Hey all. As much as I love blogging and putting stuff out there for you guys I have been experiencing some serious physical side effects of stress lately. I just haven't been able to keep up with everything I have on my plate. Because of that I will be taking a month or two off blogging.
I hope you will stick around. I will be back, I promise.
God bless and I covet your prayers.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Saturday, March 5, 2016
How My Faith Informs My Writing Pt 2
If you have followed my other blog, The Vow you will have already read this post. Do not fear, however. The next post will be an continuation of the "78 Answers" series. I hope you can understand the need for a few weeks of repetition and will enjoy the post either way.
In the last post I wrote a blog to give you some insight into my reasoning behind certain tools in my writing that might seem "unchristian". I used the Old Testament to support my reasoning for including those things. If you haven't read that article yet be sure to scroll down and take a look. This week I'd like to use the same concept to describe the things that I will not include in my writing and why.
On Sex
Sex isn't just a regular part of the "erotica" genre, it's often scattered through anything considered adult enough. While studying writing tips I have run up against multiple people arguing for it's involvement. "If we can include graphic violence" they argue "Why not include graphic sex. Isn't the former worse then the latter."
One writer who advocates strongly for it's involvement is G.R.R. Martin: writer of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. That, I'm sure, doesn't come as a surprise.
His argument is that sex is a very real and powerful motivator for many people in real life and should be in fiction as well. I might agree with that. But as authors we have an a ability to chose not just what is included in our writing, but how it is handled.
When we compare this to the Old Testament in particular we see that God doesn't shy away from certain truths about when sex and sexual violence. He tells us what is important for us to know. But he doesn't include details (Though some might argue for that in Song of Solomon). No matter how thoroughly you read the Bible you will never find a passage comparable to Fifty Shades of Grey. Telling us that Lot's daughters got him drunk to conceive children with him is a vastly different thing than describing what was done in detail.
What is so distinct about sex that makes it a taboo? Why is this one physical activity so different from others?
Reading has a unique ability to pull you into a world that is not your own. You can see the world through anthers eyes. But as much as that experience may feel real or as much as you may want it to be real we are fully aware that it is only fiction. Reading about murder in a book will not make you feel like a killer or crave killing.
However the human brain is uniquely wired so that it responds to artificial sexual stimulation almost if not just as strongly as it does to the actual physical act. Studies on the effects of pornography has shown that the brain reacts to artificial sexual pleasure to point that it can cause addictions, form habits and cause the consumer to conform to the behavior shown in the source.
One author on a panel on writing Romance said that when we as the author write detailed sex scenes in a book we are essentially forcing the reader to participate. She talked about reading these scenes in terms of actually having sex.
Because of all these factors I have decided that I will not include any sex scenes in my writing. It wasn't a very difficult choice: I am not naturally a romance writer so I'm not exactly drawn to writing this subject.
I will allow certain concessions for the sake of reality and character development. I use the Bible as my guide in this as well. I don't want to simply add things for the sake of having a character that walks the line. There are many things about my characters that I don't share with my readers that affects the book but doesn't have any place in it. My characters sexual pasts and sexual activity is one of those things. If need presses I might put in a scene "behind closed doors", by which I mean that I hint at it's happening but I will not be describing any of it. I haven't had the need yet in the nearly novel and a half that I have written. My characters are busy with other things.
On LGBTQ Characters:
A large portion of the modern American Readership is increasingly liberal. The things that they demand from a book are often less focused around the quality of the plot and the depths of the characters and more focused on Social Justice. Is the protagonist a female, and if so is she strong or weak. Is she well developed and does she avoid typically feminine labors and loves?
Are sexual choices such as sex out side of marriage, and varying types of romantic bonds acknowledged?
Are any of the characters lesbian? Asexual? Gender non-conforming?
As a Bible-believing Christian I am not going to hide the fact that I hold to traditional marriage as the healthiest and wisest form of love. I believe in two genders: man and woman. And I also hold to a Biblical Complimentarian view of marriage. I also believe that the world will function best when men are in major leadership positions and when men are the ones going to battle and woman are on the home-front.
All these things will be reflected in my fiction. That doesn't mean that all my characters are saving sex for marriage or that I have no woman going to war or that could be described as "strong female protagonists". What it does mean is that I will show the effects of poor choices on my characters and in the cultures around them.
What I will not be adding is any LGBTQ characters. This is for one reason. I don't agree with the practice and I know that it will show through the texts. Because I do not feel that my fiction is the best place to address this issue I will not, at least for the foreseeable future, be using any of these tools in developing my characters.
What do you think about the things that I have chosen to leave out of my writing? Is it too much? Not enough?
Next week I will be introducing another character from my Fantasy Trilogy. As of next week I will be officially working on the editing of my novel. I am also writing a science fiction novel for my Wattpad account in order to grow my readership.
I hope you will come back for the introduction of Akharis next week. His complicated character is the most mature of any of my characters, and brings a good deal to the story.
You can also follow me on twitter here and find daily content on my FB page here. You can also get a taste of my writing and meet some of my favorite characters in my sci-fi novel "Malfuntion" here
In the last post I wrote a blog to give you some insight into my reasoning behind certain tools in my writing that might seem "unchristian". I used the Old Testament to support my reasoning for including those things. If you haven't read that article yet be sure to scroll down and take a look. This week I'd like to use the same concept to describe the things that I will not include in my writing and why.
On Sex
Sex isn't just a regular part of the "erotica" genre, it's often scattered through anything considered adult enough. While studying writing tips I have run up against multiple people arguing for it's involvement. "If we can include graphic violence" they argue "Why not include graphic sex. Isn't the former worse then the latter."
One writer who advocates strongly for it's involvement is G.R.R. Martin: writer of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. That, I'm sure, doesn't come as a surprise.
His argument is that sex is a very real and powerful motivator for many people in real life and should be in fiction as well. I might agree with that. But as authors we have an a ability to chose not just what is included in our writing, but how it is handled.
When we compare this to the Old Testament in particular we see that God doesn't shy away from certain truths about when sex and sexual violence. He tells us what is important for us to know. But he doesn't include details (Though some might argue for that in Song of Solomon). No matter how thoroughly you read the Bible you will never find a passage comparable to Fifty Shades of Grey. Telling us that Lot's daughters got him drunk to conceive children with him is a vastly different thing than describing what was done in detail.
What is so distinct about sex that makes it a taboo? Why is this one physical activity so different from others?
Reading has a unique ability to pull you into a world that is not your own. You can see the world through anthers eyes. But as much as that experience may feel real or as much as you may want it to be real we are fully aware that it is only fiction. Reading about murder in a book will not make you feel like a killer or crave killing.
However the human brain is uniquely wired so that it responds to artificial sexual stimulation almost if not just as strongly as it does to the actual physical act. Studies on the effects of pornography has shown that the brain reacts to artificial sexual pleasure to point that it can cause addictions, form habits and cause the consumer to conform to the behavior shown in the source.
One author on a panel on writing Romance said that when we as the author write detailed sex scenes in a book we are essentially forcing the reader to participate. She talked about reading these scenes in terms of actually having sex.
Because of all these factors I have decided that I will not include any sex scenes in my writing. It wasn't a very difficult choice: I am not naturally a romance writer so I'm not exactly drawn to writing this subject.
I will allow certain concessions for the sake of reality and character development. I use the Bible as my guide in this as well. I don't want to simply add things for the sake of having a character that walks the line. There are many things about my characters that I don't share with my readers that affects the book but doesn't have any place in it. My characters sexual pasts and sexual activity is one of those things. If need presses I might put in a scene "behind closed doors", by which I mean that I hint at it's happening but I will not be describing any of it. I haven't had the need yet in the nearly novel and a half that I have written. My characters are busy with other things.
On LGBTQ Characters:
A large portion of the modern American Readership is increasingly liberal. The things that they demand from a book are often less focused around the quality of the plot and the depths of the characters and more focused on Social Justice. Is the protagonist a female, and if so is she strong or weak. Is she well developed and does she avoid typically feminine labors and loves?
Are sexual choices such as sex out side of marriage, and varying types of romantic bonds acknowledged?
Are any of the characters lesbian? Asexual? Gender non-conforming?
As a Bible-believing Christian I am not going to hide the fact that I hold to traditional marriage as the healthiest and wisest form of love. I believe in two genders: man and woman. And I also hold to a Biblical Complimentarian view of marriage. I also believe that the world will function best when men are in major leadership positions and when men are the ones going to battle and woman are on the home-front.
All these things will be reflected in my fiction. That doesn't mean that all my characters are saving sex for marriage or that I have no woman going to war or that could be described as "strong female protagonists". What it does mean is that I will show the effects of poor choices on my characters and in the cultures around them.
What I will not be adding is any LGBTQ characters. This is for one reason. I don't agree with the practice and I know that it will show through the texts. Because I do not feel that my fiction is the best place to address this issue I will not, at least for the foreseeable future, be using any of these tools in developing my characters.
What do you think about the things that I have chosen to leave out of my writing? Is it too much? Not enough?
Next week I will be introducing another character from my Fantasy Trilogy. As of next week I will be officially working on the editing of my novel. I am also writing a science fiction novel for my Wattpad account in order to grow my readership.
I hope you will come back for the introduction of Akharis next week. His complicated character is the most mature of any of my characters, and brings a good deal to the story.
You can also follow me on twitter here and find daily content on my FB page here. You can also get a taste of my writing and meet some of my favorite characters in my sci-fi novel "Malfuntion" here
Saturday, February 20, 2016
How My Faith Informs My Writing. Pt 1
Do to some pressures in my life I have been unable to produce as much content as I would like. However the topic that I was addressing in my other blog seemed like a good blog to share in this format as well. Because of this I will be taking a break from the previous series for this week and the for the next post as well. Please be assured that I will continue with my apologetic series after the next post. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy this post on how my Christian faith informs my writing.
Some hobbies and careers are explicitly un-Christian.
Most things you decide to spend your time on however, will fall firmly in no-mans land. Writing is one of these. Because pure creativity and diversity in media however you have the ability to make your story very toe that line...or jump it. If you have read my stories and know that I am a conservative, born-again, Calvinist Christian (I know: too many titles), you might be surprised to see what I've put down on paper. Some people might be uncomfortable reading it. Some might think that I am turning my back on some of my morals. Before you think those things know that every word I put in my books is a choice. The themes that I include are developed with purpose. The characters are given a special amount of attention. I am not writing simply out of boredom, I want my work to have a reason for existing. That is why I wanted to release this blog before beta-readers ever touch my book. In it I would like to discuss a few of my reasons for including what I have, and excluding what I did. This won't account for everything in my stories, but at least it will give you an idea why I did what I did.
A Note of Characters:
I hate most Christian fiction. I have read very few that have impacted my life at all. It might have been the genre I was reading. I won't judge you if you enjoy them, but the quality is lacking.
I remember reading a quote when I was young that stuck with me. I cannot remember now the exact words or the source. The basic idea was that Christians should be the very best of artists because we intimately know the creator. We know what beauty really is. Think of great books like Lord of the Rings, Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov. These were all written by Christians, but do not force themselves into a straight jacket. Because of that, they have created a huge impact both in and out of the Christian world.
My problem with Christian fiction is about the same as it is with Christian movies. Christians are so terrified of breaching their morals that their characters more resemble paper dolls cut out of church bulletins then actual living breathing humans. Unfortunately, character is the most essential aspect of fiction so the affect is a sub-par story with forced morals and shallow emotions. There are a few exceptions to this but I'm speaking generally here. My challenge as a writer is to create Characters that are real. This means that they will have human nature. Human nature means evil.
In order for my characters to feel real I have to let them follow a different moral code then me. I have to let them have a different god then mine. I have to let them live organically out of the culture I've created for them.
As a believer that means that I will not agree with a lot of the things my characters do. Despite this I can still find ways to tell the narrative I chose and to ask questions of the audience that will hopefully lead them to the right answers. After all, we learn best from mistakes.
So how do I judge what is OK to add into my story and what I should avoid at all costs. After all, I can refuse to read "Game of Thrones" based on it's content and then add the same into my stories. Even if that is a realistic format for humanity. Do I chose my content based on my emotions? Do I just wing it?
The answer is found where it always is: The Bible. I have chosen to used the Holy book to guide every other book I write in hopes that God's words will be active through me, even if it's not explicit.
