In a couple of weeks, I turn 31. Its an odd year. At 30, I had the mindset that I was just barely out of my twenties. I basically was still 29, with a few days added. At 31, I feel far less like a kid. The past few weeks, I have been doing a lot of reflecting. Reflecting on my life, and what I have learned. Asking myself, "What does it mean to be a man?" But not just a man, a good man. A man who walks in integrity. A man who is gentle enough to cuddle with his wife and kids, but tough enough to kill a bear with his bear hands, (see what I did there?)
These are ten things that I have learned in the past 31 years. Most, in the last 5. Although these are all things I am deeply convicted about, I am a man who is in process. In no way have I perfected these or feel that I can sit on a moral high stool preaching down to others. I am a deeply flawed man who strives to be more like Christ. The order does not reflect the importance.
1. Leadership is always earned, it can never be demanded or forced. Until people respect you, they will never follow you.
2. Always admit when you are wrong, especially to your children. Not only will they learn to admit when they are wrong, but they will admire your humility and courage.
3. Always lead by example. If you want your co-workers to work hard, work hard yourself. If you are in a leadership role, always set the example and pace.
4. The most difficult times in your life, will always give you the biggest chance to grow as a person. In trying times, always look for ways to grow.
5. If you cheat your way to success or victory, it means very little. Work hard, get better, and you will feel great about your accomplishments.
6. Remember you are always in process, when you make a mistake, learn from that mistake.
7. Although it is okay to make time for yourself, and at times, its a must, life is about sacrifice. Give your life to others. Living life solely for oneself is a terrible way to live life.
8. Happiness comes and goes, but you will be surprised how happy you become when being happy is not your primary goal. I have seen horribly selfish acts committed when people have the philosophy, "I have the right to be happy."
9. Morality does not shift with the culture. Seek truth and walk in it. If you are engaged in the culture like you should be, you may have to walk in your moral endeavors alone.
10. Although I believe it is crucial to be self aware, knowing your flaws and weaknesses as a person, we are under grace. Walk in the grace that Christ has put you in. He has promised to work out all things in you.
Perhaps in the next 31 years I will come up with another 10 things I've learned, but until then, these will have to suffice. Keep pressing forward, always learning, always growing.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Monday, September 15, 2014
It's a Beautiful Life.
Our culture offers a plethora of distraction. With cellphones, television, video games etc., its no surprise that most of us don't stop to question what life is actually about. Everybody has a worldview, but few, truly meditate on the implications of the worldview in which they have. We walk through life, with moral beliefs in which we take much for granted, never once, philosophically thinking them through.
Lets take human equality for example. Why would anybody believe in human equality? Lets face it. People are not equal in aesthetic beauty, intelligence, athletic ability, social status etc. Why would we believe that people have an underlying moral equality that transcends the things listed above? But most (not all) of our society walks through life believing in this equality despite those things.
What about social justice? We believe in "social justice" without really pondering on why something is right or wrong. What makes one decision right, while another decision is wrong? What are the guidelines for determining such a thing? Why is it wrong to do away with inconveniences if it benefits myself or society (E.G. elderly, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped etc.)? If we are just a product of chance and time, on what grounds can we call something a "moral injustice".
If there is no God, there is no right or wrong. There is only what happens. We may call a hurricane "bad", but we would never call it immoral. We can claim that something is an inconvenience, but we have no grounds for calling something right, or something wrong.
Peter Singer is one of the leading bio-ethicists at Princeton University. He writes the leading text books on bio-ethics. He is also an atheist. He believes that mothers should have 30 days after their children are born, to decide whether or not the child should be euthanized. Now, you may feel a certain moral outrage to this claim, but he is very consistent with his worldview. If we are nothing but the product of chemicals which evolved through natural selection, then why shouldn't we hold such a view?
If a certain area is infested with, lets say mice, the city contracts an exterminator to eliminate the problem. If we are the product of mindless, natural occurrences, we have absolutely no more value than they.
My purpose isn't to convince you whether God is real or not real, but to encourage you to think through your worldview. Why do you have the beliefs that you do? On what grounds do you have for those beliefs?
I will end with this, if God is in fact real, then we have real grounds for a belief in human value, justice, and equality. If God exists, then we have a legitimate reason to celebrate the diverse cultures around the world, because human value transcends geography. It transcends social status, and it transcends what the world considers beautiful.
Lets take human equality for example. Why would anybody believe in human equality? Lets face it. People are not equal in aesthetic beauty, intelligence, athletic ability, social status etc. Why would we believe that people have an underlying moral equality that transcends the things listed above? But most (not all) of our society walks through life believing in this equality despite those things.
What about social justice? We believe in "social justice" without really pondering on why something is right or wrong. What makes one decision right, while another decision is wrong? What are the guidelines for determining such a thing? Why is it wrong to do away with inconveniences if it benefits myself or society (E.G. elderly, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped etc.)? If we are just a product of chance and time, on what grounds can we call something a "moral injustice".
If there is no God, there is no right or wrong. There is only what happens. We may call a hurricane "bad", but we would never call it immoral. We can claim that something is an inconvenience, but we have no grounds for calling something right, or something wrong.
Peter Singer is one of the leading bio-ethicists at Princeton University. He writes the leading text books on bio-ethics. He is also an atheist. He believes that mothers should have 30 days after their children are born, to decide whether or not the child should be euthanized. Now, you may feel a certain moral outrage to this claim, but he is very consistent with his worldview. If we are nothing but the product of chemicals which evolved through natural selection, then why shouldn't we hold such a view?
If a certain area is infested with, lets say mice, the city contracts an exterminator to eliminate the problem. If we are the product of mindless, natural occurrences, we have absolutely no more value than they.
My purpose isn't to convince you whether God is real or not real, but to encourage you to think through your worldview. Why do you have the beliefs that you do? On what grounds do you have for those beliefs?
I will end with this, if God is in fact real, then we have real grounds for a belief in human value, justice, and equality. If God exists, then we have a legitimate reason to celebrate the diverse cultures around the world, because human value transcends geography. It transcends social status, and it transcends what the world considers beautiful.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Ecclesiastes
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever." - Ecclesiastes 1:2-4
"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind." - Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have spent a large amount of time feeling unfulfilled throughout my life. Professionally, where I thought I would be at 15, isn't who I am at 29. I have worked hard, and materially, I have very little to show for it. I don't own a house. I don't own a cool car. My savings account has about 14 dollars in it, and I work serving tables to ungracious assholes who talk down to me.
At this moment, it would be easy to get caught up in the "When I (fill in the blank), I will be happy" mentality. But this is foolishness.
King Solomon (who is the author of Ecclesiastes) was the wisest, richest king to have ever lived. He had 300 wives, 700 concubines, limitless amounts of entertainers,and limitless amounts of money. He spent his life trying to find meaning. He said that whatever his heart desired, he indulged in. He built private parks, palaces, etc. His life was the ultimate picture of "living the dream", but he found it all meaningless.
It was meaningless to him because he knew that one day he would die, and everything that he worked for would be passed on to another.
He knew that everything that he had done, had been done before. Nothing was new. Despite all his greatness, he found only despair. Every step he took, took him closer to the realization that this life is temporary. This life is here today and gone tomorrow.
Everything in this life is a shadow of the life that we will live. Find your life unfulfilled? That's great! Because this life was never meant to fulfill. Everything in and of itself is meaningless because we try to find meaning in temporary things that were meant to point us to something greater. Everything in life was meant to point to a creator who isn't temporary. Everything in life was meant to point to something that transcends this reality. Everything from the relationships we have, to the sunsets we watch was meant to be a shadow of something amazing, or more accurately someone.
The problem is that we get caught up in worshiping creation. We see money, a great relationship, or the next goal accomplished as the golden ticket to fulfillment, when it was only meant to foreshadow the thing that will ultimately give us fulfillment. This only causes disappointment. Once we accomplish these things, there is always something more. The one who loves money, never has enough. The one who is in love with the "in-love" feeling jumps from relationship to relationship telling him or herself that the next one will be real, true, and fulfilling. These people lack wisdom and they will never find what they are looking for because it can only be found in Christ who is the fulfill-er of these desires.
