cor 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:“Death is swallowed up in victory.”55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

We shall all be changed. And death is swallowed up in victory. Can death have victory even though the Bible says death won't have victory?

As it says in 1 Cor 3:11-14 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

That which does not belong is purified, and we are saved through fire.

Does this position deny the coming judgement? No. It is appointed for man once to die and then judgment. And what happens on that day? Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Not just God, but Lord. Does it say anywhere in the Bible that his mercy is limited or that it expires?

Just because men translated the greek and hebrew a certain way (according to the paradigm they lived in at that moment), it doesn't mean we should hold up the bible as a constitution, as a legal document that is without error. How many translations are there? How many of them say different things? How many aren't consistent in their use of greek and hebrew translations? I just showed how it's used inconsistently and often incorrectly.

Throughout the OT and NT God says he will make a new covenant (Christ's death) and he will write the law on our hearts and minds and he will no longer remember our sins or deeds. That's because Jesus solved it on the cross. Jesus died for sinners. As a friend said, there is not "saved" and "unsaved." There are only sinners. And God's salvation is not for individuals; it is for the whole world.

1 John 2:2 "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

Motivation and Incentive, Corruption of Doctrine

2012-01-19T12:39:00.002-06:00

A well-understood economic principle is that incentives are the cornerstone of modern life. Parents use incentives as a teaching tool for children. Managers use it as a means of motivation for company success. People make decisions based upon incentives. Often times this is subliminal or unconscious. It is not at the forefront of the decision-making process. It's simply human nature. Go where I will be better off. But not all incentives work equally with all people. Some students in high school find that hanging with friends and goofing off (temporary enjoyment, temporary gain) is a better return than studying and working hard to get into college (long-term gain). There are many reasons for this. Some of it has to do with the person's individual personality and make-up, IQ, environment at home, etc. The list of factors would be lengthy, but noting all the variables doesn't change one simple fact: that decisions are made based upon perceived incentives and the return on the investment or the gain from that effort.

How does this relate to religion? Let's look back at the first churches...after churches were planted by the apostles, elders were chosen from the local body to oversee the work and growth of the church. As human nature would have it, people quickly realized the title of elder held some importance and even some marginal amount of power. This is best evidenced by the Catholic church and the dirty succession of Popes. The catholic church holds that the Apostle Peter was the first Pope and they've had a succession of Popes ever since. The Catholic church is full of doctrines and traditions that differ from the Bible. The Catholic church is also full of people abusing their power and authority throughout the last 2,000 years. This is not to say that the Catholic church as a whole is evil, just that human nature infiltrates every good effort, including early churches and even modern-day churches.

Many who think of the Christian hell and the story of Armageddon, the tribulation, and the rapture think of it much the same way as the popular fiction novel series Left Behind. But is this the way it did/will happen? All through the New Testament (NT) we see language that expresses immediacy, that these prophecies will take place soon. Those who share the common and popularized belief have waited 2,000 years for something that was supposed to happen soon. What if we dared to take a different look?

One of the key verses in understanding the book of Revelation is chapter 17:9-11 which says, "The 7 heads are 7 hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. 5 have fallen, 1 is, the other has not yet come". This seems to refer to the Roman empire and seems to best fit the kings as follows:

1. Julius Caesar (49-44 BC)
2. Augustus C. (31 BC-14 AD)
3. Tiberius C. (14-37 AD)
4. Caligula C. (37-41 AD)
5. Claudius C. (41-54 AD)
6. Nero Caesar (54-68 AD)

The 5 fallen kings means Nero is emperor. This is how Josephus, the famous Romano-Jewish historian, counted the emperors in his work Antiquities of the Jews.

Nero was the first to persecute the Christians. He blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians in 64 AD. Nero used the Christians as human torches to light his garden. This means that the Great Tribulation of 7 years had already begun. This persecution was the war with the beast, Nero.

Historian Schaff states, "There is scarcely another period in history so full of vice, corruption, and disaster as the six years between the Neronian persecution and the destruction of Jerusalem".

I wonder...Is it possible that the Great Tribulation has already occurred?

Let's look further...

In ancient times letters were used as numbers. For example A=1, B=2, C-3 and so forth. So names had a certain numerical value. The Hebrew spelling of Nero Caesar (Neron Kaiser) adds up to exactly 666. There is a textual variant in Revelation 13:18 with the number 616 which is the Latin equivalent of Nero Caesar.

Emperor cult worship was well known in the Roman empire. Nero claimed to be the equal of the god Apollo. Seneca taught Nero that he was destined to become the revelation of divine Augustus and the god Apollo.

In the Book of Revelation the Temple is still standing which indicates that this happened before 70 AD when the city and temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus.

Christ’s coming was in Judgment like the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament. The judgment was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the hands of Titus. Christ is ruling and reigning now. There is no need for a temple for he is the temple.

In Revelation chapter 7 144,000 Christian Jews in Israel are sealed so they will be safe. In Matthew 24:16 they were commanded to flee to the mountains for safety which was the transjordan mountains. Historical record shows in Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius tells how the Jews in Jerusalem were commanded by a revelation to escape to Pella. There is also a great multitude of Christians from every nation. Clearly Christians went through this tribulation.

Matthew 24 and Luke 21 are parallel passages to Revelation. Clearly they point to the fulfillment of scripture in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem which is the abomination of Desolation. This refers back to the book of Daniel 9:27.

Revelation is written in the context that everything is going to happen soon (Rev. 1:19). Christ is coming back soon (Rev. 22:7,12,20), even in their generation (see next).

This generation that had pierced Christ would not pass away until all was fulfilled (Matthew 24:34) which culminated in the fall of Jerusalem.

We can't ignore what the Bible actually says just because it doesn't fit with 2,000 years of erroneous doctrine handed down to us without any effort to do as the Bereans did and search out the scriptures for ourselves. We're so used to the standard view that when we read something our minds automatically take it to mean what we've been told our whole lives. For instance...every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Many Christians take this to mean that even the lost sinners will have to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, right before they go to hell for eternity. But is that what the verse said? No! It said that everyone will meet the requirement for salvation, by confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. Not just a part of the godhead, but Lord of their lives. We have to open our eyes to what the Bible says and try to look past what preachers (who are blind to this as well) have been telling us for centuries.

We take it for granted that every decision regarding the formation of what we call "doctrine" was pure and innocent and has been preserved for 2,000 years. But that can't be true, can it? People have agendas, as I noted above with the Catholic church. The same holds true for Christendom. We are tainted with sin, with agenda, with insincere motive-with plain, old, dirty sin. This is evidenced by the fact that every church body has different doctrinal beliefs from every other church body. Every Christian believes something different from every other Christian. This being the case, then there is no harm in exploring other works and material with the off chance that we might learn something new, useful, and even truthful that maybe our paradigm or our doctrine had wrong. I can read what other people write and I can eat the meat while spitting out the bones. I use judgement and wisdom and prayer to form an understanding of the way God works, the way the world works, and how I fit in that scheme.

Now that we know we have the option to question the establishment (church), and we have the ability to ask and discern tough questions, we'll take a look at the concept (and possible myth) of hell in the next post.

I look forward to your comments. Please comment here on the blog so that everyone may benefit from healthy discussion.

Universal Salvation

2012-01-18T21:16:00.000-06:00

some verses...

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those
who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all
will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits,
after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end,
when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has
abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until
He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be
abolished is death. (I Cor. 15:20-26)

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He
is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head
of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in
Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made
peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether
things on earth or things in heaven. (Col. 1:15-20)

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope
on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of
believers. (1 Tim. 4:10)

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only,
but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under
the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To
Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and
glory and dominion forever and ever." (Rev. 5:13)

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of
the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the
grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like
that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:15-21)

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and
there is no other. " I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth
from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every
knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. "They will say of
Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.' Men will come to
Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame. "In the LORD all
the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will glory. (Isaiah 45:22-25)

...being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:8-11.)

For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to
all. (Romans 11:32)

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing
of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of
its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the
creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption
into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that
the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together
until now. (Romans 8:19-22)

Good Or Evil, We're Right With God

2012-01-17T22:16:00.004-06:00

Excerpt (some parts paraphrased) from Robert Rutherford's sermon The Tree of Life http://sigler.org/RobertRutherford/The%20Tree%20of%20Life.mp3 (link may not work) see here if not http://www.discoverthebridge.org/media.html

"Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

It’s so easy to judge everybody else for all the bad they do while we hide our stuff behind our Christian costumes. We’re all the same, that’s why God sent his son to save us because we’re all a mess. Romans 5 says that through one man’s disobedience we all became sinners. We didn’t choose to become sinners. It came naturally. And because of one man’s obedience all became righteous. Some Christians have no trouble believing we’re sinners because of Adam, but they won’t admit that we’re righteous because of Jesus. Our righteous is judged based upon our behavior. It’s a moral code that some call Christianity. He’s not a Christian, I saw him drink a beer. Jesus was called a glutton and a drunkard by religious men. Adam and Eve were not supposed to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They weren’t supposed to have lists of this stuff is bad and this stuff is good. If I do all the good stuff God will like me

Do we live and spend our time by the tree of life or by the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Do we find ourselves judging ourselves and others based upon this good and evil scale? Adam and Eve ate of the tree and they got deception. That deception told them they weren’t God enough to be in God’s presence anymore because they were naked. But they had been naked the whole time. There was nothing wrong with naked. God didn’t change. Naked didn’t change. Their mind changed, cause they got some knowledge, and they chose to categorize naked as bad. They started to believe the lie that they weren’t good enough for God and started to try to build a bridge back to God through works. What works? The work and effort of sewing fig leaves together to be cover up

Some people spend their whole lives trying to get back on a good page with God, and they’re never going to make it. The mindset is wrong. There is nothing they have to do. It’s nothing but the blood of Jesus. It’s not your blood, sweat, fig leaves, or your good moral behavior. It’s not quitting your habits. If you can quit smoking your crack pipe and feel better about yourself and feel closer to God from your end then put the pipe down and put your money in the plate. But from where God’s sitting it doesn’t make you any closer or farther from him. 2 Cor says that we were all there in Christ and God was in Christ reconciling

We can’t look at somebody’s life and judge where they are from their end according to their habits because morality is not Christianity and morality changes in every region all over the state, nation, and world. It just depends on where you are, down in the bible belt if you drink a beer you’re going straight to hell, you’re going to burn forever, millions of years later, he’s gonna to keep cooking you, but you’ll never get done. Eating at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil can only produce two things, pride or condemnation. Pride because they gave us some rules that we could do. The pastor will stand up and say the Lord has called us all to fast for three days. I can do anything for three days. Go three days without food and feel the pride well up at your accomplishment. We make deals with God to help us reach these goals. God just cover me in boils if I don’t complete this seven day fast. We use fear to motivate ourselves. We use fear to threaten and motivate our kids to usher obedience. They should obey their parents out of love, not fear of yelling, raised voices, spankings, etc. There should be consequences for sin, but the motivating factor where behavior is concerned ought to be love and not fear.

And we do this in church, making promises to God, backing ourselves into a corner, and we know we can’t do it, so we walk in condemnation. Rom 8:1 says there’s no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. What does it mean walk not after the flesh? Chewing tobacco! Walking in the flesh is chewing tobacco! Looking at Playboys and HBO and Cinemax. We think that’s walking in the flesh. It’s not. It’s dragging that sheep to the altar and cutting it open with a flesh hook and sacrificing that animal. It’s about sacrifice. When Paul wrote that it was about you trying to make things ok between you and God through the law. But walking in the spirit is believing that God fixed that relationship through his efforts and actions. That he closed that gap. There is no distance between you and God."

Position of Pastor Unbiblical?

2012-01-05T09:11:00.000-06:00

Excerpt from beggarsandBread.blogspot.com

"As soon as Paul and the other apostles established churches, people quickly saw opportunities to seize power and influence for their own selfish gain. Of course, this is not to say that every single pastor today sits in this seat for the same self-centered reasons. (I have to say this, because I know that is exactly what pastor-defendors are going to hear/read!) Of course, there are many well-meaning and sincere pastors all over the world, but that fact doesn't make the position *biblical. It was never God's intention for there to be a professional clergy running His Church (Gk. ekklesia, which means assembly)-- nor temples, priests, holy places, objects, or days. Rather, God has always wanted His Spirit to fill His creation. In the first century, there were none of these things; only communities who were culturally engaged worshippers of Jesus-- the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the cosmos.

If you're willing to forget all that you've been taught about the office of a pastor, you'll find that it doesn't actually exist anywhere in Scripture. Now, this is a tough thing to admit, because it would mean that a great deal of wonderful faith communities believe *gasps* something that's not true, or found in Scripture. So, for example, there is no evidence that Timothy was a permanent pastor of the church in Ephesus, that he was to build a little Timothian empire, or carve his niche in society. His role, as all of the other five-fold gifts, was that of a functioning elder, whose duties were mostly to facilitate mentorship and spiritual guidance, among other things. In other words, pastors were supposed to be servants, not rockstar preachers, authority figures, or SME's. The preaching of the Gospel was not the primary role of the elder; preaching the Gospel was the shared responsibility of the community of faith. In other words, Christ's Gospel was supposed to be on every single set of lips in the faith family, not one guy while the rest of the gathering sat as spectators at a sporting event. In the same way, the Church didn't set up shop in hopes that others would join them (i.e. see the church sign, and decide to try it out). Rather, Christ's body was OUT, engaged in the culture(s) surrounding them, preaching Christ as they lived their lives counter-culturally (in community, and on mission)."

Check out the whole article at beggarsandBread.blogspot.com

Time to Redeem Halloween

2011-10-31T21:21:00.002-05:00

I couldn't have said it better...Copied and pasted from: theresurgence.com

What Christians Should Know about Halloween
by Justin Holcomb

Halloween for Christians: Reject, Receive, or Redeem?

Halloween has an uneasy history with the church; Christians have not always been sure what to do with a holiday of apparently pagan origins. Is Halloween unredeemable, such that any Christian participating in the holiday will necessarily compromise their faith? Is it something Christians can participate in as a cultural celebration with no religious ramifications? Or is there the opportunity for Christians to emphasize certain aspects of our own faith within the holiday?

1. Halloween as “Devil’s Day” (Reject)

One of the most famous recent examples of Christian interaction with Halloween comes from Pat Robertson, who calledHalloween the “festival of the Devil.” As such, he claimed that participating in Halloween was a mistake for Christians and therefore wrong.In rejecting this holiday outright, Robertson fails to ask the following question: To what extent does something’s evolution from pagan roots entail that its present practice is tainted? As Albert Mohler notes, there has been a shift in Halloween from pagan ritual to merely commercial fascination with the dark side. What Pat Robertson misses is that for most people in America, Halloween is about candy. A quarter of all candy sold annually in the US is for Halloween night!

Granted, dressing up as witches and goblins is a tricky issue, but to think that putting on a scary mask or makeup opens you up to the dark side is a bit naïve.In addition, there are two built-in problems with a blanket rejection position. One is that those who insist on rejecting certain holidays are not being consistent. Should we reject other holidays because there is a propensity toward excess? In other words, if people are inclined toward gluttony on Thanksgiving or Christmas, shouldn’t those holidays be rejected as well? After all, gluttony is a sin. Second, many times the reject position assumes that the evil of the extrinsic world will taint the faith of a Christian. The idea is, “garbage in, garbage out.” But Jesus says the exact opposite is true (Mark 7:21-23). The fruit of our lives (whether in holiness or sin) is always inextricably tied to the root of our hearts. If our hearts are prone toward sin in certain ways, we will find a way to sin. Sin indeed corrupts but the sin is not so much “out there in the world” as much as it is in the heart of every person. The reject position falsely assumes sin is mostly what we do rather than who we are.

2. Can Halloween Be Received and/or Redeemed?

The Christian church has tried to deal with Halloween in many ways throughout the centuries. It has been rejected as demonic and pagan, subsumed into (medieval) Christian ritual, and accepted unthinkingly as harmless fun.An informed understanding of the history of Halloween and the biblical freedom Christians have to redeem cultural practices (1 Cor. 10:23-33) leads to the conclusion that Christians can follow their conscience in choosing how to approach this holiday.

Just how Christians ought to go about redeeming or receiving Halloween is still a tricky subject. In order to navigate the waters successfully, one must always distinguish between the merely cultural aspects of Halloween and the religious aspects of the holiday. In the past the church has tried to redeem the religious aspects of Halloween by adding a church holiday. But again, this is a questionable area. It seems that Christians can easily receive (with wisdom) some cultural aspects of the holiday, and there is some potential for the pagan cultural practices to be redeemed—but care must be taken. There is a big difference between kids dressing up in cute costumes for candy and Mardi-Gras-like Halloween parties, offensive costumes, and uninhibited excess. Therefore it’s naïve to make a blanket judgment to reject or receive Halloween as a whole. There should be no pressure to participate, but for those Christians whose conscience permits we should view it as an opportunity to engage wisely with our culture.

