Sojourners Road

What does this actually mean?

2010-11-20T17:23:00.010-05:00

A friend of mine asked me about I John 4:18 which reads:
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (New International Version)

Below is my reply. It is good to remember our Father's perfect Agape' love!

Thanks for asking me about this. I will do my best to give you a faithful exegesis. If you haven't done so yet, I would recommend reading a fuller context for this passage beginning with v13.

Lets start by looking at the main words in this text: Fear, Love, Perfect, Punishment

The bible has two meanings for the word fear:
1. Respect/ Reverence
2. To be afraid
This passage is talking about #2.

The word for Love John is using is Agape'. I think you have a good grasp on this kind of love so I will not explain it.

Next is Perfect. This word has only one meaning and it is not what we typically think of or mean when we say 'perfect'. Our version of perfect means to be flawless, morally pure, sinless, without blemish, etc. When John uses this word it means: to be whole or complete, not lacking anything.

So when John combines these two, Agape' & Perfect, he is talking about a love that completes us, makes us whole, provides our every need and ultimately casts out any fear we may have about the future (which, as you know, from our perspective is quite uncertain and unpredictable). Picture us as a glass completely empty and the water that fills it all the way to the brim is God's Agape'. It fills us all the way to the top. Nothing else could be nor need be added.

Therefore, (with God's perfect agape' in us) we do not need to be afraid. Particularly of the future, i.e. Punishment; which seems to be John's immediate context for the cause of fear. The reason is that, while God's agape' is perfect, so is His punishment.

This punishment has to do with the coming Judgement John mentions a few sentences earlier. Those who do not have the love of God in them fear this day whereas those of us who do have God's agape in us long for it!

While John is addressing a fear that is specific (the eternal destiny of our soul) I believe this has a broader application. When we fear (eternal judgment or otherwise) it is because we do not trust God's agape' to be perfect and all we truly need. This lack of trust produces in us all manner of fear, doubt and worry: What will tomorrow bring? How will I provide for my family? Will my kids turn out ok? Am I a good parent? Do I have what it takes to accomplish the task God is calling me to? Will I be accepted by others? How will we survive in these troubled times? Will things really be OK? And so it goes.

Agape' expels every fear. I love the way John puts it: Agape DRIVES OUT fear. It is the picture of a strong man plowing every fear out of our path with God's agape. Like Jesus did when he cleansed the temple with a whip!

If we fear something it is because God's agape' has not been made perfect (fully made its way) in us. This compels us to know God more deeply and intimately in order that His Agape' may perfect in us what is lacking and producing our fear. And with Agape' made complete in us nothing can stop us from accomplishing God's will nor delay God from accomplishing His will through us! However, I am afraid (no pun intended) for the most part this is a life long process of learning how to trust God and not an instantaneous act on God's part.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. I am happy to be here for you my friend.

Don't Take My Word For It.

2010-10-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

As I read through Acts 17 I am finding it hard to focus on just one thing to discuss. There is so much in this chapter that I love. This is hands down one of my favorite chapters in this book.

Let me focus on Paul’s visit to Berea (vs. 10-15). The main point of this section is found in verse 11; “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Paul preaches the same message everywhere he goes. He tells everyone that Jesus is Messiah, that he had to suffer and rise from the dead and reasoned with them from the Scriptures. The Bereans display an attitude towards truth that I think we all could benefit from adopting ourselves. Verse 11 says that they received the message with Eagerness and then Examined Paul’s message with the Word of God.

I ask myself how ‘eager’ I am to come to Anchor each week and worship with you all? Is that a word that describes me? Am I EAGER to hear God’s truth proclaimed or am I just coming out of a religious duty? One will keep me faithfully and joyfully coming back to corporate worship each week. The other may do the same but not with a light and joyful heart but rather with a heart that is tired and burdened with the yoke of religious duty. With this kind of heart I will soon find excuses to not bother joining the body in corporate worship… even if it is just for this one week (Not a good thing B.T.W.)

The other Characteristic the Bereans had was an ability/willingness to examine the Scriptures and test Paul to see if what he was telling them was the Truth. This is so important to do. While I am convinced Tim (and any guest speaker he invites to fill in for him) is faithful to prepare a message that is true to God’s Word, those who speak are still fallen people who have the potential to get it wrong. That is why we should never let our eagerness to hear the Word hinder us from examining the Word to make sure what is being taught is Truth.

Examining the Word for ourselves does a couple of things:

1. 1. It increases our knowledge of God’s Word.

2. 2. This increases our joy and love for God Himself.

3. 3. This in turn increases our Eagerness to know Him more.

4. 4. This causes us to want to Examine the Word even more.

Do you see the pattern here? 1 leads to 2, 2 leads to 3, 3 leads to 4 and 4 takes us back to 1. This circle inevitably produces in us the noble character the Bereans had. But by all means –

Don’t Take My Word For It.

Grace and Truth

2010-05-01T12:48:00.004-05:00

I am currently struggling with the tension found in clinging to both grace and truth.

So far here is what I have come up with... (insert crickets chirping)

I guess I'll have to keep thinking about it.

China Bound

2009-07-13T09:51:00.003-05:00

Well I am off to China on Friday. I am very excited to be going to teach at an English camp for 2 weeks. I have never gone on a over-seas 'mission' trip before. I hope to learn a lot about China, the people and their way of life. Should be fun!

Thoughts from Mt. Carmel - Day 1

2009-03-04T15:47:00.007-05:00

This is a statue of Elijah killing one of the prophets of Ba'al. When I came to Mt. Carmel I was reminded of how powerful this event truly is. It is about a man who was the only prophet of Yahweh left in the land of Israel. He challenged all the prophets of Ba'al to a contest of sorts in order to show once and for all that Yahweh was the one, true and only God.

Both Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al had to sacrifice a bull on the alter and call out to their God. Whomever's God answered the prayer by consuming the sacrifice with fire from heaven would demonstrate whose God was the real God. As you may know, the prophets of Ba'al cried out to him all day long and got nothing. Elijah, on the other hand, cried out to God once and He answered not only by consuming the sacrifice but the entire alter and water that was thrown on it as well!

God had made His point. The LORD alone was the true and living God.

This caused me to think about our current day and age. We live in a time of plurality and relativism. There is no room for objective, absolute truth. This statue reminded me of Elijah's response to God's demonstration... He rounded up all 400 prophets of Ba'al and killed them.

We don't do that much today. I mean that figuratively more that physically of course. Today we are in a culture very tolerant of "other religions", "other ideas of truth", etc. We no longer take an active stand against these things. We simply say (to ourselves of course), "Well I respect your opinion but I have a different one and that's O.K. too." We may very well take a personal, private stand and believe what we know is true. But to willingly challenge these ideas and belief systems to a duel is not part of mainstream Christianity in the United States. There are a few brave souls but they are definitely not the everyday believer.

Maybe Elijah's approach is not the best method for demonstrating the truth of God's existence to our culture today. Still, I can not help but think that the spirit of what he did is exactly what we need in our culture today! Someone to draw a line in the sand and say, "Whose side are you on? No more riding the fence!"

But how do we translate that into our world? It is something I am thinking about.

Israel bound!

2009-01-28T08:59:00.003-05:00

My wife and I will be headed to Israel for a 2 week visit. We will be leaving in a few weeks and I am looking forward to the trip. I have been challenged to keep a daily entry on my blog to act as a 'spiritual diary' of sorts. I have agreed to take up this challenge and hope you all will find it encouraging to your spirit.

Let me begin with a confession. I am looking forward to going but am not nearly as excited as some of my other friends who are going. I wonder if I should be more excited than I am about it. I think it will be a good trip and I am very thankful to be going. I have always hoped that I would be able to go visit the land I read about in Scripture. Now I get to do that!

I think the excitement will build the closer we get and the longer we are in Israel. I would appreciate your prayers. I would love for God to meet me in a special way there.

Its always the little things

2008-12-03T14:41:00.005-05:00

Many of you may know that I have a daughter that has Autism. It has been a long road and there seems to be many occasions where I feel as though it will never end.

Lately, however, it seems as though there is light starting to shine at the end of this long, dark tunnel we have been in. Usually change in our daughter comes so slowly that we never notice it. It usually takes someone that has not seen her in 6-12 months saying how much she has grown since the last time they saw her.

Well, in the last couple of months I have begun to see a change in my daughter. She is more vocal and using words to try and communicate. She is starting to tell us hi and bye, I love you, and call us by name. She is also starting to use full sentences when asking a question or telling us what she is doing.

The big thing right now is she wants to dance. So she is always asking me or her brother to dance with her to the Christmas music that is playing. It has been very special to see, for the first time, some glimpses of the person within begin to emerge.

