Our Purpose Driven Life

Thursday's Theology Thing: God is Good

2005-05-12T08:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my wife and I signed on our first house. We are officially homeowners!

Throughout this process, it has been crystal clear that God had his hand in the entire process. There is no doubt in my mind that were it not for God, we would have never found this house, and would have ended up with one we were much less satisfied with. Truly, God blesses his children!

So in today's brief TTT, I just wanted to give a short testimony about how God has blessed us. Remember, we don't serve God in the hopes of being blessed, but it seems to always end up that God overflows his blessings on those who follow him.

To think about: How has God blessed you lately? Was it for something you have been praying about, or an unexpected blessing? Make sure to thank God by not only giving thanks in prayer, but by continuing to live a life of thanks.

Thursday's Theology Thing: You'll Get Your Comeuppance!

2005-04-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

My wife and I really enjoy playing board games. Probably our favourite game is Trouble. Sometimes when she troubles one of my men, I'll shake my fist at her and exclaim, "You'll have your comeuppance!"

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this phrase, you can check Merriam-Webster online. Basically, it means to receive a rebuke or penalty, or "just deserts".

Occasionally you may notice a non-Christian who always gets the upper hand in life, or seems to get away with things that they shouldn't. There's a part of us wants to see them taken down a peg, which we think would make us in turn feel better. Of course this is selfishness, and something that God does not approve of.

So when are they going to get what they deserve? David penned it quite eloquantly in Psalm 10:

Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless. (Ps. 10:13-14 NIV)

God is aware of everything. There is nobody who is outside of his sight. In due time, everyone will sow what they reap. Numbers 32:23 says "But if you don't do what you say, you will be sinning against GOD; you can be sure that your sin will track you down." (MSG)

Here's an idea: instead of worrying about other people and when they are going to "get theirs", focus instead on serving God as best as you can. Let God worry about who's doing what!

To think about: Have you wished bad things on someone because they seem to be doing so well? Be careful, because this is selfishness taking root! Ask God to search your heart for these feelings and to remove them from your thoughts.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Don't Fight With God

2005-04-14T08:10:00.000-05:00

Trust, me. Just don't do it!

What am I talking about? Let me explain.

Have you ever done something (or wanted to do something) that you know was contrary to what God wanted? Probably most if not everyone has at some point. You know, you feel in your gut that whatever you are doing (or not doing) does not line up with what God wants for you.

What is that gut feeling? Many refer to it as your conscience, which would be correct. But if you're a Christian, your conscience is heavily influenced by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

God has a plan for each and every one of us. Not just a long-term plan of what we should be doing in 15-20 years, but also in every day events of our life. Spend time in prayer with God and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you each and every day.

I saw a sign out front of a church the other day that said, "God wants your availability more than your ability." God may be leading you to do something, but you are fighting him because you don't think that you are qualified enough. Trust in him! He is wanting you to grow, and grow closer to him in the process.

So remember, if you feel in your heart that the path you're taking isn't the plan that God wants for you, give in to God! Some will say that when you fight with God, you lose. It is possible, however, to go against God's will long enough that the Holy Spirit will no longer lead you. That's when you REALLY lose!

To think about: Have you had a fight with God lately? Give in to his plans, he knows what's best for you!

Thursday's Theology Thing: I'll Do Whatever I Want!

2005-04-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I finished the book of Judges yesterday. For many who read this book, it comes across as a book of heroes, filled with leaders like Gideon and Samson who led Israel out of oppression from other countries. To me however, it is a depressing book. It is a story of a recurring theme of Godlessness and moral depravity in Israel's history. God raised up these leaders because when things were going well for them, Israel forsook God instead of serving him out of thankfulness and devotion.

Look at the final verse of the book and you'll see what I mean:

"At that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing." (Jud. 21:15 MSG)

Since there wasn't an authority figure, Israel got lax in their devotion to God. People basically did whatever they want, served whatever gods they wanted to, and married whomever they felt like.

This sounds familiar, doesn't it? In North America and many other parts of the world, people do whatever they feel like. They serve whatever god they want (if any), and for the most part, they do whatever they want. Sure, there are laws that are enforced in each country, and most people adhere to these laws. Of course, the number of lawbreakers seems on the rise, so even laws aren't always a deterrent.

What if you're a Christian? Are you free to do whatever you want? Yes, scripture tells us that we are free, and no longer a slave to sin. But does that mean that we're free to do whatever we feel like? Here's what Paul had to say:

So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! (Rom. 6:15-18 MSG)

If we do whatever we want, we become slaves to sin once more. As the above passage mentions, there are some forms of freedom that can destroy freedom. By being free you are not free at all. Paradoxical, but true.

Being a Christian is not easy work. We need to always be on guard to resist temptation, and to do the right thing. So how can you tell what the right thing is to do? Scripture makes it pretty clear that if something is good, then it is something that we should focus on (Phil. 4:8). But in any areas that you are unsure of, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. God wants us to serve him, and is not going to try to confuse us.

To think about: who is your "king"? Have you been living however you want, doing whatever you feel like? Or are you subjecting your will to God's will, and striving to do what's right?

Thursday's Theology Thing: How Bright Are You?

2005-03-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

No, today's TTT is not about intelligence, and there are no IQ tests. So put your pencils away! Instead, I wanted to post about how the world sees us.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Phil. 2:14-15 NIV)

Umm, the last time that I checked, I wasn't shining like I should. Yes, I am a Christian, and am confident that due to the grace, love and patience of God, one day I will spend eternity with him and all Christians. But I also have my shortcomings. I can be impatient, rude and quick-tempered among other things. I complain, and if you ask my wife, I bet she will admit to you that I argue! Yikes.

So what do I do? I ask Jesus for a continued renewal of strength and for his help when I am weak. He has already given us the ability to withstand temptation, so it's up to me. Thankfully, Jesus is there to pick me up when I fall. But I need to strive to be the best Christian that I can be. As I spend more time in his word and in prayer, I will grow closer to him. James 4:8a says "Come near to God and he will come near to you." In doing so, I will become a brighter shining star to those who are not yet saved.

To think about: What's your brightness level? Do you see room for improvement? Ask Jesus to show you how you can be a better servant of his, and resist temptation when it comes.

Thursday's Theology Thing: You're On Your Own

2005-03-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

For the last few months, our Sunday school class has been studying Romans. It's a great book, but it's also one that can make your head hurt! There is so much theology packed into those chapters, so much that it has caused a lot of debate among theologians through the ages. Deep, but extremely interesting stuff!

So anyways, a few weeks back, we were in Romans 14, discussing how we should be careful to not offend our brother or sister who may be spiritually weaker by doing things that may cause them to stumble. Then, a verse jumped out at me.

"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:12 NIV)

Wow, what a sobering verse! As Christians, we live our lives being influence by many people. I have heard it said that each person you meet either influences you in some way, or becomes influenced by you. But no matter what church we attend, no matter how spiritual our family or friends may be, in the end it will be you standing before God, giving an account for the things that you did (or should have done, as the case may be). You will have no one else to stand up for you when God addresses the actions of your life, because our spiritual journey here on earth is ultimately a journey that each of us takes alone.

This can be quite disheartening when you think of the number of times that you have failed God. But notice what chapter 14 says a few verses earlier:

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (Rom. 14:4 NIV)

This verse speaks about how we should not look down on someone because they may be offended by something that we consider trivial, but I believe it also applies here. How can we stand before God bearing in mind all of our failures and shortcomings? It is because of Jesus and the price that he paid for us in his death and resurrection. If we have lived our lives as Christians, and to the best of our ability, when we stand before God, he will see us as sanctified (set apart) people. Thanks be to Jesus, whose love for us will allow us to spend eternity in God's presence in heaven!

To think about: The next time you are tempted, remember that one day you will answer to God for your decision to that temptation. That will be an incentive to not give in to sin!

Thursday's Theology Thing: Patience, grasshopper!

2005-02-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

I have heard it said that you should never ask God for patience, because he will answer your prayer over and over by giving you opportunity upon opportunity!

Patience is something that most people need more of. Think of what happens when you are impatient - you become flustered, irritated, and that attitude can spread to others very quickly if unchecked. But when you are patient, you are more understanding of others, more humble, and more kind overall.

The Bible has lots to say about patience. Here are a few verses that I picked out:

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. (Prov. 14:29)

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. (Prov. 15:18)

Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. (Prov. 16:32)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thes. 5:14)

The ten dollar question is, how do you become patient? One way is by not letting yourself become impatient. What I mean is this: the next time you are in a situation where you can feel yourself losing your patience, try your best to be more patient.

For me, one of the hardest places to be patient is when I'm driving. When I'm behind someone who is driving slow, or inconveniencing me somehow, I can feel my patience fleeting. It's then when the Holy Spirit checks me and reminds me that I need to be humble and patient. I feel that I have come a long way in patience overall, but I still see places where I need to improve.

And yes, make sure to ask God for help! Even though he will give you more opportunity to be patient then you probably want, you will succeed with his help.

To think about: What are some ways that you could be more patient?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Trying Without God

2005-02-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

There are many who are either unsure about becoming a Christian, or simply don't want to submit to God. Many of these people believe that they are good people, who can do it on their own.

There's a familiar passage from Romans that addresses this point perfectly. Here it is, from the Message translation (something a little different so that you will read it more carefully);

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (Rom. 7:17-25)

Ain't it the truth? Most of us mean well and WANT to do good, but there is always something that we can't put our finger on that pulls us down. It keeps us from doing the good that we know we ought to do.

What this "thing" is, is sin. We are born into it, we cannot escape it. How many of you parents have seen your child when they were 2 or 3 either lie to you or do something that makes you think, "Where on earth did they get THAT from?)

It is inside each and every one of us. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, mankind was plunged into sin. Hence, the hopelessness. No matter how hard we may try, we slip and fall, and cannot escape the clutch of sin.

Granted, most of us have known people who are positive and friendly people who appear to not struggle with sin like the rest of us. I assure you that they do. The power of positive thought is a strong thing indeed, but even it cannot overcome the power of sin.

There is only one way to overcome, and that is with God's help. Verse 25 above summarizes it well. But what is even more amazing than this is that when we stumble even with God's help, He is there to forgive us, and pick us up. He didn't just give us the power to resist sin and then left us to our own devices, He is with us every step of the way. When we fall, He is there to help.
Thank God that there is a way out!

To think about: Think about a time where you tried to "go it on your own". How did you fare? How does that compare to when you asked God to help you?

Thursday's Theology Thing: How Quickly We Forget

2005-02-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

In 2004, I finally read the entire Bible through in a year. I really enjoyed reading it through, even in the dry parts. It's interesting to see how the entire Bible, even the Old Testament points to Jesus and what he did for mankind. If you are interested in some different ways to read the Bible through in one year, check my entry a few weeks back.

So in 2005 I started over with Genesis. I'm now in Exodus, reading about Israel's oppression in Egypt, and their eventual departure into the desert. I find myself repeatedly thinking, "Wow, the nation of Israel was always so quick to forget what God did for them. Instead, they are blaming God for their trouble!"

Two quick examples are in Exodus 14 and 15:

They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Ex. 14:11-12)

When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink? (Ex. 15:23-24)

In the next chapter, God introduces manna to the Israelites, but not before they complain again. I read this in disbelief. For 430 years, the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. After this lengthy period, God freed them from Egypt's rule, and promised them that they would have their own land where they would prosper. I would think that even though they faced adversity in the desert, that they would have been more faithful and should have trusted that God would get them there.

But then I think about times in my own life where I have worried, and where I have accused God of abandoning me. Despite all the promises that we have been given in the Bible that God will always be with us, sometimes our human nature gets the best of us, and we worry and complain.

Is it that hard to trust in God? Sometimes it is, especially when things seem at their worst. But remember, God is always in control, and even though He may occasionally have us "walk through the valley of the shadow of death", it is a process that He is using to test and refine us. God has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us, so let's hold fast to that promise! So the next time that things may be down in the dumps for you, let's remember the many ways how God has blessed you!

To think about: What are some things that God has done for you? The next time you are feeling uncertain about future, instead of worrying, try to thank God for what He has already done for you.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Growth Opportunities

2005-01-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

Recently, a possible opportunity has arisen for me to fill a leadership position in my church. I won't go into specifics because it's far from official.

When the vacancy was announced, a thought popped into my head: "I wonder if I could (or should) volunteer to fill it?" It was immediately followed by another thought, "Don't be crazy, you can't do that job!" So I didn't give it much more thought.

Then a couple days later, my wife asked me if I had considered filling the vacancy. Grr, maybe she was onto something, especially since I had considered it myself. But again, thoughts of "Nah, you can't do that, don't even try" filled my mind.

The icing on the cake came on Sunday when I was asked by someone else in the church if I would consider taking on the position. At this point, I felt like God was saying to me, "Hey, I'm trying to get your attention here!" So I told him that I'd spend some time in prayer, but I pretty much knew the answer already.

The question is, why the hesitation? Was it fear of the unknown? Fear of failure? Laziness? The devil not wanting me to step up?

Actually (in my case at least), I think that it's a combination of all four; but mainly, fear of the unknown or of failure.

So I thought about the many examples in the Bible where God asked someone to step up and do something new or foreign. It was never an easy task, and there was always a lot of opportunity to fail. But God always promised to be with them.

Look at Joshua (the speaker at our church has been talking about him for the last two weeks). Here is a guy who is following in the footsteps of Moses, a leader whom the end of Deuteronomy describes as the best leader ever:

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt-to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deut. 34:10-12 NIV)

Talk about a tough act to follow! But look at the first chapter of Joshua. God called him to continue on where Moses left off. He promised Joshua that he'd be with him the whole time. It would certainly be an enormous challenge (God told him three times to be strong and courageous), but the promise was there as well. And as you know, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13).

So what's to fear? Failure? Who cares! Isn't failure a learning opportunity? Rejection? So what! If God called you to the position, it doesn't matter what other people may think about how well or poorly you may be doing. As long as you work to the best of your ability, because after all, it is God that we are working for, and His approval is all that counts.

To think about: Has God recently asked you to "stretch your wings" for Him, but you ignored Him? Listen to your heart, God may still be speaking to you about it!

Thursday's Theology Thing: New Year's Resolutions

2005-01-06T08:42:00.000-05:00

Happy 2005! I hope that this year has been good to you so far.

With a new year comes new year's resolutions. I did a quick google search on the origin of new year's resolutions. One site that I found indicated that they date back to Babylonian times. In those days, a common new year's resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. That reminds me, I gotta return those DVDs that I borrowed off my friend!!

The most common resolutions that are made each year are to quit smoking or to lose weight. In any case, most if not all resolutions involve self-improvement.

There is one resolution that everyone (including me) could stand to make, and that is to develop a better relationship with God. I will give you only one verse today:

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubleminded." (Jam. 4:8 NIV)

If you have a few minutes, read chapter 4 entirely, it's only 17 verses, and it's good stuff. But the above verse is pretty self-explanatory. If you want to have a closer walk with God, you must make the first step. Granted, God made the initial first step in drawing you to Him through the Holy Spirit. Maybe it was a friend or family member who shared the Gospel message with you, maybe you picked up a Bible and said a prayer to God after reading some of it. In any case, it was the Holy Spirit who drew you to God.

But now the ball is in your court. God is eternally waiting for us. Revelation 3:20 (okay I lied, two verses today) says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." He is longing to develop a more intimate relationship with us, but He's waiting on us to take the first step.

Do you want a closer walk with God? Then spend more time with God - in prayer and reading the Bible. It's not an overnight process, like most other new year's resolutions. It takes discipline. But the benefits of being closer to God are endless!

To think about: What new year's resolutions have you made this year? What changes will you make so that you can spend more time with God this year?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Read the Bible in a Year

2004-12-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I will have fulfilled a goal that I have been trying to do for years. I will have read the entire Bible through in a year! Hooray for me! :D

There are some people who don't like reading the Bible this way. My dad is one who doesn't like this approach. He felt that you are reading so much at a time (usually around 4 chapters), that it's difficult to ingest everything you read. When you're finished, you can't remember most of what you have just read.

While I agree with this to an extent, I think it's important to be frequently spending time in the Word. You don't have to be doing an in-depth study or memorizing scripture every time you crack open the Bible. Sometimes it's just nice to just READ! There are other times when I will carefully read and study a small passage. Also, since I'm not on a time restriction when I read, I have the time to underline a passage that jumps out at me, or to read the study notes in my Bible.

The problem that I faced (and that many face) when trying to follow a "Bible in a year" plan is that they miss a few days, and then get in a hole so deep that they can't get out it (eg. I have to read 20 chapters just to catch up!), and so they give up. One time I made it to about March, and then missed a couple days, and gave up.

So how do you make sure that you read every day? You probably won't like the answer, as simple as it is. What you have to do is to make a decision that you will read every day. It's just like other things that you do each day: showering, eating supper, maybe exercising - at some point in your life, you decided that whatever it was, it was important enough for you to budget time each day to do it. Spending time with God and in His word is the best way that you can spend your time, so just make up in your mind to do it, and do it.

Another problem that people have with reading the Bible every day is trying to find the right time of day to do it. For me, I like to read in the morning, before I get ready for work. I find that in the mornings, I am more receptive to what I read, because I haven't accumulated a lot of distractions and noise in my head from my daily activities yet. But spend some time thinking about what would work for you. Some prefer early in the morning, some prefer to read during their lunch break, while others like to read before bedtime. Only you can decide for yourself.

There are several ways on how to read the Bible in a year. The traditional way is to start with Genesis and end with Revelation. Other ways mix it up somewhat: a bit of Old Testament, a bit of New. This past year, I followed a plan that followed the Bible chronologically. It was pretty cool, because you read books in the order they were written, or happened. The only disadvantage of this plan is that it can get repetitive, especially in the Kings/Chronicles area. The stories were often repeated, so some days you may read the story twice. It can be interesting though, because sometimes one version of a story is more thorough, or from a different point of view.

Here are the two plans in .pdf format that you can download, both sequential and chronological.

