Conquerors or Cattle

In a discussion about entertainment on Tim Challie's blog, a commenter said the following (I edited slightly):

"I only have to work 38.75 hours a week. When I come home I have my meals made for me and my house cleaned. My clothes are laundered. I have music played for me and books read to me. The only thing I really do is chew my own food and bathe and type on a computer. I’m only a brain and a pair of typing hands. In comparison to just about anyone from any civilization across time, I’m a cow, coddled and fat."

The person who made this comment was obviously using hyperbole, but the more I read it, the more it became unsettling. It reminded me of a sermon by John Piper where he reflected on how he was initially worried that in ministry he would primarily encounter Christian men who ran their homes like over bearing dictators. He was shocked to find the opposite problem in what he described as, "A remote control, a bag of potato chips, and feet propped up." This was alarming to me when I heard it, but with just a glance at America and I knew it was true. God help us... help us to be different, courageous, and diligent. Are we conquerors or cattle?

Explain Evil?

To seek an explanation for an evil event is a natural response, but it is passively an attempt to legitimize evil itself. Rather than weep and mourn as we should, we seek an answer with the commonly asked question, "why?". Lets pretend for a moment that a satisfactory answer could be found. Upon finding it would it not deepen the wound by stating, "Ah, see, this terrible thing can be explained away." It would kill compassion and numb every emotion directed toward evil. Mourning over an evil would seem foolish and would be denigrated by the sought and discovered explanation. But the plight of man has been and will be, till Christ returns, to seek to legitimize and explain away evil, especially our own.

Supernatural Fact

"Astronomers now find they have painted themsevles into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover. That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact."

-Robert Jastrow

For the record, this man was not a Christian, but an agnostic.

A Common Problem

The common bond between all men is that we eventually die. Every part of us fights against this fact; hospitals, medicines, doctors, etc. Man does everything he can to sustain life and prolong the time before death. So man has a common problem. But doesn't every problem have a cause? If so, what is the cause for this shared problem? And also, doesn't every problem have a solution? If so, what is the solution for this common problem?

An Accurate View

Without an honest and true view of ourselves, we will never aspire after God. It is knowledge of our sinful estate that makes us discontent. Discontentment will almost always lead to searching. Since God is the antithesis of our depraved state, He becomes alluring to us. The phrase, "irresistible grace", takes on a deeper meaning in light of this. Could a starving man resist a warm meal?

Finished Product

As some of you may know, I've been messing around with graphic design for a while and have been attempting to get t-shirts printed at threadless

You may remember my entry, "Experimenting with Graphic Design", where I showed the process of sketching, inking, scanning and vectorizing. The following is the result of that work and is up for vote for 5 more days.

Tim Keller Defends Belief in God

Tim Keller is a wonderful speaker and thinker, you'll not regret watching this.

Expect Evil?

Our existence is subordinate or imperfect in comparison to God's existence. If all that we see is inferior and flawed, evil and suffering should not be so alarming. Yes, it should still upset us, since that is no doubt part of its purpose. But it, as they say, "comes with the territory". If we acknowledge that our existence is imperfect and corrupted then we should come to expect horrific things to happen. We should also look forward with hope to a time when nothing is tainted and all is made new.

3 Simple Questions

Is it wrong to tell someone something you believe to be false? Is it also wrong to withhold something you believe to be true? How then, can you charge a person of faith with hatred for merely what is good according to the way you answered the first two questions?

We Long For Wrongs Righted?

Why, when someone acts in a way we deem, "wrong", do we feel they must be judged and punished accordingly? Some might say that it is an effort made to help safe survival of man to progress. But at its core, judgment and punishment are wanted and bring some satisfaction to the person longing for them. Seeing a criminal judged and punished does bring some feeling of safety, but primarily we feel better because order has been restored; a wrong has been exposed and condemned by what we judge to be a proper and right response. This commonality exists because it is stamped on all of us. A great wrong was committed and a great response has been offered. We all need Christ, and to pacify our sense that a wrong needs righted in ourselves we look to others to find satisfaction in their wrongs exposed, judged, and punished.

Actions vs. Words

Men see meaning in your actions as much as they hear meaning in your words. We should strive to make sure both meanings match and compliment each other rather than one destroying the other. How often do we empty the Gospel almost as soon as we've finished proclaiming it?

Idolatry = Hatred Part 2

I was asked if hatred toward God in the realm of idolatry and disbelief is witting or unwitting, the following was my answer:

I think in a general sense, it is unwitting; general disbelief or other religions that someone might be raised to believe. But I think there are specific actions that are wittingly hateful toward God and His law, repetition of sin that deep down we know is wrong or intentional rebellion against things we naturally perceive to be wrong (ie: lying, stealing, etc.)

Ultimately it is all hateful because it is the opposite of love. When a child disobeys their parents because they get caught up in the excitement of eating a cookie because it is their favorite, they aren’t actively hating their parents, it is more passive, but hate is still present. In that moment their love for their parents isn’t as strong as their longing for the cookie. But when a child intentionally does something because they want to disobey and the cookie is just a means to disobey, that is active hatred. In other words, something can entice you to disobey, but a lot of the time the act of disobedience itself is what’s enticing. The two are different in the realm of passive vs active, but they are both carried out in the absence of love. If someone is enticed by disobedience, they are being tempted to stand in opposition to the law maker. What could be more hateful?

Why I Hate Religion

Mark Driscoll says it better than I could...

Sketching Tips

I was having trouble sketching for my lastest WIP, King Pong, and a simple sketching trick helped me out. I was struggling with the size of each part of the sketch maintaining what I was sketching from.

First, get a ruler and create a grid of squares over what you are sketching from. Then make a grid, larger if necessary, on the paper you will be sketching on. This allows you to have smaller frames of reference for each piece of the sketch and makes increasing the size of the object a lot easier. Note the difference in size in the following sketch:
(you can click the images for larger versions)



Second, once your sketch is satisfactory, go over just the sketch not the grid with ink.



Third, get yourself a nice eraser, and once the ink is dry, erase your sketched grid.



Fourth, scan your image, make it black and white, up the contrast once or twice, and if you have Illustrator, do a live trace. I did a live trace, and then printed it out because sometimes on certain spots the ink is too weak and it needs to be re-inked so you can re-scan the image and get a better live trace.



Finally, add color.

Sleeping with Snakes

If sin be evil and should be fled from, why would you embrace it as an old friend so often? Would you slumber with venomous snakes? Or dance on thin ice above awaiting doom? Such actions would be the behavior or someone out of their mind or someone longing to be hurt. Do you long to be hurt? Are you out of your mind? If no, then forksake your old friend with whom you've enjoyed so many hours of destruction to your own soul. Pluck out the needle of death from your arm! Rise from this bed of ashes you seem content to lie in and let Christ be your portion, day and night.

