A Boy and A Man

I'm not much of a poet, don't really like poetry that much. But I've slowly added to this over the past few years and thought maybe I should put it somewhere that most no one will look but maybe will be saved. So here it is.  

A Boy and A Man

A Boy works because he is made to,

A Man works to serve others.

A Boy is given responsibilities,

A Man takes responsibility.
A Boy looks out only for himself,

A Man looks out for others.

A Boy depends on others to help him,

A Man is depended on by others for help.

A Boy looks for how little he can do,

A Man looks for the job to be complete.

A Boy makes excuses,

A Man sees his faults.

A Boy complains,

A Man is grateful for what he has.

A Boy thinks he did everything right,

A Man is always looking for ways to do it better.

A Boy sees himself as the final authority,

A Man recognizes the need for submission.

There are old boys and there are young men.

Which are you?

Christian Response To The World

Recently there have been many stories that pop up in the news that have lead to conflicting responses from many people. With the easy and constant access to media and social media many people form opinions and state their position. I don't think this is all together bad I it gives an opportunity for your opinion to be scrutinized and debated for different angles. The benefits of being published are now given to every person with a Facebook account and blog and within minutes of posting you can have hundreds if not thousands of comments and opinions. Some helpful and some a complete waste of cyberspace.

In light of situations like the abundance of children coming across the border, ISIS in Iraq, Hamas and Israel, and the conflict in Ferguson, MO I find myself asking what is the correct christian response. Not what is the conservative or liberal response, or even what is the best response to get our government back on track but as a follower of Christ what is the correct response in this situation and how can I encourage others in that way. 

Jesus gave us a picture of what life should be like and what it will be like when he comes to reign on earth. Before he got into the details of exactly what that kind of life looks and acts like he gave a summary list and said if you do these things you will be happy. Not our american you-just-ate-ice-cream happiness but a deep contented, satisfying, joyful, blessedness. That list is commonly referred to as the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.

Next time you are listening to the news and hear about things happening around the world and are trying to figure out what your response should be in the matter, try looking up Matthew 5 and reading the first few verses and see how you can live the beatitudes out in your response. Are you being meek in your response or are you overbearing and forceful? Are you longing for righteousness or are you longing for constitutional resurrection? Are you seeking peace or do you just want the other guy put in his rightful place?

In the end, when you help the law-breaking kids at the border that need help people will hate you for helping them, when you say that more war is not the best answer people will  revile you, when you say that protesting in the streets and creating chaos is not the best way to find the truth, people will call you names and maybe lie about you. But we are ultimately called to love God and spread His truth not to get caught up in the latest and greatest news story and which side of the political line you fall on.

Chances are if you have the same opinion/reaction for the same reasons as the majority of the other political parties out there, it's probably the wrong one. God's way is not natural, is not selfish or self-serving. It also cannot be forced or legislated it has to come from a heart of faith in God. Forced charity is not helpful to the giver or receiver. The giver will despise the receiver for taking what was not his and the receiver will despise the giver for not willingly giving up what is entitled to him.

14 Responsibilities of a Faithful Father

In Sunday school we have been going through the book of Titus. Our teacher was going through the section on  the qualifications of an elder. While doing this he pointed out the the responsibilities of an elder are very similar to the responsibilities of a father. I thought I would post the list as it was a good reminder. Also I'm very grateful to have a father that fulfilled these responsibilities well. 

Responsibilities of a Faithful Father:

•       To love them unconditionally.

•       To be concerned for their well-being.

•       To develop the relationship with them.

•       To pray for them.

•       To serve as an example in doctrine and life.

•       To provide biblical instruction.

•       To guide them through conflicts and difficult decisions.

•       To give spiritual comfort during trials.

•       To warn and protect them from danger.

•       To pursue them when they stray.

•       To lovingly discipline them when they become rebellious.

•       To labor to restore them when they fail.

•       To call them to maturity.

•       To prepare them for their future responsibilities.

How we should act as Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

Dealing with emotional situations is difficult for anyone. In the fullness of the moment it is easy to forget how we are challenged to act as brothers and sisters in Christ and turn to our own selfish desires. Because of that tendency and because we all claim Christ as our savior and are striving toward perfection and glorification I believe it is fitting to include a reminder of our responsibility to Christ and others.

