Striving to proclaim & defend biblical truth and yet NOT be a grade-A jerk in the process

We Christians are to proclaim truth boldly. This does not mean we be jerks in the process. This is something I have been growing in and am still continuing to grow in during this process of sanctification I think.

Re: "To the liberal "chrisitans"…"

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
— Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (ESV)

I would say it is a safe bet that if you are reading this note, you also read my note I posted earlier in the week entitled To the liberal “christians”… You may read it if you wish still though… but basically I expressed extreme dismay that many who wear the title of Evangelical Christian are backing a candidate who supports the slaughter of the unborn– whether they support Hillary or Obama. I am aware some of these individuals say testify to be against abortion themselves, but back either candidate for reasons of health care or welfare (neither of which were issues that plagued the minds of the founding fathers who, umm, founded this nation though) or even because they think either the War on Terror or the War in Iraq (to stabilize the government so they do not fall into the hands of another dictator in the near future) is a waste of American lives and money.

I adamantly disagree. I believe we should have compassion for the poor and downtrodden. I do not think welfare is the answer– there are too many people living off of it and other government programs that otherwise could work for a living. Notice I did not say that ALL who are on welfare do this. However it is a large number. I also stand by my views that the wars we are currently involved with in the Middle East are justified. I do not want another 9/11 to happen. And yes… the troop surge has been working. The media however fails to report this because … then they would have to admit the Bush Admin was right. And so they would rather focus on the Democrat’s candidacy battle (as fun as that is).

HAVING SAID ALL THAT…

I do recognize now, after much thought and consideration, I came across as very harsh, abrasive, and even unloving in that original note. This was wrong of me, and I repent. I am not backing down on my positions. I am arguably one of the most politically conservative Christians probably you will know.

For me, the litmus test on whether I will even CONSIDER a candidate running for any political office is his stance on the life issue: Is he Pro-Life? Does he hate abortion and support the Pro-Life cause? Does he have a disdain for the slaughter of babies, and does he hope to see such an injustice someday be made illegal? Unless the answers to these questions are a “YES!”, I would not even consider voting for such an individual. God HATES abortion. He hates it. If not, then he was kidding about that “Do Not Murder” thing in his moral law (aka The Ten Commandments). Unless I can see eye to eye with any given candidate on this important issue, I cannot support his bid for the presidency, congress, or any other public office.

I recognize there are some who will disagree with me. And you know what? I am sure you are very wrong.

Still, I may have…. and am pretty confident that I did… come across as too harsh in that original note. I could have faith that moves mountains… and understand all knowledge and mysteries. But if I have no love, all that is worth nothing. We are to speak truth in love. This does not mean I should back down from the TRUTH part, nor should I abandon the LOVE part. The two must go together.

Being loving and showing said love to others is something I am really struggling with. Even when I am right in theology or doctrine… if is said without love, it is not worth much. I do not back down from my POSITIONS stated in that note… only how these positions were portrayed in such an abrasive manner.

Please be in prayer for me, that I may grow so I not only convey theological truth… but do so in a loving manner. I should not focus on only what I say… but how I say it. If I offended you in the manner I said what I said, I apologize. I will try to now speak the truth AND do it in a loving manner.

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To the liberal "chritians"…

You say you are a Christian… And you are really going to vote for Clinton? Or Obama?

Really? Wow.

I didn’t know you cared so LITTLE for those defenseless children slaughtered by the hundreds daily in abortion clinics. I thought the godly thing to do is take care of those who are defensless– including the unborn babies.

I also didn’t know you supported the government steeling money from hard-working Americans and giving it to those who do not really work as hard and are addicted to crack as opposed to actually working– what man was placed on Earth to do by God.

I also didn’t know you cared so little about national security– I hope the terrorists don’t blow us up if your Obama or Clinton gets in office. ‘Cause both would be too weak and pull out, allowing the bad guys to blow us up.

Have fun with that.

Don’t put your trust in Big Government. That is idolitary! Our hope SHOULD be built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Dare not trust the sweetest frame but ONLY lean on JESUS’ NAME.

Is your solid rock big government that wants to slaughter babies, steel from the rich and give to the lazy, and who will not protect us from those who want to blow us up?

Again… good luck with that.

Moral Issues, Politics, and the Gospel

Yesterday evening, I came across a friend of mine who professes to be Christian, but on her Facebook profile identified herself as a supporter of Democratic Presidential candidate Obama. Recently in a poll released, Obama was identified as the most liberal member of the US Senate, and I was shocked to learn recently, he supports the repeal of the ban on Partial-Birth abortion, a procedure that includes birthing a child half-way and then slaughtering him/her moments after the child begins to emerge from the womb. Sick. I posted my concern on her Wall… how could she support someone, as a Christian, who supports abortion. She replied with stating there are more important issues at hand. I was shocked and told her such. We should view politics in light of religious beliefs and Truth… not vice versa. I then got a message from a friend of hers… Kevin. Kevin wrote me a very lengthy message on how I had erred in being judgmental by using scripture as a reason for judging what is moral and immoral– right and wrong. The message is found below:

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Kevin’s Message:

Kevin

8:14pm Feb 3rd

Report Message

Hey Ryan,

I know you don’t know me (or maybe you’ve seen me if you’ve come to see a play at East in the past 4 years), but I saw what you wrote on Jackie’s wall…I mean, it seems like your trying to guilt her into voting for a certain person.