For those who are still bothered by Halloween’s historical association with evil spirits, Martin Luther has some advice on how to respond to the devil: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn.” Perhaps instead of fleeing the darkness in fear, we should view Halloween as an opportunity to mock the enemy whose power over us has been broken.

Are We So Oblivious?

2011-05-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if everyone feels what I feel. And if so, why is it so hard for us all to understand each other? We each have fears, concerns, hurt, and shame that we carry around and we call this baggage. When people speak of this baggage it’s usually in a tone and context that seems to dismiss its importance in our lives, as if it were refuse that we should throw away, as if we’re walking around with stinky garbage in our hands and we bring it with us wherever we go, smelling up the room and offending the people around us. But that’s not the case, is it? The baggage we carry around is much more than our leftover lunch wrappings, much more than smelly gym socks. It’s our hurts, our fears, and our shame. It’s the little kid inside us that screams in the night. It’s the teenager that longs to be loved. It’s the young man that yearns to be respected. It’s the old man that regrets a few key decisions that changed his life forever.

Why is it that some people grow up well-balanced and happy and for others it’s just the opposite? It’s not anything they did, right? I mean, no one grows up saying “I want to be a mess of a man.” But it’s not all our environment’s fault either, is it? Who can we blame for the mess we find ourselves in? Who can we blame for the hurt and the fear and the shame? Who is responsible for the pain we carry each day? This thorn in our hearts that never leave us rest? Is it the stranger in traffic that cut us off on the way to work? The friend who says he loves us and respects us but we struggle to see it in his actions? The spouse who committed themselves to us but failed to keep that commitment? Our kids who don’t obey? The boss you aim to please but can’t seem to?

I’m a mess of a man. But I didn’t aim for this. I carry around “baggage” that others infer I should just let go, but I can’t. It’s a part of me. Just as your baggage is a part of you. We bring it with us wherever we go, and we try to hide it, but sometimes our load is just so obvious. Sometimes it’s not obvious enough, and we get trampled on trying to pick up our baggage, trying to protect our baggage, trying to sort through our baggage. We sort through the pieces that we can’t let go, that we try to fit back together. Sometimes we want others to see what we see, the special parts of our baggage that come from the mother we thought loved us but failed miserably, the father we thought would protect us, but also failed miserably, the spouse we thought would solve it all, but they too failed miserably.

We can’t look to the people in our lives to fix our pain. We can’t even expect them to respect our struggle with the load we carry. No. We brought it on ourselves, right? We didn’t respond properly, or we made a poor choice, or we just aren’t smart enough to make the simple choices that keep us on the right path, the “baggage-free” path. And so we carry around this baggage that we try to hide or try to put behind us so that we can move on and have a “normal” life. Some weeks it feels like the load we carry is too great. Like it’s slipping through our fingers and it’s all going to come smashing down. But our family and friends don’t notice. They’re unaware of our struggle and they expect us to carry on. They might even unload on us looking for a reprieve. Or maybe they’re just the type of person that doesn’t understand how we can’t carry our own load or deal with the baggage we’ve accumulated. They’re inconsiderate. They’re rude. They’re selfish. But they fall into that category of “family and friends” and so we give them the benefit of the doubt. We trust that maybe they do see and they do care and that one day they will reach out and help. One day they will quit being insensitive and selfish and inconsiderate. One day they will embrace the close relationship we always hoped for. We won’t have to hint at our struggle hoping they will volunteer their time and effort.

A wise and intelligent Jesus-loving person would end this short article by bringing everyone’s attention back to God and the great work He did for us through Jesus. They would highlight how we can find our refuge in Him. And that all we have to do is bring our troubles to Jesus. And once we do that everything will be better and we can all move on and not think about the gloomy picture I painted above. But it’s not that simple, is it? I mean, yeah, we can and should take our fears and shame and doubts and concerns to Jesus, but that doesn’t make them all disappear, does it? Tomorrow I’ll still be carrying them around, just as many who try to “leave them at the cross” will.

My point is this…while we don’t share these thoughts and feelings out loud, they exist quietly in our souls nonetheless and we carry this baggage with us every day and everywhere we go. We each carry some amount of baggage, but we treat each other so poorly, having conversations with each other daily, watching all our friends and family struggle to hold their own. My friend or relative is barely hanging on and I’m just chattering away as if everything is fine. I can see him, holding that laundry bag of trouble , watching it slip through his arms, but I offer no help, no love. I just chatter away, seemingly oblivious to his struggle.

Lord, help me to be the friend to others that I so desperately want others to be for me.

"Tsunami, Sovereignty, and Mercy" - by John Piper

2011-03-11T13:08:00.001-06:00

Japan’s 8.9 earthquake—the biggest one to ever strike Japan—echoes the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

In response, John Piper wrote an article titled “Tsunami, Sovereignty, and Mercy.” The essence of his main points are the same, slightly modified for Japan’s context:

1.Satan is not ultimate, God is.

2.Even if Satan caused the earthquake in Japan, he is not the decisive cause of the deaths, God is.

3.Destructive calamities in this world mingle judgment and mercy.

4.The heart that Christ gives to his people feels compassion for those who suffer, no matter what their faith.

5.Christ calls us to show mercy to those who suffer, even if they do not deserve it.

Read Piper’s whole article here.

The President's Speech In Tucson

2011-01-13T11:43:00.001-06:00

For the very first time since he took office I can honestly say I'm proud of our President. Yesterday's speech was courageous. It was the embodiment of non-partisan leadership in the face of a national conversation that amounted to childish bickering and grade school-style accusations.

He displayed the maturity and patience of a parent taking the time to share some insight and wisdom with two quarrelsome children. He took the high-road and avoided the partisan stance, as any loving parent will do - not choosing sides, not loving one child more than another, but looking down at both children who can't see past their own agendas and helping them realize the important aspects of the dispute.

Some excerpts from the speech:

"You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations –- to try and pose some order on the chaos and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. And much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government. But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds."

and

"For the truth is none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind. Yes, we have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future. (Applause.) But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. (Applause.) That we cannot do. (Applause.) That we cannot do. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let’s use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together."

Twice in his speech the President quoted scripture. In both instances he quoted from the Old Testament. First from Psalm 46:4-5 and second from Job 30:26. Near the end of his speech he noted that we as a society of people can be better. We can be better than the violence that destroyed so many lives that day. We can be better than the arguments and finger-pointing that followed.

Excerpt from the speech:

"We should be civil because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American Dream to future generations. (Applause.) They believed -- they believed, and I believe that we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved life here –- they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that’s entirely up to us. (Applause.) And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. (Applause.)"

My only point of disagreement with the President's speech is really something that can't be helped, I think. In the last line of the excerpt above he noted that "we are all full of decency and goodness, and the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us." As President, he holds an office that's defined by a service to ALL the people of this nation, which includes upholding their freedoms; freedom of belief in whatever god they choose to worship or ignore. And in staying true to the parameters of his office, he's forced to take a neutral stance that many Christians often criticize (wrongly, I think).

We aren't full of decency and goodness, and the forces that divide us are greater than the forces that unite us. Humanity is crippled with the stain of sin, evidenced by the nation's failure to unite after the tragedy in Tucson, evidenced by the party-line bickering and partisan posturing.

As any loving and experienced parent knows, there's a time for loving encouragement, and then there's a time for truthful acknowledgement. We can be better, as the President noted. But we are limited in our ability to get there, and we're unable to stay there. If we have any goodness in us at all, it's due to the fact that we’re all created in the image of God and so we, on occasion, reflect His morality in our daily judgment. But because of sin, we will always come back to our failure to remain good and will always be reminded of our need for Jesus.

I'm proud of our President for his example in Tucson. I'm grateful for the courage of a few to act swiftly to save lives. But most of all, I'm thankful that God remains sovereign over the chaos and evil. In his speech the President quoted Psalm 46:4-5, but I think he missed it by just a couple of verses. While we grasp for simple answers to make sense of the senseless, as the President noted in his speech, God calls us to Him and He remains our refuge and our strength, Psalm 46:1-3.

Psalm 46 (ESV)
God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Rejection

2010-12-28T21:03:00.000-06:00

There are so many blog posts that have been written about rejection, so many sermons preached, so many discussions had, so many therapy sessions paid for. This holiday season I've been thinking about my mom and her rejection of me. It's one thing to lose a mother to a natural occurrence, like a disease or accident, but it's another to be on the receiving end of a letter that says, "Have a nice life."

I didn't talk to her at Thanksgiving, I didn't hear from her on my birthday, and we didn't send each other Christmas cards, but I've been thinking of her. I can't help but believe that the best way I can love her is to give her what she wants: space, freedom, peace.

As I reflect on that rejection, I realize that rejection is prevalent. I witness it, experience it, or dish it out every day of my life. A curt word to my wife, an impatient tone and waving off of my children. Or worse.

As I reject the ones I love because I'm too impatient, too unloving, too selfish and self-absorbed, I end up hurting the people closest to me. And like a wise brother once told me, hurt people hurt people. It's so true, isn't it? It's not just a funny quip about a husband coming home and yelling at his wife, who then yells at her kids, who then yell at the dog. When people are hurt they want justice. They feel anger because they feel unfairly bruised and so they strike back seeking vengeance. It's a cycle that produces an endless amount of pain and it doesn't stop until either one person can't carry on or one person decides to not strike back.

I reject people. And when I do that I tell them in that moment that I don't love them. If they decide to react from their pain and hurt and reject me back, then I have effectively cut myself off from them. I have destabilized my community and wholly decided that living alone is best for me.

This is what sin prefers. To be alone, stewing in the dark. Sin rejects community because community keeps sin in check, and sin can't have that if sin is to flourish, right?

We fight sin, or we acquiesce to it. We have a choice. Either choice forms our character, but the choice we have to make is whether we prefer a strong character made up of principle, virtue, and righteousness, or a weak character that constructs a hollow shell, appearing tough on the outside, but is filled with emptiness on the inside.

Fight for your character, fight for your community, fight for your loved ones. Take a stand against rejection and love those around you when your day and theirs is tough. It's easy to love and be loved when all is well, but not so much when your boss yells at you, your spouse is grumpy for who knows what reason, and the kids won't stop bickering. Those are the character-building moments God provides. And we're not going it alone. He's with us every step of the way.

Unhappy With My Mission

2010-12-20T10:26:00.002-06:00

I had a pretty good day yesterday, but went to bed feeling down, sorry for myself, really. I haven't spent time in prayer like I should. I haven't spent time in the Word. We've even skipped the last couple of church services because we're so exhausted with holiday activities.

Common advice in Christian circles when someone shares the above confession is that a person really should "dig into the Word" or "spend time on their knees in prayer" or ""spend more time with Christian brothers and sisters who can sharpen them and pick them up." And while this is all good advice, I can't help but believe that it does little to reach the root of the problem. That advice, much like OTC medication, treats the symptoms without treating the disease.

I could do all those things, but the problem will likely rise up again in the future. Last night as I lay in bed I thought about the cause of my mild depression and realized that it had nothing to do with the complaints I offered to my wife (I don't like waking up early, I want a new job, I don't have a career plan and I'm not sure about our future, I'm worried about our finances, etc), but it has everything to do with the mission I'm on and how I go about fulfilling that mission.

My recent posts have discussed being "on mission" (see "Segregation and Division," "On Mission All The Time," and "What On Mission All The Time Looks Like"). I basically covered how one's life should be fully oriented so that every action, thought, and decision work toward fulfilling the mission of the Great Commission. So, when I look at my life and I find that I'm not satisfied, I have to ask why that is in light of my mission. My mission is a simple one; make friends, love them, introduce them to Jesus. But it's so easily complicated by life, by people, by society, by culture, by my lust for sin and pleasure and comfort and selfishness. I'm so easily distracted by a desire for career success, lifelong comfort, wealth, and shiny gadgets. This constant desire raises the question, why? Why do I desire these things constantly, and even so fiercely at times? The answer is simple and pride-shattering: I'm afraid. I'm afraid of discomfort. I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid of being poor. I'm afraid for my well-being. I stink of fear. And that's just me. I hold those same fears when it comes to my family.

Where does this revelation leave me?

This last 6 months I've come to appreciate revelations of my need for God. Last night before bed I shared with my wife how we should rejoice for the struggles that bring us to God, for struggles that put us in obvious need of his care. The circumstances that we find ourselves in don't determine our need for God. We ALWAYS need him, but we don't always believe that, or at the very least, we forget sometimes and we carry on thinking that we're just fine.

Last night I faced fear which led to depression. It's not something I can overcome on my own, simply because I can't determine how my life will unfold. But I can circumvent the whole process by refusing to get sucked into the trap of success. By refusing to get caught up in this life, this false reality that, much like the movie The Matrix (or for the older crowd the lyrics of the song Hotel California), tries to deceive me, tries to woo me, tries to hide the truth behind a veil of shiny distractions. We aren't made for this world, but we are here for a reason. Two reasons, in fact. The first is a character journey that God uses to perfect us, and the second is the Great Commission - sharing Jesus with the world.

I praise God for your struggles and for mine. I pray that your eyes and your efforts remain focused on this mission, to share Jesus with the lost. Push through each day with the knowledge that the world is fighting hard to deceive you and keep you, but we have something better waiting for us. Trust in God for your welfare; ask him to make your comfortable and wise with whatever circumstance and mission you are given. Some of us need to be rich to reach the rich, some of us need to be poor to reach the poor, but none of it's a measure of our worth. Some assignments are seemingly better than others (like a life of wealth), but it's only an assignment, a set of circumstances that we're given to grow our character. We're not here to live large, but to love people. To love the dirty, the rude, and the outright mean. To love the hypocritical Christian, the pastor that cheated on his wife, and the father that raped his own daughter. Humans are a special creation blessed with the most amazing gift our universe has ever seen, a gift that angels can only wonder about...salvation and forgiveness. Jesus died for you and me, that we may mess up, but that we may be forgiven. Jesus didn't die for angels, but for mankind. The 1/3 that fell with Satan aren't afforded that opportunity. Remember the gift you've been given and go share it. Go love someone and introduce them to Jesus.

Jesus vs. Paul: A Paradigm Shift

2010-12-14T12:24:00.004-06:00

I came across an article and had some thoughts I wanted to share with you guys.

Each and every one of us sees the world through a unique set of lenses defined by our nature, our personality, and our continual life experience. Just like the old proverb that’s says you can never step into the same river twice, because it's always flowing and changing and therefore never the same again, our uniqueness and our individual experiences define the lenses through which we view life and make sense (or sometimes not) of it all.

This is true for our understanding of what a Christian is and how that faith should be lived out in everyday life. In fact, our very introduction to the faith often times determines one of two primary paths that many evangelicals take today. In the New Testament there is a clear distinction in the focus of Jesus' teachings (Kingdom of God) and the focus of Paul's teachings (justification by faith).

For many, the Roman's Road to Salvation was the initial introduction to the gospel and so many of us view Christianity through a "Pauline" lens. For others, their introduction to Christianity focused on Jesus and the Kingdom of God, and so they view the faith through a "Kingdom" lens. Whenever a sermon is preached or a conversation is had, all information is interpreted and filtered through each person's lens, respectively. All information is processed and interpreted through their current understanding and perspective. This is how we're built. We categorize, we process, we harmonize the information through our current paradigm so that the information we just acquired makes sense and fits with the rest of the information we've acquired so far. Much like the game Tetris, we turn and rotate the blocks of information so that they all fit together nice and neat. This is our paradigm. But, what if I told you that there are others games besides Tetris, other shapes besides blocks, and other ways of processing those shapes besides rotating them until they fit nice and neat?

This is what happens when people are on the verge of a paradigm shift. They learn that there are other lenses by which to view the world, by which to process information. There are other ways of looking at life and Christianity. Some outright reject this notion, because it destabilizes all the blocks they've stacked so far. It threatens all they know and how they operate. It's scary.

But others, they take a chance; they dip their toes into the waters of change and find that, though it's different, it's not necessarily bad. The more they wade, the more they enjoy the new experience, the discovery.

I've experienced this myself a few times over the last ten or twelve years. The first time was in college, when my lens interpreted all of Christian teaching as legalism. A friend said just the right thing at just the right moment and all of sudden my blocks didn't fit together anymore. That started me on a journey that has challenged me ever since. I began to ask myself questions like, "Is legalism correct?" and "What is grace?" and "Does it matter which translation of the Bible I read?" and "Do I really love people or do I hate the same people our society says we should hate?".

