Suivez la verite

Norton Antivirus

2011-09-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

I was reminded tonight of the materialistic attitude that many in developed nations seem to have developed. I'll call it the "stuff complex." Where did it come from? How did we develop it? When did we develop it? I would say its been around for awhile. There is no particular date that we can point to in contemporary history and say, "Oh yes, this is the year that the 'stuff complex' began its rapid and uncontrollable development." No...this complex has been around for a long time and definitely is not going anywhere. So...what does Norton Antivirus have to do with this?

I was watching the newest episode of The Office tonight (great show and I like where its going) on Hulu. Hulu plays about thirty seconds of ads every ten minutes or so and I saw the same Norton Antivirus ad twice and it really struck me as sad. The message of the ad was as follows: protect your stuff because you wouldn't be you without it." Wow. Think about that. Protect your stuff because you wouldn't be you without it. Now think of all your stuff. If you're a college student that thought process just ended. What would you do if you didn't have all of that? Wouldn't you feel a little lost? I would. Here's how I know. We had a fire drill the other night on campus. I was talking to a couple other RA's the afternoon of the same day joking around about what we would do if our dorm caught on fire. We all said the same thing (in different ways of course), we would save our stuff. Not all of it, but definitely the important things. We subsequently all wondered why we had never paid for renter's insurance. Basic analysis: we are all attached to stuff.

What is stuff? Things. Vague, I know. The definition Google provided was pretty vague itself. But the word 'stuff' is multifaceted. It can mean material objects, things that we can see and experience with a physical sense. 'Stuff,' in the way I'm using it, can also refer to something that is intangible and yet still possessive, like a reputation or an ideal. Basically anything about which you feel like you can say, "That's mine," belongs in the stuff category.

So where am I going with all this? It is really pretty basic. Most of what I end up thinking through is. But there is a reason that Norton's ad made be sad and slightly introspective. What 'stuff' actually matters? What is there on this temporal sphere, whether tangible or intangible, that we think we can possess on our own that has any import in eternity? Oh yeah...nothing. How many people live out that truth? Not many. Not even myself. Now don't twist this into me saying get rid of everything you own. That is not at all what I'm getting at. What I am getting at is the opposite of what Norton appeals to, and that is that we should hold on but loosely to the stuff we are given. It's simple: all of it belongs to God, let him do with it what he wills. If he chooses to let me use a certain thing for awhile, then I will be very grateful. And I hope that when the time comes I will part with whatever it is without balking.

So I uninstalled Norton off my computer. Not really. I didn't have it to begin with. All of this has been a shameless plug for the system I use, Avira. Again, not really. All I want to say in closing here is that stuff doesn't make the person, even though that is the idea that a whole lot of people have decided to cling to.

William Carey

2011-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have discovered in the past 8 months or so that the stories of lives of men of God from our own era (that being from about 250 AD to the current day) are often as encouraging, challenging, and truth-filled as are stories of men of God from the past era (that being anything before 250 AD, namely what we have in the Bible). This is not to say that these biographies should be added to the canon. That would be absurd. But encouragement and truth are not found solely in the Scripture. I recently read a biography of William Carey. He is widely considered to be the "Father of Modern Missions" and for good reason. A dissenter from the Anglican Church, it was he who pushed a small group of pastors and leaders among dissenters to send him to India to take the Gospel to the pagan world. He went to India with his family where he helped to establish a flourishing mission. He was able, by the grace of God, to translate the complete Bible into six different languages, create dictionaries and grammars for many of these languages, and translate smaller pieces of the Bible into many more languages. Several of his children became missionaries. He became a professor at a college in India and even helped found a college. He led what is considered to be a successful missionary life. Had he been so inclined to do so, he would have been able to reap his reward here on this earth. Yet that is not where his heart lay. Were we simply given such a short summary of his life we would probably think, 'Oh, this man was successful as a missionary. He must have been very fortunate on the mission field and been faced with few difficulties if he accomplished so much.' False. His first wife became mentally insane not long after the mission field and constantly threatened his life. This went on for fourteen years. He lost one child within the first few years of being in India. He went many years without seeing a single convert. There was a fire at the mission base in which much was lost. Later his second wife also died. He lost a nephew, the wives and children of some of his sons, and many friends while in India. He faced a schism between new and old missionaries during the later years of his life. His second wife, to whom he had been married thirteen years, also died. He had many severe illnesses. He faced government opposition. In short, William Carey had a hard life, full of struggles and suffering. And yet through it all he never lost his trust. Though often discouraged he never gave up. His life is a testimony that we should pay attention to. How many of us could go through such trials and remain steadfast until the end? It is interesting that while I was reading this book there were two chapel messages on James 1:2-4 which says the following: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Many of us live cushioned lives. We have our needs met adequately, family and friends that are in good health and nearby, a good church we attend, and are not often challenged in our faith (not to say that all of this is true for everybody). How would we respond to such testing and trials as William Carey endured? Can we seriously say that we are willing to give up all for the sake of the cross? What are you, what am I, not willing to give up? Is all my treasure in heaven? Or do I hold on too tightly to some things on this earth? Christians will face trials and testing. Some will have it more difficult than others. Can we find pure joy in the midst of these? Will we remember that God is preparing us through these trials for a greater work? Will we walk through hard times without losing sight of or our trust in God and his plan? We will be put through the fire so that refinement may occur. Will we endure and fight hard all the way to the end, never losing sight of the final goal?