But whichever plan you may prefer, I urge you to start a "Bible in a year" plan on Jan. 1, and stick with it this time! You'll be glad you did. It's a great feeling to know that by tomorrow, I will have read the Bible from cover to cover.

Happy New year!! I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2005.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Keep Your Nose Clean

2004-12-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

What is associated with a runny nose? Sickness. Nobody likes to catch a cold, so when you see someone who has one, we have a tendency to want to keep our distance from them, in the fear of catching it ourselves.

The phrase "keep your nose clean" originally referred to small children. Dating back to the late 1800s, its origin referred to a child maintaining proper hygiene in polite company (from wordorigins.org). When a child was to be in a social setting around adults, they were urged to wipe their nose so as to look clean and proper.

I read a passage of scripture this morning that refers to the same principle:

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. " (Eph. 5:3-7 NIV)

I've read similar passages before that say to abstain from a list of evils, but what really caught my eye was verse 5, that they have "no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God". Look at the list again: impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, course joking. Are you ever guilty of any of those? I know I am. As Christians, not only should our lives be free of sin, but there should not even be a HINT of sin.

Obviously, we are imperfect, sinful creatures, and we frequently stumble and fall. This is where the incredible love of God steps in. As Christians, we should strive for perfection, but when we fail (and trust me, you WILL fail), God says, "My Son bought you with the price of His blood, I forgive you, and love you."

So remember, keep your nose clean! And Christ's sacrifice on the cross is your kleenex.

To think about: What are some ways that you can make sure that you are not guilty of the above list?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Blemished Paradise

2004-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I read a book by Brennan Manning called "The Ragamuffin Gospel". In it, he spoke about the gift of awe. He was referring to how just as children are fascinated by the simplest thing, so can we as Christians be in awe of creation. Something as simple as a flower or a butterfly, or as majestic as a mountain or even a solar system - God created them, and they are beautiful.

The world is also full of sin. Disasters, disease, crime, it is all due to sin. It is taking an extremely heavy toll on the world. When God created the earth, it was perfect, and so was everything in it. But because of sin, the world is literally dying.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:18-23 NIV)

We as Christians feel this groaning. We desire to be with God. Our body longs to be made perfect, and we want to be in God's perfect presence. I sometimes catch myself thinking, "I hate this sinful place, I can't wait until I'm with God and all the other believers in heaven!" But, I know that Jesus will come for us at His appointed time. Until then, we have a job to bring the Good News to as many as possible.

Our former pastor said something one time that was quite sobering. He said that this earth is the only heaven that the unsaved will ever see. Wow. This sinful earth that will eventually be destroyed because of all the sin is as good as it will ever be for non-believers. After this life they will be judged and sent to Hell, where they will endure not just endless physical torture in the lake of fire, but endless spiritual torture in being out of God's presence. If this is all they have, it's not much to live for!

Every Christian agrees that the end is drawing closer every day. We are running out of time to reach the lost. Share the Gospel with them, so they can share a perfect eternity with you and all God's children!

To think about: What are some of the ways that sin is destroying creation? Try to think about a perfect world without sin. A perfect creation, physically being in God's presence, how can you not want to share that experience with the entire world?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Behave yourself!

2004-12-02T08:05:00.000-05:00

What happens when a Christian offends another Christian?

A lot of times people feel that it is the responsibility of the person who was offended to right things (ie. "how was I supposed to know that I offended them? They need to come and tell me so I can apologize.")

Occasionally something odd happens when Christians get together - they let down their guard and say and do things that are not considered Christ-like. They think that since they are all Christians, they should be willing to forgive more quickly, and should be more tolerant of sin.

Paul addresses this concern in Corinthians:

"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake -- the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor. 10:23-33 NIV)

In other words, something that normally would not be considered to be sin could in fact be just that, if the action is causing someone else offense. Paul used the example of eating meat sacrificed to idols, a common practice at the time. God made everything, including the meat that was sacrificed, so there is no harm in eating it. But, if you find out beforehand that the meat was used in idol sacrifice, then you should not partake, not just for your own good, but for the benefit of others.

Let's modernize this a bit. Suppose you know a person who is a new Christian. They were taught at an early age that drinking alcohol is a sin. How would they feel if you were to offer them a glass of wine at dinner? They may be offended, but they would at least be confused. That's why it's necessary to "please everybody in every way".

To think about: Can you think of any of your own actions that either have offended or could cause someone offense?

Thursday's Theology Thing: A Day of Thanks

2004-11-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

Yeah I know, today's Wednesday and I'm posting my TTT a day early. We are going to be out of town for Thanksgiving, so I wanted to post it before we left.

On Sunday, the sermon was about giving thanks. The pastor told the story of the first Thanksgiving. I had heard the story before, but not quite the way he told it. The following are snippets taken from the Not Just for Kids page:

The Pilgrims left England in September of 1620, after several delays in getting started. They sailed across the ocean on the Mayflower, finally arriving at Plymouth in December. The cold and snow interfered with the workers as they tried to construct their homes in the wilderness. Half of the Pilgrims died during the long winter.

On March 16, 1621, an Indian brave walked into the Plymouth settlement. The Pilgrims were surprised to hear him say "Welcome" in English! His name was Samoset and he had learned English from ship captains who explored and sailed along the east coast. Samoset soon returned with another Indian named Squanto, who also spoke English and became a good friend. Squanto showed the Pilgrims which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to grow corn, how to use fish as fertilizer, and how to tap the maple trees for sap.

The Pilgrims had a successful first harvest and they had enough food to put away for the coming winter. The Pilgrims had much to celebrate, as they had built a settlement, they had raised crops, and they were at peace with the native people. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford announced that they should have a harvest feast, and invite their Indian neighbors to join them.

Chief Massasoit came with ninety of his braves. The Indians demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow, and the Pilgrims demonstrated their musket skills. They also played games, ran races, marched, and played drums. Exactly when the festival took place is uncertain, but it is believed to have taken place in mid-October, and it lasted for three days.

We can assume that the feast was eaten outside since the Pilgrims didn't have a building large enough to accommodate so many people. The foods they ate would have included venison, wild fowl (ducks, geese, and turkeys), fish, lobsters, mussels, scallops, clams, corn, beans, squash, pumpkin, crab apples, wild grapes, berries, and nuts.

The following year's harvest was not as plentiful, and the pilgrims ran short of food after sharing some with newcomers. The third year, spring and summer were hot and dry with the crops dying in the fields. Governor Bradford ordered a day of fasting and prayer, and rain came soon afterwards. To celebrate, November 29th of that year was proclaimed a day of thanksgiving, which in this case was actually a formal religious service.

Since the Pilgrims' original feast was never repeated, it can't be called the beginning of a tradition, nor did the Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving Feast. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model for our own Thanksgiving celebration. An annually celebrated thanksgiving held after the harvest gradually became a custom in many states. However, it wasn't until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day.

Can you imagine how cold the pilgrims were when they landed? It was winter, and they had no shelter. As you read, half of them died from the extreme cold.

Then, when they finally make it through their first winter and first harvest season, things take another turn for the worse. The lack of rain was threatening their crops. After spending time in fasting and prayer, God answered their petitions by providing them rain, thus saving their crops and allowing them to get settled in their new land. Truly, they were a thankful group of people.

So this Thanksgiving, when you are enjoying some turkey, cranberries and mashed potatoes with family and friends, remember the first Thanksgiving, and think of how God has provided for you and your loved ones.

To think about: who the heck thought to make a pie out of pumpkin? Whoever it was, I would like to shake their hand!

Thursday's Theology Thing: The Joy of Persecution

2004-11-18T07:56:00.000-05:00

Huh!?

Yep, you read the title right. You might be thinking, "What joy is there in being persecuted for my beliefs? I have heard stories of people being been mocked, teased, laughed at, possibly even injured because of their beliefs as a Christian."

The truth is, if you are a Christian, at some point you will be persecuted in some form or another. I promise. Check out what it says in 2 Tim. 3:12 : "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (NIV)

Peter writes, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." (1 Pet 4:12-16 NIV)

So if you are unwavering and uncompromising in your walk with God, you will at some point be persecuted for your beliefs. But how are we to handle it? In Acts, the new church faced persecution, and here is how they reacted to it:

They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (Acts 5:40b-41 NIV)

Wow, can you believe that they were actually thankful that they were persecuted for the sake of the Gospel? It's difficult to imagine. But they knew what was in store for them if they endured. Jesus said in Matthew:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat. 5:10-12 NIV)

So if persecution comes your way, rejoice! You will be blessed for enduring the persecution in the name of God. And oh yeah, don't forget this part: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. " (Rom. 12:14) God will deal with the persecutors in His time. It's our job to love them in return for their cruel words or actions.

To think about: Have you ever been persecuted in some form for your beliefs? How did you react?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Physical Fitness

2004-11-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

You have probably heard on the news and have read in the paper that obesity has become a national epidemic. There are several contributing factors as to why this is, and I'll let you formulate your own opinions as to the causes.

But with this epidemic has come a growing concern for fitness. There are more and more people who have realized, "Yikes, I'm out of shape!" and are trying to eat better and be more active. My wife and I are two examples of these people.

Does the Bible have anything to say about physical fitness and the desire to be in shape? Well, maybe not directly, but here are a few verses that I think can apply.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Tim. 4:1-8 NIV)

I wanted to put verse 8 in context so you can see the surrounding scripture. There were starting to develop many weird sects and cults that focused on denying oneself physically of various things, and it was believed that one would achieve a higher level of spirituality because of it. This passage can be summarized in verse 4, that everything that God created is good. Paul writes to Timothy in this passage that although physical discipline is good to an extent, it pales in comparison to spiritual discipline.

Proverbs shows us a passage about restraint:

When you go out to dinner with an influential person,
mind your manners:
Don't gobble your food,
don't talk with your mouth full.
And don't stuff yourself;
bridle your appetite. (Prov. 23:1-3 MSG)

The NIV translation of this refers to it as gluttony, which we all know are one of the seven deadly sins. While the seven deadly sins are not specifically found in the Bible, they are all specific evils that are addressed in various places throughout. Clearly, gluttony is caused by selfishness and a lack of self-control, both of which are something that we should avoid.

To some, food can be a type of idol. They give it too much authority in their lives, and they can turn to it for comfort instead of God.

Personally, I believe that we should try to maintain a good level of fitness. God has given us our body as a resource (just like our finances, and possessions), and I think that we should be responsible with what God has given to us.

There is a passage that says that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), and many use that passage to justify why we shouldn't smoke or drink. The passage in its context actually deals with sexual immorality, but I think that it can to an extent be applied to keeping our body pure in other ways.

The important thing to keep in mind is that while physical fitness is a good thing, in that it shows responsibility and self-control (and heck, it's good for you!), you can't let it take priority over your walk with God. That is paramount, and always should be. If you find that your exercise routine is cutting into your devotional time with God, it's time to reprioritize. God comes first, and everything else (yes, that includes you) comes second.

To think about: What are your feelings about physical fitness? Do you have anything in your life (exercise or anything else) that is taking more of your time than it should?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Election Time

2004-11-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

Well, another election time has come and gone, not just for the Presidential election, but for many state and local positions as well. I'm sure that some of the people you voted for were elected, while others weren't.

So how does God play into all of this? There were obviously people in each party who prayed that their leader would get elected. How does God have a hand in the election?

As with everything else, God is always in complete control. The people that have been elected are the ones that God willed to be. That's not necessarily to say that all the best candidates were elected. Look through the Old Testament at the kings of Israel and Judah - some of them were terrible kings who subjected their people hard work, abuse, and idolatry. But God still willed for them to be kings in their time.

So what are we to do as Christians? How are we to respond to elected officials and to the government? While there's not a great deal of scripture that deals with it, there are two passages that give good insight:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Rom. 13:1-7 NIV)

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Pet. 2:13-17 NIV)

As Christians, we are to submit to the government in obedience. God put them in their position for a reason, and to disobey them would be to disobey God.

Now, what if there were a truly evil person in office, who made it law to commit some type of sin or form of disobedience to God? We would then obey God instead of this official. Our obedience to God is always primary. If we are able to submit and obey by obeying the goverment, great, but if not, we must stand up for our beliefs and convictions.

In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced this very issue. They along with everyone else was ordered to bow down to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had constructed. Since this was idolatry, they obeyed God by disobeying the King. In one of my favorite passages, here is their reply to the king:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Dan. 3:16-18 NIV)

Talk about obedience! So as Christians, we are to submit to our elected officials, unless it means disobeying God.

To think about: How has your attitude been this election year? Were you cynical that the people you voted for weren't elected? Thank God for the people who have been elected, and ask Him to help you submit to them as you submit to God.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Haiti Trip

2004-10-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

First of all, thanks to Logtar for calling me out. I haven't posted since Oct. 7. I had an excuse for the week I was in Haiti, but I should have written sooner than this.

From Oct. 11 - 18, I joined thirteen others from my church and went to Haiti for eight days. The arrangements were made through Mountain Top Ministries . My wife gave me a great idea to journal while I was there, and she's going to make a web page for me that I can put my journal (and photos!) on.

What a life-changing event! Everyone should definitely travel to a third-world country at some point to appreciate just how good we have it here. Also, every Christian should definitely embark on at least one short-term mission trip for the experience, if nothing else. But I promise that you will return a much more thankful person.

In the early mornings I would read my Bible on their back porch, which overlooked the mountain behind our hosts' house. It was a great setting to take in God's word and just reflect on everything that God has given and done for me. There was one verse that seemed to stick in my head the entire time I was there:

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luk. 12:48b)

Ouch. Not a verse that I particularly like. After seeing the living conditions of some of the Christians that we met while we were in Haiti (and especially after seeing how happy and thankful they were), it really made me think about just how much God has given to me. Then, my next thought would always be this verse. Since I've returned, my prayer has been that God would show me how to use what I've been given to further His kingdom.

To think about: how has God blessed you? Are you keeping all of God's blessings to yourself, or are you giving some back to Him (or to others)? What are some ways that we can use what God has given us?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Haiti Mission Trip

2004-10-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

On Monday I returned with 13 others from my church after a week long missions trip to Haiti. While I don't have much prepared for today, I did quite a bit of journaling while I was there, and my wife will be posting a page with all of my photos and journal entries, so stay tuned.

I think that every Christian should travel at least once to a third world country, so they can see the lives that others in the world lead. It is impossible to understand their living conditions until you see it with your own eyes.

The thing that surprised me the most was how thankful the Christians there are. They have so little, yet their prayers are full of thankfulness.

All this week I have been thinking of the following scripture:

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luk. 12:48b NIV)

This past week I have been joking with my teammates that I no longer like this scripture, that I am in fact, afraid of it. We have been given so much here in the US and Canada, yet we still are greedy, selfish, and complacent. Being in Haiti for a week really puts things into perspective. I enjoyed my time there (definitely one of the best weeks of my life).

If you (or your church) is interested in traveling to Haiti on a short-term missions trip (one or two weeks), I strongly encourage you to go to the Mountain Top Ministries website. They have several opportunities for people to come and help out, and most of all, to experience the ride of a lifetime!

Thursday's Theology Thing - The Traveler's Psalm

2004-10-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

On Monday, I am joining about 13 other people from my church, and am flying to Haiti on a missions trip. We are going to work with Mountain Top Ministries for what should be a very memorable week. When my wife and I read Our Daily Bread from yesterday, I thought that the devotional was a fitting one for me. The passage that we read was Psalm 121:

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? ² My help comes from the LORD , the Maker of heaven and earth. ³ He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; ⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵ The LORD watches over you- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; ⁶ the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; ⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (NIV)

For any of you who have gone on a missions trip before, you know that it is the experience of a lifetime. In 1992 I was fortunate enough to accompany some from my church to go to Barcelona for a 2-week missions trip.

But with missions trips (and anytime you travel to a foreign country), there is the fear of the unknown. Strange country, strange people, (in our case, the fear of violence in Haiti), there are endless things to worry about. So this psalm can help those of us who are traveling. God is in control of not only my city and country, but the entire world. It boggles the mind when you think that God is aware of what every single person in the world is doing at any minute. He is in control of nature and the elements as well. So what do I need to fear about? God is in Haiti as much as He is in the USA! He will guide us and protect us.

Besides, it's great to not bear the burden of worry. For those of you who are not regular visitors to our site, I spoke about the uselessness of worrying in last week's column. When you are not worrying, and when you realize that God is in complete control, that leaves you more time to enjoy yourself! So I'm going to go to Haiti with my team and have the time of my life!

To think about: Are you planning a trip anytime soon? If not, think of the last time you traveled to a foreign place, whether it is a new city, state, or country. What type of things were you worried about? How can giving your fears to God help you the next time you travel?

Thursday's Theology Thing: What - Me Worry?

2004-09-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

Y'know, Alfred E. Neuman could be viewed as a great philosopher. As an avid fan of Mad Magazine, I have always enjoyed his little pearls of wisdom on the first page of the magazine. He was probably best known for his "what - me worry?" phrase.

As Christians, we should be able to relate. There are many, however, who let themselves be overcome with worry and anxiety. Here are a few passages that address worrying:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil. 4:6 NIV)

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. (Luk. 12:22-31 NIV)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:7 NIV)

It is pretty clear that worry cannot help us in any way. In fact, it can actually harm us. There have been many studies that show the negative effects that worry can cause (increased blood pressure, irritability, rash decision-making, the list is lengthy). So why worry? Give it to God! Isn't He in control anyways?

To think about: what issues in your life are you worrying about? How has worrying affected you? Ask God to help you with worrying, and give them to God.

Haiti Mission Trip 2004

2004-09-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

Darryl has an exciting opportunity coming up that we wanted to mention here. I will copy the letter we sent to some friends and family so you can get an understanding of what he is doing. Our church sent a team last year, and you can see some information about that here.

If you would like to sponsor Darryl on his trip to Haiti from October 11-18th, feel free to read the info below. We also accept paypal, so email us if you would like to donate. Even 5 bucks can help!

