Sunday, August 07, 2005
Friday, August 05, 2005
Nice New Look
Hey guys. I did a little work on the site. It was looking a little boring, so I gave it a new look. I recorded an intro to the site. Take a listen and leave me some feedback. Thanks for visiting and come back often.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Adventures In Christ
Hey all. I was looking for a television show that my co-worker (a brother in Christ) was telling me about. It's called The Way Of The Master and you can visit it by clicking here. If that site doesn't load well for you, because it's for high speed users with cable and dsl, click here.
After looking at this site for a while, I found another site called Adventures In Christ. A guy named Joey goes to people with an iPod and interviews them. He starts by asking a simple question like, "If you saw a human and a cat both drowning in a pool, which would you save?" This leads into all kinds of interesting conversation. At that point he addresses their values and why they hold them. It leads into conversation about God very naturally. The result? Evangelism.
To visit this site click here. I've also added links to both these sites in the side column for you visit at any time. Thanks for stopping by.
After looking at this site for a while, I found another site called Adventures In Christ. A guy named Joey goes to people with an iPod and interviews them. He starts by asking a simple question like, "If you saw a human and a cat both drowning in a pool, which would you save?" This leads into all kinds of interesting conversation. At that point he addresses their values and why they hold them. It leads into conversation about God very naturally. The result? Evangelism.
To visit this site click here. I've also added links to both these sites in the side column for you visit at any time. Thanks for stopping by.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
What Happened?
Many times, the question is asked, why don’t we see miracles like there were in the early church? Why aren’t people being miraculously healed, why aren’t demons being cast out, and why aren’t supernatural experiences of all kinds occurring?
Allow me to read to you some of the things that the early church was doing.
Acts 2:43-47
43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 5:12-16
12The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
The church at this time was on fire for God. People didn’t believe because they were coaxed by miracles, they believed because of Jesus.
The miracles happened only after there was belief in Jesus, not before. Not to compel belief…
John 20:29
29Then Jesus told him (Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Hebrews 11:1
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
We look for miracles to occur, begin to doubt God’s presence, but miss the point. It’s not about what God can do to impress you; it’s about whether or not you’re giving your all to allow God to use you.
Have you put everything else aside and adopted the same zeal and passion that the people in the first church had? You probably haven’t if you’re convinced you need to see something to believe.
That’s the problem with the church as a whole today. People have allowed their values to lax, their minds to wander, and an all encompassing desensitization in their lives.
It is our responsibility as the church to revitalize the faith and only then will amazing and extraordinary things occur. Consider miracles as evidence of life. The presence of evidence for life means that life produced it first, not the other way around.
Allow me to read to you some of the things that the early church was doing.
Acts 2:43-47
43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 5:12-16
12The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
The church at this time was on fire for God. People didn’t believe because they were coaxed by miracles, they believed because of Jesus.
The miracles happened only after there was belief in Jesus, not before. Not to compel belief…
John 20:29
29Then Jesus told him (Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Hebrews 11:1
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
We look for miracles to occur, begin to doubt God’s presence, but miss the point. It’s not about what God can do to impress you; it’s about whether or not you’re giving your all to allow God to use you.
Have you put everything else aside and adopted the same zeal and passion that the people in the first church had? You probably haven’t if you’re convinced you need to see something to believe.
That’s the problem with the church as a whole today. People have allowed their values to lax, their minds to wander, and an all encompassing desensitization in their lives.
It is our responsibility as the church to revitalize the faith and only then will amazing and extraordinary things occur. Consider miracles as evidence of life. The presence of evidence for life means that life produced it first, not the other way around.
Can I Trust My Pastor's Teaching?
Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
It’s important to check the scriptures against the things you hear. Even if it is a friend or a pastor, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you’re not being misguided.
It’s not hard to mislead people who don’t check for themselves.
JWs took their own meaning from the original text and created The New World Translation: a skewed and extremely inaccurate version of the Bible.
Amazingly, even though false on many counts, over 5 million people are current believers in the Jehovah’s Witness Cult.
The religion has had many false prophets as well.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
All this came about from misinterpretation of the scriptures.