Dream

2011-02-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Strength fills my heart as it soars over the earth fighting for every lost soul,

champion of the lowly,

martyr for justice and righteousness,

with truth pouring out of my mouth at every step

and the brightness of my face chasing evil into the chasm,

standing in the midst of a battlefield of epic proportions,

leading my hoplites into an enemy of millions

and standing to the end,

victorious before the throne,

with head bowed and voice of cloud speaking,

with arms pulling me in tight and eternity opened.

Out of reverie, into reality.

Courageous I open the door and lock it behind me,

with armor, sword, shield, and helmet left at the desk,

ready for use again when in the safety of the single room.

And out I go to face the world,

determinedly unprepared, ready to live quietly,

causing no consternation or concern in peers

but assimilating meekly and punitively, returning to earth,

where I live, laugh, and love far too easily, lacking the outer shell,

forgetting the vision as but a dream, shrouded in the mist of deep sleep,

only to later return to my bed.

The Sons of Rechab

2011-01-29T08:52:00.001-08:00

Jeremiah 35:2 - (The Lord is speaking to Jeremiah) - "Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink."

So Jeremiah went out, found this clan, and did as the Lord told him to do. However when he offered them wine this is what they said: (Jeremiah 35:6) "But they answered, 'We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, 'You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all you days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.''"

These descendants of Rechab had been living in tents all their lives, probably herding sheep or some other type of livestock, and refraining from wine simply because their father told them to. Jeremiah found them in Jerusalem only because they had fled from the invading Babylonian army. They were a model of obedience in a land where disobedience was the word of the day. They had willingly given up physical luxuries (houses, wine) to live according to the command they had been given.

How much are we willing to give up in order to live in obedience to Christ? How much of today's world should we be separating ourselves from so that we will be as lights shining in the darkness (look at Philippians 2:12-18)?

In our small group we recently have been challenging each other to give up anything and everything in our life that does not bring honor and glory to God. Many guys have given up watching certain TV shows and movies, some have deleted music off their computer, some have taken down posters in their rooms. We have been attempting to live out Ephesians 5:8-10 which says, "Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." We are attempting, by the grace of God and the strength he gives us each day, to stand out from the world rather than blend in.

The sons of Rechab exemplify obedience. We are called to do the same.

The American Nightmare

2011-01-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

In 6th grade I figured out a complete plan for my life. After high school I would graduate college with a business degree. Then I would work really hard, save up a lot of money, and buy Wild Mountain Ski Resort in Minnesota. Several years later, having become fairly rich, I would buy property in Colorado and make the most expansive ski resort in the United States. Of course I would become a multi-millionaire, maybe even ending up on the cover of some magazine. It all sounds quite exciting...a life of fame and riches...a complete fulfillment of what I have recently starting calling the "American Nightmare." Very recently, as in "within the last few pages of my journal" recently.

Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages, who says, "I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms," who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion. Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Jeremiah 22:13-15a

There is more to this passage. It is actually dealing with the sons of Josiah, the king of Judah. However I read this and the first thing that popped into my mind was the pursuit of wealth in America. This desire to make ourselves great, the never-ending desire for more...it is all meaningless!

All is meaningless without Christ. Seriously. You can accomplish absolutely everything in the world and it is not going to matter a thing in eternity. So why go after all this? Why make it a goal? Why is it called the "American Dream?" It is crazy! If God chooses to bless you with a lot of wealth why not use it to turn and bless all sorts of other people as well? Life is too short to live for yourself. If all you're after is success then your life is going to extremely sad.

So I guess the only thing to do is to live totally for Christ, in all things. And if you are blessed...bless others. Pretty simple.

Hope for the battered...

2010-12-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:2-3

The following came after hearing of the struggles of a brother in the faith...let us take hope in the cross and the resurrected Christ!

Battered, bruised, broken, brought down to the very pit
Frightened, frustrated, angered by failure
Stumbling, slipping, stooped beneath the weight of a mountain
Tripping, trembling, trying to lift the load and stand
Confused, condemned, croaking out feeble cries
Exhausted, engaged in a desperate, futile struggle.