Whether or not you can sponsor Darryl, please pray for him, the whole Haiti 2004 team and the nation of Haiti.

---------------------

Dear family and friends:

Greetings!

Darryl and I are writing to let you know about an exciting opportunity that Darryl has coming up from October 11-18th. He is going to Haiti as part of a week-long mission trip with our church. He did his first missions trip in 1992 when he went to Barcelona, and he is very excited to have another chance to travel to another country and help their people while spreading God's word.

Darryl and a team of 13 other people will be traveling to Haiti by plane from Miami, Florida and will be working with a group called Mountain Top Ministries. They have a website at http://www.mountaintopministries-haiti.org if you want to learn more. Our church sent a team down to Haiti last October, and we are hoping to make this an annual mission trip. My goal is to attend next year as well!

Many of our family members have expressed concerns about the recent hurricanes that affected the nation of Haiti, but the mountain where the chapel, school and house of the ministry director has not been touched, and the area that the team will be flying into is safe and secure. Once in Haiti, the team is under the watch of the ministry director, Willem, who is a very powerful and well-known man in that country. It is a very organized and safe trip for all involved.

While there, Darryl will also have the opportunity to meet the child that we sponsor through this organization. Her name is Francelene and we are excited to also be able to take gifts over for her and her family. You would be amazed what 20 dollars can do in a country like that!

Another reason for this letter is to ask if you would pray for Darryl and the Haiti 2004 team while they are on their trip. They will be doing a variety of things while there including some construction work, teaching the children at the school to play basketball, working in a medical clinic and leading worship services at the chapel on the mountain. Darryl will also be playing the guitar and leading music while they are there!

Additionally, we are working hard to raise money for Darryl to go on this trip. The cost per person for travel, food and lodging is around 900 dollars. We have been participating in several fund-raisers including collecting old cell phones, having bake sales, hosting a Jonah fish fry, planning a Haiti music night at the church, and having a church-wide garage sale. If you would like to help sponsor Darryl on this trip, that would be appreciated. Even if you can not, your prayers are still needed very much.

For those wanting to sponsor Darryl, you are welcome to send checks or money orders directly to us or the church. The church address is First Baptist Church of North Terre Haute, 2944 E. Hall Avenue, Terre Haute Indiana, 47805. If you send them to the church, please be sure to indicate that the donation is to benefit Darryl for Haiti.

If you would like to hear more about what we are doing or planning in preparation for this trip, feel free to give us a call! We are getting very excited! Feel free to pass this letter on to anyone who you think might be interested in praying for or sponsoring Darryl!

Thanks!
Charity and Darryl

Thursday's Theology Thing: The Power of Prayer

2004-09-23T08:07:00.000-05:00

"Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." (Jam. 5:16 MSG)

Today, my wife has a job interview that we're both excited about. There are a lot of people praying for her (our church, family, and friends). Our hopes is of course that she will be offered the position. The reason that we are praying is because this is an important step in our lives, and we want God to be involved in it.

The question that many often have is "how should I pray for something?" To answer this, we can go to Jesus to see how He spoke to His Father:
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:36 NIV)

Note that Jesus asked God for what He desired (take this cup away from me), but He followed it with submission to His father (not what I will, but what you will).

In the example of my wife's interview, I have been asking God to please give her this position, as it would be a promotion, higher wages, and a better all-around job that would really be a stepping stone into a new chapter of our lives. But, I also acknowledge that God stands outside of time, can see our entire lives at a glance, and ultimately knows what is best for us. So I also pray, "Lord, please have your will with not just this request, but with my entire life".

There have been many occasions in my past where I have prayed for something only to have it not given to me. At the time, I cannot figure out why, because it seemed perfect for me. In retrospect, however, I am glad that God did not grant me my request. Isn't it great to trust in God, knowing that He always does what's best for us?

To think about: What is something that you have been praying about? Are your prayers treating God like a genie, only talking to Him when you want something, or are you in constant communication with God, asking Him to be involved in every part of your life?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Ministry Diversity

2004-09-16T07:56:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night is a busy night at our church. We have a dinner and dessert that many families come to to eat good food and chat with friends. We have Awana for the kids. There is a Precepts Bible study for the women that my wife goes to, who are studying the book of Revelation. Finally, there is the weekly practice for the praise band that I'm a part of, so we can prepare for the worship and praise on Sunday morning.

I was thinking this morning of how ministry is such a vast topic. Different things come to mind when you think of ministry. In our church alone last night, there were several ways that people were ministering: people preparing food, those helping out with Awana, the person who teaches (and the women who attend) the Bible study, and finally, the people who use their musical abilities in the praise band.

Luke 12:48b tells us that "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." We are asked by God to use our God-given talents to praise Him, and to minister to others. If you are not ministering in your church, I encourage you to start. Besides being a rewarding experience, it is something that God requires from us. So don't just be a pew-sitter! Get up and serve!

To think about: What do you think of when you hear the word "ministry"? What are ways that you can minister in your church/work place/community?

Thursday's Theology Thing: The Most Famous Verse

2004-09-09T12:54:00.000-05:00

What do you think of when you see or hear John 3:16? For a lot of people, they might think of that guy in the rainbow wig who used to frequent a lot of sporting events holding a John 3:16 sign. Unfortunately, many of those people don't know the actual verse.

Last Sunday in church, the speaker had given us some scripture to look up in our Bible. The verse that he was talking about happened to be on the same page in my Bible as John 3:16. I read the verse as I have many times, (often just reading the words out of habit without thinking of the meaning behind the words), but instead of stopping at that verse, I read the next few verses. I was quite amazed by what I read. Here is John 3:16-21 (NIV).

¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

To me, these six verses perfectly sum up what God has done for us, and what God wants for us. People often view God as angry, who wants to punish us. On the contrary, God loves us so much that He gave His only Son as a sacrifice on our behalf. He did it to save us, not to make us feel worse about our sins. Naturally, as sinners, we want to shy away from God, because just as the passage says, light exposes our faults. But when we do submit to God and enter the light, we will realize how God has changed our lives for the better.

To think about: Have you "come into the light"? If not, come to God. He loves you more than you will ever realize. Ask any believer how their life has been changed, they should give you quite a testimony.

Thursday Theology Thing: Eternal Security (The Great Debate)

2004-09-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

This is a topic that over the years, has caused quite a stir in the church. For those who don't understand the term, allow me to clarify:

Eternal security is the school of thought that believes that once you have become a Christian, you are a Christian for eternity. There is no "backsliding" as some have put it, or to put it another way, "once saved, always saved". You have been given a place in heaven, and you will most certainly spend eternity there.

The contrary belief is that you can in fact cease to become a Christian by your own decision. They view eternal security as nothing more than "fire insurance", and a free pass to heaven without having to live as a Christian should. Despite having become a Christian, if you cease to live as a Christian, and cease to have a relationship with God, you will fall away, and if you died in this state, you would in fact go to Hell.

I was raised in a Pentecostal church in Canada, and they did not teach eternal security. However, when I moved to the US, my wife and I attend a Baptist church, where they most certainly do. So who's right? Let's look at some scripture, as there is some that appear to support each viewpoint. By the way, these references are by no means exhaustive. Do a google search for eternal security and you'll find a slew of verses that support each side (all verses are from the NIV).

Eternal Security
John 10:27-30 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." "

Eph. 1:13-14 "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."

Scripture that Disproves Eternal Security
Eze. 18:24 "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die."

2 Pet. 2:20-22 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Both arguments seem to be supported. But what about those people who claim to have become Christians, and then fall away at a later point? I'm sure that we have all known someone who has said that they have become Christians, and perhaps they even exhibited some fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). What about them? Here is what the believers of eternal security would say:

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."

So I suppose it could come down to semantics. For those who claimed to have been Born Again, and then fall away, those who believe in Eternal Security would claim that they were never truly saved.

So which belief is correct? Unfortunately, nobody can say for sure. Since I was raised not believing in eternal security, I probably still adhere to those beliefs. But I have heard several Baptist ministers (my step-father included) who have given very strong arguments in support of it.

It ultimately doesn't matter which school of thought you believe in. It is not considered a fundamental belief (such as whether or not Jesus was the Son of God, who died on behalf of mankind and rose again), it is those beliefs that distinguish Christianity from other religions. Rather, it is simply a topic that will distinguish between various denominations in the Christian faith. To me, it really doesn't matter, because I am serving the Lord, and am not going to risk the possibility by falling away from God!

To think about: What side of the coin do you or your church subscribe to? Ask your pastor to give you some scripture to support their belief.

Thursday's Theology Thing: The Joy of Discipline

2004-08-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

I thought of today's TTT after reading yesterday's Our Daily Bread devotional.

I'm sure that as children, none of us appreciated being disciplined by our parents. In fact, if you were like me, you dreaded it. But did it work? Yeah it did! My dad set me straight more than once after I acted up.

Unfortunately, some parents meant well, but did not discipline effectively (or too severely). There are other parents who are downright cruel when they discipline, and their intentions are not in the interest of the child.

Consider our Heavenly Father who also disciplines us. He does not do it in the spirit of a vengeful parent, that hands out punishment rather than correction. The entire chapter of Hebrews 12 explains when God disciplines His children, I recommend that you give it a read. I also read this passage this morning that I thought I'd share.

Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? (Lam. 3:39 NIV)

It's true that God is just in disciplining us. But the question is, how do you treat the discipline that you receive from God? Do you become bitter or angry, or do you thank God and know that He has our best interests in mind, and is trying to make us more like Him? Or, do you even recognize when God is disciplining you?

To think about: Can you think of an example in your own life where God has disciplined you? How did you react? How will you react the next time?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Wisdom from a Bullfrog

2004-08-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine.

I can't say that I'm a big fan of Three Dog Night, but I've always enjoyed "Joy to the World".

I am currently following a "Read the Bible in a Year" plan. I have tried many times to read the Bible through in a year, but I always end up failing. Usually I'll start strong, get to somewhere in Numbers or Judges, and my start to slack in my reading. Before you know it, I'm in such a deep hole that there's no way I can catch up unless I read 30 chapters a day, and I quit altogether. I decided this year to do this and not make excuses so when Dec. 31 comes, I can finally say that I have read the whole Bible through. I am following a chronological order, but some prefer to read the Bible from cover to cover.

ANYWAYS, I'm currently reading through Jeremiah. In the past, I have always been a bit intimidated by Isaiah and Jeremiah, partially due to the size of the books, but also due to the fact that I will often miss the point of some of the passages due to their prophetic nature. So much symbolism, so many analogies!

This time around I have really gotten into Jeremiah. I would sometime like to be part of a Bible study of Jeremiah, because there's lots of good stuff in there. Here are a few passages that I particularly enjoyed:

This is what the LORD says:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me, (Jer. 9:23-24a NIV)

Can the Ethiopian change his skin
or the leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil. (Jer. 13:23 NIV)

That second passage really hits home. While it's true that Jeremiah is speaking a prophetic word about the nation of Israel in their sinful state, it can easily be applied to all of us. Paul knew what Jeremiah was talking about:

But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. (Rom. 7:17-20 MSG)

Have you tried it on your own, and failed? We all have. Remember each day to ask God for grace and guidance, because without Him, we will not (and cannot) overcome sin.

To think (and pray) about: Ask God to show you if there is any part of your life that you are trying to handle on your own, and without His guidance? Give it to God - it is only with God's help that we can overcome.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Spread the Word

2004-07-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

I read this passage this morning:

How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!" Isa. 52:7 MSG)

This passage referred originally to battle messengers. It was their job to inform the king about the status of the battle. Naturally, sometimes the news would be good, such as when their forces were able to overcome the enemy. Other times, however, they had to bring bad news. Sometimes, the king would not be pleased with the news, and take it out on the envoy (ever heard of "Don't shoot the messenger?") In any case, it was obviously a much more pleasurable job for the messenger when the news was good. I would imagine that they would even try to hurry just a bit more to get the good news to the king.

Translate to today. We are the messengers. Instead of bringing the message to the king, we are commanded (that's right, commanded, read the Great Commission) to bring the message to the world. Our message is always good news (the Gospel message!) Our message is urgent. We need to get it out to the world, and we need to do it NOW. Our time is running out, so don't delay any longer. Bring the victory news to everyone.

Just an aside, but also remember that Jesus commanded us to bring the message, not to save them ourselves. That's God's job.

Question to think about: How efficient a messenger have you been? Is there anyone who touches your life daily that you still need to get the message to?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Mistaken Identity

2004-07-22T15:45:00.000-05:00

During the morning service at our church last sunday, the praise and worship leader said the following to the congregation , and it stayed with me all week:

As Christians, people that we interact with should see Christ in us. It is our goal to be Christlike, so when you think about it, people should be mistaking us for Him (we are to pattern our lives after Jesus, right?) But too often, people mistake us for another non-Christian. They base their opinion of us on how we act and react in everyday situations. For example, when the topic of conversation is something that is not Christlike, how do we react? Contrary to what we may think, we don't have to laugh at an off-colored joke, or a racist or sexual comment. We don't have to give approval to things we don't believe in. Sure, you might think that it's difficult to take a stand, and sometimes it is.

I think that one of the devil's greatest tools is fear; namely, fear of rejection. We may think, "I don't want my co-workers thinking that I'm some sort of religious wing-nut!" So we laugh at their jokes and comments, and pretend that we're not offended.

My wife and I enjoy listening to the Newsboys. They have some great music, and great lyrics. Here is a snippet from their song "Not Ashamed".

"What are we sneaking around for?
Who are we trying to please?
Shrugging off sin,
apologizing like we're spreading
some kind of disease. "

It's time for us as Christians to take a stand. So when you're at work, or hanging out with friends, keep this in the back of your head: Are they mistaking you for Christ, or for a non-Christian?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Who is Jesus?

2004-07-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

Today's TTT is based on Wednesday's Our Daily Bread. Here are some things to think about this week:

When you think of Jesus, who do you think of? Is he a guy with a beard and long hair, wearing a robe? Is he simply a good person who was killed? Or is he the Son of God, who submitted to a brutal way to die, bearing the sins of the entire history, only to rise from the dead three days later? How does how you view who Christ is affect your daily life? If you claim to be a Christian, it should be the focus of who you are as a person.

"Are you convinced that Jesus is the promised Savior?,
Have you accepted the forgiveness and eternal life He offers?
If you have doubts, read the gospel of John."

I like the final thought that ended the devotional: "Believing Christ died - that's history; believing Christ died for me - that's salvation."

Thursday's Theology Thing: "Apatheists"

2004-06-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

Every night before bedtime, my wife and I like to read a devotional from Our Daily Bread. It's a free devotional booklet that is available at most churches, or you can read it online or write to receive the booklet. I'll give the address at the end.

But today's theology thing is taken from June 21. It was titled "Apatheists".

Here's the daily scripture that accompanied the devotional.
----------------------------------------------------------
Rev. 3:14-19

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.

Most people profess belief in God, meaning they are theists. True atheism is a rarity.

Recently, however, it has been suggested that we need a new term for the multitude who are theists but are indifferent to God in daily living. They ought to be called apatheists. That word is built on the noun apathy, which means "indifference," a sort of sluggish unconcern. And sadly, whatever belief an individual professes, he may be living as an apatheist. His faith may make only a minimal difference in his behavior.

The apostle John recorded that Jesus described the church at Laodicea as neither hot nor cold (Revelation 3:16). They were lukewarm or, as we might say, they were apatheists.

What about those of us who profess faith in Jesus? Are we lukewarm? We pray, but is our praying a mere obligation? We attend church and may even engage in some form of Christian service. Yet is all of that a matter of routine, like brushing our teeth or cleaning our house? Have we lost our first love, the zeal we had early in our spiritual journey?

Today, let's make the psalmist's prayer our own: "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6). - Vernon Grounds

Revive us again,
Fill each heart with Thy love,
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above. - Mackay

Without a heart aflame for God, we cannot shine for Jesus.
----------------------------------------------------------

I have heard that the emotion that is the most difficult to overcome is apathy, or indifference. There have been countless examples of people who are best of friends, but at one point, absolutely hated each other (ever hear the saying that there is a fine line between love and hate?) But when someone is apathetic, how do we turn them on (or off) to something?

I've always thought that the above scripture was interesting. Jesus would rather us be hot OR cold (ie. serve Him totally, or not at all) than to sit on the fence.

Serving God is the most important decision we can make in our life - so why shouldn't we give 100% into serving Him?

Question to think about: Has apathy creeped into your walk with God? What can you do to turn the apathy into zeal?

Here's the snail mail address if you would like to receive a free subscription to Our Daily Bread:

RBC Ministries
PO Box 270
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0270

Thursday's Theology Thing: Who's to Blame?

2004-06-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 19:3

A man's own folly ruins his life,
yet his heart rages against the
LORD. (NIV)

I like the spin that the Message paraphrase put on it:

"People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed?"

Isn't it always easier to place the blame anywhere but on yourself? We can see this today in this age of lawsuits. People are out to blame anyone but themselves (and make a quick buck at the same time).

But I have seen this a lot with people who claim to be Christians (this actually hits close to home for me, because a friend of mine is going through this exactly). They may go through a period where they are not as close to God as they should be. Because of this, they are unable to clearly discern the Lord's leading, and they end up choosing their own path, so to speak. After awhile down this road, they finally stop and think, "How did everything get so screwed up?" Then, they ask either "Why did God let things get so out of control," or "Why didn't God stop this from happening?" In either case, it's God's fault.

The problem is not with God, but with the individual. God loves us more than we can ever imagine (we will only truly understand how much when we are with Him in eternity). When we stray from God, we cannot hear his voice, or understand His leading. Since God is just, He cannot just magically "fix" bad situations that we encounter. Rather, He allows us to endure them in the hopes that it will draw us closer to Him.

So instead of blaming God for our troubles, why don't we instead trust in Him and rejoice? I Cor. 13:9 says "Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." (MSG)

Question: Have there been any instances in your life where you have blamed God on your situation? Was the trouble due to bad decision-making on your part?