I have a lot! More than I deserve. I am truly blessed! But there is nothing more satisfying to me than to see the many 'family memory moments' created by my children. With all the things that are on my Christmas list this year, I am finding the ones that bring me joy cannot be purchased in any store.

Why do we get lost in the temporal things? Why is it so easy? Sometimes I wish I was not such a sucker. Sometimes I wish I could remember...

It's always the little things!

Sorry I've been out for a while!

2008-11-10T13:52:00.003-05:00

you know, since my discovery of facebook i have done a very poor job of keeping up with my blog.

sorry about that.

life certainly has a way of getting away from you when you are not looking.

something wonderful happened to our family over halloween. Delaney went trick-or-treating with us and did really great!! she stayed with us the whole time and didn't wander off. she did not try and go her own way and kept up with her brother at getting candy. there were no meltdowns and she did not throw herself down on the ground and pitch a fit. she was all smiles and said, 'thank you' to those who gave her candy.

it was the most 'normal' Jennifer and I have ever felt as a family in public. that seems strange to say but unless you have a child with special needs you would not understand if I explained it to you. not that your stupid or anything, it's just that I would rather explain to a woman what it is like to give birth than to explain what I mean by feeling 'normal'.

how about you? what is your fondest Halloween memory?

The Importance of Being Certain

2008-08-13T09:35:00.005-05:00

You know... it seems to me that the acceptable thing with 'spirituality' these days is to be in process, still searching out and trying to discover what is truth. It is good to be investigating what truth is out there. To be a seeker is to be part of a large and even distinguished group of people who are finding truths to be all over the place. To be a seeker is to be a tolerant and open person who is willing to accept whatever truth may be out there.

The taboo of our day is to claim that you have finally discovered it.

For reasons that go beyond my understanding... once you claim to have found the truth you immediately go from being 'open and tolerant' to being 'narrow-minded and ignorant'. You are scoffed at by the tolerant who label you arrogant. It is as if there were no way truth could be found - and how presumptuous of you to claim the contrary.

Yet God calls us to be certain of truth. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." On the surface this certainty may seem empty and shallow. After all how can we be certain of what is hoped for and unseen? With out doubt this is a stumbling block to those intellectuals who need something tangible and testable in order to know truth.

But for those who believe, we have experienced some immeasurable things that are unseen - nor are they see-able. We have the inner working of the Holy Spirit who is the deposit which guarantees our inheritance. We have had our conscience cleansed by Him, our soul washed clean and our spirit regenerated. The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we have been redeemed; adopted as sons and daughters of the living God. We can feel His presence and hear His voice. There is no method available to the world to record and observe this work of the Spirit. Nothing testable or verifiable to say to the skeptic this is how I know I have found the truth. Nothing that says, "This is a picture of my soul before the Holy Spirit and this is my soul after the Holy Spirit does His work."

Yet, once you have experienced this work of the Spirit in your life you cannot help but say, "I have found the truth!" Our proof is in the transformation of our lives. Without living a transformed life the world will always doubt our truth claims. Holy living, love for the world, grace, mercy and justice become our tangible proof of the certain truth of the Gospel. There is nothing left for them to deny when they see Christ in us.

So do not be afraid to be certain of the work God has done in your life. Moreover, do not be afraid to live out that work in your life with certainty!

Book Review

2008-07-24T09:58:00.006-05:00

I am currently reading a very cool book titled "The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions" by David Berlinski. Dr. Berlinski is an agnostic and a scientist/ philosopher. In his book he challenges his peers to their own objections to issues of faith. His main thrust is that no conclusion can be drawn from current scientific evidence that says "God does not exist." There are too many questions that are not only unanswered by science but that also are unanswerable by science. Berlinski's affinity with the idea of God is mild contempt at best. Nonetheless, he comes to the defense of those who have faith in God and gives his apologetic as to why faith is not simply the plight of the ignorant but rather a force that needs more than name calling to prove it made-up-nonsense. He uses wit and scientific knowledge to challenge, if not completely debunk, his scientific brethren. Very well written and delivered. I highly recommend it.

Biology Without Ideology

2008-07-07T19:52:00.004-05:00

The following is the next installment of Dinesh's blog. I have picked this one to examine how atheism is using the authority of science to make metaphysical claims; i.e. 'There is no God who made the universe. It is just a natural phenomenon.'

Enjoy!

http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/04/08/biology-without-ideology/

More on the Science & Atheism Question.

2008-06-17T19:22:00.004-05:00

Sorry it has been a while. I will be keeping up from now on. My goal is at least one post per week. We'll see how it goes.

I want to pick up where I left off in my series by Dinesh D'souza on the issue of science, atheism and faith. Part 3 is titled "Atheism Masquerading As Science". Just click the link below.

Special thanks to Alan Moore for his comments on the issue. It has not only given me food for thought but has given me some point/ counter-points with some people I am presently in dialogue with. Keep it coming bro.!

http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/04/07/atheism-masquerading-as-science/

ZZZZZZZZZZ..........

2008-05-28T14:23:00.004-05:00

May day! May day!

Someone wake this punk up!!!

He's falling asleep at the wheel!!

Sorry I have not posted in a while. I will get back on track very soon!

The Real Problem With Darwinism

2008-04-21T09:35:00.004-05:00

I am attaching a link to another post by Dinesh D'souza. This is part 2 of a series of 5. He is discussing the issue of Darwinism in the public school. Interesting thoughts to say the least. I have not looked at the issue from the perspective he offers. Click below to check it out. Trust me...it is worth the read.

http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/04/02/the-real-problem-with-darwinism/#cont

Any Way Is Better Than This

2008-04-20T19:29:00.005-05:00

I am posting some unsolicited advice on how NOT to deal with your kids/ family/ friends if they come home one day and tell you they no longer believe in God.

Believe me, any way is better than this.

P.S. I have to rate this video is "R" for language...not that you will be able to hear it over the sound of your own laughter! It is 46 sec. long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Aq00yJSxo&NR=1

An Honest Look at a Position I Believe In

2008-04-14T06:48:00.007-05:00

I enjoy reading other people's blogs. One of my favorites is by a man named Dinesh D'souza. He is a believer in both God and evolution. He is a Christian apologeticist and one of the best in the world. Below is a link to his thoughts on the problem with Intelligent Design and the fight creationists are engaging in for equal representation in the classroom.

F.Y.I. - while I am certain I am an "Intelligent Design" guy - a view that says God created the heavens and the earth - I do not know if I am a "Creationist" - a belief that says God did it in 6/24hr days. I am certainly open to it as I have clearly stated in an earlier post, however, as I am examining what Scripture's actual claim is and how Gen. 1 & 2 can be legitimately interpreted, I am becoming more open to the idea of an old earth.

I will comment more on this in another post. In the meantime, enjoy some of Dinesh's thoughts!

http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/03/31/the-failure-of-intelligent-design/

My Hermeneutical Approach

2008-03-18T17:27:00.004-05:00

I took this test the shows my attitude toward scripture. It seemed to be quite accurate in my score though I would object to the explanation of the results.

You should take it too just to see where you end up. Go ahead I dare you.

Click http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com/assessments/individuals/hermeneuticsquiz.html

to take it for yourself.

I scored a 46 which means I am a Conservative on the Hermeneutic Scale.

The conservative hermeneutic group scores 52 or lower. The strength of this view is its emphasis on the authority, ongoing and normative authority, of all of Scripture. It tends to operate with the line many of us learned in Sunday school: "If the Bible says it, that settles it." Such persons let the Bible challenge them with full force. Literal readings lead to rather literal applications. Most of the time.

The problem, of course, is that very few people are completely consistent here. At times one suspects something other than strict interpretation is going on when the conservative is willing to appeal to history to suspend the commandment to observe a Saturday Sabbath, but does not to appeal to history on other issues (e.g., capital punishment or homosexuality).

Easter is When?

2008-03-03T13:24:00.003-05:00

Here is something my pastor posted last week about Easter. I thought it was interesting. It has to do with how early Easter is this year. Enjoy!

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20 this year).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Here's the interesting info.
This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives!
And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!).
And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!
Here's the facts:
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now).
The last time it was this early was 1913 ,( if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22 ,and will be in the year 2285 , (277 years from now).
The last time it was on March 22 was 1818.
So, no one alive today will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Thoughts on Church and Other Related Matters

2008-02-25T19:09:00.008-05:00

As I have stated in an earlier post, I am taking a church history class. I find that I am surprised by the pleasure I am getting from it. The perspective that has been gained from taking this class has challenged my worldview of the church a great deal. Let me explain:

One insight I have gained from this class is how much luxury we live in as the western church today. By luxury I do not mean wealth, though we certainly are affluent beyond our willingness to steward that affluence in a godly way. No, what I mean is that we (the church) are living in such luxury that we get to decide what kinds of Christians we will have fellowship with and what kind of church we will go to.

