Wednesday, December 29, 2010

That Rattlesnake North Korea

You are probably more up to date on the issue than I am, but if you have not heard, there is some serious business going down in the near west (also known as the "far east").  From what I hear, the violent, communistic country of North Korea is threatening a nuclear attack on neighboring South Korea.  And with threats so serious coming from such a "rattlesnake" of a country, much of the world is rattled and worried.

The topic of North Korea came up in my mother's place of work a couple of days ago.  A man came into her office quite perturbed by the whole situation.  From my understanding of the conversation, their minds jumped to the worst case scenario as it usually does in life's scariest moments.  They imagined North Korea launching a nuclear warhead into their backyard, the United States being thrust into double-u double-u three, and then forced into issuing another draft.  Upon mention of the draft, my next to perfect mother (and I mean that) imagined her young, athletic, to smart for his own good son with smashingly good looks doing battle on the front lines across the Pacific.  My mother, just like many other mothers, became worried.
~
Worrying is very dangerous.  It is dangerous because it is often "respected" and not considered a "big sin; and because it is viewed so innocently it is left to ravage Christians and the church unscathed by reform.  But why?  Why is worry so potent that Jesus would single it out in the Sermon on the Mount? The reason is because at the foundation of worry is in an ungodly fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable.  What I believe many Christians do not realize about worry is that in worrying they are greatly lacking trust in the power and providence of God and trying to take control of the life they devoted to God to do with as He pleased.  And if my hypothesis is true, there are many Christians who are living life defeated because they do not trust that God is able enough or wise enough to see them through their situation.

I admit it.  The most life threatening situation I have ever been in has been riding in a car; and though there have been times that my family has struggled financially, we have never gone hungry.  To my readers who have trusted their lives to Christ, I cannot say that I have been in your situation and can understand the pain and worries you may be having.  But know this, my lack of knowledge does not nullify the power and wisdom of almighty God and His ability to see you through.  Therefore, if you are a mother with a son, a daughter living many miles away from home, a cancer patient, a soldier, a teenage driver, a student who is trying your hardest to graduate, take courage for:

     If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?     
     As it is written:
   “For your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

   No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Romans 8:31-39
~
When evaluating worry and its effects, the great effects worry has on the Kingdom of God often go unseen.   But, think about this.  It is because of worry that parents of youth will not send/allow their children to go to youth camp or mission trips.  It is because of worry that many Christians do not go into the harvest fields as dangerous as they may be.  It is because of worry that some Christians do not tithe.  It is because of worry that some churches will not reach out to the poor.  It is because of worry that many Christians are scared to tell friends and family members of the loving and just God.  Just imagine the testimony the church would have if it did not worry.
~
I cannot put an end this blog without making something clear.  Some may read the previous words of this blog and say, "Oh, well that means if I don't worry about anything then God will never make my life suck."  That is neither the truth or what I was trying to say.  What I was trying to say is said best by Mr. Beaver from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (p. 75-76) as he speaks of Aslan:


"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe?'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King I tell you." (I first heard this as a sermon illustration from D. Payne and found the quote at http://www.revelife.com/697444356/aslan-and-jesus-not-tamed-but-good/)

Monday, December 27, 2010

While On Patmos

 The following is a conglomeration of non-fiction missionary stories developed into a fictional story of four missionary men who gave their lives so that men like their executors could know the grace of God. 