Not everything is black and white…you can be Christian AND be a Democrat. If everything was straightforward in the bible, and you use the bible to argue against certain things, then even the Republican candidates promote sin. I have my bible here and here are some things written in it (the same bible that condemns homosexuality):

“If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death…” Leviticus 20:9

“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.” Exodus 35:2

(^ Many people work on Sunday…even pres. candidates! Do we kill them? No.)

Now, there are several SEVERAL more quotes from the bible that out date our times (source: My bible and http://home.earthlink.net/~owl233/biblequotes.htm)

Now, let me make it clear I’m not anti-Christian/religion (I was baptized and all that jazz) AND I don’t believe people should get abortions just because “people can’t keep it in their pants.” There are extenuating circumstances for that…Like what if a woman was raped, etc.

Also, regarding homosexuality, you can’t condemn someone because of something written by someone else (not even Jesus!) thousands of years ago that DOESN’T APPLY TO SOCIETY TODAY. I know gay people, and they do not choose that lifestyle. Why would they put themselves through that ridicule and uncomfortablenesses. And even if they did…that’s there choice. Who cares?! I think God is looking down upon all the die-hard Bible followers and thinking, “Woah they took that sentence too seriously.”

Do you remember how much Galileo got in trouble by the Church for his ideas of the earth revolving around the sun!? These ideas were banned and criticized by the church because Western Christian biblical references Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, and 1 Chronicles 16:30 include text stating that “the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” In the same tradition, Psalm 104:5 says, “[the LORD] set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” Further, Ecclesiastes 1:5 states that “And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place, etc.” (wikipedia.com)

That, and the examples I quoted above show the Bible is outdated and you can’t believe everything it says word for word that literally. It’s NOT black and white.

Now am I saying that you shouldn’t believe in God and Christianity is a hoax? No. I’m just saying you shouldn’t be so closed minded and base all of your beliefs and opinions off of few phrases written in a book. Religion is good, but not when taken so literally. There are extensive essays and books on interpretations of the bible…It’s not black and white.

I know I’ve repeated myself a lot, but that’s just the basis of this long message: Don’t judge and be so closed minded. How can you choose a political candidate based off of 1 issue (or 2?) Gay marriage?! Really, who is it hurting? Abortion is terrible, but there are circumstances that allow it. I don’t believe in total pro-choice, but I’m not going to choose my candidate based off of just that one issue.

I hope you seriously consider what I’ve said before being all “Holier than thou” to someone next time. Who’s to say YOUR religion is right?! Buddhism? Islam? Judaism?

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I was fairly shocked by how long the note was upon receiving it. I wanted to reply, but I knew the reply would take a while… and indeed it did. The following is my reply… which actually took up 3 messages, for it was too long for Fb to send as one long message… I hope I was not too harsh and shall pray for Kevin. Please pray for him too, that God will soften his heart to the gospel.

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My Reply:

Ryan Gill

11:12pm Feb 3rd

LOL. do you actually wanna discuss these things and get my response, or do you wanna just do a drive-by argument? the reason the Bible condemns homosexuality, drunkenness, and lying is because they are part of God’s MORAL law.

as for the OTHER issues you mentioned, it is common practice for critics of the Holy Scriptures to point those out and call Christians hypocrites for looking toward these scriptures for “some” of the law and “ignoring” others in the Bible. So why do we do this? We don’t. We believe the MORAL LAW must be upheld.

You see, there are three types of law in the OT. We have Ceremonial law– that which is for priests and the Jews for specific ceremonial celebrations. The second kind is known as Laws of Separation– those which were used to identify the Jews as special people set apart from other nations of the world. One example of this is circumcision. This was not a moral issue… it was not a sin to have foreskin morally! lol. it was a mark of God’s chosen people, separating his people from the pagan nations of the world. the same are said for those verses about work on the Sabbath (which, btw, is SATURDAY, NOT SUNDAY!… lol) and “harsh” laws about whom should be stoned, or not handling pigskins (as many liberals use that as a jab against playing football… paleeze).

I don’t care if you were baptized… that means nothing to me. If you never repented and believed the gospel, putting your trust int he Savior Jesus Christ and his atoning work on the cross, you are not born again and are not saved from the wrath that is to come. Being splashed with water as a newborn or at the age of 9… or whenever… it doesn’t do anything to save. Man is saved by grace through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9), not by… umm… water. AND you say there are cases of rape in which a baby should be killed? Yeah… because that is just. Sucks to be raped… but it sucks more for the baby that is being slaughtered by the mother and the abortionist. The mother gets to live… the baby doesn’t even get that. Sucks for the baby. I would also like to point out that the only people… THE ONLY people who are in favor of abortion are ones who were never aborted… just a thought.

You say I can’t condemn anyone. Rightly so. I don’t condemn ANYONE. I can’t decide for God who is going to Heaven and who goes to Hell. However I CAN plainly read God’s word and say, with authority, that those who repent and believe WILL be in Heaven, and those who do not repent WILL be in Hell. I can also say that those who love God will produce fruit of a believer and WILL obey God’s commands and will be seen as holy. Those who hate God, that is, those who do not repent will not be in Heaven. That is not condemnation. That is reading the text dude.