Just stop and think about that for a moment. The western church has the unique privilege of saying, "I do not want to have fellowship with this person or that person, thank you just the same. We do not get along particularly well. Our personalities simply do not mesh well together. No big deal really. That is just how God made us."

We also have the luxury of saying, "You know I think I'll be going to a different church. This one no longer 'does it' for me. I'll go find one that better fits who I am as a person and what my needs are during this season in my life."

Living in such luxury has only fed the 'consumer mentality' western Christianity is going through. We think the church is there for us to meet our selfish wants and desires. This is, in absolute terms, unbiblical and ungodly.

The church is to be in giver-ship not receiver-ship. The work of the church that people need to recieve is the training for works of service (giving). So even when we are receiving, it is for the purpose of giving.

There seem to be two kinds of Christians in the west; those who come to give to the church and the community it lives in and those who receive from the church until it can no longer satisfy their immediate needs and they move on to find another church to 'receive' from.

Which one are you?

Just some random thoughts on church and other related matters.

If I Were President

2008-02-21T16:23:00.001-05:00

Which Great US President Are You Most Like?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Dwight Eisenhower

34th President, in office from 1953-1961
Born: 1890 Died: 1969

Dwight Eisenhower

79%

Ronald Reagan

69%

Theodore Roosevelt

57%

George Washington

55%

Abraham Lincoln

55%

Lyndon Johnson

50%

Franklin Roosevelt

48%

Harry Truman

45%

Woodrow Wilson

45%

John Kennedy

45%

Thomas Jefferson

41%

To Shut Up Or Speak Up? That Is The Question.

2008-02-06T09:15:00.000-05:00

There is a believer I know who is divorcing her husband. She is walking in rebellion, no longer wanting to walk with Christ but still recieve all the benefits of doing so. Her husband is powerless to change her mind/ heart and devestated by her course of action. He has been getting counseling from the church. The elders and counselor all agree that she has no biblical grounds for divorce. While, at first, they were going to confront her in her sin they are no longer going to do so for fear this may drive her further away from God. Had she maintained her volunteer status with the church they would have stepped in but since she has stepped down from the ministries she was serving in they are not going to approach her about her sin and treat her as an unbeliever.

The husband asked me what I thought about all this and below was my reply (with the names removed to protect both the innocent and the guilty).

"Well, it seems to me that they are referring to Matt. 18. This is a three step process where after the third step, if the person will not repent, then you treat them as an unbeliever (which in bible times dealt with the excommunication of the person from the fellowship of the believers). The reason for this was because they would not have fellowship with people who claimed to be in Christ yet refused to live as Christ.

While I think this is a biblically valid means of discipline I would also contend (based solely upon what you have told us) that they are bypassing all three steps and skipping right to the end; except in this case they are still willing to have her fellowship with them. This is not the biblically identified way of addressing sin in the life of a believer; especially one who is still claiming to be a Christ follower
(as she is doing). By skipping to the end they are cowardly avoiding the difficult task of confrontation and restoring a fallen brother. In doing so they are neglecting to love her as Christ calls the church to love one another."

As someone who is going into the ministry fulltime let me say that I in no way look forward to having to do this in the life of someone I have fellowship with. Still, the process is clear and it is for the sake of restoration that it must be done. As scripture tells us, "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins" James 5:20. This must also be done with gentleness and respect and after a period of self-examination lest we be found guilt of 'plank-eye' syndrome.

Restoration is the goal of Matthew 18. When we think that our efforts in this area will be ingnored or possibly make the situation worse we are allowing fear and not hope to dictate our response. What if the opposite happens? What if the person actually says, 'hey you know what? You are right. Forgive me! I have been living in sin and need to turn back to living in righteousness.' This is a rosey and over-simplified picture I have just painted I know but... would not a response of repentance be worth the risk?

To be sure the heart and tone of the confrontation need to be saturated with love, truth and grace but confrontation must happen if we are going to love one another well.

Just some thoughts on whether to shut up or speak up.

Earth: Young or Old

2008-01-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

You know there is a great deal of debate on how old the earth really is. The issue at hand for Christians and skeptics alike seems to be the "tension" between what science says the age of the Earth is and what the Bible says it is.

Let me throw my two cents into the pot just to keep things stirred up!

My first thought is this - We read in Gen. 1:1-2 the following:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

Now my first question is raise because of verse 2. Namely, how long was the earth in this condition before verse three?

Answer: We do not know. It could be billions of years for all we know. The point is the time that lapses durring verses 1 & 2 does not effect verses 3-31. Also we do not know how much time went by before the fall.

So there is one biblical explanation for an old earth/universe. But let me throw out another explanation that I am finding to be more probable.

What if God made the earth and, in fact, the whole universe fully mature? Here is what I mean.

For example, when God made man He made them fully grown people. He did not take an egg in one hand and a sperm in another and mash them together, holding them in His hands until 40 weeks had gone by, nurtured a child, help him grow from baby to boy and from boy to man. No, He created Adam (and Eve) already fully mature creatures, past puberty and capable of producing offspring right from the start. So, even though they had the appearance of, say, a 30 year old man and woman, they in fact were actually only 1 day old as far as actual time is concerned. The same is true of the vegetation, the birds of the air, beasts of the land and the creatures of the sea.

Does it not stand to reason that when God created everything else that he did so as a fully mature Earth ready and capable of handling what God was about to put on it? That the sun was made fully mature and ready to provide the life sustaining energy the Earth would need to sustain what God was going to put on it? That the Universe itself was made fully mature and ready to handle the earth that God made and put in it?

Here is my point: While science may in fact accurately observe an old Earth, it does so based upon appearance not actual time. Meaning - while the Earth may seem old given it's mature state, in fact only about 10,000 years of actual time has elapsed. Thus, when we do carbon dating and measure the universe in light years or whatever, what we are measuring is actually the 'maturity' of the universe and not the actual amount of 'time' that has lapsed.

If we think that time and maturity are the same then we are making a huge assumtion and run the possibility of misleading our selves into thinking that the earth and the universe took billions of years to get to the point it is at now. If your view is that the two are the same, I can understand the difficulty in reconciling science with scripture.

Just some food for thought when considering Earth: young or old.

Getting Inside My Head

2008-01-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

To the right are the results of two tests that I took. They are to determine which theologian I most line up with. I was surprised by the results of this one. The second one shows the theological worldview I look at life from. The results for this did not surprise me.

Here are the links to these two sites if you too would like to take this test.

Theologian : http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=7092N

Theological worldview: http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=7095N

It looks like the percentages for my worldview got cut off when they posted in my blog.

They should read as follows 89% - 75% - 64% - 57% - 57% - 57% - 46% - 39% - 32%

Enjoy!

The View From Back To Front

2008-01-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

I am taking a church history class for my masters. We are getting into some events that have shaped the church into what it is today; namely Luther and the Reformation. I sit and read with awe at the Popes response to Luther's claims (his 95 points). Luther was labeled a heretic by the church simply because he went against the established church tradition. when asked to recant his statements, salvation by faith alone being one of them, Luther replied simply by asking the pope and church authorities to show him his error biblically. If there was no biblical proof for his error then he was not going to recant.

I understand where the church was coming from though...and it is a warning to us all. The church had become an elite group with power over the masses. There influence and power was something they held on to tightly. It was also absolute. In this the church became corrupt selling indulgences; a practice Luther adamantly opposed. Luther challenged not only the power of the church but the relevance of the established hierarchy itself. Like the Pharisees before them, the bishops and the Pope resisted with all their might. They refused to return to the scriptures to refute Luther's claims and consequently split the church in two.

What a lesson for us today. It is important to know why we believe what we believe, why we do what we do. It is also important that these beliefs and practices are supported by Scripture. Above all else, the lesson I take away from this is that it is better to admit error and walk away having embraced the truth than to win an argument in stubborn denial of truth.

These are just a few lessons I have learned looking at the view from back to front.

Discover the Meaning of Worship

2008-01-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share some thoughts I had regarding worship, our ministry context and the issues we need to be addressing as the church in western culture.

For what it is worth here are some thoughts:

Given the whole…I think our understanding of worship is wrong when we come together on a Sunday morning. I am so guilty of this myself but, I am finding that when I come on Sunday I am ready to receive from God a word or encouragement or something that will carry me through from one week to the next. I find myself saying things like "Wow the singing really blessed me this morning" or "I got a lot out of the sermon this week" or "I was really challenged/ encouraged by this or that". It is all about what I get out of our corporate time.

