Post-it notes

This is how my life feels about 90% of the time. I am continually sticking post-it notes and scrap pieces of paper to my dresser, the counter, my calendar, and the front door… All trying to remind myself of the tasks I need to get done, as well as want to do within the next few days. It is overwhelming to have these reminders screaming at me everywhere I look, but then again, I need them… or else I would forget more than I already do.

In thinking of a “bucket list” for the rest of my senior year… I had managed to waste at least four different random sheets of paper with scribbled ideas of what I would like to do and should do (because of my abstract thinking and always starting over/adding things). Then, of course, I combined these lists. Some still remain as goals for what to do before I leave for college in the fall, but others are accomplished.

*Continue reading Crazy Love*

I am blessed to say I have experienced Francis Chan’s preaching in NOLA a few years back… and now, his writing in Crazy Love. God has gifted him with a way with words. I cannot get enough of this book! Everytime I read it, I feel completely filled up. Although I would not consider myself a reader, I truly wish I was. I am jealous of those who can just sit down and read for hours, finishing multiple books in a month. But seriously, I have never felt the type of convictions or been challenged in my thoughts after reading many books, UNTIL this one!

One thing that I want overall in my life is a carefree spirit. Not to be assumed that I don’t care about anything or I choose to be oblivious to everything, but that I choose joy in all cirumstances. I have a hard time being around people who complain, discourage, and talk about themselves or vain topics 99% of the time I’m with them. I’m sure everyone would agree with me on this, but I guess being around uptight people is also an issue for me. I know I have my moments, but in this last year, I have seen how allowing worry and stress to rule over my mind DOES NOTHING. It is a conscious decision we have to take to put a stop to it.

Chan says, “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is quite big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involve in are important enough to merite our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control…. Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?…. I am still dumb enough to forget that life is all about God and not about me at all” (44).

*Take time for Photography*

Monday night, I had one of my favorite nights. Hattie and I grabbed a bite to eat… well, you all know where: Lee Ann Chins! Then, Kyleigh joined us to drive to Minneapolis to take some photos of Hattie near the Stone Arch Bridge. Beautiful weather is an understatement. We were there during golden hour, and I could not have been more content holding my camera and gripping that lense. I have not made a lot of time for photography this last year, so it felt SO good to spend time doing it again! Spending time with two of my closest friends, in my favorite city, taking pictures, with the sun shining…. doesn’t get much better than that. I am so thankful for that night and how it filled me up.

*Call my brother*

Yes, I called my brother today on the way home from school. He is graduating from college a week before us seniors graduate high school. Hallelujah. He is one of my favorite people to talk to, laugh with, tell anything to, and listen to music with. We are extremely tight and it makes me want to cry thinking he won’t be living at home most likely this summer. But, that is what has made us so close… being far away.

*Take Shadow for more walks without my phone*`

This may sound weird, but actually taking walks with my dog when I leave my phone at home is one of the most enjoyable activities. There is nothing to distract me except the beauty of God’s creation and my old, black shaggy mutt panting because I made him run for three minutes. Shadow is currently at the food of my bed as I right this and I can’t help but realize that I’m not going to have him at college 😦 I don’t think he has many more years in him, so that’s why I want to make sure I am spending as much time as I can with him.

*Start writing letters to Mom, Dad, brother, and best friends*

I have this as a goal for the summer for sure. I really enjoy writing letters, actually. I almost enjoy it as much as receiving a letter! I intend to thank them for who they have been in my life and how they have specifically impacted me. I really think it will be beneficial to reflect on those things, especially because I have neglected a lot of time with my parents.

I am excited for this next year to come, but also to reflect on how much I have been blessed just in this last year.

Well, laptop’s about to die and another thing I should add to a post-it note reminder: go to bed earlier……

 

 

 

 

 

 

Battle of the Sexes

Men and women seem to never fully agree on where each other’s place is in this world. What I believe, is that God has given men the responisibility of leading families and their wives… ultimately closer to God. I believe both men and women are resposible to respect the opposite gender. Men are not superior over women and women are not superior over men in any way. God has given each different responsiblities and characterstics and roles that he has created us for.

Ephesians 5 is probably one of the better known passages, as well as 1 Peter 3, for referring to roles of men and women. A few themes are consistent– submission, repsect, and honor.

Wives are to submit to their husbands. Now, a lot of women may take this offensively. But to be completely honest, I am really excited to be able to rely on a man that I can trust completely because I know he loves Christ too much as well as myself to lead me any other way than God’s will. And for a wife to submit to their husband does not mean that they must obey every single thing they tell them to do. A marriage is ment to be a balance of your strengths and weaknesses with your spouses strengths and weaknesses. God created marriage to be a joyful and pleasing representation of Christ and His church! They are to be one! I love how  submission is described here…

“Neither wives nor husbands can understand our respective callings to submission and leadership in Ephesians 5:21–24 without first submitting to the cosmos-ruling Christ of Ephesians 1:9–10, and 1:20–23” (desiringgod).

