I was pondering about the issue of whether or not I deserve any good thing from God. As a Believer, have I obtained certain rights which I did not have prior to salvation? Is eternal life a 'right' of the Believer? I'm going to throw out the thoughts I've been having and leave it open to discussion. So please comment below with what your thoughts are.
Prior to salvation I was outside of God's family. Once I believed in Christ, I was adopted into His family and am a co-heir with Him. If I am a part of his family, shouldn't I deserve or have rights to the benefits of being in his family? My two younger brothers were adopted, and while they didn't deserve to be adopted, once they were, they deserved to be treated like members of the family. They deserved the same rights as anyone else in the family. It was their entitlement to ask Dad for things and to be able to live with the rest of us.
I hear a lot of Believers talking about various aspects of Christianity that they don't deserve, like being able to converse with Jesus easily, to ask Him for blessings, and to spend eternity with him, etc. While that may have been true at one point in their lives, it isn't any more. As a member of God's family, I do deserve eternal life. I do deserve the blessings God gives in this life. I don't deserve it because of anything I've done, but I deserve it because of my identity in Christ.
Maybe I'm getting hung up on words (the English language lacks much), but does what I'm attempting to communicate make sense? Do you agree? Disagree?
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
'Elemental' Gospel: Time
Time
Time is a very funky thing. It's a relative constant. The hours and seconds tick by on a constant basis, but our perception of that passage is relative. Also, our entire measurement of time is based on earth's position relative to the Sun. If we were on Mars, what we would consider to be a second, minute, hour, or day would be a different length of time than what it is now. The concept of Time is quite hard to study too. How can you study something that is constantly in motion? What exactly is time anyway?
In addition to not being able to study it very well and having a relatively poor understanding of it, mankind has never quite subdued Time. We have seminars, books, self-help guides, planners, calendars, watches, etc but always seem to fall short of subduing it. The Science Fiction genre tells stories of mastering Time - being able to travel light-years in a second and visit distant places, being able to travel through Time itself and visit the past or future. But the reality is we all run out of Time. We have a certain amount of Time 'allotted' to us, and at some point, we all die.
How Jesus related to Time really has my brain in a knot.
Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
“You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
"Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
That last statement of Jesus is an astounding claim. Jesus basically said he was currently in existence before Abraham was born. Jesus existed in two different times.....at the same time! Chew on that for a while!
But his first statement there is quite astounding too. Whoever obeys my word will never see death. Jesus offers everlasting life with him to those who believe in him. We no longer have to fear for that time when we run out of Time.
Jesus truly has conquered Time. He exists with us now, and at the same time he exists at mankind's creation. And he has already paid the price for the everlasting life he offers us!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mankind has done some incredible things. They have to some degree or another subdued Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. But mankind has not subdued Time let alone understood. But there is a man, Jesus Christ, who has not only subdued those five elements, he has conquered them!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
'Elemental' Gospel: Air
Air
Floating in hot air balloons were the first step toward flight. Leonardo Da Vinci made drawings of flying contraptions, but never actually tested them. But it really wasn't until the Wright brothers flew their airplane that major strides were made. Now flight is an everyday occurrence. The wonder of flight has largely been lost. People are still trying to see how far they can go by space-jumping, sky-diving, having airplane races, etc. The militaries of the world are especially testing the limits of flight. What we know of their capabilities boggles the mind.
Of the four elements, Air causes us the most grief. For it is from air storms come. Just this past week the area around Dallas, Texas, was ravaged by tornadoes. Thunderstorms knock out power. Hail damages cars and roofs. Hurricanes destroy entire coastlines. We attempt to harness the power of air through windfarms, but we are scratching at the surface of the vast amounts of energy contained there.
When Jesus was on the earth, he faced many storms. But when He spoke, the wind obeyed his voice and became calm. Not only did he have control over the winds, but he was also able to fly unaided. When the Bible says that Jesus ascended into heaven, it means that his feet literally left the ground! He can fly!
Mankind may have subdued air to some degree, but Jesus Christ has conquered air!
'Elemental' Gospel: Earth
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
Earth
Shortly after God created the dry ground (aka earth) he created vegetation. A few days later he placed mankind in the Garden of Eden to take care of it. Farming and subduing the earth has been mankind's primary vocation since the beginning of time. In fact, because of Adam's sin, God cursed the ground and made cultivating it hard work. We have made farming much easier now with modern technology, but it still is no easy task.
As I think about how easy it is to traverse the continents due to good roads, trains, and automobiles, I have to conclude that we truly have subdued the earth. We still suffer from earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters, but overall, we rule the earth.