On Foul Language.
I don't swear. That being said, I am generally not to offended by it. Most swear words are arbitrary. "Crap" for instance, means nothing different from "Shit", but one is looked down on more then the other.
Strong language has purpose and can be used to great effect when used properly. God doesn't cut corners on strong language and strong imagery. He uses language that would make us blush from our pews if we spoke them in church. But when God calls Israel the harlot or compares a rogue nation to a virile donkey we cannot say He is sinning. Those very words that make us blush are words that the Bible commands we do not take out of scripture.
This doesn't mean that we should all start coloring up our language. We need to understand that this kind of language has a purpose and a place. When God uses it He uses it to bring home a point or tocatch someone's attention.
When I use bad language I do so very carefully. Sometimes I will use the words that offend me less in simple dialogue for the purpose of tightening the mood, expressing the character or even just for a laugh. After all, these are supposed to be the characters words, not mine. As long as I am developing a character that will impact the reader then I feel comfortable with it. If a reader is more convinced at a character by his or her use of an expletive then they will take them more seriously when they have a deeper line that is meant to provoke though.
There are some words that have heavier meaning and are actually degrading to humanity in any form they are used. The "F" word, "Bitch" and any of the words that convey sexual promiscuity. "Bastard" and more. These words I will not use unless the sentiment cannot be conveyed any other way. The concept is one that has to lead to a redemptive point though. If a guy just wants to call an ex-girlfriend a name, there are far better names to use. However, if a concept has to be brought across in order to allow the reader to ask themselves the "deep" questions, I will use one of these more weighty words but only sparingly.
Some words simply have no place in my story and can be replaced with a wiser choice. I will have no need to use racial expletives. I can see a time and a place for them, perhaps in a historical fiction in the same vein as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "How to Kill a Mockingbird" but for my purposes I can use words that only would hold weight in that particular culture.
Racism, classicism and the value of human life are things that I address in my book. Because I am working with Science Fiction and Fantasy I can avoid anything that carries deeper meaning in this culture and create versions in my story that might convey the sentiment without causing any discomfort.
How do you view strong language? Is it ever acceptable to use it? Would you be less likely to read my books knowing that I use strong language in them?
On My Use of Violence.
Most violence doesn't bother me. When reading in a book or watching a movie I expect a bit of violence. Maybe I am desensitized, but I actually enjoy a good "dark" story. That being said, there are times when it becomes excessive or pointless.
The Bible doesn't use kid gloves with death and violence. I remember being quite young when I first read the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. I was horrified. But we cannot look at this story or any other instance of death and destruction as pointless.
Violence can be an excellent tool for adding weight to a scene and expressing the danger that the characters are in but it has a deeper purpose. Violence can reinforce positive views on the value of human life, teach empathy, encourage real life action against social injustices and help us address our own mortality. There is no greater tool for evangelism then a correct understanding of death.
When we go through times of great pain we are brought face to face with these types of questions. Fiction brings us a way to address these things in a safer way. However, we have to avoid violence just for the sake of violence.
America has an obsession with violence. For this reason you will never see me writing about a serial killer, or describing sexual violence in depth. It's simply unnecessary and unhealthy. These things should not be glorified. In each instance in which I include death in my stories I try to focus on the reaction of the character and bring up questions of the morality of those actions.
What is your view of violence. Is the use of violence in media justified or do we glorify it unnecessarily?
I will leave you with these points for now but stay tuned for next weeks blog where I will be addressing some more points as well as some things that you will never see me use in my fictional work. What are your thoughts on these subjects? Be sure to comment and let me know.
As always, I encourage you too look me up at Facebook and twitter. I am also publishing a Sci-Fi novel on my wattpad account if you would like to get a taste of my writing style.
Some hobbies and careers are explicitly un-Christian.
Most things you decide to spend your time on however, will fall firmly in no-mans land. Writing is one of these. Because pure creativity and diversity in media however you have the ability to make your story very toe that line...or jump it. If you have read my stories and know that I am a conservative, born-again, Calvinist Christian (I know: too many titles), you might be surprised to see what I've put down on paper. Some people might be uncomfortable reading it. Some might think that I am turning my back on some of my morals. Before you think those things know that every word I put in my books is a choice. The themes that I include are developed with purpose. The characters are given a special amount of attention. I am not writing simply out of boredom, I want my work to have a reason for existing. That is why I wanted to release this blog before beta-readers ever touch my book. In it I would like to discuss a few of my reasons for including what I have, and excluding what I did. This won't account for everything in my stories, but at least it will give you an idea why I did what I did.
A Note of Characters:
I hate most Christian fiction. I have read very few that have impacted my life at all. It might have been the genre I was reading. I won't judge you if you enjoy them, but the quality is lacking.
I remember reading a quote when I was young that stuck with me. I cannot remember now the exact words or the source. The basic idea was that Christians should be the very best of artists because we intimately know the creator. We know what beauty really is. Think of great books like Lord of the Rings, Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov. These were all written by Christians, but do not force themselves into a straight jacket. Because of that, they have created a huge impact both in and out of the Christian world.
My problem with Christian fiction is about the same as it is with Christian movies. Christians are so terrified of breaching their morals that their characters more resemble paper dolls cut out of church bulletins then actual living breathing humans. Unfortunately, character is the most essential aspect of fiction so the affect is a sub-par story with forced morals and shallow emotions. There are a few exceptions to this but I'm speaking generally here. My challenge as a writer is to create Characters that are real. This means that they will have human nature. Human nature means evil.
In order for my characters to feel real I have to let them follow a different moral code then me. I have to let them have a different god then mine. I have to let them live organically out of the culture I've created for them.
As a believer that means that I will not agree with a lot of the things my characters do. Despite this I can still find ways to tell the narrative I chose and to ask questions of the audience that will hopefully lead them to the right answers. After all, we learn best from mistakes.
So how do I judge what is OK to add into my story and what I should avoid at all costs. After all, I can refuse to read "Game of Thrones" based on it's content and then add the same into my stories. Even if that is a realistic format for humanity. Do I chose my content based on my emotions? Do I just wing it?
The answer is found where it always is: The Bible. I have chosen to used the Holy book to guide every other book I write in hopes that God's words will be active through me, even if it's not explicit.
On Foul Language.
I don't swear. That being said, I am generally not to offended by it. Most swear words are arbitrary. "Crap" for instance, means nothing different from "Shit", but one is looked down on more then the other.
Strong language has purpose and can be used to great effect when used properly. God doesn't cut corners on strong language and strong imagery. He uses language that would make us blush from our pews if we spoke them in church. But when God calls Israel the harlot or compares a rogue nation to a virile donkey we cannot say He is sinning. Those very words that make us blush are words that the Bible commands we do not take out of scripture.
This doesn't mean that we should all start coloring up our language. We need to understand that this kind of language has a purpose and a place. When God uses it He uses it to bring home a point or tocatch someone's attention.
When I use bad language I do so very carefully. Sometimes I will use the words that offend me less in simple dialogue for the purpose of tightening the mood, expressing the character or even just for a laugh. After all, these are supposed to be the characters words, not mine. As long as I am developing a character that will impact the reader then I feel comfortable with it. If a reader is more convinced at a character by his or her use of an expletive then they will take them more seriously when they have a deeper line that is meant to provoke though.
There are some words that have heavier meaning and are actually degrading to humanity in any form they are used. The "F" word, "Bitch" and any of the words that convey sexual promiscuity. "Bastard" and more. These words I will not use unless the sentiment cannot be conveyed any other way. The concept is one that has to lead to a redemptive point though. If a guy just wants to call an ex-girlfriend a name, there are far better names to use. However, if a concept has to be brought across in order to allow the reader to ask themselves the "deep" questions, I will use one of these more weighty words but only sparingly.
Some words simply have no place in my story and can be replaced with a wiser choice. I will have no need to use racial expletives. I can see a time and a place for them, perhaps in a historical fiction in the same vein as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "How to Kill a Mockingbird" but for my purposes I can use words that only would hold weight in that particular culture.
Racism, classicism and the value of human life are things that I address in my book. Because I am working with Science Fiction and Fantasy I can avoid anything that carries deeper meaning in this culture and create versions in my story that might convey the sentiment without causing any discomfort.
How do you view strong language? Is it ever acceptable to use it? Would you be less likely to read my books knowing that I use strong language in them?
On My Use of Violence.
Most violence doesn't bother me. When reading in a book or watching a movie I expect a bit of violence. Maybe I am desensitized, but I actually enjoy a good "dark" story. That being said, there are times when it becomes excessive or pointless.
The Bible doesn't use kid gloves with death and violence. I remember being quite young when I first read the story of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. I was horrified. But we cannot look at this story or any other instance of death and destruction as pointless.
Violence can be an excellent tool for adding weight to a scene and expressing the danger that the characters are in but it has a deeper purpose. Violence can reinforce positive views on the value of human life, teach empathy, encourage real life action against social injustices and help us address our own mortality. There is no greater tool for evangelism then a correct understanding of death.
When we go through times of great pain we are brought face to face with these types of questions. Fiction brings us a way to address these things in a safer way. However, we have to avoid violence just for the sake of violence.
America has an obsession with violence. For this reason you will never see me writing about a serial killer, or describing sexual violence in depth. It's simply unnecessary and unhealthy. These things should not be glorified. In each instance in which I include death in my stories I try to focus on the reaction of the character and bring up questions of the morality of those actions.
What is your view of violence. Is the use of violence in media justified or do we glorify it unnecessarily?
I will leave you with these points for now but stay tuned for next weeks blog where I will be addressing some more points as well as some things that you will never see me use in my fictional work. What are your thoughts on these subjects? Be sure to comment and let me know.
As always, I encourage you too look me up at Facebook and twitter. I am also publishing a Sci-Fi novel on my wattpad account if you would like to get a taste of my writing style.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
78 Answers Pt 4: No Doubt
A common concept I find repeated by atheists is the idea that "faith" means that one forces themselves to think a certain way, despite their true hidden thoughts. Most would often say that Christians believe without or despite evidence. Because of that I find a lot of questions posed by atheists that aim to either jostle believers out of their security with "gotcha" moments, or that try to make Christians aware of their own doubt. This video had it's own share of these questions, but only two of them will be addressed in this blog post. Oh, yeah, and there is this really dumb one. 17 Is there anything in your life that makes you doubt God's existence? 18 How would your life change if you had serious doubts about God's existence?19 Was Jesus white? Let's start with the dumb one. Was Jesus white? No. Don't ask stupid questions anymore. Ok? The Bible beautifully addresses doubt with the story of the disciple Thomas, often called Thomas the Doubter. You can find this story in John 20:24-29. This story takes place after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thomas is one of Jesus's twelve disciples that was not present for Christ's first post-resurrection appearance to his followers. Thomas's words on the subject are very reminiscent of modern sentiment. "Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails. And place my hand in his side, I will never believe" Eight days after this Jesus appears again to the disciples and the embarrassed Thomas is given exactly what he asked for. The point of this is not that Jesus gave in to Thomas's requests. He was under no obligation to do so, and Thomas's doubt was not only arrogant in the face of so much evidence, but also poorly founded, as Jesus had blatantly told the disciples exactly what was going to happen to him. The amazing thing about this story is how kind and gentle Jesus was with his errant follower. He did not accuse him, call him an idiot, or even attempt to discipline him. Jesus patiently gave Thomas all he needed to believe and taught him. Now, many people might argue that God is failing somehow by not giving us this direct proof in the same way as He did for Thomas. What they fail to understand however was that Thomas was not an unbeliever, but a Christian already: a disciple of which Jesus said "I have not lost one of those that you have given me." (John 18:9) For unbelievers Jesus has words as well. "If they won't listen to Moses or the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone is raised from the dead" (Luke 16:31). When I ,as a Christian, deal with doubt it is very different from how most Atheists would believe I deal with it. And I do doubt. I doubt very often. My life is by no means easy or safe, though no person makes it through life without a good deal of bruises and scars. Not only that, there are some real hard questions out there, and many convincing arguments. When I face questions in my life, whether they be theological, emotional or historical and scientific, I take it on like a bull. That might not always be a good thing. Some obstacles you can easy barrel through, some are much more difficult. I remember some doubts as a child leaving me in a state of fear so strong that I couldn't sleep and was constantly throwing up and unable to eat for nearly three months. I discuss this more in my book "He walks the Earth, A Biblical Conversation on Spiritual Warfare". My bookshelf doesn't just contain amazing books on apologetics and theology, but a fair amount of Atheistic counterparts. This is because I often seek out the strongest opposing arguments. When I approach this however, I do it very differently than an unbeliever would. I do not challenge God or demand He give me proof. I approach the subject with the full belief that God is Truth, and that it will be reflected in every aspect of life. I seek out those questions that are the hardest and lay them before God, inviting Him to show me the truth. I weigh each argument with as much wisdom and intelligence as I can and carefully I have gotten to the point in my Christian life that I no longer doubt that there is a God who hears me when I pray. I have no doubts when faced with scientific or historical questions because I understand the overwhelming weight of evidence that falls on the side of the Christian world view. I see the holes in philosophies and have enough understanding to hold my own in most arguments. This isn't because I'm shockingly intelligent, but because I am determined. My doubts have been plentiful, and the greater the doubt, the more convinced I find myself emerging from it. While not all Christians take this approach I find that doubt and trials are some of the greatest trainers in the Christian faith. You can sit and listen to a wonderful sermon, or be comforted by the wisest of friends and pastors, but faith takes on an entirely new meaning when you have wrestled with God in the stillness of many sleepless nights. This is what it means to come to questions from a mindset of faith. It is a willingness to find truth, and trust that if God is real, that means finding Him. How would my life change if this didn't happen. Firstly, I've come to a place in my faith now that I can't imagine anything shaking me out of my faith. I believe I will face doubt again, but doubt is different from losing faith. I couldn't leave Christianity without defying truth, the evidence is too overwhelming. But if something were strong enough to shake me out of my faith my life would change in almost every way. For starters, I would feel no obligations to any earthy expectations. Freedom, you say, good. NO! When morality rests on Christianity (and make no doubt, it does) and meaning depends on God and life has gone from a worthwhile endeavor to an empty wasteland there is no reason for anything but the worst of human nature to persist. I'm not a hedonist, in fact, I quite hate myself, so there wouldn't be a lot of deterrence to me fulfilling all the worst desires of my heart. I cannot foresee the world benefiting greatly from my fall from faith. " If God doesn't exist, everything is permitted" from "Brothers Karamazov" Thank God that in Christ those great evils of my heart that would rot me to the core are slain on the Cross and all that lives in me is Christ. Now, what if we asked the reverse of these questions to a believer. If there was evidence that God existed, would you give your life over to him?