FURTHERMORE, you claim that there is a point at which absolute truth is no longer absolute?? ok… ha. God’s word IS absolute. God says it. Period. IT doesn’t matter if it is 5000 yrs since the giving of the Law or even more. Homosexuality is still sin. Lying is still sin. Rape is still sin. Is there a point at which the labeling of RAPE as a sin no longer apply to us? Is there a time in which THAT SIN no longer is called a sin? That is the thing about Absolute Truth… it doesn’t change, no mater what time period or what society.

“I know gay people, and they do not choose that lifestyle.” Really? Would you say that they can’t choose then to abandon their sinful lifestyle? Scripture says otherwise (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)… and I trust God’s word more than any man’s “personal account” any day. What does it matter to me? It matters to God. God hates sin. HATES. His wrath will be poured upon unrepentant sinners some day, and I urge people (including you, man) to turn form your sin and put your trust in the savior alone. You claim God is looking down upon me and thinking I am taking scripture too literally? really? because it is too obvious to take God’s word at face value and to interpret it literally given the context? When God says DON’T DO X, it would be foolish to think that he would want us to DO X, or that X isn’t important at all. Again, I trust God’s revealed Word more than your guess about what God is doing, as that has NO scriptural backing to it whatsoever. Sorry man. I go w/ the 66 books over your guess any day.

The verse you pointed out 1 Chronicles does provide some difficulty at first glance. I have not been able to find a definite response but as someone who does study texts, I will give you what I believe the text to be saying. look at the entire sentence: “Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.” You should realize that you are assuming that “the world” is talking about the orb on which we live– Planet Earth. often “earth” and “world” in the scriptures, determined by its context, may also mean “every person,” or in this case I believe, “all creation.” The whole world meaning his entire creation. The verses surrounding the text you brought up focus on God’s majesty and his might. It isn’t some scientific lesson on the rotation of the Earth that is being spoken of. But rather of how God’s creation is HIS. the text also includes that the earth should TREMBLE BEFORE HIM, and the earth should rejoice. That doesn’t mean that the earth will open up and scream or that it will quake. But rather that all creation in general exists for God’s pleasure.

The verses in the Psalms and other wisdom literature often use figurative language within the text itself. This does NOT mean I, or anyone else, doesn’t take the Bible literally. We take the figurative language as literal figurative language. Hope that explanation helped.

You tell me not to judge… to not be so closed minded. Have you considered these words of my reply to you? I do not claim to be very open-minded. I know truth. You accuse me of being closed-minded, and I am guessing, you see yourself as a fairly open-minded person. Otherwise, why would you care if I am closed-minded? So have you considered and opened your mind to the words I have taken time to write here in this reply? If not… if you have not considered in your mind and soul what I am saying to you, which is the truth from the Scriptures, YOU are VERY CLOSED-MINDED YOURSELF! Also, you seem to be bothered by the fact I am closed-minded… and in doing so, you are being very closed-minded to my closed-mindedness.

You tell me to judge others… I am guessing you are referring to Jackie and other “liberal Christians.” Well, as Jackie claims to be a Christian, I am to hold her accountable in her deeds and what she proclaims. 1 Corinthians 5 and Galatians 1. I am not condemning her to Hell for her actions. However God’s church is to not judge the WORLD– we can’t say that someone is going to never repent, because we cannot know the future. It IS the job of the Church, however, to judge those inside the church and those who claim to be Christian… again, 1 Corinthians 5:13. I and other Christians are to hold Jackie and any other Christian accountable. Christians are not alone and they cannot just do as they please when they go against God’s Word. I mean no ill will toward Jackie– as she proclaims to be a Christian, I am her brother in Christ and desire to aid her in fighting the good fight and finishing the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

When I came to this university, I was only a two issue voter– the moral issues. Abortion and Gay Marriage. Abortion because the slaughter of unborn babies sickens me to no end. We, as Christians, are called to look out for the defenseless. A Christian is NOT doing so when he or she endorses candidates who are in favor of abortion (… especially seeing as Obama and Clinton both support the availability of Partial-Birth abortion and want that ban overturn… gross!). Who does gay marriage hurt? Well, it cheapens an institution put in place by God (Matthew 19:4-5… which while about divorce, is also a description of what marriage IS TO BE: a union between one man and one woman). To do so is to spit in God’s face and claim that mere man knows what is just and righteous more than God does. Blasphemy. God IS Righteousness and he IS JUSTICE. He doesn’t conform to man’s shallow views on the matters. He is the definition of such things. …however, now that I am knowledgeable about economics and taxes, and my desire for citizens to actually FOLLOW THE LAWS (illegal aliens)… I am a full-blooded Very Conservative young man. SO no, I am not only a 2-issue voter. but if I were, what charge may be brought against me for that? Anyway, I could conceivably vote for a Democrat, provided he was pro-life and against Gay-marriage. I do not hold to any party. I vote for the candidate that I can align myself with on moral issues– abortion and gay marriage.