~

The harvest was plentiful that day.  Three souls were granted life, and a celebration was under way.  We wanted our three new brothers in Christ to understand the importance of what they had just done so we invited them over for a born again party, or a “fiesta de nuevo cumpleanos” as our three new amigos called it.  I am pretty sure their names were Gustaba, Francisco, and Pastor, but do not hold me to that.
We knew there was something different about that day, but we didn’t know that it would be that fulfilling.  We didn’t do anything routinely different, but because of the emotions that we now know were brought about by the Holy Spirit, we did pray more earnestly than we ever had before.  We didn’t want to stand in the way of what God had in store.
            Even though I was excited, I was still a little nervous about that day’s journey through the streets of Bogotá.  The devotion from the night before was on what God could do when He moves and the changes that may take place.  As soon as I realized that God was moving that morning, I immediately recalled the devotion from the night before.  Selfish pride began to stir inside of me and I was not sure if I was willing to let God make a change in my life.  I was not about to allow that to ruin the Spirit filled atmosphere, though, so I pushed my selfish pride away, and begged God for a harvest.
            We left our bite-size apartment we were renting from a kind old Colombian native and made our way to the business district of Bogotá.  We had already covered the business district, but we heard God calling us back for another visit.  We weren’t very happy about this either.  The time we had gone there before, everyone, with the exception of a hand-full, didn’t seem the least bit enthused about the good news of the gospel.  We made the assumption that the lack of response was because of the people to whom we were trying to minister.  The majority of the folks in the business district were high class business owners or executives.  They had life figured out and thought that we were trying to ruin that for them with a book of rules and regulations.  We even considered being disobedient and going to a new spot, but Peter straightened us out and rightfully insisted on going where God had called us.
            We arrived at the Hotel de la Opera on 10th Street at about 10 o’ clock and began approaching people who were relaxing on the benches and planters along the streets as soon as we stepped off of the bus.  For hours, Peter, Tim, Jim, and I spoke the word of God with passion to everyone that listened.  A couple of folks let us speak to them for what seemed like eternity about our Savior, many people let us speak to them for couple of minutes before they asked us to stop or told us they had to be somewhere, and everyone else barely let us get out a word.  Non-stop, till three forty-five in the afternoon, we asked people if we could share our hope with them, but there still wasn’t a harvest.  It hadn’t been a terrible day, but we expected more.  At three forty-five, we decided it was time to go back to the apartment for a meal and prayer and then continue our route after that.  So we all piled into a bus stop and sat on the very-used green bench under the foggy glass roof.  As we were waiting there, Gustaba, Francisco, and Pastor walked up beside us and stood waiting for the bus.  They looked rough.  Their faces showed signs of exhaustion and grief.  After a short silence, Jim asked if they would like to sit down in our places.  They gladly accepted and sat down.  “How are you?” Jim asked in his practiced Spanish tongue.  The men were slow to answer, but Gustaba finally spoke up and said they had just been fired from their job.  He said that they were all in on a business project together which failed miserably.  There wasn’t time for anyone to take a breath when Jim jumped on the opportunity to tell them that Jesus loved them no matter how successful they were in business.  With intensity Gustaba asked if what he was saying was true.
            “Oh yes.  He loves you so much that he gave His life for you,” Jim answered.  It was at this time that I noticed that the three callous hearted, middle aged business men sitting in front of us were teary eyed.  They finally started to get a grasp on what they were hearing.  The Truth was finally starting to settle on their hearts.  After going through the Roman Road to salvation, Jim asked if they wanted to make God the Lord of their life.  Jim asked like he was speaking to children, and like children they answered, “Yes”
            Our three new friends were excited and a little confused about what just happened.  They knew that Jesus lived in them and they made Him there Savior, but like any new believer, they didn’t quite get it all, so we invited them to our apartment to talk with them and throw  a “fiesta” for them.  We got to know them a little better and invited them to come back Sunday morning in time to come with us to church.  After exchanging contact information they left, and we praised God for what had just happened.  We couldn’t help but scream and shout a little bit.  God had answered His promise there would be a harvest that day.  Three men had found what they had been looking for all their life.
            An hour later we were still celebrating and thanking God for His miraculous works and simply for keeping His promise.  After Tim let out a shout of praise, we heard a knock at the door.
            “It is probably old man Diego coming to ask us too keep it down.  It is about his bed time,” I said as I made my way to open the door.  I unlatched the multiple gold and silver locks on the door and twisted the handle.  Before I could pull back the heavy wooden door, it was violently slung open throwing me against the wall.  I was disoriented for a moment.  The complete surprise of the door being slung open and the knock I took to the head sent me to the floor.  After a moment of confusion, I opened my eyes to see three masked man with silenced pistols violently pushing Peter, Tim, and Jim to the ground.  I immediately knew what was happening.
            I quickly got up despite the throbbing in the back of my bleeding head, and made an attempt at tackling one of the men.  With ease, he knocked me off of his shoulders, putting me on my back and issuing a quick kick to the forehead.  I felt the blood start trickling down my face.  The man who had just thrown me to the ground, with one arm, pulled me to my knees.  
            By this time, they lined us up on our knees, and we were all sore from the blows they had given us on their entrance.  Peter, who had been looking out the window, was the first in line, followed by Jim, then Tim, making me the last one in line.
Without a moment to react, and only for the motive of persecution, one of the masked men gave Tim a quick lash to the head with the butt of his pistol.  Peter went to his feet to retaliate before he received a sharp blow to the stomach from the dark black boots from one of the masked men. 
“Can you not tell that no one wants you hear?” the apparent leader of the group asked.
“We came because we wanted to tell you about a guy we know,” Jim said.  With a quick jab, he was on his back.  I was on the end of the line but crawled to help him get back up to his knees.  After Jim was up, I received another sharp blow, this one to my stomach I doubled over gasping for breath.  “Are you alright?” Tim asked.
I was speechless.  I never thought that life would come to this.  No more than two hours ago we were praising Jesus for a harvest, and now we were being persecuted by men we didn’t even know.
“Why are you doing this?” I could barely get the words out of my mouth.
“We don’t like people like you brainwashing our people.  We saw what you were doing today.  You were preaching in the name of Jesus.  As a matter of fact, you approached me today.”  As he was saying this, he pulled off his black mask, and I recognized him.  He was the kind man eating lunch who gave me the time of day.  In the café square earlier that day he looked so kind.
“I prayed for you.”
            “That’s the problem.  I don’t need your prayers.  We are fine, so stop bothering us.”
            “You are not fine!” Peter said with a raised voice.  “We are not trying to disturb you.  We came here because we know that there are people here who yearn for something that lasts.  We know what lasts.  Give us a chance.  We couldn’t wait because there are people here who are going to…”
            “Hell?  Am I going to Hell?  Do you think I am going to hell?” the ring leader asked us as his two lackeys tried to look intimidating. 
            “I don’t know you!”  Peter said.  At this time tension was overflowing from the room.  “I can’t judge you.  But, what I do know is that despite what you believe or what you have done, or what you are doing, there is a man named Jesus who died for your sins and is looking down on you- And…and you know what he is doing?  He is crying and saying ‘Don’t do that.  Please stop.  I have something better.’  That is what he is saying. And until you breathe your last breath that is what he will always say.”
            As Peter spoke with power and confidence, I remembered Peter’s story.  He had been in this situation before.  While on another missionary journey two men kidnapped him on the streets and persecuted him for spreading the gospel.  It was different that time. Peter wasn’t that strong and by the time they told him to denounce Christ or die, his walls had broken down.  He denied Christ.  I remember praying in that room in Bogotá on that day for Peter to be strong.
            “Do you believe that?  Do you really believe that?” asked the man with the gun pointing at his head.  “Denounce this Jesus or die.”
            At that moment in time, the Heavens opened up on Peter.  He had lived his life.  He had run the strong race.
            “No.” he whispered.
            “What?”
            “NO.”
            The pistol didn’t ring through the building and people didn’t rush to see what was happening, but a nine millimeter bullet silently sent Peter to his face.  Blood leaked from the whole in his forehead, and he was pushed aside for the men to move on.
            “You look like a nice guy with a family at home.  Don’t do this to them.  Don’t go back in a box.  This isn’t that hard.”  I prayed for Jim’s family.  “Do you have a son?”
            “Yes.”
            “Denounce Christ for your son.”
            With the rays from the setting sun lighting up Jim’s face he answered the only way he knew how.  “NO.”  Jim tumbled backwards, and white washed blood leaked from his lifeless flesh.
            The silence pierced my ears.  With only Tim between my Maker and I pray.  I prayed for courage.
            “Don’t be a fool.  Denounce Christ…”
            “No.”
            With almost a satisfied look the killer pulled trigger.  Tim fell face first, with blood from his body splattering on my face and clothes.
            The blood from my three sleeping friends crept across the floor till it surrounded my bare knees.  My hands that were holding me up were now covered in the blood of saints and it was my turn to decide who my master was.
            “Your friends were fools.  But you look like a smart guy.  What is your name?”
            “Jo…Joh...John.”
            “Don’t be nervous John.  It is an easy answer.  John, denounce Christ or die.”
            The butterflies from the morning were back, but I was ready for a change.  “I will not denounce Christ.”
            “You are stupid.”  The man who seemed so loving that afternoon sitting at the table with his family pulled the trigger.
            CLICK.  CLICK. CLICK.
            “You are lucky.”
            There I knelt, wading in the blood of my new found heroes as the evil men began leaving.  “Wait, you have to have another bullet.  You can’t just leave me here like this.”  I began to bawl.  “I don’t have a family, they do, take me instead,” I cried in shock.
            “What’s wrong with you kid?”