Back to Jesus vs. Paul...

I've described paradigms and how we view and process information. If we take a minute to look at our understanding of the Christian faith, I'm willing to bet that most fall into the Pauline category. This view has been the most instructed view in our modern age. It's no wonder, really, since Paul wrote most of the New Testament then most of our reading and instruction comes from Paul, but how do we sync the two views of Jesus and Paul? Or, do these two views differ?

There is an emphasis that each of them offer, and the truth is, they're speaking of different matters, but both share a common foundation: Christ. When Jesus speaks about the gospel of the kingdom, he's saying that the "good news" is that God’s promises are now coming to pass in himself. When Paul speaks about the gospel of justification, he's saying that the "good news" is that in Jesus Christ we have been declared (and made) right with God.

Both are Christ-centered, or christocentric. A theology that focuses on Christ as the reason for everything said and done is called christology. If it's all about Christ, then it's not about the finer points made by Paul and Jesus, but how all those items of discussion point to Jesus as the finisher of the work, the savior of God's special creation, mankind. The challenge for each of us is this; are we willing to lay down our lenses, our accepted truths, for the chance to broaden our understanding of God? By refusing to wade into different waters we effectively say that we can fit God into box. He's a tiny Tetris puzzle piece, I have him figured out, and when I rotate him this way, he fits nice and neat.

Is our God really that small?

The article I mentioned at the beginning was found at the blog Kingdom People, authored by Trevin Wax. On his site, Trevin interviews Scot McKnight who authored the December cover story for the magazine Christianity Today is titled "Jesus vs. Paul".

What "On Mission All The Time" Looks Like

2010-12-13T15:28:00.001-06:00

My Dec. 2nd post "On Mission All The Time" (OMATT) attempted to clarify my earlier Dec. 1st post "Segregation and Division." I think the clarification worked, at least as much as to share the ideas floating around my head more keenly.

At the end of the OMATT post I promised to follow up with a description of what OMATT looks like; a how-to on living missionally with non-believers in a non-believing world.

In the OMATT post I stressed the idea that all of our activity should be oriented around the Great Commission. Before I go further, I want to take a moment to clarify what the Great Commission is. Many, including myself until recently, falsely believe that the Great Commission is the spreading of the gospel. In fact, many Christians even quote it wrong, often times saying things like "Go into all the world and preach the gospel," or "Go into all the world and tell others about Jesus." Neither of these examples are what Jesus commanded the disciples, and us, to do.

Here is what Jesus said in Mathew 28:18-20:
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Go and make disciples of all nations...

How do we do this? Read on...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And then it ends with a promise...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

The problem that many well-intentioned Christians find is that, as we try to follow Christ's directive to make disciples by teaching them to observe all that He commanded, we usually turn them away from the very person we're trying to introduce them to because we are often seen as hypocritical, judgmental, scheming, Bible-thumping, non-caring, unChristian people on a mission to convert as many as possible without real regard for friendship. We are seen as a body of people that preach a good word but fail to live by that same word.

I know, the immediate reaction from most Christians is, "well, that doesn't reflect me, that doesn't reflect all Christians." Maybe, maybe not. But here's the challenge. The paradigm is set, and it's one we have to deal with if we want true success with the Great Commission.

Friendship first, then intro to Jesus 101. If we can follow that simple guideline, we will have the opportunity to reverse years, decades even, of poor follow-through.

How does this work in real life? Seek friendship with all who are lost. Place yourself in positions of opportunity to get to know and spend time with others at work and school. Seek it out for the hope that you may one day have an opportunity to share Jesus with them. Hang out with them at work, home, and school. Attend activities and events with them, and not just overly-religious events, but events that they enjoy. Build bonds of friendship by doing what they like to do. View your job as a means to reach the lost, not as a means to live comfortably and retire rich. Spend your money and time on the lost instead of yourself. It's service, it’s sacrifice, it's love, and although I'm laying this out there as a how-to, it's not a superficial mission to save the lost if you truly care about people going to Hell. The amazing grace we experienced, the outrageous forgiveness that we continue to enjoy every day should fill our hearts with love and our feet and hands with energy to work towards that end.

I think too often we're lazy, we want people to go to heaven, so we just tell people right off that they need to go to church, they need to quit smoking, drinking, cursing, they need to do this and do that. They need to perform. We tell them all the "rules" and hope they catch on.

How in the world can we expect a non-believer to live like a believer? We need to expect and accept non-believers as they are, meet them where they are, as Jesus did - at parties, at the temple, in the market, on the shore, in towns, in homes, in alleys - and love them where we find them. Meet them there each day and quit demanding them to live our way. Their change in lifestyle shouldn't be coerced and shouldn't be instigated by our oppressive preaching and persuading. They have one important choice to make, one choice that affects their eternal destiny, and it needs to be all theirs, without persuasion or confusion. They have to live with that choice for all etrnity and they won't have many opportunities to get it right.

So, take the opportunity today to build bonds of friendship with a coworker. Ask them if they want to do lunch or watch a movie. Who cares if they have potty mouth, a grumpy disposition, and a horrible odor? They need Jesus and we are the Hands and Feet of Christ. We are the Body here to do the work on his behalf. Let's get to it!

Born Into Sin?

2010-12-12T11:38:00.000-06:00

An interesting view on total depravity. Thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/user/NGJMinistries#p/u/1/cIdSlEAM7Ew

On Mission All The Time

2010-12-02T13:28:00.001-06:00

So, I think my post yesterday was a bit chaotic. It took a lot of turns and although I tried to keep bringing it back around, I kept finding new rabbit trails to follow.

I think what I wanted to discuss was the idea of being missional, or on mission. No matter where we find ourselves, no matter the country, the state, the city, the job, the school, the home...we aren't here to find success in those areas, we're here to participate in the culture in which we find ourselves, make friends, and introduce those friends to Jesus.

We are Christians and we are on mission.

Period.

We aren't Christians sometimes, and then other times we're just "normal" people trying to make a living.

I think a lot of us forget who we are and what we're about. I know I do. I get so caught up in school success, job success, financial success, etc that I forget that I'm on a mission to reach lost people. People are going to hell every day and I'm mostly worried about my promotion so I can get a raise and pay off my debt from all the crap I bought that basically takes up my time, takes up space in my house, and will eventually just end up in a landfill some day.

I can hear some people asking...What's wrong with buying things and enjoying life?

Nothing, sort of. I mean, each Christian has a responsibility to go and spread the gospel, and besides the responsibility, I would think each saved person would be anxious to share before the next soul goes to hell. We have good news to share, and there is a harvest of souls that are waiting, that are thirsty, but don't know it. People need love, people need encouragement, they don't need to be judged, they don't need to be lectured to and preached at. They just need you to be their friend.

What does this have to do with buying things and enjoying life? Well, if my efforts, time, and money are being spent on reaching the lost, caring for the poor, homeless, elderly, sick, etc then when would I have the time or money to make my life about me?

I'm not living the life I'm describing, but it's my new goal. My job should pay the bills and those bills shouldn't be credit card debt from all the crap I bought, but basically for a roof, food, and clothing. If I aim for a promotion, it shouldn't be to garner praise from my boss and wife and to inflate my ego, but that the extra money from the raise would feed and clothe another family every month.

All of our endeavors should be oriented around the Great Commission. As a person who knows what forgiveness looks like, what unconditional love feels like, I can honestly say that I want to share that love and forgiveness with everyone. I'm tired of seeing people burnt out with job stress, family stress, life stress. People ashamed and hurt and angry. The world is full of people who need to be loved, forgiven, and need patient friends who will stick by them.

My purpose each day should be to see how I can best love people. How I can orient my life in such a manner that allows me to love people, bless people, and serve people. Right now I'm a slave to my debt, because I've bought too many new vehicles, I've wasted thousands of dollars on food, toys, gadgets, and junk. Ideally, I would like to orient my life in such a way that each day, each hour, and each dollar is used most efficiently and fully towards loving others and introducing them to Jesus.

Does that mean you should sell your home and move into a 1 bedroom apartment, sleep on the floor, eat bread, and drink water? No. But, that would be awesome. No, what I'm saying is that we're on mission in whatever culture we find ourselves living in. The goal is to fit in and introduce friends to Jesus. Missionaries don't fly to other countries, find a village, and start living in a manner that's inconsistent with the locals. No, they try to fit in, befriend the locals, and introduce them to Jesus. Same deal here. Fit in, and spend your time and money on your friends and furthering the kingdom.

Next time I'll speak on what fitting in looks like and how Christians should approach secular activities...

Segregation and Division

2010-12-01T09:49:00.005-06:00

I wrote this rant today and haven't had time to dress it up, make it nice and pretty, presentable for the blog. I'm ranting about my displeasure with myself for being duped, for repeatedly failing to focus on Christ and his work. I believe we all fall into this trap from time to time, and so, here it is...

Balance. Tension. Suspended somewhere in the middle of life's trials and our Christ-like response.

Too often I forget that I have a higher calling. That my purpose here isn't to work for a paycheck. Every day I get suckered into believing that I'm an American. That I am pursuing the American dream. That I'm raising good little Americans. Wow, even as I type this I realize with more clarity just how duped we are as Christian citizens in this nation. I think that too often Christians in America identify as Americans primarily, and then as Christians secondarily. Then maybe as father, mother, wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, or whatever. Hard worker. Employee of such and such. Church member at such and such.

Titles, labels, categories, names.

Everything has a label, which, as I've learned over the last year, is good and bad. We need names for things so we know what we're discussing, but do we need to claim those labels as our personal banners that represents who and what we are? I'm a Baptist. I'm a Methodist. I'm a Calvinist. Or like some bumper stickers I've seen recently...American and proud of it. American by birth, Southern by the grace of God.

What about...

I'm a Christian.

I'm a Christ-follower.

I love God and people.

I love all people, no matter if they look or act different, no matter if they sin or don't sin.

I'm so tired of self-identifying as an American. I'm so tired of being duped. I'm so tired of watching the craziness around me; politicians posturing about truly trivial matters, following some concocted idea of what society says is politically correct.

I look around and I see people giving their every effort to trivial matters. To a life's work that will fade away in a very short amount of time.

But then I take a step back and ask...aren't these politicians doing good? They are trying to stop terrorists. They are trying to prevent war in Korea and Iran. They are trying to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare. That the economy gets fixed and everyone is employed.

What matters, though, isn't the action. It's the intent. If our intent is to do good, then our actions all along the way should justify us when held up to scrutiny. But if our goal becomes lost in pride and ego and success, then what have we really accomplished? As we love others and try to help others, are we justified in lying? Cheating? Stealing? Trampling on other's rights? Killing innocent civilians in foreign countries as we try to stop terrorism?

Moralism is a good thing. But moral actions don't make one a good person, don't earn one a place in heaven with the God of all creation.

We tire ourselves in pursuit of a comfortable life, in pursuit of success by society's definition. Looking moral, acting moral, maybe even being moral. But if our intent is to please society and meet the "good person" standard society has created, then we tire ourselves in vain.

All our efforts, all our life is wasted on efforts that will fade away and do us no good.

But, if we love God and love people, and pursue every action with these two things in mind, then we will accomplish all that God has for us.

Christians, we aren't here to work and earn living. God gave us life and put us on Earth and told us to take control of it. Is this all we can do? Busy ourselves with politics, national boundaries, and governments that control and punish people? We segregate ourselves, put up walls between ourselves and others. We don't like illegals coming across our border. We don't like gays in the military. We're scared of Arab-looking people; we're scared to be friends with homosexuals. We live in fear and so define ourselves by that fear.

Show me one time when Jesus was fearful. You can't. He told us we can do what he did and much more. The Holy Spirit is with us and all God asks of us is to love Him and love others. Why do we segregate ourselves into these little bubbles? I'm a Baptist so I don't agree with Methodists. I'm an American so I don't agree with foreigners. I'm a Republican, I'm a Libertarian, I'm pro-gun, I'm pro-life, etc, etc. etc.

Labels. Labels are needed to have a name for the different topics of conversation, but we don't need to grab them and fly them over our heads like banners.

All that I am I am because Christ died for me. But that's not all, is it? Christ's death didn't make me a father or a husband. But his death did accomplish my primary identity. I'm a Christian who lives in America and I am a husband, father, friend, son, brother, and coworker. And I'm so much more. I have so many labels. I don't even know what labels could be applied to me, but I don't care. They aren't my identity. The labels lose importance when I quit caring about them.

Segregation. We segregate, we divide, we separate, and we put distance between ourselves and others. I wonder what God thinks of it all, looking down at his silly creation, dividing and fighting, dividing and fighting, all through history, dividing and fighting. Again and again. It never stops.

Here's an idea...try actively loving someone who wears a different label than you. And not someone wearing a label acceptable to you, but unacceptable to you. Someone who wears a label that repulses you. Try for unity; try to love your brother and sister. Try to love the brother that you hate. The one you cast out because he's different.

Aren't we all like the older brother in the Prodigal Son parable? As Christians we occasionally get proud about our good behavior, and we look down on those who are gay, who smoke, drink, curse. All the while, the father in the story, God, keeps hoping that his "different" child will return home.

His Mercy Is Enough

2010-11-18T07:51:00.003-06:00

This morning on the drive in to work I heard the Matthew West song "Only Grace" and the lyrics hit me just right. The part where he said, "There's only grace, There's only love, There's only mercy and believe me it's enough."

I asked myself why and what makes His mercy enough. My thought process kind of went like this:

"Why is it enough?

People will just abuse forgiveness if they keep receiving it, they won't care.

What makes them care?

The Law. People will be grateful for forgiveness when they realize the punishment they just escaped.

That's why the Law and the Gospel are inseperable. That's why Paul and Jesus both shared that the Law is important, because the Law shows us how badly we fall short of God's righteous standards.

Without a proper understanding of the Law we will never fully appreciate the Gospel.

Thank you Jesus for taking my sins and punishment."

There's a healthy tension there, a need for both Law and Gospel. The current church movement seems to favor grace, which leads to inevitable arguments with those who lean towards the Law. Those on the side of the Law accuse those on the side of the Gospel that they abuse grace. And in return those on the side of the Gospel fire back that those on the side of the Law are trying to earn their way to heaven. All the while everyone believes they have their theology just about perfect and everyone else should believe like them.

Rather than choosing sides, let's just look at our own individual life as a journey. Our paths will cross many paths and we'll meet many people each on their own journey. As I walk my path I have to constantlly remind myself that I don't have it right yet, I'm not a good man. I'm a sinner, despite the praise I receive from my wife, kids, parents, boss, friends, etc. I fail every day. I fail my wife, my kids, myself, and my God. I will never be good enough no matter how much effort I give.

Lord, thank you for your mercy, because your mercy is enough.

Fear of Sin

2010-11-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

Growing up I gave much physical and mental effort towards not sinning and I proceeded through life with the understanding that any current sin would risk my salvation. I had to "be ready" all the time. This understanding of sin led to a legalistic approach and lifestyle. I tried to be perfect so that I wouldn't sin. So that my sin wouldn't hinder my entrance to heaven. While I didn't say it this way, the reality is that I was trying to earn my way into heaven. It wasn't until college that someone deftly asked, "If your sin can send you to hell, then why did Jesus die?" That question struck home. It was the arrow that pierced the fog surrounding my understanding of grace. It was the beginning of a very long and hard journey, a journey that took 12 years for me to realize, but I eventually made it through the fog.

I look around and I see many "Christians" paralyzed by fear of sin, appearances of evil, and the ways of the world. I put the word Christians in quotation marks because I have no idea if they are saved or not, not because I doubt it, but simply because I don't know. I tend to think that if a person acknowledges that sin is real and does exist and they care to prevent it, then they're at least pursuing God and righteousness, which is awesome. Non-Christians may live moral lives, but fail to acknowledge the reality of sin. For Christians, acknowledging that sin exists is a non-issue. It's required to properly understand the gospel and the offer of salvation. But a clear understanding of the gospel allows Christians to proceed without FEAR of sin. The whole idea is faith, not works. Faith or belief in the God-man Jesus and faith or belief in his saving act, his acceptance of our sins placed on him, and his punishment and death and resurrection from the grave. If we believe this, that Jesus died and took a punishment that should be ours, then God honors that faith as he honored Abraham's faith, and though we have no righteousness of our own because we are sinners, God counts the righteousness of Jesus when he determines our eternal destiny. Christ's work and our daily faith/belief in him and the work he accomplished is the gift of God for all mankind. We don't have to do anything to earn our way to heaven. It's Jesus plus nothing. When the time is right God will speak to each of us and offer us all the opportunity to trust in his son's work on our behalf.

