I’ve been in the collegiate setting for going on 9 years. When I ask people why they drink alcohol, the number one reason they give me is “because it’s fun.” Really?! The act of drinking alcohol is fun? Drinking lemonade is fun, but no one centers a party solely around lemonade. So apparently, the “fun” factor is not the strongest factor. Perhaps, what is really fun is hanging out with friends. I do not drink alcohol, but I do have great times with friends. Most of the time, we just get together and act stupid and have fun until 3 or 4 a.m. We can do that and still never use alcohol.
Alcohol relaxes your inhibitions. That is why alcohol is involved in so much illegal activity. Normally, you wouldn’t hang out with such people or do such things with people; but because your inhibitions are relaxed, you do anyway. How crappy must your friends be if you need alcohol to have a good time with them!
Relaxation of inhibitions has become an enticingly erotic idea. We all have fantasies; and if we can do away with our conscience, we can have these fantasies fulfilled. Once again, is it a good idea to do anything against our good conscience? What is it people say about serial killers: “They don’t have a conscience!” Besides, you are admitting that you are a loser if you can only attract people who are out of their minds.
Let’s get back to the whole “drinking alcohol is fun” idea. Most people will say that alcohol is an acquired taste. Once again; drinking lemonade is fun but I knew that from the first sip. Now, there are some things which require an acquired taste. For example, I have been on a couple of international mission trips. Sometimes, the native foods are absolutely horrid. However, I must acquire a taste for those foods in order to build relationships with those people. Now, you may be thinking that this is the same thing as acquiring a taste for alcohol in order to fit in with the crowd. However, things done on the mission field are for the edifying of the people. Alcohol, on the other hand, rarely brings out the best in someone. Besides, what if I told you that there is a pile of feces; and if you eat it and learn to love it, you can hang out with my group. You would have to SERIOUSLY consider whether the benefits of doing so would outweigh the costs.
What about drinking to drown your sorrows? Well, this is a flawed question. It assumes that drinking alcohol will drown your sorrows. In a dire situation, a rule of thumb to remember is to “do no further harm.” Don’t make the situation worse! When you are in a troubled situation, it is NOT time to lose your mind. If you relax your inhibitions and do something you’ll regret later, then you are only compounding your problems. If you find yourself in sorrow, the best thing to do is look for hope and run to it. As I have stated in other notes, the only hope is Christ. Only in Christ, has a way been made for us despite our troubles, imperfections, and sins. All other ways ask us to improve ourselves and become something we have tried all of our lives only to be unsuccessful every time. If the thing we have been trying has not worked, then we need to find something else. Christ is our only hope. He offers it as a gift. The only thing you need to do is accept it.
Now, I know that not all these points apply to everyone. And you may be able to argue with me on some points. However, if I’ve gotten you to think, then I’ve done some good. THINK! Don’t take your brain out of the equation. Use your brain instead of drowning it. At least by thinking, you become more human.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thoughts About the Resurrection
-“Why seek you the living among the dead?”
*God is the giver of life (Gen. 2:7), creator of all living things (Gen. 1:1), and sustainer of a fulfilling life (John 10:10). God is an eternal being, so therefore He will always be “living.”
*Man and natural exists, and we call this existence life. Without God, this existence would never be; and without God, we can never be a purposeful, fulfilled life. Our bodies, plants, and animals are destined to die.
*When everything else dies, God still lives. So, why do we seek the “living” God among the “dead” world?”
-Surely the disciples thought they had been fooled. They believed in a man who was going to establish His kingdom. They believed in a God would send His Son. They believed in a God who was all-powerful. Yet, they just saw Him die. What kind of heavenly offspring was this? There was no kingdom. This Jewish Messiah couldn’t even overcome a crowd of Jewish “jurors.” This Messiah had fallen victim to same machine that had thwarted them all for years. However, what hope/excitement/anticipation when they saw the tomb was empty! Oh, how their hearts must have leaped when the angel said, “Why seek you the LIVING”! How their tongues must have failed them when they saw Him for the first time! Their faith, hope, and perseverance produced the greatest joy of their lives. Let the same be true for us. Romans 5:3-8
-“Seek the truth will all your heart.” The Holy Spirit dwells in our heart. Therefore, when we seek the truth with all our heart, we sort of allow the Spirit to work at home.
-When Christ showed himself after His death, the people were afraid. It is not natural for someone to return from the dead. They were confused. They had to be taught by the SUPERnatural.