~

It is like my parents knew what would become of me when they named me John.  They must have known that one day their little boy would end up like his hero, the apostle John, alive while his best friends died for the same reason he was living.  The blood that covered me that day burned like the oil that covered John. It burned because I did not understand why I was left.  I should have been the first. 
I have finally come to understand why I am left, and that is because I have to tell people what it is like to stand in the presence of martyrs.  I have to tell them what it is like to stand in the presence of courageous saints like Peter and Jim and Tim.  I have to tell their story of loyalty and love.  I wonder if John was thinking the same thing- while on Patmos.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

What Is It Going To Take?

This New Years I have a great opportunity to experience something great.  If it all turns out in my favor, I will be going to Atlanta for three days to attend the Passion Conference where I will be blessed to listen to great preaching and teaching from some of America's most influential church leaders and worship the One, True God with thousands of Christians gathered in the Philip's Arena.  In light of all that may happen in my near future, I cannot help but to ask myself what is it going to take?

All my life I have been blessed to be in the presence of great men and women of God.  I have been taught, mentored, and discipled by people that love the Lord and that want to see me love God more and more.  I have been on many mission trips and I have been to many camps where God moved in an extraordinary way in the lives of many.  I have listened to great preaching, worshipped God corporately with like-minded people, and have been to prayer meetings that I wished would never end.  In light of all this, I cannot help to ask myself what is it going to take?

See, right now I am learning a lot about God and what His Word says, but I am not sure if you would be able to notice.  And the reason you might not be able to notice is because I am not practicing what I am learning.  I may not be practicing beligerent sin, but living a life worthy of the calling of Christ is not about what you do not do.  Living a light worthy of the calling of Christ is about what you do for His glory. In light of all this, I cannot help but to ask myself, what is it going to take?  What is it going to take to move me in such a way that I cannot help but to serve God by serving others?  How many conferences do I have to attend, how many miracles do I have to see, how many church services and programs must I go through before the only thing I want to do is tell people about the God that saved my soul?  How many?

