A Glimpse of Heaven

hey everyone! sorry it's been so long! january and february have been wild and crazy!

have you ever really felt home? i almost never do. i just don't fit in the places i find myself in. there's just something missing in them. most lack freedom in the air, order in the architecture, grandeur in the scenery, or love in the faces of the people that live in them. that's not to say i don't feel God's freedom within my heart, i simply don't feel the same freedom mirrored within most of my surroundings; that's not to say that i don't feel his security comfort me, but that i almost never touch anything that's sure around me, be it physical, mental, or spiritual, within this world we live in. that's not to say that He doesn't shower me in love, cause He never fails to cover me in more ways than i can imagine, and He has surrounded me with incredible people filled with so much of His love within them. but, at the same time, there are also so many people around me who walk around defeated, insecure, hateful, and downtrodden. why do i feel so often like this place, however incredible, is so different from the God who made me?

maybe it's just because this isn't where i'm made for.

"if i find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, i can only conclude that i was not made for this world." -c.s. lewis

this past weekend, i got to go for the seventh time to an incredible retreat called sharptop cove. every time i go, God fills me with hope, not just while i'm there, but even more when i get home. because, while there, you feel so comfortable, so loved, so enamored with the mountains around you, the crystal clear lake, the sapphire sky, and the love in the eyes of the students that lead the camp, you quickly forget just how special it really is. it just feels like home, like life is supposed to be. when i get home, i realize just how empty the world i live in is. i've forgotten my homeland, the place where i really belong.

Heaven.

there are so many misconceptions of the place. we think of our own little hobbies, trinkets, pets, vices that might be there. we think of meeting incredible people who've gone before us, of reuniting with loved ones passed away. but have we really considered what Heaven really is?

the place where God is.

can we imagine that? to be in the presence of God, almighty, omniscient, all-loving, with no hindrances, no distractions of the flesh, no hatred, no lesser fears. to stand before utter goodness, justice, power, and love; naked before your Creator. can we really imagine the beauty of a land literally consumed with His presence, splendor, and majesty. geography, nature, creation beyond our most awe-inspiring sights. all consumed with the love pouring out from His Holy Spirit...

every year for the past seven years, i've spent some of my time at camp underneath a tree with a trunk that curves like a seat, talking with God, looking at His creation, and listening to what He has to tell me. this year, as i sat under that tree, i realized "this is my last time doing this. i will never return to sharptop as a camper."

His response was immediate and shell-shocking: "This is nothing. This is a glimpse of what i have for you. See these stars? Just wait and see the lights i have waiting for you when you get Home. Just wait for the Talks we'll have someday."

for all the beauty in that place, it is less than a glimpse of my home. for all the love within the people there (including me) it is nothing compared to the love He will pour out on me and all those with me when i arrive at my homeland.

i'm a child who's tasted one little chocolate bar in his entire life and is about to inherit willy wonka's factory.

this life is beautiful, but this is nothing compared to what's to come.

"but there's far more to life for us. we're citizens of high heaven! we're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him." -phillipians 3:20

"since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? daily expect the day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. we'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new Heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness." -2 peter 3:11

"i saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea. i saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband." -revelation 21:1-2

if you're exhausted, fed up with your surroundings, or bogged down by the weight of this world, know that this isn't it. there's so much more in store for you than this world! look ahead to what's to come, and know He's made it just for you!

"each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? they saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. people who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. but they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. you can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them." -hebrews 11:13

"we all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, our sins too much for us— but you get rid of them once and for all. blessed are the chosen! blessed the guest at home in your place! we expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly mansion. all your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot— far and wide they'll come to a stop, they'll stare in awe, in wonder. dawn and dusk take turns calling, 'Come and worship.' " -psalm 65:2

praying that y'all all catch a glimpse of Heaven! can't wait for our homecoming! God bless!

One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.

- dr.james allan francis

What Child Is This?

merry christmas guys! hope your break is awesome and that life is phenomenal!

on that note, i had one little thought that always comes about during this time of year: why do we celebrate christmas? there will be billions of dollars spent on festivities, presents, lights, etc. there will be billions of people out of school, off work, completely stress free for an extended period of time. we drop everything and celebrate, but why, exactly? what will we celebrate on the 25th of december? think about it for one minute. it's really bizarre. we are going to do all this because one little baby boy was born to a sixteen year old peasant girl and her dirt poor husband 2,000 years ago!

we like to try and make the nativity scene look like it was sweet and warm, with angelic light filling the room. that's just not true. there were no halos flying around everyone's head, and no one was feeling particularly well. marry and joseph had just traveled a ridiculously painful journey, and had just had a child. not only that, but they had him in an run down, decrepit stable! this thing was literally a dung heap for farm animals. the floor was covered in feces, the wood rotting. they were so exhausted and desperate, they wrapped their newborn in dirty, used rags and placed him in a lamb's feeding trough, filled with cud, spit, and parasites. can you imagine the humiliation, the poverty, the desperation? if that was all there was to this story, it shouldn't be celebrated, it should be lamented that this travesty ever happened to anyone in all of history!

of course, that's not the whole story, is it?