-Christ did what we cannot. We are human and no one’s perfect. Christ was human and “tempted in all ways as we are, YET without sin.” He did what we cannot. Since He did what we cannot, He has what we do not. Since He has what we do not, we need what He has. But how do we get it? Here lies the beauty of Christ being both human and God. God tells us that “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” The human side of Christ DIED! Christ shed the body of the perfect human. Christ does not need it, and since we do, He offers it to us. I’m not talking about some “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” junk; we don’t wear the body as a suit, we mask our imperfect humanity with the perfect human of Christ. And since Christ is just as much God, we still have a perfect Christ with us everyday.
*God is the giver of life (Gen. 2:7), creator of all living things (Gen. 1:1), and sustainer of a fulfilling life (John 10:10). God is an eternal being, so therefore He will always be “living.”
*Man and natural exists, and we call this existence life. Without God, this existence would never be; and without God, we can never be a purposeful, fulfilled life. Our bodies, plants, and animals are destined to die.
*When everything else dies, God still lives. So, why do we seek the “living” God among the “dead” world?”
-Surely the disciples thought they had been fooled. They believed in a man who was going to establish His kingdom. They believed in a God would send His Son. They believed in a God who was all-powerful. Yet, they just saw Him die. What kind of heavenly offspring was this? There was no kingdom. This Jewish Messiah couldn’t even overcome a crowd of Jewish “jurors.” This Messiah had fallen victim to same machine that had thwarted them all for years. However, what hope/excitement/anticipation when they saw the tomb was empty! Oh, how their hearts must have leaped when the angel said, “Why seek you the LIVING”! How their tongues must have failed them when they saw Him for the first time! Their faith, hope, and perseverance produced the greatest joy of their lives. Let the same be true for us. Romans 5:3-8
-“Seek the truth will all your heart.” The Holy Spirit dwells in our heart. Therefore, when we seek the truth with all our heart, we sort of allow the Spirit to work at home.
-When Christ showed himself after His death, the people were afraid. It is not natural for someone to return from the dead. They were confused. They had to be taught by the SUPERnatural.
-Christ did what we cannot. We are human and no one’s perfect. Christ was human and “tempted in all ways as we are, YET without sin.” He did what we cannot. Since He did what we cannot, He has what we do not. Since He has what we do not, we need what He has. But how do we get it? Here lies the beauty of Christ being both human and God. God tells us that “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” The human side of Christ DIED! Christ shed the body of the perfect human. Christ does not need it, and since we do, He offers it to us. I’m not talking about some “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” junk; we don’t wear the body as a suit, we mask our imperfect humanity with the perfect human of Christ. And since Christ is just as much God, we still have a perfect Christ with us everyday.
Da Light is Delight
Deuteronomy 30:10
“The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey His voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
“The Lord your God” = will delight in you when you are found humbled in between God’s majesty and mastership.
God’s delight in you is conditional on obedience AND repentance. Obedience alone is legalism and can be skin deep. Repentance is in the heart and soul. Can’t get much deeper than that! In fact, it is so deep that it is undetectable to others unless shown in actions. Now we are back to obedience.
“God[‘s]…delight in you” = could also be read as “God is the da light in you.”
If He isn’t, you may be guilty of legalism (if the light IS you). If there isn’t much of a light at all, then maybe you’re missing in action (obedience). Also, He should be the only sign of life in your life since you died in Christ. Be a living sacrifice, show God and not you. If God does not out-shine you, then God is not your God.
“The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey His voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
“The Lord your God” = will delight in you when you are found humbled in between God’s majesty and mastership.
God’s delight in you is conditional on obedience AND repentance. Obedience alone is legalism and can be skin deep. Repentance is in the heart and soul. Can’t get much deeper than that! In fact, it is so deep that it is undetectable to others unless shown in actions. Now we are back to obedience.
“God[‘s]…delight in you” = could also be read as “God is the da light in you.”
If He isn’t, you may be guilty of legalism (if the light IS you). If there isn’t much of a light at all, then maybe you’re missing in action (obedience). Also, He should be the only sign of life in your life since you died in Christ. Be a living sacrifice, show God and not you. If God does not out-shine you, then God is not your God.