Thursday's Theology Thing: Great Matters

2004-05-27T09:49:00.000-05:00

Psalm 131:1-2

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. (ESV)

Have you ever tried to second-guess God? Have you ever tried to figure out what God is doing in maybe your life, or someone else's life? Kinda difficult, isn't it?

There have been occasions in the past where I have tried (or could have tried) to understand in my own life why some things have happened. Here is the most recent and probably the best example:

Last year, Charity was diagnosed with endometriosis. She had a large cyst on her ovary that needed to be removed. The doctor told us at that time that it would be difficult for us to have children, but still possible with the aid of a fertility doctor.

Only fourteen months later, she was diagnosed with another large cyst, this time on her other ovary. We spoke to our doctor, weighed our options, spent much time in prayer, and finally decided in the interest of Charity's health that we would opt for a complete hysterectomy. We didn't want for Charity to have to have surgery every year or two to remove another cyst in the hopes that someday we might have children.

Once we began to tell others about the surgery, most people were very saddened by the news. In fact, one of the ladies that worked at the doctor's office told Charity, "you are too young to be having this surgery."

Obviously this means that we will never be able to have children (apart from adoption, of course). This is something that was important to both Charity and myself. Some think that it would be reasonable for us to blame or even curse God for allowing this to happen in our lives (Why us, God? Why would you allow this to happen, when having children is so important to us? Is this how you repay our faithfulness of serving you?) Instead of questioning or cursing God, we chose to praise Him throughout this surgery. We know that God is in complete control of our lives, and of this situation. We understand that God has a plan for our lives, and that this will serve a greater purpose. Who knows? Perhaps we will adopt a child who will become a pastor, or something that they normally wouldn't have had the option to become due to their situation. Perhaps God is using this for the simple reason to increase our trust and faith in Him. The point is, we ultimately don't know. As humans, we always want to understand, but as Christians, we don't always need to understand.

The world has difficulty understanding a Christian's trust in God when things aren't going well. I have even heard some say that Christians will thank God when good fortune comes their way, and blindly state that God is in control when things aren't going well. You know what? They're absolutely right! James 1:17 tells us that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." We can thank God for all the blessings that He gives to us. Similarly, when we think that things aren't going well, we can trust God in knowing that His will is still being done in our lives, we just may not see it.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (MKJV)

Charity and I have thanked God throughout her surgery and ongoing recovery that He has a plan for our lives, that He is in control, and that He gives us peace even through the times that we may not understand.

Question:
1. Can you think of instances in your past where things seemed out of control, but now that you look back on them, you can see God's hand through the entire situation?
2. Are you currently going through something where you are questioning God? Stay faithful, and know that God is always in control!

Thursday's Theology Thing: Luck

2004-05-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Luck
Pronunciation: 'l&k
1 [n] an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"
2 [n] an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome; "it was my good luck to be there"; "they say luck is a lady"; "it was as if fortune guided his hand"
3 [n] your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you); "whatever my fortune may be"; "deserved a better fate"; "has a happy lot"; "the luck of the Irish"; "a victim of circumstances"; "success that was her portion"

Webster defines it as "a force that brings good fortune or adversity", and "the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual". Interestingly enough, Webster also links to the noun "success".

"Luck" is a word that is used quite frequently in our language. Whether it refers to a person having good or bad luck, a lucky streak, or just luck in general. Before you ask, no, the word "luck" is not in the Bible (unless you count the Message, but that doesn't count, because it's a paraphrase).

There are two verses that I want to give today, both of them relate to luck and chance, but in different ways.

Ecc. 9:11
I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

I think I may have mentioned it before, but Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Read it through in one sitting one time, it's only 12 chapters. It gives you a great view of the hopelessness and futility of life without God (the last two verses summarizes the whole book).

But anyways, the author states how people don't always receive their proper rewards (ie. the race doesn't always go to the swift, battle to the strong, food to the wise, etc.). Instead, we are all subject to these powers of time and chance.

Now, consider the following verse:

Pro. 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the LORD .

One translation (and I can't remember which one, sorry) translates it as "the dice are thrown, but the outcome belongs to God".

This verse is pretty clear-cut: God is in control of everything - even what we think is chance or chaos. When you think on that for awhile, it's quite an amazing thought. There is nothing that occurs in the entire universe that God hasn't allowed to happen. Some might argue that chaos does in fact exist, but it is an authority or power that God created. If that is in fact true, is it really chaos? How can chaos truly exist if God has the final say?

Before I discovered this verse, I had always viewed myself as unlucky. If I were to flip a coin ten times, on the average I would guess it correctly three or four times. I had always just accepted the fact that I was an unlucky person by nature. This verse really puts it into a new light for me though. If events that I consider random or chance normally don't fall in my favor, I understand that God for whatever reason has decided for things to things to happen to me that way. Maybe I need to learn patience, maybe I need to learn to trust in God more, maybe God truly does have a sense of humor, and now that I'm in on the joke, I can laugh at it too (honestly people, I will throw something into a trash can from a foot away, and it will miss, bounce off something, or somehow land and balance on the SIDE of the trash can!) It is really amazing and amusing at the same time.

So this week, whenever you are faced with what you consider a random event or a happening of chance, remember that it's not as random as you may have originally thought!

Thursday's Theology Thing: Foolishness

2004-04-29T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hehe, when I started to write for today's Theology Thing, the first thing that popped into mind is how I like to tease my 9 year-old nephew. Whenever we visit, him and I usually wrestle with either for fun. Since I have him beat by about 100 pounds and many years of experience of wrestling my older brother (ie. I know what moves hurt ;) ), I will almost always get in some type of submission hold that he can't get out of. The only way I release him is if he says the magic phrase: "Darryl is the coolest, Cameron is the foolest!" Don't worry about his self-esteem getting hurt, he knows it's all in fun and that I think he's a great kid.

So anyways, back to foolishness. Here's Hypervine's take on it:
Foolish
Pronunciation: 'fU-lish
1. [adj] (informal) having or revealing stupidity; "ridiculous asinine behavior"; "a dopey answer"; "a dopey kid"; "some fool idea about rewriting authors' books"
2. [adj] devoid of good sense or judgment; "foolish remarks"; "a foolish decision"

If you look futher down the page you see the 1913 Webster's take on foolish: void of understanding.

There are a few verses that I want to look at, all in I Corinthians.

I Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God.

I Cor. 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

I Cor. 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, "He takes the wise in their own craftiness."

If you read I Corinthians, you see the words "foolish" or "foolishness" a total of ten times, and eight of those times are in the first three chapters. Read I Cor. 1-3 to get the whole theme.

I thought it was odd that there is a lot of things being considered foolish out there; namely, the non-Christian's view of Christianity, and God's view of the wisdom of this world.

Consider wisdom for a minute, arguably the opposite of foolishness. Wisdom is the most cherished possession (more so than strength or power or riches), because it is through wisdom that all of these other characteristics are obtained (read about Solomon in II Chr. 1:7-12).

To the Christian, I would say that the ultimate wisdom that we have ever received is the truth about God, and what it means to be a Christian. In the eyes of the world, however, it is all foolishness. If you are unashamed to be a Christian in public, I am sure that at some point you were mocked for your beliefs.

To the non-believer, I can understand why Christianity would come across as foolishness (or rather, I can understand their logic in thinking so). For example, how can we become more by making ourselves less? How is that we become elevated when we lower ourselves to serve others? How is it possible to consider ourselves free when we claim that we are slaves to Christ? How is it possible to claim to "die daily", yet at the same time be alive in the Spirit?

On the other hand, take the wisdom that the world has accumulated from the beginning of time. When that wisdom lacks God, it is all foolishness in God's eyes.

Let's look at some examples of the world's wisdom. The most important things are wealth, fame, and power (through God's wisdom, we see them for the unsatisfying things that they are). It is through our own efforts that we become better people (we as Christians understand that it is Christ's work in our lives that make us more complete as people). The world cherishes freedom, and most consider themselves to be free (but the Bible shows us that everyone ultimately serves God or Satan. The difference is that in not serving God, you end up being slaves to many things at the same time, such as your job, addictions, and the burdens of the world in general).

There are several examples of wisdom vs. foolishness that you can see in the comparison between Christianity and the world. This week, try to think of some (from either the world's viewpoint of serving Christ, or vice-versa).

Back to the Basics

2004-04-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

Do you know what it is that you believe? And do you know why you believe that? Is it because you were raised that way by your family? Did you hear it from someone or read about it in a book or magazine? Is what you believe the TRUTH? Have you read it in the Bible? How do you KNOW?

These are tough questions for some of us, but we NEED to know the answer not only to make sure we are on the right track with our faith, but also so that we are leading non-believers down the right path as well. Yesterday in Church we were talking about Unity, and as a part of the sermon, the Pastor discussed basic doctrine. Many people don't really know what it is they believe, and if they do, sometimes they don't know why they believe it.

My husband and I were talking about a Bible Study he is a part of, and we were discussing that sometimes it is necessary to get "back to the basics" with our faith. We need to go back to the gospel and make sure we have a solid foundation of what it is that we believe, because Satan and those who believe differently will try their best to change our beliefs.

Getting back to the basics isn't always easy. It takes a desire to study, and learn and ask questions. It means prayer, reading the Bible, talking with your Pastor and church members, and making a personal investment in knowing and understanding God's plan for your life.

What do you do to get back to the basics of your faith? Feel free to write about it on your own site and post in the comments section, or if you do not have a site, feel free to post directly to the comments section.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Here I Am

2004-04-22T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today's theology thing is not a word, but a phrase: Here I am.

First, read Gen. 22:1-19. This has become of my favorite stories in the Old Testament, because I studied this story in the original Hebrew language, and really got a lot out of it. But there are two places in this passage where this phrase occurs:

Gen. 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am

Gen. 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

There are actually many other instances of this phrase occurring in the Old Testament, about 150 more times, actually.

It's interesting how the Hebrew is translated on this phrase (in Hebrew it's actually a single word, הנני.
What I enjoy about the Hebrew (which, is similar to many languages when translating from one to another) is that there is no exact way to translate it. Instead, it is more of a combination of several words : Me, Here, Now, Yes. So when you put all of these words together, it comes across as something like, "Yes, I'm here, how can I serve you?" or "Yes, what can I do for you?"

Some may think that I'm overanalyzing one word (is it even possible to overanalyze anything in the Bible?), but when I see this, I think that the person who says it is taking the attitude of complete obedience and submission. Granted, this is used when replying to people other than God (as seen above when Abraham replied to his son"), and maybe it is just a generic word used as a reponse. But whenever I am reading the Bible and see this word, I always think of a couple things:

1. Am I always so willing when God calls me to do something?
2. Do I exhibit such an attitude of servanthood to others that I am actually enjoying serving?

I think we have all seen unhappy servants at one place or another. One tends to think, "If you don't enjoy what you are doing, why are you doing it at all?" What good is there in being a reluctant servant?

So this week, whenever you are given the opportunity to serve others, grab the chance with excitement, and say, "Here I am!"

Thursday's Theology Thing: Sanctification

2004-04-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

Today's word is one that you may occasionally hear but not understand it's meaning.

Sanctification
Pronunciation: "sa[ng](k)-t&-f&-'kA-sh&n
1. The act of sanctified or making holy; the state of being sanctified or made holy; esp. (Theol.), the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified, or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God; also, the state of being thus purified or sanctified.

II Thes. 2:13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

2. The act of consecrating, or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration. --Bp. Burnet.

I like Merriam-Webster's take on sanctification:

"the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion"

I also like the lengthy description found in the Easton Bible Dictionary (from Hypervine's site).

(Sanctification) "involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13). Faith is instrumental in securing sanctification, inasmuch as it (1) secures union to Christ (Gal. 2:20), and (2) brings the believer into living contact with the truth, whereby he is led to yield obedience 'to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come.'

Perfect sanctification is not attainable in this life (1 Kings 8:46; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8). See Paul's account of himself in Rom. 7:14-25; Phil. 3:12-14; and 1 Tim. 1:15; also the confessions of David (Ps. 19:12, 13; 51), of Moses (90:8), of Job (42:5, 6), and of Daniel (9:3-20). 'The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ. The moral imperfections which cling to him he feels to be sins, which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find that their life is a constant warfare, and they need to take the kingdom of heaven by storm, and watch while they pray. They are always subject to the constant chastisement of their Father's loving hand, which can only be designed to correct their imperfections and to confirm their graces. And it has been notoriously the fact that the best Christians have been those who have been the least prone to claim the attainment of perfection for themselves.', Hodge's Outlines."

Simply put, sanctification relates very closely to holiness. It is both the immediate and gradual act of being set apart for God's use. The reason that is both immediate and gradual is that when we are saved, we are sanctified in God's eyes. However, throughout the remainder of our time on earth, we experience a gradual sanctification, where we strive to be more Christlike. As the above mentions, the closer one gets to God, the clearer one's sins become. God creates an increased desire to be more like Him, and thus rid ourselves of our sins (ie. to not give into our daily temptations). We begin to see sin for what it is, and it becomes easier to resist our temptations.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Atonement

2004-04-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

Atonement
Pronunciation: &-'tOn-m&nt
1. [n] the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity)
2. [n] compensation for a wrong; "we were unable to get satisfaction from the local store"

I took a class on practical reasoning (aka logic) in Bible college, and I was taught that is bad practice to define a word by using it in the definition (as hypervine did above). So I'm going to go back to the 1913 Webster definitions.

"Satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing of suffering that which will be received in satisfaction for an offense or injury;
expiation; amends; -- with for. Specifically, in theology: The expiation of sin made by the obedience, personal suffering, and death of Christ."

I especially liked how the Easton Bible Dictionary explained atonement (also on the hypervine page):

"The meaning of the word is simply at-one-ment, i.e., the state of being at one or being reconciled, so that atonement is reconciliation. Thus it is used to denote the effect which flows from the death of Christ.

But the word is also used to denote that by which this reconciliation is brought about, viz., the death of Christ itself; and when so used it means satisfaction, and in this sense to make an atonement for one is to make satisfaction for his offences (Ex. 32:30; Lev. 4:26; 5:16; Num. 6:11), and, as regards the person, to reconcile, to propitiate God in his behalf."

The "at-one-ment" mentioned above really nails it for me. Due to our sin, we are at odds with God. Sin cannot exist in the presence of God; therefore, due to our sin, it became impossible for us to have fellowship with Him. In the Old Testament, God allowed the use of sacrifice to provide a temporary means of atonement. The penalty of the sin of the entire world (and entire history) was finally paid for by Christ's perfect life, His death, and resurrection. As one of my theology teachers explained it, "the effect of the crucifixion extends both forwards and backwards in time." What he meant was that Christ's crucifixion atoned for all of the sin that had ever been committed, and will ever be committed. Considering this, it is easier to comprehend why the death of Christ has to be so brutal: He was paying the price for all the sin throughout history!

It is Christ's atonement that allows "at-one-ment" with God once again.

Monday Musing: The Stones Cry Out

2004-04-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

Once again, I would like to turn to an Our Daily Bread reading for inspiration. Last night we read from Luke 19:29-40 and the little story in the devotional told of a woman who was saved, and her way of spreading the Gospel was to paint bible verses on small stones from the beach and sell them to raise money for missionaries. I often wonder what other unique ways people minister to others.

This website is the same to me as her stones were to her. I wanted to find a way to use a skill that I have to be able to reach people that I normally would not have been able to reach. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged when no one comments or responds to the things that we write, but I KNOW that we are reaching someone, because the site counter keeps on rising, and here and there we DO get a response, which is a great feeling! And, even if I only reach ONE person, then I feel I have been successful.

What kinds of things do you do to spread the Good Word? Does it matter to you whether your efforts are acknowledged? How does it feel to know you are reaching people with your personal ministry? Feel free to write about it on your own site, and post in the comments section. If you do not have your own site, feel free to post directly to the comments.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Urim and Thummim

2004-04-01T09:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've been reading the first few books of the Bible (Gen - Deut.), and I keep reading about the Urim and Thummim. What the heck is a urim and a thummim???

Well, unfortunately nobody knows for certain. We can look to how it is translated from the original Hebrew (something to the effect of lights and perfections), but that doesn't offer a lot of insight either. There are several ideas though. Some believe that they are a type of gem, because some passages speak about them being in the priest's breastplate:

Exodus 28:30 And you are to put into the breastpiece of decision the Urim and the Thummim and they are to be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. And Aaron is to bear the judgment of the Israelites on his heart before the Lord continually.

Some sites believe that these breastplates possessed almost mystical qualities that allowed the wearer (the priest) to speak to God.

What many believe, however, is that the urim and thummim were something that was used to cast lots. Here is some information from studylight.org:

"The view most generally held today is that the Urim and Thummim were two sacred lots, one indicating an affirmative or favorable answer, the other a negative or unfavorable answer".

In any case, it is clear that the urim and thummim were used to decide problems, and a method that God used to offer direction to the people of Israel.

Perhaps this is what was used in Joshua 7 (although it isn't clearly named). When Jericho fell, God instructed the Israelites to destroy everything and take no loot for themselves (it all was to go into the treasury of the LORD). Achan, however, took some of the treasure for himself. After the capture of Jericho, they were going to capture Ai, which seemed a pretty trivial matter, because they only sent two or three thousand men. However, because Achan had sinned, the Israelites were routed by the people of Ai, and about thirty-six Israelites were killed. Joshua was puzzled, because he knew that God was on their side, and they should have been victorious. God told Joshua of the sin, and said that he would reveal the guilty person by casting lots.

It may seem odd that God would use a device of chance to be His voice with the Israelites, but why should it be? God controls everything, and there is no such thing as chance. Consider this verse:

Prov. 16:33 We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall. (NLT)

To me, it is reassuring to know that there is no chance or chaos in the universe. Instead, God is in control of everything. Everything that will ever occur throughout time is already known by God and under His complete control. That should help to increase your faith in God!