"the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned... for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -isaiah 9:2, 6-7

cause that baby wasn't just anyone. that was the God of the universe they placed in that manger so long ago.

so who is this baby, this man, this God? according to Isaiah, there are three ways to describe Him.

Isaiah call Jesus the Wonderful Counselor, which, when translated in context, means something along the lines of Wonderful Strategist, Thinker, and Philosopher.

einstein was pretty smart, right? a genius, in fact. when interviewed concerning Jesus, this is what this genius had to say:

"as a child i received instruction both in the Bible and the talmud. i am a jew, but i am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene... no one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality resonates in every word. no myth is filled with such life."

how can this genius say that about this worthless preacher from nazareth? because, ultimately, He was God. He planned this horrible birth, life of sacrifice, death of suffering, and wondrous resurrection.

i just can't get over the fact that the being who was able to make all of creation, every galaxy in the universe, every creature here on earth, every human soul, who was the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, I AM of existence, became a little baby boy born to two peasants in ancient israel. to go from knowing all things to willingly limiting yourself to the point where you don't even know how to talk, or even go to the restroom? to go from being all-powerful and infinite to being in a fragile baby's body? to go from rightfully controlling all things to being born to two slave-race peasants? can we even imagine that sort of sacrafice? He went through puberty having His parents tell Him what to do, when He had made them and knew so often just how wrong they were. He went to Bible school and had teachers tell Him He didn't know a thing about the words of life He inspired. He preached and those who claimed to love Him the most, to be the most religious, rejected Him and were jealous of Him. He allowed Himself to be beaten, abused, put through a fake trial, flogged, tortured, and then crucified. then, He made it known who he was just so that the same people who had put Him through this could know His love. i find that kind of sacrifice utterly incomprehensible.

so, why? why be so drastic? to save the souls of mankind and conquer history itself.

the second way that isaiah names this Jesus is the Everlasting Father and the Mighty God. when translated, it means the "God Warrior" and "the Champion of history"

these sound like military phrases. what exactly did this warrior conquer?

first and foremost, He conquered our sin. He freed mankind from its sinful nature. we are redeemed! the love He showed us conquered our very nature, and made us who we are meant to be! and because of that freeing love He has conquered the hearts of men and history itself.

napoleon was a great conqueror. he knew how to touch the hearts of men, so much so that they would die for him in battle, and was so great that he once conquered almost all of europe and twice conquered the city of paris. this is what he had to say about this Champion of history:

"i know men and i tell you, Jesus is no mere man. the distance between Him and all others is an eternity. myself, caesar and charlamagne all built great empires, but upon what were they founded? force. Jesus built His kingdom on love, and today, millions would die for Him. history knows no conqueror like Christ."

"Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than alexander the great, mohammed, and napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times."
-phillip schaff

He was called the Champion of history. do you know anyone else who can say that His birth is used as the focal point of humanity's existence? no one else can claim b.c., a.d.

this is what a few historians had to say about this Champion:

"i am a historian, i am not a believer, but i must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from nazareth is irrevocably the center of human history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."
- h.g. wells

"as the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life on the planet."

-kenneth scott latourette

there is no other life on this planet that has so changed the plane of existence like Christ. but where are the effects of this change?

the last title isaiah gives Jesus is the "Prince of Peace". so what kind of peace did this Prince bring us?

about 80 years ago humanity experienced chaos unlike anything it had ever seen before, world war I. during this war, troops on both sides implemented a battle strategy called "trench warfare". both sides were about a half-mile apart. these men had been shooting, injuring, killing each other for over a year. on christmas eve, one german man began to sing the song "noel, noel, born is the king of israel!" in his native tongue. his fellow germans began to sing with him. the french and british troops on the other side of the battle lines heard the germans song, and, recognizing the hymn, began to sing along in their own languages. the germans held up a white cross of peace, and the british and french troops held up one of their own. the troops from both sides excited their trenches and met halfway between their battle lines. they exchanged gifts, sang hymns, and played soccer in the snow. the ceasefire lasted till after christmas day.

a french movie was made about the event named "Peace, Noel" by a director who was a very verbal agnostic who had often made it known that he was extremely anti-religious. when asked why he would make a movie with such blatantly christian themes, he had this to say:

"2000 years ago, a babe was born to a peasant couple in a very small village and the memory of His birth was able to suspend wwI."

is there anyone in all of history who can claim that? is there any other who has walked the face of this earth who can say that a song about their birth was so well known and carried so much power, that men from 3 different countries, all speaking three different languages, who had been killing each other for over a year would stop at the sound of it? is there anyone in history who can say that the means of torture and death they were put through could be used as a symbol of ceasefire? He is the one and only Prince of Peace, unlike any other.

that same God who is limitless, limited Himself, conquered sin, freed mankind, dominated history, and brought the power of supernatural peace wants to show you His glory, freed you from sin, and brought His peace that surpasses understanding.

to sum it all up, my prayer for this christmas is that we celebrate it experiencing Him and honoring His greatness.

have an incredible christmas and a happy new year! God bless!

Infinite Worth

hey guys! hope life's going great! If you're anything like me, life's rough, but God is so good! If not, i might have something for ya.

do you know that you are loved? i mean, really loved?

when i use that word, i'm not referring to some kind of physical drive. i'm not talking about whether people care about you or not, and i don't mean to say that your family wants what's best for you. all that's good and well, but most relationships with people only go so far as "like". you "like" somebody when your attracted to something they have. a lot of family's care about each other because they're just use to each other, or because the natural physical genetics of human beings tells them to act in such a way to those with blood ties. most people are friends because they have something in common, or they like each others' personalities, or they like something the other has. people only care about others because they can get something out of them. people want something out of those around them. people like being around you because they get something out of it. they like to be around you because you make them feel better in some way. you make them feel like they are better because they have power over you, or because they feel they need something you have, and therefore they feel like you have power over them. they don't care about you because you're who you are. they care about you because of what you are.

but God is more than human, and He cares about you more than any other person can.

"how precious is your unfailing love, O God! all humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. " -pslam 36:7

"but God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much," -ephesians 2:4

"and may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." -ephesians 3:18

"but anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love" -1 john 4:8

over and over again in His word, God says that He is love. the aura of God is love. it is the essence of God, the point of the universe, the meaning of life. God loves. He doesn't just like you. He doesn't want something from you, He wants everything for you. everyone else you will know will like you, will care for you, because of something you give them. He cares about you for what He can give you. He loved you so much that God, the infinite, unmade, master of time and space, the essence of reality, limited himself to the body and mind of a man, lived for 30 years in this mess we call life, and then allowed Himself to be killed on a cross, suffocate to death, and then resurrect Himself to give us the chance to know and love Him.

so... tonight, i got asked the classic question everyone always asks me when i say that God loves them:

"if God loves us so much, why do bad things happen? where's the meaning in all this tragedy?"

i told him as best i could the answer i had, but i didn't have time to address the question thoroughly. so, for all those who are struggling, or are angry at God, or simply want to know why bad things happen, there are a couple of answers, but the one that, to me, speaks the most in my life is this one:

God is a person. God is not a genie, or a santa clause in the sky who gives everyone whatever they want if they behave. He's not some abstract force of good that pushes everything in one direction. He loves you. His very being is bound up in love. the absence of love must have a loveless result, and love must accomplish two things:

1) God is not the source of evil in our world, sin is.

2) love must do what's best for the one who is loved, not what's easiest.

3) love must be chosen or denied

think about what this implies about God.

in our lives, we face struggles, problems, issues, pain, etc. but do these problems come from God? is God the reason there are starving people in africa, or are we? after all, america has the potential farming power to produce enough food to feed all of its citizens and all of africa. however, we'd have to sacrifice our economic supremacy. so, instead of feeding our brothers in africa, we, as parts of the human race who want to live materially better lives, sacrifice the potential to help others for our own security. can you blame God when He's given us the potential to help our brothers, but we don't take responsibility and help them? again, why do people die early? car wrecks happen when people don't do what they're supposed to, or drive under the influence. people kill others through negligence or through hate. people die of diseases often because they don't take care of themselves or others don't take care of them. if we spent as little money as possible on ourselves and put the rest into finding cures for diseases and medical care, and worked as best we could to protect and care for those who can't help themselves, do you honestly think there would be any kind of suffering like there is in the world? before pointing the finger at God, look yourself in the mirror and ask if you have done everything possible (and i mean, literally, everything) for others that you could to help others and protect them from harm or suffering. have you ever hurt someone's feelings? why do you make them suffer? if God has given you the ability to save someone from harm, why haven't you? evil isn't a result of God's negligence, or His will, it's a result of humanity's actions without Him. when we separate ourselves from His love, our priorities become skewed and we fail to care for each other; we become selfish and, in the end, hurt one another and make each other suffer. no one has given up all they have for others, but God gave up His position as God, His power, His life, for humanity to know His love and, in the end, be saved from their suffering.