Romans says that our unbelief is without excuse because his attributes are clearly seen in the things created. I would encourage you to take a look around and search for the God which all of creation points to. Look inside yourself and see if there is void that you have been unable to fill thus far. If the wisest, richest king who has ever lived couldn't find fulfillment in wealth and success, what makes you so confident that you can?
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
James 2:13
Mercy triumphs over judgment - James 2:13
Pride is a powerful mask. Though it fits perfectly on our face, it lacks all functionality. It is a mask that is blinding. It is a mask that I choose to wear daily. It is so deeply rooted in us, often times, we don't even recognize it as pride. It hides in a little corner surrounded by false humility.
I often stand in awe, that Christ uses prideful, angry, bitter people like me. This is not ploy to seduce encouraging words from you, it is simply a recognition of my own depravity. But recognizing ones own depravity is only half the picture. Christ has make things right. He saw a young man like me, rolling around in sin, and decided that he was worth the cost. The price was death on a cross. Now I have taken on the righteousness of Christ, not because I uphold some moral standard, but because Christ has paid the price for me. Because mercy triumphs over judgment, every time.
The other day I was driving to the supermarket. On the curb, there were two homeless men holding signs. I pictured myself running them over. I was filled with anger because in my blind perspective, these men were begging despite an ability to work, but in that same moment, the above verse came to mind.
I try not to be the person who liberally uses the phrase "God told me", but there are a few times in my life that I feel pretty confident that the Holy Spirit spoke to me. This was one of them. What I find the most interesting, is that in that moment, nothing circumstantially changed. I didn't get out of my truck and give them money, or share the gospel, or even smile at them. But there was a major paradigm shift that day. I realized that I am no better then they are. Nothing in me, has any more intrinsic value then they do. It is simply mercy triumphing over judgement, in my life, and in theirs.
Often times as Christians we get caught up in preaching morality. We push our political and moral views on people with a well intentioned although misguided attempt to show them the error of their ways. But we have two choices, we can either give people our hope, or we can give people our morality. We can share politics, or we can share the Gospel. We can spread hate, or we can spread love. One shows people a God who gives hope, and purpose, the other brings condemnation and bitterness.
In the end, there is one thing we need to remember, that is, mercy triumphs over judgment, every time.
Pride is a powerful mask. Though it fits perfectly on our face, it lacks all functionality. It is a mask that is blinding. It is a mask that I choose to wear daily. It is so deeply rooted in us, often times, we don't even recognize it as pride. It hides in a little corner surrounded by false humility.
I often stand in awe, that Christ uses prideful, angry, bitter people like me. This is not ploy to seduce encouraging words from you, it is simply a recognition of my own depravity. But recognizing ones own depravity is only half the picture. Christ has make things right. He saw a young man like me, rolling around in sin, and decided that he was worth the cost. The price was death on a cross. Now I have taken on the righteousness of Christ, not because I uphold some moral standard, but because Christ has paid the price for me. Because mercy triumphs over judgment, every time.
The other day I was driving to the supermarket. On the curb, there were two homeless men holding signs. I pictured myself running them over. I was filled with anger because in my blind perspective, these men were begging despite an ability to work, but in that same moment, the above verse came to mind.
I try not to be the person who liberally uses the phrase "God told me", but there are a few times in my life that I feel pretty confident that the Holy Spirit spoke to me. This was one of them. What I find the most interesting, is that in that moment, nothing circumstantially changed. I didn't get out of my truck and give them money, or share the gospel, or even smile at them. But there was a major paradigm shift that day. I realized that I am no better then they are. Nothing in me, has any more intrinsic value then they do. It is simply mercy triumphing over judgement, in my life, and in theirs.
Often times as Christians we get caught up in preaching morality. We push our political and moral views on people with a well intentioned although misguided attempt to show them the error of their ways. But we have two choices, we can either give people our hope, or we can give people our morality. We can share politics, or we can share the Gospel. We can spread hate, or we can spread love. One shows people a God who gives hope, and purpose, the other brings condemnation and bitterness.
In the end, there is one thing we need to remember, that is, mercy triumphs over judgment, every time.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Unmeasurable Worth
Earlier today I was pulling weeds from my garden. My plants seem to grow a tremendous amount every day. It amazes me to think that such a large plant, that yields an amazing amount of vegetables all started from a seed. A seed that died, then sprouted, then grew producing tomatoes, peppers, etc.
Our society is one that loves to measure worth. Whether its capital gains, popularity, Facebook likes, and so on, we measure success by the numbers.
God on the other hand, plants seeds. Tiny little seeds that by themselves, appear useless. But they sprout into something beautiful. Then they grow into something that produces fruit and vegetables that sustain billions of hungry people.
As Christians, we often measure our lives in the same way as the rest of the world. How many people have you brought to your church? How many people have you shared the gospel with? How much money have you given? How much? How much? How much?
But what if God uses us the same way that he uses a gardener? What if we plant little seeds that we can never measure? What if that seed someday produces a crop far greater then you could ever imagine? What if, in this life, you will never witness this crop? What if God wants you to be content with how he is using you today, even though it appears to be small?
What if god wants you to just love the person at the counter, love the guy at the gas station, or smile at the child at the bank? What if the small things, eventually yield a fruit that is more amazing then anything we can physically measure? What if God has our lives figured out in the midst of chaos?
Its easy to get caught up in numbers and measure success by them, but I would encourage you to seek Christ, to give up, and see how he uses us when we cease to strive for greatness.
Our society is one that loves to measure worth. Whether its capital gains, popularity, Facebook likes, and so on, we measure success by the numbers.
God on the other hand, plants seeds. Tiny little seeds that by themselves, appear useless. But they sprout into something beautiful. Then they grow into something that produces fruit and vegetables that sustain billions of hungry people.
As Christians, we often measure our lives in the same way as the rest of the world. How many people have you brought to your church? How many people have you shared the gospel with? How much money have you given? How much? How much? How much?
But what if God uses us the same way that he uses a gardener? What if we plant little seeds that we can never measure? What if that seed someday produces a crop far greater then you could ever imagine? What if, in this life, you will never witness this crop? What if God wants you to be content with how he is using you today, even though it appears to be small?
What if god wants you to just love the person at the counter, love the guy at the gas station, or smile at the child at the bank? What if the small things, eventually yield a fruit that is more amazing then anything we can physically measure? What if God has our lives figured out in the midst of chaos?
Its easy to get caught up in numbers and measure success by them, but I would encourage you to seek Christ, to give up, and see how he uses us when we cease to strive for greatness.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Often Percieved As Mundane
While rolling into the end of January I have been thinking a lot about life. More specifically what it means to actually be alive in this strange life that we share. I get caught up in the here and now's. I get so wrapped up in being a father, and a husband who is trying to scramble enough money to provide the necessities for my family, I often forget that these things are temporary.
The stress of life can be very consuming at times. I often forget to take a few moments out of my day to thank God for the blessing that I have in my life. I forget that I serve a God with things that have eternal value. I often forget that what I do now, has eternal value.
Since I lost my job last June, I have been working in the service industry. Right now, I am working at my friends restaurant 'The Bistro' as a server. I really like it, but it is hard work and it gets really stressful at times.
I get depressed because waiting tables isn't something that I find a lot of value in. When I worked at the Juvenile Center, it was easy to see purpose there. Until it closed down, I didn't realize how much identity I found in that job. People would ask me what I did for a living and they would be impressed by my answer.
Nobody is impressed with a 29 year old waiter, but that isn't my point. The point is that I serve a God who is sovereign. I serve a God who's hand was in me getting a job as a counselor and a God who's hand is in me getting a Job waiting tables.
When I really think about my life, I have incredible opportunities to share the love of Christ with people. Not in word, but in deed. Serving others and counting them greater then myself is what Christ asks of us. I get to do that everyday. Its actually a pretty great experience. It is a humbling experience and it is an experience that God has placed me in.