When you read the Bible and you think you know what it means, check other reliable translations, check other parts of the Bible (no contradictions), and ask those that have been consistently right and knowledgeable about the Bible. This could mean a pastor, a teacher, or a friend.
20 20 RULE
Always make sure that when you read a verse or verses that don’t seem to make sense, read twenty verses before and twenty verses after to try to gain understanding. If that doesn’t work, read more.
If you don’t gain the understanding you want, stay undecided until you read across something else in the Bible that sheds more light on the subject. Cross references appear in many good Bibles. Take advantage of it.
It’s important not to let your entire understanding be from other people. You need to read and learn it.
Colossians 1:25-27
I have become its servant(speaking of the church) by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
God has made available to us the mysteries of Christ our savior, but to gain it we must search out the answers.
So, to answer the question, you may trust your pastor's teaching, but only after you know he's trustworthy. To know that, it takes your effort to research the things he talks about. The better you know the Bible, the easier it is to recognize truth from untruth.
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
It’s important to check the scriptures against the things you hear. Even if it is a friend or a pastor, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you’re not being misguided.
It’s not hard to mislead people who don’t check for themselves.
JWs took their own meaning from the original text and created The New World Translation: a skewed and extremely inaccurate version of the Bible.
Amazingly, even though false on many counts, over 5 million people are current believers in the Jehovah’s Witness Cult.
The religion has had many false prophets as well.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
All this came about from misinterpretation of the scriptures.
When you read the Bible and you think you know what it means, check other reliable translations, check other parts of the Bible (no contradictions), and ask those that have been consistently right and knowledgeable about the Bible. This could mean a pastor, a teacher, or a friend.
20 20 RULE
Always make sure that when you read a verse or verses that don’t seem to make sense, read twenty verses before and twenty verses after to try to gain understanding. If that doesn’t work, read more.
If you don’t gain the understanding you want, stay undecided until you read across something else in the Bible that sheds more light on the subject. Cross references appear in many good Bibles. Take advantage of it.
It’s important not to let your entire understanding be from other people. You need to read and learn it.
Colossians 1:25-27
I have become its servant(speaking of the church) by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness--the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
God has made available to us the mysteries of Christ our savior, but to gain it we must search out the answers.
So, to answer the question, you may trust your pastor's teaching, but only after you know he's trustworthy. To know that, it takes your effort to research the things he talks about. The better you know the Bible, the easier it is to recognize truth from untruth.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
An Interesting Question
I was just reading a theological article that I found at an interesting website. It's entitle Up With Legalism! The interesting question posed here was this:
"As a parent, what would I do if I were offered a choice between two (and only two) outcomes--(1) a daughter who, though an unwed mother, had come to thoroughly understand her own sinfulness and had thereby come to a true faith in the gospel; or (2) a daughter who was a self-righteous virgin, completely confident of her own inherent goodness and virtue? As a parent, which outcome would I prefer?"
Wow, what a question. One of the basic ideas of this article that I found extremely interesting, and a rather good point, is that the people that even bother to make the effort today to strive for "goodness", strive for a wordly goodness. We are more concerned with looking good and living a blameless life. Now, honestly, it is not wrong to want to live the best life possible, but to believe that one is able to do it on his own is outright foolish. Jack Crabtree, the author, makes to to say that the goal in itself is a truly upright cause, however it will be a humbling for one to realize he cannot make it on his own. This article makes a few good points, and those are the ones on which I am concentrating, however I encourage you to read it for yourself using the link I posted about. I found this question extremely interesting, a question I had never heard before, so I hope you all enjoy the prospect as much as I did. I think my own opinion is obvious. I am in agreeance with our author.
"As a parent, what would I do if I were offered a choice between two (and only two) outcomes--(1) a daughter who, though an unwed mother, had come to thoroughly understand her own sinfulness and had thereby come to a true faith in the gospel; or (2) a daughter who was a self-righteous virgin, completely confident of her own inherent goodness and virtue? As a parent, which outcome would I prefer?"