All to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)

There are many reasons to care for people in their time of need but our foremost reason is because it is glorifying to God to help those in need. Our objective in everything we do should be to glorify God through it. The decisions we make, the advice we give, the care and support we give should be filtered through the lens of; “Is it glorifying to God?”

Submit ourselves to one another (Eph 5:21)

We would all have great benefit in reading Ephesians  4 and 5 as we go through conflict and difficulties. We are all Christians saved by grace and should act as such. A great leader or caretaker is humble, preferring others before themselves, being thoughtful in their service to others. There may be times of anger but taking care to not let the sun down on that anger. People tend to avoid problems in hope it will go away but we should seek to resolve and restore the relationship with those around us.

Confess and repent of your sin and seek out to resolve conflict (Matt 5:23-24)

This is a crucial step in the life of a Christian that is often avoided or even advised against. Do not expect to go to church, serve in ministry and live a Christ honoring life when you know someone has something against you. Don’t just say you are sorry or apologize to skirt around the issue. If you have sinned against some else then say it. “I did this, it was sinful for me to do it, I will take steps to not do it in the future”. True repentance doesn't just stop a thief from stealing; they will start giving things back.

Love God and others (1 John 3:16)

This is a great verse because it is only through Christ that we can know love. Look to Christ for how to love correctly. As your relationship with Christ grows stronger so will your love for others. It is through our love for each other that people see Christ displayed in our lives. People should look at our lives and see how well the church pulls together and helps each other out and know that it is not normal. 

Discerning the Will of God

This is a difficult topic to discuss not so much because the Bible does not give clear direction as much as there are so many different thoughts and expectations that it is difficult to not to give the wrong impression.  For that same reason it is a vitally important topic to take about. How do I know what the will of God is for my life? Young people especially struggle with this question as they are making vital life changing decisions. The scripture I want to reference is Rom 12:1-2 but before I do I want to talk about God’s will in a general sense.

Two wills of God

I believe the Bible refers to two types of God’s will. God is in control of everything and nothing happens outside of His control and knowledge. That would be God’s decreed will.  There is also God’s will of obedience. Throughout the Bible God reveals to us his desire for us in everything we do from morality, to how we view and worship God, to how we view and treat others. I believe these verses are talking about God’s will of obedience for a number of reasons which for time I will not go into right now.

Transformation Takes Work

When we were saved we became new creatures in Christ. Our hearts were changed and we have a desire by faith to please and glorify God but God is still in the process of making us to be like Christ. Phil 2:12-13 tells us to work out what God has worked in. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is accomplished by God, through His word. As we read God’s word and come to understand Him better we change our minds to think like He does and to have the desires that He has. Filling our minds with God’s word will show us who he is in any giving situation.

Know God’s Will by Testing and Discerning

Knowing and understanding God’s will does not come by meditating on nothing and waiting for it to come. Do not sit around trying to attribute your own thoughts and feelings to a spiritual voice to discern God’s will. Never in the Bible do you see someone struggling with discerning whether or not God audibly has spoken to them. And never is that spoken word incorrect or inconsequential to their life or the life of others. If God speaks to you directly He will do it such a way that there was no doubt that God has spoken. God has shown us through His word how we are to discern His will for every area of life and never does it involve mysticism, clearing your mind or chanting the same phrase, song or verse over and over. Next I will cover 4 practical and Biblical ways of testing and discerning the will of God and what is good, acceptable, and perfect. 

Testing through Scripture

I would argue this is the single most important tool for discerning God’s will. Anything and everything else should be viewed through the filter of scripture. That is why it is so important for us to be constantly in God’s word, being transformed and renewing our minds. This type of transformation comes from a deep understanding of God’s word in the context of the whole Bible. It takes time, work and prayer to understand God’s word and how to apply it to your life. Years of time, study and experience which leads me into item two.

2

            Spiritual Advice/Counseling

Spiritual advice can be very helpful from someone who is outside of the situation. But be very careful who you go to for this advice. The Bible mentions in several places about the younger women going to the older women and younger men to the older men or elders for advice. Godly advice can provide a different perspective on your situation. Be careful as bad advice can be just as detrimental as good advice can be helpful.