Clarification on "A Bridged Analogy"
Yeah, I know it's weird to comment on one's own post, but this is to clarify something. There have been questions about falling off the bridge. Here is the answer I gave, followed by a couple more ideas on the matter:
"There is NO falling. That is the beauty of it. We may regress, but we never fall. The bridge holds US up. We all fear of falling, but no one ever does. Falling is only a scary story some people tell to puff up their bravado or scare others to hold on more tightly (which, by the way, is to miss the point)."
Yes, I'm one of those "once saved, always saved" people. This is why: Salvation, although a choice by us, is the work of God; and "what God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
Here is where a natural analogy falls short of adequately depicting the full nature of God who is, in fact, supernatural. God created all things to portray His glory and to provide clues to who He is and of His nature. However, a finite world which is based on the laws of time and space can never fully express the glory of the One who transcends such things.
Maybe you read the post and thought, "what if the bridge breaks." Well, to ask such is to question the integrity of the bridge. This is not wise. In case you missed the analogy, the bridge is symbolic of Christ. Even in our daily walk, we walk in Christ (through Christ, via Christ; whatever). The integrity of Christ has been questioned many times but never tarnished. Besides, who are we as sinners to question the integrity of Holy God. Let this not be.
"There is NO falling. That is the beauty of it. We may regress, but we never fall. The bridge holds US up. We all fear of falling, but no one ever does. Falling is only a scary story some people tell to puff up their bravado or scare others to hold on more tightly (which, by the way, is to miss the point)."
Yes, I'm one of those "once saved, always saved" people. This is why: Salvation, although a choice by us, is the work of God; and "what God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
Here is where a natural analogy falls short of adequately depicting the full nature of God who is, in fact, supernatural. God created all things to portray His glory and to provide clues to who He is and of His nature. However, a finite world which is based on the laws of time and space can never fully express the glory of the One who transcends such things.
Maybe you read the post and thought, "what if the bridge breaks." Well, to ask such is to question the integrity of the bridge. This is not wise. In case you missed the analogy, the bridge is symbolic of Christ. Even in our daily walk, we walk in Christ (through Christ, via Christ; whatever). The integrity of Christ has been questioned many times but never tarnished. Besides, who are we as sinners to question the integrity of Holy God. Let this not be.
A Bridged Analogy
During Sunday School a couple of weeks ago, we were discussing Romans 10:9-10. Emily Brown brought up an analogy of salvation/the Christian life and a foggy canyon which has a rope bridge. I really like this analogy and have been thinking about it a lot. I think it can show several good truths. There is also a common evangelism strategy and how the bridge analogy works out with it.
Belief is acknowledging that there is, in fact, a bridge. One can deny the existence of the bridge all he/she wants, but this only leaves the person hopeless. Hopelessness is founded in the fact that this land is diseased, filled with hate, and disintegrating. One must also believe that there is another side to the canyon which is free from all turmoil, death, and destruction. The fog is so thick that you cannot see the other side. However, this is a widely accepted bridge. Others have used the bridge and no shrieks were heard to indicate that they plummeted. Echoes can be heard. The bridge is suspended to something in the fog. Now, one has to have faith. Faith causes one to act on his/her belief. Faith allows for the person to step onto the bridge and walk. The bridge is long and the fog is thick. Every step requires faith. Sometimes our faith may become weak, and the steps may become shorter and more difficult to take. Sometimes, we may backtrack. But the bridge holds steady. We are still supported by this bridge, and every step, no matter if forwards or backwards, assures us of this truth. What does this promised land look like? I do not know. I have yet to reach the end of this bridge. Only by faith do I continue; faith that is based on rational and natural evidence, but faith nonetheless.
Admit = Admit you cannot traverse the ravine without help.
Believe = Believe the bridge exists, believe there is another side, believe the bridge was built to give you a way over, believe it will support you,believe it is the only way to cross.
Commit = Commit to stepping out on the bridge one step at a time until youreach to other side.
Belief is acknowledging that there is, in fact, a bridge. One can deny the existence of the bridge all he/she wants, but this only leaves the person hopeless. Hopelessness is founded in the fact that this land is diseased, filled with hate, and disintegrating. One must also believe that there is another side to the canyon which is free from all turmoil, death, and destruction. The fog is so thick that you cannot see the other side. However, this is a widely accepted bridge. Others have used the bridge and no shrieks were heard to indicate that they plummeted. Echoes can be heard. The bridge is suspended to something in the fog. Now, one has to have faith. Faith causes one to act on his/her belief. Faith allows for the person to step onto the bridge and walk. The bridge is long and the fog is thick. Every step requires faith. Sometimes our faith may become weak, and the steps may become shorter and more difficult to take. Sometimes, we may backtrack. But the bridge holds steady. We are still supported by this bridge, and every step, no matter if forwards or backwards, assures us of this truth. What does this promised land look like? I do not know. I have yet to reach the end of this bridge. Only by faith do I continue; faith that is based on rational and natural evidence, but faith nonetheless.