There is a scary and disappoointing reality of how the world has told boys and girls who they should be since they were born. And that they could be anything they wanted to be. Sadly, the world has deceived us once again. For boys, they are told to be tough, show no emotion, rub some dirt in it, and talk about hot girls. Dale Partridge’s blog post: “The Scary Reality of What Our Culture Does to Boys,” states a question–

“Do you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?”

Give the blog a read; I love them! If you are ever craving some real talk… just read his blog. They will leave you refreshed and encouraged.

And girls, well we are maybe not explicitly told to be pretty and perfect… but the images that we are bombarded with are most definitely pretty and perfect. Even when the world may say to embrace being different, girls always end up feeling judged and pressure to still conform to the world. Women crave that affirmation and encouragement from men to be who they were created to be IN CHRIST. We want a husband who will love us no matter what and will lead a family and herself with the strengths that God has given him. Even if he does not have a dominant personality, it does not mean that he can’t lead. Humility is one of the loudest actions, in my opinion. Women, I believe, need to also encourage men in the same way, but for leading others and drawing specifically their wives and family closer to their heavenly Father.

I think the bottom line with men and women is that they are loving each other with perfect love. Seeing each other and accepting each other, looking at one another through the lense of God’s eyes. That is, they are completely made righteous by God and no one is better than the other.

As for roles in the world, I think women can be pastors, president, youth leaders, and even the main providers in the house if needed. And men, just the same. Men and women alike are given different personalities. That’s obvious. Some women are more dominant than men, and that is just how God created it to be! But then men are still called to be leaders. And yet, women can lead, too. I believe if someone is called to be a leader in any circumstance, God will reveal it to them, whether man or woman.  

 

Nothing… that’s Something

  

Thinking about how many people in this world do not know why they were actually created and therefore, they do not know what will happen after their lives here on earth is honestly depressing. I know for a fact that I would be extremely depressed, self-conscious, and selfish if I did not know my purpose or know who my Creator was! I have actually thought about that a lot. I will never know how anyone could be so sure that there is no supernatural or even just a greater meaning to life, and yet they live their day to day lives without even thinking about why the heck they are here. I would personally go crazy.

That strong desire to have meaning, influence, uniqueness, and purpose that is so prevelant today especially in the Millennials/Gen-Ys (in my personal opinion), has driven them to search for the answer to that seemingly never fulfilled or satisfied question: What is the meaning of life?

Society today has overfed us through media with movies, songs, books etc. that are searching for something more. Here are a few examples that I thought of.

1. Inception

  I totally recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it already. Here is a synopsis. It is a mind-boggling movie that is worth watching not only because Leonardo DiCaprio is the main character :), but also because of the battle between reality and dreams disguising themselves as reality.  “While Dom [DiCaprio] and Mal were trapped in Limbo, she eventually began to believe that Limbo was reality. In order to convince her to return to the real world, Dom planted the idea in her mind that her reality was, in fact, a dream. Unfortunately, this inception – the idea that her reality is a dream – affected her permanently, even after waking; she consequently committed suicide by jumping off a building in order to wake up, despite Dom’s pleas.” (quote) Mal is Dom’s wife, and when they were trapped in Limbo, she began to believe that that was her reality to the point where she killed herself once she came back to true reality. She never overcame the difference, and for the rest of the movie, Mal is part of Dom’s subconcious, making her appear throughout the majority of his dreams.

Nihilism is the realization of the extreme subjectivity of the human existence” according to Nietzsche (stated in this blog). Mal, in this case, believed that the dream which she was in was her reality. The subjectivity of her existence was all that mattered. I am thankful I don’t have to live with only valuing the subjective over almost no objective.

2. The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars

I’m sure you have all heard this song at one time or another, either on the radio or even in the grocery store. The title is very fitting to the lyrics which are completely pointless. Sure it has a catchy tune, and yes, I am even humming it as I write this, but it is meaningful? No. Yay, it talks about sex and MTV and well, being lazy. Good for him; what unique topics in culture today (saracasm).