Incomparable Grace

The nearer I stand to God the greater dishonor I can bring him. If He pulls us close and blesses us with even a whisper of grace, let us honor Him as our king through obedience and faith. Would you work less and show less loyalty to your job after being promoted? We honor those that bless us in ways that seem like favors from an ant in comparison to the grace of God in our lives. A drop of grace from God would drown a lifetime of favors and blessings from men.

Lukewarm Gospel

Men would sooner believe the Gospel we preach if they saw it deeply seated and burning within our chests. Are you cold? Lukewarm? What Gospel are they seeing compared to the one we are proclaiming? Often our own actions and choices contradict the very Gospel we say we believe.

So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:16

Busyness Doesn't = Godliness

Busyness is often a mask we hide behind, feigning Godliness on the surface while creating a dust cloud of distraction and unavailability. We think if we have a list of things we have done or are doing that we are somehow safe from rebuke. Let us remember the words of the Psalmist:

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

God is to be exalted, not us. This verse should humble even the busiest man.

They Are Dead

John Piper, as usual, gets to the heart of the matter with passion, love, and unwavering boldness.

A Curious Case Indeed

No spoilers are contained in this entry. In the movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", Brad Pitt plays the role of a man who was born old and is getting younger. The movie starts off with a clock maker who wishes he could bring back his dead son, so he makes a clock that runs backward in honor of the fallen sons of war. I enjoyed that the movie, in a very creative and epic way, dealt with the common bond between all men: human life moves in an irreversible direction toward death. Instead of growing old and having regrets like the old people around Benjamin, he grows younger, and as he does he forgets where he has been and what he has done. Growing old and remembering our past actions and having regrets is a picture of what is to come. All will give an account for their actions, and growing old is a whisper of that reality. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", is a curious case indeed. I highly recommend this movie.

Collision Movie

I am very excited to see this. The trailer is like something from a Bond movie or something. Very well done.

7 of Diamonds Means What?

Without universals or absolutes, particulars have no meaning. I can take a random card from a deck and place it face up on a table. Apart from the foundational framework within the whole deck, an individual card lacks any meaning. Color on paper is all you are left with. What meaning is held within a 7 of Diamonds without the whole? It means nothing. But when placed within the context of the whole or viewed in relation to the whole, meaning springs forth.

Experimenting with graphic design

I've been experimenting with sketching, inking, scanning, and vectorizing. The following is a WIP I started on yesterday.

Sketch













Ink













Add Color













The WIP can be found on Threadless.com under "Shuttle-Cock"

I no longer live in solitude

I trust in you for life to live, and air to breath.
Purity fills my lungs.
I no longer live in solitude.
No longer bound.
My heart beats with great devotion.
This is the start to a new beginning.

-August Burns Red
-Redemption

Gospel Coalition - Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll will make you laugh and then punch you in the gut a second later. That does not have to be a metaphor, but that is how I meant it. The following sermon is very practical and helpful to pastors dealing with troublemakers in the congregation. Driscoll did an excellent job handling the text while offering practical advice on possible negative types of people to watch out for, and how to handle them.


4.21.09
Mark Driscoll
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
2 Timothy 2:14-26
Formats: Audio/Video

Spiritual ability?

Much like our ability to think and reason, what if we have a spiritual ability along the same lines? We trust our ability to think and reason and have no empirical evidence to prove the ability exists. One might say, "I can prove I have the ability to reason empirically because you can observe me doing it right now." Which of course is as empirical as observing someone acting on their spiritual ability (ie: praying). We are also unaware of our ability to reason until it is acted upon by an outside source; parents teach children to speak, read, and learn. What if a spiritual ability does exist, but we are unaware of it until acted upon by an outside source?

Idolatry = hatred?

God gave of Himself in creation; His creativity (I say this with reverence), and most importantly His image. Then, to restore what was damaged He gave of Himself in His son. He continues this by grace through salvation and forgiveness. Selfishness and idolatry should be seen in deep shades of repulsiveness in light of this reality. Imagine cursing and spitting in the face of someone who loved you and continually gave of themselves for you. This is a dim glimmer of the hatred within idolatry and disbelief. They are truly the actions of children of wrath.

Confession vs Repentance

Confession and repentance are no doubt related, but they are in fact, very different. Confession is the acknowledgment of a wrong while repentance is the sorrowful turning away from the admitted wrong. Too often in Christian circles we accept/offer confession without repentance. This leads to pattern behavior and passive justification of the wrongs repeated. One starts to think, "Well I continue to confess how cruel I am, so I need not make any adjustments. At least I'm confessing to being a cruel person." Without repentance we are merely self loathing parrots who repeat practiced lines that get us crackers in the form of pity while never changing the dirty newspaper in our tiny cage.

Intellectual Lethargy

"Intellectual lethargy is undoubtedly the greatest sin of many Christians today. They never grow in knowledge, they end where they began. They are always talking about first experiences, but they never entered into the riches to which Paul refers; they have never climbed the mountain tops and breathed the pure air of God's holy truth. They are content with the ordinary level; they are ignorant of the more advanced teaching because it demands an intellectual effort."

-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
-The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Wired for belief?

To say that people believe in God because over time we evolved with a, "God center", and that those who believe tend to survive better is no stronger an argument than saying we survive better while believing because we are made for belief. What if widespread belief is whispering of a deep need in man? And since arguing for a, "God center", can not be proven and is ultimately just another belief, it is undercut by its own claim.

Is your life a tragedy?

Don't let your life be dictated by, "The American Dream", let it be dictated by something greater. Don't let your life be a tragedy. Do not store up treasures where moth and rust destroy. How big is your shell collection?

Sermon Notes - Feed the Flame of God's Gift

4.21.09
John Piper
Feed the Flame of God's Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel
2 Timothy 1:1-12


Main point: Keep feeding the white hot flame of God's gift of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and suffer for the Gospel

1. Where does the main point come from?
2. Is it the point of the whole book?
3. How do we fan the flame?
4. Do it!
   

1. v6-8

• Keep feeding it (v6)
• The gift (v7-8)
• How does he get the power?
  

2. Is the main point an isolated thought or the burden of the whole book?

• 1:16, 2:3, 2:9, 2:10, 2:12, 2:15, 2:24, 3:1, 3:10, 3:12, 4:5, 4:6, 4:7, 4:16

3. How do we feed it?

• By linking 1:2 with 2:1 (By the grace that is in Christ)
• How do I get the grace? (see 1:2)
  
  • God's word mediates the grace

• All epistles open: grace to you / end: grace with you
  Why?
• As you read, grace comes to you. After you're done, the grace with go with you. Hold it!