Wow, what a question. One of the basic ideas of this article that I found extremely interesting, and a rather good point, is that the people that even bother to make the effort today to strive for "goodness", strive for a wordly goodness. We are more concerned with looking good and living a blameless life. Now, honestly, it is not wrong to want to live the best life possible, but to believe that one is able to do it on his own is outright foolish. Jack Crabtree, the author, makes to to say that the goal in itself is a truly upright cause, however it will be a humbling for one to realize he cannot make it on his own. This article makes a few good points, and those are the ones on which I am concentrating, however I encourage you to read it for yourself using the link I posted about. I found this question extremely interesting, a question I had never heard before, so I hope you all enjoy the prospect as much as I did. I think my own opinion is obvious. I am in agreeance with our author.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
Q: What Does "Bound" & "Loosed" Mean?
Steve's A:
Matthew 18:18 says,
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
The key to this scripture is in the Greek. Let's look at a few translations to gain some better understanding.
"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
(NASB)
Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be [a]what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be [b]what is already permitted in heaven.(AMP)
a. Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: "The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted]."
b. Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: "The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted]."
I think the Amplified version said it well, footnotes included. This is to say that where two or more are gathered in Jesus' will, the things that we bind or loose (things that are forbidden or things that are permitted) will have already been predetermined in heaven because it was already in God's will.
It is alright for us as Christians , to declare that a person professing to believe in Christ is forgiven. It is basically a statement of what is obvious to us, yet hidden to the unsaved.
It can also be said with authority that a person who denies Christ will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You may also expect that a person who is disobeying and rebelling against God, while at the same time professing to be a born-again believer, will be storing up wrath for himself/herself.
Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
To put to rest the idea that Peter was given the right to forgive sins, it seems as though he receives knowledge that "was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." Peter is given this insight to declare what Jesus has already done. He is not physically able to forgive sin, because Jesus already did. In order that Peter forgive sins, he would have had to be Jesus and die on the cross. Peter could, however, state that a person had received forgiveness as a result of Jesus Christ's death and their profession.
I hope that clears that up. Simply put: when we gain spiritual knowledge in Christ, we then see things that were once hidden from us as obvious. The statements we make in God's will are, of course, going to be accurate.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 6We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"But we have the mind of Christ.
Matthew 18:18 says,
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
The key to this scripture is in the Greek. Let's look at a few translations to gain some better understanding.
"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
(NASB)
Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be [a]what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be [b]what is already permitted in heaven.(AMP)
a. Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: "The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted]."
b. Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Translation: "The perfect passive participle, here referring to a state of having been already forbidden [or permitted]."
I think the Amplified version said it well, footnotes included. This is to say that where two or more are gathered in Jesus' will, the things that we bind or loose (things that are forbidden or things that are permitted) will have already been predetermined in heaven because it was already in God's will.
It is alright for us as Christians , to declare that a person professing to believe in Christ is forgiven. It is basically a statement of what is obvious to us, yet hidden to the unsaved.
It can also be said with authority that a person who denies Christ will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You may also expect that a person who is disobeying and rebelling against God, while at the same time professing to be a born-again believer, will be storing up wrath for himself/herself.
Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
To put to rest the idea that Peter was given the right to forgive sins, it seems as though he receives knowledge that "was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." Peter is given this insight to declare what Jesus has already done. He is not physically able to forgive sin, because Jesus already did. In order that Peter forgive sins, he would have had to be Jesus and die on the cross. Peter could, however, state that a person had received forgiveness as a result of Jesus Christ's death and their profession.
I hope that clears that up. Simply put: when we gain spiritual knowledge in Christ, we then see things that were once hidden from us as obvious. The statements we make in God's will are, of course, going to be accurate.
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 6We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"But we have the mind of Christ.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
News Update
We've recently added some new contributors to The Blessed X.
Mom: Darla McLain. She's our mom (Stephen, Leah, & Cyndi). Her faithfulness to God has helped us to be the God fearing people we are today. She's been a wife for almost twenty-four years and has been a mother for nearly twenty-three. Not only is she a mother to the three of us, but she's looked to by many of our friends as a second mom as well. She continues to be a lover of Christ and an awesome mom today. Her desire to reach out and encourage has been a vital part of my life growing up. She is truly one of the most important people in my life and an instrument used powerfully by God.