3. “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” by Fergie

I know The Great Gatsby has been mentioned relating to nihilism. In the most recent movie remake of the loved novel, this song is on the movie soundtrack. I love it, but when I looked up the lyrics and read them straight for what they were worth… they added up to nothing. Lyrics…

{ I ain’t got time for you baby, either you’re mine or you’re not
Make up your mind sweet baby, right here, right now’s all we got
A little party never killed nobody, so we gon’ dance until we drop
A little party never killed nobody, right here, right now’s all we got
…Glad that you made it, look around
You don’t see one person sitting down
They got drinks in their hands and the room’s a bust
At the end of the night maybe you’ll find love
Fake chit chat ’bout the things they got
…It don’t mean a thing if I give you my heart
If you tear it apart, no, uh, uh, ah, oh
It don’t mean a thing if I ain’t in your eyes
Papa that ain’t gonna fly, no, uh, uh, ah, oh}

Everything about the song, and majority of pop songs today are just egging on that “live in the now” and “live as if you’ll die tomorrow” so furthermore, that encourages the get high, have sex, drink as much as possible before you die mindset. What a cool life to look back on.. not.

4. 21 & Over

I DO NOT recommend this movie whatsoever… I regret watching it at all, but because I did, my eyes have vividly seen what hardcore partying etc. will do to ruin your life and give you hopelessness. It is very closely related to the song that I chose to talk about above. The premise of the movie is on Jeff Chang’s 21st birthday and his old buddies come and convince him to have the night of his life because he is finally “becoming a man.” They go to basically every bar and do as many dirty things as possible and he ends up not even being able to function to the point where his friends don’t know where to bring him back to. He is so drunk he can’t even tell them where he lives or anything. His dad expected him to be prepared for an important job interview the next day and did not want him to embarrass him. Nothing really ends up working out for the job or whatever and still everything is okay cause making out with people always seemed to be the answer in the movie.. haha. Moral of the story… well I would say there isn’t one. If you want a meaningless life, model after this movie.

5. Knowing

This is probably the dumbest movie I have ever seen besides the one above, I guess. There are these numbers that signify natural disasters and catastrophes of the past and warn them of the future ones coming up. The whole world is pretty much set on fire and then it starts over with a boy and a girl running towards a tree through a field. There was no point and the end left me upset to say the least. The reality was destroyed and a new one came about.

Learning about these different worldviews has seriously help me filter through crap that we are bombarded with everyday. I think it is so important that we are thinking about and analyzing everyday stuff that we listen to and watch everyday so that it’s practicing for our future habits and direction that we want to lead our life in.

WikiNotes: Naturalism

nat·u·ral·ism [ˈnaCHərəˌlizəm/]

noun

1.      (in art and literature) a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail. 2.      a philosophical viewpoint according to which everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted.

Theism: God is the infinite, personal Creator of the cosmos

Deism: “God is reduced; he begins to lose his personality, though he remains Creator and (by  implication) sustainer of the cosmos.”

Naturalism: God does not exist. Deism claims that God has always existed as a brute fact. Naturalism realizes that if that can be true, then it is equally valid to claim the physical world has always existed in the same way.

Naturalism realizes that if that can be true, then it is equally valid to claim the physical world has always existed in the same way.  Naturalism came about through major emphasis on the scientific method and the necessity for evidence.  Science and nature were seen through the lenses of laws and absolutes.  In this, miracles are out of the question because they do not correspond with reason and logic.  {Andy Hamilton}

Propositions of Naturalism:

1. Matter exists eternally and is all there is. God does not exist. (pg. 61)

“In the whole universe there is but a single substance with various modifications.”

2. The cosmos exists as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system. (pg. 62)

The universe is not open to reordering by either… (Joe Krahn) … a transcendent Being (because no such being exists) … or autonomous human beings because they are a part of the uniformity Because humans do not exist outside of the continuity of cause and effect, their decisions are not ultimately theirs – meaning most naturalists are philosophical determinists 3. Human beings are complex “machines”; personality is an interrelation of chemical and physical properties we do not yet fully understand. (pg. 64)

Most naturalists view “mind” as subordinate to “machine,” in contrast to Descartes’ claim that mind and matter were separate yet equal substances (Joe Krahn) Naturalist still believe humans are unique for the following reasons (Annika): Capable of conceptual thought Employ speech Possess a cumulative tradition (culture) Unique method of evolution – technology is incorporated (Joe Krahn) Moral capacity “Let us conclude boldly then that man is a machine, and that in the whole universe there is but a single substance with various modifications.”

4. Death is extinction of personality and individuality. (pg. 67)

“When the matter that goes to make      up an individual is disorganized at death, that that person disappears”      (67). “Human destiny is an episode      between two oblivions” (67). “Pigeon Feathers” by John Updike—> life after death means that your life’s effects can have an influence on future generations (ex: Abe Lincoln)

5. History is a linear stream of events linked by cause and effect but without an overarching purpose. (pg. 68)

In a naturalist framework, there is no goal for evolution.

