I had a thought that I wish to share...
Imagine that you are a basically good person (difficult, isn't it?). If I ask you, "who gets to go to Heaven and who gets to go to Hell?", what do you say? Most likely, something like "Well, really bad people go to hell, like murderers. Good people (like me) go to Heaven." "So, the only people who go to hell are murderers?" I'd reply. "Well, not exactly. I mean, others, like CEOs of big companies who only want to line their pockets with gold at the expense of the American people, they'd go to hell too!"
Then, I'd reset the scenario and ask the same question. "Imagine you are a really really good person. You are so good that nobody else on earth has done fewer bad things than you. In fact, you haven't done a single bad thing. No lies, no swearing, no lusting after another person. You are good. Does that change things?" To which you might reply, "Well, no, not really. I mean, people are all basically good. Just because I'm better, that doesn't mean that people who do little things like lie should go to hell. I want to have somebody to hang out with in Heaven." Do you see the problem here? We have such a lack of understanding of holiness, it makes us unable to comprehend what God has done for us.
Let me put it yet another way. "Imagine you are so good that if anyone who has done one bad thing comes into your presence, so many laws of reality will be violated that the universe will cease to exist. Problem is, your best friend has told a white lie once. You can no longer see them, because you'd destroy the universe and kill everybody. You are simply too good for your friend. In fact, your friend, with their one simple lie, is so evil compared to you that your nose begins to turn away from the awful stench of their atrocity. Your very nature is contrary to their actions. Does this sadden you?"
You see, this is the position God is in. If we truly understand His holiness, we would realize that we are simply unworthy to even look upon His face. But He loves us so much it hurts! So much that He allowed a part of himself to become human, to understand pain and suffering. That part of God, who became man, was so good that the Bible says He committed no sin. He never lied, or stole anything. He never even disobeyed his parents even once. He then caused that man, Jesus Christ, to go through the most horrific, excruciating experience imaginable. Not only was their earthly suffering put to him by the Roman crucifixion ritual, but all of the evil things you have ever done entered his mind and soul, and he felt the weight of an eternity of evil crushing him. But loving you so much, God turned His back on His most precious Son, and allowed Jesus to be crushed by the weight of your evil deeds. In fact, because of the end result, God was pleased by the pain His Son endured, because He knew that He would get to spend eternity with His best friend... You.
There's just one more problem. God is watching the activities of mankind, just waiting for someone to realize that the penalty for their evil and atrocious actions has already been propitiated. The fine that is demanded by God's perfection has already been paid. He asks just one thing of you. "Follow me." If you do that, He can have you back, you can come into His presence and fellowship with Him. His Son has taken your evil away, your sins have been cleansed, and no laws of the universe will be violated in your communion with the Father. He just desires that you accept His gift.
If this interests you, you should read the book of Isaiah and then read the book of John. You will find that the God you believe is playing games with peoples' lives does not exist. He is a God of love, and His solution to your sin problem couldn't be simpler. You don't have to do anything, accept acknowledge that He has done it.
Can someone please explain to me how homosexuality is an evolutionary advancement? Please!?!?!
I'm sorry, but along with all of the other ridiculous lies that the world is buying into these days, this one just tops the list. Let me attempt to break it down for you, so you can understand not what my argument is, but what your own belief is (assuming you believe such lies).
The justification of homosexuality, as well as the belief in the theory of (macro-)evolution is based not on science but on a fairly prevalent worldview in western culture. This worldview is systematic and ideological. It has been foisted upon children at an early age in an attempt to wipe the slate clean of religious values and Biblical principles. This worldview starts with the presupposition "In the beginning man..." Those paying close attention will notice the symmetry (or lack thereof) with the Biblical thesis introduction "In the beginning God..."