Sunday, January 24, 2016
78 Answers Pt 3: Talking to the Big Man Upstairs
Prayer is a very difficult topic to address and understand even as a Christian, and as an unbeliever it is easy to see how it could get confusing.
8 If your child were dying, and I hope that never happens, would just pray for them or would you take them to a doctor? And if you'd do both, which one do you think has more of an impact?
9 Whose prayers does God answer? And if it's ultimately His Will, why bother praying?
10 If you have cancer, what would help you more: Certain drugs, or prayer?
11 If you had an amputated limb, would prayer ever bring it back?
12 If you have an exam coming up, what would contribute more to a higher score: Prayer or more studying?
13 If you prayed for me over YouTube right now, do you think I would know it?
14 What matters to God more: The quantity of people praying or the quality of their prayers? If quantity matters, shouldn't the most popular team always win the Super Bowl? If quality matters, why do people you love sometimes die no matter what you do?
15 Is it possible that your prayers have no supernatural effect and only serve to make you feel better?
16 Would you ever admit it if that were true?
What we know for sure from Bible passages is
(a) God is sovereign (Psalm 135:6)
(b) God is moved by our prayers (1 John 5:14)
These two seem to be irreconcilable, but I don't think they need to be. Our tendency is to think that God is going to do whatever he is going to do, and answer our prayers as He sees fit. While this is true it is not to the exclusion of our request, in fact He assures us that our prayers are valuable to Him and will at times actually affect change.
The Bible records times when prayers actually changed God's mind. Two of these that I can think of off the top of my head are the petition of Abraham for God to spare his nephew Lot (Gen 18) and when Moses convinces God not to wipe the Israelite off the face of the earth (Exodus 32).
While this is said, we know that God doesn't change His mind. He does what He has always planned to do. The best way to reconcile this is to say that God's will was to change his mind.
I think that this is entirely feasible, and I think that this is a small picture of what prayer does in the grand scheme of things. We must understand that God is outside of time, so our prayers have factored into God's decision making for as long as He has existed. God has heard our prayers for eternity, every word. Because God is sovereign over everything I think we can safely say that He ordained our prayers and our requests. He does not hold these requests lightly.
The truth is that God's sovereignty should be a motivating factor for us to pray. If He was not in ultimate control of all things, if His will was not set in place before time began, than He would not be powerful enough to affect any change on our behalf. What we need to realize is that God is fighting for us. We don't want to believe this when things like cancer, death and trials happen, because in our tiny worlds our comfort is most important If we submit ourselves to God's will we will find that there is a greater joy that awaits in glorifying the only one worth the glory and refusing to demand He glorify us through answering our prayers to our specifications. It's all a matter of who we believe to be God: the creator of the universe and author of life itself, or us. Should we be serving God, or should he be serving us?
So is prayer effective? If indeed God is sovereign, and I could argue many reasons to believe this, then prayer is effective. Not only are miracles possible through prayer, but prayer is more effective then any other form of activity.
Should this keep us from being active. Not at all. In fact, the Bible has very harsh words to speak against laziness. However, if God created the world and sustains it by His hands it is foolish to think that our actions have greater effect than His.
The Bible also has harsh words for those that demand miracles of God. During Jesus's ministry there were many people who either only followed Him only for his miracles, or who found excuses to hate him despite His miracles. If you are a true believer in God, miracles and wonders are not as important as God's glory and your relationship with Him. Jesus often deliberately alienated the people who were following him only for the things they could get from him (John 6) and chose not to do miracles for those who He knew were not going to believe (Matt 13). We also see this working out in reality when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead and the spiritual leaders of the day had no problem believing that the miracle had happened and were more interested in their reputations than the fact that God might be walking among them. (John 11:45-54) While we often hear that people want to see miracles before they can accept Christ, the truth is that if shown these signs most would still find reason to turn away. God is not a beggar or a sales-man. If you don't want Him as the son of God who takes away the sins of the world, why would He lower Himself to your genie? If we can demand that we be loved for our own sake, why do we think that God is only worthy of our love if He serve us? If anyone deserves to be loved only on the basis of who they are, it is God.
I will address one last thing before I end. What kind of prayers will God listen too? If you are asking this then you are looking at prayer and God all wrong. God is out for HIS glory. Your prayers serve many purposes, and many you will never see or understand in this lifetime. They draw us closer to God, they teach us compassion for our fellow humans, they give us hope during times of trouble and YES they move the heart of God. There is no right or wrong prayers because the spirit of God moves in us as we pray. The Bible records some of the most heart-wrenching and real prayers to the Lord and encourages us to do the same. These however are conversations between a father and child. While some guidelines are given for how we should pray, and some sins do hamper those prayers, in general all God wants from His children is that they talk to Him. If we misunderstand this we will find ourselves attempting to manipulate that relationship for our own gain. God will not allow that any more then a good parent would. God, like any good parent, will place relationship and the good of the child before the momentary happiness of that child.
If you are not a believer though, the same does not apply for you. Every prayer answered for an unbeliever is a act of grace beyond what you can imagine. It is the loving hand held out from a Father to the people who brutally killed His son and sing songs celebrating the slaughter. You cannot expect God to lower himself to respond to the demands of such people.
There are so many more things that could be said about prayer, and so many more resources to find those on, but for the sake of brevity I will leave it here. This I will say, if you have questions about prayer there is no one better to ask then God Himself. Ask those questions, open the Bible. Come truly ready to listen and get answers, and you might be surprised what you find.
If you enjoyed reading this be sure to look back over the last few posts where earlier questions were addressed. Be sure to keep updated as well as I work on my Christian non-fiction book on Satan and Demons. I will be updating with the next installment in two weeks. You can find me on twitter at @J23hawkE and on FB at https://www.facebook.com/JPurrazzi. I hope you will keep me in your prayers as I study the Word and seek to glorify God through my writing.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
I'm Back.
Hey all, its been a while. My heavy schedule has gotten the best of me and finding time to write blogs has been difficult. I have big news to share with you all! First I will fill you in with what you should expect for the future of this blog.
From here on out it is my intention to put out a blog on the second and forth weekend of every month. My last few blogs were apologetic blogs answering 78 questions posed to Christians by a popular atheist you tuber. I would like to see that series through to the end. If you haven't seen them yet I encourage you to read back over the last three blogs.
For Christmas this year my mom and dad gave me a journaling Bible to illustrate. If you are unfamiliar with the growing trend you can see a glimpse of what people are doing by searching "Illustrated Faith" It really is a beautiful movement.
I have already finished two spreads and hope to share with you my progress as I study through and illustrate the Bible. I have pushed myself to read and illustrate it page by page, and I hope you will enjoy following along.
Now for the big announcement. This year I have decided to pursue a calling I have felt for some time. I believe that God has given me a gift of teaching. My love for the Word and study and my tendency to talk too much has both gotten me into a lot of trouble and been used by God to his glory. Because I do not feel that leadership is a gift I have been given (though that is often given with the gift of teaching) I feel like one of the best ways for me to pursue that gift is to write both in blogs and in book form.
Because of this I have decided to pursue my dream of becoming a published author. I have two projects I am currently working on. The first is a fantasy trilogy that has been growing in my mind and my writing since I was twelve. It is entitled "Smoke, Fire and Ash". If you are interested in following the progress on that you can look into another blog I am writing entitled "The Vow" at orenvow.blogspot.com.
I tried a variety of different subjects for my breakout Christian Non-fiction, however I never felt released to pursue any of them until the Lord reminded me of my desire to share my experiences with Spiritual warfare.
I am going to be writing this book on the subject of Satan and Demons. It may seem like an odd choice for a first book, and is in fact very daunting for me. It is one thing writing a theological book with both feet on the ground. It is another thing sharing the deeply personal and easily ridiculed experiences that have shaped this book. I have seen that our culture in particular has a lot of misconceptions on the subject however, and I must be obedient if I feel the Lord wants me to address it.
My hope with the book is that I can finish the first draft this year between the first and second draft of my fantasy book, which is in it's final chapters as we speak. After some edits I will be looking for a few Christians who I trust who might be willing to read the book and check the theology and writing. If all is well I will complete the final edits before self-publishing the book. The current plan is that I will be publishing the book on Kindle first and using the money from the sales to publish paper-back copies. If the Lord is willing I will be using the sales from this book to fulfill my desire to support some Christian ministries I am invested in. I will be using a "reverse tithe" method, keeping 10% to invest back into my writing and art, and donating the remaining 90% into Christian ministries. Some of these ministries might include my Church, Sent Church in Sanford FL, and "Unearthed" a ministry that fights human trafficking through media, distribution of funds to existing ministries in need, and the creation of resources for churches.
What has caused me to want to write on the subject. A more complete testimony of my experiences will be included in the book, but I will explain briefly to you.
I remember being terrified of the dark as a child. Apparently most people are afraid of the dark because of what they cannot see and therefore imagine in the dark. However, when I was a child I very vividly saw what I called monsters walking through my room.
I would often sit awake on my bed watching as monsters milling about. I was afraid to close my eyes or turn away because on an early occasion when I had done so a monster had laid it's hand on my shoulder.
As I grew older I dismissed most stories of demons. Though I believed they existed, I did not feel like people were telling the truth when they talked about seeing demons or feeling them. All the while I was plagued with bizarre nightmares, sleepwalking and hearing voices during the night. Most of these were terrifying experiences, but became a family joke when I recounted them. I didn't want to let on how truly terrifying they were, or relieve it in the telling.
As I grew older these symptoms got worse and began to include complete spiritual and emotional break-downs and occasional waking sights of demons. During this time a friend suggested that what was happening was not just my subconscious but active demonic oppression.