6. Ethics is related only to human beings. (pg. 72) (Heidi Dart)

-“Naturalism rather came as a logical extension of certain metaphysical notions– notions about the nature of the external world.” (72) (Emily Hunt)

7. Man certainly was not the goal of evolution, which evidently had no goal. (Naturalism Mini Notes – Riley Smith)

Naturalism in Practice Secular Humanism (Derived from the Humanist Manifesto II – 1973):

Humans are special just because – No god (Riley Smith) God is a symbol of who humans      strive to be.

Marxism: Ideas and beliefs of Karl Marx (someone else add details) (Riley Smith)

Marx believed that history was going somewhere, heading towards utopia. Communal living on a large scale. Control the means of production (bourgeoise)–> exploit proliteriat Division of labor—> social classes (bourgeoise & proliteriat)

BELOW IS COPIED ABOVE

Propositions of naturalism:

“Let us conclude boldly then that man is a machine, and that in the whole universe there is but a single substance with various modifications.” (Heidi Dart) Very very good H-Dog Naturalist still believe humans are unique for the following reasons: Capable of conceptual thought Employ speech Possess a cumulative tradition (culture) Unique method of evolution Moral capacity

Death is extinction of personality and individuality. “When the matter that goes to make up an individual is disorganized at death, that that person disappears” (67). “Human destiny is an episode between two oblivions” (67). “Pigeon Feathers” by John Updike—> life after death means that your life’s effects can have an influence on future generations (ex: Abe Lincoln)

According to Naturalism.org, naturalism believes that intelligent design cannot exist because there is no scientific merit for it. Not every naturalist scientist believes that there is no supernatural. The main thing that you need to know about naturalists is that they do not believe in intelligent design.  (Ian “big boy” Strommen)

History is a linear stream of events linked by cause and effect but without an overarching purpose.

Ethics is related only to human beings. (pg. 72) (Heidi Dart)

Man certainly was not the goal of evolution, which evidently had no goal. (Naturalism Mini Notes – Riley Smith)

Naturalism in Practice:

Secular Humanism– Humanist Manifesto II God is a symbol of who humans strive to be.

Marxism Marx believed that history was going somewhere, heading towards utopia. Communal living on a large scale. Control the means of production (bourgeoise)–> exploit proliteriat Division of labor—> social classes (bourgeoise & proliteriat) (Annika van Oosbree)————————————

(Deism:

God created an orderly world to operate on its own.

Deists proceed from the assumption that an orderly universe exists. They see its First Cause as a Creator who does not guide its movements, intervene in human affairs, or answer prayers. Their pursuit of what is real comes through reason and sound inquiry. They do not take seriously any revelation that portrays the miraculous. Their reality is limited to nature.

Deists believe that man is a personal being who is part of the “clockwork universe.” He is not abnormal or fallen but is as he is supposed to be. Freedom to explore nature will lead to self-knowledge and understanding of the impersonal God who set up the universe.)

(Drew Kleinschmidt)

(Naturalism

Matter is all that exists and is best understood through science.

The naturalist assumes that all that really exists can best be investigated through the scientific method. Certainly matter and energy are the only realities that can be understood in this way. Unlike deism, it does not hold to God as a First Cause for the universe.

Naturalists view humans as highly developed animals who possess self-consciousness, reason, and conscience. They believe that humans are highly complex biological “machines” who have physical and mental capabilities not yet fully)

http://www.biblecultureit.com/text/worldview/worldview_comparison_chart.pdf

(Drew Kleinschmidt)

WikiNotes: Deism Update

Update // February 4, 2014 // 8:26pm

Deism [dee-iz-uh m] 
noun

1. belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism).

2. belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.

The Universe Next Door: Chapter 3 “Deism” – reduction of God- just the clockmaker

Part 1 (p. 45-50)

1. What is the first possible reason for the development of Deism that the author gives? {It was a way to unify the constantly fighting religious sects of the day -Joe Krahn} an attempt to bring unity out of chaos of theological and philosophical discussion in 17th cent, became bogged down in interminable quarrels over what began to seem even to the disputants like trivial questions.
2. Another factor in the shift from theism to deism was the belief that knowledge of the Divine is rooted not in special revelation but in what? reason
3. What did Plato believe about the nature of reality (matter , spirit) and how did Platonic theory of knowledge influence thought and scientific study in the Middle Ages? dualism- matter and spirit are integrated; knowers became what they know
4. Why is this error in study and thought not really a Biblical perspective?  matter and spirit exist in a holistic, integrated reality; everything created was by God and it all has value
5. Do you agree or disagree that God “is a rational God”? {Why? I believe that God is rational in the sense that He often/usually acts in ways which make sense (appear “rational”) to us. However, this certainly does not mean that God is incapable of acting “irrationally” from our perspective: He may defy His own laws of physics, do something the purpose of which we as humans cannot fathom, etc. So in that sense, He is not entirely “rational,” because any way you slice it, God’s ways are usually beyond our logic and understanding! -Allison Deckert}  {In addition, I believe that the idea of God is irrational- because of the entirety of the faith concept- However, God is rational, because who are we to define what is rational and what isn’t? Even if we think His acts are irrational, we cannot fathom, as humans, the purpose of what He is doing or the reasons behind it (like Allison said above). –Emily Hunt}

