I enjoyed the book, Wizards, Wardrobes and Wookies by Connie Neal. It will give you a brief overview of Star Wars, Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia. The book is not designed to analyze these movies and books, but to review then through The Hero’s Journey. Connie Neal writes:
Some of the most powerful literature is made up of fantastic stories—fairy tales, fantasy fiction, folklore and myths….The basic story line shared by such stories has come to be known popularly as “the hero’s journey,’ chronicling unlikely heroes who grow to confront evil and overcome evil with good. (p. 12)
She also adds stories from Scripture that also follow this pattern. As one who slept through college English, I found it fascinating how these amazing stories follow a predictable pattern that all people can relate. This book will help you see these three stories and Scripture in a new way, focusing on the power of story.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
License Plate Game
Have you ever played the license plate game? It is easy, when you are on a long road trip; you keep track of all the different license plates that you see on all cars and trucks you pass. My highest was 37 states, which I achieved back in college driving to see my college sweetheart (who is now my wife).
On our last vacation, we achieved a new high for me — 46 states. We only missed five states: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Idaho and Hawaii. (For those keeping track of my math, I am including Washington D. C. as a separate state, since we saw a license plate for there also). Now I can’t stop noticing license plates when I drive, I can spot them just by their designs.
On our last vacation, we achieved a new high for me — 46 states. We only missed five states: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Idaho and Hawaii. (For those keeping track of my math, I am including Washington D. C. as a separate state, since we saw a license plate for there also). Now I can’t stop noticing license plates when I drive, I can spot them just by their designs.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Vacation Summary
A quick vacation summary, it was fantastic. We had a lot of down time to hangout at the pool (important since it was 100 degrees almost every day). I had lots of fun with my wife and kids. Some of the adventures we took:
Creation Museum – it was worth it because of the great discussions it allowed us to have with my kids. It is a little heavy-handed in its attitude towards culture, but that it to be expected with all the controversy it is getting in the news. It was a good visit, but I will not need to go back unless they add more features. Here are some pictures.
Outside
Archeologist
Dinosaur
Noah's Ark
We also visited the Tuckaleechee Caverns, which is awesome. Here is a bad picture.
Then we drove into the Smokey Mountain National Park and went up to the highest peak in Tennessee, Clingman’s Dome. It is 6600 feet above sea level and on the Appalachian Trail.
We also rented a pontoon boat and swam in a lake. In addition, I did not do any schoolwork, which was a great break for my mind. It was a wonderful time away.
Creation Museum – it was worth it because of the great discussions it allowed us to have with my kids. It is a little heavy-handed in its attitude towards culture, but that it to be expected with all the controversy it is getting in the news. It was a good visit, but I will not need to go back unless they add more features. Here are some pictures.
Outside
Archeologist
Dinosaur
Noah's Ark
We also visited the Tuckaleechee Caverns, which is awesome. Here is a bad picture.
Then we drove into the Smokey Mountain National Park and went up to the highest peak in Tennessee, Clingman’s Dome. It is 6600 feet above sea level and on the Appalachian Trail.
We also rented a pontoon boat and swam in a lake. In addition, I did not do any schoolwork, which was a great break for my mind. It was a wonderful time away.
Robin Williams - Jim Bob
Very funny take on Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It is PG-13, especially the last 30 seconds, so keep the volumne down.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Vacation
Vacation is wonderful. I hope to post some pictures from our adventures which included visiting family in PA, KY, the creation museum and lots of time in Tennessee. Tomorrow is Gatlinburg and the Great Smokey Mountains.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Second Answer, Omnipotent and Pain
Let us start with the first on God’s omnipotent. Here is my full disclosure. I believe fully in God’s sovereignty and predestination yet I also believe fully in free will. The percentage would be 52% freewill and 48% predestination. Now, God holds both of these issues in perfect tension. I am not God, so I can’t perfectly reconcile all of this.
Here is why I lean slightly towards the freewill side because in scripture, Jesus asked people to follow him. They looked in his eyes and walked away. (Matt. 19:21-22; Luke 9:57-62). On the God level, you would say that Jesus knew that those people would not follow him. However, on our human level, I think Jesus is asking them to follow him and they are exercising their freewill and saying “no”.