secondly, true love cares enough to do what's right, not what's easy. toddlers don't like it when they teethe, but parents don't take out their kids teeth before they come in in order to stop the pain (it be kinda gross if they did). they allow their kids to go through the pain, and, when their child cries to them, they give them a chew toy so they can ease as much pain as possible. when you get to a certain age, if your parents don't allow you to choose what you want to do for yourself, we say they're "control freaks" and sheltering you. suffering in itself isn't evil, even if it may come from an evil source. physical "growing pains" aren't evil, they're natural, hard, and the results are maturity, power, and depth. God's our Father. spiritual growth sometimes can't be accomplished simply by God zapping with grace, maturity, authority, wisdom, or love. if He sheltered us from choosing to disobey Him or to do evil to others, or to neglect others, or to hate, or to ignore Him, or to sin, we would be spiritually sheltered. we wouldn't be loved. again, sometimes, you have to struggle to remember to rely on God and His love. sometimes, the only way He can remind you of how much He loves is to let you suffer and rely on Him. if we are never allowed to discover pain if we so choose (since, like we established, we are the source of sin, not God), we aren't really loved, because God isn't doing what's best for us, He's doing what's easiest. and just like the parent who gives their child as much relief as possible while allowing their him to grow, God gives us unfailing love, and His Spirit, and whatever else we need in order to get through whatever we are facing at the time.

finally, love has to be a choice. you can't be forced to love somebody. why is it almost always bad when we see arranged marriages in movies? because the arrangement is attempting to force two people to love each other. they aren't willfully choosing to love each other. if God just made us love Him, and never allowed us to reject Him, He could never love us, and since His aura is love, He can't do that. it is a limitation He has placed upon His very nature that He must love us, and therefore, must give us freedom of choice. but, if we choose to ignore Him, if we choose to ignore the source of love, if we are allowed to choose our own fates, we are allowed to hate, to spite, to ignore, and to kill. so, if God really wants to love us and let us love Him (and each other) He must also allow for us to reject Him and His love and reject (and hurt) each other. that's why there's evil. He has to let us suffer if we so choose, and, whether we realize it or not, we make ourselves and all those around us suffer, most of the time without even thinking about it.

but, whatever suffering comes along, whatever pain you face, whatever challenge is placed in front of you, whatever chaos you cause yourself, know that YOU ARE LOVED!

if the infinite aura of the universe loves you, then you are of infinite worth. you are a treasure worth the universe over! you were worth God's life. there is no way to fathom just how much you are actually worth.

"no power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." -romans 8:39

" do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God, your God. God, your God, chose you out of all the people on earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure" -deuteronomy 7:6

you are God's treasure! the apple of His eye! people that He has given His love, His life, His self for! there's a song by flyleaf that speaks a lot about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtEHU5bFbb4&list=QL&playnext=21

love y'all and i'm praying for you! He is with you! you are loved, and you are worth more than you'll ever know!

God bless!

What Happens When I Start Talking on Facebook

Hey everyone! i hope you're all doing great! if your doing anything less than that, don't cause He loves you so much! i know it's been a while, i've been itching to get back in the swing of things. so much so, that, while on facebook, i started a very interesting conversation on some theological junk with a friend.

predestination or free choice, calvinism or armenianism (if you don't know, they mean the same thing). does God make everything happen, or do we make our own destinies? i don't know where you stand on the subject, but i was talking with my friend over the course of a week or so, and this is what i had to say on the topic. hope it helps answer some of your questions if you have any! if not, please ignore this post, as i'll hopefully be talking more about how much He's been doing in my life and less about little opinions i have. God bless y'all and i hope you enjoy!

friend 1: "Do you realize that what you are arguing for in Predestination is that God has strictly FORBIDDEN certain people from coming into his Kingdom? In John 3:16, John writes that 'God so loved the WORLD that He gave his one and only son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' "

friend 2: I'm sorry if you believe that. Talk to me and I can correct thine ignorance ;)

friend 3: I have been studying Calvinism in depth for the past four to five years, know most of what there is to know about it, tried to become a Calvinist, and posed this question to every Calvinist I've met. This, in less bloated terms, is what the doctrine believes. No one has ever answered the question, and no other Calvinist has ever told me that I am misrepresenting their views.


