You know my life has changed significantly in the past 5 years. I was just thinking the other day about how much my life has changed since High School. All the good, and bad, times that have taken place and all the events that have transpired for the Lord to have placed me right here, right now.
Lets see in a list version I've
Been a youth pastor
Moved to Germany
Went to bible college in both Germany and England
Had my wisdom teeth removed
Graduated from Bible College
Met and got engaged to Donna
Moved back to Georgia and then to California
These are just a summary of the main events that have happened. It makes me wonder what the Lord has in store for me in the next five years, it leaves me both excited and curious. I love Jesus!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Recent Ponderings 1
(Editor's note: Has not been edited)
It's been a while since my last blog. But I think that's ok, it gave time for everyone and anyone to be sure to have read the last one before I prepared this one.
A lot has happened since that blog was posted, I moved to California, I got a car and a job. This blog isn't about any of those things though I probably have enough material for each to write an entire blog about it, and who knows maybe I will when I don't have anything else to do. But today is a special blog, one that is really about something that I have been thinking about for a little while.
As you may know the comedian George Carlin died the other day, now other than watching him on "Shining Times Station" where he played Mr. Conductor on the Thomas the Train TV show on PBS that I used to watch (in my defense PBS was the only channel we were allowed to watch for the most part) I didn't really know much about him. But it turns out, from reading various articles about him, that he was quite a rebellious crass man, who liked to make fun of, among other things, God.
Now I don't know where he was spiritually when he died, but assuming that he had not repented, this man who had made a career out of being rebellious is now paying for that choice for all eternity, separated from the God that he chose to mock instead of worship.
When I think of this or the many other men I see on TV or in books who blaspheme the Lord either for laughs, or just because they in their "brilliance" believe that an existence without God more suitable, I begin to feel three emotions at the same time. The first one that arises is anger, anger at the fact that they are mocking my Savior, and also because there are people who are going to believe what is written and they too are going to turn away from their only source of Life.
I then feel pity. I think to myself that these people are arrogantly marching themselves right into Hell. The feeling of pity quickly changes into sorrow. The fact that men like Voltaire, Lenin or George Carlin are now spending eternity apart from any hope, joy, friendship or love, makes me sad. Because no matter how much I may not like someone, or what someone stands for, I would not wish hell on anyone.
Yet there are many guys and gals, whether they be professors or friends, that I know who follow this same mindset, and I don't wind up in Hell like those before them.
Now this brings me to what I have been thinking about. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 says:
"Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
The point I have been thinking about is two fold (Not three interestingly enough) and they both come from this passage.
The first one deals with avoiding arguments and quarrels. I find that when it comes to talking with those "intellectual" the first thing that they begin to do is argue, but we are not called to do that we are called to patiently teach in humility. This is something that I am bad at, because I am a debater, I like to debate biblical ideas but at the same time I know the old adage "you may win the debate, but lose their soul to Hell." And that makes me think of all the times that I have debated with someone about Christianity to the point where we both left angry, and I think over my answers for days, if not weeks, later (ask Donna, I'm constantly bringing up new arguments for my point of view in a debate I had with some person weeks beforehand).
But I've come to realize that my job is not to win arguments, it's to win souls. Which brings me to the next part of my thinking
"If God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses..."
It's not really my job to win souls either. That's God's job, but yet how often do I assume that it's too late for those who are alive?
I watched a film a few months back called "Expelled" and I remember as I watched the film and how some of the men were talking about how, since they learned of evolution, they didn't need God anymore, and I remember a part of me thinking that they were hopeless, like they had no chance for Salvation. I also think of all these people who are in cults, or are just sooo lost, and I honestly don't see them ever getting saved. While I would not have admitted it I, in some ways, figured that they were lost causes. But I guess many could say the same about Paul, or C.S. Lewis, or many other men of God who initially weren't.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to God, (which then raises questions about sovereignty vs. Free will but I'll maybe talk about that in another special edition blog.)