Our identity is not found in our job, our talents, our friends, or our hobbies, it is found in Christ. Tomorrow when I go back to work, I will try to remember that Christ's love lives through us as we fulfill our often perceived mundane tasks, but they are not mundane, they have value that transcends into eternity because Christ love is shown through the simple elements of our lives.
The stress of life can be very consuming at times. I often forget to take a few moments out of my day to thank God for the blessing that I have in my life. I forget that I serve a God with things that have eternal value. I often forget that what I do now, has eternal value.
Since I lost my job last June, I have been working in the service industry. Right now, I am working at my friends restaurant 'The Bistro' as a server. I really like it, but it is hard work and it gets really stressful at times.
I get depressed because waiting tables isn't something that I find a lot of value in. When I worked at the Juvenile Center, it was easy to see purpose there. Until it closed down, I didn't realize how much identity I found in that job. People would ask me what I did for a living and they would be impressed by my answer.
Nobody is impressed with a 29 year old waiter, but that isn't my point. The point is that I serve a God who is sovereign. I serve a God who's hand was in me getting a job as a counselor and a God who's hand is in me getting a Job waiting tables.
When I really think about my life, I have incredible opportunities to share the love of Christ with people. Not in word, but in deed. Serving others and counting them greater then myself is what Christ asks of us. I get to do that everyday. Its actually a pretty great experience. It is a humbling experience and it is an experience that God has placed me in.
Our identity is not found in our job, our talents, our friends, or our hobbies, it is found in Christ. Tomorrow when I go back to work, I will try to remember that Christ's love lives through us as we fulfill our often perceived mundane tasks, but they are not mundane, they have value that transcends into eternity because Christ love is shown through the simple elements of our lives.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
A New, New Year's Resolution
Until now, I have never really liked the idea of a New Year's resolution. I have always had the mindset that one should work to better themselves throughout the whole year. But the more I think about it, the more I find the idea beautiful.
There is something to say about a new year. There is something to say about reflecting on who you are and who you want to be. There is something tremendously appealing about starting fresh, about knowing that your past mistakes have been forgiven and redeemed.
This year, I have taken a lot of time reflecting on my mistakes, but with that, reflecting on the idea of redemption. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. If there was a hand basket, I would be traveling straight to hell in it. But I have been redeemed by a God who said that I was worthy of redemption. Not worthy because of something that I have done, but worthy because of him. I am worthy because he see's the righteousness of Christ, not my basket full of mistakes.
I have always loved the sunrise. To me, it is the perfect picture of redemption. Each sunrise, is a fresh start. It is a new beginning of a new day where I no longer have to dwell on past mistakes. Because of redemption, I can press forward with confidence because my mistakes are no longer counted against me.
This is why my feelings have changed about New Year's resolutions. Because of Christ, I can press forward in who he has made me, and who he is currently making me. I can press forward, because you and I were made with intrinsic value.
My New Year's resolution is this, to press forward in who Christ has made me. Because in that, I will find purpose. In that, I will discover that I have already been made whole.
There is something to say about a new year. There is something to say about reflecting on who you are and who you want to be. There is something tremendously appealing about starting fresh, about knowing that your past mistakes have been forgiven and redeemed.
This year, I have taken a lot of time reflecting on my mistakes, but with that, reflecting on the idea of redemption. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. If there was a hand basket, I would be traveling straight to hell in it. But I have been redeemed by a God who said that I was worthy of redemption. Not worthy because of something that I have done, but worthy because of him. I am worthy because he see's the righteousness of Christ, not my basket full of mistakes.
I have always loved the sunrise. To me, it is the perfect picture of redemption. Each sunrise, is a fresh start. It is a new beginning of a new day where I no longer have to dwell on past mistakes. Because of redemption, I can press forward with confidence because my mistakes are no longer counted against me.
This is why my feelings have changed about New Year's resolutions. Because of Christ, I can press forward in who he has made me, and who he is currently making me. I can press forward, because you and I were made with intrinsic value.
My New Year's resolution is this, to press forward in who Christ has made me. Because in that, I will find purpose. In that, I will discover that I have already been made whole.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The Necessary Gospel
As Christmas approaches, I have been thinking a lot about The Gospel. More specifically, its simplicity, its beauty, and its necessity. What is The Gospel? Some would write it off as a list do's and don'ts as a means of scaring the gullible into a religious conversion. Others, like myself, think of it as the only true source of life.
When I look at the world we live in, I am constantly reminded how low life is valued (specifically human life). Life is valued so low, people kill children without a second thought. This is nothing new. This has been a common theme throughout history. From King Herod to Adolf Hitler, this has been a common theme.
We live in a broken world where families are hungry despite an abundance of food. We life in a world where mothers receive a letter informing them that their only son was killed during active duty. We live in a world where everybody is looking out for themselves before looking after their neighbors. Our world is broken. My world is broken.
I was asked the other day why I need to rely on somebody else to make me whole. At the time, I didn't really know what to say. As easy as I see the answer now, at the time my mind drew a blank. I need somebody else to make me whole because I am helplessly broken.
My natural self is selfish, impatient, quick to anger, quick to wrath, and much worse. I return to this state often. In moments of clarity, I realize that Christ came to heal my brokenness. I realize that I am completely reliant on a God who has promised wholeness.
The Gospel is not about what I have done wrong, its about what he has done right. Christ came that we should experience life. Life that is free from our self seeking, hate filled hearts. Christ came that we may experience peace. We experience peace because we realize that he has covered our iniquities.
Redemption isn't about cleaning up our acts and becoming better people, its about Christ giving us a new nature. I speak for myself, when I say that this doesn't happen over night. It is often a grueling process where we will continue to return to this nasty, impatient, selfish mentality. Then a soft voice reminds us that that is not who we are anymore. He reminds us that we have been made new because he decided that he would take the penalty for our transgressions upon himself and wipe our slates clean. Each day we can come to him with the assurance that he has washed us clean.
This is the Gospel that I believe in. This is the reason that I need the Gospel, and this is the reason that the world needs it.
When I look at the world we live in, I am constantly reminded how low life is valued (specifically human life). Life is valued so low, people kill children without a second thought. This is nothing new. This has been a common theme throughout history. From King Herod to Adolf Hitler, this has been a common theme.
We live in a broken world where families are hungry despite an abundance of food. We life in a world where mothers receive a letter informing them that their only son was killed during active duty. We live in a world where everybody is looking out for themselves before looking after their neighbors. Our world is broken. My world is broken.
I was asked the other day why I need to rely on somebody else to make me whole. At the time, I didn't really know what to say. As easy as I see the answer now, at the time my mind drew a blank. I need somebody else to make me whole because I am helplessly broken.
My natural self is selfish, impatient, quick to anger, quick to wrath, and much worse. I return to this state often. In moments of clarity, I realize that Christ came to heal my brokenness. I realize that I am completely reliant on a God who has promised wholeness.
The Gospel is not about what I have done wrong, its about what he has done right. Christ came that we should experience life. Life that is free from our self seeking, hate filled hearts. Christ came that we may experience peace. We experience peace because we realize that he has covered our iniquities.
Redemption isn't about cleaning up our acts and becoming better people, its about Christ giving us a new nature. I speak for myself, when I say that this doesn't happen over night. It is often a grueling process where we will continue to return to this nasty, impatient, selfish mentality. Then a soft voice reminds us that that is not who we are anymore. He reminds us that we have been made new because he decided that he would take the penalty for our transgressions upon himself and wipe our slates clean. Each day we can come to him with the assurance that he has washed us clean.
This is the Gospel that I believe in. This is the reason that I need the Gospel, and this is the reason that the world needs it.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Why I wish I was a super hero.
Every little boy wishes he had a super power. Perhaps, every man wishes the same. I speak for myself when I admit that I do. I love superhero stories. At the root of my love, beyond flying or time travel, lies some very fundamental desires.
I desire simplicity -
In every superhero story, there are the good guys, and the bad guys. Real life is full of people who are somewhere in between. Real life, unfortunately, is filled with people who are capable of a lot of good and bad alike, and often times, good and evil, fit nicely on a line of gray. Decisions are complicated, and I for one, when making these decisions, spend most of my time second guessing them.