Admit = Admit you cannot traverse the ravine without help.
Believe = Believe the bridge exists, believe there is another side, believe the bridge was built to give you a way over, believe it will support you,believe it is the only way to cross.
Commit = Commit to stepping out on the bridge one step at a time until youreach to other side.
A Rational Response to the Rational Response Squad
The following is a comment which I left on the ABC News Nightline website in response to the article "The Blasphemy Challenge." Feel free to check out the site in order to learn more of what all this is about.
I don't know if the two Rational Response Squad representatives are actually that scared for their lives or if it is just a genius ploy to invoke angered feelings toward "Christians." If they are justifiably concerned, this is a shame and blasphemy in its own right. Remember, Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with God. Therefore, many people who claim the title of Christian are not in fact Christians. In response to the Blasphemy Challenge, this is a natural outworking of atheistic thought. If one does not believe in God, he/she should not believe in hell. If there is not heaven or hell, then there is nothing to hope or fear. I have no problem with them doing this. I would not expect anything different. Us Christians are always pleading other Christians to be vocal and apparent in their faith. Why should we expect any less from non-Christians. I will, however, disagree with the Rational Response Squad. Former atheist Josh McDowell, states the definition of truth as found in the dictionary as "that which is the same or equal to the original." In order to find truth, one must go all the way to the original. If the original is not God, it must be some gas or molecule or whatever. No molecule can explain all the aspects of life. Truth must be rational as John MacArthur states in his book "Why One Way: Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World." Therefore, one must be weary of falling into the trap of reading the title of this atheist group and assuming that all rational thought leads away from the existence of God. In fact, without the existence of God, there would be no foundation for rational thought because the original would not possess intelligence. I would suggest to the seeker of truth that he/she check out "Why I'm Not An Atheist" by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias International Ministries is very animate about the rationality of God. For tons of great resources, check out www.rzim.org.
Much love and respect.
I don't know if the two Rational Response Squad representatives are actually that scared for their lives or if it is just a genius ploy to invoke angered feelings toward "Christians." If they are justifiably concerned, this is a shame and blasphemy in its own right. Remember, Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with God. Therefore, many people who claim the title of Christian are not in fact Christians. In response to the Blasphemy Challenge, this is a natural outworking of atheistic thought. If one does not believe in God, he/she should not believe in hell. If there is not heaven or hell, then there is nothing to hope or fear. I have no problem with them doing this. I would not expect anything different. Us Christians are always pleading other Christians to be vocal and apparent in their faith. Why should we expect any less from non-Christians. I will, however, disagree with the Rational Response Squad. Former atheist Josh McDowell, states the definition of truth as found in the dictionary as "that which is the same or equal to the original." In order to find truth, one must go all the way to the original. If the original is not God, it must be some gas or molecule or whatever. No molecule can explain all the aspects of life. Truth must be rational as John MacArthur states in his book "Why One Way: Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World." Therefore, one must be weary of falling into the trap of reading the title of this atheist group and assuming that all rational thought leads away from the existence of God. In fact, without the existence of God, there would be no foundation for rational thought because the original would not possess intelligence. I would suggest to the seeker of truth that he/she check out "Why I'm Not An Atheist" by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias International Ministries is very animate about the rationality of God. For tons of great resources, check out www.rzim.org.
Much love and respect.
5 Random Ideas
#1
“The simplification of anything is always astounding.” –G.K. Chesterton
If energy is neither created nor destroyed in nature, it must come from supernatural.
Things can be broken down so minutely that they are almost incomprehensible (e.i. I struggle with the area of chemistry because it’s hard for me to visualize such tiny particles interacting.) If the origination of anything is nearly incomprehensible, is it ludicrous to think that it leads to an incomprehensible God. A God that is not totally incomprehensible, however; for we can indeed follow a thing’s origination intellectually and rationally for a time through the thing’s own creations and influences. But ultimately there is no full comprehension of its intricacy or beginning.