4. Do it!

1. Your faith is authentic (v3-5) and I'm speaking to you as a father to a child
   
   
   • Paul says, I believe your faith is real, even though it came from your mom and not your dad. My faith is from my parents too. Dad wasn't there spiritually for you, but your faith is real, my beloved son.
     
   
   
2. Paul gives himself as a pattern for suffering and God's sustaining grace.
   
   
   • You'll suffer, but don't be ashamed
     
     • Because the Gospel is powerful
       
       
   • I'm your father, I'm in jail, and I'm not ashamed
     
     
3. The power (v9-10)
   
   • The grace of God was not given to you when you were converted, but before the world began
     
     • Your name is written, before the world was formed, in the lamb's book of life

Conclusion: Your calling, courage, salvation, power, has nothing to do with you and are they are not dependent on you.

• From eternity, God planned to do you good.
  

Gospel Coalition - John Piper

John Piper's ministry and sermons have always been a huge encouragement to me. This sermon was empowering and wonderfully passionate. If you are struggling with fear in your witness or your call, this message is for you.


4.21.09
John Piper
Feed the Flame of God's Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel
2 Timothy 1:1-12
Formats: Audio/Video

Summer Reading

What is the best way to approach a summer reading list? Hopefully my experience and advice can be of service to others who have failed to get through the large stack of books they tried to read last winter/summer break.

In my own life, there is always a pile of books that I can't wait to dive into. What tends to happen is that I pick up one and either A) Enjoy it and take my time or B) Dislike it and rarely touch it. This ends up slowing me down and leaving my stack of "want to read" books barely touched.

This summer I put together a plan to help me get through more books and enjoy each one in their own way. I have my DUTY list and my LEISURE list. I used the word "Duty" because it challenges me to take serious my time of reading the books on this list. I also kept the "Duty List" short to insure I get through each book. The "Leisure List" has books that look like easy/fun reads, and is a bit longer because some of the books may be a quick 1-2 day read.

The idea behind these two lists is that my "Duty List" will be a time of strengthening, growth, and training. The "Leisure List" is designed to give me an escape from heavy or challenging reading, but to keep my mind afresh and enjoying reading as a hobby.

I hope this helps, and feel free to comment with your own summer reading list or ideas that you use when reading.

Don't Waste Your Summer

As final exams pass us by and papers are turned in, let us remember to not waste our summer. Relax, enjoy some leisure, but do not waste your summer. Study God's word, know Him more intimately, improve your walk, spend more time with your family, do things that have eternal significance, substitute some TV and read a book with your wife, play less XBOX and Playstation and look at God's creation, breathe in the fresh summer air and know that God has made it.... but do not waste your summer. The following video emphasizes a similar theme, but I will let John Piper tell it to you...

Sermon Notes - The Gospel and Idolatry

4.21.09
Tim Keller
The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
Acts 19:21-41



My notes from the conference:

Acts 19:23-41
-Paul always took on and challenged the idols of the people.

To be effective:
-Discern, Expose, Destroy
-Idols

DISCERN: If idols are confronted, after salvation a person's life will be greatly changed. If they are not confronted, they run the risk of living an unchanged life.

Every community, culture, or person looks to something as an idol.
-Something to save them

What is an idol?
Anything in your life that is so central that losing it would strip all meaning from your life.
-It is when you take a good thing and make it an ultimate thing.

EXPOSE: When you threaten idols, anger and chaos will follow.

3 kinds of idols to expose:

1. Personal

• Money
• Romance/Love
• Children

2. Religious

• Truth - the "rightness" of doctrine
• Gifts - mistake gifts for fruit
• Morality - I'm loved because of what I do

3. Cultural

• Family
• The individual
• Politics

DESTROY: When the idols are opposed, it is violent.

Paul risked his life to confront idolatry.
Jesus gave his life.
- You'll always take your life into your hands when you confront/destroy idols.

Objectively: Jesus died, conquered death
Subjectively: We need to see this

Gospel Coalition - Tim Keller

I am going to provide links to all of the sessions for those who are interested. It was truly a powerful conference, and I'm thankful for their willingness and graciousness in putting these videos up for anyone to watch.


4.21.09
Tim Keller
The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
Acts 19:21-41
Formats: Audio/Video

Timothy Wright

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Fri Apr 24, 3:27 am ET

NEW YORK – The Rev. Timothy Wright, the Grammy-nominated gospel singer and composer known for his up-tempo praise songs and powerful mass choir sound, has died. He was 61.

Full story: Yahoo News

Authority and experience

The idea that we are autonomous and our own authority is contrary to the entire idea of authority itself. Authority, to maintain any level of actual legitimate authority, must of necessity exist above the object that is subject to it. In other words, it is nonsensical to say you are your own authority because you can't be above yourself and subject to yourself simultaneously. And if you are your own authority, then that means you make your own rules. Does this mean being autonomous makes our lives one big game of Calvin Ball (from a cartoon where a young boy makes up rules as he goes to play a game)? If that is the case then you aren't really your own authority because you can change the rules at any point which means you really answer to no one, not even yourself. You simply adapt the rules to your liking and continue playing the game how you want. This, in my estimation, is far more dangerous than someone who believes in an authority that exists outside of himself.

Experienced based truth is also nonsensical. To say, "I will derive my own truth from my own experiences," is a redefinition of truth while claiming to be the definer and molder of truth. One must think very highly of themselves and their experiences to say such a thing and actually believe it. For something to be true the opposite has to be false. So how can experience be a source for truth? You might say, "These things have happened to me, and they are what I base my views on." But since much of our experience is out of our control, this sort of truth finding is as reliable as rolling dice or flipping a coin. Do you know what will happen to you next week? No? Then your "truth" is subject to change, which removes any idea of truth from your definition and allows for things that were once false to now be true. Truth then becomes merely what you think for the moment, and nothing more. The delusional man that goes on a shooting spree has his own "truth", so how can his actions be wrong or his ideas false? I'm sure his experience has played a major role in bringing him to anger, violence, and murder. So how do you know that you're right? You're just as convinced as the mad man with the gun.

Perfect man?

