This was my first year as a blogger, and the start of this Christian themed blog, For Whosoever. While partnering my efforts with my musical blog Delayed Distortion, I saw For Whosoever reap the most results. Over the course of the year, the page view count has almost reached 1000, with multiple posts achieving close to 40 views. My most popular post was titled Homosexuality, which reached around 120 views alone.
I'm not only rating the success of this blog on numbers though. I found other areas to produce benefits as well. My opportunities for discussion of theological topics have greatly expanded to Christians and non-Christians alike. I've been able to broach religious topics with non-Christians more then ever before.
Personally, this blog has also helped me develop. I've found that just writing down my thoughts helps me organize what I believe, and what I need to research to find stronger answers. Throughout the year, I have solidified many areas of my religion so that I can give a clear answer as to what I believe regarding certain topics, and I've also identified weak spots that I myself need to work on, and the rest of Christians also need to work on. I've also strengthened my skills discussing religious topics with non-Christians, in order to effectively talk about subjects that are important, and sometimes controversial. At the start of the year, my methods were extremely weak, but at the end of the year, I feel more confident in being able to talk about subjects such as homosexuality in a way that doesn't ruin what Christians stand for, but also doesn't compromise what we believe. This year, this blog has also expanded my experiences, and given me valuable situations that I have muddled my way through, only to be able to more strongly get through in the future. Ultimately, this blog has been an extreme blessing to me, and for me.
For this upcoming year, I plan to stick to my original goal for the blog, but also try expanding a little. Currently, I have multiple series that I am working on. My ethical series, which includes my posts about homosexuality, will grow, with plans for posts on topics such as divorce, abortion, and war already in the workings. However, I am gearing towards making this series less confusing. Originally, many took offence at my first few ethical posts. The confusion arose from the purpose of my posts, which I tend to make much clearer in the next few posts. I am aiming to discuss the issues from a Christian worldview perspective, and while it is important to debate the results with non-Christians, my goal is to stick with simply summarizing what Christians do and should believe about the specific topics.
I am also working on my apologetic series, which began with the case for a God. This will be my main focus in the blog catering to non-Christians. I will be spending a lot of time with this series, finding facts and hard evidence to support the Christian case.
My recent synopsis or thoughts about each book of the Bible will continue, as I make my way through a YouVersion Bible Plan. After I finish each book, I post my thoughts on a couple of main themes that stuck out to me as I was reading. You can join me on the reading plan by searching JPRam1 on Bible.com.
Finally, I will continue to post about the various odds and ends of the Christian faith. This includes things we are currently succeeding at as the church, and also things that we need to work on.
Ultimately, all this falls under my new motto for the blog; Extensio animi ad mangna, which means Stretching the souls to great things. To follow along with this, I plan to add a few more dimensions to my posts.
I plan on posting more reviews of famous books, Christian movies, and sermons. I would also like to begin posting my own sermons, through video or audio format on the blog, as well as starting my own YouTube or SoundCloud site for that specific purpose. Finally, I also plan on expanding For Whosoever to include news postings about situations that influence or include the Christian audience.
2014 was an excellent start, and I can only pray that 2015 brings even greater results. Again, I plan on utilizing this blog to inform, inspire, and motivate others to achieve great things in God's name.
Monday 29 December 2014
Friday 19 December 2014
Reading Numbers
This past month, I was listening to a devotion where the speaker was stressing a specific theme. While he was talking about the book of First John, I think we can extend this theme to all the books of the Bible. If anything, it should help us to fully grasp what we are reading in these law books, such as Numbers.
The speaker who was leading this devotion was stressing the fact that the writers of these books in our Bible were real people, who really walked on this world, and breathed in the same air we breathe today. A lot of the time we read the Bible as if it was a fairytale, or a fictional storybook. The other extreme is sometimes we even read it as a non-fictional textbook. Either way, we never really think about what we are reading, or internalize it. It never seems real to us.
What this speaker was trying to title as important is that we see what we are reading as real words. The Bible isn't a fantasy, it is a reality.
Numbers is another one of those difficult books to read through. However, applying this reading method makes it a lot more interesting.
Just think! Thousands of years ago, someone, supposedly Moses, wrote these very words down on pieces of papyrus or stone. He, while actually living in the desert, resided in a tent, and spent a lot of time either writing himself, or dictating to a scribe. These words describe the very situation that the Israelites lived through, again thousands of years ago. The fact that we have those words still is amazing; picturing the people of God living by these words is astounding.
The thing with the Bible is we tend to make it distant. Sure we may have read the Bible from cover to cover, but we read many books from cover to cover. Something has to make the Bible different, aside from the fact that it is God-inspired. Realizing that these stories and words are very real is the beginning process. With that realization comes the eagerness to learn more, and to research. Eventually, there comes a point where you begin to apply the lessons learned to your life, and you begin to transform your thoughts and your soul. This is where the true transforming power of the Bible lies.
Numbers is no different then any of the other books of the Bible. It is as real as any other, and provides to God's Word in the same amount. We should not undervalue, or skip it merely because there are a lot of rules and numbers presented. Those rules and numbers serve a purpose, and have meaning. It is our job to see the purpose and meaning in the historical context, so we can realize what it meant to the people then, and what it can mean to us now.
The speaker who was leading this devotion was stressing the fact that the writers of these books in our Bible were real people, who really walked on this world, and breathed in the same air we breathe today. A lot of the time we read the Bible as if it was a fairytale, or a fictional storybook. The other extreme is sometimes we even read it as a non-fictional textbook. Either way, we never really think about what we are reading, or internalize it. It never seems real to us.
What this speaker was trying to title as important is that we see what we are reading as real words. The Bible isn't a fantasy, it is a reality.
Numbers is another one of those difficult books to read through. However, applying this reading method makes it a lot more interesting.
Just think! Thousands of years ago, someone, supposedly Moses, wrote these very words down on pieces of papyrus or stone. He, while actually living in the desert, resided in a tent, and spent a lot of time either writing himself, or dictating to a scribe. These words describe the very situation that the Israelites lived through, again thousands of years ago. The fact that we have those words still is amazing; picturing the people of God living by these words is astounding.
The thing with the Bible is we tend to make it distant. Sure we may have read the Bible from cover to cover, but we read many books from cover to cover. Something has to make the Bible different, aside from the fact that it is God-inspired. Realizing that these stories and words are very real is the beginning process. With that realization comes the eagerness to learn more, and to research. Eventually, there comes a point where you begin to apply the lessons learned to your life, and you begin to transform your thoughts and your soul. This is where the true transforming power of the Bible lies.
Numbers is no different then any of the other books of the Bible. It is as real as any other, and provides to God's Word in the same amount. We should not undervalue, or skip it merely because there are a lot of rules and numbers presented. Those rules and numbers serve a purpose, and have meaning. It is our job to see the purpose and meaning in the historical context, so we can realize what it meant to the people then, and what it can mean to us now.
Wednesday 3 December 2014
Reading Leviticus
It's time to get down to the nitty gritty of the Bible. Leviticus along with Numbers, and partially Exodus and Deuteronomy are the most difficult books of the Bible to read through, based upon their listing of numbers and laws. Commonly, many will fall away from reading plans, or will be steered away from finishing the Bible because of the struggles of getting through these books.
As I suggested from the tail-end of Exodus, one way to get through these books is to hold onto one main theme, or a key idea that is present throughout the whole book. Sometimes you know what this main theme is going into the book, but other times, something sticks with you as you make your way through the book. The latter is what occurred to me as I spent the past few weeks reading through Leviticus.
As a side note, commonly because these law books are so difficult to read through, we refer to them in a derogatory manner. I feel like we should work on staying away from this trap. Every single book in the Bible has a purpose, one that God has specially chosen. Anything that God has had a hand in, we should automatically revere. Even if it is dry content, it is still the words of our Lord, and these books need to be treated as such.
Anyways, as I was reading through Leviticus, I noticed this key theme; "You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." This is repeated in one sense or another over and over again. It almost seems that after every chunk of law, God states this.
It got me thinking on a couple of levels. Obviously, the question is why include this statement so often? What's the purpose behind including this in a book of laws?
The amount of laws that God gave the Israelites is overwhelming, even just for the reader. Imagine how it must have been for the people actually living during that time. God definitely knew the weight of what He was demanding from His people. I think He ties in this statement for a few reasons.
When I think about a lot of the laws that we have today, we keep the ones that we understand the purpose behind, whereas the ones we don't understand we break. Using the examples of teens and taking away the extreme cases, the majority of youth today drink alcohol underage because they don't fully understand why they are being restricted from doing so (amongst other reasons). Whereas, the majority of teens won't go out and murder, because they understand why they are told not to.
I think that issue will remain no matter the age, no matter the time in history, no matter the situation. Having all these laws, the Israelites must have looked at them, and asked why they had to obey all these rules. God clearly states why; because you have to be holy like I am holy. The reasons for all these laws are to set apart God's people from the rest of the world. His goal was to have a godly nation modelled after Himself.
What does that then say about God's character? First, that He truly cares about His people. He was doing everything He could to build that relationship between His people and Himself. The purpose of these laws was to create a level with which the people could communicate with God, and live with Him. Secondly, it states just how holy God is. The amount of the laws, the extent of them, and everything that goes with that, such as punishments, shows that God is holier then anything we can even imagine. Because He is so holy, He can't dwell where there is sin. That's why He was trying to help these people become holy. That's why He sent Jesus to die for our sins, and pin them on Himself.