3 

            Prompting and peace of the Holy Spirit

I almost hesitate to even mention this because of the heavy emphasis on mysticism in the church today. At the same time I believe it can be an important factor in discerning God’s will. I would not look at this as a reason as much as assurance of the right direction. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you are grounded firmly in God’s will you should be demonstrating these characteristics. If you are lacking peace, faithfulness, joy etc. then you should look at your life and see why the fruit of the Spirit is lacking in your life. Maybe it is due to decisions you have made or maybe it is because you believe something about God that isn’t true. It may be a small decision of what you believe about a situation or a big decision of being engaged to a certain person without careful thought. The Spirit’s prompting will come through scripture not a feeling, a voice, or goose bumps.

Be weary of the people that tell you to just sit and listen for God's voice, to clear your mind, or even chant scripture over and over to where it becomes a thoughtless process. The Bible never tells us to look within ourselves, our heart, or our own mind for answers but to look to God, His word and to those who are wise in the faith. 

Small Things are Big to God

I was recently reading through the stories of Elisha in the book of 2 kings. You Version had a 13 day reading plan with a small devotional for each section and when through the life and miracles of Elisha. The devotional portion was interesting although I disagreed with the main premise behind the devotionals it was insightful and thought provoking. What struck me more than anything else while reading through the life of Elisha was how meaningless it seemed in the grand scheme of things. You have Elisha the shadow of Elijah who confronted King Ahab multiple times and demonstrated the greatness of God before the prophets of Baal. He stopped rain on the nation for 3 years as God’s judgment on Israel and at a word made it to rain again, and doesn't even die he gets taken up in a whirlwind. What could be more amazing than the life of Elijah?

Enter Elisha. He burns his plows, sacrifices his oxen and follows after Elijah with a fervent dedication. When asked what he wants he doesn't hold back and asks for a double portion of the power of Elijah. Who has the confidence to say I want everything you have plus double because I’ll know what to do with it? And yet, God gives it to him. You have Elisha, with amazing power, faith, and dedication. His high school would have voted him most likely to do something amazing.

As I read through the stories and miracles, of which there are many, I began to see a pattern. God uses this faithful man not to proclaim to kingdoms,  to bring down kings, to win mighty battles for the nation of Israel, God uses him in the most unlikely and strange places. God, through Elisha is gracious to an unnamed man by making his borrowed ax head float. God ministers to a unnamed widow and her son by providing them bread and restoring her sons life. Elisha did heal one captain of an army from a different nation but to no know benefit to anyone but that captain. Finally God brings another unknown man back to life after touching Elisha’s bones.

Many would see this life and think, what a waste. Elisha, a man of great faith with the spirit of 2 Elijah’s and God uses him to show His love to individuals. Maybe the small things in life are much more important to God than we can ever dream. Maybe the most powerful, dynamic thing we can do sometimes is fed someone in need in the name of Jesus. God will raise up Elijah’s who will perform great and mighty things, but that does not mean they are any more important than the person who prays for a sick family member and provides comfort. The small things are just as, if not more important than the big things. 

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People

Here I am sitting on a plane at a time when I would generally be getting ready for bed plagued by a question from my sister in-law earlier in the day. Why do bad things happen to good people? Not an easy question to resolve in a short amount of time but in my best rambling fashion I did my best at a semi concise, cohesive answer that most likely left the listener in much of the same state if not worse than when I started. With a plethora of time on my hands and a desire to put thoughts on paper I hope to provide a slightly clearer response to this question.

Before getting started I would like to throw out a disclaimer of sorts. First, that I have not been through the dire and distressing times that so many go through in these days. I have not known the death of close relatives and friends, I have not known deep debilitating depression, and I am not close to anyone who has battled day and night, month to month with cancer or another devastating illness. If you have been through distressing times my heart and love goes out to you. At the very least I know that it is not easy, that some fight moment by moment to continue and that hope though not easily found is a fountain of joy when it arrives. I desire that nothing I write belittles your pain but brings hope in a God that truly is in control and desires the best for your life.

To answer the question of “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I believe you must first review your terms closely. I believe the Bible is the ultimate source of truth and that is the source from which I will define my terms. In this question I believe it is best to work backwards through the question addressing the subject first; good people.