I cannot view my religion in light of man’s politics. I view political choices I make in light of what God’s Word says– as it “is breathed out of the mouth of God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

I am not one who claims to be “holier-than-thou,” though I do claim to read and follow God’s Holy Word– The Bible. I do strive to obey God’s commands and I strive to be holy because God is holy. How DARE you JUDGE ME for being “holier-than-thou” and for being “closed-minded”!!

And who is to say MY religion is right? Well it is not because I say it. I am not the master and creator– God is. Who is to say that Christianity is right? Hmmm… I’ll take the words of God — Jesus Christ in John 14:6:

“I AM the way, the truth and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me.”

That is why Christianity is right and other religions are wrong. Other religions are idolitars, worshiping a “divine being” or even no being that doesn’t exist. Jesus Christ IS the only way. All other ways lead to destruction.

Lastly, I want to ask you something very important… You know, most people would claim to be a good person. That because of their goodness, they will escape any kind of judgment or punishment by God and will get to Heaven… or some idea of a good place when they die. So… do YOU consider yourself to be a good person? Do YOU think you are good enough to get to Heaven? Let’s walk through God’s standard of what it means to be a “good person”:

Have you ever told a lie? Undoubtedly you have… I have… everyone has. So what do you call someone who tells lies? If I told you a lie, what would you call me? You’d call me a liar. Ok, next one:

Have you ever stolen anything? ANYTHING? Ever taken someone that doesn’t belong to you, irregardless of value? a paper clip? a ball-point pen? downloaded music illegally? You know you have at LEAST ONCE in your life. What do we call a person who steels? no, not a steeler… we call them a thief.

Have you ever used God’s name in vain? such as when you smash your finger in a door or another scenario and shout “G**-Da*mit!” Well when you do that , you break the 3rd commandment and it is called blasphemy and is very serious in God’s sight… you are taking God’s Holy name… the name of the God that gave you life and using it as a cuss word to express disgust.

Lastly for this exercise… is adultery. Most think that adultery is only limited to having sex outside of marriage with someone (you aren’t married to, obviously)… but look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at another person with lust has already committed adultery in his heart.” SO have you ever looked at another person with lust? Ever looked at another person with sexual desire in your life?

So let’s look at the score, man… by your own admission (if you were honest with each question and answered yes to them), you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart… and we only took a look at 4 of the 10 commandments! So, if God judged you by those commandments today, do you think you’d be innocent or guilty? Obviously guilty– you broke his laws. So do you think you’d go to Heaven or Hell? I think if you are honest and realize that Hell is the payment lawbreakers must pay for their sin, you would realize that you deserve an eternity in Hell.

But you may say “well all you need to do is ask for forgiveness and be sorry for what you do!” Well, try using that in the court of law. If you go before the judge, guilty of rape and murder to a 13 yr old girl, and tell the judge, “I am sorry for what I did… can you let me go?”… do you think a just judge would allow you to leave and not have to pay the consequences? NO! He’d be corrupt for letting a guilty man go free without paying the penalty! Such a thing would be horrible! And God is not unjust. Or you may say “well i’ve done good things too in my life!” It doesn’t matter… a judge doesn’t care if the Rapist has donated money to charity or served at a soup kitchen, because he is STILL GUILTY of breaking the LAW.

So… you still think you’d be good enough for Heaven?… or do you recognize that despite the fact you may try to do good things? Does it concern you that you would spend an eternity in Hell? I know it should, man. An eternity with God’s wrath being poured out upon you… it is unbearable to think about.

So why am I telling you this? Because I too deserve this wrath in Hell. But I am also telling you that there is a way to escape the wrath that is to come!! 2,000 yrs ago, Jesus Christ came down to heart– God himself came down and paid the penalty for sin by dying on the cross as a sinless man, and paying the ultimate price for sin! Christ died to pay the sin of all those who would repent and believe the gospel, so that they will have eternal life and be spared of the coming wrath!! Imagine Jesus paying that fine… he didn’t have to and we cannot earn such a gift! But it is a free gift from God to all who repent and believe! Ephesians 2:8-9. we cannot earn salvation– it is a gift from God that is offered FREELY!! You can escape this coming judgment and have your sins paid for by Christ as well, my friend!!

No, you don’t pray a specific “sinner’s prayer” and no you don’t get baptized… those things do not save you. And going to church doesn’t save you any more than going to McDonalds makes you a French Fry. So how then can you be saved? By the gift from God and being born again. Repent and believe the gospel, putting your trust in the Savior Jesus Christ. When you jump out of a plane, you don’t just believe the parachute exists, you put your trust in the parachute to save you from certain death without it. You need to do the same thing with Jesus Christ– Repent, which means turn away from your sinful nature and sinful life, and put your trust IN Jesus Christ and his wondrous work on the cross.

Kevin, we’ve been over a lot in this message… believe me, it took a couple hours to write it! lol. But I hope you realize that my motives here are pure and true. I’m not asking for money or to get you to join a church… but I love you man, and I don’t want you to end up spending an eternity in Hell. It would have been easier to just write off your message you sent and ignore you… but because I care about you and your eternal destiny, I wanted to explain the gospel to you in a clear way… possibly in a way that has never been done before with a clarity never shown before. Again I don’t want your money… I just want for you to get right with God.