Leah McLain: Leah (18) is my younger sister. She's a full time student who is currently enrolled at Cal State University, which she begins in the fall semester. Her active life leaves little time to contribute, but her heart is for God and he can use her here. She's grown up searching for a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. She has an open understanding of the hardships of the daily walk and seeks to uplift her friends and family in their own walks. She's straight forward, unwavering, and intellectually formidable in her day to day life.
Cyndi McLain: Cyndi (16) is my youngest sister. Her compassionate and loving attitude wins the admiration of many. She's an overcomer in life. She find questions in the faith and actually seeks out the answers, making her a great candidate to contribute here. Some of her strengths include her willingness to forgive, her strong ability to continue loving, a knowledge of the Mormon faith, and a tremendous sense of humor that brings joy.
My hope is that you may benefit from the people that I have benefited from in my life. They sharpen me, encourage me, and love me; I believe they will do the same for you.
Mom: Darla McLain. She's our mom (Stephen, Leah, & Cyndi). Her faithfulness to God has helped us to be the God fearing people we are today. She's been a wife for almost twenty-four years and has been a mother for nearly twenty-three. Not only is she a mother to the three of us, but she's looked to by many of our friends as a second mom as well. She continues to be a lover of Christ and an awesome mom today. Her desire to reach out and encourage has been a vital part of my life growing up. She is truly one of the most important people in my life and an instrument used powerfully by God.
Leah McLain: Leah (18) is my younger sister. She's a full time student who is currently enrolled at Cal State University, which she begins in the fall semester. Her active life leaves little time to contribute, but her heart is for God and he can use her here. She's grown up searching for a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. She has an open understanding of the hardships of the daily walk and seeks to uplift her friends and family in their own walks. She's straight forward, unwavering, and intellectually formidable in her day to day life.
Cyndi McLain: Cyndi (16) is my youngest sister. Her compassionate and loving attitude wins the admiration of many. She's an overcomer in life. She find questions in the faith and actually seeks out the answers, making her a great candidate to contribute here. Some of her strengths include her willingness to forgive, her strong ability to continue loving, a knowledge of the Mormon faith, and a tremendous sense of humor that brings joy.
My hope is that you may benefit from the people that I have benefited from in my life. They sharpen me, encourage me, and love me; I believe they will do the same for you.
Friday, April 15, 2005
There's Something To Christianity
What is it about Christianity? I just bought a new truck on Wednesday and we sat down to fill out the paperwork with a brother in Christ. His name is John. I was struck by his enthusiasm and love for God. He spoke about Him with tremendous excitement and it was easy to see that he was quite familiar with the Holy Spirit in him.
This started me thinking. I go to work every day, come home, might go to church or hold a Bible study, and almost always read a little of the Bible. I attend church regularly, I pray very often, and I meditate on the things of God almost all the time. These are all good things, but I noticed my attitude through much of my day had its high points and low points. I can become discouraged about some things, automatically worry about problems, and sometimes speak using poorly chosen words.
Sometimes, I don't wake up looking forward to my day. I unenthusiastically go through the motions, I commonly allow for autopilot at work, and often just try to make it by. I don't work my hardest. I don't do my best. Have you recognized my problem yet?
When I talk to somebody at work about Jesus Christ, about the word, or about the purposes of life, I get very excited. My mind begins to come to life, my mouth becomes a tool for God, and my heart fills with... The word is "joy". Why don't I feel so great all the time?
I have learned through living my life these twenty-two years, that all it takes to be happy, wherever you are, is the right attitude. I just remain happy, refuse to focus on the bad of a situation or situations, and navigate into a carefree mindset. I roll with the punches, enjoy the good days, and bring all the good I can find to the forefront of my thoughts.
I write this knowing that I can write for hours on end and that you, the reader, may never grasp my own personal revelation, but I leave that to the Holy Spirit.
My original question was, "What is it about Christianity?" When a non-Christian person sees a Christian, what do they see? Do they see what appears to be just another person, or do they notice a city on a hill? A Christian can be seen both ways, but it might be a problem to be seen as just another person.