Battered, bruised, broken, brought down by a world of hate and sin
Firm, fearless, resolute in temporary failure
Stumbling, slipping, stooped below the weight of wood
Tired, tied, triumphantly raised on a tree
Confusion, condemnations, cries, crucified
Exhaustion, expiration, the end of an era.

Battered, bruised, broken - brought up by the Bread of Life
Frightened, frustrated by failure - forever forgiven
Stumbling, slipping - strong hands life the weight off stooped shoulders
Tripping, trembling - now trusting in the Truth
Confused, condemned - now clutched by Christ
Exhausted, expired - exalted to the side of the Eternal King.

Communications 130

2010-11-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

I was listening to my fellow students give speeches this morning during my 8 am communications class. Its a hard time to pay attention. I've been up for an hour. Just finished breakfast. Its in the 50s with a gentle, cold rain falling. I want nothing more than to go wrap up in blankets and sit by a fireplace all day, enjoying hot coffee and reading a book. But instead I'm in a classroom listening to 'informative' speeches. One of the girls gave her speech about the life of Nicholas Sparks and at the end focused on his story "The Notebook." She gave a quote which hit me with the impression of, "Thats it! Thats what we need to realize!" It is from the Notebook but I think it can be applied to a different level. "I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me that has always been enough." She quoted this and I started thinking what it meant to me. That pronoun 'another' is the key part. In the book it was used to denote the girl. For me I took it to mean Jesus Christ. So the quote read like this: "I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But I've loved Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul, and to me that has always been enough." Or maybe "...that WILL always be enough." It became a reflection of where significance in life comes from. Significance doesn't come from my few, small accomplishments because those will never be remembered. It comes from Jesus! I heard pastor a couple weeks ago speak on adding significance to our lives and he talked about it as painting it in to the work of art that we create each day and adding it to the "tapestry of our lives." To paint significance on our day I have to encompass every aspect of it with Jesus. Love for Jesus. And that love has to be with the whole of my heart and soul. "But I have loved Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul, and to me that has always been enough." That is where I find my significance in life! In my relationship with my Savior!

Jim, Matthew, and Jesus

2010-10-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot. I just finished reading his biography and it was a powerful story. That man walked close to God. This is one the most famous quotes from his life and was repeated multiple times throughout the book. The reason for this is that he had this down. He understood the importance of Matthew 16:24-26. The passage says:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?'"

Denial of the world. Denial of the flesh. Denial of ourselves. It is easy for me to lift up this teaching and put it on a pedestal, attributing it only to those great saints who have given so much for the work of the Lord, and yet this is something which should also be a part of my life. We have to let go of all that we would find pleasing in the flesh, denying those earthly pleasures which often seem so sweet and yet in that final day will turn to ash in the mouths of the condemned. Life in Christ, life by the cross, is so much better than all the world has to offer! So let us store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Verse 27 of the passage above says, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." I will not live holding on to what I cannot keep and forfeiting that which cannot be lost. Learn from the lives of those who have given all for the sake of Christ, and follow their example in the day to day. Give what cannot be kept, and gain what cannot be lost.

Room only for God

2010-10-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

I came across a passage in Matthew the other day that I had never really put much thought to. It is found in Matthew 12:43-45. I am reading a commentary on Matthew by Charles Spurgeon and he urged me to think of it more deeply than I had in the past. Here is the passage:

"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

The evil spirit will leave a man for a time, giving him the opportunity to clean up his act and become a "good" person. However the spirit will soon return to the dwelling and, if he finds it empty, will invite many more spirits to join him. The man will become more depraved than he was before. Unless the Spirit moves into that empty heart Satan will always have a stronghold. "Reformations which are not the work of conquering grace are usually temporary, and often lead up to a worse condition in after years." (Spurgeon) Unless the Spirit moves there is no hope. For the morality of this world is as filthy rags to God. Hope for the reformation and rejuvenation of a soul can come only from God and through his working. We find this true of our own live as Christians as well. For if we try to clean up our act in certain areas without God's help we will always fail miserably and fall right back to where we were before. But if we are reformed through the Spirit by God's grace than that empty house has been filled and when Satan comes a-knockin' at the door there will be no room! We must ask God to repair our brokenness for only through his working can we ever be truly fixed. We have to turn our whole lives over to God so that he may renew us and use us to the full.

Religious neutrality...

2010-09-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am working through the Gospel of Matthew right now and I have really noticed how much Jesus speaks out against lip-service Christianity. It has been helpful to be following Charles Spurgeon's exposition on Matthew to read into the text instead of the simple skim/surface reading I have done in the past. It is so easy to pass the truth by even when it stares us right in the face. I have also found it helpful to do a lot of journaling about what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about it and what God is saying to me. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to truly study the Word.