If you own a Bible, please read the Gospel of John… it isn’t very long, just 21 chapters. If you don’t own a bible, http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ is a great recourse for you to use to read it. I truly hope you take time to consider these words I have typed to you… both my response to your points and this gospel presentation. There is NOTHING more important than where you will spend eternity.

Well I have taken up a LOT of your time. I hope and pray you get this far in the message … and I will be praying for you, Kevin. Goodnight, man.

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I truly hope I was not overly-harsh or anything of that nature. I actually was not going to type as much as I did… but the entire final 3rd of the message just came out of a need I felt to share the gospel with this young man. He may never hear the biblical gospel… he might have only been exposed to the man-centered gospel before. We are not called to make converts… we are called to plant seeds. I pray this seed has been planted firmly and that God will soften his heart and bring Kevin to repentance.

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I fail to adhere to the Sermon on the Mount

I am astonished how often people misunderstand the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5, 6 & 7. I have actually heard it claimed this sermon of Jesus isn’t preachy… that it is a wonderful piece that shows a fluffy gracious God who seems more like a fictional Santa than Lord. These persons read Matthew 5:3-12, and then it seems their eyes wonder off, or they shut down. To them, Jesus is ONLY someone who cares about the poor, the sorrowful, the meek, the hungry, the the merciful, peacemakers, and persecuted (I skip Mt 5:8, because most probably do– if they had a concept for what purity was they would view the gospel differently), accepting them as they are!

But wait a minute. Surely Jesus Christ IS concerned with those things! ALL scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in self righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I do not deny the words of Christ Jesus. Be concerned with the poor? Good thing. It may appear that I do sometimes ignore or at least that I tend to deemphasize this portion of his message. My reasoning is, though, that so many get such a diet of this part, they do not really get any other food. Bananas are good for you. But who claims you are supposed to have a daily diet of them and ONLY them? This is not healthy for bananas, and it is not healthy to only focus on one aspect of Christ’s message to an overload.

The Sermon on the Mount is not about Jesus just accepting people like the Snuggle Bear does the snuggley softest of sheets. This is the message the world loves to hear, but it is not so. Some of what Jesus says in Matthew 5 is even appearing to be HARSHER on man and about sin than anything in the Hebrew Bible! You think you are committing adultery when you have sex with that hot married chick? No no… you are guilty of that sin when you THINK about doing it! Just the very THOUGHT is worthy of judgment and God’s wrath. You know that thing about not murdering someone? Well, try this one– if you are unjustly ANGRY with someone and cuss them out, you are GUILTY of MURDER before a Holy God! You think you aren’t sinning when you get a divorce? WRONG– you are sinning, and are guilty before a Holy God. You think it is only sin make an oath and not keep it– I tell you it is wrong to make an oath AT ALL. You think it is righteous to retaliate when you have been offended? No, for instead you should just be taking it and not responding in kind as you feel like. And those people who hate you and want you dead? Yeah, you need to be praying for them too!

Does any of this sound fluffy and non-confrontational to you? Doubtful. Just when they thought they were up to their beards in laws from the Hebrew Bible, they learn that God cares not only for action but also he cares about the condition of your heart and soul– your thought life also. Suddenly it is really REALLY obvious that no one is righteous before God. To quote a gentleman and a scholar, John Piper, Everyone is guilty before God! You are guilty, I am guilty, the bus driver is guilty! So so true.

The point of this sermon isn’t to give us more laws to follow so that we may be righteous before God on the day of judgment. The point is that NO ONE is righteous, and no one CAN be righteous. All are in dire need of a savior from sin.

I am not setting aside these commands of my Savior for the sake of grace. No way. I just see how helpless I am without Christ. I don’t pray for those who persecute me and who pollute the gospel like I should. Instead I find myself wanting them to be … well, accursed. I often do not find myself yearning for them to repent. I want them to know truth, but I think inside sometimes I don’t want them to receive it. What a low view of justice and mercy I have.

I am born into an entire family possessing short fuses. Few times am I a peacemaker. How often do modern-day equivalents to “Racca” leave these lips? Is there possibly a greater adulterer in this world than I? When I get zinged I feel compelled to ZING back even harder. Not only do I feel compelled/tempted… I often do.

God I repent of these sins. Daily I disobey your perfect Word. Of myself I cannot hope to be sanctified in your precious sight. I cannot be pure of heart. I cannot be holy… on my own. Mold me and fit me dear Lord. Give what you command, and command what you will. Let me speak truth boldly, but not be a jerk about it, as I so often come across, doing a dishonor to your precious Holy name. Thank you for giving us your Son, so that through your, all things are possible. Amen.

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Apparently I’m Practically Nonexistent Species? LOL!

Yesterday I sat in STRONG (Hall) #204 in my REL 320: Jesus of Nazareth course a bit more than slightly frustrated with the clips our class had just watched from The Last Temptation of Christ. We were comparing this fictional re-telling of Christ’s life to the gnostic Gospel of Judas. I’m not sure which notion was more difficult to stomach– the gnostic view that YHWH is the evil creator that we need to defeat (essentially), or the notion that Jesus and Judas… cuddled… (and more?) Yuck.

ANYWAY.