Is it reasonable to look within man for truth? Man who is born with imperfections, dependencies, and a mortal body that slowly dies from the moment of birth? Is it not more reasonable for man to see his nature being imperfect and ultimately corrupt as a reason to look for his antithesis as the source for truth? An imperfect, dependent, mortal being should naturally assume the existence of a perfect, independent, immortal being. This should then lead to a subordinate view of man below the perfect immortal being that must of necessity be above and superior to all that exists. Therefore, faith and belief in a god is far more reasonable than the denial of any superior existence. Those who deny the possibility of a perfect being existing passively deny their own imperfection, deem themselves a god among mortals and should then define perfection by their imperfect perception and existence. Is this not the behavior of insane men? Did not Hitler take this view to its logical end? He deemed himself a god among men and became the one who sought to define perfection while ridding the world of what he thought to be imperfect. Men who deny any god yet live peaceably with other men deny their own supposed godlike nature by living equal to and not above other men. If they be a god, they are not one worthy of worship, let alone worth listening to.

Christ is worthy, we are not

Truly Christ is the only one who has conquered death. He subdues and changes our dead hearts! Only the one who has defeated death itself could do such a thing. The power of Christ should bring us to an awestruck, thankful, and humble position. We rail and cry and demand what we want, but what have we done to deserve a position of demand? We are wretched creatures bound to a limited existence with no ability in ourselves to change our estate. The only one in a position to make demands of anyone is the reigning Lord Jesus Christ. God has put Christ next to Him and will have Him judge the earth. So stop making vain demands and cling to the only one worthy.

Free will is unnatural?

If we are merely the product of natural selection, is any decision we make truly free? If chemicals have fired, mixed, and grown, and the result of that is our existence/thoughts, how can any form of "free will" exist? A thought is one of two things: It is either the result of an intentional will or the result of chemical reactions. It cannot be both because one cancels/contradicts the other.

Convert to Atheism? (revised)

** Below is the same basic argument with revisions due to flaws and weaknesses that were exposed through criticism. Thank you to everyone who contributed in the discussion that has led me to a more sound argument. **

Men are not naturally "Atheist", they become Atheist. To claim that a man is naturally Atheist is untrue unless the concept of God is automatically pure nonsense to him. Take the youngest child with the earliest stage of intellect in place. When you try to explain God to them, you are not met with immediate distrust and rejection. They have the natural capacity to understand the concept of God. Now try to explain that an engine exists inside a car and makes it go. Numerous questions and even mistrust may follow. They have the ability to be taught and to learn what an engine is, but the built in capacity to grasp the concept of an engine is not there as it is with God. We have a natural schema built in for knowledge of God. This is common and easy to access empirical data.

If this schema was not built in, then men would see the concept of God as pure and un-intelligible nonsense from the earliest age. Sure they can be "indoctrinated" but eventually, ideas of Santa Claus or Unicorns are seen as untenable because evidence is lacking as well as a schema. If this schema for God were not there, men would not see fit for constant written or spoken denial of God. So men, in a sense, become Atheist. They deny knowledge that they already knew to begin with. So the Atheist who uses any energy to deny God’s existence ends up confirming his own innate knowledge of the very thing he wishes to deny. In other words, with every word written and spoken in an effort to deny God’s existence, the Atheist proves he was born with a schema for knowledge of God that he is now opposed to. Because if the Atheist’s natural state of mind was “Atheist”, then the concept of God would be so foreign and stupid to him, he would not waste a single second denying such nonsense.

Convert to Atheism?

Men are not born Atheists, they become Atheists. To claim that a man is born Atheist is untrue unless the concept of God is automatically pure nonsense to him. Take the youngest child with the earliest stage of intellect in place. When you try to explain God to them, you are not met with confused bewilderment. They have the natural capacity to understand the concept of God. Now try to explain that an engine exists inside a car and makes it go. Bewilderment or blind trust will no doubt follow. They have the ability to be taught and to learn what an engine is, but the built in capacity to grasp the concept of an engine is not there as it is with God. This is blatant and easy to access empirical data.

If knowledge of God was not built in, then men would see it as pure and un-intelligible nonsense from the earliest age. They would not see it fit for their constant written or spoken denial. So men, in a sense, become Atheists. They deny knowledge that they already knew to begin with. So the Atheist who uses any energy to deny God’s existence ends up confirming his own innate knowledge of the very thing he wishes to deny. In other words, with every word written and spoken in an effort to deny God’s existence, the Atheist proves he was born with knowledge of God that he is now opposed to. Because if the Atheist’s natural state of mind was “Atheist”, then the concept of God would be so foreign and stupid to him, he would not waste a single second denying such nonsense.

Truth?

Where does the idea of truth come from? What makes something true? Why do we think in the realm of true and false?

If something is true then it can never be false. For example, 2+2=4. If that is true, then it can never be false. If there exists a possibility for it to ever be false then it was never true. But, some may say, it is now 1 o'clock and in an hour that will not be true, it is only true for that moment. However, we know that the passing of a moment verifies its existence. If it is now 2 o'clock, that verifies the truth that it was previously 1 o'clock. So it does not prove things can be momentarily true because they can still be seen as true once the moment passes. The fact that I'm now 26 years old verifies that it was true to say I was 25 last year.

But we treat some truths as unchanging. We think 2 plus 2 equals 4 now, and will always equal 4. If we say that 2+2=5 is a possibility in the distant future, then the truth of 2+2=4 is undercut. The very reliability of math would be demolished. However, we treat and trust math as very reliable. We think and act as if 2+2 will always equal 4. Therefore, to us, true and false are eternal concepts. It will always be true that I was 25 last year and 2 plus 2 will always equal 4. So we, as finite creatures, at our foundational thinking level, think in infinite terms. This leaves two possibilities. An infinite "thing" exists, and we are thinking rightly, or an infinite "thing" does not exist, and we are thinking wrongly.

If we think in the realm of true and false by a mere evolutionary process, then does truth even really exist? Is it not just something we created? A mere means by which we converse, a way in which we choose to look at existence? And if we created the idea of truth, then we can create a new idea. I can choose to ignore "truth" and think in my own terms. But is such a thing even possible? I can say 2+2=100, but 2 dollar bills added to another 2 dollar bills will not suddenly become 100. If I say gravity does not exist and then jump off a building, I will fall. The things around us simply are. So if something is "there", it cannot suddenly be "not there" just because I say so. So truth must come from somewhere. Truth is, in a sense, imposed upon us. I cannot fly by saying gravity does not exist or create money merely by stating exaggerated addition.