Monday Musing: Summer Camp and ministry opportunities for youth

2004-03-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

Here I am! I made it this week!!

I wanted to talk a little about Youth Ministries and opportunities like Summer Camp. I think Summer Camp is a great way for Christian youth to meet and get to share experiences with other people their age who are believers. I know that when I was considered a "youth" (was it THAT long ago?), I often felt like I was the only one like me. My other friends at school didn't necessarily believe in God, or if they did, they did not go to church. Summer Camp was a great way for me to connect with other youth who believed what I did...and what a great feeling that is! There are many Christian summer camps and teen programs across the country, and I think that no matter which one youth have the opportunity to attend, it can be a life changing experience. I know it was for me! I was saved as a summer camp called Super Summer in 1989, and still fondly recall the experiences that I had there and the wonder I felt when I truly understood God's love for me.

Did you ever have Summer Camp experiences as a youth member of your church? If so, feel free to write about them on your site and post in the comments section. If you do not have your own site, feel free to post directly to the comments section.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Theophany

2004-03-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

Theophany
Pronunciation: thE-'ä-f&-nE
A manifestation of God to man by actual appearance, usually as an incarnation.

Today's theology thing explains something that occurs in the Bible in many different occasions. Basically, whenever there is a divine appearance (eg. an angel, a voice, etc.), it may be a theophany. Here is an article about it from bible.org (the site was down, so I am quoting a cached version of it:

"A theophany is a visible manifestation of God usually restricted to the Old Testament. God has appeared in dreams (Gen. 20:3-7; 28:12-17), visions (Gen. 15:1-21; Is. 6:1-13), as an angel (Gen. 16:7-13; 18:1-33).

There is a manifestation known as the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:20 f.) and seems to have characteristics of God Himself (Gen. 16:7-9; 18:1-2; Ex. 3:2-6; Josh. 5:14; Judges 2:1-5; 6:11). Such characteristics as having the name of God, being worshiped, and recognized as God has led many scholars to conclude that the angel of the Lord is really Jesus manifested in the Old Testament. This does not mean that Jesus is an angel. The word 'angel' means messenger.

Other scriptures that describe more vivid manifestations of God are Gen. 17:1; 18:1; Ex. 6:2-3; 24:9-11; Num. 12:6-8. For further information on theophanies see the Plurality Study.

A visible and sometimes physical manifestation of God in the Old Testament. Some examples of theophanies are found in Gen.17:1; 18:1; Ex. 6:2-3; 24:9-11; Num. 12:6-8. (See also Appearances of God in the Plurality Study.) I believe all physical appearances of God in the O.T. were really of the pre-incarnate Christ because no one has ever seen the Father (John 6:46)." (author unknown)

Not all angelic appearances are theophanies, however. There are some passages where the angel is named, such as the following example:

Luke 1:19 The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

Normally, you can tell when an angelic appearance is a theophany or not, if you carefully read the passage. The Bible is good about capitalizing pronouns when referring to God (eg. Him, He), or if you see "the LORD" (all in caps), those are sure signs. Another clue to look for is whether or not the manifestation possesses qualities that only God Himself possesses, such as the ability to forgive sins, for example.

So whenever you are reading a passage where an angel of the LORD appears (especially in the Old Testament), look closely to see whether or not it is a theophany.

Struggles

2004-03-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

So you might have noticed if you have visited here the past two Mondays that the Monday Musing did not go up as it should have. I have been struggling with this part of the blog, and I am not sure why. Even though I am posting this today later than I thought I would, I wanted to address my missing blog entries by asking those of you out there to reflect on things that you also find yourself struggling with.

For me, it is my weekly blog entry as well as my daily bible reading. In church two Sundays ago, the Pastor was talking about sin and how we choose to sin. No one makes us do it, but we alone can allow ourselves to. When I started thinking about it, I realized that I also choose to struggle with these areas of my walk with God. I don't HAVE to struggle each week with this entry, or each day with my reading, but I do because I allow myself to experience that struggle.

Do you have anything like this? Something that you want to do, or you need to do, but you find yourself unnecessarily struggling with it? What do you do to overcome it? How do you ease the struggle? Feel free to post on your own site your thoughts and then post in the comments section, or if you do not have a site, you can post directly to the comments section.

And I am going to work harder on making sure my Monday Musing gets done!

Thursday's Theology Thing: Homiletics

2004-03-18T08:24:00.000-05:00

Homiletics
Pronunciation: `hÃ¢mu'letiks
1. [n] the art of preaching
2. [n] the branch of theology that deals with sermons and homilies

Today's word is a pretty straightfoward one. Have you ever heard of a homily? It refers to a short sermon, lecture or discourse. Homiletics simply involves the art or study of preaching effectively.

I can't mention effective sermons without discussing the story about Jonathan Edwards. On July 8, 1741, Edwards preached a sermon entitled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". To summarize, the message spoke about Hell, and about the wrath of God. But what was interesting was that "the influence of the sermon was so great that men and women cried and screamed for mercy and even grabbed their seats for fear that they would slide into Hell that very moment!"

The story continues that this sermon was preached verbatim on other occasions, and never received the same reaction. In fact, many thought that it was quite boring.

Why was Edwards' version of the sermon so effective? Was it his delivery?Apparentlyy, Edwards spent many hours in prayer and fasting over his message, and God moved that day and impressed it on the congregation so heavily. So although the content of a sermon is important, what is equally important is how in-tune with God the preacher is.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Passion

2004-03-11T09:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not feeling well today, so today's Thursday Theology Thing will be short.

I think it's safe to say that in Hollywood this year, the big word is "passion", obviously due to the movie, "The Passion of The Christ". Even though today's word isn't necessarily a theological one, I thought it would be good to define it today, because most don't understand the context in which it is used in this case.

Passion
Pronunciation: 'pa-sh&n
1. [n] intense passion or emotion
2. [n] any object of warm affection or devotion; "the theater was her first love" or"he has a passion for cock fighting"
3. [n] strong feeling or emotion
4. [n] a feeling of strong sexual desire
5. [n] an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action
6. [n] something that is desired intensely; "his rage for fame destroyed him"
7. [n] the suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion

In this use of the word, we are referring to definition 7, but I think all the definitions but number 4 could apply to a point. The whole process of the crucifixion (including the scourging and beatings) were a physical suffering for Christ (which, if you've seen the movie, you will agree that He suffered intensely),

In word passion is only used once in the Bible in this context:

Acts 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

So even though Christ was passionate (in the sense that we understand the word) about what He was doing on the cross, it also refers to the physical, mental and emotional suffering He endured.

Billy Graham was on TV last night, and in his message, he said that for Christ, the most painful part of the entire process was not the physical pain that he endured, but when he cried out, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" In that instance, God distanced Himself from His son when He took on all the sins of the world (all the sin that has ever been and will ever be committed). Since God is holy, He cannot be a part of sin, so that is why He distanced Himself from Christ.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Hermeneutics

2004-03-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

Today's theological word actually ties in with the first Thursday Theology Thing that I wrote.

Hermeneutics
Pronunciation: \Her`me*neu"ticsDefinition:
The science of interpretation and explanation; exegesis; esp., that branch of theology which defines the laws whereby
the meaning of the Scriptures is to be ascertained.

Merriam-Webster defines hermeneutics as "he study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)", So as you can see, hermeneutics could almost be synonymous with exegesis. I think the real difference is that hermeneutics often refers to the general study of scripture, whereas exegesis refers more to a word-by-word, verse-by-verse study. Exegesis is a deeper study of a passage. Hermeneutics can also refer to the scientific study of scripture (ie. historical, cultural and archaeological).

The Passion of the Christ

2004-03-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

Today's Monday Musing is going to be quite simple.

Have you seen The Passion of the Christ movie yet?

I saw it on Saturday, and before I post my thoughts about it, I would like to invite anyone who has seen it to post their thoughts about the movie, and the impact that it had on them.

Feel free to post in the comments section so people can visit your site to see your thoughts. If you do not have your own site, you can post directly to the comments section if you wish.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Propitiation

2004-02-26T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today's word comes right out of the Bible, in I John 2:2.

And He is the propitiation concerning our sins, and not concerning ours only, but also concerning the sins of all the world.

Quite a powerful verse indeed, so it's especially important to understand what this word means.

Propitiation
Pronunciation: prO-'pi-shE-"At

1. The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor
of an offended person; the act of making propitious.

2. (Theol.) That which propitiates; atonement or atoning
sacrifice; specifically, the influence or effects of the
death of Christ in appeasing the divine justice, and
conciliating the divine favor.

This comes from the latin word "propitius", which translates as favorable, or gracious. Definition 2 above is probably the best description of the word. In the context of I John 2:2, Christ's death paid the price for all sin. This is not just all of your sin or all of my sin, but all the sin of mankind (ie. all sin that has ever been committed and will be committed). This one action of Christ's crucifixion covered everything.

It also was an appeasement to God from Christ on our behalf. I know that as Christians, we like to focus on the love of God, rather than the wrath. But since God is just, there must be payment for our sin. For God to ignore sin would be an injustice on His part, which is why a price must be paid. While it is true that we could never atone for our own sin no matter how much we may try, Christ was able to for everyone. The reason that this was possible is because he was a perfect, sinless sacrifice, which was what God required throughout the Old Testament.

This is quite a fitting word for this week's Thursday Theology Thing with the theatrical release of The Passion of The Christ. Whether or not you have seen it or plan to see it, you undoubtedly have heard of the movie, how it details the hours leading up to and including His crucifixion. When you think about this movie and what is happening in it, think propitiation.

Gardening for God

2004-02-23T14:09:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...the title is a bit cheesy for today's Monday Musing, but I think it fits. Once again, I want to turn to a recent Our Daily Bread devotional. Yesterday, the reading was about Gardening Tips for making ourselves more open to the Holy Spirit.

Mark 4:20 says:
These are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the Word, accept it, and bear fruit.

The reading talked about how we as Christians can do things to make ourselves more receptive to God, more open to His Word, and more aware of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. By taking care of our "soil", God's seed can grow and flourish in our lives.

I am curious today to hear what you may do in your life to take care of yourself, making you more receptive to God. Do you pray? Read the Bible? Attend small groups? How do you ready yourself for His plan and will? Do you ever find yourself resistant? Are there weeds and rocks in the way on some days?

What kind of soil are you?

Feel free to write about this on your own site and post in the comments section so people can come and visit, or if you do not have your own site, feel free to post your thoughts directly to the comments area.

Prayers for Haiti

2004-02-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

When you pray each day, what and who do you pray for?

My usual prayers include thanking God for what he has done in my life, the mercy He has shown me, I ask for forgiveness, I ask for His will in my life, I ask Him to be with friends and family in their times of need...I could go on. But, one thing I also do and have been doing since I read The Purpose Driven Life is pray for a country. I used to pray for Taiwan. I know that sounds silly saying, "Please be with Taiwan" or "Please bless Taiwan", but I did it. I wanted God to be with the people in that country who didn't know Him, or those who know Him but are persecuted for their beliefs.

A few weeks ago, I started praying specifically for a different country, and I want to ask those of you who have never considered praying for people or places outside of your own city or country to consider praying for the people there as well. Darryl and I pray daily for the country of Haiti and the people there.

In October of 2003, our church sent a team of 13 members to Haiti to help do work with some missionaries that work with an organization called Mountain Top Ministries. To read a bit about their experience, feel free to click here and visit a page one of the members who went created. From everything that the people who went said upon their return, it was an amazing experience.

The Mountain Top Ministries group works to provide medical care, schooling and spiritual ministry to the people of Haiti. For that ministry alone, I would pray. But in recent weeks, I have begun praying additionally because of the strife occurring in that country. If you have consumed any news recently, you can read and hear about uprisings and rebel groups over-throwing the government in all parts of the country.

Nearly a week ago, one of the 13 members from our church who originally went to Haiti in October felt called to return to the Mountain Top Ministries area and help with the dedication of their new church. Despite the upheaval in the country, and the risk to his own life, he answered God's call and went to assist. As news comes in daily, I continue to pray for his safe return and for the safety of all the people who live in Haiti.

Can you please help me and do the same? It is so very easy...just something simple like this:

"Dear Heavenly Father,
Please keep your hand upon the innocent people in Haiti.
Please bring peace to their country and minimize the bloodshed.
Please allow the safe return of all missionaries working in Haiti, and be with those who continue their work there.
Please be with Haiti.
Amen."

Thursday's Theology Thing: Apologetics

2004-02-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

To answer your immediate question, apologetics does not have anything to do with saying "I'm sorry" for your Christianity :). The word "apology" can have two very different meanings. Here is the theological definition:

Apologetics
Pronunciation: &-"pÃ¤-l&-'je-tiks

That branch of theology which defends the Holy Scriptures,
and sets forth the evidence of their divine authority.

I actually prefer the definition from Merriam Webster Online:
1 : systematic argumentative discourse in defense (as of a doctrine)
2 : a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity

Simply put, whenever you see the word apologetics, think defense. It can involve giving a defense of Christ being the Son of God, or a defense of the Godly inspiration of scripture.

Most consider apologetics to involve thorough theological research and discussion, but it is something that involves everyone at one time or another.

1 Peter 3:15 Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.

Whenever you are explaining your Christian faith to a friend or family member, in essence, you are engaging in apologetics. So remember, you are not giving an apology (ie. I'm sorry I believe in what I do) of your faith, but rather, an apology (ie. This is why I believe what I do). Big difference, huh?

Monday Musing #2

2004-02-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

I have had a few occasions recently to deal with some non-Christian friends of mine, and one of my biggest struggles is how to deal with them in a non-judgmental way. Because I feel that I do not have a complete knowledge of the Word of God, and am still developing my relationship with Him, I sometimes get flustered trying to explain myself and my convictions. In those instances I find myself most judgmental.

I will keep today's writing prompt rather short....

Romans 14: 13 says:
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

How do you deal with issues of judgment? Does it differ when the person is a Christian? When they are not?

Feel free to explore this on your own site and post in the comments section for others to come and see, or if you do not have your own site, you can write directly into the comments section. I look forward to hearing how some of you deal with this issue.

The Wonders of Creation

2004-02-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

I thought that this was a fitting image for Valentine's day.

Anytime you're bored, check out http://www.rednova.com for other incredible images.

Romans 1:19-20

But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is!
By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.

Be sweet to each other!

2004-02-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

from Darryl and Charity

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient;
love is kind.
Love is not envious
or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way:
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice in wrong doing,
but rejoices in truth.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

Thursday's Theology Thing: Soteriology

2004-02-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

Today's word is a pretty important one. It's essentially what the Bible is all about.

Soteriology
Pronunciation: sO-"tir-E-'Ã¤-l&-jE
1. A discourse on health, or the science of promoting and
preserving health.
2. (Theol.) The doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ.

Soteriology refers to the teaching of salvation through Christ. The Bible makes it pretty clear that this is the only form of Salvation (just an aside, but I thought it was interesting that soteriology refers both to salvation through Christ as well as the science of promoting and preserving health).

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

All religions have a goal, whether it's heaven, enlightenment, nirvana, etc. The Christian church believes that salvation is possible only through Christ, and it is based on faith, not of works. To my knowledge, the Christian faith is the only religion that believes that salvation is attained not by what we do, but rather, by the acknowledgementt of what was done on our behalf. All other religions teach that we reach our eternity by our own good works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Now, compare that to James 2:14-26:

14 Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?
15 For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved
16 and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup--where does that get you?
17 Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
19 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?
20 Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
21 Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar?
22 Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"?
23 The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend."
24 Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
25 The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape--that seamless unity of believing and doing--what counted with God?
26 The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

James stresses to us that while salvation is a gift from God and can only be attained by faith, if we have no works to back up our salvation, it isn't worth much. Works should come as a side-effect to our faith in God, and in our understanding of soteriology.

Monday Musing #1

2004-02-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is! The first Monday Musing. I had hoped to get it up a little bit earlier, but that's okay. The point of this post is to prompt a little bit of thought and hopefully some writing. If you have your own site, please post in the comments section to let people know to come and see what you thought about today's topic. If you do not have your own site where you post your writing, feel free to just write in the comments section. I won't post a new Musing until next Monday, so you have all week to respond. I don't expect much response this first time out, but here we go...

Focus
In my "Our Daily Bread" reading for February 6th, the passage talked about setting our minds on things above, not on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2). I find it very easy sometimes to get too focused on the things of this world, rather than focusing on the eternity of happiness that I can look forward to with God. Sometimes my focus is consumed by things I am trying to avoid (sin), or by things that I place too much emphasis on (worldy possessions) or I simply just forget to focus on what truly should be the center of my world (God).

The reading for that day had a couple of questions to think about, and I want to use those same questions as my first Monday Musing:

What "hazards" sometimes divert your attention from Jesus? What positive, God-honoring actions can you concentrate on doing instead?

The God-Shaped Vacuum

2004-02-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

In our Sunday School class this morning, we were discussing on the chapters from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. We talked about chapter 3, "What Drives Your Life?" On a side note, I really enjoy spending an entire class talking about one chapter, or even part of a chapter! This book is so full of great advice and insight, that there is so much to dissect and analyze.

But anyways, we were talking about motivation. What is it that makes you tick? Is it Wealth? Fame? Success? Power? Knowledge? There is quite a long list of different possibilities. The only problem is that if any of these is your prime motivation, you will never have a feeling of true satisfaction. Sure, you might feel satisfied for awhile, but then the struggle goes on, to try and outdo yourself, and to receive more of the same satisfaction that you long for.

The mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote that "Within each one of us there is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill." We spend most of our lives trying to fill that void (or vacuum) with anything but God (see the above list). But the problem is, nothing except God can fill that void. Don't believe me? Read Ecclesiastes sometime. Without God, our life is like trying to catch the wind, as Solomon so eloquently put it.

But all that can and will change when you live for God. When your main concern is serving God, when that is your main motivation, you feel a unique sense of contentment. The parts of your life that seemed so out of control before will slowly fall into place, and will even seem less important in the scheme of things. We experience a unique blessing from God, one of contentment and completion, one that can only come from a close relationship with Him.