This is the complete opposite of what worshiping God is. Worship is what we give to God to celebrate Him. It is what we offer to Him for His glory and purpose; to declare His greatness and goodness. What I get out of it is inconsequential and entirely irrelevant. What matters is whether or not I have made an offering to the Lord that attributes His worth and that He finds pleasing and acceptable.

What would happen if, one Sunday morning, we told people that they had to come to church prepared to give something to God and the focus of that offering was the glory of God Himself. Not how much better off I am and how good my life is or what I get out of being in a relationship with God but rather a praise, declaration and celebration of who God is what He has done, how He is mighty and good, etc. What would happen if we said there was going to be no “planned” singing, sermon or church program at all but rather each person had to come Sunday morning to present to God an “offering” of some kind where He was the sole focus; i.e. a song, poem, praise/ testimony, prayer, tithe… you get the idea. As I read in God’s Word that He inhabits the praises of his people, I can not help but think this is more of what He has in mind rather than the “church” we do/ have each Sunday. I know this sounds radical but I think there is something to all this.

I am going to stop now before I run the risk of ranting.

I would absolutely love to get your reaction to this perspective and how it would change not only our worship but our relationship with the living God Himself as we discover the meaning of worship!!

Logan, The Sky Angel Cowboy

2007-12-22T21:27:00.000-05:00

What a great reminder of how God reminds even the youngest among us of the sacrificial Gift he gave us on Christmas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY&feature=related

The Evidence No Atheist Can Deny

2007-12-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

It took me by surprise at first. In the Faith section of our local newspaper was an article on the new book “The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings For The Nonbeliever”. This book is being edited by Christopher Hitchens; arguably one of the worlds leading atheistic thinkers today. I say I was taken by surprise because the atheist’s position is one of non-belief. Many would reason that if you hold to a position of non-belief then you do not have faith; something that would logically be required in order to make the faith section. After further reflection, however, I found the article to be appropriately placed. Here is why.

The atheist position holds to the idea that since the scientific evidence cannot irrefutably point to the existence of God, why believe in Him. Faith is a difficult concept for the atheist. They see it as something believers hide behind when there are no answers to tough questions. Faith is seen as a road block to rationality. What they are missing however, is the view from the other direction. The scientific evidence also cannot irrefutably disprove the existence of God, something that the noted Oxford biology professor and atheist Richard Dawkins admits to. Therefore, any position on God’s existence one way or the other requires (dare I say demands) faith. So I agree that religious people believe what they do based on faith… but so does the atheist.

Atheist’s claim their position is based on logic, evidence, rationality and reason. To them any claim to faith (Christian faith in particular) is lacking in these qualities. Yet there are those who are exceptionally brilliant that use these qualities in full measure and still hold a position of faith; G.K. Chesterton, Dinesh D’Souza, Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox and C.S. Lewis to name a few. However, these men are great because of their rarity in the faith not their common place. Most of us are too busy to do what is required to love God mightily with our minds. We are saved ourselves and that is satisfactory for us.

Consequently, a lack of evidence continues to be the main thrust for the atheistic argument. If the evidence was there they would believe God is real. As I think about that, I have to admit there is little evidence to prove God’s existence. I say this with the words of Jesus in mind when he said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” If the faith community is honest with itself this is something we do not excel at given the whole. We look too much like the world to stand out as light shining in the darkness. The first century church grew solely because of how they loved each other. This was the evidence for the existence of God and the truth of the gospel back then, it is the only true evidence for the skeptic today. We so often demand the pastor practice what he preaches while at the same time ignore the fact that we ourselves are not living what we believe in the way we know we should.

Thus, we find Hitchens words to be true when he says, in spite of their claims “people are not as religious as many think.” As a Christian, I find the truth of this comment disheartening. The outsider looks in only to find so little of the life of the church being devoted to living for the glory of God. It may say so in the mission statement of each particular church, but it is not being lived out well enough to make a noticeable, measurable difference in our culture today.

Friends, this should not be so. Living our faith is the evidence for the truth of the gospel that the world needs. Doctrine and creed alone leave the skeptic bereft of divine satisfaction. They may deny the infallibility of the Scriptures, doubt its claims, point out our imperfections and call us irrational, illogical, unthinking and unreasonable, but the one piece of evidence they will never be able to deny is the contagious, abundant, overflowing, uncontainable, irresistible, eternally full, transformed life of a Christ follower.

So shine your light brightly. Live like God has made a difference in your life. Let us together, as the church community of Jesus Christ, give the skeptic the one piece of evidence they cannot deny - a transformed life!

If It Wasn't So Scary I Would Be Laughing.

2007-11-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

No disrespect towards Islam intended but I must say someone in the Muslim community has got to get a clue as to what religious hatred is.

I do not know if you have heard, but a British school teacher who is (make that was) teaching at a school in Sudan was convicted of inciting religious hatred.

Here is the story from a news network I read on line:

"KHARTOUM, Sudan — British teacher Gillian Gibbons has been convicted of inciting religious hatred for letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad and sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation from Sudan....

'It's a very fair verdict, she could have had six months and lashes and a fine, and she only got 15 days and deportation,' said Robert Boulos of the Unity High School, adding they would not appeal the decision.

Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday after complaints to the Education Ministry that she had insulted Prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in Islam, by applying his name to a toy animal.

The maximum penalty for the charge, which has attracted world wide attention was 40 lashes, a fine and six months in prison."

The teacher allowed the students to come up with the name. The teacher's only crime was giving the children the freedom to choose a name for that teddy bear themselves. She was in no way expressing and religious hated for Islam.

And to say that the sentence she received was fair is absolutely absurd! There is no way she should have been in jail at all. Thankfully the Sudanese Prime Minister has officially pardoned her and is shipper her back to England ASAP. Still this whole thing is ridiculous.

If it wasn't so scary I would be laughing.

Reading My Mail

2007-11-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

Below is an e-mail I replied to that was sent out by my aunt. My cousin chimed in with his thoughts and so I had to do the same. (you know me)

Anyway, it was concerning the movie coming out called "The Golden Compass"

Enjoy!...

Hello from the USA!

You know, Randy, my mother forwarded this to me and I just could not help but throw my 2cents in here on this issue.

Let me start by saying that I went to the Internet Monk blog site; VERY GOOD by the way. (I have booked marked it)
In the article he makes the comment, “You see, I’m firmly in the camp of Chesterton on this one. The more the atheist talks, the more Christianity makes sense to me.”

While I like the comment and resonate with it personally, the problem lies in the fact that the average Christian in most American (& Canadian) homes does not have the intellectual where-with-all to refute and stand up to claims made by this “New Atheism” that is becoming part of pop-culture. In fact most cannot give an adequate defense for the infallibility of Scripture let alone for the existence of God Himself. This is a real dilemma for the Christian today. I say this because most believers do not even know who G.K. Chesterton is along with Dinesh D’Souza, Ravi Zacharias, Norman L. Geisler and C.S. Lewis. These men are great because of their rarity in the faith not their common place. These men are great because they did what Jesus asks of all of us when he says to love God with all our minds. This requires too much time, effort and energy. We are just too busy in this day and age to do what is required to love God mightily in this area. We are saved ourselves and that is satisfactory for us.

Thus, many Christians find themselves in a bit of a bind when faced with such a “threat” as the one this movie offers specifically and Atheism offers generally. Because of this lack of intellectual muscle, Christians find they only have two choices:

1. Admit they don’t have any real reason for believing what they do and embrace as truth the argument they cannot defeat.
2. Protest.

The only other option for the Christian is to just sit there and take the verbal ridicule from their assailant. While I would suggest this is the most Christ-like of the three, it does get quite wearisome after a while and puts the believer in a mindset of not wanting to engage at all. They would just rather be left alone. A “If you don’t bother me, I won’t bother you; you live your life and I’ll live mine and we’ll both be fine” type of approach. This is a dangerous position to take as a believer. We have lived in our own ‘Christian subculture’ for too long and it is now coming back to bite us in the seat cushion. If we will not engage our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ then the cultural tide of godlessness will continue to roll in as a flood and drown the spiritually weak among us.

So what are we to do with this new movie coming out? Well my personal preference would be to go see it. I always enjoy getting new insight in how the modern world is thinking. However, given the strength of intellectual state of many in the church today, my advice to the masses would be this: if your faith is not strong enough to withstand such a thing STRENGTHEN IT!!

Blessings to all,

Matthew

Made In His Image

2007-11-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

In case you are not familiar with me and my family, I have a four year old Daughter with Autism. I was asked a few questions from a new friend about my struggle with this situation this week and I thought I would share them with you.

The question was asked what have I learned the most about God in this situation.