The whole issue that all these laws are dealing with isn't creating a perfect nation, or perfect people, or a better group. God was attempting to let His people have the chance to become set apart for Him, to live with Him in their midst, to have a relationship with the Israelites. When the people failed Him, God was extremely disappointed, but His plan continued on, and He kept offering more and more chances.
This applies to us today as well. We should be striving to be holy, as God is holy. We all remain set apart for Him, even though we may not all be Israelites. We are each set apart for a personal relationship with God, for a personal purpose, for a personal reason. While we know that we can't be holy without God, because Jesus came into the world and sacrificed Himself in order to rip down that divide, and granted us the gift of the Holy Spirit, we now have God in us. With God, we can be holy. But it doesn't just happen. It requires every ounce of human effort, and then the finishing miracle of God's hand.
As I suggested from the tail-end of Exodus, one way to get through these books is to hold onto one main theme, or a key idea that is present throughout the whole book. Sometimes you know what this main theme is going into the book, but other times, something sticks with you as you make your way through the book. The latter is what occurred to me as I spent the past few weeks reading through Leviticus.
As a side note, commonly because these law books are so difficult to read through, we refer to them in a derogatory manner. I feel like we should work on staying away from this trap. Every single book in the Bible has a purpose, one that God has specially chosen. Anything that God has had a hand in, we should automatically revere. Even if it is dry content, it is still the words of our Lord, and these books need to be treated as such.
Anyways, as I was reading through Leviticus, I noticed this key theme; "You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." This is repeated in one sense or another over and over again. It almost seems that after every chunk of law, God states this.
It got me thinking on a couple of levels. Obviously, the question is why include this statement so often? What's the purpose behind including this in a book of laws?
The amount of laws that God gave the Israelites is overwhelming, even just for the reader. Imagine how it must have been for the people actually living during that time. God definitely knew the weight of what He was demanding from His people. I think He ties in this statement for a few reasons.
When I think about a lot of the laws that we have today, we keep the ones that we understand the purpose behind, whereas the ones we don't understand we break. Using the examples of teens and taking away the extreme cases, the majority of youth today drink alcohol underage because they don't fully understand why they are being restricted from doing so (amongst other reasons). Whereas, the majority of teens won't go out and murder, because they understand why they are told not to.
I think that issue will remain no matter the age, no matter the time in history, no matter the situation. Having all these laws, the Israelites must have looked at them, and asked why they had to obey all these rules. God clearly states why; because you have to be holy like I am holy. The reasons for all these laws are to set apart God's people from the rest of the world. His goal was to have a godly nation modelled after Himself.
What does that then say about God's character? First, that He truly cares about His people. He was doing everything He could to build that relationship between His people and Himself. The purpose of these laws was to create a level with which the people could communicate with God, and live with Him. Secondly, it states just how holy God is. The amount of the laws, the extent of them, and everything that goes with that, such as punishments, shows that God is holier then anything we can even imagine. Because He is so holy, He can't dwell where there is sin. That's why He was trying to help these people become holy. That's why He sent Jesus to die for our sins, and pin them on Himself.
The whole issue that all these laws are dealing with isn't creating a perfect nation, or perfect people, or a better group. God was attempting to let His people have the chance to become set apart for Him, to live with Him in their midst, to have a relationship with the Israelites. When the people failed Him, God was extremely disappointed, but His plan continued on, and He kept offering more and more chances.
This applies to us today as well. We should be striving to be holy, as God is holy. We all remain set apart for Him, even though we may not all be Israelites. We are each set apart for a personal relationship with God, for a personal purpose, for a personal reason. While we know that we can't be holy without God, because Jesus came into the world and sacrificed Himself in order to rip down that divide, and granted us the gift of the Holy Spirit, we now have God in us. With God, we can be holy. But it doesn't just happen. It requires every ounce of human effort, and then the finishing miracle of God's hand.
Sunday 16 November 2014
Reading Exodus
For the most part, when reading through the Bible, a lot of the content is enjoyable to read, especially the historical stories. However, there are areas that are difficult to get through. One of these would be the law portion of the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible. Exodus continues the story from Genesis, and then marks the transition into the law of God for His people while they were in the wilderness.
Reading Exodus isn't necessarily as hard as Leviticus or Numbers, but the tail end of the book does provide some issues. However, with the narrative start, it makes those laws easier to read through, for a few reasons. While I was reading Exodus during my year reading plan, the reason that stuck out to me the most was regarding the character of Moses.
I'm not sure if the purpose of Exodus is necessarily to act as a chronicle of Moses' life, and I think it is geared more towards showing how God saved the Israelites, but I was hit with how God also saved Moses. Moses for many Jewish people is the central figure of their religion. He's the one that's their hero, the one that delivered their people, the one that is the greatest leader in their history. And there's no arguing he is definitely one of the greatest in history, but Exodus shows how he developed into that confident, fearless leader.
Moses' story starts in a time of trouble, with the Pharaoh demanding all young Hebrew males to be killed in order to keep the Israelites' population in check. However, God intervenes, and selects Moses right from birth. For some reason, I dwelt on that for a while in my reading time. Again, it shows how close God is, and how intertwined He is in our lives. He specifically chose Moses for the task of delivering His people, right from birth. He carefully guides the baby Moses in a basket through the rivers right to a specific saviour, Pharaoh's daughter. He specifically plants Moses within the palace to grow up, and develop as a man, and a person. Anyone can see that God is already clearly at work in this situation.
As a side note, one thing that really struck me as different was how Moses knew He wasn't an Egyptian, but rather a Hebrew. While a lot of cinematic and literature works play out the situation with the secret being revealed to him as an adult, which causes him to snap, and murder, the Bible doesn't necessarily state specifically how he knew. Could he have know this fact earlier in his life?
Anyways, the next few moments truly reveals how Moses really wasn't that great of a person early in His life. At least, it shows the internal struggle that was going on in his life. He goes out and murders an Egyptian, and then flees to save his own skin. Yes, God used a murderer, and a coward to save His people.
Perhaps my favourite part of Exodus is the burning bush. I heard an interpretation of the story by Rick Warren, and it really opened my eyes. God asks Moses what is in his hand, which of course was a staff. This staff represented Moses' income, his livelihood, his identity, his everything. God asked Moses to lay this all down at the feet of God, so he could turn it into something great. Still, Moses doubts, but God ensures Moses steps up and acts.
All of a sudden, with his return to Egypt, we see a courageous Moses willing to put his own life on the line to free his people. What a change!
The rest is history. Moses continues to be the vessel for God, leading His people to freedom in the wilderness, where he becomes the glorified religious leader that many know him by today.
This story really struck a chord with me. First, God can use anyone He wants to for His work. It doesn't matter what his current state is, what their job is, what their personality is like, anything and anyone can be used for God's work. Second, you don't have to be perfect to be a vessel for God. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has doubts, but God overpowers all of that. Finally, God truly can change lives.
Reading Exodus isn't necessarily as hard as Leviticus or Numbers, but the tail end of the book does provide some issues. However, with the narrative start, it makes those laws easier to read through, for a few reasons. While I was reading Exodus during my year reading plan, the reason that stuck out to me the most was regarding the character of Moses.
I'm not sure if the purpose of Exodus is necessarily to act as a chronicle of Moses' life, and I think it is geared more towards showing how God saved the Israelites, but I was hit with how God also saved Moses. Moses for many Jewish people is the central figure of their religion. He's the one that's their hero, the one that delivered their people, the one that is the greatest leader in their history. And there's no arguing he is definitely one of the greatest in history, but Exodus shows how he developed into that confident, fearless leader.
Moses' story starts in a time of trouble, with the Pharaoh demanding all young Hebrew males to be killed in order to keep the Israelites' population in check. However, God intervenes, and selects Moses right from birth. For some reason, I dwelt on that for a while in my reading time. Again, it shows how close God is, and how intertwined He is in our lives. He specifically chose Moses for the task of delivering His people, right from birth. He carefully guides the baby Moses in a basket through the rivers right to a specific saviour, Pharaoh's daughter. He specifically plants Moses within the palace to grow up, and develop as a man, and a person. Anyone can see that God is already clearly at work in this situation.
As a side note, one thing that really struck me as different was how Moses knew He wasn't an Egyptian, but rather a Hebrew. While a lot of cinematic and literature works play out the situation with the secret being revealed to him as an adult, which causes him to snap, and murder, the Bible doesn't necessarily state specifically how he knew. Could he have know this fact earlier in his life?
Anyways, the next few moments truly reveals how Moses really wasn't that great of a person early in His life. At least, it shows the internal struggle that was going on in his life. He goes out and murders an Egyptian, and then flees to save his own skin. Yes, God used a murderer, and a coward to save His people.
Perhaps my favourite part of Exodus is the burning bush. I heard an interpretation of the story by Rick Warren, and it really opened my eyes. God asks Moses what is in his hand, which of course was a staff. This staff represented Moses' income, his livelihood, his identity, his everything. God asked Moses to lay this all down at the feet of God, so he could turn it into something great. Still, Moses doubts, but God ensures Moses steps up and acts.All of a sudden, with his return to Egypt, we see a courageous Moses willing to put his own life on the line to free his people. What a change!