The amazing example that Jesus provides for us is that he LIVED in our world, walking and talking with the people, all the people. He didn't surround himself in a church bubble. He didn't avoid the sinful people, nor did he avoid their sinful activities. He was invited to dinners and parties. He was well liked by the majority of the population. It was the "godly" and "churched" people of his time that spoke ill of him, that tried to debate him, that judged him, that looked on him with disdain and disapproval, that tried to capture and punish him for speaking against the religious standard of the day. Jesus hung out with sinners in sinful environments. He didn't love sin, he didn't approve of sin, but he had to be the light in the darkness, and his furious love for people drove him to find them in the darkest corners of their lives. No alley was too filthy, no market too busy to prevent him from loving those who needed to be loved. We are his creation and we are lost. Why wouldn't he care about us? Why wouldn't he try to help us?

This perspective in no way allows for Christians to sin. But it does allow for Christians to follow Christ's example, to go where the lost are, to participate in the activities they participate in, and to love them wherever they are to be found. In all things glorify God, love God, and love people. Not all Christians feel or understand the freedom God affords us. Biblically speaking, we are free to participate in Halloween. But our participation should be used as a tool to reach out and love people and introduce Jesus to them. The goal isn't to embrace and love Halloween, but to embrace and love people where they may be found. A missionary prepares for a mission by equipping him/her self with the necessary education of the culture they will visit, so that they will fit in, relate, and better communicate the gospel message. The goal is the same here in America, yet we fail to see our local community as a mission field. If we're always on mission (and we should be), then we have complete freedom to participate in the activities around us as long as we glorify God, love God, and love people.

Always On Mission

2010-11-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

My half of an email conversation. My thoughts on Christian freedom within missional boundaries, which should be every moment of every "saved by grace" day of our lives. Comment, reply, discuss, and sharpen.

First email

"the clarity came for me when i realized that we still shouldn't love the things of the world, but we should still participate so that we can relate to the very culture we are missionaries in. love people, not gadgets, not man-made things. our "love" should be reserved for God and people. All other things we should "like" or "dislike." Is that our current nature? Depends on where we're at in our walk. I'm starting to love man-made things less and less, and THAT is freeing."

Second email

the problem arises from that scripture that says we are strangers (aliens) in this world, in it and not of it. Well, that's half true, since we were born lost and sinful, and adopted into God's family, we are only recently aliens in this world. We have lived in this culture, our sin nature has flourished in this culture. It feels at home in this culture. We don't feel alienated in this culture like we would if we went as missionaries to a tribal village. It would be easier to participate while not loving the man-made gadgets and local culture. We would feel alien and be alien in that environment. But here, we feel this struggle, flesh fighting for, lusting for worldly things, and our spirit gently telling us that we don't need those things for fulfillment. For me it takes a daily spot check. Am I loving the things of this world or the people? Am I living my life, spending my time and money and effort to gather things, or is it spent loving people? We can participate in our culture all day long every day, for the purpose of relating to others, befriending others, and eventually introducing Jesus to others.

Time Spent In Prayer

2010-10-28T08:41:00.001-05:00

A thoughtful article on prayer, see here:

http://arminiantoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-much-time-do-you-spend-in-prayer.html

Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad?

2010-10-27T14:05:00.001-05:00

A great article from a smart dude...

http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2010/10/husbands-as-stay-at-home-dads.html

Practice Ownership

2010-10-25T12:43:00.001-05:00

I was thinking earlier today about how when I'm critical of my friends and family, that they become victims of my attack. What differentiates the gospel response from the worldly response is grace. Often, friends and family will respond with grace, but sometimes they don't. That led to me thinking that the life of a Christian is often a victim-type of life. People will always have problems with us as Christians, and we will sometimes reply with grace and love and will try to validate their feelings and we will feel genuinely sorry for however we wronged them. If we care about people then we will feel bad if they share an angry or upset or hurt sentiment with us.

We as Christians need to get used to the idea that people will be upset with us and that the proper response is grace, not anger in return, not impatience in return. Our spouses need grace, our kids need grace, our friends need grace, and while it's not natural, it is loving. I know when these situations occur I feel like I'm giving in to the victim role when I show grace, because I don't want to agree with their accusation. I want to defend myself. I'm taking responsibility for the accusation by showing grace, even if I believe I'm innocent, I try to "own" the accusation and work to make it right. This is what Jesus did with us. God placed our sins on Him and He "owned" them. I often have trouble with one person being upset with me for one issue, I can't imagine how unfair it seemed to Jesus to "own" my sins and that of every person ever created, billions of people, and take that punishment, all out of love for us. It's not natural, and I'm sure my thoughts and description here are missing some key points that would help drive this home, but I see a truth in this, that I need to keep trying to own the accusations placed against me and to take my licks and respond with love in return. Grace is responding kindly to a complaint, responding lovingly to a criticism, caring about what the other person cares about.

I wasn't perfect today. When others are upset with me I often reply and react in a like manner when I should be trying to own the accusation rather than defending against it. I was raised to never be a victim. I have this anger that rises up from deep within me that wants to stand up for injustice, to defend against an unfair accusation. And it's not that we should be walked on, trampled on, weak little pathetic love-sharing hippies, but that we need to say no to that anger that rises inside of us and just forgive the person that that offends us with their accusations. There is a healthy tension there, to be graceful and to be just. Often I find I spend more effort trying to be just rather than full of grace. My response is to protect my identity and pride and ego, my image, my confidence in myself and my self-worth.

Why am I protecting this so fiercely? If my actions are always loving and godly, won't that speak for itself regarding any image or character? The whole of my life will be weighed and measured, and if I can live a life that responds with grace, I think that will shine brighter than a life wasted in futile efforts to defend myself against every accusation. I've messed up today, and everyday probably, but for sure today. I wasn't just defending myself, but was outright mean. Thankfully, God shows me grace every time. His love is determined and consistent, a perfect model.

test

2010-10-25T11:18:00.001-05:00

trying a new feature, trying to see if I can write a blog from my email account...

Should Christians Participate In Halloween?

2010-10-20T23:00:00.001-05:00

On Facebook I recently posted a query, Should Christians participate in Halloween? Most said it was okay, one person shared a guilty confusion noting how many Christians participate in Fall Festivals and such at church. It all really depends on just a few key factors. Most people form their opinions based upon knowledge gained up to the point when they are forced to make a decision. That information is usually gleaned from the people they spend most of their time around, the books they read, contemplation, judgements, fears, insecurities, etc. Add to this new information learned over time, new people they meet, new books they read, new and/or different understanding of scripture, progress or failure with regard to insecurities and fears and it's easy to see how a person's opinion can change based upon personal experiences.

What I'm saying is that we're all really just a product of our experiences. We respond with almost programmatic and easily anticipated responses per the stimuli we receive. We are what we eat. We become what we take in. We base our decisions on the information taught to us. This is why mass marketing is a trillion dollar industry and governments and militaries use propaganda as a tool against their enemies.

This shows us that our goal should be to read a wide range of sources, participate in a wide range of conversations, and make up our own minds based upon a much broader context of information. God holds us accountable for what we know to be true, which is why we are directed to listen to our conscience (James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.).

What does the Bible allow? Again, this depends on what circles you participate in, people you know, and how each of them interpret scripture, etc. This is what I have learned to this point...

1. God provided laws in the Old Testament times to teach us right from wrong and to show us our need for Him and to provide a framework from which we could understand Christ and what His sacrificed accomplished. The law was perfect in that it perfectly accomplished what God had intended it to do.

2. Jesus came to fulfill the law and he summarized the law as this: Matt 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Basically love God and love people.

3. We know that Jesus was invited to parties, he resisted the self-righteous, haughty, and arrogant "churched" people of his day. He surrounded himself with sinners and sinful activity without ever committing a single sin.

Based upon this evidence and understanding, I would say that a good motto for Christians would be this: If the world loves it we probably shouldn't, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't participate in it.

The problem with the modern evangelical approach to "be in the world-not of the world" is that many Christians wrongly assume that if they appear to be participating in "evil" then they have suddenly become "of the world." The distinction lies in the heart of the Christian. God is working in each Christian a process of sanctification through life experience. He is molding our hearts and character into something that will one day reflect Christ. As imperfect Christians with imperfect character, we are actually encouraged to go live life with sinners. God uses these experiences to sanctify us. As Christians we love God and righteousness and lost people. Hanging out with them in their environments should be a no-brainer. Building real friendships with them is what God asks of us. "Go, tell your brothers and sisters about me and my Son."

Hanging out with the lost shouldn't become an issue of fear where we are scared to be near their sinful activity. It's time Christians put on that armor they're always singing about. Christians CAN love sinful people without loving sin, CAN hang with sinful people without sinning.

The goal of participating is always the great hope of sharing Christ through genuine friendship, not disingenuous attempts at temporarily befriending the lost to rapidly convert the sinful heathens. Conversion should never be our goal anyway. Jesus handles the conversion, we are just responsible for the introduction. Let's go participate, get invited to a Halloween party, be genuinely friendly, and over time we will find that we have earned the right to introduce Jesus to our new friends. And try not to wear your Jesus costume :)

Wandering, Lost, or Undiscovered?

2010-10-07T19:16:00.000-05:00

Two quotes I've read or heard recently...

"I'm not lost just undiscovered."

and

"Not all who wander are lost."

What's the truth? Truth is I've found and been found by Him. He found me wandering, searching, lost. I look at my life and wonder how I got here, nowhere. What am I doing? Going to work? For what? To earn money for food and shelter. What am I supposed to be doing? Every day I see my pride, my ego, my self-confidence get in the way and trip me up. I am nothing without Jesus. I am everything because of Jesus. What I am isn't much, but He chose to love me. Even with his love, grace, and instruction I'm still not much. I keep messing up. Every day. I wonder when I'm going to get "living" right. Each day is a challenge against self, against sin, against the world, against confusion, against temptation, against other people's tough times and challenges and the bitterness that grows in their hearts.

I am everything that I am because of Jesus. He loves the sorry fool that I am, the egotistical, prideful, arrogant idiot that I am. He loves me furiously. More than I want to admit to myself. His love is amazing in my life. I am forgiven because he bore my sin, shame, and pain. He volunteered for the whip and the cross. I am nothing. Jesus is everything. I suck at life and yet, if he did all that for me, then I must be worth something to him.

To all the people in my life that I continue to hurt...I'm sorry and I love you. Jesus sustains me, forgives me, loves me, and is still working to shape me. Give him time to work.

The Last Letter

2010-08-24T08:51:00.002-05:00

From TheLastLetter.org,

Last Letter Documentary, Official Trailer from Last Letter on Vimeo.

Last Letter Vignette: Ryan from Last Letter on Vimeo.

"We're instructed in the Bible to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked. You can't get away from it. You can't deny it. That is love. And so we're like, well let's just do it. We know that there's hungry people there. We know it for a fact, we've seen them. We've made it a very, very big priority to sit and pray. Essentially all of this is, just like I was saying, this is our duty, this should be everyday walk. It shouldn't be like, let me put my missionary hat on, and like, we're gonna go out and outreach and do our thing and then go back home to our regular life. But what I realized through this whole thing, is that I'm giving a meal to a guy that's just like me. You're a man, I'm a man. Yeah, I have a roof over my head, so what if you don't. We're both broken. We're both trying to figure this out."

From the website...

Who is Last Letter?
We are followers of Jesus. Sacrificially taking action to do justice and share Jesus among the impoverished, lost, downtrodden and oppressed.

What is the Last Letter Purpose?
We are working to fuel a revolution of Christians who are passionately offended by hopelessness and poverty. Where there is hunger, we will feed; where there is no water, we will dig; where there is disease, we will bring medication. And why? Because Jesus asked all of us — every believer — to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the sick — in His name. Through His example of sacrifice and death, we give ourselves that He might live in and through us in this world.

What is the Last Letter Narrative?
There is an age long forgotten story, when obedient Christians packed up their worldly belongings into a pine casket and sailed the oceans to a distant land. Before its ultimate use, the constantly visible casket served as a daily seal of the missionaries’ commitment to take up Jesus’ cross among the poor and the lost. Before their ships would sail, these Christian servants would scribble with tears and ink, their own last letters. These letters were penned in Bibles and on weathered parchment in a desperate attempt to explain their divine compulsion to give up everything and everyone to serve the lost and the hurting. At her final farewell, surrounded by parents and siblings, a twenty-year-old single lady would hand her father her last letter, she would tearfully embrace, board the ship and sail off never to return.

Character, Service, Life

2010-08-19T13:30:00.006-05:00

In recent discussions with Christians and others I've noticed that few seem to understand or know what we should be about as we walk through this life. It seems obvious to me now, but in fact it just occurred to me over the last year. And though I've been in church my whole life, I'm embarrassed to share that the answer is evident. Why are people on Earth? What are our goals as we spend roughly 80 years here? Is it climbing the corporate ladder and retiring comfortably? How deluded we Americans are. How blind we are to the folly and struggle of over half the world's population living in extreme poverty, sleeping on floors, scrounging for food each day. A comfortable retirement sure isn't their goal, is it? So why are we here? Some appear more fortunate than others, born into better circumstances by chance. Are those born into better circumstances any better off than those who aren't? When you scrub away the circumstances and just look at the people, all you are left with is character.

The purpose of a Christian's life on Earth is two-fold. Ultimately, all that Christians do should glorify God, but in practice, that comes about in two ways. One, a character journey that starts the moment you must respond of your own free will to any direction or choice, and Two, a life of loving service towards your fellow man. This two-fold purpose encompasses all that we encounter in life. The first is for our benefit, the second for everyone else's. Life's trials offer the challenges that produce solid character. But the good character traits are only developed when right responses are given. For instance...do you "borrow" office supplies from your company and take them home for personal use? A right response, a response from a person with good character would be "no". Many companies tend to overlook this, but many consider it theft. Do you lie to your friends, spouse, neighbors, employer, kids, etc? Are you harsh with people that you don't need or want to treat kindly? These are examples of choices (see purpose One above) that can produce good character.

What about great character? Do you go out of your way to relieve your spouse of their regular chores so they don't have such a burden? Do you offer to regularly mow your neighbor's lawn, wash his car, trim his hedges, clean out his rain gutters? Do you offer your assistance at the local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, church, or school? These are examples of service (see purpose Two above) that produce great character.

Maybe you think that you can have great character if you don't practice making good choices or serving others. Most people believe they are "good" and so are satisfied with their efforts and performance. Feeling good about oneself is healthy, otherwise we'd all walk around clinically depressed. But...great character is not determined in the face of mediocrity or sloth, but from triumph over struggle. This could be struggle against one's own lazy tendencies, or struggle against serving the annoying neighbor we just don't get along with. This is the reason we look at our soldiers, see their sacrifice, and recognize that their service is worth honoring, just as your service to your neighbor would be worth honoring, if you served in love.

This is also the very reason God said that He would give everything in the universe to His son Jesus and that Jesus would sit in the place of honor, at the right hand of the Father. Jesus provided the ultimate loving service to us. He took a punishment that was ours. He bore that for you and I when He was completely innocent. We are now justified, a legal word meaning our debt is paid in full and we are free and clear. To receive this payment for our debt, one must believe, truly believe in Jesus Christ and that He took your punishment for your sins against God, that He died, and that He rose from death and now sits in heaven ruling all creation.

In the end, the goal isn't good behavior, but responding to God's love for you by sharing it with others, and sharing Him with others. God will introduce the necessary trials to improve your character and to provide you the opportunity to serve others. Just respond with the same love Jesus showed you.

Translation, Legalism, Motive

2010-08-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

A friend posted a link to an article, "The Appearance of Evil: Mistranslation in 1 Thessalonians 5:22," on his blog, that speaks of the appearance of evil and the sad effects of mistranslation or the misinterpretation of translation.

The topic in question comes from the KJV translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:22

20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The problem here is the use of the Greek. A literal translation of the Greek would be: "from every form of evil be abstaining." Now, this doesn't mean appearance when taken literally, does it? So, as many Christians, and especially Christian parents, apply the KJV translation, what they end up practicing is legalism. In fact, a simple perusal through the gospels will show that Jesus NEVER avoided the appearance of evil, but rather see KJV Matthew 11:19

19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.

From the article I linked above, "Given the fact that Jesus Himself spent time with tax-collectors and prostitutes, He would not have passed the test of the appearance of evil! In fact, the self-righteous Pharisees of his day took him to task at this very point. They constantly accused him of "guilt by association," that he was sinning because the associated with sinners and did not take pains to avoid the appearance of impropriety by avoiding sinners and disreputable places and events. Yet Jesus certainly passed the test of avoiding "every kind of evil," at the same time that he met sinners in their own world in order to call them to transformation."