me: well, if God is outside of time, space, and matter, He doesn't just set the world in motion and then decide who's gonna end up with Him and who isn't. God is. all the time, everywhere, etc. therefore, when God makes you, yes, He knows everything about you, and what you'll do with the life He gives you etc, but He also limits His power because He gives you the free will to choose the destiny He knows you will choose. so, it is a paradox. calvinism is very true in that God knows all things, including who will choose Him and who won't, who He has made and how they will turn out is known to Him and He still makes them. BUT it's also true that He gives them the free will to choose this fate, and won't push them in a certain direction that would interfere with this freedom of choice in a way that would inhibit the free will to choose Him (or not choose Him). so, free will is also utterly real. but ultimately, neither one matters all that much because the ultimate purpose of God is love. therefore, the point isn't whether you are predestined or whether you're given free will (you're given both). the point is that God gives you the full benefits of His love, loves you relentlessly, calls you in whatever way He knows is best, and you are given the chance to accept His love or not.

friend 3:I agree with Daniel completely!
That God knows, but God does not decide, who will chose him.
That is not, however, what Calvin believed.
Calvin held that He knows AND chose.

me: well, He kinda does both. God's all about paradox. like how He's all mercy and all justice at the same time, or how He's all grace and all truth at the same time. humans can't do both, so we go off and do one without the other or we try to "balance them both". God has no balance, he infinitely both. so yes, if He willfully creates a creature that He knows won't choose Him in the place and time He puts it in, and still creates it, He very much condemns or saves that creature, however, it is completely that creatures choice to accept His love or not, God completely limits His power and gives us free choice. so calvin was very much right (calvin also lived in a time when people were starting to talk about how man chose everything, and were attempting to continue things like purgatory etc where people were all in control - going off on the side of free will with no acceptance of God's predestined will - so calvin, who was also human, but was saved and knew his Bible, went off on predestination).

friend 2: Yay! Someone else who believes that we can't understand everything about how God works!!! :D

friend 3: way to be a diplomat daniel.
(he's still holding an armenian view (with God limiting his power to allow choice)...so not sure what that's about! hahaha =)

friend 2: JUST SO YOU KNOW, an "armenian" is from Armenia... an Arminian is a person who disagrees with Calvin. :P
Oh, what that's about is just punching a hole in the belief that you have to be 100% in either camp. :) There is plenty of midd...le ground, ya know. Most Baptists are actually 4 point Calvinists.


friend 3: I knew that! I'm not an arminian...I'm an Armenian disquised as an Arminian....if that makes sense...
Well...you're officially in one camp once you decide on the key issue, A. God predestines ppl to chose him. B. He doesn't. But anyway...com...e to the Armenian camp...forget about Arminians and Calvinists...we've got swords and cool accents! And marshmallows....

friend 2: Hahaha! Perfect sense. :)
Oh yes, I am definately in one camp... but not everyone is. :)
Hahaha! Yes, I am most definately an Armenian first, Calvinist second ;)

me: no guys! i must not be explaining this well... God is EXTREME! He utterly predestines someone. He decides where they are going, but He also gives them complete choice. it's the only way He can be in complete control all the time but still l...et us love Him and vice versa. this is not being diplomatic, or choosing a shade of gray, or saying that there is more than one truth. the utter truth of the matter is that God is an infinite being of immeasurable intensity, purpose, and freedom. if He didn't do both COMPLETELY and UTTERLY, He wouldn't be God. just like those who go on about God's judgment is coming, and how He will destroy evil completely and utterly and will leave no trace of evil or evil people behind, but leave out that He has given grace and mercy that is everlasting and all consuming and all healing are utterly wrong, so someone who says that God is only completely predestined or only completely chosen are wrong. neither is right individually, because God isn't just one extreme. He is both, the Greatest of Paradoxes. if we say He is one and not the other, or a little of both, or say that He might be one or the other, we lie and make Him out to be less than God...

friend 3: I stand corrected...apparently some people can believe both views In their entirety at the same time....though now I'm more confused than ever...