The Couples Retreat...an inspiring experience

2004-02-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we survived! We went on an over night Couples Retreat with the Pastor of our church and his wife. There were 6 other couples there as well from other churches in the area, and we had such a good time! We got there around 5:00pm on Friday to check into our hotel at the Billie Creek Village Inn, and then had dinner together at a local establishment. The evening concluded with a great session on Communication and then we played some really fun games that left the husbands covered in lipstick! Saturday was spent in groups together to discuss topics that included the biblical roles of husbands and wives, how to ask for forgiveness and how to give it, learning about what makes our spouses react, and finally sex. Yeah, you heard me...we sat around and talked about S-E-X with the Pastor! The session was great! They all were, and I wanted to share a few basic lessons that I learned from the weekend away.

The first thing I noticed when we got there was that Darryl and I were the youngest of the group. I would say that every other couple there had at least 10 years on us, and some had quite a bit more. When I thought about it, it made me realize that working on your marriage is something that never stops! I looked at some of these couples and was sure that none of them had any problems, but their marriages were so important to them that they took time out of their lives to focus on each other, their relationship and first and foremost, God.

I also learned some solid biblical principles about what it means to be a wife. And I learned biblical principles about what it means for Darryl to be a husband. I think that is the thing that I honestly liked most about our time at the retreat was how grounded everything was in God's Word. Every session had us reading the Word of God and talking about how His commandments for marriage can be translated into workable actions and reactions by us. I saw, literally for the first time, what my specific role is as a wife, and what God wants to be in my marriage to Darryl.

The session on forgiveness was also a real eye opener. So often in life, and in our marriages, when we do something wrong to someone, the only thing that falls from our lips is a feeble, "I'm sorry" and sometimes we don't even offer that much! The scriptures and the session taught me that in order to truly repent for the wrong we have done to someone, we need to approach them and ask for their forgiveness. It is only when we have asked for it, and they have granted it that we can free ourselves from the burden of our wrong-doing and move on to more positive things with that person. We also talked about how we can model this action to our children in the home, and how our society as a whole needs to get back to the basics of asking for and receiving forgiveness, rather than just minimizing our wrongs with a simple apology and nothing more.

I could go on and on about specific things we learned, but in the end, the biggest lesson that I learned in that there IS a model for how we can have a successful marriage. Christ's love for His church shows us the way to loving each other. I only wish I had known all of this earlier. I am not saying that any of the problems Darryl and I have faced and overcome would have not been there, but I think that it is possible that having a blueprint would have helped us, rather than having us fumble around in the dark as we did during the first 6 years of our marriage.

I think every couple, especially ones not yet married, should take a course or go to a retreat like this. For me, I never saw a model of how marriage was suppose to work before this weekend. I did not see this model in my home growing up, no one ever sat me down and told me what to do as a wife, no one ever explained to me that God has given me specific commandments as a partner in my marriage. I NEVER KNEW!! But, I do now. And that is the important thing. I now know the role I am suppose to have in my marriage, and I want to say to everyone out there who has never gone to a Couples Retreat with your church, or who hasn't been to one in a long time....go. Even if you think things are fine and wonderful, go just to renew yourself and your relationship, go just to remind yourself of how God can show us the way to loving each other fully as husbands and wives, go just because you love your spouse. Just go.

I want to publicly thank the Pastor of my church and his wife, as well as the Community Christian Counseling Center of Terre Haute, and the other couples who were there for making this a truly beneficial and wonderful learning experience for me. Thank you.

Some new things....

2004-02-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

If you have been here before, you might have noticed that when you came back....the site looks different! I was having some small frustrations with the old layout (which was a template I modified), and decided to pitch it and make my own. It isn't very flashy and doesn't use any CSS, but I think I kind of like it a bit better! I also added a link to the weekly writing/thought prompts that Darryl and I will be featuring.

Tonight, Darryl and I are going to a Couples Retreat with some members of our church. We are quite excited (and of course I am a bit nervous as usual), but it should be a good experience. The Pastor of our church and his wife are coordinating it, so I am anxious to see what we will be doing. The weather has been kind of "iffy" here, so I am hoping it holds out so we can get there safely, and then it can snow all it wants (within reason of course!!).

I plan to write more about the experience when we return. Have a good weekend!

Thursday's Theology Thing: Exegesis

2004-02-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

When I was in Bible college, one of my professors asked the class one day: "Has anyone ever heard of exegesis?" Silence. He said, "There's nobody in here who knows what exegesis is?" Finally, a guy in the back sheepishly said, "Jesus's arch-enemy?"

Most people probably think of something similar the first time they hear it. Here's what HyperDictionary says:

Exegesis
Pronunciation: `eksi'jeesis
Definition:
1. [n] critical interpretation of a text (especially of the Bible)
2. [n] an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)

In other words, exegesis is simply an in-depth study of a passage of scripture, whether it's a single verse, or a paragraph, or even a chapter. Here's some of the tools that people use when exegeting (and after compiling this list, I see that they all start with the letter "c". That's kinda neat):

- Consult the original language: The majority of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was written in Greek. It often helps to check the passage in the original language to pick up any nuances or tidbits of information that can't help but be lost in translation. Don't think that the english translation of the Bible is incorrect, it's just slightly lacking when compared to the original text. That unfortunately happens when translating from one language to another.
- Cross-reference: Look for other verses in the Bible where the same word of chain of words have been used, to see if that sheds any light on the passage.
- Context: You can make a passage say a lot of different things depending on whether or not you consider the context. When you read a verse, always consider the context that you took it from
- Cultural study: Sometimes you can only understand a verse by thinking of the cultural relevance of it. Take for example, Prov. 25:21-22:

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food
to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning
coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

At first one might think, "A hot coal on your head? That would hurt!"
Here is a cultural description from the Coals of F.I.R.E E-Zine:

In the days [of] Solomon, when an Israelite would go on a long journey away from home, the fires of the hearth would extinguish themselves. Upon return the sojourner would find in his fireplace no fire to heat his home or cook his food. He would then go to his neighbor and request hot coals in order to rekindle his home fire. Carrying his multiple layer metal pan to his neighbor's home he would request hot coals to re-ignite the fire. If he found grace in his neighbor's eyes the neighbor would heap coals of fire upon his head.

So as you can see, understanding what the cultural meaning of a passage is can explain a lot.

There's such a fine line between Bible study and exegesis that they are often used in place of each other. So if you are studying scripture, looking up cross-references, maps, maybe looking at a translation of a word, congratulations, fellow theologian! You're exegeting!

A couple of new things on the way...

2004-02-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

Darryl and I have decided to do a couple things that will hopefully give people some things to think about.

First:
Every Thursday, Darryl is going to have a little spotlight on here called, "Thursday Theology Thing" where he will introduce me (and hopefully some of you) to a new theology term or concept. I plan to archive all the words on their own page, so folks can go back and review them at their leisure. People can post comments or respond with their thoughts on their own sites if they choose to.

Second:
Once a week (still thinking of the particular day and the specific title), I plan to start hosting a Christian writing prompt to stimulate some discussion here and on other websites out there. In my searching for memes, I found out that there really are no Christian-based memes to prompt people to write.

Never heard of a meme? Here is a definition:
meme: A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. From the Greek mimema, something imitated, from mimeisthai, to imitate.

In blogging terms, it boils down to a contrived writing prompt that is listed at a regular interval so that people everywhere can write about the same concept, question or idea. My goal is to prompt folks to write or think about something once a week.

So, I know we are excited, and hopefully some of you will be too! Keep your eyes peeled and watch for the first Thursday Theology Thing tomorrow!!

Find a Bible You Like

2004-02-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most Christians would agree that one of the most integral parts of one's walk with God involves spending time reading the Bible. There are many passages of scripture that talk about the importance of getting grounded in the Word. Here are a few:

Jeremiah 15:16 When your words showed up, I ate them-- swallowed them whole. What a feast! What delight I took in being yours, O GOD, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies!

1 Peter 2:2 desire the sincere milk of the Word, as newborn babes, so that you may grow by it;

If you're going to spend a lot of time in the Bible, it's important to find one that you truly enjoy picking up and reading. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. What translation to get?
There are several to choose from, depending on what you're looking for. For example, you have the King James Version if you are "old school" and like ye olde english :). One great thing about the KJV is that it's a great translation for memorizing scripture . You also have the NKJV which as a friend of mine said, is like the KJV but without all the "thees", "thous" and "hithertos". If you are looking for a translation that is truest to the original languages that the Bible was written in, you probably want the New American Standard Version.

If you are into a more modern translation (ie. one that is closer to today's english), you could try the NIV or the God's Word translation, or even the Message Paraphrase or Living Bible (just an aside, my wife has a copy of the Message Remix, and I really enjoy reading its spin on different verses!)

2. What type of Bible?
There are many to choose from. There are some that have devotionals that are included. There are also study Bibles that will have cross-references, concordances, study notes, and maps. Or, if you want simple, you could get a no-nonsense, plain ol' Bible with no bells and whistles.

3. What type of cover?
Again, you have a lot of options. Hardcover, paperback, leather (many different grades), I even saw a Bible that was in a hard metal jacket (heavy duty!) This may sound like a rather trivial point, but consider that whatever Bible you choose, it will probably spend a lot of time in your hands, and you want something that you like the feel of.

In my opinion, I think that a person should pick out their own Bible instead of having one picked out for them. In my case, my brother and his wife got Charity and I a gift certificate to a Christian bookstore this past Christmas. So I had the opportunity to "test drive" a few Bibles to decide what I wanted. I ended up getting the NIV Study Bible by Zondervan. After a lot of thought, I decided that I wanted an NIV Study Bible, and one that had a nice leather cover. It may seem silly, but my selling point on this Bible was the softness of the leather! It felt so good in my hands that I had to get it. Zondervan actually makes a large line of these Italian duo-tone Bibles. Check your local bookstore, they will probably have a few in stock.

That reminds me of a story that I heard a pastor telling during a sermon. There was a man who went to a person who often worked with leather and asked him for his advice on what oil he could use on his leather Bible to keep it its softest. The man said that the best oil you can use on leather is the oil found in your hands. In other words, if you want to keep your Bible in its best condition, read it!

God's Grace...

2004-01-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to decide whether or not to post about "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning as I have been reading it. Part of me did not want to for fear that I might "ruin" the book for someone out there, but I think in some ways I would prefer to disclose things as I read because the lessons I am learning are so valuable and need to be heard.

The first chapter of Ragamuffin begins simply by discussing how we are given the gift of salvation by faith alone through God's grace. Brennan notes that there is nothing that WE can do to gain salvation, it is simply God's gift to us. He says, "This and so much more is sheer gift; it is not reward for our faithfulness, our generous disposition, or our heroic life of prayer...My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it."

That and everything else in that chapter spoke volumes to me. I am not saved because of how hard I try to be "good" or how many prayers I say or how many good things I try to do. I am saved and entitled to a life-long relationship with my Creator simply because He loves me. And the best part is...He loves me AS I AM. With all my blemishes, all my faults, and all my sins. I experience His grace simply because I have faith in Him and He has offered it to me.

I really made the connection even more when I finished reading Genesis last night (as part of my Read the Bible Through in a Year plan). All through my readings in Genesis, I would have questions to ask Darryl about Abraham, and Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and all the others. I would read the stories of things they did and the things they said and be in constant amazement that God continued to bless them. They did things that involved deceit, lying, prostitution and even murder. I asked Darryl how this could be, and he simply replied, "They, too, were sinners." It wasn't until I read Ragamuffin that I made the connection.

God extends himself to us. Period. Despite our history, our mistakes and our sins. He takes us as we are and blesses us. If that isn't reassuring, then I don't know what is.

Sorry Subscribers!

2004-01-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

If you have subscribed to this blog in order to receive updates when we post...it wasn't working! I just fixed that, so tomorrow updates should resume.

Sorry folks!

The 40 Days of Purpose Revisted

2004-01-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

This blog site originally started with a focus on the book by Rick Warren called, "The Purpose Driven Life." We read one chapter a day for 40 days as part of a study our church was doing. Hubby and I wrote on this site each day as well. Now, our small group is re-focusing on the book one chapter a week, and my hope is that once a week I will pop in here and write a bit more about the chapters we originally shared our thoughts on.

This week was Chapter Two: You Are Not An Accident (we missed Chapter One because we have been in the new members class for our church). Click here to see what I originally wrote about (October 28, 2003).

When I first read this chapter and wrote about my thoughts, I focused on some pretty external things like appearance and our current location. When I go back now and think about the message of this chapter, I am also drawn into thinking about all the other things that God did for me or gave me that were not an accident. Like this blog perhaps. I have always enjoyed writing, and in the last few years, web design has become more of a focus for me. I honestly think that God has given me this skill and ability as a way to reach people.

In our small group on Sunday, we also talked about accepting things, things that are difficult for us to understand like when a loved one is taken from us, or hardship comes our way. We discussed how we are often limited by our humanness in our ability to understand some of God's concepts or plans, but that it is our faith that bridges the gap between our human capacity for knowledge and God's wisdom. I find myself still asking a LOT of questions, but as long as I remember to keep my heart open to receiving the answers, I can't go wrong.

To the early-birds, from the night owls

2004-01-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

I have gotten into the routine of getting up early. It has to do partially because of my job (I start at 8, but like to be there around 7:45), but also because I like to do my devotions in the morning. There's no right time to do your devotions, but personally, I like starting my day off by reading the Bible and praying (before all the "noise" from the day gets me preoccupied).

I'm rather proud of myself that I have become a morning person. Even a few years ago, if I were left to my own devices, I would probably go to bed late and get up late. But for me, getting up early is the way to go. The cool part about getting up early is that on weekends, you can sleep in for an hour and still get up at a good hour.

I read a verse last night that I always get a chuckle out of whenever I read it. It's Proverbs 27:14 (here's the Message paraphrase):

If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting "Rise and shine!" It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing.

In other words: SHHHHHHHHH! If you're an early-morning person, that's great, but don't expect everyone else to be enjoying the morning with you!

The Ragamuffin Gospel

2004-01-26T20:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finished reading the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. What a great book! When we were in Canada for the holidays, a good friend of mine recommended it to me. He had recently re-developed a close relationship with God (after a long time of living as a Christian but with general apathy and little zeal - much like myself). Of course, the title stood out in my mind, probably because you don't hear the word "ragamuffin" very often.

So I picked up the book from the library, and not knowing what the book was about or anything, dove right in. From the forward by Michael W. Smith and the testimony by the late Rich Mullins, I knew I was going to be in for a treat.

I'm not going to talk about the book in great detail, because I've always thought it best to enjoy something, whether it be a book or a movie or whatever, without any external influences or opinions. But what I will say is the same thing that my friend said to me: It was the best book on grace that I have read. My conception of what God is really like changed for the better after reading that book.

One part of the book that I will mention that I don't think will take away from the reading experience is the idea of "the gift of wonder". As children, we were intrigued by the simplest things, whether it was how blue the sky was on a clear day, or how neat it was to watch a fish swim around in a fish bowl. During my time in prayer, I have been asking God to renew my gift of wonder so that I will take time during the busy routine of life to appreciate His handiwork in creation, and in the world around me. Just last week I noticed as I was driving to work that the sun was coming up (it's that time of the year where it's dark when you drive to work and from work). I saw the beauty of the sun coming over the horizon, and saw the silhouette of a tall church steeple on my right. In my car I said out loud, "Thanks Lord for such a beautiful morning!"

Some might think it's corny, but I really enjoy taking the time to enjoy the simple works of God's creation. It's really amazing how much you miss when you aren't looking for it.

But find a copy of this book and give it a read. You will really see God's grace and love in a whole new light!

Bible Resources on the Computer

2004-01-25T16:39:00.000-05:00

About 4 or 5 months ago I was using someone's computer and saw a shortcut for E-Sword. The icon caught my eye, because it was a picture of a Bible. I was especially intrigued because a few months earlier I had been thinking to myself, "I wonder if there are any good Bible programs for Windows?" And more importantly, "I wonder if there are any good free Bible programs out there? I had already found a good one for the Palm handheld called BibleReader. It has various translations that you can download and use. You can find it here.

But anyways, back to E-Sword. This is an awesome program that has many versions of the Bible that you can read (and even compare translations in a side-by-side view), it has concordances, dictionaries, Bible studies, maps, you name it! The best part of all, is that this amazing piece of software is free. I use it frequently when I am searching for a certain verse, or when I want to study a verse in-depth (ie. consult the original Greek and Hebrew), or just whenever I want to look something up but I don't have a Bible around. They also have a version that you can install on your Pocket PC if you have one.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to add a link to E-Sword. You can find it at e-Sword.net.

One thing to note, however. Not all translations of the Bible are free. Some versions need to be purchased in order to be installed. This is not the author's doing, but rather, the organization that produced the specific translation of the Bible.

Finally, one website that is handy to have bookmarked is The Bible Online. On this site you can lookup specific verses in different translations, listen to readings of the Bible, and find many different devotionals and studies. So if you're like me and sometimes don't have a Bible nearby when you're on the computer, this site will help you out.

There are many other Bible resources out there, these are just a few that I use and want to share. If there are any that you like and want to recommend, add a link to the program/web site in the comments.

Investing Into Our Teenagers

2004-01-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

This morning's sermon at our church was given by the Assistant Pastor who is in charge of Youth Ministries, and his message spoke to me even though I am fast approaching the 30 year mark in my life. He spoke about the priority, purpose and passion of student ministry. Sitting there listening to how teenagers who believe in God are not only faced with a plethora of issues that any other teen is faced with, but how they are also faced with additional issues because of their faith, I began to think back to my own teenage years and how I lived my life from then until now as a direct result of how I was supported, challenged and tested by those around me at THAT time.

I have mentioned before that I went to Sunday school as a young child, but once I got to about the 6th grade, the church I went to had no regular or effective youth group or student services. I didn't see myself identifying with or being able to understand the issues that the younger kids were dealing with, and the issues and studies of the older members were not relevant or too "over my head". The only real influence and modeling I had were my parents, and for me at that age, my parents were the LAST people I wanted to listen to about anything!