Remember...

ESV 1 Samuel 16:7...For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.

ESV Romans 14:17-18 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Keep in mind that it's not our actions that our judged by God, but our heart and our motive, our intent. This is why "the Lord looks on the heart." Go to a bar, have a drink, have a smoke, and share Christ's love with those around you, just as Jesus did when he walked the Earth. The goal isn't the consumption of culturally taboo products, but to not let those products prevent you from witnessing to the very people who need Jesus.

Flight Attendants, Homosexuals, Christians

2010-08-12T14:04:00.004-05:00

Flight attendant Steven Slater, formally of JetBlue Airlines, is somewhat of a modern American working class hero, garnering his 15 minutes of fame when he grabbed a cabin microphone and cursed the airline customer who hit him with luggage, grabbed a beer, popped a hatch, and slid down the inflatable emergency exit chute. Much of the recent commentary has promoted him as a folk hero for the "abused, hard working flight attendants the world over."

None of his story interests me really, but what I was thinking about, after the media shared that he went home to his male partner, was, "How many Christians have just cast this guy aside as a sinner, a homosexual with a temper and a poor attitude?"

That train of thought led me to this, "What makes that Steven Slater any different than a gluttonous Christian, a lustful Christian, a Christian who struggles with any number of sins?"

The difference is that Christians have been shown grace (forgiveness), and sometimes they forget that the lost need forgiveness, need love, and shouldn't be cast aside.

Mankind's story is one of redemption, but the story actually belongs to God, doesn't it? He has continually tried to redeem his creation throughout man's history. Jesus doesn't cast aside the lost, but calls to them, telling them He loves them. He took their punishment for them. God became man so he could speak to us on a personal level. So he could lead us home, lead us to our father creator.

The next time you see a person in the news, I ask that you pray for them, that you spend a minute examining your heart towards them, and that you constantly ask yourself, "How can I love the lost around me?" Remember, we aren't on Earth to wake up, go to work, buy a home, a retire comfortably. There are so many people around you who need your love and God's love. If you don't know where to start, start with the homeless. Jesus was homeless. If you love him then it should be no different.

Bible Study, Bible Reading, Bible Devotions...

2010-08-10T10:19:00.005-05:00

Challies posted some information today on a Bible-Reading System developed by Professor Grant Horner of The Master's College. Basically, you read 10 chapters a day, one chapter each from a different book, and you proceed through those books until complete.

Professor Horner explains it this way...
"On day one, you read Matthew 1, Genesis 1, Romans 1, and so forth. On day 2, read Matthew 2, Genesis 2, etc. On day 29, you will have just finished Matthew, so go to Mark 1 on the Gospel list; you’ll also be almost to the end of 2nd Corinthians and Proverbs, you’ll be reading Psalm 29 and Genesis 29, and so forth. When you reach the last chapter of the last book in a list - start over again. Rotate all the way through all the Scriptures constantly.
Since the lists vary in length, the readings begin interweaving in constantly changing ways. You will NEVER read the same set of ten chapters together again! Every year you’ll read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1 12 times. Since the interweaving is constantly changing, you will experience the Bible commenting on itself in constantly changing ways."

What I love about this system is that the Bible begins to explain itself. I've always wanted to make the relationships between the Old and New Testament, but it seemed so overwhelming without dedicating many semesters to it. Now, reading them simultaneously, it will come with ease, and if done as he encourages, with the same Bible each and every time, the actual reading will come easier as well, as you learn passages from repetition, you won't stumble through them.

The goal isn't to study every nuance of every word, but to see the Bible come together as God's tapestry...many pieces, but one big picture.

For more read the full post at Challies and download the System here.

A Joyful Noise

2010-08-08T13:42:00.001-05:00

I attended a different chapel service tonight in Iraq. It was listed as a contemporary protestant service on the schedule. All I've attended in Iraq until tonight had been the gospel service. Praise and worship was led by a group of filipino contractors stationed here. The lead singer and guitarist was off key and she could barely play. The drummer sounded like he was drumming to different songs than were sung and played. But.....I noticed something about it all. There was no embarrassment. No shame. No feeling bad when the transitions sucked. Just a sincere offering of praise to God, the best that they could offer. Admittedly, I was distracted. I hadn't heard anything so awful in a church service before. But I couldn't help smiling at the sincerity of it all. In fact, the praise and worship ended up being much better than the preaching!

I actually had an inkling of a feeling that I would prefer this type of praise and worship over the usual polished presentation I'm used to. No pride, no shame, just worship. It was amazingly clean feeling. Weightless and unhindered. Just praise without thought of performance. It was awesome.

Unschooled Learning Movement

2010-08-06T10:44:00.001-05:00

Is this a radical idea? Do schools kill creativity? Are parents extreme for considering this as an option? Anyone ever heard of an unschooled doctor, engineer, or lawyer? Should raising doctors, engineers, and lawyers be the primary or only goal of educating our children? Can't an unschooled child decide to go to a university at a later date? Has anyone ever asked their child if they wanted to be a professional, without ever pressuring them to become one, baiting them and convincing them their whole life that they won't succeed or have worth unless they have a degree and successful career? Lots of questions, comment with some answers!

Find more info at Sandra Dodd's website

See YouTube video here...

Marijuana Decriminalization - A Christian Issue?

2010-08-04T13:29:00.009-05:00

James Clark, a graduate of the Candler School of Theology, wrote this article for Huffington Post, "Why Marijuana Decriminalization Should Be a Christian Issue."

In the article he argues that prisons should be for violent people and those who are arrested for possession are filling up our jails unnecessarily. He goes on to say that,

"A profoundly different response to sin is modeled by the Incarnation. In becoming human, Christ entered a broken world and took the burden of sin upon himself. He embraced sinners with open arms, using fellowship and love to offer a way out of sin and a path toward healing. Ultimately, the purpose of the Incarnation is to offer redemption and salvation to any and all sinners who accept the offer. This is the lynchpin that holds the two greatest commandments together. If we truly love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, we inevitably turn to our neighbors and reflect God's Incarnational acceptance by loving them as we love ourselves."
California's Proposition 19 provides one unlikely opportunity to live out this Incarnational model. Far from signaling a Christian approval of using marijuana, Christian advocacy for decriminalization signals disapproval of the retributive response to drug abuse. Incarceration must be reserved for those who present real threats to the public safety of our communities, not for individuals struggling with addiction and marijuana abuse. As Christians, we already know the compassionate response to addiction is far more successful as a road to healing than the retributive one. Yet each year the prohibition of marijuana sends tens of thousands of youth -- disproportionately black youth -- into a cycle of incarceration and addiction with no light at the end of the tunnel."

See link above for full article. Let me hear your thoughts!

Hipster Christianity

2010-08-02T01:16:00.004-05:00

One of the bloggers I follow, Mike Duran over at deCOMPOSE, interviewed author Brett McCracken on his first book Hipster Christianity.

From the About section of the promotional website...
"Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide is a journalistic, in-depth exploration of the phenomenon of "cool Christianity" in the 21st century. More than just a surface description of an interesting new trend in Christianity, the book goes deep into the questions of what it means to be cool and what it means to be Christian. Are these competing aims? Why is the church today so preoccupied with being cool, fashionable, trendy, and relevant? Where does this phenomenon fit in to the larger narrative of "hip" and "Christian cool"? By exploring these questions through the lenses of their various contexts (politics, fashion, art, technology, etc) and theological/philosophical associations (postmodernism, emerging church, missional, etc), this book attempts to provide a thorough examination and nuanced critique of an increasingly prevalent but under-studied incarnation of contemporary Christianity: the Christian hipster."

From the interview...
"It’s a world where things like Left Behind, Jesus fish bumper stickers, and door-to-door evangelism are relevant only as a source of irony or nostalgia. It’s a world where Braveheart youth pastor analogies and Thomas Kinkade are anathema. Hipster Christianity is about rebelling against the legalistic, overly political, apathetic-about-culture evangelicalism of the latter half of the 20th century. It’s a new iteration of youth-oriented, alternative, countercultural Christianity—the offspring of the Jesus movement of the 60s-70s but less Pentecostal and more liturgical (in a “postmodern pastiche” sort of way)."

and

"One unifying theological conviction for Christian hipsters seems to be a more covenantal eschatology that looks to a new creation and the redemption of the earth (rather than an “it’s all gonna burn” perspective”). Most of them also tend to view community as an important, oft-neglected aspect of the Christian life. They are less inclined to speak in individualistic salvation terms (“winning souls”) and hardly ever talk about where one goes after they die. They hate the idea that converting to Christianity is merely a “ticket” to heaven or a get out of hell card. They’d prefer to view the gospel in terms of its restoring powers for all creation (including, but not limited to individuals)."

Check it out, let me know your thoughts. Click on my blog title or on Mike Duran to read the interview, click on Brett for his blog site, and click on Hipster Christianity to go to the book's promotional website.

A Few Inconsistencies Highlighted...

2010-07-19T04:41:00.002-05:00

Hulk Helps Afghan Resistance Fighters

2010-07-14T00:46:00.004-05:00

If only this were true...

People often want a superhero, or even superpowers, but too often fail to realize that they possess some of the greatest powers in the universe, such as love, forgiveness, and service.

Truthfully, though I'm an American military veteran, I'm sometimes sickened by the American patriotism that is pandered, given out as propaganda to an egotistical and prideful people who think themselves inherently better than their brothers and sisters who just happen to be born on a different piece of dirt.

Jesus didn't die just for Americans. He didn't suffer the thorns, the whip, and the cross for any chosen people. He died for all people on all continents. He gave himself for his Father's people, all mankind.

Americans are no better than Muslims. Muslims are no better than Americans. We're all a bunch of confused and insecure people running around trying to scratch out a living according to our personal paradigm. Americans especially have a very narrow world view. It's hard for us to appreciate other cultures. Our great State, though somewhat free and very powerful, is not the standard by which all others should be judged. Though we are fortunate, we are not better. If we have not love, we are nothing (1 Cor 13).

To see more superheroes throughout history, click here.

Victory Over America

2010-07-04T05:01:00.012-05:00

Today is the USA's Independence Day Holiday. I celebrated by taking and flying an American flag on the roof of the Victory Over America Palace that Sadaam was building, before we destroyed it in 2003. America turns 234 years old this year, but not on July 4th.

From: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2005/nr05-83.html
"July 2, 1776 is the day that the Continental Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams, in his writings, even noted that July 2 would be remembered in the annals of American history and would be marked with fireworks and celebrations. The written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4 but wasn't actually signed until August 2. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document, although all were not present on that day in August."

God Speaks Everyone's Language

2010-06-22T10:59:00.002-05:00

I've had a rough time communicating with a friend for about a year now. These last couple of months I cut off communication altogether as I prepared for deployment. I didn't need to add any more stress to an already stressful situation. My friend and I both speak English, but we don't understand each other at all. It seemed that the more we tried to reconcile our differences the more confused and frustrating it became. A few days ago I sent out an olive branch, hoping and praying that this attempt would be different. It wasn't. Right away we misunderstood each other, put words in each others' mouths, made statements based on assumptions, etc. But after about 30 back and forth emails something happened.

God intervened.

Such a burden relieved, a thorn removed after festering for over a year. God was the intermediary, the interpretor, the translator. God speaks everyone's language. Even yours.

Psalm 139:1-4
¹O LORD, you have searched me and known me! ²You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
³You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.

The Best Thing About Being A Father Is...

2010-06-20T11:11:00.006-05:00

The best thing about being a father is...seeing all the little faces light up when I come home, getting tackled with hugs from 6 little ones, and knowing that this love we share will only grow.

This year I'm not coming home to my children, not until Thanksgiving anyway. I'm blessed with the opportunity to see them on video chat most evenings. Fathers, appreciate each moment with your kids. Invest in them, with love and patience, even if you don't understand why they do what they do. A little love goes a long way, a little quality time goes a lot further.

Happy Father's Day to my father and all the fathers out there!

Pics From Iraq

2010-06-18T15:47:00.005-05:00

I don't get many opportunities to be a tourist, as I work 12+ hour days 6 days a week, but I had to stop in this palace for business, so I was fortunate to have a camera along. Temps are usually between 110 and 120. I look around the "birthplace of civilization" and it's hard to imagine that the area once flourished with green grass and blue water.

Welcome To Iraq

2010-05-18T13:59:00.002-05:00

My colleague and I have been sent to Iraq to replace two guys who have been there for a year. We arrived in Iraq on Sunday after a long 48hrs of travel. My colleague and I were fortunate to move through Kuwait within 8hrs. Many of the 250 people that traveled with us to Kuwait had to wait there a few days on standby until space on a C-130 was available. Our teammates in Baghdad had arranged reservations for us three days prior.

On Monday I was told by one of the guys we're replacing that I had to wake up at 4:30am Tuesday for a prayer meet on Signal Hill, the nickname for a large hill here at Victory Base Complex in Baghdad where the military positions much of it's antenna and satellite array. I was surprised, but agreed, curious as to how he knew I would be up for the adventure, since we had never spoken to each other until my arrival and didn't discuss religion in our first few conversations.

Monday night I went to bed late, as I stayed up to video chat with my wife and kids. I went to bed around 11:30pm, making sure I showered last night so I could sleep as late as possible. I set my watch alarm for 4:30am and fell asleep. At 3:30am I woke up puzzled that I didn't hear my alarm, but grateful that I didn't miss the meeting. I got dressed and went outside to wait on my teammate, but he never showed. I knew he was busy packing his stuff up the night before and figured that he decided to sleep in. I couldn't go back to bed and couldn't go back to my room to hang out because I currently stay in a 28-man bunkhouse, so I enjoyed the early morning breeze and decent temperature. When 4:30am rolled around my watch alarm went off and I suddenly realized that I was supposed to wake up at 4:30am and not 3:30am! God made sure I didn't miss this meeting.

After a little chuckle I saw my teammate walk around the corner and we loaded into the SUV. On the way to Liberty Chapel I asked him how he knew I'd be up for this jont and he told me that a few weeks prior God gave him a dream and told him to prepare a way for Jonathan. He didn't know me and he wasn't aware that I was going to be replacing him at the time. When I arrived at the chapel I was surprised by the love and genuineness of all the people there. They were truly happy to meet me and each greeted me with a hug and a handshake. I felt more loved this morning by people I've never met, in a hostile country far from my home, than at any church I've ever been to in the States.

After waiting a few minutes for everyone to arrive, about 30 of us walked up Signal Mtn, echoing praise and worship led by an out-of-tune but passionate Warrant Officer. Various backgrounds were represented; military, civilian, officers, enlisted, young, old, foreign contractors from Uganda, latinos, blacks, whites, catholics, charismatics all singing praise songs as we walked up Signal Hill to pray over Iraq. At the top people took turns reading scripture meant to encourage and uplift the group. We ended the meeting by praying for the soldiers, civilians, Iraqis, for the nations, and for the leaders.

We walked down towards the chapel at the base of the hill and everyone parted with hugs and handshakes. More than a few people came up to me and told me that this group was different than any they had ever seen or been a part of, and that after participating in the group each one noticed positive differences in their lives and their deployments.

I thank God for preparing my way. I'm brought to tears now just thinking about it. I'm away from my family and friends, but God is here with me, giving me comfort and counsel, gently introducing me to my accountability, showing me in plain sight that He is with me.

See article and pictures here: Mountain Top Experience

The Love Of God

2010-04-13T08:04:00.001-05:00

A friend has posted an article on his blog. Sometimes I have nothing to say, and sometimes I have questions. Here is my response today, click here to see his blog and read my response below or at his site...

You know, one of the reasons I can't simply acquiesce to election is that according to this view:

"chose from all the peoples of the world, a peculiar people to be his own before he made anyone or anything."

and

"They did not choose Christ, rather he chose them"

and

"being stripped of their smug self-righteousness"

God is not just responsible, but man is shirking his responsibility for his actions. Man is shoving it back in God's lap saying, "No, God. I can't be free to have this choice. This must rest with you so that if I do end up in Hell only you are to blame."

I get that God is sovereign and salvation begins with Him, but it begins with Him doing the work He's done, it begins with Him sending His spirit to draw all mankind unto Himself. Salvation begins with Him but ends with us. We must respond to the Spirit drawing us in.

A friend once said to me, asking this in response to my assertion that man can respond to God, "What makes me so special that I would [have the faculties to] respond to God where some other guy wouldn't?"