The rest is history. Moses continues to be the vessel for God, leading His people to freedom in the wilderness, where he becomes the glorified religious leader that many know him by today.
This story really struck a chord with me. First, God can use anyone He wants to for His work. It doesn't matter what his current state is, what their job is, what their personality is like, anything and anyone can be used for God's work. Second, you don't have to be perfect to be a vessel for God. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has doubts, but God overpowers all of that. Finally, God truly can change lives.
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Reading Genesis
My focus over the past few weeks has been reading my Bible. At the youth group I help out at, the challenge was put forth to these young teens to read the entire Bible from cover to cover by the end of the year. I love this challenge, and so I have joined the youth, and I am attempting to complete the task as well.
Currently, I am done Genesis. Now I have already read Genesis multiple times, and the whole Bible at least twice. One thing I love about this book though is that it never gets old. There are a few books that you read once, and then you never pick them up again. But I find myself drawn to continue to read the Bible over and over again simply because each time something new draws my attention.
This time, I've been drawn to the fact that God always knew what was going to happen, yet He let the characters in His story choose what they wanted to do. That may seem like a confusing statement, but breaking it down makes it much clearer.
I believe Genesis is a testament to the fact that God had, and still has, a plan for each individual, and a plan for the world as a group. Reading through each story, and how they tie in together reveals exactly how God wanted for each situation to occur, and it always happened in that way. Well, perhaps not always how He wished, but how He knew it was going to occur.
At the same time, He lets the characters in His story form their own lives. He lets them make the decisions, and He just acts as a guider, counsellor, judge, provider, and guardian. Every single major character in Genesis talked to God, found out the possibilities of either choice they would make, and then made a choice whether it be bad or good.
The reason why I think God still knew what was going to happen even if He let His creation have free will is that fact that He knew His creation so well. He knew Adam and Eve to their last bone, he knew Noah, Abraham, and Joseph down to every single hair, every single thought, every single tendency. In fact, He knew them better then they knew themselves. Because of this, He knew what they were going to choose.
Although this is a "historical" book, the lessons that can be applied in our lives today are tenfold. First, we can feel confident that everything happens to us for a reason. Everything good, and everything bad, God uses for a certain purpose. Just like how Joseph was able to say that God intended to use harm for good in his situation, we should be able to view trials and persecution in the same way. Secondly, we should feel confident in the fact that God is ultimately in control. The world is definitely a messed up place, and it is progressively getting worse, but we as Christians should be able to take solace in the fact that God has the master plan, and the final result is in His hands. Finally, we should be able to learn from the mistakes of the forefathers of our faith. Unity is key, being patient is important, and many other lessons along those lines should be understood from the stories contained in Genesis.
Currently, I am done Genesis. Now I have already read Genesis multiple times, and the whole Bible at least twice. One thing I love about this book though is that it never gets old. There are a few books that you read once, and then you never pick them up again. But I find myself drawn to continue to read the Bible over and over again simply because each time something new draws my attention.
This time, I've been drawn to the fact that God always knew what was going to happen, yet He let the characters in His story choose what they wanted to do. That may seem like a confusing statement, but breaking it down makes it much clearer.
I believe Genesis is a testament to the fact that God had, and still has, a plan for each individual, and a plan for the world as a group. Reading through each story, and how they tie in together reveals exactly how God wanted for each situation to occur, and it always happened in that way. Well, perhaps not always how He wished, but how He knew it was going to occur.
At the same time, He lets the characters in His story form their own lives. He lets them make the decisions, and He just acts as a guider, counsellor, judge, provider, and guardian. Every single major character in Genesis talked to God, found out the possibilities of either choice they would make, and then made a choice whether it be bad or good.
The reason why I think God still knew what was going to happen even if He let His creation have free will is that fact that He knew His creation so well. He knew Adam and Eve to their last bone, he knew Noah, Abraham, and Joseph down to every single hair, every single thought, every single tendency. In fact, He knew them better then they knew themselves. Because of this, He knew what they were going to choose.
Although this is a "historical" book, the lessons that can be applied in our lives today are tenfold. First, we can feel confident that everything happens to us for a reason. Everything good, and everything bad, God uses for a certain purpose. Just like how Joseph was able to say that God intended to use harm for good in his situation, we should be able to view trials and persecution in the same way. Secondly, we should feel confident in the fact that God is ultimately in control. The world is definitely a messed up place, and it is progressively getting worse, but we as Christians should be able to take solace in the fact that God has the master plan, and the final result is in His hands. Finally, we should be able to learn from the mistakes of the forefathers of our faith. Unity is key, being patient is important, and many other lessons along those lines should be understood from the stories contained in Genesis.
Sunday 21 September 2014
The Biggest Issue in Society
Perhaps my biggest pet peeve is the lack of passion from Christians and non-Christians alike in today's society. I believe that many of our issues hinge on this lack of motivation, and inspiration. In fact, during my Ministry University course, when we were asked to sum up our purpose in ministry, I stated that I intended to re-kindle an undying passion for Christ within people's heart that left them inspired and motivated just as the early church had been, and resulted in great victories for Christ's kingdom.
I'm going to tackle what I label as the biggest issue in society from two perspectives. First, from the non-Christian aspect, and then the Christian aspect. I believe each are equally important!
Starting with the non-Christian aspect, I feel that many of our problems in society are due to lack of passion. Obviously the issue is different with non-Christians in the fact that they can't fuel their passion from the same thing. Each person has to search for a different motivator, or source. This in itself is a huge issue, but right now, I believe the biggest issue is that no one is even bothering to find a source for themselves! No one cares anymore about anything! It is extremely rare to find a person who feels so strongly about something that it consumes every part of their soul.
I recently did a youth devotion on the topic of passion, and while researching for the talk, I discovered this definition of passion from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, passion is "a strong feeling that causes you to act in a dangerous way." I love this! You see, the issue isn't that we don't care for certain things, the issue is that we don't care enough. We are not willing to put our necks on the line for something we supposedly "care" about. The issue is that society is filled of people with dead dreams, goals, and loves. We claim to be passionate about our lives, but do our actions truly reveal that passion?
Using an example of someone I know, this person really wants to make it in the sports world. They feel so passionately about the sport, that they practice everyday for hours and hours. They're willing to sacrifice what normal people their age get to experience, just to pursue this passion. They are acting dangerously.
What the world has to offer is endless! Find something you feel you could care for passionately, and do it! Don't be afraid, don't be lazy, but do something with your life!
This is just the start. As Christians, we know that what the world has to offer is great, but at the same time is not entirely self-satisfying. The only passion that is actually meaningful at the end of the day is passion for God.
Again, that same definition of acting dangerously applies to our relationship with Christ. We should care so strongly for Him that it consumes every aspect of our lives. This doesn't mean that we pull Him out of the closet on Sunday mornings, and then put Him away for the rest of the week. Instead, He is involved in every minute of our live, every action that we commit, every thought that passes through our mind. When we talk to our friends, our passion is shown through the fact that we can't wait to share Christ with them. When we have free time, instead of letting our lives be sucked away by technology, we put forth the effort to become more Christ-like and to draw deeper in our relationship with God.
We have a common source: God. He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, because He loved us so much. He could not bear to watch us suffer, so He committed a dangerous act, an act that hurt Him deeply. But Jesus also loved us, and stepped up to the plate, willing again to act dangerously in order to show His passion for us. The only response to this would be to accept that love, and to offer it back. Perhaps not in the same way, but by offering our complete lives back to Him to use for His will.
That's what passion is. That's what our changed lives should look like. Just imagine a world of people so committed to what they love that they lay everything down just to see it through. The potential for great things to happen is astounding.
I'm going to tackle what I label as the biggest issue in society from two perspectives. First, from the non-Christian aspect, and then the Christian aspect. I believe each are equally important!
Starting with the non-Christian aspect, I feel that many of our problems in society are due to lack of passion. Obviously the issue is different with non-Christians in the fact that they can't fuel their passion from the same thing. Each person has to search for a different motivator, or source. This in itself is a huge issue, but right now, I believe the biggest issue is that no one is even bothering to find a source for themselves! No one cares anymore about anything! It is extremely rare to find a person who feels so strongly about something that it consumes every part of their soul.
I recently did a youth devotion on the topic of passion, and while researching for the talk, I discovered this definition of passion from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, passion is "a strong feeling that causes you to act in a dangerous way." I love this! You see, the issue isn't that we don't care for certain things, the issue is that we don't care enough. We are not willing to put our necks on the line for something we supposedly "care" about. The issue is that society is filled of people with dead dreams, goals, and loves. We claim to be passionate about our lives, but do our actions truly reveal that passion?
Using an example of someone I know, this person really wants to make it in the sports world. They feel so passionately about the sport, that they practice everyday for hours and hours. They're willing to sacrifice what normal people their age get to experience, just to pursue this passion. They are acting dangerously.
What the world has to offer is endless! Find something you feel you could care for passionately, and do it! Don't be afraid, don't be lazy, but do something with your life!
This is just the start. As Christians, we know that what the world has to offer is great, but at the same time is not entirely self-satisfying. The only passion that is actually meaningful at the end of the day is passion for God.
Again, that same definition of acting dangerously applies to our relationship with Christ. We should care so strongly for Him that it consumes every aspect of our lives. This doesn't mean that we pull Him out of the closet on Sunday mornings, and then put Him away for the rest of the week. Instead, He is involved in every minute of our live, every action that we commit, every thought that passes through our mind. When we talk to our friends, our passion is shown through the fact that we can't wait to share Christ with them. When we have free time, instead of letting our lives be sucked away by technology, we put forth the effort to become more Christ-like and to draw deeper in our relationship with God.