After this suggestion I searched for books, sermons and articles on Satan and demons. I found that most of the resources I found were based not on Bible study and exegesis but on experience and conjecture. Most sources prescribed exorcisms with specialists and treated demonic oppression as if it were a disease that needed a certified spiritual doctor to fix.
After trying a variety of these remedies with both terrifying and hilarious results, I was more terrified and disappointed then ever. I was struggling with an eating disorder, panic attacks, a multitude of unaddressed sin habits and I was loosing sleep with almost nightly demonic dreams and visions.
Finally, God stepped in and showed me His presences through the same thing that was so plaguing me: Nightmares. Two, specifically. After this point I threw out most of the teaching on demons and opened my Bible.
Since this time my experiences have been few and far between and all without fear. When demons enter my dreams I cast them out in the name of Christ. When I wake to see them I feel no fear but follow the Biblical prescription for such times: the name of Christ and prayer.
I have come to resent much of the teaching on Satan and demons, which drags believers away from the power of the Cross to that of incantations, self-help and humanism. Christians have become enslaved to fear and to false teachers, more ensnared by their attempts to flee the enemy than by the actions of the enemy.
This is why this book is one that I have always wanted to write, though I never expected it to be my first book. I hope you will follow along, open your Bibles, and learn what is meant by "spiritual warfare".
If you want to follow me as a writer you can find me on Twitter under the name @J23hawkE and on my FB page at Jill E Purrazzi. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject of Satan, demons, and Spiritual Warfare, I would love to hear anything you have to tell. Please message me your stories and thoughts! I may even include some of them in the book, with your permission of course.
I hope that you will keep me in your prayers, that I will listen to the voice of God and not veer into false teaching. Pray that God will use this book or stop my writing it.
From here on out it is my intention to put out a blog on the second and forth weekend of every month. My last few blogs were apologetic blogs answering 78 questions posed to Christians by a popular atheist you tuber. I would like to see that series through to the end. If you haven't seen them yet I encourage you to read back over the last three blogs.
For Christmas this year my mom and dad gave me a journaling Bible to illustrate. If you are unfamiliar with the growing trend you can see a glimpse of what people are doing by searching "Illustrated Faith" It really is a beautiful movement.
I have already finished two spreads and hope to share with you my progress as I study through and illustrate the Bible. I have pushed myself to read and illustrate it page by page, and I hope you will enjoy following along.
Now for the big announcement. This year I have decided to pursue a calling I have felt for some time. I believe that God has given me a gift of teaching. My love for the Word and study and my tendency to talk too much has both gotten me into a lot of trouble and been used by God to his glory. Because I do not feel that leadership is a gift I have been given (though that is often given with the gift of teaching) I feel like one of the best ways for me to pursue that gift is to write both in blogs and in book form.
Because of this I have decided to pursue my dream of becoming a published author. I have two projects I am currently working on. The first is a fantasy trilogy that has been growing in my mind and my writing since I was twelve. It is entitled "Smoke, Fire and Ash". If you are interested in following the progress on that you can look into another blog I am writing entitled "The Vow" at orenvow.blogspot.com.
I tried a variety of different subjects for my breakout Christian Non-fiction, however I never felt released to pursue any of them until the Lord reminded me of my desire to share my experiences with Spiritual warfare.
I am going to be writing this book on the subject of Satan and Demons. It may seem like an odd choice for a first book, and is in fact very daunting for me. It is one thing writing a theological book with both feet on the ground. It is another thing sharing the deeply personal and easily ridiculed experiences that have shaped this book. I have seen that our culture in particular has a lot of misconceptions on the subject however, and I must be obedient if I feel the Lord wants me to address it.
My hope with the book is that I can finish the first draft this year between the first and second draft of my fantasy book, which is in it's final chapters as we speak. After some edits I will be looking for a few Christians who I trust who might be willing to read the book and check the theology and writing. If all is well I will complete the final edits before self-publishing the book. The current plan is that I will be publishing the book on Kindle first and using the money from the sales to publish paper-back copies. If the Lord is willing I will be using the sales from this book to fulfill my desire to support some Christian ministries I am invested in. I will be using a "reverse tithe" method, keeping 10% to invest back into my writing and art, and donating the remaining 90% into Christian ministries. Some of these ministries might include my Church, Sent Church in Sanford FL, and "Unearthed" a ministry that fights human trafficking through media, distribution of funds to existing ministries in need, and the creation of resources for churches.
What has caused me to want to write on the subject. A more complete testimony of my experiences will be included in the book, but I will explain briefly to you.
I remember being terrified of the dark as a child. Apparently most people are afraid of the dark because of what they cannot see and therefore imagine in the dark. However, when I was a child I very vividly saw what I called monsters walking through my room.
I would often sit awake on my bed watching as monsters milling about. I was afraid to close my eyes or turn away because on an early occasion when I had done so a monster had laid it's hand on my shoulder.
As I grew older I dismissed most stories of demons. Though I believed they existed, I did not feel like people were telling the truth when they talked about seeing demons or feeling them. All the while I was plagued with bizarre nightmares, sleepwalking and hearing voices during the night. Most of these were terrifying experiences, but became a family joke when I recounted them. I didn't want to let on how truly terrifying they were, or relieve it in the telling.
As I grew older these symptoms got worse and began to include complete spiritual and emotional break-downs and occasional waking sights of demons. During this time a friend suggested that what was happening was not just my subconscious but active demonic oppression.
After this suggestion I searched for books, sermons and articles on Satan and demons. I found that most of the resources I found were based not on Bible study and exegesis but on experience and conjecture. Most sources prescribed exorcisms with specialists and treated demonic oppression as if it were a disease that needed a certified spiritual doctor to fix.
After trying a variety of these remedies with both terrifying and hilarious results, I was more terrified and disappointed then ever. I was struggling with an eating disorder, panic attacks, a multitude of unaddressed sin habits and I was loosing sleep with almost nightly demonic dreams and visions.
Finally, God stepped in and showed me His presences through the same thing that was so plaguing me: Nightmares. Two, specifically. After this point I threw out most of the teaching on demons and opened my Bible.
Since this time my experiences have been few and far between and all without fear. When demons enter my dreams I cast them out in the name of Christ. When I wake to see them I feel no fear but follow the Biblical prescription for such times: the name of Christ and prayer.
I have come to resent much of the teaching on Satan and demons, which drags believers away from the power of the Cross to that of incantations, self-help and humanism. Christians have become enslaved to fear and to false teachers, more ensnared by their attempts to flee the enemy than by the actions of the enemy.
This is why this book is one that I have always wanted to write, though I never expected it to be my first book. I hope you will follow along, open your Bibles, and learn what is meant by "spiritual warfare".
If you want to follow me as a writer you can find me on Twitter under the name @J23hawkE and on my FB page at Jill E Purrazzi. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject of Satan, demons, and Spiritual Warfare, I would love to hear anything you have to tell. Please message me your stories and thoughts! I may even include some of them in the book, with your permission of course.
I hope that you will keep me in your prayers, that I will listen to the voice of God and not veer into false teaching. Pray that God will use this book or stop my writing it.
Friday, April 17, 2015
78 Answers pt 2: The Down and Dirty of Judgement.
A lot of this post will be referring back to my arguments in earlier videos, so if you haven’t seen that yet, go ahead and find it. It is entitled “78 Answers: Hell or Heaven.
In this post I will be addressing questions 4-7
They are as follows:
4 Should a killer who genuinely repents be able to go to heaven
5. Should a kind-hearted atheist be forced to burn in hell for eternity
6. What about any “good” person.
7. Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Should and Shouldn't are moral terms. As such, I’m not sure if the questions are asking me to explain or asking me to judge if those things are right or wrong.
I’ll try to answer both.
Morally, Should good people go to hell, an evil people go to heaven.
Firstly, God can do whatever He wants, and I have no right and no moral ability to sit in judgement. God created everything, I think he knows a bit better how to run it than I do.
Secondly...how do you judge what qualifies as a good person? Take for instance, a murderer. Did he kill because he was protecting someone? Out of revenge? What if the person he killed had murdered his family? Was he mentally well? What if they rest of his life all he did was good things? What if it was an accident.
These questions are hard enough to answer in human court. Try in a court when you know each and every thought they had. Jenny fed the homeless, but she went mostly because she had a crush on the homeless shelter owner. Benjamin helped an old lady with her groceries, but when he was he was judging her constantly for being so over-weight and not taking care of herself when she was younger so she could do these things herself. Matthew loves working with the orphans in India, but he is doing it to impress the college he is applying for.
How do we judge what is too much sin for mercy. Is it quantity or damage done? Lets suppose one man was awesome his whole life. He was an obedient child. He grew up to be a high-school teacher who worked in the inner-city school for little pay and tutored for free after school. On the weekends he volunteered at animal shelters, and owned multiple rescued animals himself. During his summers He would travel over-seas to the poorest of countries and help hand out food, clothing and medicines. When tragedies hit he would take time off work to help. he went to Haiti after the earthquakes, Japan after the Tsunamis, and Louisiana after Katrina. But, one night while working late one of his students came in crying. One thing led to another and he ended up touching her. Now...should he go to heaven or hell? What if he was really sorry and quit his job to make sure he never did anything like that again?
What about girl? When she dies, if she goes to heaven, will she be forced to spend eternity with the man who molested her just because he’s a good guy?
Which opens up even more! What if everyone went to heaven? After all...no matter how "bad: someone is, we want them to have a chance to do better, right? Now murderers are with the people they killed for eternity. Hitler would be hanging out with all the Jews, blacks and gays he slaughtered. The suicide bombers on the flights that hit the twin towers would be living next to the people they killed and their families. Children would be stuck with their abusers, Who's to say that even if everyone could manage to forgive the other that evil wouldn't continue to flourish and more "bad stuff" wouldn't be done.
How can we separate the evil inclination in people without taking away freedoms? How do we take that desire to molest teenage girls away from that really nice professor. After all. He’s going to be surrounded by them.
You know what this heaven looks a lot like? Earth.
So we see that by judging God as being unfit to sit in judgement over man-kind, we are indicating that someone else might be better suited for the job. Actually, the one sitting in judgement is indicating that they themselves are better for the job. Would you like to make those choices?
Who gets into heaven or hell is far more involved for God. His plan includes not only justice...as each man is judged for His wrong, but mercy, as no one could reach the standards set by even an earthly court to live in such a utopia. he answer is through the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through Christ the evil nature of man is put to death. When we die and go to heaven the only things that keeps a Christian in sin (the flesh, it’s called in the Bible, or the sin nature) is left behind. In heaven the worst of sinners has no desire to sin because they are so thankful to God for mercy and living in the light of all that is good and holy. . The victims of said sinners have received such amazing grace for their own sins that seeing those who harmed them in heaven will cause them only joy. You see, if you have been forgive for horrible sins, then you can forgive horrible sins.
Nothing has more draw than the glory of God. So in heaven when we are exposed in full to God’s perfection any addictions, sins or competing desires will fade away in the joy of being with the One we love most! No one is better than anyone else, because we have all sinned and have all been forgiven. The thief on the cross who repented just hours after he took his last breath will be equal with the early Christian martyrs who died horrible deaths before giving up on their faith.
God’s judgment has been poured out on his son...and His son has given us perfection so that, while we are still our own person with our own wills and our own desires, we are all perfect and sinless. That sounds good to me.
So, will the killer who genuinely repents go to heaven? According to the Bible yes. The thief on the cross, (previously mentioned) as described in the gospels was most-likely a murder too. After all, crucifixion was the worst execution invented in the world that we know of...even today. I highly doubt he got on the cross by stealing bread. More likely he pulled someone into an alley and stabbed or beat them to death before taking their stuff. Probably raped a few women too, as long as they were there. Just a guess.
Christ told him “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. He told him he was going to heaven. Not because of anything good he had done. He never got off that cross. He never got a chance to turn him life around.
What about the atheist. Will he go to hell. If he doesn't accept Christ, yes he will. No good deed he commits will ever be enough to wipe away his rebellion against God. God judges based on perfection. That’s not just moral perfection...it’s also motive perfection. Perfect motives always include God. If God is the ultimate good and the source of all good, you cannot truly do good if you are not doing it for and through him. Therefore, while an atheist or unbeliever can be morally good in their earthly life, they can never be blameless before God. Unless he turns from himself and runs to Christ for rescue, there is only one way it can end.