You see, as a Christian, we have a peace that transcends all understanding. We have joy that is always with us. A Christian can go through complete and utter turmoil. A Christian can endure what, to most, would be hopelessness. A Christian can lose his family, his friends, and all he owns. But a Christian will keep his joy despite it all.
How can a Christian keep joyful when he has nobody in his life? How can a Christian smile, though he lacks his health? Why does a Christian try, when there's nothing left to try for?
The Christian has Jesus.
It is our peace that transcends that keeps us going. It is our hope of eternal life. It is our encouragement of seeing our Savior. Our path is narrow and less traveled, but its end is the greatest reward anyone could have.
The trick is finding that joy when you feel wronged at work by your boss. The challenge is keeping a smile when you face the same thing you face each and every day. The identity is that of letting your joy shine in the areas of your life that you would otherwise lack joy.
Try waking up and looking forward to your day. Go to work and do your best. Continue doing your best. Work as unto God. Look to be an example in Christ.
Don't be a lukewarm Christian anywhere in your life. Grab onto and hold tight to God's joy. Be encouraged by Jesus' faithfulness to you. Pick yourself up quickly each time you fall. Never lose your joy, because having that joy is to embrace God.
This started me thinking. I go to work every day, come home, might go to church or hold a Bible study, and almost always read a little of the Bible. I attend church regularly, I pray very often, and I meditate on the things of God almost all the time. These are all good things, but I noticed my attitude through much of my day had its high points and low points. I can become discouraged about some things, automatically worry about problems, and sometimes speak using poorly chosen words.
Sometimes, I don't wake up looking forward to my day. I unenthusiastically go through the motions, I commonly allow for autopilot at work, and often just try to make it by. I don't work my hardest. I don't do my best. Have you recognized my problem yet?
When I talk to somebody at work about Jesus Christ, about the word, or about the purposes of life, I get very excited. My mind begins to come to life, my mouth becomes a tool for God, and my heart fills with... The word is "joy". Why don't I feel so great all the time?
I have learned through living my life these twenty-two years, that all it takes to be happy, wherever you are, is the right attitude. I just remain happy, refuse to focus on the bad of a situation or situations, and navigate into a carefree mindset. I roll with the punches, enjoy the good days, and bring all the good I can find to the forefront of my thoughts.
I write this knowing that I can write for hours on end and that you, the reader, may never grasp my own personal revelation, but I leave that to the Holy Spirit.
My original question was, "What is it about Christianity?" When a non-Christian person sees a Christian, what do they see? Do they see what appears to be just another person, or do they notice a city on a hill? A Christian can be seen both ways, but it might be a problem to be seen as just another person.
You see, as a Christian, we have a peace that transcends all understanding. We have joy that is always with us. A Christian can go through complete and utter turmoil. A Christian can endure what, to most, would be hopelessness. A Christian can lose his family, his friends, and all he owns. But a Christian will keep his joy despite it all.
How can a Christian keep joyful when he has nobody in his life? How can a Christian smile, though he lacks his health? Why does a Christian try, when there's nothing left to try for?
The Christian has Jesus.
It is our peace that transcends that keeps us going. It is our hope of eternal life. It is our encouragement of seeing our Savior. Our path is narrow and less traveled, but its end is the greatest reward anyone could have.
The trick is finding that joy when you feel wronged at work by your boss. The challenge is keeping a smile when you face the same thing you face each and every day. The identity is that of letting your joy shine in the areas of your life that you would otherwise lack joy.
Try waking up and looking forward to your day. Go to work and do your best. Continue doing your best. Work as unto God. Look to be an example in Christ.
Don't be a lukewarm Christian anywhere in your life. Grab onto and hold tight to God's joy. Be encouraged by Jesus' faithfulness to you. Pick yourself up quickly each time you fall. Never lose your joy, because having that joy is to embrace God.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Q: What evidence is there for the infallibility of scripture?
Steve's A: What grounds do we have to say that the Bible, though written by way of man, was actually written by God and is therefore infallible?
Steve’s A: The infallibility of scripture is reinforced through the following verses:
2 Peter 1:20-21
20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,
21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
&
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
But, the writers could have written that by their own will in order to gain more credibility for their writing. Isn’t that at least a possibility?