1. Coming out of the Middle Ages, there were those like Isaac Newton who thought that God’s universe was orderly, knowable, rational and worth exploration. What kind of picture of God’s world did scientists like Newton begin to paint? a huge well-ordered machine; a clock
2. This time period and pursuit of knowledge about the universe and reality began the modern study of what subject? science
3. Peter Medewar argued that the 17th century’s doctrine of the necessity of reason paved the way for what belief? the sufficiency of reason
4. How did deists come to the conclusion of God as a “giant clockmaker”? the system of the universe is seen as a giant clockwork and God is seen only in “Nature” (system of universe) and who created it!
5. What would be the main difference about the belief in what/how one can have knowledge of God between theists and deists? Theism- God is personal; Deism- god is foreign, distant
6. Give a couple examples of how basic deism was not a united school of thought: Voltaire and Locke were both deists, but couldn’t disagree more
7. How would a deist define God as “Prime Mover”? a beginning to the otherwise infinite regress of past causes
8. In what ways is the universe “closed” to a deist? {Not only is it outside God’s active interference, but it is also outside our ability as humans to control its laws and events. In one sense, as we talked about, the universe is like a large, intricate clock: fully complete, ticking endlessly on and on, independent of our control and God’s intervention. -Allison Deckert} closed to God’s reordering (b/c it must have been perfect) and is closed to human reordering (b/c we can’t transcend the system) 
9. How does this eliminate the possibility of miracles? they are illogical!
10. How do deists deny the real possibility of free will in humans and what is their reasoning for doing so? God made the clock so we can’t have free will

Deism Part 2 (p. 51-58)

1. What do deists believe about the state of the universe? nothing is revealed to us outside that which we experience
2. What inconsistencies do deists face about the knowledge of God by eliminating the possibility of “revelation”? ethics is limited to general revelation; because the universe is normal, it reveals what is right; experience
3. What does Pope’s belief that “Whatever is, is RIGHT” reveal about  dilemma deists have with ethics? {If whatever exists is right, then wrong/evil do not exist. Only what is right exists. Pain and sin are obvious in our nature, so evil must exist. But if whatever “is” is good, then evil does not exist. You can’t hold to “whatever is is right” and still have morals in a world full of evil. The two concepts are contradictory. -Molly Matuszak}
4. How did some deists view Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount? natural law expressed in words
5. What might some deists believe about history and how would this differ from a Biblical perspective? history is linear, for the course of the cosmos was determined at creation. Biblical perspective – God is interested in our lives, whereas with this view of history as unimportant, He wouldn’t be
6. Where and when was deism most popular? late 17th century (1st half of 18th century in France and England)
7. What some reasons for why it did not last as a major worldview? {People were left with a relativity of knowledge that they found hard to accept. -Emily Hunt}
8. How is human significance and determinism incompatible? {If everything is determined and set in stone, then nothing humans say or do has any impact on any other human or situation which eliminates all significance of what we choose to spend our time doing because it is all meaningless. If we have no choice, we have no significance within ourselves. -Molly Matuszak}  {A human cannot have significance if the universe cannot be reordered -Emily Hunt}
9. The book calls deism a “transitional worldview”. What view did deism devolve from and what other worldview did it lead to? lead to naturalism; came from theism
10. Give me some examples of a kind of practical deism found in some scientists: Albert Einstein – sees a higher power at work; Stephen Hawking – universe decreed by God, but no longer intervenes; Edward Friedkin

Torture

The image above is from one scene from the movie Argo (2012). The film “chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis, focusing on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event.” (source) I would really recommend seeing it… here is the trailer. It is based off of a true story and shows a lot of the torture that many Americans were put through by Iranians during their revolution about 30-some years ago. It gave me a more realistic sense of true torture. But still, I don’t think I will ever be able to fully grasp what someone goes through until I myself have gone through it.

Growing up in my suburban city, having all that I could ever need and even want, going to a Christian school, never being tortured once in my life …except for being pinned down on the floor by my brother when we wrestle. I have no comprehension of what torture must be like. I have never been persecuted because of my faith in my 18 years… and some Christians are persecuted every DAY of their lives. All I know is that God has blessed me immensely, and He has me where I am for a  purpose.