I desire to be selfless-
In most superhero stories, the hero is always selfless. He places the needs of others over any need he may have at the moment. This is beautiful. I desire this. Although most of the time, I desire self-gratification a little more. If people lived by this philosophy, most, if not all of the problems in our society would cease to exist.
I desire wisdom-
Like I mentioned above, life gets pretty confusing. Half the time, I honestly do not know what the right decision is. A superhero always knows the decision he must make. I envy this. A lot of the mistakes that I have made in my life, I have made due to a lack of wisdom.
I desire to live by integrity-
I want to be the kind of man who always does what I think to be right. I don't want to make a decision based on convenience, or self interest. I want to be the type of person who will walk by integrity even at my own peril.
I desire to be calm in the midst of chaos-
I get overwhelmed pretty easily. When I get stressed, my mind instantly fogs up and I become easily irritated. I want to be able to think clearly and make quick decisions in the eye of the storm. Superheros are always able to think clearly. What? The world is about to be destroyed? Nothing a little clear decision making can't handle.
Unfortunately, until I get bit by a spider, crash my car in a lake of radioactive waste, or evolve into a X-Men, I will have to trust in a God who offers grace through my mistakes, and I will have to endure some of my more human qualities. Life is a process, and even though I wish I had more wisdom, selflessness, and integrity, I will have to take life one decision at a time. Hopefully, I will make decisions and love people in a way that reflects the God who has shown me so much love.
I desire simplicity -
In every superhero story, there are the good guys, and the bad guys. Real life is full of people who are somewhere in between. Real life, unfortunately, is filled with people who are capable of a lot of good and bad alike, and often times, good and evil, fit nicely on a line of gray. Decisions are complicated, and I for one, when making these decisions, spend most of my time second guessing them.
I desire to be selfless-
In most superhero stories, the hero is always selfless. He places the needs of others over any need he may have at the moment. This is beautiful. I desire this. Although most of the time, I desire self-gratification a little more. If people lived by this philosophy, most, if not all of the problems in our society would cease to exist.
I desire wisdom-
Like I mentioned above, life gets pretty confusing. Half the time, I honestly do not know what the right decision is. A superhero always knows the decision he must make. I envy this. A lot of the mistakes that I have made in my life, I have made due to a lack of wisdom.
I desire to live by integrity-
I want to be the kind of man who always does what I think to be right. I don't want to make a decision based on convenience, or self interest. I want to be the type of person who will walk by integrity even at my own peril.
I desire to be calm in the midst of chaos-
I get overwhelmed pretty easily. When I get stressed, my mind instantly fogs up and I become easily irritated. I want to be able to think clearly and make quick decisions in the eye of the storm. Superheros are always able to think clearly. What? The world is about to be destroyed? Nothing a little clear decision making can't handle.
Unfortunately, until I get bit by a spider, crash my car in a lake of radioactive waste, or evolve into a X-Men, I will have to trust in a God who offers grace through my mistakes, and I will have to endure some of my more human qualities. Life is a process, and even though I wish I had more wisdom, selflessness, and integrity, I will have to take life one decision at a time. Hopefully, I will make decisions and love people in a way that reflects the God who has shown me so much love.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Redemption
In a day of political correctness, there are many negative stigmas attached to Jesus. In some sense, this is understandable. Jesus may be the most politically incorrect person who has ever lived. Jesus, came along, and told the world that he is the only way to salvation. Not one of the ways, but the only way. If there was a picture attached to the phrase 'politically incorrect', it would probably be Jesus giving two thumbs up.
Jokes aside, truth is a one way street. Either Jesus was telling the truth, or he wasn't. There really isn't a middle ground for a guy who claimed to be God and tells the world that he is the only way to redemption.
I am one of those odd characters who believes that Jesus was telling the truth. For me, its not a matter of political correctness, or being sensitive to others opinions, its about sharing the most beautiful story that was ever told.
The gospel is incredibly simple. It is a story wrapped in hope, beauty, love, and redemption. Jesus, sacrificed himself, so that we could be washed clean in the eyes of God. He took the cross quietly, humbly, and willingly. It is the greatest story ever told.
I have always loved watching the sun rise. Its the perfect metaphor for salvation. With each sunrise, we get a fresh start because Jesus decided that we were worth the cost. The cost that he alone paid, so that we could experience redemption.
Redemption starts now, its not something that we look forward to. It transcends into every aspect of our lives. We have the freedom to live our lives, make mistakes, fail, succeed, and continue to press forward, because Christ paid a price. This to me, is simply amazing.
Jokes aside, truth is a one way street. Either Jesus was telling the truth, or he wasn't. There really isn't a middle ground for a guy who claimed to be God and tells the world that he is the only way to redemption.
I am one of those odd characters who believes that Jesus was telling the truth. For me, its not a matter of political correctness, or being sensitive to others opinions, its about sharing the most beautiful story that was ever told.
The gospel is incredibly simple. It is a story wrapped in hope, beauty, love, and redemption. Jesus, sacrificed himself, so that we could be washed clean in the eyes of God. He took the cross quietly, humbly, and willingly. It is the greatest story ever told.
I have always loved watching the sun rise. Its the perfect metaphor for salvation. With each sunrise, we get a fresh start because Jesus decided that we were worth the cost. The cost that he alone paid, so that we could experience redemption.
Redemption starts now, its not something that we look forward to. It transcends into every aspect of our lives. We have the freedom to live our lives, make mistakes, fail, succeed, and continue to press forward, because Christ paid a price. This to me, is simply amazing.
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Tragic Division
In a Church filled with so much disagreement, there seems to be one thing we can all agree on. That is, nobody agrees on any number of doctrines. Some emphasize grace. Others emphasize works. Some rely heavily on the gifts of the spirit found in the book of Acts, while others believe those gifts were done away with after the apostles died.
This division has troubled me for some time now. I have lost many friends in the name of these disagreements. Yet, were we all not unified in Christ? Where is the line between agreeing to disagree, and issues that cannot be reconciled?
There are people who I love, who I have not spoken to in years, because of some disagreement that we both felt was irreconcilable. How foolish. We both believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We both believed in grace, yet we could not look passed our secondary issues. This, I believe, is tragic.
We get caught up in these doctrinal differences, and we loose sight of the Jesus who loves unity. I have been bitter, angry, and filled with hate in the past. I have lost sight of grace, and have been blinded by my own pride.
This is an issue as ancient as the church itself. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10-12 says "10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."
I believe Paul, when instructing the Corinthians to be of the same mind, felt that this was a feasible task. The Gospel that we believe, and preach to the world, is incredibly simple. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." That's the Gospel message, Christ and him crucified.
We can disagree on any number of doctrinal differences if we hold fast to this one truth. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the intrinsic nature of Christianity. In this, and this alone, shall we be unified.
John 16:13 promises that the spirit will lead us to all truth. It does not say however, that this will be done instantly. In the midst of all our differences, we must remember this; we are all on a journey. We, as people who are in Christ, are all being lead to the ultimate truth. This truth is Jesus.
May God close these gaps between us, because we all suffer due to this division. May our eye's be opened, our hearts filled with love for one another, and our mouths slow to speak. I will say this once more, our faith is Christ and him crucified.
This division has troubled me for some time now. I have lost many friends in the name of these disagreements. Yet, were we all not unified in Christ? Where is the line between agreeing to disagree, and issues that cannot be reconciled?
There are people who I love, who I have not spoken to in years, because of some disagreement that we both felt was irreconcilable. How foolish. We both believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We both believed in grace, yet we could not look passed our secondary issues. This, I believe, is tragic.
We get caught up in these doctrinal differences, and we loose sight of the Jesus who loves unity. I have been bitter, angry, and filled with hate in the past. I have lost sight of grace, and have been blinded by my own pride.
This is an issue as ancient as the church itself. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10-12 says "10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."
I believe Paul, when instructing the Corinthians to be of the same mind, felt that this was a feasible task. The Gospel that we believe, and preach to the world, is incredibly simple. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." That's the Gospel message, Christ and him crucified.