I sometimes wonder if I had been given the message then that the youth in my church are given now, would I have had so many struggles the last few years? Would I have been able to find someone else like me to talk to about my faith, and would my church attendance not all but disappeared? If I had been supported and taught as a teenager, would I just NOW be beginning my real spiritual journey? I sometimes have to wonder about those things.

The fortunate thing is that I did have enough basic influence in my life, and I had attended church enough as a child, that no matter how far away from organized church I got, the Holy Spirit never let me get all the way away. Even at my darkest moments within the last year or two, the Holy Spirit was there...pulling at me, whispering to me that my life was not going as it should, that there was more that I could experience and be a part of. Perhaps the Holy Spirit was there all along, even in those lonely teen and college years when I struggled with faith on my own. It must have been, because when I look back now...no one else was. But GOD was. JESUS was. The HOLY SPIRIT always was.

Another thought that struck me during the message was that just as a teen has to deal with many changes as they age, everyone faces similar changes as they grow and walk in their relationship with God. Spiritual maturity in Christians young and old is something that needs to be modeled, challenged, supported and tested in much the same way as we model, challenge and support our teenagers. Even though I am almost 30 years old, and was saved through a camp experience when I was much younger, I still liken myself to some of the younger children in the church when it comes to my knowledge and experience with truly living a Christian life. I may be able to understand and grasp the concepts easier, and I may have the ability to teach myself on my own, but the milestones are the same as I grow in my walk with God.

So in essence, I guess I just want to say that we should definitely be supporting our teen and student ministries, but we should also make sure we are looking to those around us and supporting their growth and spiritual maturity, no matter what their age.

And oh yeah...in case any of the youth from our church read this blog, here is a great link to some info on the Thundercats!

A Proverb a Day

2004-01-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

The task of reading the Bible can seem a bit daunting at times, because you look at this huge book, and think, where do I start? Do I read it cover to cover like most books?

A teacher of mine addressed this point several years ago. He said to the class, "I'll just open my Bible, read the first verse I see, and that will apply to me!"

Mat. 27:5 Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.

Well, maybe not that verse.

Luke 10:37b Go and do thou likewise.

Hmm, maybe one more...

John 13:27b Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly. "

So you can see that the technique of reading the first verse you see doesn't always work ;)

A couple weeks ago during Sunday School, our pastor was talking about ways to spend time reading the Bible. He recommended reading a chapter from the book of Proverbs every day. You see, Proverbs has 31 chapters, enough to read one a day! I really like Proverbs, I sometimes call it the "fortune cookie book", because almost every verse is a little pearl of wisdom. Here are some examples:

Prov. 10:20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
Prov. 12:4 A hearty wife invigorates her husband, but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.
Prov. 19:4 Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague.
Prov. 25:19 Trust in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

You get the idea. It's just full of little one-liners of truth!

So if you ever have some spare time and you just want to read some Bible (and we could all stand to spend more time in the Word), read some Proverbs. Sometimes you'll find one that will stay with you throughout the day.

Spending time with my Bible...

2004-01-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

I have never read the bible all the way through. In fact, I have really never sat down and read it just for the sake of reading it. Almost all of my bible reading has consisted of turning to chapters or verses during worship service or small groups and reading along with the message being given to me. I am now finally beginning to spend time in the Word of God simply for the sake of spending time with God and trying to better myself. I will be the first to admit that it is hard, but I am making a real effort.

Darryl mentioned one of his New Year Resolutions in his entry, and reading the bible through in a year is one of mine, so I thought I would mention it as well. I wanted to be able to give myself a plan...something that I can do everyday and in one year be able to say that I accomplished my goal. We sat down and figured out the best way for me. There are tons of "Read the Bible Through in a Year" plans, but I didn't want one that just started at the beginning and would run me straight through to the end. Because I have not read the whole bible (some books I don't even know if I had ever opened!), I wanted to make sure I got the Big Picture. So, we found a plan that allows me to read the bible through chronologically as it happened.

I am enjoying it. I will also tell you that I haven't actually read EVERY single day, but I am at least making an attempt to keep up and if I can make it all the way to the end of the bible by December 31, 2004, then I will feel awfully good. The one thing that I can say is that I find messages for me in what I consider to be the most unlikely places. I can be reading about something (like Job's trials) and think to myself, "Wow...that applies directly to ME". I am learning so many lessons about myself, how I should be living, and how I should be spending my time in Christian fellowship. God is truly amazing, and His Word is showing me more each day.

If you have never had a plan for reading the bible through, I am adding links to two PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files so that you can save them to your computer or print them out. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can click here and download it for free.

Click here to get a Standard reading plan.
Click here to get a Chronological reading plan.

If you can not get them to work, feel free to email me and I can send them to you as Word documents.

Do the best job you can

2004-01-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, my dad taught me a saying that his dad taught him. It said:

Whatever you do,
Do with your might.
Things done by halves
Are never done right.

For a long time, I had difficulty in understanding that saying. I always thought, what does it matter if you don't do your absolute best job if nobody is around to notice? Provided that the work gets done and provided that it's satisfactory, that should be sufficient. In other words, isn't good enough good enough?

Over the last few months I have read several verses that reinforce the idea of doing your best. Here are three:

Ecc. 2:24-25 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

Ecc. 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

There are a bunch of other verses out there that have the same message. I'm starting to understand the reason why. If you do your best at everything you do, people will notice. That's why it's also important to do your best when you think nobody is around, because you ultimately never know who is watching you. Similarly, if you just do enough to get by, people will also notice that. What kind of example am I setting as a Christian if I am not dedicated to the work that I'm doing?

So that's been one of my New Year's resolutions: to do the best at whatever I do. Granted, there have been times where I haven't given a job my all, but for the most part, I feel like I am. Besides, I never realized how rewarding it is to look at finished work and to know that you gave it your all.

It is done!!!

2004-01-21T23:52:00.000-05:00

I spent several hours here tonight redesigning this blog for Darryl and I to FINALLY begin regular journaling about our thoughts on God and how He is working in our lives. I made an entire site and found out it did not work with the coding of the journal host I use and had to start over. Some of the linked pages do not have a lot of info yet, but they will soon!

I had to redo the comments sections, so the comments from the old blog are gone....but I saved them and will re-add them to the appropriate posts. I don't want anyone's input to get lost in the transition.

Our hope is that folks will read this and perhaps identify with something we may be thinking/learning/experiencing about God and His glory. Feel free to post comments and have dialogue in the comments sections...that is what they are there for.

I will be adding more links and info in the next few days and over the weekend. Welcome back! We are here to stay!

Tomorrow is the Day

2004-01-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

I will be updating this site :)

2003-12-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

Day 40

I did it! I faithfully did my readings and reflected on them for 40 days. About three fourths of the way through this 40 days, Charity started reading her old posts. I think that now that I'm done, I am going to do that as well. It'll be interesting to go back and see my thoughts and fears throughout this 40 days.

I am glad that I did this study with Charity, the person that I'm the closest to. We could have both done the book separately, and we still would have benefited from it. But I feel that since this is something we did together, we will benefit more. We are one, so I'm glad we did this reading as one.

During this study, I have thought of many people that I would like to give this book to, friends and family of mine who aren't Christians. I always had one concern, though. This entire book is based on scripture, as it should be. What about people who don't believe the Bible is the infallible word of God? How would this book effect them? Rick addressed this point today's reading: "Before most unbelievers accept the Bible as credible they want to know that we are credible." Before people question in their own minds the validity of scripture, they need to see Christ in me. Otherwise, if I'm not living a Christ-like life, they will see the Bible as just another book. But if they see the changes that have happened in my own life, they will be more inclined to give the Bible a try. My prayers are always with my family/friends who aren't saved, but what needs to be with them is my Christlike attitude.

As Charity and I discussed today's reading and the book in general, she raised a valid point. She said, "This is something that we need to do from now on. If we quit thinking about the points in this book, then we will end up like we used to be." I couldn't agree more! This book doesn't "fix" people in 40 days, and that's the end of it. It is instead like the parable of the sower planting seeds. The outcome of the seeds planted in our heart rests solely in our hands. We can ensure growth of those seeds by remaining in God's word and trying to live our lives based on the point in this book, or we can do nothing and let them choke and die. I really feel like I have been given the key, so to speak. I know what I need to do in my life . I want the rest of my life on earth to be purpose-driven!

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for sharing my thoughts along this journey. However, as Charity and I discussed yesterday, this will not be the end of my journaling. I want to use this outlet to gather my thoughts about my spirituality. My posts may not be as frequent, but will still be posting. Feel free to check back whenever you want to see what's going on.

2003-12-05T17:52:00.000-05:00

Day 40: Living with Purpose

WE DID IT! I made a commitment to this bible study, and to Darryl and to my church and most importantly to God...and I saw it through. Now I must turn my focus from the study to actually living my life with purpose each day as the chapter tells us. I can't just do this for 40 days and think I am "fixed". I need to make a plan, and be conscious of how I am doing in that plan.

In a way, this is similar to Weight Watchers. It becomes a lifestyle change to change your eating habits in a significantly healthy way, and learning to live with purpose also involves a lifestyle change. It is changing my life to make sure God is at the center of it, and his 5 purposes are where I focus my time and energy.

I am realistic though. I know this will be difficult for me, just as the bible study was. But, with support from Darryl and fellowship with other believers, I am sure I can make a good game plan for myself. As Warren said at the beginning of this chapter, "Living on purpose is the only way to really live. Everything else is just existing."

I AM TIRED OF EXISTING! I am ready to live my life with purpose!

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: Living with purpose is the only way to really live.

Verse to Remember: "For David...served the purpose of God in his own generation." Acts 13:36 (NASB)

Question to Consider: When will I take the time to write down my answers to life's five great questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?

I am hoping that as I continue to write here about my life lessons and godly passions, I will take the time to write and re-write my life purpose statement. That might be a good project for me as I make the transition from my 40 Days journaling into a more regular kind of journaling. I am going to ask Darryl to do it with me!

So...this may be the last entry specifically about chapters of the book, but do not expect this to be the last entry! I plan to keep writing!

2003-12-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

Day 39: Balancing Your Life

I really liked this chapter. It is one thing to study and learn about the five purposes God has for my life, but it is quite another to learn how to manage those purposes and keep me moving forward in each area. I think my journey has been amazing. You might not be able to see it just sitting on your end of the internet reading my words, but I can FEEL it....and perhaps if I keep writing, even after the 40 Days study is over, then maybe someone else will be touched by my experiences. I totally agree with what the Bible and Warren say about writing down our thoughts and experiences. I have always been one to start journals and diaries and spend time putting my thought down in words. The one thing that has been different this time around is that for the first time in my life, I have been COMMITTED to this project of reading and thinking and writing. And, I think it has had an impact.

I want to make sure that I am focusing on all 5 of God's purposes. I don't want to fall into the trap of just strengthening my worship and fellowship and not work to grow in the other areas. I want to make sure I am being as complete in my spiritual growth as possible, and I think this blog and this study have been a wonderful start. I am looking forward to seeing if our small group decides to pursue further studies together.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: Blessed are the balanced.

Verse to Remember: "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." Ephesians 5:15 (Ph)

Question to Consider: Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God's five purposes in my life?

I think this blog and daily writing have been good for me, so I would like to continue it. I think it would be helpful for me (and maybe for others) if I record my life lessons. I also want to work with Darryl as my spiritual partner to continually assess how I am doing in each area. I hope our small group (or another one) will also be something I continue with.

2003-12-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

Day 39

This chapter gave me a few things to think about. I don't have a lot of thoughts to write down here, but here's what's going through my mind:

I've never been a person to journal or record my thoughts in a diary. I think it has to do with vulnerability. I always feared, "What if someone were to read my innermost thoughts?" But then it struck me: what have I been doing on this site for the past 39 days?? Journaling!! Maybe I can do this after all. I do agree that it helps to make your thoughts more concrete. Dawson Trotman nailed it when he said, "Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips." I have a jumble of thoughts in my mind, and writing them down might help give me some clarity.

Charity brought up a very valid point after we had finished reading this chapter. She mentioned that she would like to continue journaling on this site after we complete the book. She said, "who knows who it will help out there besides ourselves!" I suppose as I go through the motions every day of filling out my thoughts for the day on here, I forget that this isn't just a document on my computer. This is out there for anyone with internet access to find and read. I have no regrets for doing this journal either. On the contrary, I'm glad that Charity thought of this idea. It accomplished for me exactly what Rick said it would: clarification. So maybe this journaling this isn't such a bad idea after all!

2003-12-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

Day 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian

I have never done missions work outside of my single Backyard Bible Club experience, and that was only for the 3-4 blocks around the neighborhood I lived in when I was growing up....not a whole other country! Just last night I was talking to the friend that I brought with me to the dinner and concert at the church, and I was telling her that one of the things I really like about our church is that they are actively involved in missions work around the world. I told her about the Haiti trip and how I had never done anything like that. Growing up, our church never sent our own people on trips like that, we just sent money to our Home Office to support missions....Lottie Moon Mission Offerings!!

In my job I have begun to think more in global terms, but perhaps it is now time I think about my service to God in global terms. While I personally do not feel ready for a missions trip outside of the country, maybe that very experience could be the thing I need.

I liked the point Warren made about the Internet making it more and more possible to reach people in different places around the world. Right now, I assume most of the people who read this blog are members of our church, but if I keep writing here on a regular basis, someone from some place else might stumble upon my little site and find God where they least expected it...on a webpage!

There was one point that I was really glad to read today: "Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers." I had a experience today that nearly made me cry with anger. I was telling an old friend how I had started going to church again and how God has started changing my life. He started attacking me personally, and telling me that I was a fool for my beliefs. I tried repeatedly to tell him some of the simple things that I have learned during this study, and he would not listen. I finally had to just walk away, but rest assured that my prayers will continue to pursue him. That is the least I can do...pray....for him and for the rest of the world.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: The Great Commissions is my commission.

Verse to Remember: "Send us around the world with the news of your saving powers and your eternal plan for all mankind." Psalm 67:2 (LB)

Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?

~ I can talk to Darryl.
~ I can talk to God through prayer.
~ I can talk to members of my church who have done something similar already.
~ I can see when they plan to do something like that again.
~ I can pray for the rest of the world until I can go out and see it.

2003-12-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

Day 38

I used to be a worldly Christian. I became a Christian when I was young, was raised in the church, and even attended bible college. But I became a cynical Christian. I believe I let myself get this way because I stopped talking to God. For a time, I wasn't going to church or spending time in his word. I found that a Christian is a very unhappy Christian without God. I'm glad that God pulled me back to him!

In 1992, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a missions team to Barcelona, Spain. I agree with Rick and with many others when I say that it was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. It's difficult to put into words, but I felt a closeness with God and with the others on my team that I have never experienced before, and it was incredible. Plus, it was great to know that I was an active part of people being led to the Lord!! It sounds cliche because you hear it all the time from people who have been on mission trips, but I want to say it anyway, if you haven't gone on a missions trip, I urge you to do some research and find out how you can get involved in one! It will truly be an experience that will stay with you forever.

One thing that Rick mentions that I have always struggled with is to pray for other countries. I have always wondered, how can you possibly pray for an entire country? Do I just pray, "Lord, please bless Thailand" for example? It just seems a bit overwhelming to try and pray for millions of people at the same time. But what I will do during my prayers is think of other countries, and try my best to pray for them, that God will reach the people in that country, and that the Christians that are there will be given strength and perseverance to lead others to God.

I would like to go on another missions trip at some time. After we finished reading this chapter, I turned to Charity and said, "Do you think we will ever take a missions trip?" We discussed some possibilities, and just talked about how scary it can seem when you consider it. But I know that our hearts are in this (dedicating our lives to God), and it would not surprise me if down the road we find ourselves in another country fulfilling our part of the Great Commission.

2003-12-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

Day 37: Sharing Your Life Message

We just got home from the Amy and Patrick Fata concert at the church. It was awesome, and a true example of how people can use their life experiences, talents, abilities and one of God's passions to spread the ministry of their life and the message of God's word. This chapter had some great things to think about as I consider what life experiences of my own might be useful in my ministry.

I am going to keep this short tonight because I am sleepy, but the one point that really stood out to me was in the last paragraph of this chapter. I am going to quote the whole paragraph here and hopefully you will see how important it is as I did.

"In this book you have learned God's five purposes for your life on earth: He made you to be a member of his family, a model of his character, a magnifier of his glory, a minister of his grace, and a messenger of his Good News to others. Of these five purposes, the fifth can only be done on earth. The other four you will keep doing in eternity in some way. That's why spreading the Good News is so important; you only have a short time to share you life message and fulfill your mission."

2003-12-02T21:20:00.000-05:00

Day 37

"While it wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others." Man, is that ever the truth! My wife will tell you that I am not a good listener when it comes to advice. I'm the type of person who needs to experience something for myself before I can decide about it. Even though the context of this passage refers to evangelism and telling others about Christ, I can still apply it to my life. Rick writes, "There isn't enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error." I need to listen to the advice of those who care for me, because they have my best interests at heart.

Probably one of the biggest fears I have about witnessing is that I won't know what to say when I'm actually in the situation. That's why I try to think about the passage in scripture that says that God will give us the words to say. It takes faith on our part, that God will help us when the need arises. And look at it this way: if God's greatest desire is for everyone to be saved, why would he not help you when the opportunity arises?

Finally, I need to remember that as Rick pointed out, not everyone will be passionate about my passion. It's a good thing that God made us all different, or there would only be a few types of evangelism going on! I'm glad that we're all different, because that way, God designed us as the body of Christ to reach out to the entire world.

2003-12-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

Day 36: Made for a Mission

Missions work is rather scary to me, partly because I have never really done it as an adult. As a child in the church my step-father preached at, I can remember helping set up Backyard Bible Clubs, and in college I would have long "debates" with some of my non-believing friends about religion, but I don't know if I ever approached a non-believer as an adult with the purpose of sharing God's plan for them with them.