“…Torture is a war crime condemned by international treaties that the US has signed” is one way to define torture (interesting article!). I am honestly no where near being able to form a solid opinion on what I think about Gitmo and all of the “enhanced interrogation” techniques and so on. I believe that there are certain incidences that torture can be used and it is still morally and ethically acceptable.

It is an extremely gray and controversial area, in my opinion, and I do not think that torture is necessarily political at all. Torture is completely a moral and ethical issue because it is dealing with the right and wrong of how someone else is being treated… physically.

To be completely honest, if Gitmo is going to stop future terrorist attacks on us… I would definitely say to sustain it. Now, because we don’t know all of the details of what the enhanced interrogation” implies, I’m not exactly sure on that. If they actually do think that it was part of the reason the killing of bin Laden was accomplished… then I guess it works.

Lastly, if other nations were torturing our citizens because they believed that it protected them… this is such a tough question to answer!! I think that it just completely depends… if China is torturing Christians because of their faith, then NO. But, if they are doing out of self-defense because Christians are all of a sudden harming their citizens… then I can see more reason. But if torture ever happens out of the prejudice against one’s faith,… just, no.

WWJD?!? …hmm

Of all of the times that I have asked myself this question, you would think I would know the right answer. But, I think that Jesus  would (or should) just come back and bring all of the believers back to heave. How about that? Please? Do you hear me, Jesus? I know you do… That would probably solve these issues.

church of the present vs. future

Today’s church is obvisouly very different from the church 100 years ago. Why? Because of technology advancing, culture’s “norm” shifting, music evolving, moral standards sinking, etc. But should these things change what the purpose of the church is? Should they affect how the church treats others or how the church views God? Or who the church reaches out to? Should these developing days sway what the church is about and then how the gospel is ultimately portrayed?

I can only dream for it not to be…

Here’s the issue. Our society that we live in today has changed the church in more ways than we are even aware of. Don’t get me wrong… there are positive things that have come out presently such as technology’s improvements navigating a broader way to reach more people with Biblical resources (online sermons, blogs, online books, and even your Bible at the touch of a finger). But really, sometimes I think about how much these things have distracted me from just reading the Bible for itself! …Okay I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let me start with this.

One matter that I get frustrated by is Bible studies. The idea of a Bible study is what? To study the Bible… right? My overall impression from my own experiences doesn’t exactly run parallel to this. Bible studies have the tendency to turn into either venting our feelings, sharing prayer requests about our friend’s cousin’s dog that’s sick, gossiping, talking about the opposite sex and how to deal with them, or discussing everyone’s “highs & lows” of the week.

Tell me what does any of that have to do with the Bible?! I will admit, we GIRLS are probably the most guilty on this one. We are just so interested and want to be invested in other’s lives, that our initial “ice breaker” or whatever starts out with a question or the worst and best part of the week… not that these are wrong but seriously people, go out to coffee and talk about all that junk (because it’s not like we don’t already), but then just don’t call it a Bible study if you’re not going to study the Word of God.

Okay, not all Bible studies that I have been a part of are that bad, but questions following passages that we read gravitate towards what we can get out it. The Bible is not about us! God didn’t create us just to learn more about ourselves and what we can do… He created us to learn more about Himself and how AWESOME and POWERFUL He is!!!

We exist to glorify God. Simple as that.

How often do we read our Bibles out of motivation to know God better? I am completely guilty of paging through the easy to read epistles to gain some encouragement for myself.. not out of a genuine desire to gain more awe and reverence for such an incredible God! This is always prayer, however, that the Holy Spirit would place those desires in me.

Another issue that the body of Christ has today is giving… generously, that is. Honestly, I don’t think that majority of believers are very generous with their money. I think skepticism is the main interference. We second guess ourselves when we see a man with a backpack on, standing on the corner with a cardboard “homeless” sign. Because I am a most definite “feeler”, I always want to say something, smile, bring them McD’s or just hand them 5 bucks… but unfortunately, we don’t always know what they are going to spend the cash on. But then I think to myself, let’s see what am I going to spend this money on most likely? Anthything worth more than helping someone? Probably not… (more like Starbucks or wool socks for myself haha).

I rather give more than necessary than regret not giving anything at all and wondering who I could have impacted if I just let go of worrying about all the bad things that could happen.

The other part of giving as the body of Christ– Tithing. Now, I firmly believe that since we have been redeemed and are no longer constrained by the requirements of the Old Testament, we do not have to give the 10% that Leviticus 27:30-33 talks about. However, in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, Paul encourages generosity like nobody’s business. As I was reading chapter 8, verses 8 & 9 struck me the most…

“I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

I personally have held myself to giving 10% of whatever I earn, just as guidance for offering at my church. I do give credit to my parents, though, because they are seriously the ones who trained me in how I should give and exemplify today with their method of giving to the body of Christ. God wants us to give out of a joyful heart because of all that Jesus gave to us. Cliche, but it’s the truth.