We have a common source: God. He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, because He loved us so much. He could not bear to watch us suffer, so He committed a dangerous act, an act that hurt Him deeply. But Jesus also loved us, and stepped up to the plate, willing again to act dangerously in order to show His passion for us. The only response to this would be to accept that love, and to offer it back. Perhaps not in the same way, but by offering our complete lives back to Him to use for His will.
That's what passion is. That's what our changed lives should look like. Just imagine a world of people so committed to what they love that they lay everything down just to see it through. The potential for great things to happen is astounding.
Thursday 4 September 2014
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Book Synopsis
Rating: 9.1/10
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a must own for all Christians, whether new to the faith, or far a long in the walk. The book is very characteristic of Lewis' writing style, with much explanation given to all subjects, and easy to understand analogies always present. Mere Christianity delves into exactly what our faith stands for; including a Christian perspective and an Atheist perspective. With a foundation laid from the beginnings of an argument for religion to the description of proper Christian behaviour, Mere Christianity is exactly as it's title implies; a talk about what Christianity is all about.
The book begins by creating an argument for a more detailed meaning of the universe, pinpointing the use of right and wrong as key to the discussion. Everything in society (no matter the century) revolves around right and wrong. While what is labelled right or wrong is not always set in stone, we each have our opinions; no one can say that they don't hold some things as right or wrong. And while we have this idea of what is right and wrong, most times we do not act or behave in the right way. This idea is further developed by examining what lies behind this Moral Law of Human Nature. C.S. Lewis, again showing his genius mind, goes on to show that the only way we can prove that something does indeed exist outside of this universe that has a purpose is through the universe that has been made and the Moral Law that has been put in our minds. However we have angered this God that has proved Himself to love goodness through this law by the way that we have disobeyed and continually have followed wrong ways. Christianity expands and helps to explain this Moral Law in a more holistic perspective.
C.S. Lewis then changes tact and moves into a description of what Christians believe, starting off with how the religion is different then other ones. Surprisingly, he states that when it comes to other religions, Christians can even accept certain areas! Realistically, everyone believes in a God, but each has different ideas about who this God is, or what He does. That is the key difference.
Christians have a certain belief set about God, that includes what is right and wrong, and they even have their own ideas about how evil entered the world. In fact, the key moment of evil was when the self was put first. That was the original sin of Satan, and the original sin of Adam and Eve, and continues to be the major sin in society today.
The story continues until it comes to a climax with Jesus, the son of God who stepped in to save the people from their sin. However, action is still required from us, the undeniably difficult task of repentance. This repentance isn't an one time occurrence, but rather occurs very frequently, as the Christian struggles to get better and better with Christ helping them along.
After this brief discussion of the faith, Lewis begins to break down what the Christian behaviour should look like. First, a discussion on morality or ethics is held, with three key conclusions made regarding human morality; harmony between individuals, harmony inside of the individual and purpose of human life as a whole. The argument is that there has to have been a higher power who put this need for harmony within individuals, the need for morality and ethics.
Lewis continues to list out what a Christian's ethics are, by using virtues. Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude compromise what is titled as the Cardinal Virtues. Lewis also points out the Christian's need for social morality. Using all these virtues, Lewis paints the picture of a perfect Christian society; surprisingly it is similar to what society says they strive to be like today! Sexual morality is also a topic that Lewis discusses, a topic that he decides comes down to the fact if we really want to avoid it or not. If we want to stay away from it, we will stay away from it. But if it is a half-hearted attempt, then the results will reflect the effort.
Aspects of the Christian life are also touched upon, such as the seriousness of marriage. Forgiveness is also highlighted as a key characteristic of a Christian. Pride is highlighted as the most serious downfall a Christian can find themselves with. Charity is labelled as a step to overcome pride. Hope and Faith round up the positive characteristics that Christians should strive to obtain.
After this discussion, Lewis lists out some more difficult doctrines of the faith about God, such as the Three-Personal God, the matter of time, and what makes Jesus different. This difference is what Christians strive to achieve, the characteristic that sets them apart from the world, and truly makes them children of God.
Quotes
"Progress means not just changing, but changing for the better."
"God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies."
"Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger - according to the way you react to it."
"If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through...there is only one right answer to a sum, and all the other answers are wrong; but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others."
"If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."
"We do know that no man can be saved except through Christ; we do not know that only those who know Him can be saved through Him."
"You cannot make men good by law; and without good men you cannot have a good society."
"Human beings judge one another by their external actions. God judges them by their moral choices."
"And that, by the way, is perhaps the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions: that in Christianity God is not a static thing - not even a person - but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama."
"God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy."
Buy Text: Indigo Chapters Canada
Buy E-Copy: Kobo Canada
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a must own for all Christians, whether new to the faith, or far a long in the walk. The book is very characteristic of Lewis' writing style, with much explanation given to all subjects, and easy to understand analogies always present. Mere Christianity delves into exactly what our faith stands for; including a Christian perspective and an Atheist perspective. With a foundation laid from the beginnings of an argument for religion to the description of proper Christian behaviour, Mere Christianity is exactly as it's title implies; a talk about what Christianity is all about.
The book begins by creating an argument for a more detailed meaning of the universe, pinpointing the use of right and wrong as key to the discussion. Everything in society (no matter the century) revolves around right and wrong. While what is labelled right or wrong is not always set in stone, we each have our opinions; no one can say that they don't hold some things as right or wrong. And while we have this idea of what is right and wrong, most times we do not act or behave in the right way. This idea is further developed by examining what lies behind this Moral Law of Human Nature. C.S. Lewis, again showing his genius mind, goes on to show that the only way we can prove that something does indeed exist outside of this universe that has a purpose is through the universe that has been made and the Moral Law that has been put in our minds. However we have angered this God that has proved Himself to love goodness through this law by the way that we have disobeyed and continually have followed wrong ways. Christianity expands and helps to explain this Moral Law in a more holistic perspective.
C.S. Lewis then changes tact and moves into a description of what Christians believe, starting off with how the religion is different then other ones. Surprisingly, he states that when it comes to other religions, Christians can even accept certain areas! Realistically, everyone believes in a God, but each has different ideas about who this God is, or what He does. That is the key difference.
Christians have a certain belief set about God, that includes what is right and wrong, and they even have their own ideas about how evil entered the world. In fact, the key moment of evil was when the self was put first. That was the original sin of Satan, and the original sin of Adam and Eve, and continues to be the major sin in society today.
The story continues until it comes to a climax with Jesus, the son of God who stepped in to save the people from their sin. However, action is still required from us, the undeniably difficult task of repentance. This repentance isn't an one time occurrence, but rather occurs very frequently, as the Christian struggles to get better and better with Christ helping them along.
After this brief discussion of the faith, Lewis begins to break down what the Christian behaviour should look like. First, a discussion on morality or ethics is held, with three key conclusions made regarding human morality; harmony between individuals, harmony inside of the individual and purpose of human life as a whole. The argument is that there has to have been a higher power who put this need for harmony within individuals, the need for morality and ethics.
Lewis continues to list out what a Christian's ethics are, by using virtues. Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude compromise what is titled as the Cardinal Virtues. Lewis also points out the Christian's need for social morality. Using all these virtues, Lewis paints the picture of a perfect Christian society; surprisingly it is similar to what society says they strive to be like today! Sexual morality is also a topic that Lewis discusses, a topic that he decides comes down to the fact if we really want to avoid it or not. If we want to stay away from it, we will stay away from it. But if it is a half-hearted attempt, then the results will reflect the effort.
Aspects of the Christian life are also touched upon, such as the seriousness of marriage. Forgiveness is also highlighted as a key characteristic of a Christian. Pride is highlighted as the most serious downfall a Christian can find themselves with. Charity is labelled as a step to overcome pride. Hope and Faith round up the positive characteristics that Christians should strive to obtain.
After this discussion, Lewis lists out some more difficult doctrines of the faith about God, such as the Three-Personal God, the matter of time, and what makes Jesus different. This difference is what Christians strive to achieve, the characteristic that sets them apart from the world, and truly makes them children of God.
Quotes
"Progress means not just changing, but changing for the better."
"God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies."
"Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger - according to the way you react to it."
"If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through...there is only one right answer to a sum, and all the other answers are wrong; but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others."
"If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."
"We do know that no man can be saved except through Christ; we do not know that only those who know Him can be saved through Him."
"You cannot make men good by law; and without good men you cannot have a good society."
"Human beings judge one another by their external actions. God judges them by their moral choices."
"And that, by the way, is perhaps the most important difference between Christianity and all other religions: that in Christianity God is not a static thing - not even a person - but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama."
"God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy."
 |
| Wikipedia |
Wednesday 27 August 2014
Homosexuality Part Two
First of all, I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of discussion that has been generated by my first blog post on the subject of homosexuality. I've really enjoyed debating whether or not homosexuality is a sin. However, as I have been increasingly frustrated over the past few weeks on the lack of progress either side is making, I've turned to others to help me figure out this problem. This includes some excellent mentors, and some amazing resources. I've realized that no progress will ever be made in this discussion unless some common ground is discovered. That common ground has to be God.