me: that's the point. you're human. you can't do both at the same time. He's God, He by nature has to do both completely and utterly all the time (and even outside of time). think about it; we can understand God, but can't comprehend Him. ...we can understand that there are numbers that go on for infinity, or that the sun is the size of over 1 billion earths put together, but can we really comprehend the extent of an infinite number or the size of something so overwhelmingly greater than anything we've experienced? in the same way, if something about God's nature isn't understandable, or is straight up contradictory, then you know it's false because God is so much smarter than we are, His logic should make sense, and He's never-changing, so He never contradicts Himself. but, if it is something that mankind can completely explain and rap its mind around, then you also know it can't be God because His mind must be bigger than our own, else, He isn't greater than we are and needn't be worshiped, or be God for that matter. He must make sense and know everything and make everything as it's meant to be (therefore dooming or saving His creation since He knows the end result of putting His creation in its particular body with its particular traits in its particular time) and therefore predestines His creation to Heaven (a relationship with Him) or Hell (the absence of that relationship). He also, however, must limit His power over the individuals soul and mind in order to give it free will to love or hate Him, since love must be chosen (or refused). He therefore creates His creatures destiny, but they are entirely in control of what they do - they make the destiny He places before them. it is completely theirs to decide, He simply allows them to choose it. so, you see, both are utterly true, understandable, and very much incomprehensible since no human mind could ever do both these things at the same time. and since the paradox of God's gift of free will and His all-controlling nature are understandable, but incomprehensible, it gives more evidence towards the fact that it's a God thing that only a perfect, all powerful, all loving God could do.

friend 3: Daniel, You are inferring the utterly impossible and illogical is what God did, which allows you to make two irreconcilable interpretations of the Bible true at the same time even tho they class on at least a thousand points ... and hence I... am unable to argue the point, as any attacks on your argument cannot be logical or Biblical.
I could return with the same exact argument, "our minds are finite, and you know those verses that seem to be about predestination?, the impossible is possible with God...and our minds don't understand it, but those verses are really about LAMAS and RANCH DRESSING! But God's mind is above our minds...and can make anything possible and beyond our mortal comprehension! " My view there is just as logical as yours then, and uses the same fallacious defense.
What is this view called anyway? Cause it sure ain't Calvinism or Arminienism. Maybe you could name it after that song, "You've got the beeeeeest of both worlds!"
:) Thanks for sharing! :)


friend 2:

Hahahahaha! Daniel, I love you! :D You say everything i want to so much better. :) Don't give up!

Ooh, don't insult his views with such absurd examples! Seriously, what he says makes perfect sense. The ultimate trend of the Bible fa...vors predestination; in other words, the number of verses (if interpreted literally) far outweigh the others. However, the other verses ARE there. No part of the Bible is false, so conclusion: they must both be true. :) Its like I said: Somehow it is 100% man's choice and 100% God's. Just because you're confused does not make it a fallacy. :)

me: my point was not that we can't understand that something that's contradictory isn't true. 2+2=5 is not and will never be true. it's that 3/9=0.3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333... and we can't comprehend how far that number goes, even if we understand that the number goes on for infinity (hence the ...).
tell me, can you forgive someone and judge their sin at the same time? when someone treats you horrible, beats you up, spits in your face or worse, can you, at the same time, condemn what they do and forgive them? if you are honest with God and with yourself, you will say NO! you can choose to forgive the person who wrongs you completely (and not hurt them at all since they are completely forgiven), or choose to judge their actions (and do justice to them and punish them for their actions since they were evil and deserve punishment). even if you choose to do one first and then the other (for example, if a parent punishes their child for doing something wrong but then forgives the kid) you cannot do both at the same time. you cannot, according to what you're saying, accomplish this feat, since the human being cannot do both at the same time. since, even though we can understand both forgiveness and punishment, we can't do them both at the same time, they must always and ever contradict each other. however, since you can't do it, since your mind, body, and spirit can't accomplish a paradoxical feat, you are also implying that God can't. God did in fact forgive us of our sins and conquer and judge the sinfulness of the world at the exact same time on a hill called golgatha a couple thousand years ago. sorry to bust your bubble, God judged your actions and made you liable to go to hell on that cross when He did something about the sin of the world and subjected Himself to the full deprivation, pain, suffering, and temptation of the human experience while still staying clean. like the Bible says, we are without excuse. but, on that cross, He also took all of the judgement planned for you, and made complete and utter forgiveness of sins a reality. think about it, God judged you to hell and freed your soul to heaven at the same time. see the difference between a contradiction and a paradox yet? if what you said in your last little snippet is true, God can't do both, so He is either way too good for us and we're all going to hell and completely deserve to be there, or we're all going to heaven to be with Him whether we like Him or not (no free choice). i'm assuming that you get that this line of thinking is wrong. God is a god of paradoxes. we can understand them, but we can't comprehend the extent or the way He does both at the same time. i can understand that He's right to judge me to death, and i can understand that i always have been and will always be completely forgiven, but it is impossible for me to wrap my mind around that fact.that both are, were, and always will be true.
now, what does that mean for our little talk? it means that just because we can't comprehend something, doesn't mean we can't understand it. secondly, to clarify, i'm not calvinist or amenian really. i'm simply making the point that there is utter predestination in the universe, but also utter free will.
to go back to your comment, you never really seem to get that there's a difference between not being able to wrap your mind around something and not being able to understand it. to go back to my example with math, 2+2 will never equal 5. but 3/9 will always equal 0.33333333333333333 (repeating). can you wrap your mind around an infinite number? i'm not saying, can you write out the equation and get the answer. can you really wrap your mind around the fact that that number has no end? never...
in your last comment, you simply said that i was trying to merge to views that were irreconcilable, and hence, i was illogical and there was no way to reply. in your analogy, you said that because God was greater than human minds, 2+2=5, your just not God so you don't get it. no where did i say anything of the sort. in fact, that was my whole point of explaining how we can't wrap our minds around the infinite. if the Bible said Jesus had shown up like the Jews thought he would (a military hero who would come down wreathed in flame and destroying the gentiles) it would have seemed like something man made up, not God. who would believe, before examining the evidence, that it made more sense for God, almighty, the infinite master of time, space, matter, and spiritual existence, would come onto a little spec of dust called earth to help a couple of insignificant microscopic specs called humans understand that God loved them? who would think that God would become a man before seeing how it worked out? that is impossible for us to wrap our minds around! i'm sorry, but the fact that He did that is mind-blowing! i can understand it's true, and i can understand that i'm forgiven of my sins because of it, but can i ever fully grasp it? no! and since i can't ever really grasp the depth of that sort of sacrifice, that i would never have come up with that sort of solution to the problem were i in that same position, i must conclude it comes from something higher than me (i.e. God).
in the same way, if i can understand that God is outside of time and makes us anyway, knowing what and who we are and what and who we will end up being, and that He is in complete control, and also understand that He limits His power over my soul and gives me the gift of free choice to ultimately choose the path He has put me on, but cannot in a million years wrap my mind around how He could do it (even though i can understand it) i must conclude that it is from God, not me.