I didn't answer, but now I would say his question poses a greater problem for him as a calvinist. We are all created with the opportunity to respond to God (see Moses, Abraham, Pharaoh, etc). I ask, "What makes you so special that God would choose you over some other guy?" Does God not love that other guy and desire his redemption as well? Calvinism says that God doesn't love some of us. That God would create us and send us to hell according to his pleasure. That's much like abortion. That a couple would procreate and then abort that "lump of tissue" because it's not wanted and it's not loved. Calvinists would argue that God loves that lump of tissue and we shouldn't abort, yet then argue that God freely sends most of His creation to Hell, keeping aside an elect group for no other reason than he is God and can do whatever he desires. It's contradictory and in fact, this sounds more like Islam than Christianity. Muslims commonly use the Arabic phrase, "In sa Allah" which means "if it is God's will" or "God willing". This used to mean something to a greater crowd, but has been dumbed down to mean "hopefully" by those less religious.

If I am wrong I ask God to show me. If I am right, I ask God to help me share this truth effectively. As I go forward, I go forward choosing to err on the side of God's love. A love that allows me to freely disown my Creator, and a love that pursues me despite my sin, ignorance, and folly.

The Narrow Path

2010-04-13T07:22:00.001-05:00

Funny thought for the day...

The narrow path: That small avenue of truth sandwiched between Calvinism and Arminianism.

"And few there be that find it."

Matt 7:13-14

Embrace Life

2010-04-12T21:06:00.002-05:00

12 Yr Old Artist

2010-04-12T20:58:00.004-05:00

Marriage Milestones

2010-04-06T20:05:00.001-05:00

My 10th Wedding Anniversary is approaching. This coming Thursday will be the tenth year since I vowed before God and family that I would love and take care of my wife for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. In reflection, I've given an average effort. I'm not the worst husband, but I have much room for improvement. My goal these next 10 years is to be more than enough. I've settled with just being enough, but that isn't the stuff of greatness. That isn't what makes marriages great. My wife strives to be more than enough and she deserves an equal effort.

In mentioning my 10th Anniversary to people these last few weeks I realized that the thought of naming our celebration sounded oddly proud to me, which seems strange. Why do we count our marriage years? These days, in our culture, ten years of marriage is something significant. But is it something I want to gloat about? I mean, marriage is a forever thing, so counting the years sounds like I'm planning for failure. Like I'm asking, "how many years can I make it before it all falls apart?"

When I think of the last ten years it doesn't seem like a decade has past me by. In fact, the last ten years were actually the first ten years of my life as a family man. So starting a career, starting a family...those activities have kept me busy. Now, six kids later, we're moving into our future with some momentum and we're full of hope. We've grown through mistakes, through selfishness, and through many, many sad and rough times. I praise God for each day with my wife. I praise God for another chance to be the husband He created me to be. When I stop long enough to look at my wife and take in her beauty, I find that I'm still stunned and I grin at my good fortune.

There's nothing wrong with counting the years, as long as they're counted as blessings. I've had ten blessed years and these blessings have multiplied and made me a very rich man.

Eggs And Bunnies

2010-04-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

If Jesus walked the earth today, would he participate in modern American Easter celebrations? Egg hunts in the park, hanging eggs from trees (whatever that's about), giving kids baskets full of candy...

Is Easter really about fertility symbols, gods and goddesses, and pagan rituals and many ultra-conservative Christians would have people believe? Or is it about enjoying spring time, getting outside with the kids, and doing something silly, like collecting all those eggs from the Easter Bunny?

Thoughts On Genesis

2010-04-02T09:04:00.001-05:00

I've been wondering, for awhile now, about a few things in Genesis that have always confused me, and some logical questions that follow from those topics.

1) Did sin enter the world when Eve and Adam disobeyed God by eating the Fruit?

-I'm thinking No. Or Yes, if you don't count Satan's Fall as "in the world." I suppose it tainted the human race at the point they ate, to be specific.

2) Would they (Adam and Eve) have still sinned in other ways, even if they and their lineage never ate the Fruit?

-I'm thinking Yes, it's likely, as they obviously had free will and chose to disobey God in that regard, so why not in some other regard.

3) Where is the description of the mystical bondage that enslaves all mankind in sinful nature because of our first parents' mistake?

-Yeah there are references that say it is so, but where is it described how they mess up and we somehow inherit a nature that is drawn to evil and disobedience? I'm looking for a description of how and why it's actually passed on, not just references that state it's their fault and we have no choice but to inherit it.

4) Does anyone find it "unfair" that we can't choose to be born, and we're born with a dark nature?

-Is that God's design from the beginning, to set us up for redemption? To not have a hope in the world except Him?

5) Was Jesus born with a sinful nature? Is sinful nature inherited only from our fathers, giving Jesus a way out, which actually made it easier for Him to avoid sin than it is for us?

-I'm thinking No, but haven't done any research on this at all, so my answer is fluff anyway.

Share your thoughts in the comment section of this blog...

Only God Can Fire The Pope

2010-03-26T08:58:00.001-05:00

From ABCNews article...

"As outrage mounted over the latest Catholic Church sex scandal, writer Christopher Hitchens called for the arrest of Pope Benedict XVI, and singer Sinead O'Connor said the pope should face a criminal investigation."

"Protesters rallied outside the Vatican, angry that an office under his command had stopped the prosecution in 1996 of Wisconsin priest Lawrence Murphy, who admitted molesting 200 boys at a school for the deaf where he worked for 20 years."

"Experts in canon law say only a heavenly bolt of lightning can take the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger from power as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church."

""The only person who can fire him is God," said the Rev. Thomas Doyle, who worked at the Vatican embassy in Washington, D.C., and was one of the first whistle blowers when the sex scandals broke in 1984."

""A pope is never forced to resign, not under the current canon law," said Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Tablet weekly. "A pope can voluntarily resign, but it's interesting... Who would take his resignation?""

-----------

The Pope is revered as if He was Jesus himself. Is the Pope allowed to sin? Can he make mistakes too? Does the Catholic world allow room for the Pope to be a sinner too? Transparency and honesty are all that's needed right now. It's likely some Cardinal somewhere will lose his career to protect the Pope to keep him "sin free."

Quick Study

2010-03-21T11:05:00.003-05:00

Click on picture to magnify and read...

John Wesley

2010-03-20T11:06:00.003-05:00

"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church."

-John Wesley, 1703-1791

Robert Murray M'Cheyne

2010-03-18T12:44:00.001-05:00

"If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not
fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is
praying for me."

-Robert Murray McCheyne, 1813-1843

Hafiz of the Qur'an

2010-02-13T23:30:00.003-06:00

...a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Qur'an.

Completely memorized! Wow! One website I found estimated that 1 in 1000 Muslims is a Hafiz.

What if Christians attempted this? Seems like a worthy goal to me. Many sources say that Noah Webster, of the famous Webster's Dictionary, memorized the whole Bible. If I start now I might reach that goal when I'm 60. How wonderful that would be, to have the whole Bible stored up there in the noggin. It would probably help me to connect themes, prophesies, and story threads that were invisible to me previously. The Word would always be with me to comfort me and guide me. I can't see any negatives, other than the time it would take.

During the month of Ramadan many Muslims will read a couple hours a night so that they accomplish a complete reading of the Qur'an. Again, a noble and worthwhile goal. What if Christians did this every Christmas? Two hours a night isn't much of a sacrifice. Many Christians go their whole lives without reading the complete text of the Bible.

UAH Shooting

2010-02-12T19:46:00.003-06:00

You may have heard on the news about the faculty member who started shooting colleagues today at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The shooting took place on the third floor of the Shelby Center on campus. My stepmom works on the second floor. I had no idea that anything was going this afternoon when I called my dad on my way home from work.

I was stunned at the news that another shooting took place in Madison County in a one week period. A middle school student was shot just last Friday which made national headlines. It took a little bit to sink in... we could have lost her today. My stepmom has been in my life since I was 4 or 5 years old. She's been my mom through all my life's events.

I realized on my way home how I take my family for granted. I take a lot of things for granted. We all do. I teared up a little, not even really sure why. Relief, I think, mostly. I sent her a text message telling her I love her. I know she's shook up. When my dad told me the news I prayed for her continued protection and those around her, and that God would use her to minister to those around her as well.

I'm reminded of a David Crowder book, "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, But Nobody Wants To Die." We don't want those we love to leave us. We're selfish in that regard. Everyone dies at some point. Everyone spends eternity somewhere. The question is, where will your eternity be spent? Those who trust in God and those who don't end up in different places.

My Anti-Valentine

2010-02-11T23:01:00.000-06:00

Dirty And Dumb

2010-02-08T23:28:00.001-06:00

How little we must look to God, walking around, brows furrowed, weight of the world on our slumped shoulders, not knowing what's right, wanting to be right, struggling for answers and truth, for right existence, whatever that's supposed to look like on earth. Walking around dirty and dumb. How can God not look down and have sympathy and such a pathetic and beautiful sight?

Sometimes I think I need perspective like this, to help me see what I look like, to help me see what God expects, doesn't expect, what God wants, doesn't want from me, of me.

Keith Green

2010-02-07T21:58:00.004-06:00

“The only music minister to whom the Lord will say,

'Well done, thy good and faithful servant,' is the one

whose life proves what their lyrics are saying...

And to whom music is the least important part of their life.

Glorifying the only Worthy One

has to be a minister's most important goal!”

Keith Green

Quote and picture from LastDaysMinistries.org

Tebow Could Have Been A Rapist

2010-02-06T19:41:00.002-06:00

From Glenn Beck...

On 'The View' Whoopi Goldberg was wondering why anyone cared that the Tim Tebow pro-life commercial was airing during the Super Bowl -- a very good observation. That's when mental giant Joy Behar chimed in to educate the American people on why it's offensive. She argued that "he could just as easily have become some kind of a rapist pedophile. I mean, you don't know what someone's going to be."

GLENN: You know, this is I mean, that kind of attitude is exactly where Planned Parenthood came from originally. You have Margaret Sanger who was a progressive. It wasn't about women's right to choose. It was about getting rid of the lower classes.

PAT: Sure was.

GLENN: It was about weeding out. Quite honestly, let's be honest about it, it was about killing black babies. That's what it was about. And it was a progressive organization. Racist, genetic, or what do you call the not the genetic experiments but

STU: Eugenics? Is that what you're talking about?

GLENN: Eugenics. I mean, that's what it's about, eugenics, which led to the Holocaust. That kind of thinking. You know, play it again. Play what she says.

GOLDBERG: A commercial scheduled to air during Super Bowl has women's groups outraged. It's about a mom who ignores recommendations for her to abort her baby and how that baby grows up to become a Florida Gators football star, Tim Tebow. Now, the ad is from conservative Christian focus group Focus on the Family. And Tebow says it celebrates life. So what's, why are folks, what are people flipping out about? I'm not sure.

BEHAR: The only argument against any of it is that, you know, he could just as easily have become some kind of a rapist pedophile. I mean, you don't know what someone's going to be.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. And by the way, the laugh was from Stu, not from the audience.

STU: No.

GLENN: I imagine the audience was like... what?

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: So remember, this is exactly the same kind of thinking from progressives in the eugenics days. And the eugenics thing, Joe, eugenics American, right? Yeah, eugenics was an American idea and it was, how do we weed out those who are not smart enough, not gifted enough, will never get it, will struggle. A lot of people don't know, but the true history of eugenics, the eugenics program let's just say it. The true history of the gas chambers, it started as compassion.

The first baby, the first anyone, the first German that was killed by doctors couldn't be the doctors couldn't do it. Born blind, born deaf, I think deformed. Baby Knauer I believe was the name of the baby, K n a u e r, Baby Knauer, I think, look it up. And the parents were like, oh, the baby is in pain, he will never be able to have a good life, he will never be able to have a full life, a normal life. And the doctor said, I can't do anything about it, I'm sorry. They wrote to the chancellor and said, please, please have some compassion. And so Hitler wrote this big long article that it is the humane thing to do to be able to kill Baby Knauer and be able to, just for the parents, and really it's a blessing for the child, too, because I'm such a compassionate man. The very next step was to go in and look at the old people, the infirm people, look at the handicapped. And what they did, the first gas chambers were trucks. They would pull these giants trucks up to the up to hospitals. And what they did is they would put all these people who were infirm and sick and they would put them into the back of these big huge like tractor trailer trucks, close the door, take a hose from the exhaust pipe and put it into the back of the truck. And so people were gassed through carbon dioxide. That's how it happened. They first cleaned the hospitals out of old, infirm and insane. And it was all for compassionate reasons, putting them in the back of the truck for compassionate reasons.

A Plain Reading

2010-02-01T22:31:00.004-06:00

A wonderfully explained position...from Arminian Today. See the end for my thoughts.

"Why Doesn't God Just Elect Us All?

One of the mysteries of Calvinism is the struggle Calvinist theologians have had since Calvin as trying to understand the mystery of election. Probably one of the most difficult areas is the issue of God's sovereign choosing who will be saved and who will be damned. Some have tried to deny that Calvin himself held to double predestination but there is no doubt that Theodore Beza, Calvin's successor and teacher of Arminius, held to double predestination. Some have said that Beza reacted to attacks against Calvinism by embracing such a view. Arminius (and others after him including John Wesley) rejected such a view. Wesley said that such a teaching (unconditional election) "makes my blood boil."

Most Calvinists today continue to struggle with the issues related to election. Why is it that God has chosen some but not all? Some Calvinists like to narrow this down even more to make it personal as "Why did God elect me but not someone else?" Truly, election within Calvinism is a mystery.

Some Calvinists try to find answers. Most, however, settle for quoting Deuteronomy 29:29 and leaving the mystery of election simply as that: a mystery.

For the Arminian, this answer (that election is a mystery) is not sufficient. For Arminianism, election is based on a person having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Peter 1:10-11). We believe that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:1-2; 4:10) and we believe that those who place their faith in Jesus become the elect of God (1 Timothy 4:10). For the Arminian, a reading of Ephesians 1:3-14 is not difficult to grasp as the elect are simply those in Christ Jesus. That seems simple enough to understand.

The issue then related to why are not all men saved is simple: not all have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28; Mark 10:45; Acts 2:38). Only in Jesus is a person completely forgiven (Romans 3:22-26; 10:4; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:12). Those who reject the gospel (John 3:19-21) or those who are not in Christ Jesus by grace through faith are not redeemed (John 14:6; Romans 1:18-32; 10:9-17; 1 Peter 1:18-21). Redemption is found only in the Lord Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross (Hebrews 9:22, 27-28). Those who hope in works or in religion or in themselves are not saved and will be condemned for all eternity (Revelation 21:6-8, 27).

For Arminians, this is not an issue of God simply predestining some to eternal life and others to hell. For us, it is an issue of people refusing to repent and believe the gospel. A person in hell will not be able to cry out to God, "You placed me here without me ever having a choice in the matter!" No! The person in hell will be there because of their sins and their refusal to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Romans 1:18-32). Just as Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people so Hell is a prepared place for unprepared people. No doubt the elect will be in Heaven with Jesus but the idea that those predestined to hell apart from their own sins and their own rejection of Jesus Christ, in the words of Wesley, makes our blood boil."

The key piece in this article, for me, is this phrase: "For the Arminian, a reading of Ephesians 1:3-14 is not difficult to grasp as the elect are simply those in Christ Jesus. That seems simple enough to understand."

Eph 1:5 says, "he predestined us before him in love, having predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,"

This simply means that the purpose of God's will (the death and resurrection of Jesus) is for the adoption of those who have faith and repent. Those who have faith and repent take part in God's grand predetermined scheme that God set in motion millennia ago. The salvation of certain people was not predetermined, but the salvation of those who have faith and repent according to the purpose of God's will (the death and resurrection of Jesus). God was determined to redeem (adopt) all. The means to that end was Jesus on the cross. The end result is adoption. The verse is talking about a means to an end. God predetermined that those who would have faith and repent would not get a high five, or a pat on the back, but would receive "adoption as sons through Jesus Christ." It's like saying that by believing you will receive this reward that God predetermined for those who would believe. I predetermined that my kids would have ice cream if they helped their mom keep the house clean. I'm not determining which kids will clean the house and receive ice cream (and so determining which kids won't receive ice cream), but determining to reward those who do clean the house.

Romans 1, Babies, Eternity

2010-01-31T00:28:00.005-06:00

So, for some reason I can't get this topic off my mind lately. If babies die, do they go to heaven or hell?

My calvinist friends tell me hell, since everyone is born dark and sinful. My arminian friends tell me heaven, since they have not reached an age of accountability and have no way of expressing their heart, their motive, their intent.

I get that we're all born into sinful flesh, but at the same time I wonder about verses like Rom 1:18-20:
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Can a baby suppress truth? Can a baby know what is plain about God? Are God's invisible attributes clearly perceived by babies? Are babies without excuse?