It is interesting to note that in many legends and myths, earth is often symbolic of death. In Greek mythology, one needed to descend into the earth to visit Hades. When we die, our bodies are very often placed in the earth. God made mankind from the dust of the earth, and when we die, we return to the dust of the earth.
When I think of Jesus interacting with earth I think of His death and resurrection. When He died, the book of Matthew states that the "earth shook and the rocks split." His death literally rocked the world. It is interesting to note that Jesus was also buried. He was placed in the bowels of the earth having breathed his last breath. One could even say that the earth swallowed him up. But Jesus conquered earth and burst forth from his grave alive!
While mankind may have subdued the surface of the earth, Jesus has truly conquered earth completely!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
'Elemental' Gospel: Water
Water
Of the common elements, I think Water gets taken for granted the most, especially in developed countries. About 70% of the planet is covered by it, and about 70% of our bodies are composed of it. One can survive without food for a couple of months, but can only survive for about a week without water. Water is what keeps our muscles, ligaments, and organs operating. While we are in a sense slaves to water, mankind was also commanded to subdue it.
The first Biblical record of someone showing some mastery over water is in the account of Noah. He was an inventor in his day and a boat....not just any boat, but he build the vessel which would save life on planet earth as we know it. Mankind had become so corrupted that God expressed sorrow that He even created mankind. So he decided to wipe out humanity with the exception of a man and his family. Noah was righteous in the sight of God, so God instructed Noah to build an ark through which He was able to start over.
When I think of water in general now, I think of sustenance and recreation. I need water to survive, and I appreciate the beauty of water as well. Streams, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, oceans, fountains, water-parks, water-fights all bring me joy, and remind me how we have subdued water. Mankind has made boats, submarines, hydroplants, dams, water-parks, and enormous fountains. Mankind uses water to mold huge pieces of metal, cool nuclear generators, and move tons of materials around the globe.
But mankind still has to fight water. Storms still cause boats to sink. People still drown or are afraid of water. Countries are still devastated by floods. We flee our homes when we hear of a hurricane or of flash floods. There's a YouTube video of a four-lane road being swept away by a raging river in a matter of minutes. While we may have subdued water for the most part, we certainly have not conquered it.
Jesus Christ however demonstrated His mastery over water a number of times in the few short years he spent on this earth. He transmogrified water into wine. He walked on water. While His disciples feared for their lives due to a storm, he slept soundly, and upon waking, He calmed that raging sea with just three words, "Peace, be still." Jesus not only conquered Water, He refers to Himself as the Living Water bringing life to everyone who believes.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
'Elemental' Gospel: Fire
I am starting a 5-part series on the 'elements,' that is, taking a look at the common elements (earth, fire, air, water) as well as a 5th element I've always believed should be included with those (time). I think these elements were included in the mandate from God to 'subdue the earth' in Genesis. Mankind has in some form or fashion subdued four of these five, but there is a man who has conquered all five. These posts will be longer than my usual posts, but hopefully they will be an easy, thought-provoking read.
Lightning flashes across the sky as he lumbers through the forest to his dwelling. Just as he enters the shelter of the cave, he throws up his hands and cowers as he is startled by a thunderous BOOM immediately to his left. Turning to see what the cause was, he sees a tree covered in dancing orange light. Fear grabs at him, but curiosity grabs harder, and he makes his way closer. A branch from above falls to his feet, the end of it also covered with this dancing light. He tries to touch the light only to pull back from the heat. Grabbing the other end of the branch, he carries it back to his cave to show the others.....
Many people believe that this is how 'man' discovered fire. But many people also believe that the 'man' in the story is a descendant of some primordial goo. In the Biblical account of man's history, the first mention of fire is the flaming sword wielded by the cherubim to keep man away from the tree of life. Fire is a chemical reaction in which the fuel is transformed into heat, light, and smoke.
In nature, fire can be both incredibly harmful and incredibly beneficial. Consider a forest fire started by a lightning strike. It destroys acres of trees and many animals lose their homes. But it also 'resets' the area and new life quickly springs up. In fact, there are certain pine trees whose cones will only release their seeds in the presence of the intense heat of a fire.
While mankind struggles to contain out-of-control fires, largely we have subdued this element. In fact, it is highly likely you have used fire in some form today! We use it for heat, protection (in the wilderness), cooking, comfort, generating electricity, powering the car you drive, and for a multitude of other things.
BUT fire is still a source of fear for many, and for good reason. Fire is very hot, and it is very easy to get burned. Healing from a bad burn is an incredibly painful process, leaving many scars. So while we may have subdued fire, we certainly have not conquered it.