Typically the thought process behind the question follows the logic that there are some people who make an effort to be good. They treat others fairly well, they give to charity, they go out of their way to help others, and they live a fairly good life. Most would consent that maybe they don’t do everything right, they mess up but in the end they are good people who live honest lives and care about others. First and foremost, regardless of experience and philosophy the Bible must be the source of truth so we must look at what does the Bible say on the matter of good people.  It doesn’t take much study through the Bible before we realize that no one is good. Rom 3:23 for all have sinned, David talking of being sinful in the womb in the Psalms, countless times of men being left to their own devices only to reject God. I would argue that even the most upright action from an unbelieving person is at best only in an effort ultimately to do the right thing for them and not for God revealing the selfishness of their heart. Hebrews states that without faith nothing is pleasing to God.

That still leaves the question of why would bad things happen to people to do believe in God, who do trust and obey and try to live to the glory of God, people who are not righteous in themselves but are made righteous through Jesus Christ. Why would bad things happen to them? That leads us to the next section of the statement. What are the “bad things” that happen to these good people? This is where I find nowhere to turn but faith and trust in Jesus Christ because it does not always make sense to me. He ultimately knows what we need and has our best interest in mind. Romans 8 it says that God works all things out for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Verses 29 and 30 go on to explain what that purpose is; to make us into the likeness of Christ. To make us, like Christ. That is a hard verse to swallow at times. When you are going through depression, deep loss, or illness how do you trust that God will work it out for your good? My only answer is faith in future grace based on past grace. God saved me, He brought me this far, I know His work is true so I will have faith that He will bring me through this trail more like Christ than previously. Although the trial may be more than I can bare, His strength is shown through my weakness. It is not a feeling at this point, it is not something to be reasoned, it is pure unadulterated faith that His word is true. I pray that God would bring comfort to anyone going through a situation like this currently and pray that God would be able to use you mightily in the future because of it.

The last part of the question is, why. I don’t know that we will ever fully know the answer to why. Job tried asking that question and found out that it was too much for him to handle. The God of the universe, who does all things justly, who holds the earth in his hand is supposed to reduce the awesome complexity of why this one thing was allowed to happen to you? Can you imagine all the small details and reasons and unknown situations that lead up to, and resulted out of each and every decision and situation? First and foremost I think the answer is who are we to question God, and yet David and Job did just that. I don’t think it is wrong to ask, and many times God may provide at least a partial answer. It is when we believe we need, deserve or have earned an answer that our self-righteousness becomes prominent.

To wrap up my answer to the question: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  1) No one is good except God. 2) God allows bad things for His purposes. Why do bad things happen in general is another blog post but for now it is enough to say that those bad things are allowed and that God will work it out for good in the lives of Christians. Sometimes the evil prospers, sometimes the righteous struggle but God holds all things in His hands. That should be comforting to those who trust in Him. 3) It is not always for us to understand why, but we can know that God will perfect those who are saved into His likeness. 

Book Review Manly Dominion

If I was going to rate this book which I did I would probably rate it at 2 ½ stars out of 5. I know this is a book that that comes highly recommended by some but I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. I would have rated the book much lower but for the fact that the author has some some great advice and really encourages men to step up and do something in a time when men tend to sit down wait. I was encouraged in my vocation, personal life, and family life as a husband and father. To not sit idley by and watch life pass by but to act upon life and lead my family, be assertive at work and lead those around me.

The book starts out with a comparison of someone who subdues life and takes Dominion over it as oppose to someone who is like a purple 4 ball. I believe the negative side to the 4 ball was mostly that it was purple and the author apparently sees purple as a Sissy Pansy color, which is kinda racist but probably true. The real point is that pool balls get pushed around. They are pushed around by other balls, by a cue stick, or by bumpers. they really never take control of where they are going, they just go where they’re told. The moral being, take control don’t be a billiard ball.  

This by itself seems harmless and helpful prospective to have and to some extent I agree. The problem come when now that we have this perspective we are going to go and try to find some scripture to back it up with. The author turns to Gen 1:26-28 when God instructs Adam and Eve to subdue the earth and have dominion over the animals of the earth. The author then extrapolates this idea into every single nook and cranny of your life. You should subdue not only earth, and dominion over the animals, but subdue and have dominion over your job, your family, yourself, your daughter’s relationships, your church, ect. This is a command to every part of your life here on earth. It’s some of the wost proof texting I’ve seen. It’s like he was looking for a theme for his new book idea and stumbled across it.