It is what I once heard some say. “When we get to heaven there will be a sign above the gate that says, “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” [Romans 10:9 (NLT)] however, after we walk through the gate, we turn back the gate reads, “You didn't choose me. I chose you.” [John 15:16 (NLT)] This sums up my view of this
However, because I tend to be confusing, here is an analogy that my help. Imagine our life is a book with God as the author. (Everyone has a book and God wrote them all.) God knows the whole book, how it ends, what are decisions will be made. We know this because God is Omnipotence, Omniscient, and Omnipresence.
• Omnipotence (literally, "all power") is power with no limits or inexhaustible, in other words, unlimited power.
• Omniscient means the state of knowing everything
• Omnipresence means God is eternal, and therefore not limited by time, and not limited by space (Psalm 139:7-10; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:23,24). He is universally present to all of space at all time.
OK, if you are buying that, let me continue with the analogy. Therefore, our life is a book. God knows everything in there. However, we are the reader and we do not know what is happening until we turn the page (or make a decision – which is the same). However, I think when God interacts with us, we deals with us on the page we are on.
For example, if I am struggling with deciding to follow God and go get a PhD. God will deal with me on that decision, even though he knows what I will decide, and where I will be in ten years. He does not criticize me for not knowing the future, but he deals with me with where I am. He helps me make my decision today to trust him and go to grad school.
It is the same when we interact with someone else. We do not know the ending of their book. We do not know if they will accept God or reject God. We do know that God has asked us to share his love with everyone. Therefore, we share with people hoping that they will choose to follow God. It is not our job to decide who will be saved. It is our job to share God’s love and let God do the convicting.
Now, I sense also in your question a need for assurance, since you ask about living a life and then finding out it was all in vain because you were not chosen. Here is a scripture that help me:
Col. 1:23 (NLT)
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Col. 1:27 (NLT)
For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
God gives us assurance that we will be saved. The assurance you have it because you have Christ living in you. If God was not in you, you would be seeking him, you would not be asking these question. It is an issue of faith. We have to believe God’s word is true and Jesus is really living in our life. Satan wants to make you doubt your faith, and think you are not saved. (by the way, doubts are OK, event the disciples had doubts – Matt 28:18-20). Remember, So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. - Romans 8:1 (NLT)
Now about the question of pain, here is my answer to that question. First, I believe that God see pain, suffering and trial as a good thing. God does not see them as a negative. We see them as a negative and we try our whole life to avoid pain and suffering. Here are some Scriptures to think about:
Romans 8:17-22 (NLT)
And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. 21All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
James 1:2-4 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.
7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)
Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.
We can also add the story of Lazarus. Everyone saw death, Jesus saw an opportunity for God to be glorified.
These scripture show us that God uses trails and pain as opportunities for us to grow. He can use anything to help us grow, but he will not waste the pain in our life and make it meaningless. God always redeems pain and allows us to use it to help others.
God does not cause bad things to happen. Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world, people make bad choices and Satan wants to destroy us. However, God does not shield us from the bad and evil in this world, because he does not see pain and suffering the same way. He knows that sometime we can only learn things through pain or suffering. It is a great way to shape our character.
A book that could help is “the Problem of Pain” by CS Lewis. It deals specifically with this issue. (Actually, any book my Lewis is great, especially his Mere Christianity)
Here is why I lean slightly towards the freewill side because in scripture, Jesus asked people to follow him. They looked in his eyes and walked away. (Matt. 19:21-22; Luke 9:57-62). On the God level, you would say that Jesus knew that those people would not follow him. However, on our human level, I think Jesus is asking them to follow him and they are exercising their freewill and saying “no”.
It is what I once heard some say. “When we get to heaven there will be a sign above the gate that says, “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” [Romans 10:9 (NLT)] however, after we walk through the gate, we turn back the gate reads, “You didn't choose me. I chose you.” [John 15:16 (NLT)] This sums up my view of this
However, because I tend to be confusing, here is an analogy that my help. Imagine our life is a book with God as the author. (Everyone has a book and God wrote them all.) God knows the whole book, how it ends, what are decisions will be made. We know this because God is Omnipotence, Omniscient, and Omnipresence.
• Omnipotence (literally, "all power") is power with no limits or inexhaustible, in other words, unlimited power.
• Omniscient means the state of knowing everything
• Omnipresence means God is eternal, and therefore not limited by time, and not limited by space (Psalm 139:7-10; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:23,24). He is universally present to all of space at all time.
OK, if you are buying that, let me continue with the analogy. Therefore, our life is a book. God knows everything in there. However, we are the reader and we do not know what is happening until we turn the page (or make a decision – which is the same). However, I think when God interacts with us, we deals with us on the page we are on.