This is a true story:
There once was a very proud king who had his servants build a gigantic golden statue and proclaimed it god. He had servants play music to call everyone who heard it to bow down and worship the statue. The penalty for not bowing down and worshiping was death....death by fire. They would be thrown into a furnace whose fires were kept alive as a reminder of what waited for them. But there were three men who knew that this statue was not worthy of worship. They knew that it was just a statue, that it was NOT a god, so they did not bow down and worship. Servants of the king reported what those men failed to do, and the king was furious. He called the men to him and ordered them to bow when the music was played. Again, they did not bow, despite having heard the king order that the furnace be heated seven times hotter. They told the king that they only bowed to and worshiped the True God, and that He had the power to save them from the fire. They told him, "Even if he doesn't save us, we still won't bow and worship." The king, in a furious rage, told the soldiers to throw the men into the furnace. The heat was so intense that the soldiers who carried out the orders were killed as they got too close to the flames. The king thought that was the end of it, but something in the fire caught his eye....it was the three men walking around amongst the flames! But as he stared into the furnace, he realized it was FOUR men, and the fourth looked like a son of the gods! He called for the men to come out, and as the three men came out, he was astonished to see that they were completely unharmed, and they didn't even smell like smoke! The king knew then that the God the men worshiped really was the True God, and he recanted his order to worship the statue.
I believe the fourth man in the fire was Jesus Christ. He is the God whom those three men worshiped, and he not only rescued them from the flames, he was with them the whole time. Jesus is the only man who not only subdued fire, but who has truly has conquered fire.
Fire
Lightning flashes across the sky as he lumbers through the forest to his dwelling. Just as he enters the shelter of the cave, he throws up his hands and cowers as he is startled by a thunderous BOOM immediately to his left. Turning to see what the cause was, he sees a tree covered in dancing orange light. Fear grabs at him, but curiosity grabs harder, and he makes his way closer. A branch from above falls to his feet, the end of it also covered with this dancing light. He tries to touch the light only to pull back from the heat. Grabbing the other end of the branch, he carries it back to his cave to show the others.....
Many people believe that this is how 'man' discovered fire. But many people also believe that the 'man' in the story is a descendant of some primordial goo. In the Biblical account of man's history, the first mention of fire is the flaming sword wielded by the cherubim to keep man away from the tree of life. Fire is a chemical reaction in which the fuel is transformed into heat, light, and smoke.
In nature, fire can be both incredibly harmful and incredibly beneficial. Consider a forest fire started by a lightning strike. It destroys acres of trees and many animals lose their homes. But it also 'resets' the area and new life quickly springs up. In fact, there are certain pine trees whose cones will only release their seeds in the presence of the intense heat of a fire.
While mankind struggles to contain out-of-control fires, largely we have subdued this element. In fact, it is highly likely you have used fire in some form today! We use it for heat, protection (in the wilderness), cooking, comfort, generating electricity, powering the car you drive, and for a multitude of other things.
BUT fire is still a source of fear for many, and for good reason. Fire is very hot, and it is very easy to get burned. Healing from a bad burn is an incredibly painful process, leaving many scars. So while we may have subdued fire, we certainly have not conquered it.
This is a true story:
There once was a very proud king who had his servants build a gigantic golden statue and proclaimed it god. He had servants play music to call everyone who heard it to bow down and worship the statue. The penalty for not bowing down and worshiping was death....death by fire. They would be thrown into a furnace whose fires were kept alive as a reminder of what waited for them. But there were three men who knew that this statue was not worthy of worship. They knew that it was just a statue, that it was NOT a god, so they did not bow down and worship. Servants of the king reported what those men failed to do, and the king was furious. He called the men to him and ordered them to bow when the music was played. Again, they did not bow, despite having heard the king order that the furnace be heated seven times hotter. They told the king that they only bowed to and worshiped the True God, and that He had the power to save them from the fire. They told him, "Even if he doesn't save us, we still won't bow and worship." The king, in a furious rage, told the soldiers to throw the men into the furnace. The heat was so intense that the soldiers who carried out the orders were killed as they got too close to the flames. The king thought that was the end of it, but something in the fire caught his eye....it was the three men walking around amongst the flames! But as he stared into the furnace, he realized it was FOUR men, and the fourth looked like a son of the gods! He called for the men to come out, and as the three men came out, he was astonished to see that they were completely unharmed, and they didn't even smell like smoke! The king knew then that the God the men worshiped really was the True God, and he recanted his order to worship the statue.
I believe the fourth man in the fire was Jesus Christ. He is the God whom those three men worshiped, and he not only rescued them from the flames, he was with them the whole time. Jesus is the only man who not only subdued fire, but who has truly has conquered fire.