This is my reason for giving the book 2 ½ stars. It does have some good idea and promising thoughts, but in the end they are based on a poor foundation. I completely disagree with his exegeses of Gen 1:28, and everything else in his book is based on that idea. There has to be a better book out there for calling men to be spiritual leaders of their families. I will continue to search for it.

Love them like He does

Finding myself in the leadership role as a husband and father has been wonderful humbling experience. So many times I find that I don't have the right answers. It makes you wonder how other fathers do it. How do they know just the right thing to say at the right time. How to you make a difficult decision that doesn't really have a a right answer. Many times I find myself at a loss for words. How do I lead my wife spiritually when sometimes I feel leaps and bound behind her. I raise my hand and say "follow me!" as I'm running to catch up. How do you know when your 8 month old daughter just doesn't know better and when she is being defiant? One thing I keep reminding myself of that is it is my role as the husband to display the love of Christ to my wife. This is a rather large responsibility and I find it distasteful of God to lay such a burden on an already struggling individual. But what are you going to do, fight Him about it? As much of a monstrous position God's directive has put me in I find it most often my fall back in times of need. When my wife is struggling and I really don't know what to say or how to help I find myself asking God, how would you treat me in this situation. Although God has given me a seemingly impossible task to preform He has also given me a model to emulate. Not just a model understood through study, but also understood through personal experience. I find that most of my difficult answers come through how God has treated me, what God has promised me in His word and how His word says that He relates to me. I can always ask myself how does God love my girls right now, and then try and do the same. 

Hermeneutics, Interpretations, and something about Blue and Red

I have thought several times about writing down some of my thoughts on theology, the Bible and whatever else seems to come to mind. This is not a situation where I give you the 3 points to prove I’m right but more of a “this is what I have learned so far and God is still working on me”. As I was thinking about different subjects to write on it hit me that I should probably cover my understanding of good biblical hermeneutics and what I would consider to be a true interpretation. It doesn’t do anyone much good to present a opinion if you both look at the same color and one person calls it blue and the other says it’s red. There wont ever be an agreement until you establish a baseline for what is true.

That being said, let me cover a few of my basic beliefs on good biblical hermeneutics.
1.) I believe that when each book of the Bible was written it was inspired by God through direct revelation. There is no possibility for error, it never contradicts itself and it can be completely trusted to be true and accurate. I may go into why I believe this at another time, for now it’s good enough to say that I believe it with all my heart.

2.) I believe that when the bible was written it had a definite literal meaning that made sense to the person writing it and to the people it was written to at the time. That’s not to say that all the prophecy was completely understood as to how it would take place, but that the prophecy did have a specific meaning and what was prophesied was understood as something. It had meaning, it wasn’t just gibberish. That is also not to say there aren’t figures of speech throughout the Bible, but the figure of speech did have a literal meaning that meant something at the time of being written. It didn’t have one meaning then and change meanings over time.

3.) There are confusing parts of the Bible that I don’t completely understand. In those cases I typically believe the Bible is meant to be clear and not confusing. I typically try to take as literal an interpretation as possible and believe that it is true. I do not try to twist it around and figure out a way to make sense of it based on my understanding of scripture. I do however let scripture help interpret scripture as long as the context of each passage is kept in mind.

These are some of the basic principals that I try to stand by as I read scripture. To break it down into a nutshell I believe in a literal, historical, grammatical, interpretation of the Bible. Although many people would say the same thing, I find myself disagreeing with them at times because they have twisted things around to fit into their little world of theology that makes sense in their head. They assume that the passage can’t really mean what it said because it doesn’t make sense to them. Dare I say that maybe it’s not the Bible that had a hard saying what it meant, maybe our theology (knowledge of God) it just a little lacking and we just need to trust that God said what He meant to say and it was as clear as He could make it for us. Just maybe God is a little more complicated than the little box we put Him in and His grand plan for this world is more complicated than we realize.


(yes, I’m aware there are 3 points............it’s a joke)

Get Motivated!!