For example, if I am struggling with deciding to follow God and go get a PhD. God will deal with me on that decision, even though he knows what I will decide, and where I will be in ten years. He does not criticize me for not knowing the future, but he deals with me with where I am. He helps me make my decision today to trust him and go to grad school.
It is the same when we interact with someone else. We do not know the ending of their book. We do not know if they will accept God or reject God. We do know that God has asked us to share his love with everyone. Therefore, we share with people hoping that they will choose to follow God. It is not our job to decide who will be saved. It is our job to share God’s love and let God do the convicting.
Now, I sense also in your question a need for assurance, since you ask about living a life and then finding out it was all in vain because you were not chosen. Here is a scripture that help me:
Col. 1:23 (NLT)
But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Col. 1:27 (NLT)
For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory.
Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.
God gives us assurance that we will be saved. The assurance you have it because you have Christ living in you. If God was not in you, you would be seeking him, you would not be asking these question. It is an issue of faith. We have to believe God’s word is true and Jesus is really living in our life. Satan wants to make you doubt your faith, and think you are not saved. (by the way, doubts are OK, event the disciples had doubts – Matt 28:18-20). Remember, So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. - Romans 8:1 (NLT)
Now about the question of pain, here is my answer to that question. First, I believe that God see pain, suffering and trial as a good thing. God does not see them as a negative. We see them as a negative and we try our whole life to avoid pain and suffering. Here are some Scriptures to think about:
Romans 8:17-22 (NLT)
And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. 21All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
James 1:2-4 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.
7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT)
Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.
We can also add the story of Lazarus. Everyone saw death, Jesus saw an opportunity for God to be glorified.
These scripture show us that God uses trails and pain as opportunities for us to grow. He can use anything to help us grow, but he will not waste the pain in our life and make it meaningless. God always redeems pain and allows us to use it to help others.
God does not cause bad things to happen. Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world, people make bad choices and Satan wants to destroy us. However, God does not shield us from the bad and evil in this world, because he does not see pain and suffering the same way. He knows that sometime we can only learn things through pain or suffering. It is a great way to shape our character.
A book that could help is “the Problem of Pain” by CS Lewis. It deals specifically with this issue. (Actually, any book my Lewis is great, especially his Mere Christianity)
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Prisoners Dance to Thriller
What a great idea. Use dance video to get prisoners to exercise. A very fun video. See the story on Foxnews.com - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292785,00.html
One Answer - No to Pot
Here is what I sent to one person about the question, "should Christians smoke pot".
The answers are the same for pot, and all drugs. Drinking is slightly different because it is legal, but the Bible still gives lots of guidance on how one should only drink in moderation not to get drunk.
1. The Law - The first reason is because it is illegal and Christians are called to obey the laws of the land. We are only to reject laws when they go against God’s word.
Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)
Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. 2So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. 4The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. 5So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.
6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.
Titus 3:1 (NLT)
Remind your people to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.
However, Pot may not always be illegal, so why should we avoid it.
2. Our Body is the Temple of God - Our body was bought with a price, we should not abuse it and pot abuses our body. It changes us, it robs us of our desires, and makes us slave to it, so that we need it all the time. Challenge him/her to go 2 weeks without pot, if she/he can’t, he/she is addicted to it.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 (NLT)
Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
3. God gives Cautions - God gives many warnings about getting drunk, partying and wild living. These can also be applied to Pot.
Proverbs 23:29-35 (NLT)
Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. 31Don't let the sparkle and smooth taste of wine deceive you. 32For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like a viper. 33You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. 34You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. 35And you will say, "They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can have another drink?"
Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)
Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. 13We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. 14But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
1 Cor. 6:9-13 (NLT)
Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. 11There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
12You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13You say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food." This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them. But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.
Galatians 5:19-24 (NLT)
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
4. Live a New Life - God calls us to live a new life, different from our old life. We need to learn to lean on God to meet out needs. Pot and drugs are often used to escape, deal with pain, or to experience a new level of fun. However, God wants us to turn to him for everything. We need God to help us with our pain, or to deal with our desire to escape (whether through drugs, eating, TV, etc.) and to show us how to have healthy fun. God wants a relationship with us and be involved in every area of our life. Drugs prevent that because they are a substitute for God.
Galatians 5:16-18 (NLT)
So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
Ephes. 5:15-18 (NLT)
So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. 17Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.