So what of this Christian neutrality? Why can't we be neutral today? Our society idolizes tolerance...can't we just go along with them and say, "Christianity is right for me but not necessarily for someone else." It is so much easier to just live in our little bubble and not ruffle the feathers of anyone else with religion. I choose the word 'religion' because to live in our little bubble, to not mess up society with Christ, is not faith. If we are living in true obedience to our King, those around us are going to notice. If people only know that you're a Christian because you say you are or because you go to church on Sunday and sometimes Wednesday nights, then there is a major problem. Its easy for us to slip into this. If we are in a place where it is not cool to be a Christian, then it is easy to keep our faith to our room. We do our devotions, we pray, we worship...but only when we're alone. Then we get outside, get around the 'in' crowd, and we don't want to be the weird, uncool, religious nuthead who doesn't have any fun. Or, better yet, we are in a place where its cool to be Christian. Then we can toss around verses, raise our hands and close our eyes during worship, go on mission trips, and attend three or four different types of services a week. But then it becomes easy to be a Christian on the outside and hide all those problems and sins that haunt us when we're alone. Let me just say it right now: CHRISTIANITY IS NOT RELIGION.

Matthew 7:21-23 - Jesus finale to his sermon to the disciples and crowds on the mountainside. Here is what he says: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
Charles Spurgeon says in his commentary, "Our King receives not into his kingdom those whose religion lies in words and ceremonies; but only those whose lives display the obedience of the true discipleship."
I'm reading a book for my Christian Ethics class right now called "In His Steps." Its by a man named Charles M. Sheldon and was originally written as a series in a newspaper. It is a story about a church in a city that was challenged by their pastor to live their lives according to what they believe Jesus would do. He challenged them to not make any decision without first asking the question, "What would Jesus do?" It sounds cliche. We see WWJD on t-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers, but have we really ever thought about the question? "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER who is in heaven." Do you see that? Obedience. Let us not be like the faithless man who built his house on the sand. He had religion down pat. But he had no foundation. If you look at Revelations 3 and Hebrews 10 you should realize that anything less than completely living for God is not going to cut it on the final day. Revelations 3:15-16: "I know your deeds,that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth!" Hebrews 10:26-31: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." We need to realize through these passages that God is not messing around. We are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground. There is no neutrality. For the Lord will return one day and judge his people and if we are found lacking there will be no recompense, no second chance. Therefore let us live in fully for God! Lip service and a good reputation is not enough. We can't just go to church, Wednesday nights, and volunteer a few times and say that we are Christians. For Christianity is not founded in religious practices but in faith, trust, and obedience.

This post isn't meant to be a scare tactic. It is simply a reminder for us to live as true disciples of Jesus. I have seen a lot of hypocrisy and religion but not as much discipleship. Lets guard ourselves against these traps and obey God in all we do, giving glory to him no matter what the consequence may be on this tolerant sphere.

Fruition of repentance

2010-09-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Matthew 3:8 sees John the Baptist saying to the Pharisees and Sadducees, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
Charles Spurgeon said of this verse: "Act as a change of mind would lead you to."
How do we live our lives as followers of Jesus? Do we produce good fruit or bad fruit? If we aren't producing good fruit have we truly changed? Two verses later John says, "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." Notice that he doesn't say the base of the tree, but the root. Of those that do not produce good fruit there will not be any remains. No root will be left in the ground. They will be torn up and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:17-20. Jesus is speaking of false prophets. "Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And then the clincher: "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
What kind of fruit are we bearing? On the Day of Judgment many will come and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" (Matt. 7:22) Jesus' reply? "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matt 7:23)
Therefore let our lives bear the good fruit that comes from the grace of God. I will argue that if we truly repent, then we will truly 'act as a change of mind would lead us to.' So live with that grace and mercy always on your mind, producing the good fruit that comes from salvation.

Gray Matter

2010-09-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Fades fast the land where blue meets blue

As red rises to the land where white meets blue and blue meets black.

While blue gazes on green and blue and white

Squints in the bright,

Glorious Beauty,

Gray wonders at the colors.

Then orange and red and pink,

Dusky warriors, battle

Desperate in the fatal futility as gold fails.

Black prevails.

And fallen gray escapes the bounds

Of brown and green and blue

Rising above black to ponder gold.

Black prevails.

As white takes red and white so sweet,

Bitter.

And as branding black sears soft red gray,

Glorious white blocks gray from green

And blue soaks brown and white seeks gray

And gray pierces red and red soaks brown.

Black prevails?

Black bites gold and gold crushes black

And gray turns red.

Black fails.

Desperate black in futility fails

Fatally falls to orange and red and pink.

Rising red meets gold in blue and rests in green

And glories in white.

Then gray leaves white and returns to blue

As blue fails and green prevails.

But gray turned red stays gold.