If we are arguing this topic between two Christians, the only possible right answer would be that homosexuality is wrong, because we understand that God has condemned homosexuality in His Word which provides the ultimate authority for our lives. His perfect world included a man and a woman. There really can be no discussion as to if Christians should accept homosexuality.
However, remove God from the picture, and have two non-Christians argue the topic, and the results completely flip around. What are the grounds for an argument against homosexuality without God explicitly condemning the sin? Ultimately, if we have a moral compass that isn't in sync with a higher power, then for those that deny gay rights, it comes down to a matter of prejudice.
So you see, this is why Christians and non-Christians can't debate the issue! Non-Christians cannot understand that we follow what God says, and therefore by not accepting any form of sexual impurity, we are obeying God's Words. I've come to the realization that each debate about homosexuality ultimately turns into a discussion of if God exists. This seems to be the turning point in this argument. If you believe in God, you don't accept homosexuality. If you don't believe in God, you accept homosexuality.
But using homosexuality as the starting point for an argument for the existence of God does not produce the best results. By results, I'm stating that a proper case for God is not built because as soon as you introduce God stating that homosexuality is wrong, it's like non-Christians have a mechanism that clicks on and automatically makes them turn away from any other comments about God's character. There lies the issue. The character of God being loving, pure, holy, and just has to be built before people can understand why God would tell His people that homosexuality is wrong. The picture of God has to be painted perfectly before the debate even begins!
I've been approaching this issue in the worst way. I've been trying to prove to those who don't believe in God that homosexuality is a sin. I've been so sidetracked by the fact that I have to prove myself right, that I've lost my true purpose, which is to reveal God to these people. In one of my university courses, a major point was that apologetics, while being extremely useful in certain cases, cannot be the overruling method we use to talk about God with non-Christians. I've been so caught up debating an issue about God's character, that I've forgotten to simply describe and prove what God's character is about!
Moving back to the debate between Christians, I've also discovered some more ideas. Sure, we may believe that the Bible is God's authoritative work, and we must obey it if we believe in God, and we may never know why God says something is wrong, and this is where faith steps in. But at some point, we need to stop relying upon this argument. God is a logical God, and He does have a reason behind all of His commands. Almost all of the time, it requires research, and questioning to find part of His true purpose. Again, as I stated previously, I do believe we will never truly understand exactly why God commands certain things (one aspect of heaven that I am looking forward to is complete understanding of every aspect of the Bible), but I believe that He has left tidbits for every one of His commandments.
Borrowing from a friend who I discussed the issue with, homosexuality comes down to an identity crisis. As C.S. Lewis states in his book Mere Christianity, the root of all sin is putting one's self first. This is the basis for all sin. It's rejecting God, and putting yourself as the only God. As my friend stated, this culture is stuck in a rut, full of people searching for their own unique identity. And by putting this search above all else, they turn to methods such as homosexuality to craft their own self purpose in this lost world. I don't think the issue is so much that God wants to restrict people but He wants to remove as many distractions as possible so you can concentrate on what truly matters; and that's your relationship with God. God wants people to turn away from matters such as homosexuality which may help you feel satisfied for a short time, but quickly run dry, and then you are on to the next thing. Instead, He wants you to feel your true self-worth in Him, to feel His love washing over you, to feel His presence beside you at all times, to find who you are in Him. This is what truly matters, where you truly feel that you are loved. Whatever this world offers is empty compared to what God has in store for you.
So, as Christians, we do not want to condemn homosexuality; that is God's job. Rather, we want to try and guide EVERYONE (not just those who have committed homosexuality) from their self-search to the search for God. The most frustrating thing for me over the past few weeks has been trying to get other people to understand this principle. We do not hate others, we love them in a Godly manner. We strive to have everyone find Jesus, and for everyone's lives to be led and consumed by passion for God, instead of passion for worldly things.
If we are arguing this topic between two Christians, the only possible right answer would be that homosexuality is wrong, because we understand that God has condemned homosexuality in His Word which provides the ultimate authority for our lives. His perfect world included a man and a woman. There really can be no discussion as to if Christians should accept homosexuality.
However, remove God from the picture, and have two non-Christians argue the topic, and the results completely flip around. What are the grounds for an argument against homosexuality without God explicitly condemning the sin? Ultimately, if we have a moral compass that isn't in sync with a higher power, then for those that deny gay rights, it comes down to a matter of prejudice.
So you see, this is why Christians and non-Christians can't debate the issue! Non-Christians cannot understand that we follow what God says, and therefore by not accepting any form of sexual impurity, we are obeying God's Words. I've come to the realization that each debate about homosexuality ultimately turns into a discussion of if God exists. This seems to be the turning point in this argument. If you believe in God, you don't accept homosexuality. If you don't believe in God, you accept homosexuality.
But using homosexuality as the starting point for an argument for the existence of God does not produce the best results. By results, I'm stating that a proper case for God is not built because as soon as you introduce God stating that homosexuality is wrong, it's like non-Christians have a mechanism that clicks on and automatically makes them turn away from any other comments about God's character. There lies the issue. The character of God being loving, pure, holy, and just has to be built before people can understand why God would tell His people that homosexuality is wrong. The picture of God has to be painted perfectly before the debate even begins!
I've been approaching this issue in the worst way. I've been trying to prove to those who don't believe in God that homosexuality is a sin. I've been so sidetracked by the fact that I have to prove myself right, that I've lost my true purpose, which is to reveal God to these people. In one of my university courses, a major point was that apologetics, while being extremely useful in certain cases, cannot be the overruling method we use to talk about God with non-Christians. I've been so caught up debating an issue about God's character, that I've forgotten to simply describe and prove what God's character is about!
Moving back to the debate between Christians, I've also discovered some more ideas. Sure, we may believe that the Bible is God's authoritative work, and we must obey it if we believe in God, and we may never know why God says something is wrong, and this is where faith steps in. But at some point, we need to stop relying upon this argument. God is a logical God, and He does have a reason behind all of His commands. Almost all of the time, it requires research, and questioning to find part of His true purpose. Again, as I stated previously, I do believe we will never truly understand exactly why God commands certain things (one aspect of heaven that I am looking forward to is complete understanding of every aspect of the Bible), but I believe that He has left tidbits for every one of His commandments.
Borrowing from a friend who I discussed the issue with, homosexuality comes down to an identity crisis. As C.S. Lewis states in his book Mere Christianity, the root of all sin is putting one's self first. This is the basis for all sin. It's rejecting God, and putting yourself as the only God. As my friend stated, this culture is stuck in a rut, full of people searching for their own unique identity. And by putting this search above all else, they turn to methods such as homosexuality to craft their own self purpose in this lost world. I don't think the issue is so much that God wants to restrict people but He wants to remove as many distractions as possible so you can concentrate on what truly matters; and that's your relationship with God. God wants people to turn away from matters such as homosexuality which may help you feel satisfied for a short time, but quickly run dry, and then you are on to the next thing. Instead, He wants you to feel your true self-worth in Him, to feel His love washing over you, to feel His presence beside you at all times, to find who you are in Him. This is what truly matters, where you truly feel that you are loved. Whatever this world offers is empty compared to what God has in store for you.
So, as Christians, we do not want to condemn homosexuality; that is God's job. Rather, we want to try and guide EVERYONE (not just those who have committed homosexuality) from their self-search to the search for God. The most frustrating thing for me over the past few weeks has been trying to get other people to understand this principle. We do not hate others, we love them in a Godly manner. We strive to have everyone find Jesus, and for everyone's lives to be led and consumed by passion for God, instead of passion for worldly things.
Wednesday 13 August 2014
The Case for Christianity: Part One, The Case for a God
With the amazing interest that was generated by my last post, I've decided to start a series of posts building the case for Christianity. I hope to gear these posts towards two purposes; to strengthen Christian's perspectives of their religion, and to shed some light to non-Christians as to what our religion stands for.
This first post will start with building a case for a God. This is not specifically the Christian's God, but rather just the case for a higher power. I will then continue in later posts to build a case for the Christian's God specifically, and then for Jesus, and the Bible, and so on.
I believe that undeniably there is a God, and I believe that this is one argument that can be won. Even if you don't agree that the Christian God is true, or even that the term God is correct, subconsciously everyone knows that there is a higher power that was and is still at work amongst us. As of 2009, according to the LA Times, 95% of American adults accepted the fact that there was a higher power. Surprisingly, more than half of American scientists also believed in a higher power.
Those that deny a higher power usually have an interesting story behind their choice. It may be turmoil, previous abuse, e.t.c. that influences this decision to stubbornly turn away from the evidence. Most times, after much intense discussion, the truth is revealed, but the person will continue to deny the facts. For those who would like a good view of this scenario, or documented situations where scientists have openly admitted God is a plausible explanation for the universe, check out Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein.
Anyways, moving on to those facts; I believe that building a case for a God has to begin at the start, which is creation. No matter how you want to explain how our world came into being, there is still a massive void that needs to be filled. Whether it be the Big Bang Theory, or the Multi-Verse Theory, the odds for any explainable possibility are so astronomically low that it is mind boggling. Now that doesn't necessarily state that the theories are impossible (although I can definitely produce facts that do argue against the theories), rather it simply states the need for something else. There had to be a catalyst, or an original simulation that sparked this creation process. The only plausible explanation would be an eternal, almighty, intelligent power.