There is nothing wrong with attending conferences or church camps.  Actually, they can be a great tool to refocus on the prize that is Jesus Christ.  For many, these events are life changing in that it was at a conference or church camp where they were saved or surrendered into full time ministry.  But if we allow these events to be the backbone of our faith, then our faith will have no backbone.  The truth is until we learn to practice the presence of God, as Brother Lawrence put it, we will never be consistent in our walk with Christ.

What is it going to take?

Thursday, December 16, 2010

I knew This Would Happen

I knew this would happen.  The night I started this blog I knew that one day, though I didn't know when, I would be tired of blogging.  And now is that time when it is just not as fun as it used to be.  Just like everything else, I had a feeling that it would just be another venture of mine I had set off on for one reason or another.

In my life thus far, I have set off on many of these ventures.  My junior year of high school I got on this ping-pong kick.  This one was actually my favorite.  I aspired to become an Olympic ping-pong player.  I made videos of myself, had training sessions in which I would practice my slam, and I even attempted at applying for the Olympic team  tryouts in Philadelphia for the 2008 games.  Unfortunately, I was late applying.  But that didn't stop me from pursuing my goal of becoming a great ping-pong player.  No sir it did not.  Becoming an official United States Association of Table Tennis (USATT) competitor, I entered my first tournament in Newport, Kentucky.  It's crazy, but almost as soon as that tournament was over my aspiration of becoming a ping-pong legend was almost gone.  Some may think my aspirations were smashed because I got dominated on by kids, but that's not the reason.  The reason is because the excitement and rush I got from ping-pong was over.  I felt what it was like to play in a real tournament and I was ready to try my hand at something else.  And though I have gone on shorter ping-pong kicks since then, it always goes away.

The truth is, this happens over and over again in almost everything I fill my time with.  I no longer enjoy Halo as much as I used to.  When football is in season, I like it better than basketball; and when basketball season is in, I like it better than football.  My crew and I used to make movies, now we don't.  After two days of watching movies, that becomes monotonous.  I can only play the same guitar chords over and over before that gets old.  Why does this happen?  My boy King Solomon says it best, and if anyone knows, he knows.  He says, "'Meaningless!  Meaningless!'... 'Utterly meaningless!  Everything is utterly meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2).  The reason he knew that everything was meaningless is because he tried everything in a vain attempt to fill his deepest longings.  Wine, sex, riches, success, entertainment, etc.  You can name anything in the context of 1,000 BC and he probably had it or tried it and he said it was meaningless. Of all that he had and tried to fill his soul with though, there was one exception.  In the end of Ecclesiastes, what is thought to be something of a journal of King Solomon, he says this: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

I used to not be ready to die.  There was still things I wanted to do, but now I can say that I am ready.  Now I don't mean that I have a death wish on my own life or that I hope I die in my sleep tonight.  That is not what I am saying at all.  What I am saying is that I don't have this longing to hang around here in hopes of experiencing life anymore.  I know where life is, and it is in God and God alone.  And whether or not God wants me to experience Him here on earth or with Him in Heaven makes no difference to me (Philippians 1:22-26).

If you have never come into an intimate relationship with God in which He forgives you of your sins and you want to talk about it, let me know because I would love to talk to you about it.  Or if you just have a question about this post or anything else under the sun, ask away.

Post Script: Read Ecclesiastes this week and see what Solomon has to say about those things which are vain.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

I was once told...

I was once told a story of a woman in Turkey.  Like all people born in Turkey, this lady was a Muslim.  As a Muslim, she believed in a god, though she believed in the wrong one.  She also knew she had sinned against a god, but she really did not know the God she had sinned against.  Well, one morning this Turkish lady asked herself, "Is there any way to be forgiven?"  Later that day, some missionaries went to this ladies town and told her about Jesus.  After being told of Jesus, she no longer wondered if she could be forgiven for her sins for she met the Forgiver.

This is a true story told during a missions chapel at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.  Though it is short, it is moving.  It is moving because it tells the story of a lady who was once lost in the darkness of a false, merciless, capricious god found forgiveness and mercy in the one, true God.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Lent 2011

The year 1995 was my year.  I was five years young, I got this awesome wallet from Wendy's which I have been using since high school, and "da' Bulls" were preparing for another "t'ree peat."  Life was great.

Well, if you have been following my blog, you know that I, though I am a monster hypocrite, have something against technology.  That is why for Lent in the year 2011, I have decided to go back to 1995.  What that means is that from March 9, 2011 to April 23 of the same year, I will not be using any technology or convenience I did not have when I was five years old.  I have decided to take on such a task for no less than three reasons.  They are: 1) I want a break from technology 2)I want to see what it feels like again to be free from the grip of my computer and cell phone 3)I want to seek God without the distraction of technology.