And yes, that goes for ANY unbelieving person. “good” bad, or anywhere in between.
Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Of course not. I think that answer is self-evident. But let me take it a step further. My heart hurts at the thought of ANYONE going to hell.
If I get to heaven and see Hitler and Osama Bin Laden having a coffee and talking about the wonders of God I will cry with joy! I don’t want a single soul lost to hell, and neither does God. That is why it is such a big deal for Christians when we speak to you about God. Sure, we can be nasty at times, but any true Christian only desires to see you come to Christ.
When A Christian hands you a Bible, or leaves a tract for you, or stops you on the street to talk to you, understand that they are not being hateful. In this modern world tolerance means everything, and it may seem hateful for someone to tell you that they disagree with you. For a Christian, this is how we express our love for you. Even if you don’t agree with us, understand that we are not getting anything out of it! I’m not saying everyone who talks to you about Jesus is right; or that there aren't jerks out there...there are. But true believers are driven by the love of God and love for man.
I believe the gospel with every fiber of my being. I know you may not. And it may be that nothing ever convinces you, but here is a start. Stop, listen, ask questions, and understand that we aren't here to condemn or judge, we are there motivated by a desire to see you in heaven some day.
In this post I will be addressing questions 4-7
They are as follows:
4 Should a killer who genuinely repents be able to go to heaven
5. Should a kind-hearted atheist be forced to burn in hell for eternity
6. What about any “good” person.
7. Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Should and Shouldn't are moral terms. As such, I’m not sure if the questions are asking me to explain or asking me to judge if those things are right or wrong.
I’ll try to answer both.
Morally, Should good people go to hell, an evil people go to heaven.
Firstly, God can do whatever He wants, and I have no right and no moral ability to sit in judgement. God created everything, I think he knows a bit better how to run it than I do.
Secondly...how do you judge what qualifies as a good person? Take for instance, a murderer. Did he kill because he was protecting someone? Out of revenge? What if the person he killed had murdered his family? Was he mentally well? What if they rest of his life all he did was good things? What if it was an accident.
These questions are hard enough to answer in human court. Try in a court when you know each and every thought they had. Jenny fed the homeless, but she went mostly because she had a crush on the homeless shelter owner. Benjamin helped an old lady with her groceries, but when he was he was judging her constantly for being so over-weight and not taking care of herself when she was younger so she could do these things herself. Matthew loves working with the orphans in India, but he is doing it to impress the college he is applying for.
How do we judge what is too much sin for mercy. Is it quantity or damage done? Lets suppose one man was awesome his whole life. He was an obedient child. He grew up to be a high-school teacher who worked in the inner-city school for little pay and tutored for free after school. On the weekends he volunteered at animal shelters, and owned multiple rescued animals himself. During his summers He would travel over-seas to the poorest of countries and help hand out food, clothing and medicines. When tragedies hit he would take time off work to help. he went to Haiti after the earthquakes, Japan after the Tsunamis, and Louisiana after Katrina. But, one night while working late one of his students came in crying. One thing led to another and he ended up touching her. Now...should he go to heaven or hell? What if he was really sorry and quit his job to make sure he never did anything like that again?
What about girl? When she dies, if she goes to heaven, will she be forced to spend eternity with the man who molested her just because he’s a good guy?
Which opens up even more! What if everyone went to heaven? After all...no matter how "bad: someone is, we want them to have a chance to do better, right? Now murderers are with the people they killed for eternity. Hitler would be hanging out with all the Jews, blacks and gays he slaughtered. The suicide bombers on the flights that hit the twin towers would be living next to the people they killed and their families. Children would be stuck with their abusers, Who's to say that even if everyone could manage to forgive the other that evil wouldn't continue to flourish and more "bad stuff" wouldn't be done.
How can we separate the evil inclination in people without taking away freedoms? How do we take that desire to molest teenage girls away from that really nice professor. After all. He’s going to be surrounded by them.
You know what this heaven looks a lot like? Earth.
So we see that by judging God as being unfit to sit in judgement over man-kind, we are indicating that someone else might be better suited for the job. Actually, the one sitting in judgement is indicating that they themselves are better for the job. Would you like to make those choices?
Who gets into heaven or hell is far more involved for God. His plan includes not only justice...as each man is judged for His wrong, but mercy, as no one could reach the standards set by even an earthly court to live in such a utopia. he answer is through the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through Christ the evil nature of man is put to death. When we die and go to heaven the only things that keeps a Christian in sin (the flesh, it’s called in the Bible, or the sin nature) is left behind. In heaven the worst of sinners has no desire to sin because they are so thankful to God for mercy and living in the light of all that is good and holy. . The victims of said sinners have received such amazing grace for their own sins that seeing those who harmed them in heaven will cause them only joy. You see, if you have been forgive for horrible sins, then you can forgive horrible sins.
Nothing has more draw than the glory of God. So in heaven when we are exposed in full to God’s perfection any addictions, sins or competing desires will fade away in the joy of being with the One we love most! No one is better than anyone else, because we have all sinned and have all been forgiven. The thief on the cross who repented just hours after he took his last breath will be equal with the early Christian martyrs who died horrible deaths before giving up on their faith.
God’s judgment has been poured out on his son...and His son has given us perfection so that, while we are still our own person with our own wills and our own desires, we are all perfect and sinless. That sounds good to me.
So, will the killer who genuinely repents go to heaven? According to the Bible yes. The thief on the cross, (previously mentioned) as described in the gospels was most-likely a murder too. After all, crucifixion was the worst execution invented in the world that we know of...even today. I highly doubt he got on the cross by stealing bread. More likely he pulled someone into an alley and stabbed or beat them to death before taking their stuff. Probably raped a few women too, as long as they were there. Just a guess.
Christ told him “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. He told him he was going to heaven. Not because of anything good he had done. He never got off that cross. He never got a chance to turn him life around.
What about the atheist. Will he go to hell. If he doesn't accept Christ, yes he will. No good deed he commits will ever be enough to wipe away his rebellion against God. God judges based on perfection. That’s not just moral perfection...it’s also motive perfection. Perfect motives always include God. If God is the ultimate good and the source of all good, you cannot truly do good if you are not doing it for and through him. Therefore, while an atheist or unbeliever can be morally good in their earthly life, they can never be blameless before God. Unless he turns from himself and runs to Christ for rescue, there is only one way it can end.
And yes, that goes for ANY unbelieving person. “good” bad, or anywhere in between.
Would you be happy if someone you loved was burning in hell?
Of course not. I think that answer is self-evident. But let me take it a step further. My heart hurts at the thought of ANYONE going to hell.
If I get to heaven and see Hitler and Osama Bin Laden having a coffee and talking about the wonders of God I will cry with joy! I don’t want a single soul lost to hell, and neither does God. That is why it is such a big deal for Christians when we speak to you about God. Sure, we can be nasty at times, but any true Christian only desires to see you come to Christ.
When A Christian hands you a Bible, or leaves a tract for you, or stops you on the street to talk to you, understand that they are not being hateful. In this modern world tolerance means everything, and it may seem hateful for someone to tell you that they disagree with you. For a Christian, this is how we express our love for you. Even if you don’t agree with us, understand that we are not getting anything out of it! I’m not saying everyone who talks to you about Jesus is right; or that there aren't jerks out there...there are. But true believers are driven by the love of God and love for man.
I believe the gospel with every fiber of my being. I know you may not. And it may be that nothing ever convinces you, but here is a start. Stop, listen, ask questions, and understand that we aren't here to condemn or judge, we are there motivated by a desire to see you in heaven some day.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
78 Answers pt 1: Hell or Heaven
I’ll go ahead an take on the first 3 questions in one post
Those questions are as follows:
1 Is Anne Frank burning in Hell
2 Is Mahatma Ghandi burning in hell?
3. Is Fred Phelps in heaven?
I never got to read Anne Franks diary. I’d love to. I’ve read a lot of books about that era of history though. The things that were inflicted on people without reason was beyond horrible. One could say that in her short life Anne Frank went through enough hell for one person to have to bear. The thought of any innocent child, but especially of a sweet little girl who was cut down before her time, going to eternity in hell, is heartbreaking. As forGhandi, he seemed by all accounts to be a really good person.
The thing is: morality is not what gets us into heaven. In fact, morality has nothing to do with the gospel. Lets be clear, We go to hell, because of sin. However, we will not, and cannot, get to heaven on the basis of good works. Largely because we cannot be good enough.
I can understand the confusion. The church has been teaching it for a long time. Part of that goes back to roots in the dark-age era Catholic church. More like to a political power than to a religious organization the catholic church used a fear of hell to control the masses. When death is in your face every day, that fear can overwhelm a lot easier than we see in todays first world.
That isn’t the only place it came from though. “Legalism” as it is called in the church, was a common problem well before the time of the Roman Catholic Church, though not as widely taught by the leadership. In the Bible we find multiple letters from the apostle Paul encouraging people to turn away from the legalism of jewish religious practices and into the freedom of Christ.
What do I mean by legalism? Legalism is the mind set that some particular action or world view can get you into heaven. Its the idea that something you do or don't do can justify you in the sight of God. An example would be the jewish belief that you had to avoid certain foods to be worthy for heaven. A more modern example would be instances when someone is sick and are told that they are not getting better because they lack faith. It is any mindset that focuses any power to save on anything other that Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
As one example of legalism in the Bible, In Galatians 2:11-12 Paul needed to actually correct Peter on some of these same practices. As did God himself by giving Peter a vision of unclean animals coming down from heaven and telling him to eat...contradicting everything the Old Testament taught on the subject. This takes place in Acts 10:13-15 This was such a common struggle among Christians that even the Apostles that God placed over the church struggled with it.
The picture given on salvation in the new testament gives of salvation is less a division of “good” and “bad”, and more a division of belonging, or not belonging. The two illustrations most used are that of family, and that of nationality.
First we see (1 John 3:1-2 and others) salvation is described as adoption. Once, we did not belong to God. We were not his children, we were His enemy. But, because of Christ’s sacrifice adoption into the family of God became possible. If you think of heaven in terms of this illustration heaven would be the family home. The family lives in the home with the Father. If you don’t belong in the family, you don’t belong in the home.
The next illustration calls to mind a country. Salvation is described as a new citizenship (Philippians 3:20 and others). Heaven is a new Kingdom. Not one we can see but what is described as a spiritual kingdom. When we give our allegiance to Christ, we transfer our “earthly” citizenship to a “heavenly” one. In this illustration we are encouraged to follow the laws of the country we live in here on earth, as we might follow the laws of a country we are visiting on vacation...unless they ask us to contradict the laws of our actual country. For instance, if I went to Italy, I would drive on the same side of the road they did. However, I would not join the army and fight for them. I would not give away American secrets.
Returning to heaven would be like returning to my home country: America. Because I am a citizen here, It’s natural for me to be there. If I were from another country I would not be whole-hardheartedly serving America like I am when I identify America as my home country. Only Americans “belong” in America in this sense.
These illustrations are earthly, and so not perfect, but they offer some explanation into the mind of God when he allows some into His kingdom, and some are forced to stay behind. Just like a Father offers his lap only to his crying little girl and not to some random child off the street, so God offers heaven only to his world-weary saints...the ones who BELONG to Him, and not to just anyone who comes knocking. No amount of trying on their part can change that.
Another argument is often used by Frank Turek. That is the one that heaven is not only (as it is so often viewed) a place of hedonistic happiness and complete self-perfection. It may have all those things, but all those things are IN God. God is the ultimate good, so heaven is eternity spent absorbing who He is. Heaven is sometimes described in terms of marriage....God being the groom, his waiting church being the bride.
Imagine spending a life-time looking into the eyes of someone you hated. Imagine forever being chained in marriage to a mortal enemy. If you hate God on earth, He is merciful not to force you to spend eternity with Him. You made your choice, He's the ultimate gentleman in respecting it. The problem is, if God is the ultimate good than hell is made evil not by God purposely creating a place of torment, it is made evil simply by God not being there in love and in power. He isn't there as a groom, he is there only as a jailer. His grace and providence has departed utterly and eternally. I am sorry, there isn't a middle ground. We are enemies in our own power, or family in Christ's power. What we must understand is that hell wasn't created for disobedient humans, but for Satan and the demons. If we chose to take Satan's side over God’s we are choosing the same fate as him and his minions..