the ultimate problem if predestination is all there is is much the same problem that one encounters if all the cross did was judge our sin. if God simply sets our paths, but never really gives us the choice to choose them or not, than He never loves us, and the aura of God is love, so we know this cannot be the case. if He only judges our sin, but never saves us, than He can never have a relationship with us (and can never love us, which He must do-see above point on the love nature of God), and we are all on our own and doomed.
however, if there is only free choice, if we all decide our own fate, and are untouchable, than God has no power, no control, and therefore is not God (since God must retain His power in order to forgive us, help us, etc.) if He has no power over our lives, than He cannot save us from evil, since that might at times limit our free will to choose Him or not. even though it appears that free choice without God's influence will get us where we need to be, it ultimately, on its own, isolates us from the Father since He will not interfere with our choice. the ultimate form of reality, if free choice is all there is, is deism, since God will not interfere in the lives of His creation, and since, we all like sheep have gone astray (isaiah), if we're on our own, to put it bluntly, we're all screwed. just like if all God did was forgive us on the cross, but never judge our sin, we would all go to heaven, no questions asked. at first this seems nice - everyone's going to heaven! but what does that really mean? heaven is where God is. it's the place where we ultimately know and love God and experience the true, infinite bliss of His love. but love requires a choice, and there was no choice in this redemption. so even though we're all saved, none of us are loved enough to choose it. it's flawed and empty salvation.
so, God must, on the cross, judge our sins and forgive us at the same time in order to allow for us to form a love relationship with Him. He must also predestine us and know who we are and even set our paths for us, but He must give us the full freedom to choose those paths.

soooooo.... if you've made it this far, i gotta say you're a trooper. like i said, this is like, a weeks worth of thought, so it's a bunch. i just wanted to hit the ground running after a long break from the blog, and i figured this was something i had handy that might help somebody. i know predestination and whether it's true or not can be a touchy subject - these are my thoughts and the thoughts of some of my very intellectual friends, not necessarily the truth. i also haven't finished the convo, so my friends on the other side(s) might have more to say. however, all of the stuff about the cross is utterly true! He loves you and He went all the way to prove it! if any of y'all are like me, you've been going through a low point spiritually (which i gotta talk about soon!). hold on to Him and His love. He'll getcha through!

God bless!

Sila

hey everyone! sorry it's been so long! life got the best if me, but now i have a ton of things to talk about!

while in africa, i worked in an orphanage. the first day we arrived, we were greeted by all of the orphans and their caretakers. they sang songs and prayed for us, and then began to show us around the huts they lived in and the new buildings God had provided for them. in africa, it is traditional for people to hold hands as they walk together, and, being some the first white people many of these kids had ever seen, we were swamped with children who wanted to hold our hands, learn our names, and be our friends.

the first child to hold my hand was sila. he was a boy about eight years old who looked like he was five from malnourishment. when he first saw me, all he could do was stare. he approached me slowly, unsure if it was okay to come and walk with me. when i saw him coming, i offered him my hand, and he cautiously but happily took it. from that moment on, sila was my shadow. every second he could, he was holding my hand, sitting in my lap; in some way, he was always trying to get as close as he could to me and stay there for as long as possible.

images of sila still filter into my dreams every once in a while. the bond we formed is one that reflected what we should all have for our Father. the faith and desire to be as close to God as possible for as long a time as possible.

so often, we get caught up in what we feel that we need to do as Christians. the only problem is that there is nothing we ever need to do. God doesn't depend on us for anything. but He does desperately want to know us and for us to know the love He has for us.