I've heard wild theories about babies...
-That they go to purgatory and then come back after the 2nd Coming and they are given the chance to live their life and make their choices for eternity.
-That they go to Hell for eternity just because they were born, having committed no sin (purposely pursuing the wrong option when they clearly understood the right option).
-That they go to Heaven without ever having made a commitment to God in faith, believing in Christ and repenting of their sins.

What is sin? Is that the issue? Is that the question? I think most agree that God cares more about motive and intent, He cares more about our "heart" than our actions, which is why lust is adultery without the action taking place. Are babies pure instinct, or do they perceive right and wrong?

What are your thoughts?

"I Helped A Haitian"

2010-01-17T10:55:00.003-06:00

I think I suffer from "compassion fatigue" or more accurately, "politically correct (PC) compassion fatigue." I sympathize for the Haitians, but I'm frustrated by the political profit that seems to abound nowadays whenever disaster strikes somewhere in the world.

I remember hearing about disasters as a child, but never saw the response I see now. Living in California I experienced a few earthquakes myself. You may ask, "It's a good thing that so many give so much now, why does the enormous outpouring of cash and volunteer effort bother you?" Because I have the distinct impression that much of this is effort is trendy rather than heart-felt sympathy and concern.

President Obama invited past presidents to the White House to discuss the matter, showing the world he was giving it his full effort by inviting past presidents to the discussion table. Was it because he didn't have the resources and advisers he needs for a proper response, or was it because Bush failed so miserably with Katrina that Obama doesn't want to make the same mistake?

Last year the Haitians were struck by three consecutive hurricanes? Does anyone remember that? I didn't until the media told me. This year, just as they were beginning to recover, a devastating earthquake strikes them. They DO need money and food and aid. First they need prayer, and then charitable contributions as each of us are led by the Holy Spirit. Don’t give out of a desire to be PC, don’t give because you can feel better about yourself or better than your friends who didn’t contribute, but out of a love for those who desperately need that aid.

People speak about their contributions as badges of honor deserving respect. You won’t be getting a “I helped a Haitian” t-shirt, but that’s how this whole thing smells. It stinks of pride.

Matthew 6
1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Death Of Jesus and Other Stuff

2010-01-16T22:03:00.003-06:00

It's an odd coincidence that those who love Jesus and hate Jesus are both happy he died. Another thought concerning his death...he died for all, but few were (will be) saved.

I've been away from blogging for many months now, having transitioned from military life to civilian life, old job to new job, old house to staying with relatives to buying my first home. I hope to get back to blogging, but I foresee a few changes. My original goal with this blog was to chronicle my spiritual walk and the ensuing revelations and growth, to publicly share my trials with the added benefit of maintaining accountability. I had hoped to develop some sort of community, but struggled to find an audience that was willing to converse through the comment section, and so I became a little disappointed, a little disenchanted. Blogosphere success wasn't my goal (though I must admit I would have enjoyed and appreciated some measure of blog notoriety), but developing a diverse community that encouraged conversation and free thought.

There were also many times that I just wanted to share my thoughts on non-religious topics, to post and see what opinions existed and might be persuaded through stimulating conversation. I still do not feel quite yet settled in a routine, so I'm not sure how regular my postings will be, but the goal is for near-daily postings.

Thanks to all who have followed, those who have waited, and those who will continue to follow this blog. I look forward to our conversations.

Director Quits After Watching Abortion

2009-11-02T20:30:00.003-06:00

"The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a "change of heart" after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility."

Read here for more...

I'll never understand how abortion isn't considered murder. I mean, the babies ARE alive. They can survive at 24 weeks gestation. They start as living organisms, develop brain function and heart rhythm very soon after conception, and come out as fully developed human babies. It is always murder. Praise God for life!

Moralist: A Damned Good Person

2009-10-31T20:41:00.003-05:00

Moralism is the great deception. Everyone knows they should be good. Everyone has an innate sense of right and wrong, but no one can be good all the time. We all mess up eventually in some way or another. Some of us more than others, some in worse ways than others. We measure ourselves against the worst and think we're pretty good. What a low standard we use to feed our pride :)

Where does moralism get us though? Does our being good earn us anything? Do we get points toward admission to heaven? No. So, what does that effort achieve? You get people to like you, maybe. People may speak well of you. Is that the goal of life? I hope not. What an empty and unfulfilling life goal.

Since practicing morality won't get a person into heaven, what will it get a person? It will get you exactly what every other human effort gets you. A ticket to hell. Only God made a way to redeem humanity from the sin that controls us. Jesus joined humanity and took the punishment for every person's sins. God did everything for us. Our efforts, even after we become a Christian, earn us nothing. Our best efforts at "goodness" and morality don't even show up on God's radar. A heart that is regenerated by God, though, a heart that desires to love Him and others - our motives, a heart in right standing with God, that's what matters.

Moralists are damned to hell, despite every good work, every good deed, every good effort, every good intention. Believe in your heart and mind and soul that God did the work to save you. Have faith, even when believing is hard. Move forward in faith. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. If you seek Him you will find Him. He wants to be real in YOUR life, but He wont push Himself on you. Seek Him while you still have life and opportunity.

A Judeo-Christian Nation?

2009-10-31T10:10:00.002-05:00

It's nice to see that some in Congress appreciate the principles and ideologies of our founding fathers, but I can't help but wonder if it's still relevant. I mean, I don't see our nation ever returning to it's Christian heritage. So we have to work with what we have now rather than romanticize the past. It's likely our nation will continue to devolve. Our freedoms and rights are being absorbed by the government. Christianity was the dominate religion for 200 years in this nation founded on freedom. Surely someone realizes that freedom means all religions have an equal opportunity here in America. Will we rise to the occasion, with Christ-like character, suffering if necessary, with humility, grace, and love for our enemies, not fighting over our rights, but striving to bring Christ to the multitude, to those who "know not what they do?"

I'm A Lucky Slug

2009-10-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

Most have heard it said that Jesus died for us, but few ever take the time to realize what that means. I was thinking about pride the other day and realized that pride gets in the way of everything. The American culture is one that markets pride, self-esteem, self-glory, self-help, etc. Many churches won't even tell you to seek Jesus, but they will tell you to meet with one of the pastors, sign up to see a counselor, pay $10 for a special conference so that you can make Jesus give you what you want; i.e. more money, better health, a better marriage, a better sex life, a promotion, etc.

Because of our pride, because we value ourselves and our humanity, we see ourselves as an elevated and special creation, worthy of God's attention and Jesus' sacrifice. BUT WE'RE NOT WORTHY! We are slugs crawling in the dirt getting into every mess imaginable.

Imagine caring for a bunch of slugs so much that you would give up your humanity to become one of them and lead them to their only hope for salvation. A few of the slugs will realize the sacrifice you made out of your love for them, but most will deny your power and some even your very existence. To add insult to injury other slugs will twist your message, try to add to it, take away from it, and they divide over it.

Was it worth it, becoming a slug, then dying as a slug, then being rejected by a majority of slugs generation after generation? YES!

Thank you Lord for saving a slug like me!

Obama Cannot Accept Nobel Prize Without Congress' Consent

2009-10-27T19:11:00.001-05:00

Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution, the emolument clause, states: "And no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince or foreign state."

See here for more...

A New Home

2009-10-25T19:58:00.003-05:00

So, I just bought my first home! I would say it's great being a homeowner, but man, I can't get past all the work that needs to be done on this brick home built in 1970. I keep telling people this home has lots of potential, I just wish it didn't have SO MUCH potential! It's great though, and I feel so blessed to even own a home. So many will be on the street tonight in America, the richest nation on earth. So many throughout the world will go to sleep tonight in huts and shacks laying on tarps and cardboard. I am blessed and I will try to honor that gift I've been given by opening my home and using it to love people.

Too Much Grace

2009-10-10T08:48:00.003-05:00

Is there such a thing as too much grace? Is God too gracious with us and toward us? If we compared our forgiveness and love for others with God and us, you might think so. We often don't forgive completely or love completely. Sometimes we draw the line at, say, 100 offenses from someone against us. They don't deserve to be forgiven anymore. They can't be helped. It's just the way they are.

I'm so grateful that God keeps loving me and forgiving me. I had a life-changing experience a couple of years ago where I realized, for the first time, how sinful I really was and how gracious God continued to be despite my daily offenses. As of today I've lived 10526 days. I've likely sinned multiple times a day throughout my life. How many exactly doesn't matter. The point is that God forgives much more than we do, and He forgives all Christians everywhere, which adds up to millions and billions and trillions of sins forgiven.

I like this quote from Ragamuffin Gospel. In his book Brennan Manning spoke of how often folks are afraid to preach grace, worried that people will just take advantage of it. He answers, "You're right - they will. But, it doesn't make it any less true.”

It's not like God didn't know our nature and our tendency to abuse every good thing He created and gives. Our abuse of God's grace doesn't make His grace any less true. It does make us sinners in need of His grace, but isn't that what we're already talking about? Am I condoning that people continue to sin that grace may abound (Rom 6)? No, not at all. But I am saying that God continues to provide grace where needed to those who love Him and live for Him.

Grace isn't something people should fear. Christians should embrace it and pass it on. That's the point. God provides the example that we should reflect and pass on in our daily lives. Do we become grace whores because we enjoy and appreciate receiving God's grace? No. God wants us to receive His grace and pass it on. What we need to ask ourselves is this, "If we truly appreciate God's grace, are we sharing it accordingly?"

Love ya,
Jonathan

The Truth About Jesus

2009-10-07T20:21:00.004-05:00

The greatest thing about the story of Jesus is that it's true. We are 2000 years removed from the events of Christ, but that doesn't make those events any less real. There were eyewitness accounts for his death and resurrection. He claimed he was God and was hung on a cross for that "blasphemy." He was constantly watched and spied on by his enemies. He was followed and glorified by his believers. All of the historical records of that time agree with the Bible concerning Jesus.

If we could just get people to quit looking at Jesus as a religious figure and to start looking at him as a fact of history I think people would welcome conversation about him rather than dismiss him altogether. The concept of religion is one of the devil's greatest victories. It divides those who would believe, leads astray those who are searching, and binds those who try too hard.

You can read the whole Bible, memorize its commandments, follow them perfectly, and still miss the point. It's not about following rules. It's not about being good. It's about being bad and admitting it regularly. It's about being bad and not pretending to be good. It's about being bad and knowing that even though you try to be good, you are forgiven when you fail to measure up to a perfect standard that you can never achieve. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GOOD OR PERFECT! God loves the failure that you are. We're all a complete mess and we're all completely loved.

A Gospel Response

2009-10-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Is it possible or necessary to have a Gospel response for every life experience? What does a Gospel response look like? Maybe it isn't mandatory, but would it be helpful?

What are your thoughts?

Drag Me To Hell

2009-10-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

The other day I realized what sinful temptation is. Each and every day I'm tempted to sin in my anger, in my impatience, in my laziness, in my selfishness, in my covetousness, in my lust, in my idolatry, etc. Most days I do the poorest job one can imagine in resisting the devil and fleeing temptation. My realization came when I suddenly viewed temptation for what it is, an evil that takes on whatever form necessary at the moment to lead me astray and drag me to Hell. That's the goal of sinful temptation - to lead us off of the straight and narrow path.

Many places in the Bible remind us to remain on the path, to finish the race, to remain in the vine. Repentance is a daily necessity. Choosing faith in Christ's work is a daily necessity. We can't make the decision once and then live every day as if we're immune to the effects of the world. We are not immune. We are fighting a spiritual battle every single day. If we aren't fighting then we're taking hits, being pummeled toward Hell with every temptation that we fail to fight off. Life is a journey with only two possible destinations. Life's events offer opportunity to grow in Christ-like character, but also opportunity to feed an evil appetite that will only grow in strength and demand. Which one are you feeding?

Sharing The Gospel

2009-09-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

I always had trouble coming up with an evangelistic technique that would help me present the Gospel confidently and efficiently (trying to avoid confusing language or debated ideas). And it wasn't just the Gospel. I would also fret over leading someone to Christ (meaning through the Sinner's prayer, assisting them in the biggest decision of their life). I never was comfortable with any of that. Then it hit me...we aren't called to help people make decisions. After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and "He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation"" (Mark16:15).

Sharing the Gospel isn't hard at all. I don't even have to share my "testimony." All I have to do is share what God did for people 2000 years ago. We are charged with spreading the Good News. It's our job to inform those who don't know. There's no pressure to "do it right." Jesus didn't tell us to proclaim the Gospel and lead them into a prayer that will magically get them saved. Prayer doesn't save people. Jesus saves people through His grace. Jesus did the work, so what is our response? If a person wants to be saved from the eternal torture they will receive for their sins against God, they must believe in Christ and that He died in their place (faith), they must turn to God and turn away from the sin in this world (repent). To be clear, your faith and your repentance doesn't save you. Jesus did the saving work by dying in your place. You just need to accept that gift by exercising your faith in what He did. God's wrath was appeased by the death of Christ - God as man who never sinned, but died for all of mankind's sin. His voluntary act was sufficient, so that now all people are able to claim Christ's perfect righteousness as their own. Christ's righteousness is credited to us, thankfully, because without it we would spend an eternity in Hell.

Salvation comes with an added bonus...besides saving us from eternal torture, Christians have the benefit of not only being saved from the penalty for our sins, but also from the power of sin in our daily life. Where once you wanted to be selfish and vengeful and bitter (and often were that way naturally and without effort), now you see that there is a better way and you can decide to avoid those sinful behaviors and tendencies; loving people, forgiving people, living a better life of selfless service rather than selfish ambition. God has a better way and He loves each of us enough to let us choose. God set man on earth, walked with him and loved him, but didn't force man to honor Him. Christians do so out of thanks and love for the Creator that saves us despite ourselves.

Sin And Grace

2009-09-26T09:54:00.005-05:00

Sin and grace are an awkward pair, aren't they? Sin is a filthy contaminant that we are forced to live with. It permeates our existence, separates us from God, and ALWAYS results in death. Like CS Lewis said, "A good man is sorry for his sin, but not entirely sorry for the fresh need it produced." Sin should be avoided at all costs, but when a Christian is in need of God's grace, it's there for him. Doesn't that bring a smile to your face?

Brennan Manning said, "My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it." In my pursuit of Christ-like character I can't help but notice my flaws. I wonder if all the spots and stains will ever disappear. But then I realize that, when my attention is on Christ, the spots and stains begin to fade away. Christ accepts the leper that I am. Christ longs to hold me to His bosom and assure me of His love. I am nothing, but I am loved and accepted by the One who created the universe and the existence of all things.

I am allowed to be me. I don't have to cover my ugliness as Quasimodo did. I don't have to hide or live with shame. I'm accepted. Jesus doesn't ask me to pretend to be perfect. He doesn't ask me to put on a good Christian show to protect His reputation and image. He asks me to be me. That's enough for Him, and that should be enough enough for us as we go into the world and interact with His people. They're all His people, they just don't know it. Go and tell them.

Jesus Doesn't Live In My Heart

2009-09-22T14:45:00.003-05:00

Have you ever been instructed to "Ask Jesus into your heart?" Were you successful at this? Did Jesus enter your heart? I say no. And I think it's a great source of confusion for many. The goal of all Christians is numbers, right? We want more people to meet Jesus. The more the merrier. In that desire many well-meaning brothers and sisters often mislead those who would be saved. They instruct them to "Ask Jesus into their hearts."

First, Jesus doesn't live in your heart. The heart is muscle. The heart is flesh. The heart is wicked and deceitful above all.

Second, salvation isn't a result of our asking Jesus, but of the work He did 2000 years ago.

Third, for those who say the heart is figurative, that may be true, but the call to salvation is not figurative and not emotional. It's a matter of faith, which can lead to emotion.

Fourth, Can you show me anywhere in the Bible where the scriptures command that we ask Jesus into our hearts? No. Rev 3:20 is often used out of context. Jesus is speaking to the Church of Laodicea, an adulterous and lukewarm church in that day.

There are many more reasons this presentation of God, Jesus, the Gospel, and salvation are wrong. For a few more resources read Todd Friel’s “Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart” and see this website at sojournkids.com

Preach The Gospel To Yourself Daily

2009-09-09T18:06:00.002-05:00

Lately I've had a desire to draw closer to God. I see so many weak areas in my life, areas where I just don't have any excuse. I'm apathetic, I'm absent, I'm easily angered and often bitter, I don't have regular devotions (not like I imagine they should be - studious research of biblical text), I don't pray as often as I think I should, I don't mentor my wife and children like I believe I should, etc, etc, etc. I have for many years used the excuse that no one ever showed me so I don't know how to do these things. That's true, but it's no excuse. Anyway, I believe that my absenteeism has left me spiritually anemic. I get by with my knowledge, but I haven't grown in quite awhile.