We can disagree on any number of doctrinal differences if we hold fast to this one truth. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the intrinsic nature of Christianity. In this, and this alone, shall we be unified.
John 16:13 promises that the spirit will lead us to all truth. It does not say however, that this will be done instantly. In the midst of all our differences, we must remember this; we are all on a journey. We, as people who are in Christ, are all being lead to the ultimate truth. This truth is Jesus.
May God close these gaps between us, because we all suffer due to this division. May our eye's be opened, our hearts filled with love for one another, and our mouths slow to speak. I will say this once more, our faith is Christ and him crucified.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Free Will, the Multi-Layered Problem
When I first considered the question of whether or not we have free will, it seemed quit simple. Though the more I thought about it, the more layers I had to consider. By the time I was finished, I was ready to pull out my hair.
This whole topic, I admit, is beyond my ability to comprehend it. I write it, not because I feel that I am worthy to discuss, or teach such a topic, but I write it only on the grounds that it has been on my mind. I write this more as an open dialogue, rather than such a way which would appear that I have a sound understanding of it, because I do not.
First off, we have to determine what we mean by free will. If we mean the ability to make decisions without outside influence, the obvious answer is no. Some things are out of our control. Things that make a significant difference. These things include, what part of the world we are born in, who our parents are, etc.If I was born in the middle east, I may not have the same world view as I do now. If my parents were the leaders of a white supremest group, I may have grown up a racist.
From a spiritual aspect, it is clear in scripture, that there are outside influences that play a large roll in our decision making.
Paul, in Romans 7, says this, " For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very
thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me."
Paul recognized that he had a will, and a will to do good, but he lacked the ability to follow through. In fact, he did the exact opposite! He did the things that he hated. Now if a regenerated man, (one who is in Christ) does not have the ability to follow through with his will to do good, then what hope is there for one who does not yet know Christ? Ephesians 6:12 says " For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." So according to Scripture, we are influenced not only by the sin that dwells in our fallen flesh, but also against spiritual forces.
If by free will, we mean whether or not our decisions are predetermined, our questions are a bit more complex. (The next two paragraphs have been borrowed and paraphrased from Dinesh D'Souza's book 'God Forsaken')
In the 18th Century, physicist Pierre-Simone Laplace, first made the case for a theory called Determinism. ("Determinism is often taken to mean simply causal determinism: an idea known in physics as cause-and-effect. It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state [of an object or event] is completely determined by prior states" -Wikipedia)
This theory basically said that free-will is an illusion. Laplace said that free will contradicted the scientific view of causation, (The relation of cause and effect.). He stated that our will, is simply neurons in the brain, and since we do not control the neurons in our brain, then free-will does not actually exist.
Later, with the discovery of quantum physics,this theory was greatly challenged. Quantum physics, at the subatomic level, showed that the motion of particles is not only unpredictable, but also undetermined. Although, as physicist Stephen Barr pointed out, quantum physics did not prove free-will, but it opened the door for it. So even in physics, there still seems to be some questions regarding this.
When we look at the scriptures, there seems to be this duality. We know that God is sovereign over all of his creation, yet we also know that he is not the author of sin. (James 1:13) We know that God is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We know that he is the one who works in you, to both will, and to work for his purpose, (Philippians 2:13) yet it seems there are multiple passages that suggest that we have some kind of responsibility in our moral decisions, and spiritual journey.
I come away with more questions then answers, and I am OK with that. A God who I can understand, would not really be a God who I could be in awe of. If God is sovereign, then surely he will reveal the things that need to be revealed. If that is Christ alone, then I am rich in knowledge indeed.
I believe these topics are important, but they are tiresome. I can easily become engulfed in these types of questions. May our inquisitive minds never take precedence over the simplicity of Christ. We are seated in him, sealed until the day of Christ. I will rest take rest in that.
This whole topic, I admit, is beyond my ability to comprehend it. I write it, not because I feel that I am worthy to discuss, or teach such a topic, but I write it only on the grounds that it has been on my mind. I write this more as an open dialogue, rather than such a way which would appear that I have a sound understanding of it, because I do not.
First off, we have to determine what we mean by free will. If we mean the ability to make decisions without outside influence, the obvious answer is no. Some things are out of our control. Things that make a significant difference. These things include, what part of the world we are born in, who our parents are, etc.If I was born in the middle east, I may not have the same world view as I do now. If my parents were the leaders of a white supremest group, I may have grown up a racist.
From a spiritual aspect, it is clear in scripture, that there are outside influences that play a large roll in our decision making.
Paul, in Romans 7, says this, " For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very
thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me."
Paul recognized that he had a will, and a will to do good, but he lacked the ability to follow through. In fact, he did the exact opposite! He did the things that he hated. Now if a regenerated man, (one who is in Christ) does not have the ability to follow through with his will to do good, then what hope is there for one who does not yet know Christ? Ephesians 6:12 says " For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." So according to Scripture, we are influenced not only by the sin that dwells in our fallen flesh, but also against spiritual forces.
If by free will, we mean whether or not our decisions are predetermined, our questions are a bit more complex. (The next two paragraphs have been borrowed and paraphrased from Dinesh D'Souza's book 'God Forsaken')
In the 18th Century, physicist Pierre-Simone Laplace, first made the case for a theory called Determinism. ("Determinism is often taken to mean simply causal determinism: an idea known in physics as cause-and-effect. It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state [of an object or event] is completely determined by prior states" -Wikipedia)
This theory basically said that free-will is an illusion. Laplace said that free will contradicted the scientific view of causation, (The relation of cause and effect.). He stated that our will, is simply neurons in the brain, and since we do not control the neurons in our brain, then free-will does not actually exist.
Later, with the discovery of quantum physics,this theory was greatly challenged. Quantum physics, at the subatomic level, showed that the motion of particles is not only unpredictable, but also undetermined. Although, as physicist Stephen Barr pointed out, quantum physics did not prove free-will, but it opened the door for it. So even in physics, there still seems to be some questions regarding this.
When we look at the scriptures, there seems to be this duality. We know that God is sovereign over all of his creation, yet we also know that he is not the author of sin. (James 1:13) We know that God is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We know that he is the one who works in you, to both will, and to work for his purpose, (Philippians 2:13) yet it seems there are multiple passages that suggest that we have some kind of responsibility in our moral decisions, and spiritual journey.
I come away with more questions then answers, and I am OK with that. A God who I can understand, would not really be a God who I could be in awe of. If God is sovereign, then surely he will reveal the things that need to be revealed. If that is Christ alone, then I am rich in knowledge indeed.
I believe these topics are important, but they are tiresome. I can easily become engulfed in these types of questions. May our inquisitive minds never take precedence over the simplicity of Christ. We are seated in him, sealed until the day of Christ. I will rest take rest in that.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Christ or culture?
We live in a society of extremes. Extreme rights, extreme lefts, extreme sports? Well maybe extreme sports doesn't fit but you get the picture. Christianity is no exception. We as Christians seem to get engulfed in a sub-culture that is filled with extremes. We will go to church 5 days a week, only listen to Christian music, only hang out with our Christian friends.We forget that Christ hung out with the lowly. He hung out with prostitutes, and tax collectors. He hung out with the outcasts.
I was taking back a years worth of bottles to the store the other day. I came across a guy who was asking for bottles that the machines didn't except. He wasn't begging for money, or asking anything other than the cans that people would end up throwing away anyway. My first thought was, "get a job lowlife." Seriously, I actually thought that. I just wanted to take my cans back without being bothered. I realized in the next moment what a prideful ass I am. I realized how high I hold myself. But then the reality hit me that I was no better than anybody else there. At any moment, life could hit us and we could be the ones asking for rejected cans.
Not only do we hold ourselves in high esteem, but we fail to see our own depravity. You see, we roll in the mud, yet fail to see that we are doing so. We ride these moral trains that we can't even uphold ourselves. We look at others and think, "I would never do that." Or, "look what a mess so and so's life is. Thank God I am not like them." We are the biggest pharisees of them all, and whats worse is that we don't even see it. We are too engulfed in religious things to really see who we are in the flesh. Take a look, its ugly.