I think I make missions work out to be too difficult in my mind. I think of people going away on long trips to places like Haiti or the Congo and imagine spreading God's word that way, but when it comes down to it...I can do mission work right here in Terre Haute, and I don't even have to stand on a street corner to do it!

One way that I think I can take my ministry to non-believers is simply by exhibiting a Christian lifestyle and allowing how I live my life and conduct myself to speak about God and his plan for us. I had never thought about the fact that I might be the only Christian that some people ever know until Warren pointed it out. If I don't try and reach these people, who will? Maybe no one ever will, but it is all of our jobs to try. I need to learn to see missions in the positive light that Warren framed it in rather than as the burden I previously thought it was.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: I was made for a mission.

Verse to Remember: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Question to Consider: What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish? What keeps me from telling others the Good News?

I think the main thing that holds me back is that I always fear I don't know enough about the Bible, or I feel I haven't lived my life well enough or long enough as a Christian to be able to effectively minister to non-believers. What if they asked a question I couldn't answer? What if they pointed out something in my own life that wasn't so Christ-like? What if the way I approached them actually made them turn farther away from God?

I could come up with 1000 What-If scenarios, but in reality...I just need to start small and begin doing it. In fact, I think that I already am and probably don't even know it. I have been telling all kinds of people about this 40 Days of Purpose experience, and that in and of itself is missions! I need to let go of all hang-ups I have about missions work and just let God use me in the way he designed me.

2003-12-01T18:53:00.000-05:00

Day 36

When I think of missions, I get a sort of scared feeling inside. I think it's because when I think of missions, the first thing that I think of is me standing on a street corner talking to someone I've never met about God, and the person would rather be anywhere else but talking to me. I suppose I think that because in my past, I have done that on occasion as part of various outreach programs. While this may work for some people, I believe that for the most part, it doesn't. What I need to remember is that there are many ways to evangelize other than street evangelism! Probably one of the most effective ways is by living as a Christian, and being proud to profess your Christianity when people ask what it is about you that makes you different than everyone else. Because if you are living for Christ, believe me, you will appear different.

I think it was Charles Wesley who said, "Preach the gospel to others, and if necessary, use words." I have always remembered that quote because I think that it is very profound. People will know we're different!

Of course, a big part of evangelism is not being ashamed or embarrassed to talk about Christ to others. I know for me, the devil tries to put this feeling of embarrassment in me whenever a chance to witness arises. I need to not give into this temptation and go for it. Besides, what greater way could I spend my time than by leading others to Christ?

There's a song by Ray Boltz that I absolutely refuse to listen to if I can. It's called "Thank You". The reason that I don't like hearing it is because every time I do, it brings tears to my eyes. In the song, he dreams that he is in heaven, and different people that he has never met come up to him and tell him that they are there in heaven because of him. Perhaps he taught them in Sunday School, perhaps he was kind to them and helped them out. I think I get so emotional because in the past I have taken a very active part in ministry and evangelism, and I like to think that there are some who are in heaven because of me. It gives me a great feeling when I think about it. So I guess they are good tears, but being the macho man that I am, I try to not get too emotional in public. So as a rule, I try to avoid any and all songs by Ray Boltz :) . He has another song called "Watch the Lamb" that does the same thing. ARGH.

But anyways, I do want to be used by God to help bring others into his kingdom. First of all, because it's a commandment of all Christians, and I want to make sure that I am doing my job, but also, because like God, I don't want anyone to have to spend eternity without him. I thank God every day that I am fortunate enough to be a Christian, and I want to help others have the same opportunity.

2003-11-30T19:36:00.000-05:00

Day 35: God's Power in Your Weakness

Many people (including myself) often get down on themselves about what weaknesses they have in their life. Anything less than excellence for some is just not good enough. Everyone has something that is a flaw in their life, or they wouldn't be human. I think the hardest part is just admitting it. And for some (here I am again in this group), admitting weakness is terrifying, even to ourselves.

Don't get me wrong. I am pretty open about some of my weaknesses, but I think there may be other flaws that I have that I haven't even truly allowed myself to embrace, so when I think about being honest with other people about those areas of my life....I get scared!

I sometimes think to myself, "How on earth can God use THAT to help someone else?" But you see, that is just it! Only God can. I could try and take my weakness and make something good out of it, but I would fail. Without God in my life to use me and my flaws, my flaws would simply be just that....a flaw.

The concept of being content with my weaknesses is also an area that is scary to me. All my life I have been raised, and then taught in school, that we can overcome anything if we just put our minds to it. That is partially true, but not fully. Some weaknesses can be overcome, but some never can because God planned them as part of our lives. I need to look and see which of my weaknesses are possibly self imposed, and which ones the Lord has placed in my life for a reason.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: God works best when I admit my weaknesses.

Verse to Remember: "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV)

Question to Consider: Am I limiting God's power in my life by trying to hide my weaknesses? What do I need to be honest about in order to help others?

Any time we hide or deny a weakness, we are shutting off an opportunity to show how great our God is. There are many weaknesses that I have that I need to be honest about, but as I said in the beginning of my entry, perhaps I need to try being honest with myself first and then once I have a grasp on my flaws, I can begin to share them and work to influence others.

2003-11-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

Day 35

The closer I get to God, the more I see how the world does things backwards from how God does them. Take today's reading, for example. God wants us to share and use our weaknesses for his glory. The world, on the other hand, tells us that we should hide our weaknesses, focus on our strengths, and to never appear vulnerable. After all, isn't power the lack of vulnerability? Not in God's eyes! Instead, the Bible tells us that "when I am weak, then I am strong." It makes sense when you think about it. If we had no weaknesses at all, would we really feel the need to depend on God? Probably not. But as humans, we are full of weaknesses! Paul refers to us as jars of clay, because as humans, we are so imperfect.

The beauty of being weak is that when we can admit our weaknesses to God, he will use them to his glory, and will strengthen us in other ways. Also, as Rick pointed out, "If all people see are your strengths, they get discouraged and think, 'Well good for her, but I'll never be able to do that.' But when they see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, it encourages them to think, 'Maybe God can use me!'"

This chapter is full of truths on the benefits of being weak and imperfect. It draws us closer to each other, it provides a tool for evangelism and ministry, it keeps us humble, and most importantly, it keeps us depending on God. Like Paul, I want to start thanking God for my weaknesses as well as my strengths, because God can use all of them and all of me for his glory.

2003-11-29T20:18:00.000-05:00

Day 34: Thinking Like a Servant

This chapter made me pause and reflect about myself and my ability to serve a bit more than the others. The other chapters instilled excitement in me about the opportunities I will have to serve, but this chapter made me stop and reflect a bit more about who I am rather than what I could do.

The key is attitude!

Do I have the right attitude? Am I secure enough in who I am and what I want to do that I won't be falling prey to thinking that is NOT servant like? Perhaps I need to really think about myself and make sure I understand where I am in my walk with God before I go rushing headlong into a service that might not be right for me or that I might not be ready for. I am not sure...but this chapter gave me a LOT to think about in terms of what I can do to try and think more like a servant.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: To be a servant, I must think like a servant.

Verse to Remember: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Question to Consider: Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?

In reality, I think I do a decent job of looking for opportunities to serve others, but also in reality I must admit that most of those times are while I am at work. And, let's face it....I get PAID to serve others sometimes. I want to take time to think about my Attitude. I want to see the opportunities to serve and be willing to step up. I want to become secure in who I am and in my relationship with God.

2003-11-29T20:07:00.000-05:00

Day 34

I grew up in a large Pentecostal church in Ontario. During my years there, I saw many examples of people in the church serving other church members. I never thought of why they served, I just figured that it was something that needed to be done, so it got done. Little did I realize that it is these people that I should be looking up to! I know that this book makes it very clear (even in this chapter) that we are not supposed to compare our Christianity with that of others, as if it were a type of contest. I don't consider these people better than me, but I just see them in a new light, with a new found respect and admiration.

I'm sure you've heard the saying that "God has a sense of humor." Who else but God could arrange it so that the servants, not the served are the ones who will be the most rewarded? Not just in heaven, either. I think of examples in the past when I served others, and even in times when I wasn't recognized, it made me feel really good that I could serve or help someone out. No wonder the Bible speaks about serving the Lord with gladness! If your motivations are right when you serve others, you can't help but feel great! I want to use my abilities and talents to serve! I pray that God will show me areas where I can be used to serve others, and ultimately, God.

2003-11-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

Day 33

I think I have always been able to tolerate or even enjoy servanthood, provided that someone acknowledged my effort. I never expected any kind of award or anything like that, but just a "thank you" or something that made me know that someone took notice. I realize after reading this chapter that my motivations were wrong. The only person who needs to see my serving is God, and he always takes notice. Even if nobody else notices what I am doing to serve, God does. I also need to adjust my motivation. It shouldn't be for rewards from others or even from God (which he will give us in heaven). I believe that we should serve out of our love for both God and for others. Even if we were to never receive any kind of reward or compensation for all of our servanthood, I think that Christians should be willing (and excited) with all opportunities to serve, simply out of love. Throughout the Bible we read that God is the very emotion of love. Serving others is perhaps one of the best ways that we can show others our love.

Something else that I thought was interesting was that faithfulness is a component of servanthood. Warren wrote, "Can you be counted on by others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor? This is a test. God is testing your faithfulness." While I have always been a person who has tried to be a man of his word, there have undoubtedly been times where I have let people down. I have always tried to be a reliable person simply out of courtesy for others, but now I see that is even more important than that. I should be faithful to others because to not be faithful is to not have a serving attitude. I want to make every effort to be person that others can rely on, not so that I can be known as a man of his word, but so that I can be more like Christ in my faithfulness to others.

2003-11-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

Day 33: How Real Servants Act

Once again, this was a great chapter with a pretty tough lesson. Service isn't just about how we feel when we are serving, or what we personally like to do, but it is all about WHAT we do and HOW we do it.

I was encouraged to know that even "small" service is something that is appreciated and needed in the family of God. It is more about how we perform our service than what we actually do. Our service, great or small, needs us to be available, attentive, dedicated, faithful, humble and willing to work with what we have available to us at the time we are called to serve. These are hard characteristics to achieve, but possible with practice. Just as I can learn to serve by doing, I can also learn how to serve in the right manner with the same practice.

The one thing I want to make sure that I remember for myself as I prepare for service is that while I am actively working to identify my primary ministry, I need to remain open and available to secondary ministry, even if it happens to be something I am less than excited about. Warren said that while we may not be gifted for a particular task, we may be called on to provide service if no one gifted at it is around. I need to be careful not to "shut off" any opportunities to serve just because I think someone else out there might be better at it. Perhaps all that is needed at that particular moment is me!

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: I serve God by serving others.

Verse to Remember: "If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." Matthew 10:42 (NLT)

Question to Consider: Which of the six characteristics of real servants offers the greatest challenge to me?

I think the biggest challenge for me is the faithfulness of my service. As Warren noted, most people don't know the meaning of commitment. I struggle with commitment in a lot of areas, and I suppose service would be the same if I allow it to be.

Something I else to keep in mind when thinking about service is once again that phrase from the beginning of the book, "It's not about you." Service is all about serving others...helping where we are needed, providing what we can and doing what needs to be done.

2003-11-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

We wanted to share a little of our feast with everyone, so feel free to print off as many plates as you can handle!!! Hope everyone is enjoying time with their families!

2003-11-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Day 32

I found it interesting that there are a few pitfalls that we can fall into when we are ministering. The first is to compare our ministry to others, and the second is to conform our ministry to others' expectations. Underneath comparing our ministry, there are two ways that we can be tempted to do this: By finding someone who does a better job, and by finding someone who does not do as good a job, or does not seem as effective. In my past experiences of ministry, I have fallen into these traps. When I got to the point where I was very good at what I did, I would find myself getting tempted by the thought that, "you're better than that guy. I bet people wish you were ministering instead of him." There were other times where I would think, "Wow, that person is so much better than you are" and I would then feel inadequate. I recognize these now as the temptations that they are.

When you think about it, it's amazing how much effort the devil puts into sabotaging each part of our walk with God. Even our ministry to others! The devil would love to prevent any of us from building up the body of Christ, and that's why he puts these thoughts into our mind. But as Paul and many others in the Bible did, we need to not only resist these temptations, but we also need to resist the temptation of others who may not understand our ministry like we do. There are people who mean well who may try to suggest how you should do your ministry. But as Warren pointed out, "Your shape was sovereignly determined by God for his purpose, so you shouldn't resent it or reject it. Instead of trying to reshape yourself to be like someone else, you should celebrate the shape God has given only to you." There's only one you, and there's only one me! We need to strive to be the best we can be, and we can do this by striving to make our ministry as effective as it can be.

2003-11-27T08:49:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Day 32: Using What God Gave You

I was relieved to read today that jumping in head first and helping out with different ministries is a good, and even recommended way to get closer to discovering your personal ministry. As I mentioned in the last few entries, I am not sure what my ministry is because I am only now beginning to look at myself as having abilities and gifts that can benefit other believers and the church, but I already knew somehow that just getting out there and doing would help me find my way.

I liked the thought of actually sitting down and making a list....thinking of my abilities and the things I am good at, trying to pinpoint my spiritual gifts. I think asking Darryl to help me review those when I make a list would be a good thing. Perhaps we will even have our own "life review retreat" as Warren mentioned.

The one thing I want to make sure not to do is to compare or conform as Satan tries to tempt me. In my career it is often very easy to compare the work that I do to the work others do in similar positions to mine. It is also a place where conformity is sometimes the norm because I work as a team member in a department. I need to be cognizant of the fact that this is my ministry for God and some of the "rules" that go for my job don't necessarily have a place here. I want to be confident in what I am doing, yet avoid pride and I want to be sure I am honoring my uniqueness at the same time.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: God deserves my best.

Verse to Remember: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the work of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

Question to Consider: How can I make the best use of what God has given me?

I think the first step in that is sitting down and making a concerted effort to think and pray about what my skills and abilities and gifts are. If I do not take the time to fully examine what I have to offer, I may overlook the one thing that could be my whole ministry...the one thing that only I can do. I also think getting in there and serving somehow will begin to give me a taste of my many options and help me focus on and pinpoint where my strengths really lie.

It sounds like an exciting time of discovery ahead!

2003-11-26T18:45:00.000-05:00

Day 31: Understanding Your SHAPE

If you really desire to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in your life - the ones you've wanted to hide and forget - are the experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry.

I remember listening to Rick Warren speak that very paragraph from his book almost verbatim during the Simulcast at the beginning of this bible study. I also remember being very nervous, and thinking to myself that I didn't like the fact that God may want me to share some of my hurtful past with other people. I remember being very nervous about possibly having to reveal those painful experiences to other people, but if it could be my greatest ministry, then how could I not share my experiences?

In a way, I already am. I write here daily on my blog...some days are more positive than others. Some days I am excited by what I read, some days I have doubts and fears. Some days I don't feel that I have much to say, some days I feel I write too much. In the end, I think I have found a good way to use my talents and abilities to do something good for me and for other people.

I hope that as I continue examining my SHAPE, I will find other more direct ways to minister to those around me. I want to be a contributing member of my church and help it become the functioning body that God wants it to be. I want to make my unique contribution to the Body of Christ, because like Warren said...if I don't do it, no one will.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me.

Verse to Remember: "God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings." 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)

Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?

I think as I get to know the church better, I will be able to see what their needs are, and I can better find a way to offer my service. There are many things that I could potentially do because I have many interests, but with time and increased fellowship, I am sure something will present itself.

2003-11-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

Day 31

I spent most of this chapter trying to figure out what my shape, or ministries are. There are some that I know, there are others that I still don't know about. I'm sure that as we gradually develop spiritually, God will reveal new talents to us. Also, we can use our painful experiences (and how we grew as a result of them) as our ministry, so we obviously can't share about experiences that haven't happened to us yet. But the important thing is to always be receptive to God when he is showing us what our ministries are.

I think the biggest thing that I got from this chapter is that our ministry is something that we love doing. If you are ministering in the church, and you hate what you are doing, either you have the wrong attitude, or you are doing the wrong ministry! Warren wrote, "Whatever you're good at, you should be doing for your church!" I need to spend some time thinking about what I'm good at, and what I enjoy doing, and then I need to think about how I can use that as a ministry. I feel privileged that God has given me the opportunity to minister to others, I just need to do it!

2003-11-25T20:31:00.000-05:00

Day 30: Shaped For Serving God

Thanks for the comments Kim! I am glad to know you enjoy our posting here. I find it a very easy way to reach out to people in a non-intrusive way, and it is good to hear positive feedback! This book has already taught me so many things that I didn't know before, and I am excited to continue learning.

Today made me even more excited in fact! This chapter was exciting to me because I feel like I am getting closer to hopefully pinpointing something that I can do to serve God and my church. I enjoyed thinking about what spiritual gifts God has given me. I generally find it much easier to pinpoint my natural abilities over my God-given spiritual gifts, but this chapter made it a lot easier to think about with Warren's beginning discussion of how to find our SHAPE.

There are many things in my day-to-day life that I am enthusiastic about and some things I am quite effective at, and just as Warren said, these are all things that are close to my heart. I am passionate about them, and personally invested in them when I work on them. I hope to discover what my spiritual gifts are that can bring me the same feelings of excitement and fulfillment when I use them to serve God and others.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: I was shaped for serving God.

Verse to Remember: "God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all." 1 Corinthians 12:6 (Ph)

Question to Consider: In what ways can I see myself passionately serving others and loving it?

I am not sure yet, but one thing that excites me is that our church and community has so many opportunities, so that if I do not pinpoint something immediately, I can try and few things out first. One thing that I want to keep doing through the 40 Days of Purpose and possibly beyond is this blog writing and sharing my thoughts. Not only does it help me with monitoring my growth, it might be possible that it can help someone else, too.