5. Abundant Life - God sees all that we do and he wants us to trust him for a life more abundant that we could ever have on our own. Satan wants to destroy us and drugs are one way that Satan uses to destroy people and keep them in slavery. Slavery to our desires, slavery to him and keeps us from turning to God.
Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)
I can never escape from your spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.
9If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are both alike to you.
John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
6. Temptation - Jesus promises to help us with every temptation.
1 Cor. 10:13 (NLT)
But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
I hope that helps. Call me if you need any more advice.
Oh yea – I forgot.
God created many things for us, which we are supposed to avoid.
There are poisonous plants, mushrooms, flowers, and food. Just because God made them, does not mean we should eat them.
Just like in the Garden of Eden, God made the tree of knowledge, but told Adam and Eve not to eat from it. It was an area of trust and obedience. It is the same today, God still gives us limitations for his creation.
Dave
The answers are the same for pot, and all drugs. Drinking is slightly different because it is legal, but the Bible still gives lots of guidance on how one should only drink in moderation not to get drunk.
1. The Law - The first reason is because it is illegal and Christians are called to obey the laws of the land. We are only to reject laws when they go against God’s word.
Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)
Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. 2So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. 4The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. 5So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.
6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.
Titus 3:1 (NLT)
Remind your people to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.
However, Pot may not always be illegal, so why should we avoid it.
2. Our Body is the Temple of God - Our body was bought with a price, we should not abuse it and pot abuses our body. It changes us, it robs us of our desires, and makes us slave to it, so that we need it all the time. Challenge him/her to go 2 weeks without pot, if she/he can’t, he/she is addicted to it.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 (NLT)
Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
3. God gives Cautions - God gives many warnings about getting drunk, partying and wild living. These can also be applied to Pot.
Proverbs 23:29-35 (NLT)
Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. 31Don't let the sparkle and smooth taste of wine deceive you. 32For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like a viper. 33You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. 34You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. 35And you will say, "They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can have another drink?"
Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)
Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. 13We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. 14But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
1 Cor. 6:9-13 (NLT)
Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. 11There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
12You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13You say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food." This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them. But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.
Galatians 5:19-24 (NLT)
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
4. Live a New Life - God calls us to live a new life, different from our old life. We need to learn to lean on God to meet out needs. Pot and drugs are often used to escape, deal with pain, or to experience a new level of fun. However, God wants us to turn to him for everything. We need God to help us with our pain, or to deal with our desire to escape (whether through drugs, eating, TV, etc.) and to show us how to have healthy fun. God wants a relationship with us and be involved in every area of our life. Drugs prevent that because they are a substitute for God.
Galatians 5:16-18 (NLT)
So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
Ephes. 5:15-18 (NLT)
So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. 17Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.
5. Abundant Life - God sees all that we do and he wants us to trust him for a life more abundant that we could ever have on our own. Satan wants to destroy us and drugs are one way that Satan uses to destroy people and keep them in slavery. Slavery to our desires, slavery to him and keeps us from turning to God.
Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)
I can never escape from your spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.
9If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are both alike to you.
John 10:10 (NLT)
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
6. Temptation - Jesus promises to help us with every temptation.
1 Cor. 10:13 (NLT)
But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
I hope that helps. Call me if you need any more advice.
Oh yea – I forgot.
God created many things for us, which we are supposed to avoid.
There are poisonous plants, mushrooms, flowers, and food. Just because God made them, does not mean we should eat them.
Just like in the Garden of Eden, God made the tree of knowledge, but told Adam and Eve not to eat from it. It was an area of trust and obedience. It is the same today, God still gives us limitations for his creation.
Dave
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Creation Museum
Next week, we will be going on vacation to Crossville, TN to stay at a timeshare place. On the way, we hope to visit family near Pittsburgh, friends near Cincinnati and family in Kentucky. Well, I stumbled upon another place I would like to stop - the Creation Museum. Now regardless of what you believe about creation (young earth/old earth, evolution/literal 6-day creation, or combination of all the above) I think this will be a very interesting place to visit. It seems that you walk through the first 11 chapters of Genesis including a full size Noah's Ark. I think it will be fun to expose my kids to these chapters of the Bible in a 3-D/real life sort of way. I will take some pictures and update you after the trip.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
I am a Simpsons
I have always thought it would be fun to be on the Simpsons TV show. It seems like a lot of famous people have had the same desire because they end up on the show. Well, not thanks to the Simpsons Movie website, I can a least guess what I would look like on the Simpsons. Here is my character that I created on their website.