A student in the class brought up a point that he had always struggled with growing up: If it was foreordained that Judas would have to betray Jesus, and it had to happen for Jesus to save the world, why should Judas suffer and be held to blame for his actions? I just sat there in my silence fully confidant of the answer. And yes, I too had wondered this before — he was supposed to do this, and yet he is held to blame? But after years of maturing in the faith, I was able to see that it doesn’t matter that he was supposed to do this, foreordained by God. The question is: DID JUDAS SIN? Answer: YES! He betrayed the Savior — a sin against God. Because he sinned, he along with EVERY OTHER HUMAN BEING, DESERVES DEATH AND PUNISHMENT IN HELL!! No one deserves Heaven — if they did, it wouldn’t be grace, would it? It would be earned merit. They are not the same. Besides, are not all men his? Can he not do with his creation what he wishes? Apparently this gentleman (and other fellow students) had never read/fully understood Romans 9.

But instead of pipping in I just sat there with a sort of grimace on my face… amazed that someone would imply that another DIDN’T deserve Hell because of their sin. However this notion continued to flow about the room as Dr Baynes too seems to imply that it is somehow unjust that Judas should be cursed, when this was all predestined to happen. “Many people today have a problem with this notion of Predestination.” I just sat and quietly rolled my eyes to myself. THEN came the statement that nearly knocked me out of my seat — “And very few (if any) believe in this idea of Predestination today.” :-O The manner in which she said this implied, to me, that she felt Predestination is some irrelevant archaic product of the Reformation that really has an average of maybe 8 or 9 that accept this as truth. I am not denying that the majority rejects this fundamental concept upon which the Reformation was built upon (this may not even bother me so much — Mt 7:13-14)

However the idea that she seemed to convey that practically NO ONE believes in such a doctrine anymore is quite silly, and really showed her ignorance on the issue IF she was implying practically no one upholds such doctrine. Maybe she hasn’t heard of RC Sproul. John MacArthur. John Piper. Dr. James White. Mark Driscoll. Phillip Johnson. Those are just a small handful of leaders within Christendom who recognize the biblical doctrine of Election. However Dr. Baynes seemed to just pass the idea off as something that could be compared to the old belief that the world was indeed flat.

Eventually I did speak up from the back of the class and proclaim, “Well, they are out there,” to which she did acknowledge this is true — they are out there. I just smiled and said, “Yes, WE are!” “We?” she asked. “We.” She seemed a bit taken back and some in the class got a little laugh out of that– I think even more of the class may have turned to see what a Calvinist ACTUALLY looked like. As if I had an extra head or something and was needing to be locked up in a cage and stared at by paying onlookers. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to watch what I say now.” … I am not sure about this statement– what bad could she say about such a view. Although she’s right– it is uncommon for good sound biblical doctrine to grace the presence of the liberal-leaning Religious Studies Dept. @ MSU.

I guess I’m not one to embrace much man-centered theology…

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Firmly grounded as a student.

I find it odd that I am not the normal college student. I do not speak of my decision to not smoke, get drunk, or have premarital sex. I am glad I have resisted temptation for these (though most have never really even been an issue for me), though I am not speaking specifically of m relm of belief. I may be one of a few handful of students whose beliefs, values or convictions have not crumbled ‘neath the weight of the ivory walls of the University.

One such example is my stance on politics. I was raised in a very conservative home where I learned of the importance of defending the lives of unborn babies from a slaughter at the hands of some who consider themselves “doctors” (more like death dealers). So conservative yes, but I was, by my own admission, truly a 2-issue voter by the time I was 18. The issues I was concerned about were biblically social issues — abortion and the defense of the institution of marriage between man and wife (as God created it). Sure I cared about the liberation of the Iraqi peoples from the hands of an evil regime… but it was not as important as the life of an innocent and defenseless unborn babe.

Then I got to a political science course once in college and my teacher explained to me the economic system of our country. He even went on to explain the differences between how the conservatives do the economy and how the liberals do the economy. I was astonished at how controlling and money-hungry the liberal approach to the economy is! So instead of turning me into a godless tree-hugging hippie, this course (& instructor) fortified my convictions and made me an even STRONGER conservative!

Along those lines, I also have not crumbled in my beliefs when it comes to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am currently enrolled in a Historical Jesus course that attempts to look at the gospels historically and critically… or more accurately, “How much can we attack the validity and reliability of the Bible, and prove that a Winnie-the-Poo book contains more truth than these accounts of Jesus’ life.” Blah. I still continue to be amused at how liberal the course tends to be, even though the current instructor is no where near as left-winged as the previous one. Even so, the approach taken to the Holy Scriptures is appalling.