The following is my response:

More than anything else, I think God has challenged me on what it means to be made in His image. It began when my wife asked me to consider praying Scripture over our daughter for her healing. Typically I do not do this. I feel as though when people do something like this they are in desperate situations and, in an effort to "strong arm" God, are claiming a promise of God that was not made to them. They want the promise of someone else for themselves. This has the devastating potential of setting you up for a major disappointment and disillusionment. It was a risk I did not want to take.

However, after some prayer I felt a peace about doing this. So I began to do a word search on the topic of concern. Namely, that our daughter cannot talk. So I decided to look up scriptures for things like speech, lips, mouth, tongue, voice, etc.

The first one I came to was Exodus 4:10-12. Moses is speaking with God at the burning bush. God is asking Moses to go to Pharaoh. Moses in turn gives God a litany of things that disqualify him for the task (something that I relate to concerning my calling as well). One of things was his difficulty in speech. Moses tells God "I can't speak well. I can't do what you are asking."

You know I always remembered this story with God getting angry and fed-up with Moses and saying, "Well fine then, I'll send Aaron with you and he can speak for you!!!" You know what, He does not do that yet. Instead He says something to Moses I was not prepared to hear.

God says,"Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

When I read this the Spirit hit me in the chest like a tun of bricks. God was telling me that our daughters Autism was not the result of a genetic defect. It was not because something went wrong in the womb or in her delivery. On the contrary, it was God's intention that she be like this. God reminder me that He molded and fashioned her with his own hand; that she was just as fearfully and wonderfully made as any other child. To God, She was a Psalm 139 child. She was fashioned by the hand of God Himself. Created with divine design, meaning and purpose, with the same fear and wonder as anyone else.

God also showed me that He heard my prayer and I needed to go in peace and leave Him alone about Delaney's healing. He Himself was going to help her speak and teach her what to say.

Well that was when I realized that God had made her just the way that she was. If I was not accepting of that then I was telling God that He made a mistake with my daughter and I did not approve of or like His creation. How could I say that to God?

After that 'talk' between me and God I was challenged to rethink what it means to be Made in His Image.

Strong Enough To Be Honest

2007-11-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

There has been some issue being raised about the private letters of Mother Teressa. In them she expresses doubt and disillusionment with God. She openly struggles with what God is doing and whether He is even there in the first place.

Of course this has brought out many in the atheist community to pooh-pooh on her faith with the "see we told you so" babble.

You know what though, I have to admit, if I had no faith, I would probably form similar opinions about the "Saint of Calcutta" concerning this matter. However, after closer examination I realize that even the giants of our faith, the patriarch's, especially David, wrestled with doubt and confusion concerning the where-a-bouts of God, what He was doing and how long was He going to allow injustice to continue. If you take an honest look at Mother Teressa's life hers is one of similar struggle. She went to the poorest place on the face of the Earth and let the light of love shine in the darkness. She did so in the name of Jesus; to bring the Kingdom to Earth to those who would otherwise never experience it. I would dare say that, were it not for Mother Teressa, those people would still be waiting!

I can only presume the source of such a crisis of faith, but if I were to venture a guess I would be willing to bet that Mother Teressa was looking at the whole of her ministry to the poor, diseased and rejected and was wondering what it all was for. What difference was she making? After all this time, Calcutta is still arguably one of the worst places on Earth. She buries the dead every day. People still go hungry. They are still sick and diseased. All she could do was love them through this hell and she was doubting her impact. She was angry with the conditions there and the hopelessness of the people who are its residents. When you reach the end of your life you want to know that what you have done has made a difference.

I would be willing to bet Mother Teressa was examining the scope of her life and work and began to wonder why God has not done more to change the people and conditions of Calcutta. It all seems quite natural to me. It also makes such a person 'human'. The life of mother Teressa was so transcendent from the world in which she lived that we looked at her as someone who was almost superhuman. In fact, she asked the same questions most of us have asked and felt the things we have felt about God's sovereignty... which makes her one of us (to the great relief of the atheist I might add).

This reminds me of John the Baptist. Jesus called him the greatest of all the prophets. He ushered in the readiness of the coming Messiah, preached with boldness and spoke out against the religious hypocrisy of his day. He was a giant of faith full of the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet we read that once he was imprisoned he begins to wrestle. He doubts. He questions. He sent his disciples out to ask Jesus if he was the Christ written about in Scripture or should he expect another. Jesus has to encourage John with the truth of the Scripture that showed he was indeed the Christ; that John's work had not been in vain; that the work John had prepared for his whole life was not for nothing, but rather, that it had fulfilled the purpose of God. Mother Teressa needed the same encouragement.

Like Mother Teressa, John's crisis was not the result of a lack of faith, but rather, the result of a faith strong enough to be honest.

Maintaining Perspective

2007-10-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of preaching at a church that is in transition. At the moment, they are looking for a new pastor. I was pleased with the opportunity as I feel called to be a pastor and preaching/ teaching is going to be a major role for me in ministry. However, I have found I am dealing with an inner tension. Let me explain...

I have a gift of singing and leading worship. As humbly as I can say this I am continually affirmed in this gift. It took some time but I am at a place where I am in complete freedom when I lead worship through song. I am not worried about what people may say or think. It does not matter to me that there are 1200 people I am singing in front of on Sunday morning, in my heart I am only singing to One...God himself. I do so with passion, confidence and freedom. This is only because I know I am lost in my worship of the one true God. It is Him I am singing to and no one else.

The tension I am feeling lies in my preaching. I want to begin by saying that I do enjoy preaching. I love exegeting the Word of God and explaining it to people. I enjoy challenging them to take seriously their claim to Christ and live what they profess...You get the idea.

However, I am noticing something about preaching that is different than singing. When I preach I know that I am not preaching to God like when I sing. Preaching is to people. It is to challenge people. It is in front of people. People judge whether or not I did a good or bad job.

As a result I find myself less free when I preach. I am wondering how my delivery is coming off and being received. Am I capturing the attention of the congregation? Are they engaging in the message? Are they being challenged, encouraged and/or edified? In short are they getting anything out of what I am saying or am I just waisting their time?

These are honest questions and feelings that I hope come with the newness of preaching. I hope they will go away as my confidence builds in my preaching gift in the same way it has with my singing gift.

I do not know what I am even asking for really. Just looking for some encouragement to help me in Maintaining Perspective.

Are They Christian?

2007-09-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

In a previous post labeled "The One True Church", someone wrote a comment that I would like you to read. In it he asked a very good question. The context was discussing who is the one true church. His question was about heresy. "The bible says if we "confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead" we are saved. But is there a quantifiable limit on what sort of heresy we can stack on that foundation without undermining it?...What minimum amount of orthodoxy is required for salvation and membership in the True Church?"

I have found this question difficult to answer. Does your theology have to be 100% correct to be saved or can you have some "misunderstandings" or "wrong ideas" about certain things and still be saved? If so, where is the line drawn for such things?

I ask this because I just read an article in the paper with the same title as this blog asking whether Mormons are Christian. The issue seems to be surfacing again as a result of Mitt Romney's run for the presidency.

So I pose to you this same question my friend posed to me.

Are They Christian?

Can We Limbo? Part II

2007-08-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know why, but the subject of limbo came up while I was at work recently. I was sharing with a co-worker the thoughts I posted on a previous blog when I realized that I was making a very BIG assumption.

I based my thoughts on the assumption that we are not conscience of anything, especially God, His calling, or existence, while we are young or still in the womb and therefore were not capable of responding to God at all. I assumed that possibility did not exist because I personally cannot remember my life in the womb or before I was 5 or 6 years old, nor do I know any one who can.

With this possibility in mind I am unable to say with too much confidence what happens when children die at a young age because I do not know what God is doing in the life of that child, nor do I know how that child is responding to God during the developmental process.

If it is possible to respond to God during this stage in life, then there is no need for a post-death/pre-judgement presentation of the gospel. God would be able to judge justly from the time of conception based upon our response to Him.

Of course, it would also mean that not every child automatically goes to heaven and the theological premise behind an "Age of Accountability" can no longer be supported. Thus, some children would go to Heaven and others would not. I know that makes us very uncomfortable. But if a response to God is possible at every stage in life then no one has an excuse; no matter what length of time they have been in existence.

But hey, cheer-up!! There is always the theology of "Election" to fall back on...if that would help make you feel better.

Again, just some thoughts from a fallible mind trying to understand the inner-workings of an infallible God.

Free At Last!!!

2007-08-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

You may remember in a previous post I had asked you to please pray for the South Korean hostages who were Christians and were in Afghanistan doing relief work. They were captured by the Taliban and were being used as leverage for negotiations.

Well today the last of them have been freed!! I thank God for working out His will in this way. While I do not know what had to be paid or agreed to in order for them to be released they are finally Free At Last!!