Here are some things I did not have or use frequently in 1995 and will not use during Lent:
1. Modern Laptop (meaning no Facebook or Blogger)
2. Cell phone
3. Car
4. Debit Card
5. Gaming systems that came out after the Super Nintendo

It is impossible to completely get away from all technology.  As a matter of fact, because I failed a class this semester I have to take it again online.  So, even in my attempt to go back in time, I will have to make some very important exceptions. But, I do believe the five things I will be giving up for the season of Lent do well at representing the spirit of 1995.

This brings you and I to an important question.  That question is, "What about This Old Dome?"  Now, I am very aware the world doesn't need this blog and very few, if any, will miss reading my posts; but I still don't want to give up my writing during that time.  To answer the question, I am not sure.  I have thought about trying to write a book during that time or sending what would be my posts via US Postal Service (I am not sure if that even exists anymore).  I am not sure how that is going work, so if you have any ideas, let me know.

P.S. If anyone wants to journey back to 1995 with me, the more the merrier.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Megamind and Corporate Worship

I have never done this before, but today's blog is just a bunch of ideas, suggestions, and questions that have been sweeping across my dome like a woman in the kitchen.  Please know the previous statement was only a joke.  I cannot emphasize enough the fact that the woman in the kitchen thing was only a joke.  Now onward.

1. If you have not seen "Megamind" yet, go see it at the very next possible viewing.  I don't care how far away it is or if it is surrounded by a bunch of hungry crocodiles.  You have to see it.  It is Will Ferrel's best work since "Anchorman."

2. I predict the next big thing in corporate worship will be 3-D projectors.  It will add a whole other dimension to worship.

3. Worshiping God corporately is so much better when I am not trying to decide whether or not someone is truly worshiping or just showing off.  I will never know, neither do I need to know.

4. Though I may not attend Harlan Baptist Church anymore, the body of believers with which I grew up and love, I will continue to pray that God will do amazing things through them.

5. Were we made to glorify God, have relationship with God, both equally, or both unequally?

6. Experiencing God in a very real way is very possible.

7. God is really, really, real.  He is not just a grand idea or an invention of men.  He is more real than the laptop on which I type.

8. Having solid biblical doctrine without an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is a very sad state in that it is very dangerous and in it one will find no joy.  Likewise, having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that is not built on solid biblical doctrine is dangerous and only produces false joy.

9. You may see some of these ideas, suggestions, or questions expounded upon in future blog posts.

10. God wants to use His family in His work on Earth.

11. Don't think of yourself to highly, pride comes before a fall.  Ask Nebuchadnezzar.

12.  One will never find true freedom in Christ until they stop trying to work their way into Heaven.  True freedom is accomplished only by the grace of God.

Comments and questions are much appreciated.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Sin is Sin

You have probably heard it said in reference to God's judgment on the nations in the Old Testament, or have said it before yourself, "Why should I follow God?  Have you not read the Old Testament?  He is punk!"  I do not take joy in saying this, but I have said that before.  I have actually said that more than once.  While reading through some portions of the Old Testament, I have become angry with God.  And after some insights from the Holy Spirit, Bible reading, and contemplation, I know why in the past I came to that conclusion: my view of sin was different from God's.

When I came to the conclusion that God was unjust because of the way He dealt with sinful nations like Philistia, Assyria, Babylon, and Israel, I had forgotten that the severity of God's judgement on them was brought about by the severity of the sin of those nations.  He did not judge them because he was having a bad day or because he thought it sounded fun, he was judging them because they had sinned against Him.

See, the universal truth about sin is that all of them, from what we might consider the very smallest to the very biggest, separates us from the Holy presence of God.  For the breaking of one of God's laws we deserve death.  Yet, when we read accounts of God's judgement on sinful people or sinful nations, we are so quick to say, "God, it is just a sin."  You know what I can hear Him say?  I can hear Him say, "Your right, it is a sin."

If you have used the excuse that you cannot follow God because of his judgement on sinful nations, know these two things.  First, know that God is just.  And second, realize that sin is sin...every time.  When you realize that sins is sin separating you from God and that God has to judge it, you can then call on His Son Jesus Christ to save you from them.  And for those of you who have called on the name of God's Son to save you already, know these two things.  First, God is just.  And second, realize that sin is sin...every time.

Friday, December 3, 2010

One Reason Why I Hate Technology

When I first got to Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, the rec room was the place to be.  At almost any given point during the day, you could walk in the rec room and find company waiting there to talk to you.  And if you didn't want to talk, you could watch t.v. on the big screen that worked most of the time or play ping-pong or pool or a board games (even though no one really played the board games).

Now when you walk into the once noisy rec room, it is like a ghost town.  The t.v. is on but no one is watching it.  No one is playing  pool or ping-pong.  And if someone wanted to play a board game, they still couldn't because no one would be in there to turn down their offer.  Why is it such a ghost town you ask?  It is a ghost town because there is a wireless signal in every room of Kelly Hall (the male dormitory/cafeteria) and the Courts (the female apartments).  No longer do I have to go to the rec room to access the blessed curse of the internet.  At least when I did go there I had to be at least a little bit social, but not anymore.  Boy do I miss some of those inconveniences.