Recently I had the grand opportunity of attending the Get Motivated! seminar. A seminar that requires you to wake up at an ungodly time of day and mope through traffic at rush hour in Atlanta in order to qualify for entering the building. Assuming you arrive in one piece, you are in the perfect condition for being motivated. Just agitated enough to stay awake and yet just tired enough to think you require professional counseling instead of a good nights rest.
The seminar is actually put together quite well, so well in fact that you would think people who are really good at making money put it together. Everything is done in the name of helping you achieve your lofty American dream of making more money. If you have the right perspective, say something about Jesus, work hard, have good character, and buy my program you can be like me! Be nice to other people because you have a lot to gain by it. Be honest because it helps you in the long run. Work hard because you’ll go farther that way.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some very good speakers that had a lot of helpful advice. Where I disagree is not in the action but the motive. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still wrong. Some might disagree on that point but it’s your right to be wrong. HA!

Example: Unsaved people do a lot of good things and yet their righteousness is as filthy rags. Why? Because their motives are messed up. It's true that good things are pleasing to God but without faith nothing is pleasing to God. You can be the goodest, hardest workingest, in the name of Jesus speaker alive and make millions by setting up an easy web that you only check once a month and teach everyone else how to do it in a 2 day class (usually for $10,000) but for only you today for $29.99 and yet without faith it’s garbage.  (Tip of the day: Don’t say it “gar-bash” its like the only joke mom’s have).
So if you are really going to strive hard and be motivated about something, forget the money and focus on faith. If God wants you to have the money he’ll provide it. You’ll have all you need and maybe a little extra for the kids.

What is it with Worship!

These days in America finding a good church is hard, but maybe it's because we Americans are so hard to please. It doesn't matter what it is we always have more choices than we could possibly consider and so we spend a great amount of time researching what is the best. We pull out our consumer reports for churches and see what the overall public rating is, what does their Pastor looks like, what kind of music do they play, what kind of missions do they have, what is there overall belief system, what is their youth group like, etc...... Then we start putting them into groups, like conservative, legalistic, contemporary, reformed, seeker friendly, rock concert. Then we decided what type of group we fit in best and think is most holy and try to find a church in that area. It just so happens that no church in the world happens to live up to our standards for a church and so all churches look stupid, or they're jerks, or weird, or just out there. So then we are forced to reconsider our utmost desire for a good church and see what we are willing to live with. In the end, we start going to a place consistently, get "plugged in" to the fellowship of believers and find it's the people that make up the church that you really enjoy and that help you grow in Christ. Then after you've been going there awhile and become friendly with all the people you start to find that some really aren't as holy as they pretended to be and so the search starts up again.


For some reason I have to wonder if Jesus looks down from heaven and notices that his body parts have been streun from one end of the map to the other and longs for the day when they all come back together as one body. It's got to be frustrating for Him when a missionary gets up in front of a church and says, "I'm going to this city that doesn't have a single (Indenpendent baptist) church in, when in reality God has 3 churches already there. they just don't communicate to each other because they come from different mission boards and might not have all the same values. But then how often do we do the same thing here in America? We have more churches then you could possibly believe and yet a nation that literally going down the tubes morally. A very few of the churches every work together and when they do they are so concerned that they might offend the other that nothing is really accomplished other than planting a few flowers and sweep a park.

Okay, now this brings up a serious question and really the reason for writing in the first place. Does corporate worship really matter? Not if we should, but how we go about it. I have been to churches where the music is loud and upbeat and I have to say generally the people are as well. They are excited about God and telling other people about God and it's just a really "awesome" experince. Everything is "awesome", and great, and wow just so awesome. They like to meet people where they're at in life and let them know that God loves them regardless of the way they live. Grace is poured out, but we're sure to filter out the repentance just in case somepne is convicted and gets upset. The emotions are high and you have to wonder is there something to it. But there is also the other side where hymns reign supreme. If it wasn't written before Grandpa was born then it isn't allowed in church. Standards are the cloest way to God and if you haven't confessed your sins before God and the church, and your neighbor, and school, and before the town then you my friend my need to reconsider your salvation. I'm not saying your saved by your works; but by golly your works don't live up to my standards so I've decided you aren't saved. (oh and FYI: don't say by golly, because that originated from by God which is vain. I don't care if God's name wasn't really taken in vain and in today's culture it is a phrase that has nothing to do with God's name. You my friend are in danger of hell's fire, or at least the church gossip letter, aka prayer sheet.)