The final argument I will present. God is Light, and in him there is no darkness. What happens to the dark when you turn on the light in a room. It disappears, right?
When we say that God cannot be around sin, we should probably reverse that and say that sin cannot be around God. Sin, when before God, self-destructs because He is so holy. It’s like throwing bleach on bacteria....it just cant handle it. Its pure and simple. In fact, in the Bible (Exodus 33) Moses, in order to witness just the tip of the robe that trailed behind God as He walked (in Bible terms, we know that God is not human, doesn't have a body, and doesn't wear clothes in a literal term, so the language here is just Moses doing his best to describe what he saw) had to hide in a hole and be covered by God’s hand until he passed by...or else he would die. Even that glimpse of the glory of God changed him so much his face glowed like the sun and he had to where a veil for the rest of his life so that it wouldn't scare others.
So what would happened if sinful man went before God in heaven without their sin first being put to death in Christ? We know that living man would die. But an eternal soul before God, the Bible never describes. However, we know that God will not allow it, and all His purposes are done, so we do not need to concern ourselves with it too much. What we do know is that sin cannot exist in God’s presence. It just doesn't work. The only thing that allows us to God before God is that He sees us through His son’s righteousness. When even our righteousness is as dirty rags before God, Christ took our sin on himself and killed it in our flesh. In doing that he also gave us his righteousness. That means when God looks at us through Christ (as Christians) He sees only His son’s perfection. The only way we can God to heaven then...is through Christ.
So where does that leave us with Anne Frank, Mahatma Gandhi and Fred Phelps. I pray they are all in heaven. I will never weep over someone going to heaven...no matter how evil, so for me, they are all on the same plane. The thing is the Bible says that we have all sinned and fallen short of God. There is no good...no not one. If those people then allowed Christ to take their sins away and give them new life in themselves, I will be seeing them in heaven. If not the only alternative is eternal separation, also called "eternal death" in scripture.
It may be sad, but that’s only when we are viewing God as the fallible one and humanity as in the place God should be. You see, we don’t deserve any mercy, so everything God gives us is more than we deserve....and He gave us His son! That’s a lot.
If God was the way atheists portray Him...He would be begging for mercy at our feet. I sure don’t want a God like that. Would you? And as far as heaven, well, it wouldn't be much of a heaven any more. We will talk more about that in the next post.
78 Answers
Recently I watched a video on you tube entitled "78 Questions for Christians" by an atheist you tuber who goes by the name "The Atheist Voice".I wasn't offended, I wasn't angered. I still am not.
What I did find, was that all of these questions could be answered without the use of what the typical Christian would consider "apologetics. In other words, you don't need to read a ton of science books, delve into history, or study philosophy to have the tools to stand up against these types of challenges. (All though I highly suggest you equip yourself to be able to do so on some level.)
That is what these questions are, after all: Challenges. The man posing these questions doesn't want answers. He wants to shake the faith of whatever Christians would listen and give fodder to the ridicule of his "militant atheist" followers. A goal, that honestly, I've seen present in just as many believers in conversation or in presentations such as this.
I've re-watched the video a few times, and I thought it might be fun to do a response. This is not to knock him off his high-horse or to convert him. I think social media is a poor conduit for evangelism. Not to say that God can never use it; but I feel like His intention for out-reach was personal friendship and love...something that can't be displayed in written words or video very well.
I was hoping to make a response in kind. However, with the tools I have right now, you-tube is just a little out of my range. Having already written out some of the answers however, I thought this was one outlet through which I could share my thoughts.
My real hope for this is not to feed into Christian arrogance, but to help us see that the best way for us to give an answer is to know our own scripture. When people come to use with questions or arguments a good knowledge of basic theology will not only help to anchor us against doubt which has pulled so many away, It will help us to minister to them by giving them an answer to the real doubts that are hidden under the challenging questions and comments.
I hope that some of what I have written will help you grow and see how truth and reason are overflowing in God's word.
The video I am making the response to is on you tube under the previously mentioned title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-_FJuTPns
Please feel free to add any thoughts and share stories.God bless.
What I did find, was that all of these questions could be answered without the use of what the typical Christian would consider "apologetics. In other words, you don't need to read a ton of science books, delve into history, or study philosophy to have the tools to stand up against these types of challenges. (All though I highly suggest you equip yourself to be able to do so on some level.)
That is what these questions are, after all: Challenges. The man posing these questions doesn't want answers. He wants to shake the faith of whatever Christians would listen and give fodder to the ridicule of his "militant atheist" followers. A goal, that honestly, I've seen present in just as many believers in conversation or in presentations such as this.
I've re-watched the video a few times, and I thought it might be fun to do a response. This is not to knock him off his high-horse or to convert him. I think social media is a poor conduit for evangelism. Not to say that God can never use it; but I feel like His intention for out-reach was personal friendship and love...something that can't be displayed in written words or video very well.
I was hoping to make a response in kind. However, with the tools I have right now, you-tube is just a little out of my range. Having already written out some of the answers however, I thought this was one outlet through which I could share my thoughts.
My real hope for this is not to feed into Christian arrogance, but to help us see that the best way for us to give an answer is to know our own scripture. When people come to use with questions or arguments a good knowledge of basic theology will not only help to anchor us against doubt which has pulled so many away, It will help us to minister to them by giving them an answer to the real doubts that are hidden under the challenging questions and comments.
I hope that some of what I have written will help you grow and see how truth and reason are overflowing in God's word.
The video I am making the response to is on you tube under the previously mentioned title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-_FJuTPns
Please feel free to add any thoughts and share stories.God bless.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Because of your Faith
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved. And it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.
Since I've been participating in a woman's group this past year we have been talking a lot about faith. In particular, is it faith that saves? The Bible is clear that we are saved by faith. It is also clear that we cannot do anything to reach that salvation, it is a free gift of God. However, there are some questions here.
Can salvation be a free gift if it has a requirement: faith?
Aren't we DOING something to get that salvation if we have to have faith?
And, if faith is that influential in salvation, what happens when we doubt?
There are also questions as to the role faith plays after salvation. Will faith, or lack there-off influence what happens in our lives? For instance, will I be healed from disease if I just have faith? Will I not be able to pay the bills if I don't have faith? Is it sin for me to use birth-control because I'm not having faith that God will provide for me in my family just what I need.
There is also the common atheist argument against faith. I was saddened, but not actually surprised to have my husband ask me this one night.
Why would a good God demand that we have faith in order to be saved, but then fail to provide us the proof we need to be saved. Especially if, all it would take is for Him to show up, say a word, do a something miraculous. A famous Atheist quote answers the question, what would you say to God if you died and ended up standing before His judgement seat. "Sir,Why have you taken such great pains to conceal yourself"
Is it fare that God demand our faith when belief in Him is, admittedly as a Christian, very hard.
When my husband expressed that frustration to me, God answered it very clearly for me.
My faith hasn't saved me. Don't get me wrong, my faith plays a role. It is clear that is has. There are countless verses explaining justification by Faith. It is as much in the Old Testament teachings as it is in the New Testament. Faith in God saves. So why can I say that my faith hasn't saved me.
There are many people who have faith and are not saved. Humanists have faith in humans. Scientism has faith in Science and hard proof. Buddhists have faith in the teachings of Buddha, while Islam places its faith in Allah. All are not saved. No matter how strong or weak their faith. No matter if that faith pushes them to murder, to die or to rescue.
Now imagine that I have faith that God exists. That He created the world, that He is who the Bible said who He is, but Christ, contrary to scripture, was not God. If we was just a man and the Jewish viewpoint was correct. Would my faith save me?
No, it would fail. The Bible is clear that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22)
We further read that without the call of Christ, even the free will choice to become a Christian would have not been possible.( John 15:16) And that Christ is responsible not just for our creation, our call and our justification, but also for our perfection (Hebrews 12:2)
What does this all mean. Does our faith mean nothing? Of course not. The Bible is clear that our faith is fundamental in our salvation. But it is a one time choice, freely made but influenced to it's outcome by the intervention of the Spirit. In the end, it is not our faith that saves us, it is Christ that saves us. This is why nothing can take us out of the hand of our Lord, because while our feelings and beliefs may change, Christ never does. It is He who saves you, and it is He who keeps you.
For by grace you have been saved. And it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.
Since I've been participating in a woman's group this past year we have been talking a lot about faith. In particular, is it faith that saves? The Bible is clear that we are saved by faith. It is also clear that we cannot do anything to reach that salvation, it is a free gift of God. However, there are some questions here.
Can salvation be a free gift if it has a requirement: faith?
Aren't we DOING something to get that salvation if we have to have faith?
And, if faith is that influential in salvation, what happens when we doubt?
There are also questions as to the role faith plays after salvation. Will faith, or lack there-off influence what happens in our lives? For instance, will I be healed from disease if I just have faith? Will I not be able to pay the bills if I don't have faith? Is it sin for me to use birth-control because I'm not having faith that God will provide for me in my family just what I need.
There is also the common atheist argument against faith. I was saddened, but not actually surprised to have my husband ask me this one night.
Why would a good God demand that we have faith in order to be saved, but then fail to provide us the proof we need to be saved. Especially if, all it would take is for Him to show up, say a word, do a something miraculous. A famous Atheist quote answers the question, what would you say to God if you died and ended up standing before His judgement seat. "Sir,Why have you taken such great pains to conceal yourself"
Is it fare that God demand our faith when belief in Him is, admittedly as a Christian, very hard.
When my husband expressed that frustration to me, God answered it very clearly for me.
My faith hasn't saved me. Don't get me wrong, my faith plays a role. It is clear that is has. There are countless verses explaining justification by Faith. It is as much in the Old Testament teachings as it is in the New Testament. Faith in God saves. So why can I say that my faith hasn't saved me.
There are many people who have faith and are not saved. Humanists have faith in humans. Scientism has faith in Science and hard proof. Buddhists have faith in the teachings of Buddha, while Islam places its faith in Allah. All are not saved. No matter how strong or weak their faith. No matter if that faith pushes them to murder, to die or to rescue.
Now imagine that I have faith that God exists. That He created the world, that He is who the Bible said who He is, but Christ, contrary to scripture, was not God. If we was just a man and the Jewish viewpoint was correct. Would my faith save me?
No, it would fail. The Bible is clear that there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22)
We further read that without the call of Christ, even the free will choice to become a Christian would have not been possible.( John 15:16) And that Christ is responsible not just for our creation, our call and our justification, but also for our perfection (Hebrews 12:2)
What does this all mean. Does our faith mean nothing? Of course not. The Bible is clear that our faith is fundamental in our salvation. But it is a one time choice, freely made but influenced to it's outcome by the intervention of the Spirit. In the end, it is not our faith that saves us, it is Christ that saves us. This is why nothing can take us out of the hand of our Lord, because while our feelings and beliefs may change, Christ never does. It is He who saves you, and it is He who keeps you.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
The Heart of a Woman, the Heart of Christ.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the Joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of of the throne of God....Hebrews 12:1-2
I am a complimentarian in theology.
"Complimentarianism Is the view that though man and woman were created equal in their being and personhood, they are created to compliment each other via different roles and responsibilities manifested in marriage, family life religious leadership and elsewhere."...Theopedia www.theopedia.com/complimentarianism.
In Genesis God created man and women, and He created us...both man and woman, in HIS image. What does this mean. That means that in the essential core of every man and woman there is something inherent in them that is meant to point back to God.
I believe that for man; that is their role as leader. Leadership means sacrifice, it means protecting. It means laying yourself down for the good of others. It means being held responsible for the actions of others. It may sound enviable to be the "leader", but I will say right now...I do not wish I was a man. God has a heavy charge to lay on them
So if that is a heart of man, what is the heart of woman. God calls woman the "helper". It is not an offensive term. It is the same term used to describe the Holy spirit. When I hear this term I think of long suffering. I think of patience through pain. I think of the garden of Gethsemane. In reading John chapters 17-18 we see a trait in Christ that the Bible speaks very highly of. Despite knowing what pain was coming. Despite knowing the horror and death that awaited Him, Christ lay himself down to the will of God and to the pain. While doing that though, there was no bitterness. Christ didn't throw up emotional walls, He didn't shut out His friends or try to run from His feelings. No, Christ felt the pain deeply. He experience the fear fully, he drew in the agony of waiting for the worst. He searched for the will of the Father with great trepidation. In all this he was, as the Bible says, silent like a lamb to the slaughter. (Isaiah 53:7)
I think this is the beauty that Christ want to share with us as women. The beauty of the woman is that we are the weaker vessel. We are the warm arms for the world. We are the soft place to land. We are the safe haven. Children when in pain cry for their mothers. Men, when weary from a long day at work seek comfort in their wives. When men go without the touch of women they wither away. To be blunt, sex is a desire for women, but for men it is a NEED. Men need us.