I have to admit it.  I typed this blog out in my 21st century dorm room where the internet is as abundant as the salmon of Capistrano.  But, I published it from the rec room.

Other inconveniences I miss:
1. Having to wait at my friends house till my parents came and picked me up.
2. Not being able to be contacted no matter how hard somebody tried.
3. Being able to sit down and eat a meal without me or the person I am talking to being distracted by their cell phone or one of the hundreds of t.v.'s in the restaurant.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

It Hurts to Hit the Funny Bone

My dad used to tell my sister and I stories of his childhood and what life was like growing up in the Ditty household.  He has actually written these stories into a short, incomplete autobiography called Redbirds, Cherry Trees, and B.B. Guns: Joy in the Journey and I am sure he would be glad to try to get you a copy if you wanted one.  One of the many things he told us about growing up in the Ditty household was my grandma's rule concerning who got punished when my dad or one of his two siblings got into a fight with each other or teased one another.  The rule went as follows: the offspring who instigated the fight or initiated he teasing got punished along with the offspring who cried about it.  Well, my grandma may have not said it like that, but what she meant was that the punk who was mean got in trouble and the cry baby who cried about it was just as guilty for crying over something as insignificant as getting teased.

Well, the other day I found myself in a situation in which if I was living under my grandparents' roof, I would have gotten in trouble for sulking about getting teased and the other guy would have gotten in trouble for being a punk.  To make a short story even shorter, this is what happened.  I went to work on Tuesday wearing what most would consider a "golfer's" hat.  I know that those hats are not "in" right now, but I like it and so I decided to wear it.  As I was busy putting a cover over a light switch, one of my bosses walked into the area where I was busy working, looked at me, and said, "Who made you wear that stupid hat?"  Trying to be cool about it I said, "Well it's nice to see you today too."  And like he had planned this whole thing out my boss replied, "Well, I was just wondering who made you wear that."

Like Pumba, "I am a sensitive soul."  I don't like the kind of "jokes" that put people down and I really don't take them all that well.  Need less to say then, after I had taken our brief conversation in and thought about it for a little while, I began to get mad at the guy who called my hat stupid.  Worse than that, I began scheming and developing some great comebacks.  I was bitter.  What I should have done was shook off his words and prayed that my boss would know the power of them.  But instead, according to Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, I decided to murder that man in heart, and under both God's law and Grandma's law I was guilty.

But, under both God's law and Grandma's law, so was the other guy.  Instead of being uplifting and using good discernment in his speech, he opted to take the low road and try to get a cheap laugh.  In turn, he caused one of his brothers in Christ to stumble.  So, shame on the both of us.

The truth is, it hurts to hit the funny bone.  No matter how hard we laugh after we knock our elbow against something, there is always that sting.  The same can be said of getting cheap laughs.  It may make everyone in the room laugh including the person it was directed toward, but that doesn't keep it from hurting.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

With Mutiny Comes Misery

When my faith was in the "valley of the shadow of death," I mutinied against what I knew was true.  And as John Piper writes in Let the Nations Be Glad, "with mutiny Comes misery."  The following are the lyrics to a song I wrote.  It is the story of a crew of sailors made miserable after committing mutiny against their Captain.  In this song their are two truths: 1) if you choose mutiny, don't expect God's protection and 2) if you ask genuinely for forgiveness, God (the Captain) WILL forgive you of your mutinous ways.  I really, really hope you enjoy.  By the way, if you ever run into me and want me to sing this for you, I might just do it.

With Mutiny Comes Misery

 It was a rough one
The seas had been harsh
The winds just kept blowing
We hadn’t made it very far

Didn’t know what we were doing
The Captain was long gone
We made him walk the plank
What had gone wrong

It seemed right at the time
It was all fun and games
He asked us for help
So we left him out in the rain

We sailed on from there
We were making god-speed
We had the wind in our sails
But with mutiny comes misery

The waves were getting higher
The lightning was so bright
We had done all we could do
But couldn’t make it right

The storm kept on raging
We hadn’t seen the sun
We were getting weak
No need for the guns

We wondered why it happened
Wondered what went wrong
Did all we could do
To the sea would belong

And as we lay
Soaking our resting place in
We remembered the captain
And longed for him again

We remembered the time
He made us work hard
And the first time
He saw us in the shipyard

 He called out our names
Said you will do
Took us on the ship
As his loyal crew

On that day
We made a pact
That we would never leave
We would never turn back

We started so strong
With fire on our bones
Anywhere with Him
Even to the unknown

We recalled what he said
On that dreary day
He said if mutiny does come
Just  call on My name

Now we longed to see that face
And longed to hear that voice
We had made up our mind
We had made up our choice

For the captain we’d return
Even if it costs our death
He can have my soul
The sea can have the rest

And as the ship turned
In the way it should go
There was the Captain
There in the boat

With joy in our heart
And the Captain in command
We hit the high seas
In able hands