Any one of us is capable of any amount of evil. We watch our television and rejoice when we see men like Osama Bin Ladan executed. Yet if we were born in the middle east, we may have been by his side.
In Christ we have been made new. I will say it again, IN CHRIST. Why do we continue to walk through life in this bullshit sub-culture, acting as if we have obtained something by our own efforts? I do this daily. I think I am better than you. I think that I am something really special, but I am not. We are all flawed human beings that constantly make a mess of things. Its time that we start giving credit to who deserves the credit, Christ. Because in and of myself, I am just another fool. A fool who has taken the best seat in the house, only to be asked to sit in the back row.
I was taking back a years worth of bottles to the store the other day. I came across a guy who was asking for bottles that the machines didn't except. He wasn't begging for money, or asking anything other than the cans that people would end up throwing away anyway. My first thought was, "get a job lowlife." Seriously, I actually thought that. I just wanted to take my cans back without being bothered. I realized in the next moment what a prideful ass I am. I realized how high I hold myself. But then the reality hit me that I was no better than anybody else there. At any moment, life could hit us and we could be the ones asking for rejected cans.
Not only do we hold ourselves in high esteem, but we fail to see our own depravity. You see, we roll in the mud, yet fail to see that we are doing so. We ride these moral trains that we can't even uphold ourselves. We look at others and think, "I would never do that." Or, "look what a mess so and so's life is. Thank God I am not like them." We are the biggest pharisees of them all, and whats worse is that we don't even see it. We are too engulfed in religious things to really see who we are in the flesh. Take a look, its ugly.
Any one of us is capable of any amount of evil. We watch our television and rejoice when we see men like Osama Bin Ladan executed. Yet if we were born in the middle east, we may have been by his side.
In Christ we have been made new. I will say it again, IN CHRIST. Why do we continue to walk through life in this bullshit sub-culture, acting as if we have obtained something by our own efforts? I do this daily. I think I am better than you. I think that I am something really special, but I am not. We are all flawed human beings that constantly make a mess of things. Its time that we start giving credit to who deserves the credit, Christ. Because in and of myself, I am just another fool. A fool who has taken the best seat in the house, only to be asked to sit in the back row.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A faith that sanctifies
Questions about sanctification have been around for a long time. I will go out on a limb and say they have been around since the 1st century. These question vary, but most of the questions I hear, and that I have had, center around how it happens. We know that we are justified by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, but what about sanctified? Are we sanctified by Christ, or by our own efforts? Is it Christ plus our own efforts?
We have these questions because we do not understand the scriptures. Lets be honest, they are pretty confusing at times, and we have heard countless preachers tell us contradicting interpretations of them.
I'll be upfront, I'm a pretty big faith guy. What I mean by this is that I believe that it is faith that not only justifies you before God, but also sanctifies you. I believe that you have no power within yourself (in the flesh Romans 7:18) to ever accomplish anything that is of any value. I am one of those guys who takes verses such as Hebrews 12:2 pretty serious. "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Faith without works is dead you say? (James 2:17) For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) If God even places the will for us to do good, then why do we believe that it is our works that sanctify us?
It seems some have come up with a union of the faith vs works problem. They throw out the phrase "it is faith THAT works." Now I have no problem with the doctrine of a faith that produces works, as I just said, it is God who works in you. The problem arises when we try to measure the work that faith produces.
Living in America, we have a very capitalistic mind frame. If we do this, we produce that. This carries over to our spiritual mindset. Churches measure success by attendance, revenue, etc. Christians measure their success by how much money they give, how nice they were to their neighbor, and how little they cussed that day.
This is a very worldly perspective. Two things seem to happen, 1)we beat ourselves up when we don't measure up, or 2)we fill our hearts with pride with this idea that we are doing well. Both our equally destructive. Galatians 3 says it like this, " 1 [a]You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by [c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
When we fix our minds on Christ, all these things seem trivial. We start believing that God will work in us to both will and to work. We stop trying to measure up, and start resting in Christ.
We have these questions because we do not understand the scriptures. Lets be honest, they are pretty confusing at times, and we have heard countless preachers tell us contradicting interpretations of them.
I'll be upfront, I'm a pretty big faith guy. What I mean by this is that I believe that it is faith that not only justifies you before God, but also sanctifies you. I believe that you have no power within yourself (in the flesh Romans 7:18) to ever accomplish anything that is of any value. I am one of those guys who takes verses such as Hebrews 12:2 pretty serious. "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Faith without works is dead you say? (James 2:17) For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) If God even places the will for us to do good, then why do we believe that it is our works that sanctify us?
It seems some have come up with a union of the faith vs works problem. They throw out the phrase "it is faith THAT works." Now I have no problem with the doctrine of a faith that produces works, as I just said, it is God who works in you. The problem arises when we try to measure the work that faith produces.
Living in America, we have a very capitalistic mind frame. If we do this, we produce that. This carries over to our spiritual mindset. Churches measure success by attendance, revenue, etc. Christians measure their success by how much money they give, how nice they were to their neighbor, and how little they cussed that day.
This is a very worldly perspective. Two things seem to happen, 1)we beat ourselves up when we don't measure up, or 2)we fill our hearts with pride with this idea that we are doing well. Both our equally destructive. Galatians 3 says it like this, " 1 [a]You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of [b]the Law, or by [c]hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun [d]by the Spirit, are you now [e]being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you [f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works [g]miracles among you, do it by the works of [h]the Law, or by [i]hearing with faith?
6 [j]Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, [k]be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God [l]would justify the [m]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with [n]Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of [o]the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified [p]by [q]the Law before God is evident; for, “[r]THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 [s]However, the Law is not [t]of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE [u]BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A [v]TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might [w]come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Courtesy of http://www.biblegateway.com)
When we fix our minds on Christ, all these things seem trivial. We start believing that God will work in us to both will and to work. We stop trying to measure up, and start resting in Christ.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The struggle for meaning.
Life is a constant struggle. We fight depression, health issues, social issues, and the list goes on. I, as an American, often times downplay my own pain, in the name of physical comfort. I go on about how in other countries, people are hungry, sick, and oppressed by their government. There is some truth to this. We, as Americans are very fortunate. I will never argue against that. But what if my pain, causes the same stress as others with more obvious problems?
Humans are amazing at adapting. Throughout history, people have lived in horrendous conditions. They fought to survive these conditions. What if something like depression, causes the same amount of emotional stress as somebody in hunger? What if we are all in the same condition on this earth, no matter if we are rich or poor? We are all in a constant struggle to survive, emotionally and physically.
I personally, am in a constant struggle. A struggle to see purpose, hope, love, beauty. Often times, I struggle even to fulfill even the simplest tasks. I struggle because I am depressed. I am depressed because I struggle to see the things mentioned above. But what if, all these things that I struggle with have purpose. What if that purpose is to point me to the one whom these thing belong to? C.S. Lewis once said that he who's sole purpose is to find peace will never find it, but he who's sole purpose is to find Christ shall have both. I have to remember that it is not those things that I long for, it is Christ. I must remember that this life is a constant struggle, but Christ remains the same, and I remain in Christ.
At first, I am tempted to tell you to fight to keep your mind on the things that are meaningful, but that falls short. If we search for meaning, we shall by no means find it. If we search for Christ, we shall have Both.
Humans are amazing at adapting. Throughout history, people have lived in horrendous conditions. They fought to survive these conditions. What if something like depression, causes the same amount of emotional stress as somebody in hunger? What if we are all in the same condition on this earth, no matter if we are rich or poor? We are all in a constant struggle to survive, emotionally and physically.
I personally, am in a constant struggle. A struggle to see purpose, hope, love, beauty. Often times, I struggle even to fulfill even the simplest tasks. I struggle because I am depressed. I am depressed because I struggle to see the things mentioned above. But what if, all these things that I struggle with have purpose. What if that purpose is to point me to the one whom these thing belong to? C.S. Lewis once said that he who's sole purpose is to find peace will never find it, but he who's sole purpose is to find Christ shall have both. I have to remember that it is not those things that I long for, it is Christ. I must remember that this life is a constant struggle, but Christ remains the same, and I remain in Christ.