^"13 and they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.¹⁴ but when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.¹⁵truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.' ¹⁶and He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them." -mark 10:13-16

after seeing this sort of love for myself, i can say that there is nothing more beautiful than that kind of reckless, humble, desperate love that can be seen in a child. we should seek after God with humility and recognize His all powerful nature. we should stand in awe of His works and glory. we should attempt to honor Him in all we do with passion and drive towards our goal. but above all else, we must simply reach out and touch Him, desire Him, and try and stay in His presence as long as possible. He is creator, He is Lord, He is Glory, and He is Savior, but He is all this because He is The Lover.

just wanted to encourage y'all and say that He loves you, regardless of anything you have or have not done. He loves you, wherever and whenever you are. all He wants is for you to draw near to Him. so don't be afraid to reach out and touch Him. you are His greatest desire, and the passion of His heart. He loves to hold your hand.

"¹⁹we love, because He first loved us." - 1 john 4:19

"⁸but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - romans 5:8

praying for y'all! God bless!

Good Morning Jesus

i just got back from a mission trip to africa. we spent about a week in bong county, liberia. while there, we worked at a rural school, village, and orphanage. 

the trip wasn't my first to liberia. the poverty, hospitality, and gratefulness of the liberian people will always remain fixed in my mind, but this time, it was something i was familiar with. i was reminded of what God taught me on my last trip, but i had more to learn. 

the last time i was in bong county, i was swarmed by kids of all ages. i couldn't take 5 steps in a single direction without having somewhere between 5 and 20 kids swarming around me. this time, i was prepared to lose my personal space, and i kinda loved having a huge crowd of people listen to every word you say, all pushing and shoving just to get a good look at you, to touch you and -- the thought crossed my mind -- in a way, it made sense. i was there, bringing supplies, education, teaching, manual labor to build parts of their new buildings, etc... to them. but in the same instance, i realized that i could never be these people's savior. God doesn't rely on me. one of the things we taught the kids at the school was Acts 17:24 - 25: 

" ²⁴ “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. since he is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, ²⁵ and human hands can’t serve his needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need."

 

 i was the one who had to rely completely and utterly on God. i was there as nothing more than a reflection of the One who sent me. i was constantly reminded that i could not provide for these people's needs, physical, mental, or spiritual. i was just a tool to be used as my Master saw fit. often, i find that i sometimes tend to think that God needs me to accomplish His will. so often i find myself complaining about how much i think  i'm doing for God: i'm working so hard to be this, i'm trying to be so nice to this person, i'm fighting so hard to control this or that. the truth is that God doesn't need us. He loves us and wants us and wants to make us a part of His plan, but He doesn't rely on us for anything. we rely on Him for everything, and the Good News is that He satisfies us completely. 

if you're like me, you tend to worry a lot about how things are going to turn out. if you say too much to this person, what will they think of you? if you say too little, will you regret it later? this kind of thinking makes it seem like you're in control of how things end. the truth is, there is nothing you can say or not say that will help others in their relationship with Christ that He cannot say Himself. and there is no amount of works that will improve your personal walk with Him either that He couldn't just give you. He gives us the privilege to be a part of His ministry to others, and to seek Him out in our daily lives. the only thing that we can ever do is surrender to Him and seek Him out. He offers us a chance to be a part of  His experience, and we can either be bitter at our lack of control, or be swept away in the current of His grace. 

"give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." -psalm 55:22

"then Jesus said, 'come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." 

-matthew 11:28

"can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" -matthew 6:27

one of the many songs we heard the children sing went something like this: 

"good morning Jesus, good morning Lord,

  i know you came from heaven, above. 

  the Holy Spirit is in control. 

  good morning Jesus, good morning Lord. 

  in the morning -- early in the morning, 

  in the morning, i will rise and praise the Lord." 

it was amazing to hear children sing a song to me that summed up what i had been learning the entire week. within that simple song is a simple message that rocks me to the core: God loves us, He's in control, and we have the amazing gift to know and love Him back. praying for you guys! God bless!