In Eden Adam had animals, he had the beauty of nature, he had the personal living presence of God walking in the garden with him; yet he needed more. He needed Eve...mother to all.
You see, the beauty of woman is also our greatest curse. That curse is that we are purposely created to be open and unprotected. We are created in such a way that we need the protection of men to be whole (not necessarily in marriage, but that of fathers, pastors and warriors).
In the world however, Satan has used the very thing that was meant to protect us, that we were meant to shelter in the wonder of our gentleness, to cause us great pain. Men have used and abused women in the most profoundly heart-breaking way since creation.
So what do we do as woman in those situations? How do we mirror the beauty of Christ in those instances? We stay open.
It is our first reaction as human that when pain is caused us that we retreat inside an emotional or sometimes physical barrier to avoid this pain. We wall ourselves off. Had Christ done this in the garden, our salvation would have never been possible. Had Christ reacted as most of us do to the pain he felt through His life...both before and after that John 17-18 moment, we would not have the safety of His love to run to, but would find instead a wall of bitterness, anger and selfishness.
No, Christ allowed the pain to fall on Him in it's fullness...for the joy set before Him. This is the call on all Christianity: to rejoice in suffering and to "Go out to Him" (Hebrews 13:13). But there is special need for women to do this: we are the picture of Christ to the world in our joyful suffering.
Now, I don't mean in this that we are to remain in abusive situations that we are not called to. Or that we are to simply accept pain and never look for a way out. I don't mean that we shouldn't use wisdom in our relationships to avoid unnecessary pain. What I do mean though, is that we should not stop holding out our arms because they are bruised broken or bleeding. Like Christ, who's arms where wide open on the cross, not because they were nailed there; but because He in His love for us chose to stay there.
No man has this call, and so the strength of man is a different kind. So stand up tall woman of God. Open your arms to the world. Draw in the hurting, the orphaned, the afflicted. Draw in the weary warrior to find rest with you. Draw in the scared child to find a home in your heart. Draw in the broken and tired women around you to help bear their hurt unselfishly and fully invested. How grateful I am for the women who are in my life who fully invest themselves into my life...even if it means bearing great pain on my behalf!
Finally, know that you do not stand alone. When the pain falls down on you without buffer, remember that you are in Christ. He is the one who is your shelter. So when you feel the pain, He feels it so much stronger for you.
Let us glorify Chris together and endure the pain so that when the joy comes it is not held back by the walls we foolishly built to keep out the pain. And though the sorrows may last for a night, Joy will come in the morning. The promises for our pain are promises that last but for a moment, the promises for our joy will be forever in the glory of our greatest Joy: Christ.
I am a complimentarian in theology.
"Complimentarianism Is the view that though man and woman were created equal in their being and personhood, they are created to compliment each other via different roles and responsibilities manifested in marriage, family life religious leadership and elsewhere."...Theopedia www.theopedia.com/complimentarianism.
In Genesis God created man and women, and He created us...both man and woman, in HIS image. What does this mean. That means that in the essential core of every man and woman there is something inherent in them that is meant to point back to God.
I believe that for man; that is their role as leader. Leadership means sacrifice, it means protecting. It means laying yourself down for the good of others. It means being held responsible for the actions of others. It may sound enviable to be the "leader", but I will say right now...I do not wish I was a man. God has a heavy charge to lay on them
So if that is a heart of man, what is the heart of woman. God calls woman the "helper". It is not an offensive term. It is the same term used to describe the Holy spirit. When I hear this term I think of long suffering. I think of patience through pain. I think of the garden of Gethsemane. In reading John chapters 17-18 we see a trait in Christ that the Bible speaks very highly of. Despite knowing what pain was coming. Despite knowing the horror and death that awaited Him, Christ lay himself down to the will of God and to the pain. While doing that though, there was no bitterness. Christ didn't throw up emotional walls, He didn't shut out His friends or try to run from His feelings. No, Christ felt the pain deeply. He experience the fear fully, he drew in the agony of waiting for the worst. He searched for the will of the Father with great trepidation. In all this he was, as the Bible says, silent like a lamb to the slaughter. (Isaiah 53:7)
I think this is the beauty that Christ want to share with us as women. The beauty of the woman is that we are the weaker vessel. We are the warm arms for the world. We are the soft place to land. We are the safe haven. Children when in pain cry for their mothers. Men, when weary from a long day at work seek comfort in their wives. When men go without the touch of women they wither away. To be blunt, sex is a desire for women, but for men it is a NEED. Men need us.
In Eden Adam had animals, he had the beauty of nature, he had the personal living presence of God walking in the garden with him; yet he needed more. He needed Eve...mother to all.
You see, the beauty of woman is also our greatest curse. That curse is that we are purposely created to be open and unprotected. We are created in such a way that we need the protection of men to be whole (not necessarily in marriage, but that of fathers, pastors and warriors).
In the world however, Satan has used the very thing that was meant to protect us, that we were meant to shelter in the wonder of our gentleness, to cause us great pain. Men have used and abused women in the most profoundly heart-breaking way since creation.
So what do we do as woman in those situations? How do we mirror the beauty of Christ in those instances? We stay open.
It is our first reaction as human that when pain is caused us that we retreat inside an emotional or sometimes physical barrier to avoid this pain. We wall ourselves off. Had Christ done this in the garden, our salvation would have never been possible. Had Christ reacted as most of us do to the pain he felt through His life...both before and after that John 17-18 moment, we would not have the safety of His love to run to, but would find instead a wall of bitterness, anger and selfishness.
No, Christ allowed the pain to fall on Him in it's fullness...for the joy set before Him. This is the call on all Christianity: to rejoice in suffering and to "Go out to Him" (Hebrews 13:13). But there is special need for women to do this: we are the picture of Christ to the world in our joyful suffering.
Now, I don't mean in this that we are to remain in abusive situations that we are not called to. Or that we are to simply accept pain and never look for a way out. I don't mean that we shouldn't use wisdom in our relationships to avoid unnecessary pain. What I do mean though, is that we should not stop holding out our arms because they are bruised broken or bleeding. Like Christ, who's arms where wide open on the cross, not because they were nailed there; but because He in His love for us chose to stay there.
No man has this call, and so the strength of man is a different kind. So stand up tall woman of God. Open your arms to the world. Draw in the hurting, the orphaned, the afflicted. Draw in the weary warrior to find rest with you. Draw in the scared child to find a home in your heart. Draw in the broken and tired women around you to help bear their hurt unselfishly and fully invested. How grateful I am for the women who are in my life who fully invest themselves into my life...even if it means bearing great pain on my behalf!
Finally, know that you do not stand alone. When the pain falls down on you without buffer, remember that you are in Christ. He is the one who is your shelter. So when you feel the pain, He feels it so much stronger for you.
Let us glorify Chris together and endure the pain so that when the joy comes it is not held back by the walls we foolishly built to keep out the pain. And though the sorrows may last for a night, Joy will come in the morning. The promises for our pain are promises that last but for a moment, the promises for our joy will be forever in the glory of our greatest Joy: Christ.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Lest Not Ye Be Judged.
Racism. It's a pretty nasty accusation, more so today than ever. And it should be. In fact, racism is probably hated a lot less than is should be.
If it is so detestable though, then why is it still so common.
I am a white (well, whitish...American mutt to be exact) middle class American. So, I know that I haven't seen a lot of racism, at least not directed at me. Still, I have seen more then my fair share. I've seen it directed from all races, towards all races. I've seen it in small ways, and in huge doses. I've seen a lot of things that were not racism called racism, and I've seen a lot of racism simply shrugged off.
I've seen enough to begin to wonder if everyone maybe has a bit of racism.
In fact, I think some of the worst racists are the one who deny it the most; who say they are color blind or that they don't "see color." Its a worse injustice I feel (and please share your feelings on this) because it says, "I don't see you are who you are, I see you as I want to see you." .
God created race. He created the beauty of each race: of each minute shade and difference, and of each human. What He did was perfect, it was beautiful. It is beautiful. Diversity is one of the churches most desirable assets and nothing delights me more than true unity in diversity in a church.
Now, having started this way, I don't think race is the only thing that should be addressed when talking about discrimination. And I don't speak from a place of perfection. I know I have judged based on race before. Just as I know I have judged based on gender, on body build, on religion the list goes on.
When I was working as a camp councilor I remember a young man who came to camp. He was huge. He towered over everyone else there, and he was built like the hulk. My first reaction: to judge him based on his size. Surely he would be trouble. Of course, I noticed I was doing it, but kept my reservations. Turns out, he was one of the sweetest kids on the campus that week. I felt so ashamed and guilty.
Later, while working in day care, I remember being informed that a certain child was going through a rough situation at home. Her parents were getting divorced...actually their second go around. The father was a youth leader at the church that ran the day care. I remember becoming so judgmental, thinking the church should have fired him. That He shouldn't have been allowed to be in ministry if he was leaving his family like that.
Turns out his wife had cheated on him. They had tried to work it out, but it had happened again. I had judged him based on my opinion that men hurt women, woman don't hurt men.
I had to apologize to my husband (at that time my fiance') for that. That was hard.
Why is this so common. What is it underlying in almost every human soul? Racism, Class-ism, Ageism, the list goes on...and probably doesn't even name them all.
The Bible doesn't tell us not to judge. It says Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged. (read Matthew 7:1-5) In John 7:24 it is even more clear "Do not judge with appearances, but judge with right judgement". We have to judge, in order to protect ourselves, protect our family, protect our churches. We are told to cast out wolves. To be wary of false teachers. However, the Bible says we will experience that judgement with which we judged. I definitely don't want to be found guilty for being a woman, or for being 6 ft tall, or for being white. Yet I have judged others based on those reasons.
God hates shallow judgement. He HATES racism. Why? I think there are four reasons. Three are rather obvious, the final one kind of shocked me.
1 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because He called His Creation Good
The Bible says that God called his creation good. It was beautiful. It was just as he wanted it and race was a product of creation, not of the fall. If someone showed me a picture of a child with downs' syndrome and said "this child is beautiful." I would agree, the child is beautiful, the down-syndrome is not. The down-syndrome is a result of the fall. Despite the fact that here on earth God has used this to create a beautiful person who may love with a deep capacity, may be brave, may be strong; despite the fact that we should love that child just as he is; I am sure you would join me in praying that in the face of God's glory in heaven that child will be healed to worship God forever in holiness and perfection.
Race is different, even more so than a lot of other forms of bigotry. It is especially evil to hate based on a form that God created as an original perfection. The races of this earth: every one, were created with the same words the created the great natural beauties of the world. To hate a race is like hating the grand canyon, a sunset, the ocean. It is evil because these things are the handiwork of God. (P.S. all these points could also be used to argue against hating yourself...just putting that out there)
2 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because He Created Us in His Image
No matter how you read into this: physical attributes (less likely as God is spirit) or Spiritual attributes. The fact is, God created our bodies and called them perfect. God created our Spirits and called them perfect. God created the ability for us to form culture and though it is not perfect, it is a beautiful thing. ( as long as the "Christian" culture transcends in the life of the church)
To Hate what God created in His image is to hate God. To look upon the perfect handiwork of God (marred as it may have become by sin) and say " I am better" is to spit in the face of the creator and judge ourselves to be better than Him, How DARE we.
3 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because We are Taking His Place as Judge
The Bible tells us that God judges the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) By hating people based on race or other similar factors, we are adding to the law of God, a offense He is none to fond of. (Deuteronomy 4:2) Remember, Satan means "accuser" and even he can only accuse based on God's law.