But why do we, as humans, think in terms of true and false? Why do we not just merely exist and act on instinct alone? Even if a man says, "There is no such thing as true and false! All is relative!" Such a man is insisting his view is true and that the opposite is false. This kind of thinking self destructs. Or some say, "There are no absolutes, I trust gravity to keep me in place because it always has. And I trust 2+2 to equal 4, because it always has." Yes, but if your friend was always on time, would you place such a trust in him? "I trust my friend will always be on time because he always has." Such thinking, when placed in another situation, looks quite foolish. People around you would protest, "But what if there is an accident? Or if he forgets?" Would such a person cross their arms and say, "No, he will always be on time because he always has." But alas, such is the reasoning of many. "Gravity will keep me here because it always has and my bank account will stay as it is because it always has." But what if gravity stops? Suddenly, the earths rotation stays the same, but the laws of gravity change. Or what if 2 dollars suddenly became 1 dollar? If there are no absolutes, then such things are possible, and faith placed in gravity or math is really quite foolish. Someone who is sick and claims they are not is often referred to as "delusional". So I suppose someone who has faith in absolute things but claims they do not could also be referred to as "delusional". And I don't suppose anyone should really take what they say seriously.

Is Reason Sufficient?

It has been said that to claim “reason is insufficient” would be self defeating because it is by reason that such a conclusion is arrived at. Such a statement, aside from seeming too confident in reason, seems inaccurate due to the fact that reason is quite simply the most dependent function of the human mind. One may read the previous statement and think to themselves, “Well how can you say such a thing and even trust it?” I would respond by pointing out that reasoning must of necessity have input to even function on the minutest level. Without information, reason is just an engine without gas.

Picture a child sitting in a bare room with nothing inside. The child observes his/her surroundings and takes in information. Based on this information the child can decide to move, sit still, lie down, etc. Like gas in an engine, this enables reason to function. Apart from information intake the child would not be able to reason about anything. “I can think. I can see. Can I move? I can. I will move over here.” Without knowing that movement is possible or that observation is the means by which the brain takes in information, reason would be at a stand still.

One might conclude from the above argument that a person’s reason is only as good as the information it receives. If the same young child was shown videos of little children jumping off buildings and slowly floating to safety, he/she might reason incorrectly about what would happen if they were to jump from a high location. So the real question is not about the sufficiency of reason, but the reliability of the information received through observation. Someone might say, “We conclude what is right and wrong by reasoning with our minds.” After stating this you must show what information influenced your reason to come to such a conclusion. You must also prove that this information is reliable. Essentially, you have reasoned that reason is how you determine right from wrong. What influenced your reason to reason that reason is reliable? Is the information that has been observed trustworthy? What makes it trustworthy? Have we simply reasoned that the information is trustworthy? If so, what information lead us to reason that information itself is trustworthy? It seems a tad circular does it not? You reach a point when, with reason stripped down, it is seen as insufficient due to its dependent nature.

At this point one might ask, “How can you even trust your current argument if reason is insufficient?” My response is that everyone takes a leap of faith when trusting his or her reason. There is no irrefutable concrete evidence that reason is trustworthy. Even if there were hard evidence for the trustworthiness of reason, it would be by reason that we judge and examine said evidence. One must reach a point where a leap of faith is taken, and a large amount of trust is placed in reason. It is dishonest to claim that no leap of faith is made when trust is placed in reason. Concluding that the faith of a Christian is no more of a leap than that of an atheist who trusts his or her reason.

So the question remains: Is reason sufficient? The gas and engine analogy seems to function well to answer this in a short and simplistic way. An engine cannot run on its own just like reason cannot function without information. An engine will only run as well as the gas put into it just like reason will only function as well as the information plugged into it. It would obviously be easier to see whether or not the best gas was used in the engine by observing how well it ran. It would prove a tad more challenging to see whether or not the best information was plugged into a person’s reason. Pragmatism is not a conclusive way to solve this problem. Thus concluding that reason is not solely sufficient, but highly dependent. Forcing strong skepticism on the anti-faith crowd that places so much confidence in reason and ridicules faith with such derision. Ironically it is faith that they place so blindly in reason’s sufficiency in spite of the absence of any hard evidence, the very thing people of faith are commonly labeled with: blind faith with no evidence.

Naturalism

Supposing we live in a closed system, a purely natural world, what in nature tells us all men are born with equal rights? Nature, on the contrary, seems to show us quite a different view of man. Deformities, mental retardation, and simple things like size difference show us that no one is born equal. The natural abilities of a midget woman and a seven foot Kenyan man are vastly different. How then, does a purely natural system give we humans any reason to believe in equal rights? If we have merely evolved from animals, why do the principles of 'survival of the fittest' vanish from our minds?

The seven foot Kenyan man is bigger and much stronger than the midget woman. Why would it be wrong for him to capture her, rape her, and claim her as his personal possession? If we are but highly evolved animals then the Kenyan man is using his reason, intellect, and strength to make a decision based on what he wants. Who are we, as fellow evolved animals, to tell him what he desires is wrong? "She has rights!" some may cry. Yes, but why? She was born smaller and weaker than him. Why can't we conclude that a stronger person has more rights based solely on the fact that they are strong? Nature doesn't give us any reason to believe every human has equal rights. A closed natural system can only lead to no rights and no equality, ending in barbaric or sophisticated 'survival of the fittest'. The man who claims there is no supernatural, that we live in a closed natural system, and also claims that humans have equal rights must take reasons and philosophies about the existence of man from outside his closed natural system. This is pure and indefensible contradiction of thought and practice.

How then, would this same man defend and hold to belief in human dignity? Why does life have value? Why is molesting and murdering a child wrong? What in a closed natural system gives self attesting proof that mankind has dignity? In a close naturalistic system we are highly evolved animals, but still animals. A lion may see fit to eat and slaughter his young. How do animals, highly evolved or not, suddenly deem that this is wrong? And not just wrong, but punishable and condemning?

A father, in a closed natural system, is free to do whatever he pleases with his children. They are his offspring, are they not? They are his, if you will, creation. In a closed natural system, what is the difference between destroying a created house and a created infant? Are they not simply the result of my actions? And therefore subject to my decision whether or not to allow them to exist? To hold to naturalism while also clinging to human dignity is also an indefensible contradiction of thought and practice.

A Source For Truth

Is it reasonable to look within man for truth? Man who is born with imperfections, dependencies, and a mortal body that slowly dies from the moment of conception. Is it not more reasonable for man to see his nature being imperfect and ultimately corrupt as a reason to look for his antithesis as the source for truth? An imperfect, dependent, and mortal being should naturally assume the existence of a perfect, independent, and immortal being. This should then lead to a subordinate view of man below the immortal perfect being that must of necessity be above and superior to all that exists.