In Tullian Tchividjian’s book Unfashionable, he writes, “…Christians are to understand that we’re owners of nothing and stewards of everything… In our world of thievery, our openhandedness just might be a more compelling witness than being able to give five rational proofs for the existence of God, as important as that is.”

Ephesians 4:28 says, “…but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

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Okay, now that I’m done talking about today’s issues, how about discussing the church’s future problems??

I see this particular issue growing today, and that is not knowing how to read the Bible and not even reading the Bible for what it is in itself. Today, we have countless blogs, twitter users, devotional books, and apps that can give us a short “fill” of the Bible. Like a verse a day, or story and lesson in a 365 day devo. But frankly, how many of us can honestly say we think about the one short verse that we read this morning often throughout the day, and say that it affected how we lived that day. This is my greatest struggle… thinking about what I just read/journaled about the rest of the day.

So that is one huge worry of mine is that the future generations will just stop looking and digging deeper into the actual Word of God because they can just read a verse on their phone or who knows, devotional books or “positive thinking” blogs could replace it all…

Additionally, I think that subsequent generations are going to be clueless in their personal time with God. One on one time with Him will be awkward, uncomfortable, and almost impossible because of constant distractions from technology and inability to just sit still and listen. This is super difficult for me today. I can’t imagine what distractions will be 50 years from now…

Another reason these things will be so hard to grasp for people is because of how visual our world is becoming. People will feel like they need to see something to talk to God, or at least something corporeal to be able to connect with him. We need to start disciplining ourselves with technology now because of the habits we are creating are going to stick with us… Also, discipline in our daily time with God, becuase we only know our lives are getting busier and busier as we grow older.

I want to share a great blog that I have been reading almost everyday– one of the most encouraging, short blogs that are written so simply! But it is not to replace reading my actual Bible 😉

Dale Partridge’s “The Daily Positive” : 4 Warning Signs You’re Too Busy

politics

    What a broad & daunting topic. However, I do turn 18 in 3 days… which means I will be a legal adult, so I believe the responsible and wisest action to take is to educate myself in this area. I will admit, it is not my passion, but I do have opinions and specific beliefs that I still will hold to and value.

My top 5 issues that I will base my voting off of as I begin my research on candidates are—

1. Abortion

A few issues within this- I look at if abortion is going to be funded by taxpayers, if the candidate is Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice, and whether or not they believe in ‘life begins at conception.’ God clearly states in the Ten Commandments that murder is wrong. Abortion is murder. No matter what the mom thinks, no matter what the dad thinks, and no matter what the government thinks, a fetus is still a human being (created by God!!). This is most definitely in the forefront of my mind because of the heaviness it weighs on women and men who have chosen the tragic deed, and they have to face the consequences of it. God does not want us to have to go through all that, hence the reason for the ‘do not murder’ *cough, cough.*

2. Defense of Marriage Act

This is the federal law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman and protects a state’s right not to recognize same-sex “marriages” from other states.  I strongly believe that gay marriage is a sin like any other we commit on a daily basis. Just like murder is illegal and a sin, my Christian perspective and conviction is that same sex marriage should also be illegal because it is a sin. Leviticus 20:13

3. School Choice in Education

Parents should have the right to choose between public or private schools for their children. It is their money that they are spending when sending kids to private schools, which I believe is totally fine, and makes sense. I know that not everyone is made for either private or public, but being a Christian, I know a lot of people benefit greatly from a private education. Some kids may mature faster or slower, or their parents’ faith may not be as strong and so a Christian education is crucial to their spiritual growth. On the other hand, public schooling can be a witnessing opportunity for those who, for example, have a heart for evangelism.

4. Federal Government Control of Health Care

Although it may provide more health care to those who would never be able to get, health care controlled by the government is kind of ridiculous… considering all of the money that has just been spent on Obamacare. All it does take our tax money and hand it out to those at a much cheaper price.. because we are the ones assisting them with it. All in all, I don’t think this is right.

5. Tax Rates/Cuts etc.

I think that taxes should be equal for all citizens. Bringing them down is always a plu. But hopefully, this stimulates growth in job availability and increased employment. Resulting in more people with jobs and supporting more businesses so that they have money to pay people to pay taxes etc.

The first person I think of who holds these beliefs flat out right now is Michele Bachmann.

Article about character mattering in political leaders here.

I also looked at the MN voter guide from 2012 presidential elections and another voter guide to gain ideas.

Christians & War

First of all, instead of reading this blog on war, PLEASE scroll down to read my “What the HELL?” blog. I poured mu

ch more of myself into it and it is a ton more meaningful to me than this one is going to be… I want to know what people think of that rather than this!!