No. It is obvious, by looking at the tremendous amount of accuracy of prophetic writings, that the accounts are obvious acts of God. To gain the amount of accuracy that the Gospels had there had to be one coherent author and that was God. Each Gospel did carry with it its own details, but no inconsistencies are found between them. The consistency and flow is not just uninterrupted between the three Gospels, but throughout the entire Bible. Its message remains directed, focused, and continuous. It is the story of the redemption of man.
Each detail included in the Bible is significant. It is living and dynamic, causing the reader to continually render meaning from it. This is why a person can read the same verse twice and receive different application from each time.
The Bible has stood the test of time, the test of prophetic fulfillment, and the test of archeological findings. It remains free of contradiction, above all other religions for its truth, and the right choice through the millennia.
Steve’s A: The infallibility of scripture is reinforced through the following verses:
2 Peter 1:20-21
20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,
21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
&
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
But, the writers could have written that by their own will in order to gain more credibility for their writing. Isn’t that at least a possibility?
No. It is obvious, by looking at the tremendous amount of accuracy of prophetic writings, that the accounts are obvious acts of God. To gain the amount of accuracy that the Gospels had there had to be one coherent author and that was God. Each Gospel did carry with it its own details, but no inconsistencies are found between them. The consistency and flow is not just uninterrupted between the three Gospels, but throughout the entire Bible. Its message remains directed, focused, and continuous. It is the story of the redemption of man.
Each detail included in the Bible is significant. It is living and dynamic, causing the reader to continually render meaning from it. This is why a person can read the same verse twice and receive different application from each time.
The Bible has stood the test of time, the test of prophetic fulfillment, and the test of archeological findings. It remains free of contradiction, above all other religions for its truth, and the right choice through the millennia.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Prayer of Change
Lord, my prayer tonight would be that my heart would be open. I desire to know my dull edges. I don’t want to be stubborn and unchanging. It is not in our born again nature to cease to change. I always want to be better and never to accept that I simply can’t defeat my short comings. I will not reject the correction I receive, nor will I become content with myself. I have to keep moving forward, working on my temper, working on my moments of bitterness, and working on my very thoughts. These are not my traits; they are my anchors and my chains. I can break free with your help. I can become a better man, but I know that becoming a better man is to never stop trying to move toward you. Change me O God. Make me more like you.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Q: Is God Bound By Time?
Steve's A: Actually, the concept, as we all know, probably can't be fully grasped. As with Philippians 4:6-7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I like the word transcend. I am of the school of thought that God transcends time and space. His perfect plan is known from start to end and was known from our beginning and is known at our end. It would seem that God is interacting with every moment at his present. Like I said, we probably won't be able to fully grasp it.
On the other hand, I've heard it mentioned in serious debates over the subject that God has allowed himself to be subject to time. He interacts in our present and shares time with us. This is of course a self imposed limitation. A good analogy would be to observe how Jesus Christ, who is God, came and was subject to the human weaknesses. In the same way, God has allowed himself to be bound by time.
Some interesting text on God and time follow here:
Psalm 90:1-4
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
2 Peter 3:7-9
7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
It would seem however, that God set into motion the law of time so that he might interact with us on the plain of time. If God transcended all "time" and "time" has an "end" at the end of time and the beginning of eternity, do we then begin to transcend? It would seem that eternity is an unending span of time, but time nonetheless. Therefore, it can be said that the interaction God has with us through the life on earth and throughout eternity is on the plain of time. I'm confused, how about you?
Mike and I have been talking through it while sitting here. We read a little of William Lane Craig and our minds were stimulated into new areas of thought on the matter. Mike will weigh in on the topic as well. I must say however, that at the beginning of this post, I was pretty grounded in the transcending camp, but now I may have changed my mind. I'm sure that Mike will bring some intriguing items to the arena of thought as well.
I do want to take a look at the word transcend right now. To transcend is to pass beyond limits, to be outside of laws or guidelines. To transcend time is to be outside of it. To transcend time would imply that he could feasibly interact with the past at the same moment as now and the future. If God is this way, it boggles my mind to follow the logic all the way through. God transcends time, so he exists in a moment, in all places, knows all, and transcends every possible law available to make any sense of the whole thing. I believe in God's power enough that this idea, though impossible to comprehend, it entirely possible for God.