When you are with me
You will find me by your side
And if you do seek
Then with you I will abide

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

It's Not Just Because I Am a UK Fan

As I sit and watch the Wildcats fight their way back into a game in Maui (maybe God is calling me there as a missionary (somebody has to go)) and the Tennessee score scrolls across the bottom of the screen, I can't help but to think about the latest news rolling out of the University of Tennessee.  If you haven't heard about what went down in the Volunteer state, Bruce Pearl was found guilty of breaking NCAA recruiting regulations and lying about it.  As for consequences, league commissioner Mike Slive has decided to suspend Bruce Pearl for the first eight SEC conference games and dock $1.5 million dollars of his pay.  All that is old news, though, and not really focus of this post.  The focus of this post is centered around the response to the Pearl's punishment.

Recently I was flipping through the channels on the television (that is "the television" for those of you who don't speak Spanish) and I came across a news reporter who was asking sports fans in the Knoxville area what they thought about Pearl's consequences.  Of course there were mixed responses to the question of whether or not the consequences of Pearl's actions were fair, but what blew my mind was one of the reasons  why some think they are not.  Responding to the question, one interviewee stated something along the lines of, "I don't think it is fair.  He is sorry and regrets what he has done.  I really don't think that he should be punished" (like I said, that is along the lines of what the interviewee said).

Now at the risk of ranting, which is something I will try not to do too often on this blog, that answer tore my heart in two.  It tore my heart in two not because of the interviewees opinion of the punishment, but because of the interviewees mindset concerning punishment for doing wrong (sin is a better word in this context).  I know this position on punishment for sin is a dying breed, but the truth is that sin deserves punishment.  In no way am I saying that we should not incorporate mercy in government type settings, for God has shown great mercy on me, but just because someone is sorry for what they have done does not mean that they should be acquitted of their crime.  That is not true justice.  Unfortunately, the idea that sin should not be punishable extends far beyond the realm of NCAA basketball.  It extends into the mindset of many in our postmodern age, and this mindset is going to accompany many to the grave without hope of life with Jesus.  And I am not saying this just because I am a UK fan. 

Monday, November 22, 2010

Justifide - I Don't Care (Pointing Fingers) w/ lyrics



The following song is the only song by this band that I have ever heard, but it is very important to me none the less.  It is so important to me because it is the song I was listening to when I was called into the ministry.  It was at that moment in my life that God spoke to me louder than I had ever heard Him speak.  Please enjoy "I Don't Care (No Pointing Fingers)" by Justified (now Reform the Resistance).

P.S. Please answer the following question in the "Comment" section: Could you personally worship God while listening to this song?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Death of Many

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:23-24).

Riches...I wouldn't wish them on anybody.

Friday, November 19, 2010

A Blogger in the Ivory Tower

It is said that philosophers "live in ivory towers" trying to answer humanity's toughest questions while everyone else is busy at work in the real world.  There is not anything inherently wrong with philosophizing.  There is not anything inherently wrong with living in an ivory tower either.  What is wrong is living in that ivory tower and never coming out.

There is a 21st century parallel with the phrase at hand.  The parallel is as follows: there are many philosophers called "bloggers" who "live in ivory towers" trying to answer humanity's toughest questions while everyone else is busy at work in the real world.  And just like philosophizing, there is nothing inherently wrong with blogging.  There isn't even anything wrong with blogging inside the depths of your dorm room or wherever you choose to go with your laptop.  What is wrong is when you refuse to step out into the real world and practice what you preach.

"Lord, may this never describe me."

So, in the words of our friend Big Black from MTV: "Do work!"

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Another Hobby of Mine




Most people think that it is impossible for me ever have a serious moment.  This is probably the reason why.

Monday, November 15, 2010

By the Rivers of Babylon

I really couldn't imagine it.  I couldn't imagine seeing my friends and family killed, the house I loved torn down, and the shop or farm I owned being destroyed.  Unfortunately, for the Israelites, they didn't just imagine it, they lived it.

Because of the highways that ran through it, the world longed to have control of the Israel's land so that they could trade and transport goods safely.  Throughout history you find many battles fought among a number of nations trying to gain control of that land.  And as Babylon expanded and the kingdom of Judah continued to rebel (Israel split into two different kingdoms after the death of King Solomon; Judah was the southern kingdom), the fall of Judah was inevitable.  After years of conflict with Babylon,the infamous Nebuchadnezzar who would become one of the greatest kings of Babylon, sieged Jerusalem.  His siege was successful and Jerusalem was ransacked in 597 B.C..  Nebuchadnezzar left Jerusalem with a large number of Israelites who would become their slaves and many articles from the Temple, the House of God.  The exile of Judah had begun.

Being in exile is apparently bad for many reasons.  Those who are in exile are no longer free but are slaves to the nation who defeated them.  They are separated from their families which they loved.  They are taken to a land where there names may be changed and where they are forced to follow customs that are not theirs and eat food they may not like.  This is the case for the kingdom of Judah.  But, in addition to all that they lost, they lost their greatest joy, the Temple of God.