#2
When sin came, God cursed the earth. Everything of the earth became cursed. Our bodies were made of clay. Clay is of the earth, thus we are cursed and will wither and die. However, God breathed the breath of life into us. God is not of the earth, and so His breath is not cursed. Our life will not wither and die. Our life is only trapped inside this cursed body made of clay and must be given back to God. However, when the body dies and returns to the earth, there is nothing for our breath to sustain. If it has not been returned to where it belongs (the breath of life, our life, given to God), it is “lost” forever.
#3
Why is our legal system so messed up? It is based on legalism! “Intent” is the big differentiating factor in many cases. Many times intent is the focus of the court proceedings. However, how can intent be proven? How can intent be quantified? How can intent be made tangible? God looks upon the heart! This is another proof that God is just and fair. We cannot look upon the heart. We are forced to judge actions.
#4
“Think outside the box.”
Particularly in college, we are prodded to think outside the box. This is an idea which I personally advocate. However, there must be boundaries within this philosophy. Here is my point.
The statement “think outside the box” assumes that there are two areas or perspectives: inside the box and outside the box. I encourage looking outside the box, but looking outside the box can never lead to living (or dwelling) outside the box. If we leave the foundation we have within the box and establish ourselves outside, we defeat the whole purpose. Think about it. If we are to constantly pursue enlightenment by thinking outside the box, and we become so distorted that we live outside the box, then there is nowhere else to look. The only place left to look in order to continue pursing intellect, is to look back inside the box. We now have proven ourselves to be stupid because we have found ourselves desiring to be in the place we started. If thinking outside the box leads to dwelling outside the box, we will eventually long to return to box or we will be stifled in any further pursuit of knowledge. Why not remain on the foundation we started on and look to the outside of the box in order to realize the validity of the box?!
#5
“There are two sides to the coin.”
This statement is also true. The world teaches us that there is no truth because there is always another perspective. The thing we must NEVER forget is that although there may be two sides to the coin, there is still only one coin.
“The simplification of anything is always astounding.” –G.K. Chesterton
If energy is neither created nor destroyed in nature, it must come from supernatural.
Things can be broken down so minutely that they are almost incomprehensible (e.i. I struggle with the area of chemistry because it’s hard for me to visualize such tiny particles interacting.) If the origination of anything is nearly incomprehensible, is it ludicrous to think that it leads to an incomprehensible God. A God that is not totally incomprehensible, however; for we can indeed follow a thing’s origination intellectually and rationally for a time through the thing’s own creations and influences. But ultimately there is no full comprehension of its intricacy or beginning.
#2
When sin came, God cursed the earth. Everything of the earth became cursed. Our bodies were made of clay. Clay is of the earth, thus we are cursed and will wither and die. However, God breathed the breath of life into us. God is not of the earth, and so His breath is not cursed. Our life will not wither and die. Our life is only trapped inside this cursed body made of clay and must be given back to God. However, when the body dies and returns to the earth, there is nothing for our breath to sustain. If it has not been returned to where it belongs (the breath of life, our life, given to God), it is “lost” forever.
#3
Why is our legal system so messed up? It is based on legalism! “Intent” is the big differentiating factor in many cases. Many times intent is the focus of the court proceedings. However, how can intent be proven? How can intent be quantified? How can intent be made tangible? God looks upon the heart! This is another proof that God is just and fair. We cannot look upon the heart. We are forced to judge actions.
#4
“Think outside the box.”
Particularly in college, we are prodded to think outside the box. This is an idea which I personally advocate. However, there must be boundaries within this philosophy. Here is my point.
The statement “think outside the box” assumes that there are two areas or perspectives: inside the box and outside the box. I encourage looking outside the box, but looking outside the box can never lead to living (or dwelling) outside the box. If we leave the foundation we have within the box and establish ourselves outside, we defeat the whole purpose. Think about it. If we are to constantly pursue enlightenment by thinking outside the box, and we become so distorted that we live outside the box, then there is nowhere else to look. The only place left to look in order to continue pursing intellect, is to look back inside the box. We now have proven ourselves to be stupid because we have found ourselves desiring to be in the place we started. If thinking outside the box leads to dwelling outside the box, we will eventually long to return to box or we will be stifled in any further pursuit of knowledge. Why not remain on the foundation we started on and look to the outside of the box in order to realize the validity of the box?!
#5
“There are two sides to the coin.”
This statement is also true. The world teaches us that there is no truth because there is always another perspective. The thing we must NEVER forget is that although there may be two sides to the coin, there is still only one coin.
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