Now, if whatever I just said makes any sense to you, let me know.
Mike's A: The ultimate answer in my viewpoint would technically be no. God is the creator of all that we see, know, and experience, except for Himself. So surely He does not have to be bound by one of His creations.
Now, I think it's important, in order to fully answer the question, to ask a different question. What IS bound by time? This will help to establish the purpose of time, and will help us understand what God's relationship to time is. The definition of the word "bound" is "Confined by bonds; tied" and "Being under legal or moral obligation" and "Predetermined; certain" and "Determined; resolved."
Clearly, everything we can see and touch and measure and observe is bound by time. My soul is bound to my body and this earth by time. Job 14:14 says: "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." We clearly have an appointment to die that we cannot accelerate, nor prevent or postpone. Our soul is inseperable from this world, until that time comes.
Now a good question would be, what is the purpose of time? The things we do during the days appointed to us are what decides what will happen to us once they have expired. Everyone's fate is bound by the choices we make while we are bound by time. Clearly the purpose for time is a chance. A chance given to see what we will do in the limited amount of time given to us.
So what is the right choice? The right choice would be to acknowledge God as the creator of the universe, the ultimate and sovereign being. And the right choice is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as His Son, who came to this earth as a man and lived a perfect life without sin, yet was crucified for the sins of us all. But He rose again on the third day, defeating death for those who have faith in Him.
When that decision is made, it is a particular point. 2 Corinthians 5:15-19 says, "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." We become new creations. At that moment, God's Holy Spirit enters into us. The angels rejoice in heaven.
Clearly, many of God's actions are time specific actions. His spirit enters into us at a specific point, and at that same point, the angels who are in heaven with God, rejoice. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Going back to the original question, different definitions for bound will probably bring a different conclusion. God is definitely not "confined" by time, and I don't believe that He is "under legal or moral obligation" to it. But the ultimate progression of time is definitely predetermined by Him, and He is definitely determined to bring it about.
So I think the answer is this. God is not confined by time. But we are. And His purpose for creating us was to serve Him and to have fellowship with Him. Time was created as a way for God to interact with us. A parallel discussion is that, although God is not bound by humanity, for a time He was. When He came to this earth, He did not have to follow the laws of humanity, as the Devil reminded Him while tempting Jesus. But He chose to interact with the world the same way we do, in order to truly have a way to interact with us. In the same way, He does not have to follow the laws of time, but He does so in order to interact with us.
We do not have a choice in that matter. We have to follow the laws of this earth. Gravity binds us, time binds us, all the laws of this world bind us. God, however, does have the choice. Yet He chose to experience these things so that we might have a way to come to Him.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
The Question of Suffering
One of the biggest obstacles for the faith is suffering.
The question is as follows: Why would a loving God allow such suffering in this world?
I’ve been reading a book called The Case for Faith by Lee Stroble and so far it’s impressed me intellectually and spiritually. Lee Stroble, who started out being an atheist, was faced with a struggle when his wife became a Christian. She dragged him to church at one point after many failed attempts and he walked out with a few questions on his mind. Being a journalist for the Chicago Tribune gave him the inquisitive edge that led him to write The Case for Christ, a powerful book that addressed the burning objections that the skeptics throw in the face of Christians, the same objections that Lee himself shared. His book was originally intended to disprove Christ’s existence. He assumed that this crutch for the weak, this springboard for indoctrination would fall apart under the microscope, but his search for the truth left him utterly beaten—and a believer.
In his second book The Case for Faith, Lee comes back with his skeptical edge and attacks leading Christian Philosophers with his deep cutting questions. He demands full and complete responses rather than simple generic answers. All too often Christian teachers and even some pastors are intimidated by the tough issues and discourage young Christians and skeptics from asking. Unfortunately this leads some to think that there are no answers, but there are.