In Psalm 137 we read, "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.  There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.'  How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?  If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.  May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy" (Psalm 137:1-6).

After reading that Psalm, you may be asking yourself, "What is the deal with Jerusalem and the Temple of God?  Why were they so important?"  The answer is this: that was the dwelling place of God.  That is where the glory of God rested.  Now, God is and always has been omnipresent (fancy word for everywhere), but until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2), God did not dwell in the hearts of men.  The Holy Spirit did not guide and lead people personally.  Followers of Yahweh, the one true God, met God in the Temple.  The Temple was the prescribed place the people were to worship God.  Therefore, when the people were carried away from Jerusalem , the city of God, and the Temple, the house of God, they were being taken away from the actual presence of God.

Could you imagine it?  Could you imagine sitting by the rivers of Babylon being forced to sing of Jerusalem and the Temple of God, the place you once called home, the place where God dwelt.  I can't.  But my prayer is that of the writer of the Psalm.  My prayer is that I would long for the presence of God.  My prayer is that the only place where I find joy is being in the presence of God.  And if I am ever at a place in my life where Jesus Christ is not my highest joy, "may my right hand forget its skill."  May my fingers not be able to type.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

If

At what point in your life were you more scared than you had ever been?  The scariest point in my life was when everything I had based my life around was at the point of crashing down around me.

I have a very unique family that I love and don't thank God for enough.  My grandpa was a pastor and my uncle and dad are pastors.  They are not only pastors by trade, though, they are pastors by heart.  They love God and serve Him because they love God.  The same goes for all of their wives.  To say the least, I was brought up in a Christian family which took me to church and that trained me to love God.

I am not sure of the exact date, but one day while I was in the seventh grade I  genuinely asked God to forgive me and I gave Him my life to do with as He pleased (I had said a prayer when I was five, but I really didn't understand what I was doing).  In a language known as "Christianese," that is translated "I got saved."  I am not sure of the exact year, but somewhere around my sophomore or junior year I  did what my teachers told me and I began to think more subjectively.  And as I thought subjectively, I began to give ideas and philosophies more leeway in my mind.  By my freshman year of college at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, I was a skeptical Christian, a Christian molded by an" I have to see it to believe it," rationalism based generation.

Ever since I had become a subjective thinker, my faith in everything about God, from the deity of Christ to the existence of God, had dwindled.  To say the least, I was miserable.  I was miserable because I knew the Truth. I knew that there was a God.  I knew that I had sinned.  I knew that Jesus was God's Son and was sent to the earth and I knew He died for my sins and  was resurrected so I could have life.  I knew that, but I doubted it because I had not taken every thought captive and "obedient to Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Those were the scariest days I have ever faced because those were the days when I felt everything I had based my life around seemed to be falling asunder.  Because I knew the truth and the joy in Jesus Christ, I was not willing to give it up.  

All the while I was battling these thoughts that are straight from the mouth of Satan, I kept a spiritual journal.  On the night of January 26, 2009 during my second semester of college, I wrote the following: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget it's skill" (Psalm 137:5)."  And at that moment, on that night in January, I asked God that if I ever came to a point in my life that I did not believe anymore that He would remove from me every ability to function as a human being.  Why?  Because there is not life outside of Christ and I know it.

Friday, November 12, 2010

A couple of days ago I signed up to be a "blogger"  and ever since then I have been thinking about what to post as my very first blog.  I have been trying to decide whether I should do an introduction blog where I tell you a little bit about who I am or whether I should jump right in and write about something that has been on my mind.  After minutes of pain staking thought, I have decided to just do both.

The first thing I think I should tell you about myself is that I am a hypocrite.  I admit it.  I tell everyone how I hate technology yet today I am writing my first blog and bought a b-e-a-utiful orange, refurbished, eight gigabyte Ipod Nano that is being shipped to me for free.

The second thing I want to tell you about is that I am a hypocrite.  I admit it.  Ever since I started writing papers some time back in elementary school, I have dreamed of the days I would never have to write again.  Yet here I am, writing something someone will probably never read.

The third thing I want to tell you is that I am a hypocrite.  I admit it.  I mess up...a lot.  But, you know what? Thanks to God, all those times I have messed up and will mess up have been forgotten.   See, by His grace I am saved.  And when I say grace, I mean grace.  I mean I did nothing to deserve it and I didn't buy it with money or good deeds.  I asked for it and He gave it to me.  And thanks to that grace through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross and His Son's resurrection from the dead, I am alive.

The last thing I want to tell you in this inaugural post is why my blog is called This Old Dome.  This Old Dome is me.  What I write in this blog will be things that I have learned or incites that I have received that all go through This Old Dome.  See, in my vocabulary, the "dome"" is the "head" that you can bump or the "mind" in which one thinks.  And after I got into college, and especially since I am a junior now in college, I like to think of myself as old and wise.  Even though I know I am not, that's what I like to imagine.  Thus, This Old Dome.