The importance of this distinction manifests itself in the rationale behind the movement to push said worldview upon the general populace. To begin with "In the beginning God..." is to make oneself accountable to a higher power. This concept is sickening to the average human being, simply because accountability is the primary source of recognition of guilt. To be forced to give an account for oneself (for instance in the prophesied Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15) is to come face to face with those things in your life which you know are wrong. If even on a purely intellectual level, mankind seeks to alleviate the knowledge of this coming judgment, by painting God completely out of the picture. Once God has been satisfiably removed from the general stream of consciousness, a searing of the conscience can remove the feeling of guilt. Once guilt is removed, the temporary pleasures of sin are all that remain, and revelry (or perhaps gluttony) is perfectly acceptable. This is Satan's pernicious lie. "Did God really say 'You will surely die'?" Don't eat the fruit.
No science validates the theories proposed by Darwin. Neither does science validate homosexuality as justified, acceptable, traditional, or genetically inherited. The very idea demonstrates a complete lack of rational thought. I ask you again, how can homosexuals reproduce? Evolutions' own claims would remove homosexuals from the population through survival of the fittest and trimming of the gene pool. No, only the depraved human mind can conjure up such a vile and detestable act as homosexuality. Worse still, God has already demonstrated a specific judgment for homosexuality, in the volcanic destruction of both Sodom and Gomorrah. God grieved that only one righteous man was found in those cities.
There is one simple solution to this madness. One must identify those things in their life (sin of every kind) which are rebellious to the creator, and repent (turn away) from those deeds. Then, one must understand and accept the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross, specifically for that sin. One must ask the Savior to send the Holy Spirit into their hearts, to change their deeds and transform (metamorph) them like a cocoon transforms a larvae into a butterfly. Scripture says that the words of Jesus are like madness to an unbeliever. It doesn't have to be this way however. The Spirit of Truth has a specific role of revealing the mysteries of Scripture to us. Once this revelation has been allowed to take place, rational thought will return and science can be reconciled into harmony with God's word.
This is an official notice that I am semi-unofficially not quite sure if I will officially finish my website before the end of the 2008. So... there you go.
For two years now I have grappled with the idea of the post-tribulational rapture. In that time, my wife Laurie and I have come to realize that we whole-heartedly believe it to be true. As disheartening as it may sound, pre-tribulation rapture dispensationalism is heretical. That doesn't mean those who believe it are not Christians. It just means we've been deceived. Now, interestly, when doing a search for discourses exposing the underlying theology behind post-trib, I realized something...
Messianic Judaism is where the strongest "branch" of God's church will come from during the tribulation. This is because they have not been fooled by dispensationalism. More horrifying is the fact that the "falling away" discussed in scripture will be 2/3 of the evangelical Christian movement in the United States. For this reason, I am bumping up my campaign to gently notify and alert my close friends, Christian brothers and sisters that we need to get serious about understanding scripture's underlying doctrine regarding the tribulation and the rapture of the Church.
This link is a strong and clear argument by a Messianic Jew (I believe) about this topic: http://www.lightofmashiach.org/post_trib_rapture.html.
More on this later!
What business do we have here? Eh... the state. Can't get away from it. I've traveled with Laurie up to Pierre again, probably for the last time in quite a while. I have to help someone out with a small application installation task that's fairly important for them. We decided to couple it with a visit to Community Bible and to visit a few friends. It's incredibly inconvenient since we're trying to move, but otherwise it's been quite nice. We got up early, and got up here in time to be at the office for a few hours, and I'll finish up tomorrow morning. *yawn* For now, I'm going to bed.
Well, today was officially "John Hancock Day" for Laurie and I. That basically means I signed my name on enough forms for my signature to lose all meaning to me. Actually, despite what many will say, it was easy. It only took 30 minutes (I've heard some say 2 - 4 hours, pssht!). After it was all over, we thanked our realtor John Lytle (give him a call if you're buying), and drove over to our new home!!!
First, it needs raking and yard cleanup. The owners weren't around this summer, so the yard was entirely neglected (along with the rest of the house). It's probably getting embarrassing for neighbors too, so if my new easterly neighbor is as domineering as my westerly neighbor claims, then he'll be bugging about the time we pull up with rakes. Also, the siding needs to be cleaned, and the garden brick cleaned up, tidied or just plain replaced. The fallen walnuts in the yard will go with the leaves to the curb.