Not only do the mathematics point to a power, but the design of our world would also point to an intelligent creation. Again, the odds of such a perfect environment that seems to be designed specifically for our race are crazy low! Our position in the solar system, how perfectly we are placed away from the sun, our specific tilt and spin as a planet, our atmospheric chemistry, and the amount of resources that thrive on Earth aren't just a random 1 in a billion (scientifically even more that that) occurrence.
And that's not even bringing up our intricate design! How could we randomly come into existence? Our bodies that contain so many cells that weave together to create an interdependent structural system, created by accident? Is that even possible? Even if you do follow the train of thought that we evolved (which is a theory that can be disproven, but is still interesting to explore), how can you explain the starting point of this evolution process? How did the perfect conditions just happen to come together just once for this single cell? And what provided the catalyst for the process?
Perhaps my favourite argument is contained in C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity. He argues that our intelligence is the largest piece of evidence supporting a power. There is absolutely no way that such a developed intelligence could simply randomly appear out of nowhere. We must be based off of a model, or an idea, or something. And our moral intelligence is perhaps the best demonstration of this. We all just seem to have ideas of what is right and wrong. But how originally did we gain this perspective? Expand the situation for a second, and go beyond society, beyond your family, to the beginning. How did the first human decide what is right and wrong? Again, the only explanation is a higher power who dictated how His creation should function.
This is only the beginning of an extremely large discussion. Next, we argue for the Christian God, then the Christian creation, and continuing to the Christian's current beliefs. But ignore that for a second, and just see if you can wrap your mind around a simple higher power who created or even just started the creation process?
I'm extremely interested to see if anyone doesn't believe in a higher power, so let me know what your beliefs are! I'm looking forward to another intense discussion!
This first post will start with building a case for a God. This is not specifically the Christian's God, but rather just the case for a higher power. I will then continue in later posts to build a case for the Christian's God specifically, and then for Jesus, and the Bible, and so on.
I believe that undeniably there is a God, and I believe that this is one argument that can be won. Even if you don't agree that the Christian God is true, or even that the term God is correct, subconsciously everyone knows that there is a higher power that was and is still at work amongst us. As of 2009, according to the LA Times, 95% of American adults accepted the fact that there was a higher power. Surprisingly, more than half of American scientists also believed in a higher power.
Those that deny a higher power usually have an interesting story behind their choice. It may be turmoil, previous abuse, e.t.c. that influences this decision to stubbornly turn away from the evidence. Most times, after much intense discussion, the truth is revealed, but the person will continue to deny the facts. For those who would like a good view of this scenario, or documented situations where scientists have openly admitted God is a plausible explanation for the universe, check out Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein.
Anyways, moving on to those facts; I believe that building a case for a God has to begin at the start, which is creation. No matter how you want to explain how our world came into being, there is still a massive void that needs to be filled. Whether it be the Big Bang Theory, or the Multi-Verse Theory, the odds for any explainable possibility are so astronomically low that it is mind boggling. Now that doesn't necessarily state that the theories are impossible (although I can definitely produce facts that do argue against the theories), rather it simply states the need for something else. There had to be a catalyst, or an original simulation that sparked this creation process. The only plausible explanation would be an eternal, almighty, intelligent power.
Not only do the mathematics point to a power, but the design of our world would also point to an intelligent creation. Again, the odds of such a perfect environment that seems to be designed specifically for our race are crazy low! Our position in the solar system, how perfectly we are placed away from the sun, our specific tilt and spin as a planet, our atmospheric chemistry, and the amount of resources that thrive on Earth aren't just a random 1 in a billion (scientifically even more that that) occurrence.
And that's not even bringing up our intricate design! How could we randomly come into existence? Our bodies that contain so many cells that weave together to create an interdependent structural system, created by accident? Is that even possible? Even if you do follow the train of thought that we evolved (which is a theory that can be disproven, but is still interesting to explore), how can you explain the starting point of this evolution process? How did the perfect conditions just happen to come together just once for this single cell? And what provided the catalyst for the process?
Perhaps my favourite argument is contained in C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity. He argues that our intelligence is the largest piece of evidence supporting a power. There is absolutely no way that such a developed intelligence could simply randomly appear out of nowhere. We must be based off of a model, or an idea, or something. And our moral intelligence is perhaps the best demonstration of this. We all just seem to have ideas of what is right and wrong. But how originally did we gain this perspective? Expand the situation for a second, and go beyond society, beyond your family, to the beginning. How did the first human decide what is right and wrong? Again, the only explanation is a higher power who dictated how His creation should function.
This is only the beginning of an extremely large discussion. Next, we argue for the Christian God, then the Christian creation, and continuing to the Christian's current beliefs. But ignore that for a second, and just see if you can wrap your mind around a simple higher power who created or even just started the creation process?
I'm extremely interested to see if anyone doesn't believe in a higher power, so let me know what your beliefs are! I'm looking forward to another intense discussion!
Wednesday 23 July 2014
Social Media
In today's age, social media is perhaps the most dominant force, redefining our culture and the way we live. And while it has in many aspects improved our quality of life, or at least parts of it, there are many different impacts that we must be cautioned to avoid. In our Christian lives, we must make sure we use social media in a certain way, in order to maximize the positives and downplay the negatives.
Most worrisome about our continued dependence on social media are the glaring negatives that shine around all people. Again, we are taking this issue through a Christian perspective. The first issue that arises is the amount of time being spent on social media outlets. This affects our lives in two ways. First, we begin to lose our social abilities, our confidence and skill in associating with people face to face. Second, our lives become a drainage of waste, with nothing worthwhile or constructive being produced from the endless hours spent updating our status. Perhaps the biggest issue for Christians are the ever present temptations on social media. Most times, as soon as you mention temptations, the mind goes right to pornography. And while this is a big issue, especially with the readily accessible social media providing an easy way to access these pictures and videos, there are other temptations as well. Social media in itself is a temptation, sucking people towards it to waste every minute of their day.
However, social media does provide some excellent opportunities for Christians. As mentioned previously, it is perhaps the most dominant force of our culture. If we can harness this force, and use it for good, the results that could potentially be produced are astronomical! We can promote charities, church events, and Christian organizations. We could encourage others through Bible verses, prayers, and more. Essentially, if we can use social media and transform it into a Christian force, the world would be faced with this different influence everyday!
Social media also provides Christians with the opportunity to strengthen their own faiths. One way to do this is by connecting with other Christians. Encouragement, prayers, and more can be shared, and a community of believers could be created. Also, social media can provide daily devotions, and Bible verses to uplift and encourage believers. YouVersion is just one example of an app that also has a Twitter and FaceBook account, continually posting Bible verses, devotions, and prayers to encourage a believer to spend time with God.
In conclusion, social media provides two different ends of the spectrum with usefulness. It all depends on the choices you make, or what purpose social media serves for you. If it is used for good, it is a very powerful tool. It's also powerful on the other end of the spectrum, providing temptations that are very difficult to avoid. Like much of what this world has to offer us, we need to make sure we maintain a heavenly perspective, and find the best of what is given to us, while staying away from the evil.
Most worrisome about our continued dependence on social media are the glaring negatives that shine around all people. Again, we are taking this issue through a Christian perspective. The first issue that arises is the amount of time being spent on social media outlets. This affects our lives in two ways. First, we begin to lose our social abilities, our confidence and skill in associating with people face to face. Second, our lives become a drainage of waste, with nothing worthwhile or constructive being produced from the endless hours spent updating our status. Perhaps the biggest issue for Christians are the ever present temptations on social media. Most times, as soon as you mention temptations, the mind goes right to pornography. And while this is a big issue, especially with the readily accessible social media providing an easy way to access these pictures and videos, there are other temptations as well. Social media in itself is a temptation, sucking people towards it to waste every minute of their day.
However, social media does provide some excellent opportunities for Christians. As mentioned previously, it is perhaps the most dominant force of our culture. If we can harness this force, and use it for good, the results that could potentially be produced are astronomical! We can promote charities, church events, and Christian organizations. We could encourage others through Bible verses, prayers, and more. Essentially, if we can use social media and transform it into a Christian force, the world would be faced with this different influence everyday!
Social media also provides Christians with the opportunity to strengthen their own faiths. One way to do this is by connecting with other Christians. Encouragement, prayers, and more can be shared, and a community of believers could be created. Also, social media can provide daily devotions, and Bible verses to uplift and encourage believers. YouVersion is just one example of an app that also has a Twitter and FaceBook account, continually posting Bible verses, devotions, and prayers to encourage a believer to spend time with God.
In conclusion, social media provides two different ends of the spectrum with usefulness. It all depends on the choices you make, or what purpose social media serves for you. If it is used for good, it is a very powerful tool. It's also powerful on the other end of the spectrum, providing temptations that are very difficult to avoid. Like much of what this world has to offer us, we need to make sure we maintain a heavenly perspective, and find the best of what is given to us, while staying away from the evil.
Monday 7 July 2014
Homosexuality
Same-sex relationships are a key discussion point in society today. Your stance can define how others see you as a person. Choosing a side can ruin politician's careers or destroy the respect of certain religious leaders. Although treading through the homosexuality waters are so treacherous, it seems like there is no end to the news articles, debates, or movements surrounding the topic. Christianity provides nothing different. Within our own religion, we discuss amongst ourselves if we should choose to accept homosexuality, or take a stance against it. Sadly, it seems as if more and more churches are slowly choosing to welcome homosexuality, and not treat it as a sin, in order to boost their attendance numbers, and our religion's picture in society. Ultimately, we compromise our own beliefs in an effort to stay updated within society.