By judging we are often times being more brazen then Satan himself. We are trying to set ourselves up as judge over man. (sometimes we wrongly judge people, but based off of real sin, like "homophobia" or other such examples) This is thoroughly detestable. I wouldn't want to be in Satan's position when God gives justice to Him for all that he has done against God and the people He loves. Yet so often I set myself up for that very judgement.
4 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because it Defames the Name of Christ and His Gospel.
Here it might get confusing (and long) stick with it. I don't think lack of education (yeah whole other rant there) or even pride are the cause of racism. Might they contribute...sure.
I believe the cause is simply this: we think that Christ's sacrifice is not enough for us. This is true even for the unbeliever. I think at the heart of every hateful thought, be it towards another for their sin or towards another about race, is the need to build ourselves up. In order to make myself better I need to be better than you. Instead of holding ourselves up to God's standard we fabricate our own. Girls, we do this all the time: girls that are heavier than us have no self control, while the girls who are prettier are vain. The girls who accept male attention are loose, while those who turn them down are arrogant. The list could go on forever. In order to create a standard by which we feel superior we will grasp at any straw we can find. We will justify ourselves by some of the most wild ideas.
"I'm better than them because...." That is why Racism is so huge. That is why racism exists among the most elite and the most downtrodden. That is why the poor hate the rich and the rich pity and despise the poor. That is why the most outspoken advocates of "tolerance" are usually those carrying about the most hate.
All this is because God has placed eternity in our hearts. We know that we will stand accountable to a higher morality some day. Most religion tries to define that very feeling. We know that we will fail. We create these hatreds based, I believe, mostly on the desire to make ourselves better. we try to reach the top by stepping on the heads of those who get in our way. The easier it is to beat them down, the faster they fall under our feet so we can reach our "goal". We want to make ourselves better in our own sight...
In doing this we are saying that what Christ did on the cross is not good enough. We are trying to take glory from God. Christs death on the cross was for all mankind. We cannot take what is His without incurring His wrath.
So what do we do. If there is a little bit of this bigotry in us all, where to we run. We run to the cross. Only there is the wrath of God absorbed, and the justice of God met. Only there does the love and forgiveness of God run down on us. The key to overcoming guilt is not to lessen the offense, but to overpower it with forgiveness given at great cost. There at the cross, as we kneel in humility to Christ, we kneel alongside men and woman from every tribe, every tongue and every nation. We are all equal because we all need our Savior.
Please share your thoughts? Do you agree? Do you have any stories you would like to share to help illustrate? What did you disagree with?
If it is so detestable though, then why is it still so common.
I am a white (well, whitish...American mutt to be exact) middle class American. So, I know that I haven't seen a lot of racism, at least not directed at me. Still, I have seen more then my fair share. I've seen it directed from all races, towards all races. I've seen it in small ways, and in huge doses. I've seen a lot of things that were not racism called racism, and I've seen a lot of racism simply shrugged off.
I've seen enough to begin to wonder if everyone maybe has a bit of racism.
In fact, I think some of the worst racists are the one who deny it the most; who say they are color blind or that they don't "see color." Its a worse injustice I feel (and please share your feelings on this) because it says, "I don't see you are who you are, I see you as I want to see you." .
God created race. He created the beauty of each race: of each minute shade and difference, and of each human. What He did was perfect, it was beautiful. It is beautiful. Diversity is one of the churches most desirable assets and nothing delights me more than true unity in diversity in a church.
Now, having started this way, I don't think race is the only thing that should be addressed when talking about discrimination. And I don't speak from a place of perfection. I know I have judged based on race before. Just as I know I have judged based on gender, on body build, on religion the list goes on.
When I was working as a camp councilor I remember a young man who came to camp. He was huge. He towered over everyone else there, and he was built like the hulk. My first reaction: to judge him based on his size. Surely he would be trouble. Of course, I noticed I was doing it, but kept my reservations. Turns out, he was one of the sweetest kids on the campus that week. I felt so ashamed and guilty.
Later, while working in day care, I remember being informed that a certain child was going through a rough situation at home. Her parents were getting divorced...actually their second go around. The father was a youth leader at the church that ran the day care. I remember becoming so judgmental, thinking the church should have fired him. That He shouldn't have been allowed to be in ministry if he was leaving his family like that.
Turns out his wife had cheated on him. They had tried to work it out, but it had happened again. I had judged him based on my opinion that men hurt women, woman don't hurt men.
I had to apologize to my husband (at that time my fiance') for that. That was hard.
Why is this so common. What is it underlying in almost every human soul? Racism, Class-ism, Ageism, the list goes on...and probably doesn't even name them all.
The Bible doesn't tell us not to judge. It says Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged. (read Matthew 7:1-5) In John 7:24 it is even more clear "Do not judge with appearances, but judge with right judgement". We have to judge, in order to protect ourselves, protect our family, protect our churches. We are told to cast out wolves. To be wary of false teachers. However, the Bible says we will experience that judgement with which we judged. I definitely don't want to be found guilty for being a woman, or for being 6 ft tall, or for being white. Yet I have judged others based on those reasons.
God hates shallow judgement. He HATES racism. Why? I think there are four reasons. Three are rather obvious, the final one kind of shocked me.
1 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because He called His Creation Good
The Bible says that God called his creation good. It was beautiful. It was just as he wanted it and race was a product of creation, not of the fall. If someone showed me a picture of a child with downs' syndrome and said "this child is beautiful." I would agree, the child is beautiful, the down-syndrome is not. The down-syndrome is a result of the fall. Despite the fact that here on earth God has used this to create a beautiful person who may love with a deep capacity, may be brave, may be strong; despite the fact that we should love that child just as he is; I am sure you would join me in praying that in the face of God's glory in heaven that child will be healed to worship God forever in holiness and perfection.
Race is different, even more so than a lot of other forms of bigotry. It is especially evil to hate based on a form that God created as an original perfection. The races of this earth: every one, were created with the same words the created the great natural beauties of the world. To hate a race is like hating the grand canyon, a sunset, the ocean. It is evil because these things are the handiwork of God. (P.S. all these points could also be used to argue against hating yourself...just putting that out there)
2 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because He Created Us in His Image
No matter how you read into this: physical attributes (less likely as God is spirit) or Spiritual attributes. The fact is, God created our bodies and called them perfect. God created our Spirits and called them perfect. God created the ability for us to form culture and though it is not perfect, it is a beautiful thing. ( as long as the "Christian" culture transcends in the life of the church)
To Hate what God created in His image is to hate God. To look upon the perfect handiwork of God (marred as it may have become by sin) and say " I am better" is to spit in the face of the creator and judge ourselves to be better than Him, How DARE we.
3 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because We are Taking His Place as Judge
The Bible tells us that God judges the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) By hating people based on race or other similar factors, we are adding to the law of God, a offense He is none to fond of. (Deuteronomy 4:2) Remember, Satan means "accuser" and even he can only accuse based on God's law.
By judging we are often times being more brazen then Satan himself. We are trying to set ourselves up as judge over man. (sometimes we wrongly judge people, but based off of real sin, like "homophobia" or other such examples) This is thoroughly detestable. I wouldn't want to be in Satan's position when God gives justice to Him for all that he has done against God and the people He loves. Yet so often I set myself up for that very judgement.
4 God Hates Racism/Bigotry Because it Defames the Name of Christ and His Gospel.
Here it might get confusing (and long) stick with it. I don't think lack of education (yeah whole other rant there) or even pride are the cause of racism. Might they contribute...sure.
I believe the cause is simply this: we think that Christ's sacrifice is not enough for us. This is true even for the unbeliever. I think at the heart of every hateful thought, be it towards another for their sin or towards another about race, is the need to build ourselves up. In order to make myself better I need to be better than you. Instead of holding ourselves up to God's standard we fabricate our own. Girls, we do this all the time: girls that are heavier than us have no self control, while the girls who are prettier are vain. The girls who accept male attention are loose, while those who turn them down are arrogant. The list could go on forever. In order to create a standard by which we feel superior we will grasp at any straw we can find. We will justify ourselves by some of the most wild ideas.
"I'm better than them because...." That is why Racism is so huge. That is why racism exists among the most elite and the most downtrodden. That is why the poor hate the rich and the rich pity and despise the poor. That is why the most outspoken advocates of "tolerance" are usually those carrying about the most hate.
All this is because God has placed eternity in our hearts. We know that we will stand accountable to a higher morality some day. Most religion tries to define that very feeling. We know that we will fail. We create these hatreds based, I believe, mostly on the desire to make ourselves better. we try to reach the top by stepping on the heads of those who get in our way. The easier it is to beat them down, the faster they fall under our feet so we can reach our "goal". We want to make ourselves better in our own sight...
In doing this we are saying that what Christ did on the cross is not good enough. We are trying to take glory from God. Christs death on the cross was for all mankind. We cannot take what is His without incurring His wrath.
So what do we do. If there is a little bit of this bigotry in us all, where to we run. We run to the cross. Only there is the wrath of God absorbed, and the justice of God met. Only there does the love and forgiveness of God run down on us. The key to overcoming guilt is not to lessen the offense, but to overpower it with forgiveness given at great cost. There at the cross, as we kneel in humility to Christ, we kneel alongside men and woman from every tribe, every tongue and every nation. We are all equal because we all need our Savior.
Please share your thoughts? Do you agree? Do you have any stories you would like to share to help illustrate? What did you disagree with?
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Jealous Love and Fish
The Big Plan
The dishes were all dirty...all of them, from the spoons to the small plates that we only used for (not so rare) deserts. Clothes lay scattered about the floor. The betta looked pleadingly out at me through green-algae covered glass for some scrap of food...ANYTHING, and I hit play on yet another season premier of "Supernatural" on Netflix. Bored as I was on of watching grown men cry about yet another monster-ridden tragedy, I'd rather face their over-dramatic reactions to made-up sob-stories than face my significantly less dramatic but much more real problems.
Problems. Typical, nothing new. I was to lazy to clean the house. Too tired to wash up after dinner from...well, three nights ago. And frustrated with my loneliness, boredom and ever building sense of guilt. You know that guilt. The stuff that follows you every time you lay down, whether laundry has been washed and folded or not. The stuff that looks back at you in the mirror every time you rub your eyes after "sleeping in" ...again. Can you call is sleeping in if it's the norm. Wouldn't the time you are SUPPOSED to be getting up be getting up early then? The stuff that grabs hold of you when you climb in the car to head home and realize that...you really should get to work again, make dinner, get that floor mopped...and chose instead to boot up the computer and get lost in the nether yet again.
Ok, it might not go just like that for you, but man or woman we all run into those "ok, where exactly is my life going?" moments. I know for us girls especially we are often plagued by a lot of guilt "not pretty enough' 'not skinny enough" "not productive enough" "gossip." "loner" "nag". A lot of ugly names. Some of those things, if we are honest, yeah, we could change. For instance, the house is clean right now! It has been since Sunday. Just finished with yet another round of mopping and dishes... and dinner was pretty good. It took effort, but it's done and I feel good. God answers prayer because, otherwise, I'd still be flipping through Pinterest right now. One of my favorite songs right now is Jars of Clays "Love of a Jealous kind. The words say
" I built another temple to a stranger
Gave away my heart to the rushing wind
set my course to run right into danger,
sought the company of fools instead of friends
I know I have been unfaithful
Lovers in lines
while you are turning over tables with the rage of a jealous kind.
Chose the gallows to the Isle,
Thought that Love would never find.
Hanging ropes will never keep you from the Love of a jealous kind.
Love of a Jealous Kind."
Like the story of Hosea this song reminds us not that God simply forgives sin, but that sin has no power over His love. God's love...I like to call it a "violent Love" though that might sound wrong.. blazes through unfaithfulness and guilt like a freight train through fog. Sin in fact, almost seems to make that love burn stronger. You see, God delights to rescue us. No, He isn't happy with our sin or failure (don't get me wrong, not everything we beat ourselves up over falls into the category...don't let evil get into your head), but it gives him a chance to show His glory. See, just like salvation God's love isn't my effort plus his grace. Its not, I get myself so far and God gives me enough mercy to cover the rest.
God's love is war-like because it conquers us when we don't want it. God's love is offensive because He loves us in-spite of who we are. God's love is REAL LOVE because it all starts with him...and no amount of dirty dishes, or unpaid bills stands in the way of a God who thirsts, for the sake of His glory to love you.
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