What a wonderful picture of redemption. We too were being held for ransom by our adversary the Devil. We were only released once the debt of sin was paid in full. Now because Jesus our Messiah has paid our debt we now have life in Him!!

Thank you God for the release of your people out of the hands of their enemies. May it remind us that we too have been freed from our enemy. May we praise you for it by living a life worthy of the Name by which we are called!!

Remember!!

2007-08-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

My heart is aching tonight as I type this blog. I was out of town for a few days and came home to read the news papers from the weekend. In Saturday's paper was a story on the plight of pastors; high profile pastors in particular.

It seems that Juanita Bynum and her estranged husband, Thomas Weeks III, of Global Destiny Church, had an altercation in a hotel parking lot. According to Bynum's account, Weeks allegedly, "knocked her down...and then kicked and stomped her until a hotel employee came to her rescue."

Also, on the same day, pastors Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church, have announced to their congregation that they are getting a divorce. It is reported that this divorce is amicable and comes after years of counseling.

I am sensitive to this issue because I am a PK (no not a Promise Keeper, I mean Preachers Kid). My parents divorced when I was in the 5th grade. I also know a good handful of pastors who have meet a similar fate or are struggling to same their marriage as I write this.

Sometimes I get the feeling that those who enter into full-time ministry as an occupation are automatically fitted with a bulls-eye attached to their marriage and family. I think this is especially true if you are "successful" in the ministry God has called you to. I am troubled by this since I am seeking to enter into the pastoral ministry myself and am currently working on my masters degree. I wonder what awaits me and my family as we go forward into the ministry God has called us to. Still it is a huge wake-up call for me to be vigilant in putting my family ahead of my "ministry".

Which, I suppose, leads me to the point of this blog entry. Let me ask you a question. Do you faithfully pray for your pastor? Is his family someone you can lift up to God in intercession for God's favor and protection? If not, will you take a minute to do so. A small investment in prayer for your pastor could save your church a lot of heartache. It could also help it thrive!!

Please, remember your pastor.

Pursuing Truth

2007-08-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

Over the course of several years, and more frequently over the last several months, I have been in conversation with someone about God, religion, the bible and the person of Jesus Christ. He is a skeptic but acknowledges the existence of God and absolute truth. He is struggling to find the answers to his questions. Since some of his questions do not have any answers it has been difficult for him to embrace Christianity at this time.

I have been so wonderfully challenged by his questions as they force me to articulate the 'why' behind the 'what' of my beliefs (something I wish I could do more often in life). Still, there is something about his approach that I think is greatly hindering his discovery of truth. I am under the impression that he approaches his search for truth as someone who is not looking for reasons to believe in Jesus, Christianity, the bible, etc. but rather is looking for reasons not to believe. I sense that this approach is a real stumbling block for him. It appears to me that he won't come to belief until he runs out of reasons not to, things to question and objections to make. As long as he has a reason not to believe he won't. As long as there is an answer he can't find he will always question or raise an objection.

This is a concern for me because there will always be a reason to doubt when you are looking for one. There is never an irrefutable, undeniable, 'smoking gun' when it comes to the existence of God, the claims of Christ/ the bible and the like with an approach to truth like this one. There are some things that need to be taken in faith; something that is very difficult to do for a skeptic I admit. However, if you ignore the mountain of evidence calling you to believe and focus only on the pebble of reasons not to, I think you are cheating yourself out of discovering what truth really is.

The neat thing about being a Christ follower is that, once you come to a place of faith in Him, the discovery and understanding of truth is only just beginning of our search, not the end. There is so much more to learn and understand after a decision to believe has been made. So for me, the best approach to embracing truth is to find the reasons to believe in something. Examine the existing evidence and determine from the evidence we have before us if is it believable. Sure there are questions we would like answers to. But for now is the evidence we have enough for us to reasonably put our faith in? If not, then keep looking for more reasons to believe, but do not rob yourself of belief by looking for the reasons not to.

Just something to think about if you are someone who is pursuing truth.

What is in a name?

2007-08-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

There is a outgoing Roman Catholic bishop in Norway who is asking all people (Christians, Jews and Muslims) to call God Allah.

He states, "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem."

His reasoning is that since Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God we should all call Him Allah.

Well, excuse me for saying this, I mean no disrespect to the Bishop but... if God did not care what we called Him then he would not have given us His Name in the first place!!!!

We do not worship the same God in the least bit. Allah and Yahweh are two different "dieties" all together. Therefore, we can not link them together. One is the true God and the other the "god" of Muslims, but they are not the same. I welcome anyone to prove to me otherwise.

Perhaps in your search you will discover what is in a name.

The Persecuted Church

2007-08-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

I do not know why, but the 21 surviving South Korean hostages have been on my mind lately. it is my understanding that these people are Christians working in the country of Afghanistan to provide medical aid and relief. They have been captured by the Taliban and are being held for ransom.

I was reading an article earlier last week that interviewed the families of these captives. I was challenged by their main concern for their family members. it was that even in their captivity they may reflect the love of Christ to their captors.

May we all have that kind of love for our enemies. May we all remember them in our prayers of intercession...

The Persecuted Church.

The One True Church

2007-07-18T08:44:00.000-05:00

The pope recently reaffirmed the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church. He said that all other churches that have formed from Martin Luther and later are not part of the true church. It was interesting to me to hear this from the pope. I know that this has always been the position of the Roman Catholic church, however, I was surprised to hear this statement since Protestants and catholics have been trying to bridge the gap that has been between them in recent years. This seems to be a step backwards in uniting the church as the "one body many parts" that it is.

I wonder where they get this idea biblically? If you are Catholic or understand this line of thinking and where it comes from would you let me know by posting a comment? I know I am a protestant but I will try not to let that get in the way of my thinking biblically about this issue of discussing who is the church. I know I am probably preaching to the choir on this one but, as I look at the scriptures, it seems to me what is taught is that anyone who repents and believes in Jesus as Messiah and lives for Him is a part if His body. Thus the church is made up of its individual parts that form a collective whole (the body of Christ) rather than a singular denomination.

It would be nice if we could keep all this in the forefront of our minds as we proclaim the gospel (even as Protestants. We can get pretty 'high and mighty' somestimes as well). It would be good for us to cheer each other on (denominationally speaking) as we bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, proclaim the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ. I mean if it is about winning souls, then shouldn't we be excited no matter which denomination is making disciples? This is what the church is supposed to be all about.

This is the picture of the one true church.

Delaney's Hope

2007-07-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

To those who may not know, the picture above is that of my beautiful daughter. She has Autism and has many struggles. I have put together a website for her. I am asking everyone to please visit it and check it out. She is in need of some help and the website tells her story and what her needs are.

If you find it acceptable, would you pass her website on to everyone you know? She needs all the help she can get.

Deepest thanks!!

http://www.delaneyshope.org/

To watch a message from Delaney please got to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rsVb6rUc8k&eurl=

Keep Your Pants Up or It Can Cost You $25G/ Month

2007-06-23T15:39:00.000-05:00

Rapper 50cent has a child with a woman named Shaniqua Tomkins. They are no longer together and he pays child support. However Ms. Tomkins is taking him back to court because she does not think the $25 grand per month is not enough money for her to support their son.

Now I'm sorry, but if your cannot take care of your child for $25 g's a month then you need a lesson in money management. Does anyone know Dave Ramsey's phone number? here's some quick math:

$25g/ month = $300,000/ yr
$300,000 x 18 yrs. = $5.4 million

The only reason she wants more cash is because 50 cent is worth millions. I think this woman needs a wake-up call as to the reality of the amount of child support most moms in this country get. I know for a fact there are thousands of mothers who would love to get $25 g's per year let alone every month.

Wake-up sweetheart!!! You are making out just fine! The money is not for you anyway, it is for your son.

Men, the moral of the story is this: Keep Your Pants Up or It Can Cost You $25G/ Month!

Can We Limbo?

2007-06-18T18:17:00.000-05:00

I was reading the other week in the paper an article about limbo. This is a theological issue that deals with the eternal state of children, babies and the unborn who die; namely, do they go to Heaven or Hell or somewhere in between? Basically, the article says the the official Roman Catholic position is that there is no official position. It also touched on a more evangelical approach which deals with an age of accountability. This idea says that children under a certain age (when they still do not know right from wrong) should they die automatically go to Heaven.

This is something that is difficult to answer to be sure. However, I would like to take a stab at it. I want to throw out some thoughts that will challenge you and may in fact invoke an array of emotion. So brace yourself. You are in for an bumpy ride emotionally and intellectually.

The main thing I want to do when answering this emotionally charged question is examine what we all already believe about how we Get to Heaven; namely salvation. We are only saved one way...by believing in Jesus the Messiah. Only those who believe are saved. We all know this. We all believe this.