For the majority of our religion's history, we have been against homosexuality. To support our argument, Christians use multiple points. First, God created our bodies in a certain way for a certain purpose. We were created and designed to interact man and woman not man and man or woman and woman. The certain purpose of that specific design was to procreate. God's command was for us to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. The only natural way to do that is through man and woman. Finally, the Bible also contains many stories about God condemning homosexuality, particularly in the Old Testament. For instance, the story of the Great Flood, or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, they all speak of God acting because of their sins, one being the sexual impurity, and homosexuality. The apostle Paul was also strictly against homosexuality, citing multiple times in his Epistles that homosexuality led to eternal death.
However, recently, churches are starting to bend to the ever pressing gay rights movements. Key amongst these arguments is the fact that God should love and accept every person regardless of their sexual tendencies. A true and real and loving God would not shun, or condemn a gay person.
This is a false statement. There are two reasons why we cannot accept this. First, God is not only a loving God, but He is also a just God. When He says something is not right, He follows through with His statements! And He clearly has set out a standard for right and wrong. One of the ways He shows His love is by bringing justice. Secondly, we cannot, and should not even embark on the philosophical journey of putting actions or even thoughts/words onto our Lord's character. How do we know that He is shunning or condemning gay people?! The truth of the matter is that He is extending the same love towards them that He extends to everyone. However, because of their sin, they are shunning Him! It's not the other way around.
Again, with this issue we come to the heart of the matter, and that is the character of God. I have discovered that perhaps all our lives here on Earth are a journey to reveal and know more and more about God. This comes with many tricky situations, such as this one. Can God really be loving if He says homosexuality is wrong? The answer is yes!
Finally, we also come upon the issue of catering to society. Should the church be concerned about the image we are producing to society? Some might be surprised with this, but my answer is yes! We should continually strive to present ourselves in a way that makes people interested with our relationship with God! However, while we are working towards a good outside view, we cannot compromise our beliefs or God's commands of us. There comes a point where what people think does not matter at all, but rather what God thinks. Like so many other things in life, it's all a balancing act.
And while homosexuality is an issue that we need to firmly stand against, we have to watch how we treat gay people. Even though we may have the stance that homosexuality is sinful, we have to watch how we treat these people and approach them. The popular saying, "Love the person but not the sin" is entirely correct in this situation. We should be extending God's love towards every person we meet, no matter their history, previous or present sins, or reaction towards you. Yes, homosexuality is wrong, but we can still accept these people! Don't openly trash homosexuality, instead respectfully state your opinions, and try to be friends with these people. The best way to change sin to good works is by loving relationships, not harsh words.
For the majority of our religion's history, we have been against homosexuality. To support our argument, Christians use multiple points. First, God created our bodies in a certain way for a certain purpose. We were created and designed to interact man and woman not man and man or woman and woman. The certain purpose of that specific design was to procreate. God's command was for us to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. The only natural way to do that is through man and woman. Finally, the Bible also contains many stories about God condemning homosexuality, particularly in the Old Testament. For instance, the story of the Great Flood, or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, they all speak of God acting because of their sins, one being the sexual impurity, and homosexuality. The apostle Paul was also strictly against homosexuality, citing multiple times in his Epistles that homosexuality led to eternal death.
However, recently, churches are starting to bend to the ever pressing gay rights movements. Key amongst these arguments is the fact that God should love and accept every person regardless of their sexual tendencies. A true and real and loving God would not shun, or condemn a gay person.
This is a false statement. There are two reasons why we cannot accept this. First, God is not only a loving God, but He is also a just God. When He says something is not right, He follows through with His statements! And He clearly has set out a standard for right and wrong. One of the ways He shows His love is by bringing justice. Secondly, we cannot, and should not even embark on the philosophical journey of putting actions or even thoughts/words onto our Lord's character. How do we know that He is shunning or condemning gay people?! The truth of the matter is that He is extending the same love towards them that He extends to everyone. However, because of their sin, they are shunning Him! It's not the other way around.
Again, with this issue we come to the heart of the matter, and that is the character of God. I have discovered that perhaps all our lives here on Earth are a journey to reveal and know more and more about God. This comes with many tricky situations, such as this one. Can God really be loving if He says homosexuality is wrong? The answer is yes!
Finally, we also come upon the issue of catering to society. Should the church be concerned about the image we are producing to society? Some might be surprised with this, but my answer is yes! We should continually strive to present ourselves in a way that makes people interested with our relationship with God! However, while we are working towards a good outside view, we cannot compromise our beliefs or God's commands of us. There comes a point where what people think does not matter at all, but rather what God thinks. Like so many other things in life, it's all a balancing act.
And while homosexuality is an issue that we need to firmly stand against, we have to watch how we treat gay people. Even though we may have the stance that homosexuality is sinful, we have to watch how we treat these people and approach them. The popular saying, "Love the person but not the sin" is entirely correct in this situation. We should be extending God's love towards every person we meet, no matter their history, previous or present sins, or reaction towards you. Yes, homosexuality is wrong, but we can still accept these people! Don't openly trash homosexuality, instead respectfully state your opinions, and try to be friends with these people. The best way to change sin to good works is by loving relationships, not harsh words.
Sunday 22 June 2014
Reading the Bible
Currently, this semester for my Bachelor of Arts in Religion degree, I'm taking a very interesting course titled Biblical Interpretation. I'm only four weeks in, but this course has opened my eyes greatly, to many mistakes that I make when reading the Bible, and other issues that I now notice in the way we as a Christian society approach the Bible. Perhaps the biggest issue for myself right now is the way we read the Bible.
Many times, we simply read a book cover to cover. We just read for enjoyment, and the occasional teaching. What we read doesn't necessarily have a huge impact on our lives. Many times we treat the Bible in the same way. I know that personally I have just read the entire Bible to say I've done it! Get the gold star in Sunday School class, and move on. That's not the way to do it.
The Bible isn't just any regular book. It contains the Words of God, which He divinely inspired man to write down (more on this topic in a later post). The Bible has an unique purpose, a potential to change lives. And not just slightly, but radically. But this purpose, this potential, this goal of God can only be realized if we put in the work, and approach the Bible correctly.
Instead of just reading the Bible, we need to start studying it and interpreting it. We can't just read the words, and not understand what is being said, and how to apply it! We need to comprehend what God is instructing of us. Last year in the fall I was involved in a youth Bible study every Wednesday night. While leading us through the book of Romans chapter by chapter, the pastor who was leading the discussion challenged us to see if we knew what certain words meant such as sanctification, justification, and salvation. I was surprised with how much I struggled to place a definition in words in the context of the verses in Romans! I've read the book multiple times, I've heard the words, and I thought I knew what they meant. But in the context of each verse, I gapped, and struggled to come away with a concrete lesson, or meaning, or application from each verse because of uncertainty of these few words.
Not only do we need to start studying the Bible more, and start understanding and comprehending what it being said, but we need to start properly using interpretation skills. This is where my course has really paid dividends. Using some specific skills, such as the interpretation of verses, or taking a meaning and application from each passage, is difficult, but worthwhile. We continually run into problems where we either don't care about interpreting the Bible, and we are stuck right back into the "just reading" problem, or we interpret incorrectly. Finding the right way to do this is key. I have discovered that central to interpretation are these pointers; take the passage in the Biblical context (the time that it was written), understand who the passage was written to, dissect the translations (find the original words written), find the meanings of certain words, and understand how this Bible verse could apply in our culture. When it comes to interpretation, there are two approaches that are important; the literary approach, and the historical-cultural approach. The literary approach deals with the translations, original text, meaning of words, e.t.c. The historical-cultural approach deals with who the author was, who they were writing to, what the purpose of the book/passage was, e.t.c. Together, these two approaches form a balanced way of interpretation. Of course, this isn't fool proof, and I'm still learning and adding to my procedure of interpreting. Don't just interpret in a way that you think is right! Find some time to learn from someone who has mastered the craft! Interpretation is the most important skill when it comes to studying the Bible.
Closest to my heart right now is the issue of reading the Bible versus properly studying it. Think of how the world could be changed if we all just put forth a better effort to fully understand the pages we read everyday! It takes effort, and it takes time, but it pays dividends. In my opinion, it is better for someone to fully understand just one passage from the Bible and to have figured out how to properly apply it to their lives than for someone to say that they have read the Bible cover to cover.
Many times, we simply read a book cover to cover. We just read for enjoyment, and the occasional teaching. What we read doesn't necessarily have a huge impact on our lives. Many times we treat the Bible in the same way. I know that personally I have just read the entire Bible to say I've done it! Get the gold star in Sunday School class, and move on. That's not the way to do it.
The Bible isn't just any regular book. It contains the Words of God, which He divinely inspired man to write down (more on this topic in a later post). The Bible has an unique purpose, a potential to change lives. And not just slightly, but radically. But this purpose, this potential, this goal of God can only be realized if we put in the work, and approach the Bible correctly.