Secondly, there's a bug problem in the window and door screens. Word on the street is this happens everywhere, so we'll get some fog and raid and knock them out quick.
Next is the preliminary decor. This means painting. There will be plenty of time to paint each room, since we won't immediately fill up the entire space. However, the master bedroom will get painted first. Also, we'll experiment with painting the trim, as it's fairly cheap wood with old stain, and it could use a modern update. Along with that, we'll put up $75-100 worth of crown molding and some new blinds. The carpet can stay for now.
Moving on, the fun part will be putting in furniture. Thrift stores will help with the initial expense. Decorative and accent tables, focusing on rustic or antique style wood will give our rooms the perfect flare. As for the furniture itself, primary seating will be a problem. Thrift stores are hit or miss, so hopefully we'll get lucky with enough furniture to fill the living room, and our couch can go in the basement for our entertainment room. Our current table will be getting touched up, as dings and scratches from the move have marred it slightly. It will be a beautiful addition to our empty dining room.
Still, we have the future projects to think about to give this house a truly unique feel.
We need to update the stain on the cabinets in the kitchen and master bathroom, possibly resurfacing them with a minor bit of sanding first. Once finished, we'll be adding backsplash above the sink in the kitchen, and of course eventually adding a new counter top. That can wait a while as the current counter is nice looking generic laminate, but brand new. The sink the previous owners chose is perfect, and will stay either way. Also, to add counter space, we'll remove the nook table and seating, and put in either more counters, an island or both. The pantries in this kitchen are to die for, and won't go away.
Out back, we're going to add a brick patio or a low profile deck and construct a basic outdoor kitchen. Either one will be doable myself, so I'll save bucks that way. I can't wait to get my construction hat on for that. I'm confident I can do it.
Next will be the sub-basement finish. Now, we've been told it's not likely to raise the value of the house. Granted. It will raise the value for us, however. We don't plan on spending lots of money on this though. Plywood ceilings with a nailgun, I can do myself. Paint it a beatiful color with stain, and we've got an afforable solution. The ceiling is already beamed and insulated, so we won't have to worry about that. Even framing basic walls and wiring a few electrical outlets is no problem. Drywalling will probably be contracted. Laying down more plywood or a more sturdy but affordable material to level the floor, and covering it with carpet is also doable for me. The toughest job--still doable but something demanding great care--is ripping out the entrance wall, installing an archway, and building grand stairs. We'll add wall sconces for a beautiful lighting solution, too. We may even be able to put in a really basic bathroom, but who knows for sure. All in all, I think it's doable in about 3-5 years.
And last but not least, the crowning achievement, the most achievable, and probably the highest priority item to get done in the next few months is a bar! I don't think I'm up for building one, so I'll pick one up. However, I may build or buy a cheap buffet and shelving to put up behind it, as well as a mirror and more glassware space. We'll add barstools and a small cafe table, and viola! I can't wait for that one!
Well, this weekend was amazing. We were at my assembly's sister church, Keystone Bible Chapel for the annual Fall Bible Conference. Scott DeGroff and Jamie Hull were the speakers. Now, don't get me wrong, Jamie Hull was awesome, and had one of the most encouraging messages I've heard in a while. However, Scott DeGroff blew my socks off! Literally, I have no socks on right now.
Scott spoke passionately and eloquently on the message of Romans to the Christian in today's church. Many points were flying, including the idea of impending wrath, sin for the Christian and non-Christian, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and most importantly, the calling of the Saints to testifying of the Gospel message. Praise the Lord!
I am so thankful for the types of concepts and studies the Lord has been sending to me through the Holy Spirit and ministries of various individuals lately. Everything seems completely wrapped up in one ideological summation. The Church is called to testify of the Gospel, but we've lost our way. Various things are hindering us, whether it is sin, the failing of our zeal, the misunderstanding or loss of absolute truth, the list goes on. The main point however is this: people are heading for hell, and the lake of fire, and God's wrath. We have the key to Salvation, through Christ Jesus our Lord, if we would only share it, broadcast it!