However, how does this apply to the death of young children and the unborn? May I suggest it applies the same to them as it does to everyone else. Here is my reasoning.

I believe Scripture teaches that:
1. Life begins at conception
2. At conception we posses a fallen, depraved nature that is hostile and rebellious towards God
3. Because of 1 & 2 we are guilty of sin and in need of salvation
4. Those who die without believing in Jesus the Messiah are not saved

Conclusion: Young children, babies and the unborn who do not believe in Jesus go to hell

Can I just tell you that the conclusion I draw from the truth about what Scripture teaches about salvation really bothers me. It is very unsettling for me...as I am sure it is for you. Let me be honest with you as to why this is so troubling for me and see if you do not feel the same way.

1. Children, Babies and the unborn are seen as innocent in our eyes
2. Because of 1. God must feel they same way about them as we do
3. Because of 1 & 2 He would extend the grace required to grant these little ones salvation without believing in Jesus.

Weigh the first four statement against the last three. Which ones carry the most Biblical support? Why is it hard to believe 1-4 when it comes to children? I believe it is because we think it is unjust for God to send little ones to hell when they have not had the chance to believe. While I have wrestled with this thought deeply, I have concluded it is not unjust for a holy and merciful God to send sinners to hell no matter what their age.

Still, this is very unsettling isn't it? There still seems like there is something not right about it.
While the justice of God might call us to concede the fate of children who die young, the mercy of God seems left undemonstrated. This is a good question. Where is the mercy of God in such a situation? May I introduce a radical thought? While it is more biblically implicit than explicit I would like to suggest that somehow there is a way the Gospel is preached to them and choice is granted even though they have died.

God has called us to choose. Biblically, I think he has called everyone to choose. How many times has God called us to 'Choose this day whom we will serve', and , 'I set before you blessing and cursing...Choose life that you might live'...etc. If people have never heard the Gospel how can they choose? So I ask this question: "Does death relieve us of our obligation to choose?" Now if you are in the camp that says 'not choosing is a choice' then I refer you to 1-4 and you have your answer regarding the eternal destiny of children. Otherwise, I have to wonder if God does not somehow give children the opportunity to hear the gospel, make a choice and, based on that choice, determine their eternal state. After thinking about it long and hard, this is the only way I see both the Justice and Mercy of God working together in this situation. This is just a thought mind you. I would never say it is biblically certain. Just a finite mind wrestling with a difficult question.

Think it over and work through the emotion of what you think about this issue. Then send me a comment and lets discuss. I am eager to hear your thoughts.

Are You Serious?!?!?!?

2007-06-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

OK, so what I am about to tell you is real. I know because I read this on the web page of a national television news channel. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

Apparently someone from the Air Force asked for $7.5 million to develop a "Love Bomb"

The article read as follows:

"The Air Force on Tuesday confirmed a report that in 1994 a military researcher requested $7.5 million to develop a non-lethal "love bomb" that would chemically alter the state of mind of enemy troops and make them want to have sex with each other rather than fight.

The idea was proposed by an Air Force researcher at a lab at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas, but it was rejected by the Defense Department.

As part of the military's goal of developing non-lethal weapons, the proposal suggested, "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behavior.

The proposal also offered other ideas, such as a "sex attractant" chemical that would make "annoying and injurious creatures" like stinging bugs more aggressive and draw them to the enemy's position. Another chemical would leave such a strong stench, the enemy would be detectable for weeks.

A Defense Department spokesman said that he was not aware of any "love bomb" proposal but called the idea one of the most ridiculous things he'd heard."

Yea, it's ridiculous alright. I mean this sort of thing gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "getting caught with your pants down." Having been in the military myself let me tell you that if a "Love Bomb" got dropped on our enemies believe me they are not going to sit by and commit sodomy in an uncontrollable fit of lust while we attack them. Can you imagine the scene as our troops approach? I want to elaborate I really, really do but I think your imagination can picture it well enough.

Besides what are the implications of such a bomb? If we can develop a chemical that will force otherwise heterosexual males engage in homosexual acts...would there not be a way to reverse that and make otherwise homosexual people "not be gay"? I mean...that would be an evangelicals dream!! (Again with the sarcasm. Sorry about that... kind of)

I can only imagine the controversy that would ensue as a result of such a development. A "Love Bomb"? Who comes up with this stuff?

Are You Serious?!?!?!?

I Am Excited

2007-06-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the National Conference my church denomination held in OH. I went for one reason; a reason I want to share with you, but first some background.

I am called to be in pastoral ministry. I have a heart for the church and get juiced-up when I see people growing another step closer to the Almighty God. I have been wrestling with this for some time. The denomination I grew up in has offered me no life. I was made to celebrate God in a way that was different from our traditions. So when God called me to ministry I had a hard time agreeing with Him because, at the time, I only had one model of "doing church" in my mind, the way of my denomination. I knew God made me different and I could not see how who he made me to be was going to fit into what he was calling me to do. Thankfully, during my college years, I was able to experience different churches outside my denomination. I found many who worshiped God in ways that fit my God-given design. They were doing ministry the way I would want to do it if I were a pastor. So after a close evaluation of my gifts, passions and design, I am now getting my masters at the Huntington University Graduate School and am going into the ministry.

Now, what led me to go to my denominations National Conference was a nagging feeling God placed in me to pray about becoming a pastor in my denomination. I began to talk with other pastors about the state of our denomination (which is in very bad shape) and discuss the changes the leadership of our denomination were making (which are very, very good). Long story short, I felt that going to the National Conference would give me a good feel for where the denomination was going and could help me discern the ministry direction I was to do in.

Well, it did. As I told a friend of mine at the conference... "I knew coming here would give me a good feel for where the denomination was going. What I didn't know was that I would like it!!" In all honesty I was fully expecting to go to this conference and say, "Yea, that's what I thought" and then go on my way. Instead, I found myself blown away by what I saw and heard throughout the whole weekend. The whole conference was a blast of fresh air in a church that was always so stiff. I can truly say being refreshed was not what I expected but that is what I got.

So I am going forward with getting licensed with-in my denomination. I am glad to see the changes that are being made to help produce life and impact for the kingdom. I pray God will prepare the way for me and use me as an agent of change to bring life back into His people and His church.

SO...what is God getting you excited about?

Risking It

2007-05-19T07:41:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine has been going through a rough time lately. He does not have a lot of money. He grew up in one the most dysfunctional homes I have seen in a long time. His wife has just left him and took their children to live with her family. They are now separated.

This has caused him to search for help in his life. As a co-worker of his I have tried to be a good witness to him throughout my time there. He has heard me talk with other co-workers about God and has even asked me a few questions himself. My approach is more laid back when I share Christ with people. I do not water down my witness what so ever, but I also never take it to the next step and ask them to believe in Jesus. I guess I am expecting that if God wants to stir their hearts to come to Him then they will say to me, "Hey Matt, How do I have eternal life?" or something like that and therefore, I do not need to run the risk of what might be thought or said of me for making such a bold request of them.

This particular friend was someone with whom I did not go the extra step.

Now he is in the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning (long story), had a slight stroke from the carbon monoxide and has West Nile Virus. In short he almost died right at a time when he began asking (in light of his current circumstances) about how to renew his religious interests. He is doing better but I cannot help but think of his eternal state had God not intervened and spared his life.

What is it that holds me back so much? What am I afraid of? What would happen if I went to the next step and called those who hear me speak the name of Jesus to repentance and belief in Him? Would those fears/ excuses have been a good enough reason for me not asking him to believe if my friend had died? Would they be good enough for you? I hope not!! I hope there is something as unsettling about that thought in you as their is in me.

So, I am writing to challenge us all...if we are followers of Jesus Christ, let us not only speak his name with boldness but also have the courage to call others to his saving grace! Who knows...God may give eternal live to someone you know and love.
And isn't that worth Risking It?

Question: What holds you back and why? Let me know by posting a comment. May everyone who read it pray for you as you boldly and courageously share Jesus Christ in your world.

About Leaving A Comment

2007-05-18T16:35:00.000-05:00

Because some of you have wanted to leave a comment but did not want to have to create a user name & password I have good news for you...You Don't Have To!!!

Just click on "other" or "anonymous" and you do not need a password or all that other stuff.

So go ahead...Trash my point of view...I can take it.

My feelings will only be hurt if I care about what you think anyway. ;)

Seriously though, I hope this helps.

Be looking for more posts soon since school work is starting to slow down a bit.
More to come soon!