Therefore, faith and belief in a god is far more reasonable than the denial of a superior existence. The only reason we know we are imperfect is because something perfect must exist. Those who deny the possibility of a perfect being existing deny their own imperfection, deem themselves a god among men and therefore define perfection by their imperfect perception and existence. Is this not the behavior of insane men? Did not Hitler take this view to it's logical end? He deemed himself a god and became the one who sought to define perfection by getting rid of what he thought to be imperfect.

Men who deny God and yet live peaceably with other men deny their own supposed godlike nature by living equal to and not above other men. If they be a god, they are not one worthy of worshiping, let alone worth listening to.

Circular

Men sneer and rail against God's Word. They claim, "It is the word of God because it says it is the word of God, how circular!" But I protest with all strength from God. Who claims what the unbeliever says is true? Well the unbeliever of course! "We say this and that about existence, and it is true!" Who is claiming something while at the same time being the attestation that it is truth? That is circular! Life apart from God is circular! No peace and no joy. Just fat headed puffed up blind men running in a circle of self attesting "truth". "We are right because we say so! This is true and there is no God!" God's wrath burns hot for those who deny Him. On the day of judgment I will tremble and testify against those who saw the truth and sneeringly rejected it in pride! I pity the blind men of this world, and I pray for strength to plead with them daily in patience and love.

Lullaby of Death

What is the parent's course of action when a child needs to be lulled to sleep? A peaceful and kind song of love to calm and lull the child into rest. The child feels warm, good, and happy. A euphoria floods their face as they drift into sleep. It is not necessarily their tired disposition that puts them at peaceful ease, but rather the soothing and kind song of love being whispered and sung. So the main cause, the prodding and soft pushing, is the lullaby itself.

The same child, when blindfolded and running toward the edge of a cliff is again in need of their parent's help. The child's need is now much different. Would a parent not appear to be out of their mind if they tried to lull the child to sleep in an effort to keep them from running off the cliff? A simple game near a cliff would prove deadly. What parent would be mindless enough to behave in such a way? And yet many preachers are just as mindless in their preaching. Lulling people to sleep as they hurl themselves headlong into hell.

This stems from the same lunacy in the above example with the child heading toward the cliff. More concern for someone's feelings trumps the ultimate concern for where they are headed. Don't startle them or upset them! Tell them how grand life can be and how much God loves them. As the child ran toward the cliff who would be hesitant to scream and shout? Who would only softly say, "You are loved, isn't that wonderful?" A patient dying wants cured! The child, if he knew the cliff was there, would want to be spared!

Imagine the conversation between the parent and child after the fact. The child is broken, bleeding, and barely alive. Would the child say, "I'm glad you told me I was loved." What lunacy is this? The child would shout and wail, "Why didn't you tell me?!?" Dare I say, one day many preachers (so called) will hear similar cries from a lake of swelter. All the men whom they have lulled to sleep will be abruptly awakened by the pain of death and the sting of suffering. And no excuse will be available for either party.

The law is on their hearts and they enjoyed the tickling comfort from their so called shepherd. Just because a man did not steal the bread, if it fills his stomach and warms his heart he is guilty for eating it. The greater crime is committed by the initiator, but the partaker is not innocent merely because he only "went along" with it. The soldiers that stood watch are guilty along with the wretched rabble that sent our Lord to the cross. Yes we can see how a larger measure of guilt and shame for the lazy preacher, the bread thief, and the ones who cried, "crucify Him!". But all partakers are not absolved and made innocent by their passive involvement.

You sir, who sit and slumber beneath the soft blanket of dead preaching are guilty as well! Stand and be judged!

Trust God

If God's Word be true and men are dead in their sins and haters of God then it is only by faith in the power of God's choosing, Christ's dying, and the Spirit's moving that we preach to sinners. How else can the dead be made alive? How else can foe become friend? How else can a rebel become a son? Do our words have power? Do we? Does such a thing happen from mere realization and motivation? No! Such a thing is a miracle! A miracle only possible by the Creator of all, the Sustainer of all, the Lord of all.

Shed off speeches of motivation and lectures of morality. Cling only to Christ and His Gospel. Preach only Christ crucified. Trust only God.

Beings of Conflict

Why is it that every book, story, movie, etc. has the element of conflict? Why are men drawn to a fight? sports? wars? gossip? The answer is simple: we are beings of conflict.

The law of God on man's heart, which is commonly called, "the conscience" is in conflict with our sin nature. The remnant of what was in Eden remains and we know we are made for more, but our rebellion wars against it. This makes conflict alluring to us. Why? Because conflict is the consuming state of our nature. Which team will win the game? Who will win the debate? Did you hear about so and so? Who will win the election? Conflict!

But God brings peace to us. The only peace sufficient for beings ingrained with conflict. The peace of Jesus Christ the risen Savior. I say risen because it is important to note His peace was wrought in His death and secured by His resurrection. His blood bought us, His resurrection secured us. "Are we not secure because He bought us?" you may ask. Of course we are secure because His payment was perfect and sufficient. But we are secured by the resurrection because our second life is made possible by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Being secured and being secure are quite different. We are secured by His resurrection, by the power, and secure in Christ because we can't be removed from Him.

So, miserable creature in conflict, doesn't being secure sound blissful? Doesn't an unmovable foundation sound glorious? Are you tossed about by lusts, desires, aspirations and the like? Does not Christ smell sweet? There He stands, unmovable and unshakable. He is the antithesis of what we are and yet He died that we might live. Embrace Christ!!

Reformed Pastor Pt 6

Chapter 2 - Section 2

-No matter how much I study and read, if the ends to why I am doing them be wrong, I am a great hypocrite.

-Knowing much with the goal of helping others and being edified is praiseworthy and wise.

-Before acts of grace the state of grace must come. True mercy, forgiveness, and compassion are not possible apart from knowing these things from God Himself.

-Many men are not proficient because they refuse to learn. There is no end or stopping point. A wise man can always be taught more.

-No matter how lovingly we deliver it, some men will always hate and revile us for telling them the truth.

-You will never preach earnestly to men that you don't fervently pray for.

Reformed Pastor Pt 5

Chapter 2 - Section 1

-Don't lead a man to living water only to muddy it by a sin filled life. Striving to be holy should bring about a desire to lead men to living water. To be living in sin only to haphazardly attempt to lead men to living water calls the motive of a man's heart into question. Why lead to living water that is apparently too bitter to drink ourselves?

-Paul was stirred by the idolatry of other men. Do we get so stirred? Do we even take notice? The constant denial of God that surrounds us dulls our senses to the rank repulsiveness of men's misleading words. If you smell not the odious stench that pours forth from the Tempter's workers how often do you unknowingly inhale and exhale the same stench?