After watching God answer my prayers this last year, two very real miracles in my life (1. getting out of an Army contract and 2. providing me a job I didn't apply for that's paying exactly what I needed, which is also much more than I was going to ask for), I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good! He is present and He is concerned. He loves me and has my best interests at heart, truly! God has shown himself faithful to the unfaithful. God has decided to draw near to me so that I would draw near to Him. His grace towards me didn't end that dark day on Golgotha. It didn't end 3 days later in an empty tomb. He has shown me grace every day of my life and He continues to show me grace every moment of my life! The Holy Spirit has been drawing me in for some time now. I spent time this afternoon thinking of what I could do to draw closer to Him, to walk closer with Him. After a little research I decided that my first move should be to preach the Gospel to myself daily.

So, this it what I came up with...

Each and every day I sin in thought, word, deed, and motive. Even if I’m not conscious of my sins, I acknowledge to God that I haven’t even come close to loving Him with ALL my being nor have I come close to loving my neighbor as myself. My sins are determined by God who created me for relationship with Him. He alone determines the conditions of the relationship. He is Holy and I am everything but. God the Father sent His Son Jesus, who was and is perfect, pure, and righteous, to not only die, but to first suffer terrible punishment for my sins. He was whipped and flogged, beat and dragged, pierced and stabbed as punishment for my sins. Jesus didn’t have to take my place, but He wanted to. Every day I deserve that very same punishment for my sins. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22).

Jesus bore that punishment for me. He volunteered to take that beating, that stabbing, that cross, and that death by trauma and loss of blood. God imputed my sins to Christ, who was perfect and sinless, so that Christ’s righteousness could be imputed to me. God has given me grace. He has given me unmerited favor. I can never earn God’s favor. I can never be good enough. I will never come close to that. His grace to me is a gift I don’t deserve. That gift causes me to rejoice with thanks at the realization that every moment of my life deserves punishment and hell because of my sins. Every moment of my life is favor from God, who would not be wrong for destroying me right now.

All I can do is offer my thanks and in that thanks I confess and repent by way of real grief over my sins against God and by way of real change in my heart, mind, and actions. Each moment of my life is unmerited favor from God, yet I still continue to sin. He is more merciful and loving than any human can comprehend. Lord, my personal efforts won’t last. Please change my heart so that I begin to desire to glorify you in every action and every breath of my life.

This Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I need to read it and thoroughly understand it EVERY SINGLE DAY. I can NEVER outgrow my need for the Gospel. The Gospel is the power that gives me victory over the temptation to sin. I pray that God would help me to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4) that it be not veiled to my eyes, but that I may clearly see the Gospel and its saving power for my life. I realize that the light of the Gospel is the cross of Christ and His sacrifice on my behalf - that unmerited favor I so desperately need and depend upon. I pray that God would “give me a revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of my heart enlightened that I would know the hope of His calling” (Eph 1:17-18).

This I do, not for legalism, but for love, because I do not love my Lord enough, but desire to love Him more every day.

Is God Surprised?

2009-09-08T21:00:00.003-05:00

I never really thought about it before, but I guess I used to operate under the assumption that God was surprised by my sin, and then angered by it, then separated from me because of it. I used to always feel distant from God until I learned about grace many years ago. He wasn't my Father, but my Judge.

Just in case anyone wasn't clear on it...God isn't surprised by your sin. He knows who you are better than you do. He pursues you. He's shown you favor by letting His son Jesus take your punishment for you and your sins. God wants a relationship with you so badly that He sent His son to die in your place. God loves you.

Labor Day Gospel

2009-09-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

Today our nation celebrates the American Laborer. It was the the hard-working American citizen who (supposedly) brought about the strength of our mighty nation. As I thought about those who toil and labor I couldn't help but reflect on how much we strive for things that don't matter and for reasons that don't make sense. This includes Christians and church-goers. So many of our efforts are moral-based and moral-intended. I realize this often when correcting my children. But is this what God intended for us? Do we have to prove to God that we are good people?

Does God demand that we get our lives straight? Do we gain God's approval for good behavior? From an early age children are taught by their parents that good behavior is rewarded and bad behavior is punished. But is this what God expects? Is morality the be-all end-all of Christianity?

Morality is a fact of life. We are created in the image of God with a moral capacity. Parents rightly teach their children to obey moral instruction, to follow moral concepts. But what is not usually taught and often misconstrued is that morality and the Gospel are not one and the same. Being good will not get man saved, not get man into heaven, and most importantly, will not create a relationship between man and God. Too often man believes that his good behavior will earn him merit or favor with God. "If I go to church every week I will go to heaven, " or "If I tithe every paycheck I will be blessed financially."

If I start quoting scripture you will easily see that it is grace that saves, not moral behavior. If we know this, then why is the Gospel message promoted as moralism to the rest of the world? Why do so many of the lost believe this to be our message?

Shouldn't Christians be moral? Well, yes. Our actions as Christians should follow the examples given by Christ. We are Christ-followers who strive to grow in the character of Christ. That is what our sanctification is all about. That is what our time on earth is for. This is a proving ground for our character, and as we experience life we should become more and more Christ-like. But never for an instant think that morality is the goal. Love is the goal. Moral outcomes are a side-effect of Christ's love for us and our love for others. Morality happens to exist, but it's not the object of our focus.

What's the problem with morality? Well, if we look to moral behavior then we are actually looking at ourselves. We begin to have pride in our accomplishments apart from Christ. We begin to praise ourselves and we begin to believe that we alone are sufficient for our needs. Pride and idolatry take the place of grace and Christ. Morality is a friend of the devil because morality has taken Christ out of the picture. Without Christ there is no salvation, just a bunch of sinners trying to be better than the sinners standing next to them.

Michael Jackson Laid To Rest

2009-09-04T20:46:00.002-05:00

Remember the "WWJD?" bracelets? I can't help but wonder, What Would Michael Say? (WWMS?) if he could come back to life and spend 24 hours telling people about his probable experience in hell. It's not for me to judge. No man can ever know another's man relationship with God, but there was no evidence in his life that he was walking with the Lord. So, I can't come to any concrete conclusion, but I can make an educated guess. If He is in heaven, I praise God for that. Michael was and is revered by millions of people. But what did that glory get him? If he is in hell, do you think he has a mansion now? Riches now? Fame and glory now? All his success is counted as loss now. God became man and Jesus died for all. How many millions of people cared when God died on a cross? The disciples ran and hid. A pop star is treated like a god and God was treated like a pauper.

As DawgOnTheLawn said about Ted Kennedy (read here):
"Ted Kennedy's understanding of who God is and what God requires of every person is now perfect. No longer limited by the fallibility of a finite human mind as we are presently, Ted Kennedy's theology is now perfect. Regardless of where you believe Ted Kennedy is at this moment, I am confident that his plea to his fellow man would be, "Don't miss heaven.""

The same holds true for every man, woman, and child who passes from earth to eternity. No matter your destination, your theology will be perfected in heaven or hell, because every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:10-11). If you don't confess it here, while you still have the opportunity, you will confess it later when the opportunity has passed and your fate has already been sealed.

What Should Churchmen Be About?

2009-09-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

DawgontheLawn has a great answer to that question. I'll give you a hint, it's not about being polite, honest, or perfect according to some unspoken church rules about good Christian conduct. Click here to find out...

Team Hoyt

2009-08-25T23:06:00.004-05:00

Most of you have probably seen this before. The father in this video reminds me of my father. Watching this video again makes me want to dig deeper as a father myself.

TeamHoyt.com

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

At Rick’s birth in 1962 the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child’s development.

There's much more to the story, visit TeamHoyt.com for the rest.

The Glory of God

2009-08-25T21:39:00.003-05:00

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.
-CS Lewis

Obama And The Guy With The Gun

2009-08-13T20:59:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't It Be Great If...

2009-08-08T23:18:00.004-05:00

Wouldn't it be great if, instead of seeing homeless people holding signs on the street corners looking for work, we saw Christians on street corners holding signs looking for homeless people to help?

Praise God!!!

2009-08-06T07:27:00.002-05:00

Because of my transition out of the Army I've been in a semi-stable situation, not allowing me to post here frequently. Well, over the last few months I've been looking for jobs, trying to figure out what to do if a job doesn't come through. I've interviewed three times with one company in particular. Yesterday they called me and said that there was some sort of agency mix-up and that I didn't get the job. This morning I was called at 7am and was told that they straightened out the problem and they would like me to work for them if I was still interested! God is great! My wife and I have been praying for a job for months now. We've looked at this transition as an opportunity to grow in faith, to grow through the hard times, trusting in God, learning to be content when things looked grim. If I had to grade myself I would say that I earned a D minus. There were a lot of moments when I was confused, unsure, and maybe even a bit depressed. Thankfully God never falters.

Months ago I started out reading and reviewing "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung. I haven't yet finished my review, due to my current situation, but I plan on finishing it. I referred to the book a few times after finishing it, trying to clear my head and organize my thoughts . It helped to remind me that I've made choices that have brought me to where I am. The object of focus shouldn't be the path of adventure. It should be God. In the last few weeks our challenges have increased greatly. I hope to share them soon and the lessons we've learned. For now I will end it with a realization I had last night before I went to bed.

I've often prayed for provision, telling God that I don't want/need to be rich, but I just want my family provided for. I realized the other day that I was still bartering with God, trying to appease the "genie in the sky" so I could get a job and get on with my life. I found myself doing that regularly. Not making outright promises, but somehow the promises would sneak their way into my prayers. It's a scary thing to sit there and realize that I can't make people hire me. I was willing to do anything to provide for my family. Each time I realized that I was still making promises I would change the attitude and words of my prayers and just say, "Lord, I don't want to make promises and barter with you. You know the desires of my heart." Last night I had the greatest revelation yet. I realized that I've been praying for security, for a lengthy provision. God showed me that I had shelter today. I had food today. I had provision today. And that was enough for today. I went to bed thanking God for my provision for that day.

My journey out of the Army and into the civilian world was a semi-deliberate attempt at growing in faith, trusting in God for my security. I've felt that I've had none since I left the service and I've been growing desperate with each passing day. Yesterday seemed like the pinnacle of the lesson that God had for me (probably, and hopefully, not). God has provided each and every day. I've had security all along, I just didn't recognize it. I've spent my life resting in the security of tangible things. Though I can't yet say I've perfected it, I can say that I've learned a little bit about contentment despite my insecure and unsure circumstances, and even evangelizing and ministering to others in the midst of it (more on that later).

Anyway, I just want to share this praise report with everyone. I want God to be magnified and glorified in my life. I thank Him for these challenges and lessons, for our growth these last few months. I thank Him for the phone call today about the job.

Salvation According To The Bible

2009-07-30T20:05:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody,

It's been so long since I posted a blog, and the one I'm posting here isn't even mine. My internet access is still spotty. I'm officially a civilian now, as of July 9th, and still looking for a job. I've had a couple of interviews with one company, and possibly one more with them next week. If it doesn't work out I will go back to school this fall. Anyway, I found this (below) at DawgontheLawn and Defending. Contending. Read it and pass it on.

Quote:
" The practice of leading someone in a sinner’s prayer for their salvation has produced many tares or false converts in churches over the last 100 years (Matt. 13:25-40). This “evangelical tradition” cannot be found anywhere in the New Testament. Those who desire to evangelize God’s way will follow the instructions given by the Lord of the Harvest. He commissioned us to go and make disciples, not decisions (Matt. 28:18)."
- Mike Gendron

Ten Reasons NOT To Ask Jesus Into Your Heart.
-By Todd Friel

The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.

Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.

Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.

Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. The Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow and does not look back because he is fit for service. In other words, a true convert cannot backslide. If a person backslides, he never slid forward in the first place. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (II Cor.5) No backsliding there.

Brace yourself for this one: with very few if any exceptions, anyone who asked Jesus into their hearts to be saved…is not. If you asked Jesus into your heart because you were told that is what you have to do to become a Christian, you were misinformed.

If you have ever told someone to ask Jesus into their heart (like I have), you produced a false convert. Here is why.

1. It is not in the Bible.
There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.

The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.

The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense.
What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38).
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security.
Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden.
Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life.
This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed.
Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.

People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered.
While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment.
How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.

If you are reading this and you asked Jesus into your heart, chances are good you had a spiritual buzz for a while, but now you struggle to read your Bible, tithe, attend church and pray. Perhaps you were told you would have contentment, purpose and a better life if you just ask Jesus into your heart. I am sorry, that was a lie.

The 4th of July

2009-07-04T09:19:00.003-05:00

Today is the 4th of July. I wonder if anyone cares anymore about the sacrifices that were made for us to BE ABLE to celebrate the 4th EVERY YEAR with fireworks and joyous cheers. Having served over 9 years I've joined a band of brothers 48 million strong, not just statistically, but mentally and emotionally. Did you know that:

Over 48 million Americans have served in the military during war and peace since 1776.
Every year, about 80,000 veterans are buried in one of the cemeteries of the National Cemetery system.

"Americans should always honor our veterans. At this moment, we especially need the example of their character. And we need a new generation to set examples of its own, examples in service and sacrifice and courage. These veterans have shaped our history, and with their values, your generation will help guide our future." -- President George W. Bush, Oct. 30, 2001

Our veterans lose arms, legs, flesh, and blood. Our families lose husbands, wives, children, and parents. Our retail stores offer Veteran's Day sales and discounts, 4th of July sales and discounts. Are these true offers of thanks, or gimmicks to bring people into the store so as to add to the bottom line, the all important profit? I'm inclined to think the latter.

Read here for a story from a veteran who was asked to prove his veteran status. A reminder to those who don't think it through...a veteran is not always a crippled old man walking with a cane, wearing a VFW hat, talking about WWII. A veteran is anyone who serves honorably for any length of time, be it 20 years or 20 months. Those who leave the service before they retire do not have a retiree ID card to prove their status. They carry stories and experiences with them. If you really want to celebrate the 4th today, thank a veteran, watch "The Patriot," and remember all of our men and women still fighting abroad to protect your independence.

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Unknown

We The People

2009-07-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Thoughts On Faith Under Fire

2009-06-25T11:50:00.002-05:00

There are multiple issues here (see post "Faith Under Fire")...general free speech, evangelism, Christians getting the two confused, the local judiciary getting the two confused...

In fairness to local governments, organized events can and should be well thought out, ordered, and managed events. I don't know the exact details, but if the Christian "groups" were passing out tracts within some type of event boundary, then I understand the issue. I also understand if the local government decided to have Christian "groups" apply for permits for their organized evangelical efforts. The city wants organization, not chaos. That's fair.

Now, if there were no such boundaries, no such violations, then I see a local government squelching free speech against citizens, not against Christians. The way around the issue is for Christians to spread out as individuals and to speak rather than pass out tracts.

If this were another type of group, say animal rights activists passing out tracts, would any of us be as upset? We need not create a Christian/secular issue where there isn't one, or isn't one yet.

Your thoughts?

FAITH UNDER FIRE

2009-06-24T19:04:00.003-05:00

City corrals Christians at weekend Arab fest
Judge won't let ministry deliver tracts on public sidewalks
Posted: June 19, 2009
8:23 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A federal judge has upheld a decision by festival organizers in Dearborn, Mich., which is about 30 percent Muslim, to ban a Christian ministry from handing out religious information on public sidewalks.

Click here for more...

An Open Letter To President Obama

2009-06-09T23:27:00.001-05:00

Check out this letter on the American Family Association website

Supposedly it was written by this guy...

Note: Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat.

Mr. Pritchett confirmed that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter." “I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and according to the ‘experts’ has had over 500,000 hits.

Do We Weep For The Abortionist?

2009-06-01T10:31:00.005-05:00

From Mike Duran's website "Decompose"

Supporters of abortion rights will use the murder of George Tiller as an opportunity to demonize all pro-lifers. Case in point, within hours of the report liberal bloggers began pointing fingers at prominent Conservatives as the root of such violence. Ann Coulter and Bill O’Reilly are some of the early scapegoats. Look for this type of accusation and correlation to increase this week.

Tiller’s Women’s Health Care Services clinic is one of just three in the nation where abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy. But no matter how much you want to champion Tiller’s efforts to preserve women’s rights or present him as a devoted family man, I still can’t stomach the idea of third trimester abortions. Yet neither can I condone Tiller’s murder. And therein lies the rub.

Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, seemed to skirt the issue of Tiller’s murder. From his statement as quoted in the Huffington Post:

George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller’s killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name; murder.

Click here for the rest...