At first, I am tempted to tell you to fight to keep your mind on the things that are meaningful, but that falls short. If we search for meaning, we shall by no means find it. If we search for Christ, we shall have Both.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Why I believe in liberal grace.
"For we are the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the FLESH. Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Isreal, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of a Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to the righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worthy of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3: 3-8.
I have heard a lot of outcries about grace. People protesting what they would call the "liberal" teaching of grace. They claim that God requires us to work. Work on not sinning. Work at loving better. Work to build what they would call The Kingdom.
Revealed within this concept are a few thought processes. 1) People have confidence in their flesh. They believe that they have the ability to build this so called Kingdom. 2) They don't really believe in grace. They subconsciously(or consciously) believe we are still under some sort of law.
Paul in Philippians talks about not having confidence in the flesh. He was not talking about committing what most would call sin. He was talking about having confidence in fleshy works. Working out religious do's and dont's. Working on a religious kingdom that is completely contrary to The Kingdom of God. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure." What? God is the one who does the work within me? This is exactly what He does.
Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. " So it is God works in you to both WILL and TO DO for HIS pleasure, AND we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ for good works which HE prepared beforehand. What does this mean? This means that God has already laid out the things that you WILL do. Why? Because you are HIS workmanship. The pharisee works and toils in vain, walking in dead religious works that he may take glory for himself. The saint rests in Christ. Because he knows that Christ will work in him as HE chooses, because they were set out for him before the foundation of the earth.
Religion loves to bind people in chains that Christ has broken. People will accuse you of being a wolf, of teaching cheap grace, of being an apostate. We are securely seated in Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2) I will continue to teach "liberal grace" because Christ has given it liberally to me.
I have heard a lot of outcries about grace. People protesting what they would call the "liberal" teaching of grace. They claim that God requires us to work. Work on not sinning. Work at loving better. Work to build what they would call The Kingdom.
Revealed within this concept are a few thought processes. 1) People have confidence in their flesh. They believe that they have the ability to build this so called Kingdom. 2) They don't really believe in grace. They subconsciously(or consciously) believe we are still under some sort of law.
Paul in Philippians talks about not having confidence in the flesh. He was not talking about committing what most would call sin. He was talking about having confidence in fleshy works. Working out religious do's and dont's. Working on a religious kingdom that is completely contrary to The Kingdom of God. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you to both will and to do for his good pleasure." What? God is the one who does the work within me? This is exactly what He does.
Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. " So it is God works in you to both WILL and TO DO for HIS pleasure, AND we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ for good works which HE prepared beforehand. What does this mean? This means that God has already laid out the things that you WILL do. Why? Because you are HIS workmanship. The pharisee works and toils in vain, walking in dead religious works that he may take glory for himself. The saint rests in Christ. Because he knows that Christ will work in him as HE chooses, because they were set out for him before the foundation of the earth.
Religion loves to bind people in chains that Christ has broken. People will accuse you of being a wolf, of teaching cheap grace, of being an apostate. We are securely seated in Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb. 12:2) I will continue to teach "liberal grace" because Christ has given it liberally to me.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Imagined Hurdle: The Cause of My Anxiety.
Most people who get to know me well, notice I am high strung. My wife can attest to this. I like things controlled. By controlled, I mean comfortable. As soon as a little chaos enters the scene, I get stressed. When I get stressed, I get consumed by whatever happens to be stressing me out. This is what I would consider my biggest character flaw.
I have car trouble, days over for me. Somebody says something that upsets me, days over for me. The list goes on and on.
I checked my blood pressure the other day. Not good. I am now anxious about my blood pressure, which raises my blood pressure. This is problematic for somebody trying to lower it.
Lately I have been really anxious about my future, my job, my wife's job, my son's well-being, etc. I am anxious about what I can bring to the table to provide for them. I am anxious about whether or not I have what it takes to be a man that my family respects.
At the center of all these anxieties, is a single fact. I don't trust God. I don't trust him when he says my needs will be met. I don't trust him when he says that he is sovereign, and I sure as hell don't trust him when he says that my identity lies in who he is.
So as my fears unravel, I am realizing that the problem doesn't lie in the things mentioned above. It lies in my unbelief.
I look at the life of The Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11, he lays out his life for us. He spent his life being beat up. He said he received 39 lashes 5 separate times. He was thrown in prison, beaten with rods, shipwrecked 3 different times, he was stoned, eventually to death. He also said he went countless nights sleepless and in hunger. But Paul continued to trust in God's sovereignty, in God's grace, and in God's goodness. He still believed that God would provide for him.
When I say I want God to provide for my needs, I usually mean I want him to keep me comfortable. But as we see in Paul's life, this wasn't the case. He was usually anything but comfortable. But living in America, I have grown accustomed to my needs consisting of 3 large meals, a warm bed, internet, cell phones, video games etc. What a joke! "God please provide for my needs so I can be a glutton and waste my time with senseless stuff." This is what an honest prayer from my mouth would look like. There are millions of people in this world who are barely getting a healthy calorie intake for the day. But like I said, I have grown accustomed to such a lifestyle and I blame a God who "doesn't provide" when these things are taken.
When I really stop and look at my life, I have a lot to be thankful for, and very little I should really be anxious about. I start getting a little perspective when I look at the world and I realize what a spoiled child I am. I realize I need to let go of all these things that I can't control. Until I am starving, in prison, or have a mob of angry Jews throwing rocks at me, I'm going to try and relax, thanking God for all the great things I do have in my life.
I have car trouble, days over for me. Somebody says something that upsets me, days over for me. The list goes on and on.
I checked my blood pressure the other day. Not good. I am now anxious about my blood pressure, which raises my blood pressure. This is problematic for somebody trying to lower it.
Lately I have been really anxious about my future, my job, my wife's job, my son's well-being, etc. I am anxious about what I can bring to the table to provide for them. I am anxious about whether or not I have what it takes to be a man that my family respects.
At the center of all these anxieties, is a single fact. I don't trust God. I don't trust him when he says my needs will be met. I don't trust him when he says that he is sovereign, and I sure as hell don't trust him when he says that my identity lies in who he is.
So as my fears unravel, I am realizing that the problem doesn't lie in the things mentioned above. It lies in my unbelief.
I look at the life of The Apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 11, he lays out his life for us. He spent his life being beat up. He said he received 39 lashes 5 separate times. He was thrown in prison, beaten with rods, shipwrecked 3 different times, he was stoned, eventually to death. He also said he went countless nights sleepless and in hunger. But Paul continued to trust in God's sovereignty, in God's grace, and in God's goodness. He still believed that God would provide for him.
When I say I want God to provide for my needs, I usually mean I want him to keep me comfortable. But as we see in Paul's life, this wasn't the case. He was usually anything but comfortable. But living in America, I have grown accustomed to my needs consisting of 3 large meals, a warm bed, internet, cell phones, video games etc. What a joke! "God please provide for my needs so I can be a glutton and waste my time with senseless stuff." This is what an honest prayer from my mouth would look like. There are millions of people in this world who are barely getting a healthy calorie intake for the day. But like I said, I have grown accustomed to such a lifestyle and I blame a God who "doesn't provide" when these things are taken.
When I really stop and look at my life, I have a lot to be thankful for, and very little I should really be anxious about. I start getting a little perspective when I look at the world and I realize what a spoiled child I am. I realize I need to let go of all these things that I can't control. Until I am starving, in prison, or have a mob of angry Jews throwing rocks at me, I'm going to try and relax, thanking God for all the great things I do have in my life.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The shoebox god.
I was told once in a debate that comparing religion to science, is like comparing apples to oranges. He went on to explain that what he meant, was that religion is faith based, (according to him, belief without evidence) and science was fact based. This is a funny statement to me. This is the way most people argue when it comes to topics of faith. Statements filled with more rhetoric than sound arguments.
My initial emotional response to statements such as these is annoyance. Annoyance, because it becomes apparent that I am being fit into a stereotype. and as much as I am guilty of placing people within other stereotypes, I hate being placed into a stereotype. The stereotype that is in place for unthinking, unintelligent religious fanatics that hold up signs protesting against gay marriage etc.