I honestly don’t have a whole lot to say on this topic. All I am sure of is that God is SOVEREIGN and JUST. He will prevail in the end, and I know all will one day know that HE is God.

I personally do not think war is bad. I think war out of selfish ambition is sinful. Yes, the Bible says over and over to love one another and never to repay evil with evil.

I took a look at the links and found a lot of them interesting, bringing up point I had never thought about…

“Refusing to use violence when it’s deemed necessary is of course contrary to common sense. And everything about this passage is contrary to common sense. Yet, this is what makes following Jesus radical, distinctive, beautiful — and profoundly difficult!” –Greg Boyd

I do like what he says there about how following Jesus is difficult! We were not created and told that living the narrow road was going to be easy. Being different is definitely difficult in our culture.

Matthew 5:43-46

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and do good for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

Boyd takes this passage and literally interprets the “so that” into meaning that only then will you be sons of your Father… I disagree with his statement: “The condition to being a child of God, Jesus says, is that we’re willing to love like he loves.” Our salvation is not based off of how much we love other people. It is to our benefit and God’s glory if we do; however, our eternity is not determined off of works.

Here is a link on more about Just War that I thought summed up main points well.

I believe in the just war theory and like what St. Augustine said, “…it is necessary that the belligerents should have a rightful intention, so that they intend the advancement of good, or the avoidance of evil.” For a war to be just, I think that these should be the true intentions– the advancement of good / avoidance of evil.

What the HELL?

“Given what alienation from God is really all about, I believe that describing it [hell] as endless suffering in flames is only a metaphor for a reality that is far worse.”  –Tom Campolo in Speaking My Mind (91)

Although I don’t agree with all that Campolo has said in this book, which I am hoping to finish reading, I do agree with many of his statements. He brings up a lot of great points about Hell.

Hell is the raw soul exposed to its own sin for eternity.

I do believe that Hell is real and that it is something that should ultimately change the way we, as believers, should live. Real people go there for eternity and are separated from God. I do not agree with the Annihilationism or Universalism view. They both neutralize Hell compared to what the Bible teaches. It is Eternal Torment.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 says, “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”

If the Universalist was correct about everyone in the end being saved, then what would be the point of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20?  “Annihilationism, [sometimes related to Conditional Immortality,] was correct, reduces sin from high treason to a misdemeanor. Hell is meant to fill us with awe at the glory we have scorned.” (John Piper)

One main and relevant question that I think a lot of people, including myself, have asked before is: How can a loving God send people to hell?

The answer is: HE DOESN’T

People choose hell. “If you think that choosing to live in hell is an absurdity, then consider that choosing sin has always been an absurdity.” (94) Humans in their sinful nature “don’t want to give up the identities that they have forged with their egotism, wealth, power, and prestige. Their refusal to let go of such deceptive means for establishing who they are, and instead establish their person-hoods in submissive love to God, is why they are not part of God’s kingdom. The self-love that keeps them from loving God is the ground for their lostness” (94). {credit to C.S. Lewis’ approach on hell}

God created us for one purpose, right? TO GLORIFY HIM. This means that when we don’t glorify Him, we are going against His purpose… resulting in sinning. When we sin, we deserve a punsihment. We have the choice to accept or reject God’s free gift of salvation through Christ’ death & resurrection. God, by His grace, allows us the chance to go to Heaven by accepting the gift, or go to Hell by rejecting the gift. “Love cannot be forced, it must be freely chosen.” (94) God isn’t going to force us to choose Him because why would that bring Him any glory?

“But to say that the billions who have never yet accepted the gospel will burn forever, and then go on about life relatively unconcerned, seems to me evidence of an almost inhuman emotional callousness” (84). This quote in particular is convicting.

Just one song that comes to my mind is “Here I Go Again” by Casting Crowns (Lyrics). It makes me cry every time I listen to it, so be prepared haha. I am going to be honest with you… thinking about hell makes me seriously scared because I don’t know if my grandparents are truly saved. I love them so much. I never know how to bring it up especially with one of my grandpas suffering from something similar to Parkinson’s disease. I know they believe there is a god, but I don’t believe that they have repented… I know that God has a plan, and I need to trust Him with EVERYTHING in me. I have promised myself that I will not see them pass without knowing where they are ultimately going.

The reason for pain and suffering is so hard to comprehend and understand completely because we are not God. But honestly, God has a GOOD reason even if we DON’T understand it. We are human. Because Christ experience pain and suffering on a level PAST what we could ever experience, we won’t be able to ever fully grasp God’s reasoning.

“What infinite BEAUTY and GLORY and PURITY and HOLINESS God must have, that endless suffering is a JUST and fitting punishment for disobeying his Word!” — John Piper