I understand that those were two extremes and if you were offended then you may be a little extreme yourself......oh dear, hear it comes. But seriously, there are 2 things that we tend to find really addicting. An emotional experience, and a check list of doing it right. Is it so bad to really enjoy your corporate worship? To come away feeling inspired and excited and ready to meet the week head on? Are standards really a bad thing and maybe should you have a few? Maybe even a few that you know are right, even to a point where you might possibly judge righteously as Jesus commanded. (do what!!?) Yeah, that's right you legalistically against legalism people, same chapter that Kesus said if you judge someone be ready to live up to your own standard, he said for us to judge things righteously. Crazy, right?

So this is some of what was keeping me up tonight. I'd like to write more later, but I have to wonder if other people have had any thoughts along the same lines. I've been a bit random, but it feels good to write again.

5. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. (Mt 5:27-30)

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. (Mt 5:27-30)

Here Christ demands radical amputation. Whereas many apply these verses to a number of sins and situations I think it is important to remember that Christ starts out in the context of lust and adultery. Not that it doesn't apply to other situations but the severity of the problem of lust. It is not something to be flirted and trifled with but something to take as seriously as Christ did. Christ being completely human knew and understood the struggles of men and yet did not sin. Christ makes it clear that nothing is worth holding on to if it keeps you from a relationship with Him. Take radical actions if necessary to remove those things which are causing you to stumble.

The Law said one thing....

These next few Commands are after Jesus has explained that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. So the passages start out " you have heard it said, but I say to you. Jesus says that nothing will be changed in the law until it is fulfilled. If you relax in the law you will be least in the Kingdom of heaven but if you keep them you will be great. I find two things interesting. One, that even now it's not the keeping of the law that saves you, you still go to heaven even if you didn't keep the law if you believe on Christ as the redeemer promised. Two, that there will be great and least in Heaven. What you do on earth does matter in heaven.

Question for thought: What does it mean when Jesus said "until the law is fulfilled"?

4. ..if you are offering your gift at the altar..leave your gift..First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Mt 5:21-26)

This seems to be pretty straight forward in how we should as Christians deal with problems we have with each other. We shouldn't go behind each others back or just go on like it didn't happen. It's also saying that if someone has something against me, not if you have something against someone else. I should take the responsibility of finding that person and getting it resolved. If I have something against someone else, I don't need to go to them right then because God makes it clear what we should do, we should forgive them as Christ has forgiven us.

3. ....let your light shine before others...(Matt 5:14-16)

In this command Jesus says that we (the disciples of Jesus) are the light of the earth. He tells us to light up the world with good works. Be at work for Christ and serving Him. Not so that people will see how good Christianity is, or that this is the right religion, or to even "win" people over to Christ, but so that people will glorify the Father in Heaven. Let you light shine through good works.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. (Matt 5:11-12)

This command is in reference to being persecuted. Jesus said Blessed are you when people persecute you, and then said for us to rejoice and be glad. Not if you feel like it, not if it enables you to stick it to them, be glad regardless of the circumstances. You always have reason to rejoice and be glad.

Repent Ye Sinners

I'm trying to get back into God's word and seek him daily. I have started a study on commands Christ gave us. Jesus said many times, if you love me keep me commandments, so I thought it might be a good idea to know what those were. First one I saw in Matthew today was "Repent ye sinners, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." I find it interesting that people today always talk about doing things the way Jesus did, love people like Jesus did, help people like Jesus did, but if you told them what Jesus told people they would find it too harsh. Jesus dished it out, and didn't joke around. He found a perfect balance in truth and grace. He love them all unconstitutionally but didn't back down from the truth. But also it applies to me. I need to have a repentant heart, because the Kingdom of Heaven isn't far away. I need to have a kingdom of heaven focus, and be aware of my decisions.

Right vs Wrong?

I haven't written anything on here in a while but it's not because of a lack of thoughts, not really even because of a lack of time, but mostly because of a lack of knowing what to say and how. Over the past year I have been studying something that has been a controversy in Christian circles for hundreds of years. Christians have discussed, debated, cast out of the church, hated each other, persecuted, and in some extreme cases killed each other over these issues. So how do I write about something like that? How do I write about something knowing that other God fearing Christians could possibly hate and debate about it which would not lead the church into a closer relationship with each other and Christ but away from each other as it has done for so many years.

So the questions stands, how can I proclaim what I have learned and what could possibly be helpful to others without causing the debates and problems that have ruined Christ's name for hundreds of years? My goal is not to bring strife among other Christians but to cause them to consider what they believe and why they believe it so that when questions come they can stand strong. Not in arrogance of knowing the truth but in love of those seeking to know.