When I approach a passage in a gospel that does not perfectly line up with another gospel, I think, OK, how can I make this work logically? The instructor wishes us to think, AHAH! An error– no way this book is divinely inspired! After a while, this approach just gets rather boring. For instance, just yesterday our class was called to vote (Jesus Seminar style– colored beads and all) on whether or not Judas kissed Jesus when he turned him over to the Jewish authorities. This event is recorded in Mark 14:45 and Matthew 26:49. Luke 22:47-48 do not mention Judas’ kiss, but say that Judas drew near to Jesus to kiss him. From this, we were supposed to arrive at the conclusion that Luke has Judas not kiss Jesus, even though this is not explicitly written. Our instructor mentions (as any good studier of the scriptures) not to read one’s own meaning into the text itself. However she was guilty of doing just that! Kevin and I did challenge this, observing that Luke never says that the kiss DIDN’T happen. The word “but” is problematic though, so our instructor looked up the passage in her Greek NT. There are, in Greek, two kinds of “but”s. One is a very final BUT, implying someone went to do something BUT it did not happen. The other “but” may also be translated as “and.” I was glad she was looking it up, but I was rather nervous… as if it was the former more final “but,” my point would be completely void!… THANKFULLY, it was the later but. w00t! Had it been the other one, scripture would have claimed in Luke that Judas did not kiss Jesus. But God, in his sovereign will, inspired the author to pen the other “but.” Funny how one word can have such an impact on meaning, aint it?

This has also happened elsewhere in this class… for instance, dealing with “Is John the beloved disciple who wrote the Gospel of John?” I know it does not matter really if John did or didn’t pen the Gospel of John, as his name is not attached to the gospel. However it does seem to be a BIG part of church tradition from very early on.

I am pleased that despite my liberal environment, God has keep my mind grounded in truth (instead of leaving it open for my brains to spew out). I pray I will be able to continue in defending the truth when called upon to do so.

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Whom am I trying to please?

Galatians 1:9-10 (ESV)
As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I have struggles… I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. If I could be perfect… and do enough good deeds from now on until I die… then Christ would not have needed to die at all! (Gal 2:21) However I cannot say “oh well I’ll never be perfect, so I have no reason to try and do good at all, because Christ died for me!” No… “how can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom 6:2b) So I will never be able to be perfect… yet I cannot live in sin, as a believer, as I have been set free from it… kinda confusing a bit. What IS living in sin, as Paul phrases it in his later to the Church in Rome? I suppose if it has a stronghold in your life… what constitutes a stronghold? probably habitual behavior that is unrepentant. I’m not just saying that the sinner should say “sorry” and then the next day do it again. That is totally uncool. Repentance is the act of the life turning away from that sin and changing directions. I also know I’m not able to do this myself. Only God can … and I need to release my hold on “my” life and hand it over to him.

So what does the passage I quoted at the beginning have anything to do with anything? … you’ll see, I’m getting there, shut up.

I have a young female friend who professes herself to be a Christian. However, she describes her self as “not super-religious.” Furthermore, I feel her judging me for giving off a holier-than-thou vibe. How do I do this? Oh you know… because I don’t watch certain movies/television shows that glorify lust and hard-core immoral behavior. Because I try to guard my ears and heart against such filth, as I am commanded to (Phil 4:8). I don’t use language I believe to be inappropriate–common words… cussing. I don’t do it, and get rather uncomfortable when it is done around me. She also seems to think ill of me for other reasons… I am a 21 year old virgin, and want to remain pure for my wife until our wedding night. And I pray that my wife will remain pure for me as well, because my purity is the best gift I can give her and vice versa. Am I perfect? Heck no… never will be. Do I stumble when it comes to girls and lust, etc? Yes. However, I am still called be a servant of Christ and a slave to righteousness (Rom 6:17-18).

I know the world will hate us because of our quest for purity and desire to be like Christ will be hated and despised by the world and those not of Jesus’ flock (Jn 15:18-20). However… when this scoffing at the desire for purity seems to come from within the body of Christ itself… that can kind of make my head spin a bit. Truly, I almost have a desire to share my shortcomings… not to say “This is what God has delivered me from because of his grace, mercy, and healing power”… but so as to brag about my sin! yes… to brag about my sin to say “Hey! I’m just like you in certain ways… get off my back!” HOW ABSURD! Why would i ever desire to boast in my sin? Am I not to boast instead of Christ (1 Cor 1:31)? To boast in my sin is to boast and be joyful in the fact that I placed and hammered a nail into Christ’s wrists on that cross… and to brag about it in a sadistic manner.

The Gospel is clearly laid out in the Word of God. As Christians… we are to live lives holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1-2). I am pretty sure God was not kidding when he wrote of how our behavior should be, as Christ followers, holy:

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “you shall be holy, for I am holy.” [1 Pt 1:14-16, ESV]

God is holy… so we too shall be holy. Does it say “it would be nice if you were holy”? Nope. How about “if you are holy that’d be cool, but if not it’s all cool, cause I am your homeboy after all?” Hardly. As Christ followers… as the elect, as those saved by grace through faith… we shall be holy. Does this holy life save us? NO! As I stated before, Paul tells us we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9) and NOT through works! Works do not save us, but rather works are the fruit of one who is saved.

So who am I to please? Is my goal to please my friend who seems to look down on my quest for purity? If so, I would have no problem in conforming in my ways, ignoring scripture, and attempting to show my friend that I am just like her… that I am not perfect and I sin also. I would compromise my convictions that are based in scripture. I would do anything and everything I could to not give live a life that may allow the Holy Spirit to convict others’ of sinful behavior.

So am I trying to please man or God? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a bondservant to Christ. However I have been called by God to be a servant for him… I am to not obey the gospel of man (Gal 1:11) … but instead the Gospel of Christ. And so at the risk of being scroned by the world… and even some of those claiming to be of the body of Christ… I will strive for a life of purity… even if I am looked down upon for it (1 Tim 4:12).