Tree
Here is a tree outside my office that I noticed the other day. I do not know what type it is, maybe a Blue Spruce. But I think it is beautiful. The color is amazing. My friend Jim has inspired me to notice more of the beauty around me and to take pictures of it when I see it (Check out Jim's project 365). So above is my picture of this tree with my VGA camera phone. Not quite as good as Jim's pictures, but it is a start.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Questions
I am in the middle of two theological email conversations. I love this stuff. I love talking theology and applying it to our lives. I am honored that someone would ask me these questions and even want my opinion. Here are the 2 questions I have been asked. All names and details have been changed to protect the innocent.
1. Can Christian use pot? If God created this earth then he created pot as well. Therefore, why is it wrong to use it? Besides, when this person smokes pot, he/she enjoys it and feels that it is right. If it "feels" right to him/her than why shouldn't he/she do it?
2. We operate on the assumption that God is omnipotent, if so he would be capable of seeing the results of our behaviors before they even happen. Would this not mean that he already knows which of his children will turn from him and which will believe? Why then bother if he already knows his effort will be in vain? I appreciate God's undying love for us, but is that all there is to it? I mean, it would be maddening to go through all that effort even though you know from square one that it won't do any good.
Also, what is the role of pain in life? Is pain and misfortune simply a necessary side-effect of the free-will God has given us or does it serve a direct purpose (i.e. punishment from God, or a tool used by him for our instruction)?
I am still working on my answers, so I look forward to how you would answer them, it may help me as I try to formulate my responses.
1. Can Christian use pot? If God created this earth then he created pot as well. Therefore, why is it wrong to use it? Besides, when this person smokes pot, he/she enjoys it and feels that it is right. If it "feels" right to him/her than why shouldn't he/she do it?
2. We operate on the assumption that God is omnipotent, if so he would be capable of seeing the results of our behaviors before they even happen. Would this not mean that he already knows which of his children will turn from him and which will believe? Why then bother if he already knows his effort will be in vain? I appreciate God's undying love for us, but is that all there is to it? I mean, it would be maddening to go through all that effort even though you know from square one that it won't do any good.
Also, what is the role of pain in life? Is pain and misfortune simply a necessary side-effect of the free-will God has given us or does it serve a direct purpose (i.e. punishment from God, or a tool used by him for our instruction)?
I am still working on my answers, so I look forward to how you would answer them, it may help me as I try to formulate my responses.
On the cover of a magazine
I became famous last month, well not really, but I did get my picture on a magazine cover. No, I did not do anything to deserve this, it was a Wired magazine special promotion which if you were one of the first 500 to send in a picture to their website, your picture would get on the cover. Here is mine:
The picture is from October when I had orange hair.
The picture is from October when I had orange hair.
Friday, August 3, 2007
I'm back
It has been a very busy month, so I have not found the time to blog. Side note, I am realizing that blogging takes discipline and time, two things I have little of because of my dissertation, but I will try to record my thoughts a little more often.
Here is some of what I have been doing this past month. The second week of July was our vacation bible school at church. The theme was Lift Off. It was a great week with many fun science experiences. I was in charge of the science lab.
Then I prepared for our student ministry summer mission trip to Niagara Falls, NY with Reach Workcamps. It was one of the best mission trips I have ever been on. Reach does an awesome job making it easy for my kids to connect with God while doing simple home construction for low income and elderly homeowners. Here are some pictures.
Also dyed my hair blonde, it is the surfer look.
I am now on a two month sabbatical which the church graciously gave me for 10 years of service. I am using these 2 months to write my dissertation. You can keep me in prayer as I try to spend 6-8 hours a day at my computer working on my dissertation. My goal is to finish the first 3 chapters and have my survey questions complete by October 1.
Here is some of what I have been doing this past month. The second week of July was our vacation bible school at church. The theme was Lift Off. It was a great week with many fun science experiences. I was in charge of the science lab.
Then I prepared for our student ministry summer mission trip to Niagara Falls, NY with Reach Workcamps. It was one of the best mission trips I have ever been on. Reach does an awesome job making it easy for my kids to connect with God while doing simple home construction for low income and elderly homeowners. Here are some pictures.
Also dyed my hair blonde, it is the surfer look.
I am now on a two month sabbatical which the church graciously gave me for 10 years of service. I am using these 2 months to write my dissertation. You can keep me in prayer as I try to spend 6-8 hours a day at my computer working on my dissertation. My goal is to finish the first 3 chapters and have my survey questions complete by October 1.
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