~~~~
(if you'd like to read the rest of the story, it can be found in chapter 3 of the book of Daniel)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Breathing
Yesterday I went on a strenuous hike, and in anticipation of it, I took a couple of puffs on my inhaler. You see, I have asthma. It's really not a bad case, and most of the time it's not even on my radar. I only remember it when I do something extreme...like go for an intense hike, or play sports, etc. But every time I inhale that medication, I am amazed at how easy it is to breathe!
I think that I generally operate at around 90% of my breathing capacity, and while that's plenty for my everyday life, that extra 10% I get from the medication is astounding. I feel like I could inhale forever. At the point where I usually switch from inhaling to exhaling, I feel like I just started inhaling. When I 'take a puff' I often have to take a few moments and adjust to the new freedom I'm experiencing.
Anyway, yesterday as I was reveling in the new levels of oxygenation I was reaching, I was reminded about how I have been given the Breathe of Life, and how easy it is to become comfortable Breathing less than 100%. As a human, I need oxygen to live, and as a Christian, I need Jesus to Live. But just like living with asthma, it's very easy to Live on less than 100%. The more I 'Breathe' Jesus, the more capacity I have for Breathing. I know the analogy isn't perfect, but it makes a lot of sense to me. :-)
Take time to listen to this song and ponder what it means.....
I think that I generally operate at around 90% of my breathing capacity, and while that's plenty for my everyday life, that extra 10% I get from the medication is astounding. I feel like I could inhale forever. At the point where I usually switch from inhaling to exhaling, I feel like I just started inhaling. When I 'take a puff' I often have to take a few moments and adjust to the new freedom I'm experiencing.
Anyway, yesterday as I was reveling in the new levels of oxygenation I was reaching, I was reminded about how I have been given the Breathe of Life, and how easy it is to become comfortable Breathing less than 100%. As a human, I need oxygen to live, and as a Christian, I need Jesus to Live. But just like living with asthma, it's very easy to Live on less than 100%. The more I 'Breathe' Jesus, the more capacity I have for Breathing. I know the analogy isn't perfect, but it makes a lot of sense to me. :-)
Take time to listen to this song and ponder what it means.....
Friday, March 23, 2012
St. Patrick's Day 5K
Last weekend I organized a 5K for where I work. I'm trying to do this once a quarter, and the St. Patrick's Day 5K was my second attempt. We had a great turnout, and everyone commented positively on it (except for Jon - the fastest guy, who complained that it was uphill the whole way out. We're talking about 150ft elevation gain in 1.5 miles, and it made it downhill the whole way back!)
Needless to say, it was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to the next one. Here are some pictures of everyone who participated. Enjoy!
Needless to say, it was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to the next one. Here are some pictures of everyone who participated. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Fatherhood
Last night Rachel and I went to a Childbirth Preparation class at the hospital we'll be using. We went on a tour of the birthing center so we'd be somewhat familiar with the layout when we're there in a few weeks. Part of the tour was visiting the nursery where we were able to look inside and see a couple of babies. One of the babies had been born within the last hour and the father was there with a nurse giving his new son his first bath.
We were there for about ten to fifteen minutes, and I was captivated by the father and son. I felt like I had a glimpse into the future, because soon, I would be that man giving my son his first bath. As the minutes wore on, I noticed a change take place in the man. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there was a noticeable change that took place as I watched. I don't know what all was going on in his mind, but it seemed like he went from being amazed at the new life before him to realizing that this was his son, that he was a father. He may not have even been aware of the change taking place, but the man we walked away from was a different person from the man who was there when we arrived.
I know a lot of things are going to be changing over the next several months, and I have given a lot of thought to the different areas, but I don't think I have given much thought to how I will be changed. I knew our family dynamics will be different, our lifestyles will be different, our choices will be different, but I didn't grasp that somehow I will be different.
It really makes me stop and wonder in what ways that change is going to be apparent.
We were there for about ten to fifteen minutes, and I was captivated by the father and son. I felt like I had a glimpse into the future, because soon, I would be that man giving my son his first bath. As the minutes wore on, I noticed a change take place in the man. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there was a noticeable change that took place as I watched. I don't know what all was going on in his mind, but it seemed like he went from being amazed at the new life before him to realizing that this was his son, that he was a father. He may not have even been aware of the change taking place, but the man we walked away from was a different person from the man who was there when we arrived.
I know a lot of things are going to be changing over the next several months, and I have given a lot of thought to the different areas, but I don't think I have given much thought to how I will be changed. I knew our family dynamics will be different, our lifestyles will be different, our choices will be different, but I didn't grasp that somehow I will be different.