Free hugs

2007-05-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

If you have not seen this yet check it out.
It goes along well with my 'The Power of a Hug' Post.
Read the post first then watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Idol Gives Jack

2007-04-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

I was watching American Idol the other night (come on you watch it, admit it. It's OK you are safe here. No one will judge you). Anyway, they had been hyping up this whole "Idol Gives Back" campaign where American Idol was going to give money to an African charity and other worthy causes. It was going to be huge. The night of the show came and I watched as always. What struck me was how quickly I realized that this was not going to be what I thought. I was expecting to see how American Idol was going to sacrificially give of itself to help people in Africa and other parts of the world. What this whole thing ended up being was a fundraiser for the causes A.I. wanted us to support. We were told to call in with our pledges and give generously. They brought in all the big stars and put on a very nice production. Yet, it was no at all what I expected.

All this got me thinking about charity; what it is and what it is not. When someone says to you "Hey, I think this is a good cause" and then asks you to give money to it are they really being charitable? I don't know, maybe it is just me but I do not think this is what Jesus had in mind for us when we exercise charity. A couple of things come to mind about Christ's teachings:

1. Give in secret - our giving should be so secretive that we are not even to tell our right hand what the left one is giving.
2. Don't brag - when we do give we are not to do it in a way that is showing off to impress others. Jesus said that with that kind of giving the praise of man will be our only reward. In other words it has no eternal value in God's economy.
3. Give sacrificially - he praised the widow for giving all that she had (1/2 penny) and criticized the Pharasees for giving out of their wealth (bag of gold). In other words, give your best not your leftovers. When I heard Ellen Degeneres say that she was giving $100,000 and challenged other wealthy friends of hers to match her pledge I remember thinking, "You know, Ellen giving $100grand is like me reaching in my pocket and pulling out a ten spot." Seriously, to her that is not a sacrifice, that is leftovers.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad that all the money they raised is going to help needy people. All I am trying to say is think about it the next time you give for the sake of charity. Do it God's way and make it count for more than this life...invest it in the next.

Religion good for kids?

2007-04-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

I just read an article on FoxNews website that a study has been done to show that children that come from a religious based home are better behaved and adjusted than children where religion is not practiced or where religion is a source of conflict in the family.

"A Mississippi State University sociologist and his colleagues asked the parents and teachers of more than 16,000 kids, most of them first-graders, to rate how much self control they believed the kids had, how often they exhibited poor or unhappy behavior and how well they respected and worked with their peers" the article stated.

It went on to say, "The kids whose parents regularly attended religious services — especially when both parents did so frequently — and talked with their kids about religion were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control, social skills and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents. But when parents argued frequently about religion, the children were more likely to have problems. 'Religion can hurt if faith is a source of conflict or tension in the family,' [the sociologist] noted."

The reasons for this were believed to be three fold:
1. religious networks are a social support for parents
2. they provide good values and norms
3. they imbue (inspire or influence thoroughly) parenting with sacred meaning and significance

Well what do you know...kids growing up in a home of moral absoluteness, loving families that are supported by a loving community and where God is the head are actually doing better than those without it...who whould have thunk it?

Maybe we can start to wake up and see that God's headship, boundaries and support system are in place to help us live an abundant life. Moral Absolutes (boundaries) are to be passed on to our children as God has first given them to us. They provide a standard that is acceptable to Him and good for mankind. Kids need to know what those things are. Without them there is no higher reason for doing something or not doing something than selfish gain. Now keep in mind that obedience to this moral code does not equal a problem free life. However, given the whole, I would take the problems that come from living according to God's principles (and the support system that is found in doing that) rather than those that come from rebelling against them.

It seems arrogant to me to think that we are smarter than God or could produce life out of things that He says bring death.

What is the problem with the morals God wants us to live by any way? Is there really a better way than the one God has laid out for us?

Seriously, someone help me understand that line of thinking. Post a comment and let me know if you think God does not know what he is talking about and why. I've got to get inside your head.

The Power of a Hug

2007-04-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

I have two children, a boy (5) and a girl (4). My son is very tender hearted and friendly. He loves to play with friends and always seems to get along well with all manner of personality types. My daughter is very different from her brother. She has Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a result she has a difficult time socially. She can not talk yet and has meltdowns regularly. She does have her shining moments though. For example, one thing she did with delight was give her brother a hug and a kiss goodnight. This also pleased her brother as his primary love languages are words and touch. Since his sister cannot talk he knows this is the only way she can tell him that she loves him.

Well, a couple of months ago his sister started to go into a bit of regression. She stopped enjoying the bedtime routine and began to fight giving her brother hugs and kisses. We would bring her over to her brother for hugs and kisses and she would pitch a huge fit; kicking, screaming and fighting every minute of it. This went on up until a week ago. It began to take its toll on my son. I did not notice it before but I was about to find out. On this particular night something was going to happen that would impact my son, I would dare say, for the rest of his life. God was also going to teach me an awesome lesson on the power of unconditional love.

This particular night my son said to me, "Dad, I don't think Delaney loves me any more because every time I try to give her a kiss and a hug she always kicks me and pushes me away."

I tried to reassure and comfort him by letting him know that Delaney loved him and even though she did not seem to like being hugged and kissed it was important that we continued to demonstrate to her that we loved her no matter what. So I asked him to come and try and give her hugs and kisses. I was sitting on the floor with Delaney on my lap and as Aidan got close she started fighting and whining. I told Aidan to keep coming and held on to his sister while he put his arms around her and kissed her goodnight.

He sat back and just looked at her feeling utterly rejected and unwanted. It was evidenced by the look on his face. He was hurt deeply. This rejection by his sister confirmed his feeling unloved and unwanted by her. Then something amazing happened. Delaney started fighting for me to let go of her arms, so I did. When I did she leaned over to her brother, stretched out both her arms and wrapped them around him. He began to do the same and gave her a quick pat thinking she was going to tear away from him any second. But instead she held on. She continued to do so for several long seconds. Aidan began to pull back thinking she was done but instead she tightened her grip. Then, realizing she was not going to let him go, Aidan began to squeeze his sister in a big, long over due hug.

I sat there stunned as Delaney held on to her brother. I knew this was a moment that was going to impact my son. I watched his face warm up and his countenance change from feeling rejection to feeling that he was loved and accepted. Finally they let go of each other.

"See Aidan" I said, "Delaney does love you."

Those words sank in fast and began to completely overwhelm my son. He just sat there crying for ten minutes saying, "Laney loves me! She really loves me!" Again and again he would say it crying as loud as I have ever heard him.

"I am so happy that Laney loves me Daddy but why am I crying?" he asked.

I scooped him up and carried him off to bed. I told him that sometimes when our heart is full of happiness it spills out in tears. I let him know that his sister hugging him was a good thing to cry and be happy about. So he cried. He cried for a long time...and I just held him.

So many things went through my mind. I knew this was a life shaping moment for him. I wanted to say something that would help shape his life for the good. I wanted to tell him he was crying because at the core of our being we all want to be loved like that. I wanted to tell him that when we love someone from the deep places of our heart and soul we want to know we are loved in return from those same places. But I did not know how to say those things in a way that a five year old could understand them. "God help me!!" I prayed. "How do I say this to my son in a way he will understand it?"

Then I realized...Delaney's hug already did.

About Imus

2007-04-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

You know a lot has been said about Imus' comments regarding Rutgers womens basketball team. I find this rather ironic given how we all behave towards one another. Our culture is one who thrives on put-downs and even foams at the mouth when we hear one person insulting another. It seems to be the way we get our laughs. We pacify our poor self-image by viewing others in a worse light than we see ourselves. We celebrate our ability to put others down in order to delude ourselves into thinking that we are better than the object of our ridicule. What is interesting to me is how we have justified this kind of behavior by hiding it behind the 1st ammendment...that is until now. Now, all of a sudden no one likes what Imus has said [myself included] and we want to hang him from the gallows.

Look America. We need to make up our minds. If we are going to allow freedom in expressing our opinions then we need to allow it. We don't have to like it. we don't have to support it or those who do. Otherwise let us come up with a universal standard that is acceptable.

But to say this speech is wrong for you to say but ok for me to say is hypocritical on our part.

Let us remember the words of the apostle James who said: "The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, ...no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

Therefore my friends, be mindful of your words. Be intentional about what you say. Use your words to make the listener a better person and not to comfort yourself or make yourself rich; you just may end up making yourself out to be a fool.

introductions

2007-04-13T12:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Sojourners Rd.

Here you will find thoughts, questions and comments posted by yours truly.
I expect feedback and I would like this to be as interactive as possible.
I am wanting to get to know you more than you hearing about me all the time.
This is site is dedicated to those who understand that this earth is not our home and want to seek and discuss how we are to live in the light of Christ while in this temporary place.
Thus, there will be both a spiritual and cultural theme addressed here.

All are welcome to walk this road with me.

I love good company.

Untill He comes or calls,

Matt