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I’m like the Unmerciful Servant…

Currently Listening X Worship 2006 By Various Artists see related

Matthew 18:32-35 (NIV)
“[Jesus answered...] Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

I have a problem that eats me alive if I let it. I think it is my friend, but it never is– that is just a lie from the Devil used to deceive me and further my relationship with God. I use this “friend” to hurt others around me… even if I love them dearly. I use the “friend” to harm others and to attempt to make myself feel better and more superior than those who first hurt me. “Friend” and I cry out to God to punish the offender so as to satisfy my selfishness… yet soon I am eaten alive… with little left of me even living. I then cry out to God to remove this problematic “friend” from where I am in life… and in his infinite love and grace… he shows me mercy… completely undeserved mercy.

The friends’ name is bitterness.

What? I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BITTERNESS?! I know… hard to believe right? Well believe it…. it is very true. I have a story I still harbor in my heart… even though it has been nearly a year since it occurred. I left my hoodie in someone’s room at the end of the year this past May… and while I don’t wish to re-hash the entire story, I still have bitterness in my heart toward two people– with one person in particular. I mean… that was MY favorite hoodie! It was so nice and comfortable!! And now I don’t have it!!! I don’t know what ever happened to the hoodie… maybe it was thrown away… or maybe the person I am angry at to this day took it and sold it for some extra ca$h. I guess I’ll never really know for sure…

My point is though that I NEED to LET THIS GO! I really do… it’s over and done with. What does harboring bitterness in my heart do to the other person? Not much– she doesn’t like me anyway at all! She’s not hurt that I’m angry about this. I need to just get over it. I sin against God FAR more than this person sins against me… and if I can’t forgive her for what happened a year ago, how can I expect God to forgive me of my evils I’ve done just this past week? I know I’ve written about this before… but be patient with me… this is truly a hard lesson for me to 100% GET. I’m working on it…

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I got a fever, and the only perscription is… MORE GUITAR HERO 2!!

Yeah… I admit. I’m probably somewhat addicted to Guitar Hero 2. I was never really one for Dance Dance Revolution. Maybe it’s partly because I do not dance very well… but I would just get frustrated and cut my legs off… or want to anyway because they wouldn’t work fast enough for me and the game. Guitar Hero is similar… except you rock out instead of dancing. While I do not really play guitar, I’ve always WANTED to… so this is kinda my chance. Nolan got Nik into it just about a week ago and Nik bought it for PS2 just a while ago. Anyway they’re both really into it, and I kinda wish I had a PS2 now just so I could buy and play Guitar Hero… except I’m kinda glad I don’t own it… that’s all I’d wanna do then. No school work or anything… just rock out on G.H. all day. I was able to beat it on easy last night though while I was @ Nik’s place, so I’m kinda proud of that.

Colleen and Jannah are both outa town… kinda. Jannah is on a retreat with Chatham’s Youth Group and Colleen is “out of town” at a Missions Conference. But by “out of town” I mean she’s staying @ Westport Plaza here in town. She said she wouldn’t mind visitors some night, so Nik and I may head over one of these nights and say hi and chill for a bit. It’s kinda lonely without those 2. At the very least, my world is a whole lot less cutter.

So yesterday (a day after her oral surgery to remove her wisdom teeth) Kacey and I were chatting on the phone for an hour or 2 and eventually invited me to go ice skating with her and her best friend Jessica up at the Mills. However she said they had to go work out first… this was about 11 or 12 or so. Well I took the dogs for a walk during that time cause it was SO GORGEOUS OUTSIDE!! Sunny… 58 degrees or so… IN LATE DECEMBER! I global warming. tee-hee. If there was such a thing. But anyway…. I wasn’t sure if she had called while I was gone saying “hey we’re on our way to the Mills” but they didn’t. Actually it turns out skating @ the Mills was only till 5:30 yesterday and with an hour drive time, they would only get in some hour’s worth of skating. SO after some confusion, we decided to go to the Ice Rink in Forest Park– where Nik and I had been ice skating previously with Lisa Weiss back during Christmas Break of ‘04. After that trek, I thought I really enjoyed skating and did okay at it. I was wrong. Or if I did okay then, This is 2 years later… and only my second time skating ever. Yeah I was awful. I was disappointed. It was still fun to see Kacey though. After skating (and meeting Jessica’s little cousin who wouldn’t shake mine and Nik’s hands cause she thought we looked like “jerks” wtf?) we headed onto Route 67 and went to St. Louis Bread Co. to eat. We had fun… though most of the night was filled with pokes and jabs at Ryan. I don’t get it… I believe in Predestination … I don’t make fun of them because they don’t. What’s the deal?! Buttheads.

That was it really. I feel kinda bad about dragging Nik along. Apparently he had plans this evening but they kinda fell through. But he didn’t beat me up, so I guess that’s a good thing, right? I was only aware that it was Kacey, Jessica and then Me and Nik. I didn’t know Mario and 2 others would be going too! So that was kinda awkward when it happened. Yeah.

My bro is gone till the 1st on a retreat in Texas… FREEDOM!!

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