It really makes me stop and wonder in what ways that change is going to be apparent.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Wake up call
This morning I really blew it....
It started out like every other morning, woke up, showered, got dressed, and otherwise got ready for the day. Rachel was stirring and we talked a bit about what I should take for lunch, and everything was peachy. I headed into the kitchen to make my sandwich, and Rachel hollers out from the bedroom, "There it is!"
"There what is?" I reply as I open the bag of homemade bread to put some meat and cheese on it. I realized that I was running a bit behind and really needed to get moving since I had a phone call to Spain scheduled.
"Do you hear it?" She calls back just as I realize that the homemade bread wasn't going to work. It was too fluffy and was almost falling apart in my hands.
"Hear WHAT?" I yell in my frustration over my failed sandwich attempt. I reached for the store-bought bread instead and started yanking out slices of bread.
"It's the woodpecker."
"Rachel, I'm trying to make my lunch!" I angrily yell back at her. (To be fair, I wasn't mad or frustrated at her. I was angry at the bread, which seems really silly now.)
I was answered by dead silence. My heart dropped and I knew I had messed up. I took a deep breath, calmed myself, finished my sandwich, and told myself that it would be better to get to work late and resolve this than it would be to get to work on time. I walked down the hallway and into the bedroom to see tears running down my wife's face. I sat on the bed and said those two little words, "I'm sorry." There was no excuse for my behavior, no rational explanation for my outburst, just "I'm sorry."
Thankfully I have an awesome wife who understands how messed up I am. She forgave me, and I asked her if she'd like to go look at the woodpecker. We walked out into our backyard and saw the little critter. It was banging away on one of the metal vents on our roof. I swear, that's the craziest woodpecker I have ever seen. I have watched it do the same thing on all the neighboring houses, and I can't figure out why it chooses to bang its beak on all those metal surfaces. We laughed at its antics and commented, "at least it's not tearing up the wood."
I made it to work on time for my phone call, and everything went smoothly. Interestingly enough, during the conversation, my coworker in Spain gave me some advice about living with a newborn. He said that there will likely come a point where Rachel and I will both be so tired we'll start snapping at each other over the silliest of things. It may be two weeks, it may be two months, but I need to watch out for when that time comes and be extra careful in my words and actions.
That is so true! This morning's mess up was a wake up call to what's coming. Not only in my interaction with my wife, but also in regards to my interaction to my kids.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)
It started out like every other morning, woke up, showered, got dressed, and otherwise got ready for the day. Rachel was stirring and we talked a bit about what I should take for lunch, and everything was peachy. I headed into the kitchen to make my sandwich, and Rachel hollers out from the bedroom, "There it is!"
"There what is?" I reply as I open the bag of homemade bread to put some meat and cheese on it. I realized that I was running a bit behind and really needed to get moving since I had a phone call to Spain scheduled.
"Do you hear it?" She calls back just as I realize that the homemade bread wasn't going to work. It was too fluffy and was almost falling apart in my hands.
"Hear WHAT?" I yell in my frustration over my failed sandwich attempt. I reached for the store-bought bread instead and started yanking out slices of bread.
"It's the woodpecker."
"Rachel, I'm trying to make my lunch!" I angrily yell back at her. (To be fair, I wasn't mad or frustrated at her. I was angry at the bread, which seems really silly now.)
I was answered by dead silence. My heart dropped and I knew I had messed up. I took a deep breath, calmed myself, finished my sandwich, and told myself that it would be better to get to work late and resolve this than it would be to get to work on time. I walked down the hallway and into the bedroom to see tears running down my wife's face. I sat on the bed and said those two little words, "I'm sorry." There was no excuse for my behavior, no rational explanation for my outburst, just "I'm sorry."
Thankfully I have an awesome wife who understands how messed up I am. She forgave me, and I asked her if she'd like to go look at the woodpecker. We walked out into our backyard and saw the little critter. It was banging away on one of the metal vents on our roof. I swear, that's the craziest woodpecker I have ever seen. I have watched it do the same thing on all the neighboring houses, and I can't figure out why it chooses to bang its beak on all those metal surfaces. We laughed at its antics and commented, "at least it's not tearing up the wood."
I made it to work on time for my phone call, and everything went smoothly. Interestingly enough, during the conversation, my coworker in Spain gave me some advice about living with a newborn. He said that there will likely come a point where Rachel and I will both be so tired we'll start snapping at each other over the silliest of things. It may be two weeks, it may be two months, but I need to watch out for when that time comes and be extra careful in my words and actions.
That is so true! This morning's mess up was a wake up call to what's coming. Not only in my interaction with my wife, but also in regards to my interaction to my kids.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)
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