-If you are weak you are exposed to dangers, your consolations and delight in God are abated, and the sweetness of wisdom's ways have been taken. You are less serviceable to both God and men and bring less honor to your master.

-Men would sooner believe the gospel you preach if they saw it deeply seated and burning within your chest. Are you cold? Luke warm? What gospel are they seeing compared to the one you are preaching?

-If we would remind ourselves daily that we are dying then we would see through the veneer fog of the present and press forward to what is eternal, what is to come.

Reformed Pastor Pt 4

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part C

-A prostitute will enter heaven more quickly than a pharisee because she doesn't need convinced or debated into believing she's in sin and misery.

-Speaking loudly without truth is like shooting a gun with powder and no bullet. It may spark and make lots of noise, but little damage is done to the enemy. Mix your zeal with truth, a truth that is humbling, a truth that has power, a truth that pierces.

-Men see meaning in your actions as much as they hear meaning in your words. We should strive to make sure both meanings match and compliment each other rather than one destroying the other.

-Even if you carry good meat to people, dirty hands can still spoil the meal you prepare for them. Don't let sin sour your delivery of the gospel anymore than our imperfection already does.

Reformed Pastor Pt 3

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part B

-The nearer I stand to God the greater dishonor I can bring Him. If He pulls us close and blesses us with even a whisper of grace, let us honor Him as our King through obedience and faith. Would you work less and show less loyalty to your job after being promoted? We honor those who bless us in ways that seem like favors from an ant in comparison to the grace of God. A drop of grace from God would drown a lifetime of favors and blessings from men.

-The only reason to doubt whether God will bless the work you do is if the message we proclaim has not changed our own hearts. If we do not work for God for whom do we work? If it be for us then every prayer and praise should be done in the mirror since we are worshiping ourself as a god.

-If sin be evil and should be fled from, why would you embrace it as an old friend so often? Would you slumber with venomous snakes? Or dance on thin ice above awaiting doom? Such actions would be the behavior of someone out of their mind or someone longing to be hurt. Do you long to be hurt? Are you out of your mind? If no then forsake your old friend with whom you've enjoyed so many hours of consuming death and destruction to your own soul. Pluck out the needle of death from your arm! Rise from this bed of ashes you seem content to lie in each night. Let Christ be your portion day and night.

Reformed Pastor Pt 2

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part A
-Is this perverting my judgment? Weakening my resolutions? Cooling my zeal? Abating my diligence? (good questions to ask about everything)

-As overseers we are blessed with more available restraint because we are up in front of people. The elevated position should humble rather than puff up. People can and should keep us from sin by confronting and rebuking us. We should in turn be thankful and receive their dealing with our sin. Any help in exposing and ending our sin should be wanted and welcomed.

-As learned men we cannot commit a small sin. The Lord in His grace has blessed us with knowledge and wisdom, and we spit upon that blessing when we sin.

-How often do I secretly cherish what I publicly disgrace? My shame should be great for the odious things that I cling to in the dark. Why does the wretched smell of sin become sweet in the dark? Because the light of Christ makes the Word taste sweet and our sin bitter. Oh that I would cling to the feet of Christ that the most lustrous sin would look like a rusting corpse of poison.

-If I seek to rescue men from Satan's grasp, a careless approach will not do. Great diligence and reliance on God's moving must be in place. How often we rush in headlong to speak of Christ's power and drain our very words of their efficacy by drowning them in mindless zeal.

Reformed Pastor Pt 1

** Time for a new series **

My thoughts after reading The Reformed Pastor

Chapter 1 - Section 1
-Deal plainly with sin and rebuke. You are the best friend to the man you plainly rebuke. Temporary disapproval from men means nothing compared to the eternal approval of God.

-All studies, even theological and Biblical ones, are worthless if we aren't doing so to seek and know God more.

-Everything we have didn't just come from God out of kindness and grace. Everything we have exists only because God does. Yes He graces us and blesses us, but the very things by which He blesses us only exist because He is God. View all things, especially ourselves, in light of this.

-Men will have less prejudice toward a meek and humble man. The proud man puts of such a stiff air that the very air for open minded listeners is choked and evaporated from the room. Put off pride if you wish men to hear you. Put on humility if you wish men to see Christ rather than yourself.

-"It is easier to chide at sin than to overcome it." We pick and chisel at sin, thinking if it be less frequent that we've had some type of victory. The death of a sin is the only true victory over it. Not that sin can cease in this life, but that our election would be made sure by a distaste and a disenchantment with our most favorite sin. Oh that Christ would sweeten our tongue making sin taste like dung.

Pt 10 Longing For Christ

Do you long for Christ, or do you long to long for Christ? Longing for Christ should embody the Christian, but how often do we find men saying, "I want to long for Christ much like these great men of the faith"? One should examine such a longing. Instead of being focused on Christ and His commands, you are focused on a 'longing' that you wish to have.

If you wish to long for Christ because you wish to be more like Him, then you do in fact long for Christ. However, if you hope to long for Christ because you see it as something to be obtained, like a good quality, then you do not long for Christ, but have an idol. You have a picture in your mind of what a 'good' or 'honorable' Christian should look like, and you long for that instead of Christ. Longing for a longing is an endless battle. You will never find any form of rest with such a fallacious approach. Long for Christ and Christ alone!

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PART ELEVEN: The Bible

Pt 9: God's Love Part 2

Some men would object, "Does not God love everyone?" A proper response to this is, yes of course. All of mankind is created in the image of God. God, in view of Himself must love all of mankind. Not for mankind's own sake, but because God loves Himself and must therefore love the creatures that bear His image. Again, He loves the Him within mankind, not mankind itself.

The whole idea may sound cold to some, but a question must be asked of those who object to this idea: What about mankind makes us worthy of God's love? We have already answered this: God's love for Himself and the existence of Himself within mankind is the only thing making them worthy. Anyone who objects to this may search endlessly for any quality in sinful man worthy of God's love.

Would it not be logical to say that God would have to dishonour Himself by loving something lower than Him with no rhyme or reason behind His love? God would irrationally love finite creatures despite the unoworthy nature of their sinful existence. Some will say, "You are contradicting the mercy of God! He gives not based on merit!" This is true, with respect to His grace, not His love. Love is seeking the beheld thing's ultimate good. God perfectly loves and honors Himself by seeking His ultimate good which includes saving sinners through the redemptive work of His only Son. Mercy comes into play when we view the worthiness of man receiving a perfect sacrifice in his place. Man deserves hell and Christ paid the price for him; that is mercy. However, we are speaking of God's love for His creatures in this section. To which we have already concluded that there is nothing within man worthy of God's love.