But the more I think about this statement, the more I have to agree with it. I am not a big fan of religion. Religion, gives the God that I know a bad reputation. This god, (the god of religion) is more in place to justify ones own beliefs, (political, social, moral etc) rather than the God that I know, who shows love, grace, and acceptance to people.
Some of the religious people I know, are some of the worst people I know. They use God to fill the world with hate to anybody who doesn't share the same opinions as they do. This isn't a god I want to believe in either. This is a god who is made up of anti-scientific, propaganda, who likes to take the money from people watching cable t.v.
From this stand point, I have to agree that religion is like comparing apples to oranges. But the God that I know, is the God who is the cornerstone of all knowledge. If God is real, then he cannot, by definition, be anti-scientific. He is the center of all truth.This is not a god of the gaps type god. This is the God who has created everything we understand, and everything we do not understand. Science discovers mechanisms, but mechanisms must not be confused with agency.
The problem is that as soon as I mention God, people automatically assume I am talking
about a god who fits within a system, a religion if you will. But the God who I know, does not fit within a religious system. Religion is a box that we create god to fit in, and this god, is the small minded god that we use to confirm our personal identity.
If we are a Republican, we assume God is also a Republican. If we are a Democrat, we assume God is a Democrat. If we are American, we assume God loves Americans more than he loves the rest of the world.
This is what I like to call the shoebox god. We carry him around so we never have to be challenged. After all, if the God of the universe shares my views, then who can argue with me?
But this is the religion that makes people hate god. The god who is accused of being anti-scientific, who hates homosexuals, who is going to send every non-republican to hell, and this is the reason why I hate religion.
My initial emotional response to statements such as these is annoyance. Annoyance, because it becomes apparent that I am being fit into a stereotype. and as much as I am guilty of placing people within other stereotypes, I hate being placed into a stereotype. The stereotype that is in place for unthinking, unintelligent religious fanatics that hold up signs protesting against gay marriage etc.
But the more I think about this statement, the more I have to agree with it. I am not a big fan of religion. Religion, gives the God that I know a bad reputation. This god, (the god of religion) is more in place to justify ones own beliefs, (political, social, moral etc) rather than the God that I know, who shows love, grace, and acceptance to people.
Some of the religious people I know, are some of the worst people I know. They use God to fill the world with hate to anybody who doesn't share the same opinions as they do. This isn't a god I want to believe in either. This is a god who is made up of anti-scientific, propaganda, who likes to take the money from people watching cable t.v.
From this stand point, I have to agree that religion is like comparing apples to oranges. But the God that I know, is the God who is the cornerstone of all knowledge. If God is real, then he cannot, by definition, be anti-scientific. He is the center of all truth.This is not a god of the gaps type god. This is the God who has created everything we understand, and everything we do not understand. Science discovers mechanisms, but mechanisms must not be confused with agency.
The problem is that as soon as I mention God, people automatically assume I am talking
about a god who fits within a system, a religion if you will. But the God who I know, does not fit within a religious system. Religion is a box that we create god to fit in, and this god, is the small minded god that we use to confirm our personal identity.
If we are a Republican, we assume God is also a Republican. If we are a Democrat, we assume God is a Democrat. If we are American, we assume God loves Americans more than he loves the rest of the world.
This is what I like to call the shoebox god. We carry him around so we never have to be challenged. After all, if the God of the universe shares my views, then who can argue with me?
But this is the religion that makes people hate god. The god who is accused of being anti-scientific, who hates homosexuals, who is going to send every non-republican to hell, and this is the reason why I hate religion.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Marketing off of a tragedy...9/11
Though 9/11 is well past us, I have been thinking of a couple of issues that have risen. I have been careful to fully develop my thoughts on these issues due to their controversial nature.
First off, one thing we can all agree is this, what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, was a horrible thing. Many lives were lost. Lives that have infinite value. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters wept that day, and continue to weep for their lost loved ones.
The issues come with the propaganda, and our mindset about the event. For example, there seems to be a mindset amongst Americans, that American lives are far more valuable then the rest of the world. We weep when American solders die, but scoff when Afghanistan soldiers die. We think nothing of it when innocent people die in Lebanon from American bombs, but when events such as 9/11 occur, we are horrified and pray for the families.
The second issue that comes to my mind is the marketing schemes centered around the tragedy of 9/11. Within the first year, Hollywood produced a film about it. Millions of well intended people spent there money to see a film that in my opinion, was only made to make a buck. We have 9/11 memorabilia such as collectible coins, shirts etc.
People often buy these items and feel good about it. What they don't understand is that they are giving their money to the wolves, who care much less about making a difference, and much more about taking advantage of gullible people. This is an act of evil. It a market that is saturated with blood money.
Now, if these items are sold to raise charity, I am all for it. What I cannot stand for, is marketing off of a tragedy. It is our responsibility to know who we are giving our money to and why.
First off, one thing we can all agree is this, what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, was a horrible thing. Many lives were lost. Lives that have infinite value. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters wept that day, and continue to weep for their lost loved ones.
The issues come with the propaganda, and our mindset about the event. For example, there seems to be a mindset amongst Americans, that American lives are far more valuable then the rest of the world. We weep when American solders die, but scoff when Afghanistan soldiers die. We think nothing of it when innocent people die in Lebanon from American bombs, but when events such as 9/11 occur, we are horrified and pray for the families.
The second issue that comes to my mind is the marketing schemes centered around the tragedy of 9/11. Within the first year, Hollywood produced a film about it. Millions of well intended people spent there money to see a film that in my opinion, was only made to make a buck. We have 9/11 memorabilia such as collectible coins, shirts etc.
People often buy these items and feel good about it. What they don't understand is that they are giving their money to the wolves, who care much less about making a difference, and much more about taking advantage of gullible people. This is an act of evil. It a market that is saturated with blood money.
Now, if these items are sold to raise charity, I am all for it. What I cannot stand for, is marketing off of a tragedy. It is our responsibility to know who we are giving our money to and why.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The emotional irrelevancy of unbelief.
In a previous blog, I spoke about the absence of belief based on a scientific bias. In this blog however, I would like to briefly discuss unbelief based on emotional irrelevancy. There seems to be a popular trend in society that loves to claim that their unbelief is based on the fact that others, who believe in a particular religion, (i.e. Christianity) may not act worthy of the beliefs themselves. For instance, I saw a "supposed" quote once by Gandhi that read like this, "I would have become a Christian if I ever met a person who acted like one."
If one's own disbelief is based on someone else's actions, I would argue that the basis for the first individuals unbelief is in fact, a weak one. I, like many others, would love to see Christians acting more like Christ (myself included). However, if I decided to base my whole worldview on how others lived up to those particular beliefs, I would be a fool. For example, most hold onto the belief that the laws of our country, are for the betterment of society. (E.g. murder, robbery, assault, etc.) If I threw out the belief that those particular laws were good, based on the fact that people committed murder, robbery, and assault, you would immediately see the flaws in my unbelief.
People are immoral, no matter what beliefs they hold. If one does not live up to their beliefs, it is less due to the fact that their beliefs are false, and more due to the fact that their character is flawed. Truth, no matter what it is, does not change based on the actions of a particular group, or individual. If it did, I would suspect it not worthy to be called truth.
If one's own disbelief is based on someone else's actions, I would argue that the basis for the first individuals unbelief is in fact, a weak one. I, like many others, would love to see Christians acting more like Christ (myself included). However, if I decided to base my whole worldview on how others lived up to those particular beliefs, I would be a fool. For example, most hold onto the belief that the laws of our country, are for the betterment of society. (E.g. murder, robbery, assault, etc.) If I threw out the belief that those particular laws were good, based on the fact that people committed murder, robbery, and assault, you would immediately see the flaws in my unbelief.
People are immoral, no matter what beliefs they hold. If one does not live up to their beliefs, it is less due to the fact that their beliefs are false, and more due to the fact that their character is flawed. Truth, no matter what it is, does not change based on the actions of a particular group, or individual. If it did, I would suspect it not worthy to be called truth.
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