I love the direction that Lee took when he asked the aforementioned question. He went to the once right-hand-man of the famed Billy Graham, Charles Templeton. Charles explained to him that he couldn’t understand how a loving God could allow starvation, drought, death of innocent children, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Templeton himself was suffering from Alzheimer’s. These things finally ripped Templeton’s faith away from him. This quickly personalized the debate and hit Lee hard. He wasn’t just speaking to a skeptic, but a suffering individual. This entire section is very touching and I sympathize with his struggle. I also have struggled with these concepts.
Lee finally sits down with Dr. Peter John Kreeft, a Catholic writer and philosophy professor. Here Kreeft argues his points magnificently and tactfully. His answers are not simple ones that leave the inquirer feeling short changed and unfulfilled, but instead were deeply insightful and colorful. His language was articulate and ultimately yielded a web of philosophical, logical, and understanding thoughts that tied up in the end to present a rock solid argument from the Christian perspective. I was stunned to read his responses and find his conclusions. They seemed familiar, but refreshingly new. His speech finally wound up pointing to suffering as having at least the potential for good. It would seem that suffering can lead to both atheism and strengthened faith. Those looking in from the outside often question why God would allow such suffering which leads them to close up and take up atheism, while those experiencing it are forced to place their trust in God and then realize that Jesus is there every step of the way with them. Of course my summation here leaves much to be explained, but I think the book does a fine job of that, and I’m not here to give you the whole story, but to share about something that is impacting in my life.
At any rate, I’ve come to the conclusion that God’s master plan is unknown to us, and why he allows such terrible things may not be fully understood, but the fact remains that God has a plan for this fallen world, and that will be done.
James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The question is as follows: Why would a loving God allow such suffering in this world?
I’ve been reading a book called The Case for Faith by Lee Stroble and so far it’s impressed me intellectually and spiritually. Lee Stroble, who started out being an atheist, was faced with a struggle when his wife became a Christian. She dragged him to church at one point after many failed attempts and he walked out with a few questions on his mind. Being a journalist for the Chicago Tribune gave him the inquisitive edge that led him to write The Case for Christ, a powerful book that addressed the burning objections that the skeptics throw in the face of Christians, the same objections that Lee himself shared. His book was originally intended to disprove Christ’s existence. He assumed that this crutch for the weak, this springboard for indoctrination would fall apart under the microscope, but his search for the truth left him utterly beaten—and a believer.
In his second book The Case for Faith, Lee comes back with his skeptical edge and attacks leading Christian Philosophers with his deep cutting questions. He demands full and complete responses rather than simple generic answers. All too often Christian teachers and even some pastors are intimidated by the tough issues and discourage young Christians and skeptics from asking. Unfortunately this leads some to think that there are no answers, but there are.
I love the direction that Lee took when he asked the aforementioned question. He went to the once right-hand-man of the famed Billy Graham, Charles Templeton. Charles explained to him that he couldn’t understand how a loving God could allow starvation, drought, death of innocent children, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Templeton himself was suffering from Alzheimer’s. These things finally ripped Templeton’s faith away from him. This quickly personalized the debate and hit Lee hard. He wasn’t just speaking to a skeptic, but a suffering individual. This entire section is very touching and I sympathize with his struggle. I also have struggled with these concepts.
Lee finally sits down with Dr. Peter John Kreeft, a Catholic writer and philosophy professor. Here Kreeft argues his points magnificently and tactfully. His answers are not simple ones that leave the inquirer feeling short changed and unfulfilled, but instead were deeply insightful and colorful. His language was articulate and ultimately yielded a web of philosophical, logical, and understanding thoughts that tied up in the end to present a rock solid argument from the Christian perspective. I was stunned to read his responses and find his conclusions. They seemed familiar, but refreshingly new. His speech finally wound up pointing to suffering as having at least the potential for good. It would seem that suffering can lead to both atheism and strengthened faith. Those looking in from the outside often question why God would allow such suffering which leads them to close up and take up atheism, while those experiencing it are forced to place their trust in God and then realize that Jesus is there every step of the way with them. Of course my summation here leaves much to be explained, but I think the book does a fine job of that, and I’m not here to give you the whole story, but to share about something that is impacting in my life.
At any rate, I’ve come to the conclusion that God’s master plan is unknown to us, and why he allows such terrible things may not be fully understood, but the fact remains that God has a plan for this fallen world, and that will be done.
James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
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