To love something also means you have an intense desire for it or attraction to it. That is how this section should be understood in reference to the word love.

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PART TEN: Longing For Christ

Pt 8: God's Love Part 1

Returning again to God enjoying His creation. He cannot love us for us, but rather He loves Himself perfectly, and in turn loves us for the image of Him that He has stamped on us. We only show a dim glimmer of God, so it only naturally follows that His love for us is not as full as His love for Himself. The closer we draw to God the more like Him we become, which only leads to more of Him in us to be loved by Him.

Some would say the joy He receives from us is a flaw in His character, placing some level of dependancy on His joy from our existence. But again we must see, He does not take joy in us, but rather in the existence of Him in us. It's only logical to see why He has a special love for man; we bear His image. God loves His whole creation, but it would be ludicrous to say He loves a spider as much as an infant or a tiger as much as a man. Mankind is made in the image of God, therefore there is more of God in mankind to be loved by God. He looks at animals and sees His glory in the creative, complex, and harmonic aspect of them, but they are not in His image.

It only then follows that His love for His children is even stronger. They have been transformed, given a new heart, and now strive to be like Christ. This gives even more of God to be within a man to be loved by God; He sees His image but also sees twinkles of Christ's character in us. What a special love He must have for His children! How that love must grow and intensify the more we die to self and become more like Christ.

NEXT:

PART EIGHT: God's Love For His Creation Part 2

Pt 7: Obedience Part 2

If the word of God is being preached well, then no method or program will change the hearts of those hearing it. However, "setting the mood" is a common topic for church methodology. Authors will tell you the best way to structure your service, sermon and songs to invoke the maximum amount of response possible. Of course no Biblical case is ever made for such nonsense, just western marketing strategies breaching the walls of God's holy church. The Holy Spirit doesn't hold back it's work until just the right amount of tender emotionally vulnerable mood has been invoked into the unregenerate heart. The Holy Spirit works only through the preaching of the word of God and the proclamation of God's truth to bring sinner's to salvation.

The latter statement of absolute will bring some to say, "You can't limit the Holy Spirit," to which only one response is needed: The Holy Spirit is limited by God to work in a specific way through God's word and proclaimed truth to bring sinners to salvation. People philosophize that because God has no limit in His power that there is no limit to the tools through which He can bring sinners to salvation. This philosophy makes anything acceptable if it brings someone to knowledge of Christ and redemption. But if you search God's word where does it say such a thing is true? God's word places sole reliance on the work of Christ. How else can this work be made effectual without the preaching of God's word?

To those who give topical lessons or inspirational speeches I charge with the title "speaker". Anyone can be a good "speaker" with enough practice and the right skills implemented. But to preach the truth of God's word boldly and accurately is something altogether foreign to many so called "preachers". They have fallen prey to professionalism and wish to be successful in the eyes of men rather than God. "Who wants to hear so much Bible?" they will ask you. Results will be given to back this up proving they have the wrong focus to begin with. They never say, "Look how much we are basing on God's word. We are obedient and true to God's commands and mandates." If this sort of reasoning is used then you know where their focus lies.

So let us conclude by saying this: Use the method or approach you feel led to use, checking it's validity with the Scriptures. And most of all, don't let results control your choices, let your obedience to God do that.

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PART EIGHT: God's Love For His Creations Part 1

Pt 6: Obedience Part 1

Men are carnal and prone to what is easy. Typically, as sinful men, we will also be prone to what comes quickly. If we look to the Apostles for an example we find something altogether different. They were so truly changed by Jesus that they sought Him in everything they did. Often you will find the intellectual rebellion telling us about the grand results of their work. This is whole heartily backwards. One's central focus should always be on Christ and His kingdom. These men will tell you lack of growth or numbers is a problem in need of radical change. The major problem with a result driven argument or approach is that many men in the Bible saw no "success" according to our standards. However, the only success we can know as imperfect sinful creatures is obedience to God's word.

How can we ever claim someone is successful based only on visible results? I'm sure anyone ignorant of their actions might think Joseph's brothers appeared to be quite successful after selling their brother into slavery. "Look," they would say, "They serve their father and comfort him in distress!" But their hearts were sinful, and their motives corrupt.

Firstly, anyone we could be talking about is a sinner who's righteousness is as filthy rags before God. Secondly, their ministry must be solely rooted in God's word before any such word like "successful" can be brought near it. Finally, our thoughts should never be so concerned with the success of someone or a ministry, but rather the obedience and Christ-likeness of the person or ministry.

If your ministry sees big results, praise the Lord for that, not the methods or approaches you used. You should never say, "I used these new methods from this book and many people are here. The results are wonderful and now it is time to obey the Scriptures." This again, is a reversed focus. You've spent all your time learning and trying this method to be successful in man's eyes that you've placed obedience to God's word at the bottom of your list of importance. You should strive so hard to obey God's word that any "success" you may have goes unnoticed. The less we pay attention to results and the more attention we give to obedience, the more true success we will experience.

So, good Christian, do not let these men sway you. Hold closely to God's word despite results and numbers that may be discouraging. Let them try their new tricks and methods with every new season, because the only timeless approach is obedience. Some might now say, "So what method or approach is right?" We will deal with that next.

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PART SEVEN: Obedience Part 2

Pt 5: Human Understanding

How can one confidently say, “I understand the ways of God perfectly” in view of human sinfulness? We can only very meekly say, “I imperfectly understand very little about God.” This sober approach is the only approach that a finite being must take toward an infinitely perfect being. Any deeper reasoning given for why God creates, damns, and sends men to hell must only be given in light of the Holy Scriptures. Too often men will shrug their shoulders and say, “We can’t say why God does what He does.” I contest that this is a dangerous and unnecessary extreme.

If we search the Scriptures we commonly and consistently find reasons given for the actions of God. We must admit, however, that not all of God’s actions, characteristics, and behavior can be confidently and exhaustively explained. Our finite and imperfect existence keeps us bound to a limited and small understanding. Still, such a wonderful and infinite being God is! Just our glimmer of sight into His existence is enough to ponder and discuss for all eternity.

So we should never shrug off questions of “why” and “how” about God. We should earnestly seek an answer from God and His Word. A slippery slope awaits those who do not wish to study or find answers. These men only wish to “feel” God, rather than “know” God. The intellectual rebellion has a new leader, book, or idea every minute. This rebellion also fizzles out quickly; almost as quickly as it starts. How can warriors be grown on milk and no meat? On feeling and no knowledge? On emotion and no understanding?

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PART SIX: Obedience