As you might have already guessed or known, my study has been of what some would call Calvinism and Arminianism, although I don't like this terminology it is the most well known. I don't like it because many that claim Calvinism do not hold to the beliefs of Calvin at all and the same could be said of Arminians. Some people like to call it God's sovereignty vs. man's free will. I also find this distasteful because it starts with the presuposition that the 2 are contrary to each other, thus making it a deductive study rather than inductive. Some would even go as far to say it is a study of Grace vs. Works salvation. I would say this person has not really put any time or effort into studying the different opinions and therefore has little to say on the subject worth listening to. If all you are ever told is that cows can fly and all you ever read are books that say that cows can fly and only hang around people and listen to speakers that say cows can fly then you will most likely believe it. But if someone else tells you they can't fly, and you never give them the time of day to explain why they think so, and consider their opinion valid then you have no place saying they are wrong. How can you say they are wrong when you don't even know what they are wrong about? If I lost you on that rampage of an analogy just skip it and forget it. I was only making a small point.

Profound thoughts come hard.

"You can’t see anything properly while your eyes are blurred with tears. You can’t, in most things get what you want if you want it too desperately. Anyway you can’t get the best out of it." C.S. Lewis – A Grief Observed

To want something doesn't mean that you are to have it. To have something doesn't mean that you are to want it. Contentment doesn't mean that you have all that you want, nor does it mean you want all that you have. True contentment can only come when you have found satifation in something beyond your desires. And only then can you really enjoy that which you have to the fullest

Thoughts on man's spiritual condition.

To fully understand man's current condition I think it is important to understand God's purpose in the very beginning. God had a reason for creating man and a purpose to his existence. This must be considered before moving forward because God still has that same reason and purpose for man now.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God.... It is very clear in scripture that God always has been, always is and always will be. Before time and space God existed and needed nothing. He wasn't lonely because within Himself existing the relational trinity. He didn't need to create the world and universe but He did. He didn't have to create man, but He did. There are many debates concerning why He wold create man and I don't think we can ever fully understand why. Some say for His glory He created man, others say for His pleasure within a relationship. I don't think this neglects God's glory in the least but rather increases it all the more. God desired to create a being that would love and worship Him. That desires to be with Him and to continually strive for a deeper relationship with Him. Just as it gives you pleasure to be loved by your children, it gives God pleasure to be loved by man. This being said, God of course deeply loves His creation and has always desired the best for it. If you don't believe that look at the stars or any part of creation. God put so much detail into it for our enjoyment. Even what we see today is only a shadowed glimpse of what the world was like before the curse of sin.

God created a perfect world, a perfect garden with a perfect man that knew no evil. God, although totally separate from evil, knew what evil was. God didn't have to, but He chose to love the man and woman He created. God also wanted man to choose Him in return. God could have created a world with no opportunity to choose something separate from God, but without the ability to choose something other than God, man would never have the option to choose God. The very idea of a choice implies more than one option. What could bring God more pleasure in his creation than that it would choose to return His love in kind. The idea of love is meaningless without the ability to choose it.

So God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden and instructed Adam not to eat of it or He would surely die. God gave man the ability to choose God. One of the most precious gifts ever given to man, because with it comes the ability to truly love. But man failed and chose something other than God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. At this time man died as God had said he would. It may be tempting to stop there and move to Romans for Paul's explanation of death but to understand Paul we must first read further in Genesis. As soon as Adam ate the fruit God's glory left them and they knew they were naked and went and hid themselves when God came looking for them. Although man had died, he still had an understanding of both good and evil. This is the reason God removed them from the garden. Lest they eat of the tree of life and live forever. Man knew good and evil (Gen 3:22). Man was spiritually dead and would one day physically die. The natural tendency to sin was to be passed down through the man. Although man has a natural bend toward sin, he still has an understanding of good and evil. This is evident in Cain and Able and throughout the old testament. Anytime God' s glory is ripped out of something it can be nothing more than dead. Yet with God's goodness all around, it is obvious that something is missing. In Ecclesiastes it says that God placed eternity in our hearts. We know that something is missing, something isn't right. Look at the world around you and see people continually trying to find satisfaction and pleasure in something. Trying to find something to fill the longing for something more.