Ok this was a bit long, and I honestly didn't intend to type this much or stay up this late, but I will say for now, I am going to be making a list of all those people who I've thought were too far gone, and I'm not going to give up on them, I am going to start praying for them and if possible talking to them, who knows "perhaps God will grant them repentance... that they may come to their senses."
It's been a while since my last blog. But I think that's ok, it gave time for everyone and anyone to be sure to have read the last one before I prepared this one.
A lot has happened since that blog was posted, I moved to California, I got a car and a job. This blog isn't about any of those things though I probably have enough material for each to write an entire blog about it, and who knows maybe I will when I don't have anything else to do. But today is a special blog, one that is really about something that I have been thinking about for a little while.
As you may know the comedian George Carlin died the other day, now other than watching him on "Shining Times Station" where he played Mr. Conductor on the Thomas the Train TV show on PBS that I used to watch (in my defense PBS was the only channel we were allowed to watch for the most part) I didn't really know much about him. But it turns out, from reading various articles about him, that he was quite a rebellious crass man, who liked to make fun of, among other things, God.
Now I don't know where he was spiritually when he died, but assuming that he had not repented, this man who had made a career out of being rebellious is now paying for that choice for all eternity, separated from the God that he chose to mock instead of worship.
When I think of this or the many other men I see on TV or in books who blaspheme the Lord either for laughs, or just because they in their "brilliance" believe that an existence without God more suitable, I begin to feel three emotions at the same time. The first one that arises is anger, anger at the fact that they are mocking my Savior, and also because there are people who are going to believe what is written and they too are going to turn away from their only source of Life.
I then feel pity. I think to myself that these people are arrogantly marching themselves right into Hell. The feeling of pity quickly changes into sorrow. The fact that men like Voltaire, Lenin or George Carlin are now spending eternity apart from any hope, joy, friendship or love, makes me sad. Because no matter how much I may not like someone, or what someone stands for, I would not wish hell on anyone.
Yet there are many guys and gals, whether they be professors or friends, that I know who follow this same mindset, and I don't wind up in Hell like those before them.
Now this brings me to what I have been thinking about. 2 Timothy 2:23-26 says:
"Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
The point I have been thinking about is two fold (Not three interestingly enough) and they both come from this passage.
The first one deals with avoiding arguments and quarrels. I find that when it comes to talking with those "intellectual" the first thing that they begin to do is argue, but we are not called to do that we are called to patiently teach in humility. This is something that I am bad at, because I am a debater, I like to debate biblical ideas but at the same time I know the old adage "you may win the debate, but lose their soul to Hell." And that makes me think of all the times that I have debated with someone about Christianity to the point where we both left angry, and I think over my answers for days, if not weeks, later (ask Donna, I'm constantly bringing up new arguments for my point of view in a debate I had with some person weeks beforehand).
But I've come to realize that my job is not to win arguments, it's to win souls. Which brings me to the next part of my thinking
"If God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses..."
It's not really my job to win souls either. That's God's job, but yet how often do I assume that it's too late for those who are alive?
I watched a film a few months back called "Expelled" and I remember as I watched the film and how some of the men were talking about how, since they learned of evolution, they didn't need God anymore, and I remember a part of me thinking that they were hopeless, like they had no chance for Salvation. I also think of all these people who are in cults, or are just sooo lost, and I honestly don't see them ever getting saved. While I would not have admitted it I, in some ways, figured that they were lost causes. But I guess many could say the same about Paul, or C.S. Lewis, or many other men of God who initially weren't.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to God, (which then raises questions about sovereignty vs. Free will but I'll maybe talk about that in another special edition blog.)
Ok this was a bit long, and I honestly didn't intend to type this much or stay up this late, but I will say for now, I am going to be making a list of all those people who I've thought were too far gone, and I'm not going to give up on them, I am going to start praying for them and if possible talking to them, who knows "perhaps God will grant them repentance... that they may come to their senses."
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