It's taken me a while to understand that. Not all Christians are Baptists - or Republicans. Not all Christians celebrate Christmas. Not all Christians watch Fox News or think that the world is going to end in our lifetime. I had to step outside my comfort zone (pardon the plagiarism Casting Crowns) in order to see this more clearly. (Perhaps not so) strangely enough I find myself changing into a different person as a result. This journal is not intended to attract arguments. This journal is my way of clearly laying out the things I've come to believe.
Buying an old house has its ups and downs. After seeing the state of the wiring in the kitchen I was sure our new home was a fire hazard. I’ve calmed down since that minor fit of panic (and learned a bit about wiring in the process) but the truth of the matter is – you never know what you’ve got yourself into with old houses. Our old house is no exception.
So what did we get ourselves into? We may never know the full extent of it to be honest. The wiring is outdated in some parts of the house, termite damage is apparent but not spelling our impending doom, and only half of the outer walls are insulated. In short, we have our work cut out for us. But it’s not all bad – we do, after all, own an awesome house. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the many theological topics I’ve been really studying this past year or so is eschatology (the study of last things). In particular I’ve been trying to figure out where I fall in the many predetermined categories. It has been such a blessing to take a step back and fairly evaluate each view. I can name several good pastors that I love and respect that fall into each category and if I’ve learned anything it’s that the Gospel is what binds us together – not anything else.
On October 30th, 2009 my wife and I became homeowners. Since that day my world has been upside-down. Beware, future homeowners, of the words, “It would be nice to go ahead and do it before you move the furniture in.” Three weeks later you will find yourself exhausted, penniless, and kitchenless.
Of course I’m making it sound worse than it is. I am very glad that we’ve chosen to renovate now rather than later (and no, dad, we’re not really penniless). True, my wife and I will have to make due without a kitchen for a few weeks – but in the end we will look at our new home with joy and contentedness. Speaking of my wife, she is AMAZING! She has worked very hard to make this house a good home for us and it means the world to me to see her investing her time and energy into making sure that the paint looks perfect and the house is clean.
Moving day is two days away! I’m so ready to be in our new house. The Lord is good in His provisions. I wish I had pictures to show, but we really would like to have the “after”s before we show everyone the “before”s. Hang in there. . .
The debate turned into a movie and a book. The movie (which comes out on DVD today) is called Collision. Now I haven’t seen the movie yet. It will be in the mail today. Let me tell you why you should want to buy this movie and watch it as well: Read the rest of this entry »
And by unbiblical I mean sinful. I have no intention of skirting around trigger words like that.
The basic question is this: Is it sinful for a God-ordained organization or position to overstep its God-ordained parameters? I would love to hear someone who has a compelling argument come out and say ‘no’, but after examining Scripture I am forced to conclude that the answer is ‘yes’. (I Samuel 13:8-14, 2 Samuel 6:2-7) God gives us guidelines for a reason. Sometimes it is for our good, sometimes for His glory, sometimes both, and sometimes we are forced to take Him at His word because we are clueless to discern His reasons. Read the rest of this entry »
I would ask you to watch this video. Be warned – it’s quite heavy:
Now ask yourself these questions:
Do I understand how he feels about religion? Do I understand what it means to be closed-minded? Is it necessary for Christians to be closed-minded when talking to people like this man? Do I act in a closed-minded way when talking to fellow Christians who don’t believe exactly the same things I do?
This is probably the 4th or 5th time I’ve started a blog. Every time previous to this I’ve hit the same wall. My life is boring. But recently I’ve begun to rethink a lot of things about writing and its benefits.
For one thing, not many people know exactly what has been going on in my life over the past few years. The exceptions are my immediate family and a few (very few) close friends. I’ve learned a lot and I feel like my broader circle of friends and acquaintances could benefit from understanding a little bit more about me. Read the rest of this entry »