I am more convinced than ever that, among many other foundational solutions, The Truth Project will be a springboard of evangelism revival in the Church in the U.S. That is why Laurie and I are going to be opening our home to show this DVD series as often as possible in the coming year. Of course, the first session we'll be doing is with our church in Council Bluffs (Council Bluffs Bible Chapel). They requested that we do it during the normal Wednesday night prayer and potluck. While not perfectly ideal or intended by the project framework, it will get the training and DVD set into the hands of those at that assembly. From there, it may spread through their families or acquaintances. I have no idea what God has in mind for my family at CBBC, but I just know it's my responsibility to begin spreading this training tool around the Omaha area. I hope that Keystone, Northwest, and Lincoln Bible Chapels get ahold of it shortly thereafter as well!
Well, that's all for now.
And to add to my previous blog post, we are now officially home owners!!! The house in Quail Creek is officially ours! We close on October 30th if all goes well. Inspections, appraisals, and loan paperwork follow.
If some of you haven't heard, I'd like to take a moment to update you about a pivotal time in our lives which is transpiring now. We are currently shopping for a house!!! We have seen 30 houses in the last month, and 20-25 of them in the last 9 days. There are some real downers in the bunch, considering we are purposely lowering our price range to one that is reasonable, not frivolous. However, there are a few beautiful houses in the lot as well! We're really encouraged.
After some discussion and thought, we have had an interesting full-circle experience. One of the first houses we saw, when we visited Omaha before moving was in Quail Creek, Bellevue. After viewing many other houses in open house showings, and making a run with our realtor, we came right back to the Quail Creek house. Even our realtor loved it! We saw a few more open houses, and went for a showing in Happy Hollow to see older homes.
After it all, we're more than convinced we know which house is right for us. The house is perfect just as it is, and it's in a beautiful quiet neighborhood, has a huge wooded yard, and is tucked into the end of a dead end street (similar to a cul-de-sac but without the lack of parking). The house would need zero work up front, but has the potential for us to add numerous things to it, including a home theater with stadium seating in the bonus sub-basement! The floor plan is a tri-level house, which they don't make anymore, making it a fairly unique house. Combined with the customisations we've envisioned, this house could have over 2600 square (it has 2250 now), and worth considerably more than we'll end up paying for it. Not to mention, the housing market is slumping, which means cheap houses!
I'm pumped!!! See it here!
Hey hey! It's me again. I haven't posted in a while, because I've been busy havin' fun meeting new people and hanging out with family and friends. Who has time for blogging?
Anywhoodles... er, stuff! Laurie and I were fortunate enough to be able to purchase The Truth Project DVD set, which we went through at Community Bible Church in Pierre, SD with pastor Harvey Friez. We will be embarking on a new journey, potentially of leadership or giving, or whatever it is God has in mind for us. We will be hosting a small group either in our apartment, or at a church, depending on the interest.
With that, I've put together a CD with all the files available from the support website (which is available only to group participants, along with the DVDs). Also, I'll open up a simple pre-registered site for all the group members, using either WordPress, phpBB, or both (Joomla takes too long to be worth a dime).
I feel God is moving me into a role of behind the scenes leadership, at the moment. To me, that means that I am being strongly called to help others around me see what God has in store for the body of Christ. However, I don't feel like that calling is leading me to stand in front of people and teach them. My passion, convictions, love for Christ, and adoration of the Father is being focused in a very specific ministry. I am so fired up for spreading God's word, but also in witnessing to lukewarm, backslidden, weak, disheartened, dry, and tired Christians, desperately needing a spiritual kick from behind. For some reason, God has seen fit to bless me with perspective and clarity I never knew I could possess. I have been given insight into ideas for reviving those around me that is clearly not originating from my own person. I see a hurting world, I see a hurting, malnourished, a failing church, and my heart breaks. We need to heal ourselves before we can effectively heal the world. The Truth Project is one of a few solutions for this disease. The Church needs a worldview check. And by check, I mean the hockey kind, where your face is smashed against the glass until you see stars, or nothing at all.
Well, that's all for now. Peace!