Instead of just reading the Bible, we need to start studying it and interpreting it. We can't just read the words, and not understand what is being said, and how to apply it! We need to comprehend what God is instructing of us. Last year in the fall I was involved in a youth Bible study every Wednesday night. While leading us through the book of Romans chapter by chapter, the pastor who was leading the discussion challenged us to see if we knew what certain words meant such as sanctification, justification, and salvation. I was surprised with how much I struggled to place a definition in words in the context of the verses in Romans! I've read the book multiple times, I've heard the words, and I thought I knew what they meant. But in the context of each verse, I gapped, and struggled to come away with a concrete lesson, or meaning, or application from each verse because of uncertainty of these few words.
Not only do we need to start studying the Bible more, and start understanding and comprehending what it being said, but we need to start properly using interpretation skills. This is where my course has really paid dividends. Using some specific skills, such as the interpretation of verses, or taking a meaning and application from each passage, is difficult, but worthwhile. We continually run into problems where we either don't care about interpreting the Bible, and we are stuck right back into the "just reading" problem, or we interpret incorrectly. Finding the right way to do this is key. I have discovered that central to interpretation are these pointers; take the passage in the Biblical context (the time that it was written), understand who the passage was written to, dissect the translations (find the original words written), find the meanings of certain words, and understand how this Bible verse could apply in our culture. When it comes to interpretation, there are two approaches that are important; the literary approach, and the historical-cultural approach. The literary approach deals with the translations, original text, meaning of words, e.t.c. The historical-cultural approach deals with who the author was, who they were writing to, what the purpose of the book/passage was, e.t.c. Together, these two approaches form a balanced way of interpretation. Of course, this isn't fool proof, and I'm still learning and adding to my procedure of interpreting. Don't just interpret in a way that you think is right! Find some time to learn from someone who has mastered the craft! Interpretation is the most important skill when it comes to studying the Bible.
Closest to my heart right now is the issue of reading the Bible versus properly studying it. Think of how the world could be changed if we all just put forth a better effort to fully understand the pages we read everyday! It takes effort, and it takes time, but it pays dividends. In my opinion, it is better for someone to fully understand just one passage from the Bible and to have figured out how to properly apply it to their lives than for someone to say that they have read the Bible cover to cover.
Wednesday 11 June 2014
Delayed Distortion: I Love You
Delayed Distortion: I Love You: Check out my first SoundCloud original! Titled I Love You, this song talks about the greatness of God, and what response that generates. Aiming to be dynamic and emotion charged, the song is an anthem worship tune.
Let me know what you think about it!
https://soundcloud.com/jesse-ramson-1/i-love-you
Let me know what you think about it!
https://soundcloud.com/jesse-ramson-1/i-love-you
Friday 9 May 2014
Tattoos in a Temple?
One of the latest rages in popular culture are tattoos. It seems as if almost everyone has at least one, with some people even being covered with them on every square inch of their skin. However, stats released a few years ago state that 22% of women have at least one tattoo, and 26% of men have at least one. 36% of people age 20-31 have a tattoo, while the number falls drastically as the age spectrum climbs with 15% of people aged 43-53 sporting at least one. 21% of Canadians have at least one tattoo. (stats from: National Post)
With these numbers climbing, but staying fairly low surprisingly, as Christians the question should be asked; do we ignore the rise of tattoos, or should we condemn tattoos, and fight to lower the stats even more?
Perhaps before we answer this question, it is of worth to mention the stats regarding religious people who have tattoos. It is reported that as of 2006, 19% of religious peoples have a tattoo. (stats from: National Post) This stat is slightly misleading as it includes all religious people, but if the Christian group was separated from other religions, the stat would only slightly drop. An even more interesting stat would be how many Christians have tattoos out of the population of just Christians, rather than the whole population.
In the past, our religion's stance has been strictly against tattoos. However, it seems we are relaxing with our previous rule, as the stats demonstrate. Historically, the argument against tattoos was that our bodies were meant to be temples, not defiled with any abnormal substances such as paint, tattoos, unique piercings, e.t.c. Two biblical verses used for this argument are "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19, ESV) and "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:17, ESV) On top of these New Testament verses, there are also Old Testament ones from the Pentateuch specifically stating that the use of tattoos are forbidden. However, for now we will classify the Old Testament as the Old Covenant, and concentrate on the New Covenant.
These two verses can be tackled efficiently in view of the pro tattoo argument. First, are these verses really talking about tattoos? Many times we take verses way out of context, and try to mash them to fit our own beliefs. When we are talking about our bodies as temples, some would argue that this has nothing to do with our outward appearances. Granted, what is on the inside reflects on the outside, but judgement cannot be made every time simply on what is on the outside. Secondly, if we are going to the argument that what is on the inside is reflected on the outside, the actual historical temple of the Lord was heavily decorated with drawings and paintings, not that much different than tattoos!
In truth, I am in favor tattoos. I see nothing wrong with them up to a point. Profane language, sinful images, and tattoos along that thought process I do not condone. However, small biblical images, bible verses, song lyrics, e.t.c. are fine. In fact those tattoos can provide some excellent evangelistic opportunities. My mom who has a few tattoos also has a wealth of great stories involving non-Christians striking up gospel conversations with her because of her tattoos.
So, I believe the motive behind tattoos would prove to be a bigger cause of concern for our religion. If you are getting one to fit in, or getting one that is of profanity, than Christians have reason to condemn the practice. However, if the reason to get a tattoo is pure such as evangelistic opportunities, permanent reminders, or even just for pleasure, and if that tattoo is not of sinful nature, than Christians have no reason not to support tattoos.
With these numbers climbing, but staying fairly low surprisingly, as Christians the question should be asked; do we ignore the rise of tattoos, or should we condemn tattoos, and fight to lower the stats even more?
Perhaps before we answer this question, it is of worth to mention the stats regarding religious people who have tattoos. It is reported that as of 2006, 19% of religious peoples have a tattoo. (stats from: National Post) This stat is slightly misleading as it includes all religious people, but if the Christian group was separated from other religions, the stat would only slightly drop. An even more interesting stat would be how many Christians have tattoos out of the population of just Christians, rather than the whole population.
In the past, our religion's stance has been strictly against tattoos. However, it seems we are relaxing with our previous rule, as the stats demonstrate. Historically, the argument against tattoos was that our bodies were meant to be temples, not defiled with any abnormal substances such as paint, tattoos, unique piercings, e.t.c. Two biblical verses used for this argument are "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19, ESV) and "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:17, ESV) On top of these New Testament verses, there are also Old Testament ones from the Pentateuch specifically stating that the use of tattoos are forbidden. However, for now we will classify the Old Testament as the Old Covenant, and concentrate on the New Covenant.
 |
| Cleansing Fire |
In truth, I am in favor tattoos. I see nothing wrong with them up to a point. Profane language, sinful images, and tattoos along that thought process I do not condone. However, small biblical images, bible verses, song lyrics, e.t.c. are fine. In fact those tattoos can provide some excellent evangelistic opportunities. My mom who has a few tattoos also has a wealth of great stories involving non-Christians striking up gospel conversations with her because of her tattoos.
So, I believe the motive behind tattoos would prove to be a bigger cause of concern for our religion. If you are getting one to fit in, or getting one that is of profanity, than Christians have reason to condemn the practice. However, if the reason to get a tattoo is pure such as evangelistic opportunities, permanent reminders, or even just for pleasure, and if that tattoo is not of sinful nature, than Christians have no reason not to support tattoos.
Monday 28 April 2014
What is Worship?
What is worship?
As a member of a praise team, and someone that aspires to be a worship leader, I always thought I knew what the term worship meant. When I think of worship I see people with hands raised singing to the Lord with all of their hearts, hearts broken with pure passion and full adoration. However, after reading various literature, and participating in multiple university courses, I've come to question exactly what the definition of worship is.
After attending a university music appreciation course, my eyes were opened to the many different possibilities that were available musically, and the historic past of some of my favourite songs. As we studied all different types of music, from the historic Gregorian chants to the previously glorified hymns to the undeniable power of a full orchestra, I found a few questions arise concerning what worship is, and certain aspects that constitute our current stereotype of worship.
At first, my pondering was centered around the style of music that provoked worship. My personal experience is that my definition of worship can only occur with contemporary songs that include synth, piano, guitars, e.t.c. Bands such as Jesus Culture, and Hillsong United are the best examples of this genre of worship. However, after listening to the first musical records we have of chants that constituted the worship of the churches of old, I was challenged to perhaps see a bigger picture. Impacting me even more was learning about how many of the hymns I experience at church were so important to the worship experience only a few decades ago! The style of music has nothing to do with the worship experience, as can be proven by history. The same worship can be offered to the Lord whether it be sparked by chants, hymns, or song. Worship goes much deeper than music style.
I also held the thought process that only unflawed music could produce an atmosphere of worship. Over the past few years, many mentors have helped showed me the falseness of this statement. Worship has nothing to do with the skill, or perfectness of the piece being played. While it can influence us, worship again is more powerful, digging within our own personal desires and emotions for the Lord. The music being played, and the words being sung are only a method of helping us draw closer to God.
This brings up another point. Is worship solely centered around music? If indeed worship goes beyond the notes, and words being sung, it would follow that it can also reach to the happenings of life, the artistic expression of people, and the gratitude and emotions offered up by humble servants. I believe worship can also be shown when someone paints a picture, when someone writes a story, or even when someone falls on their knees and cries out to God.
I have come to believe that worship is the act of praising God, thanking Him for everything He has done, but also more than that. It's the act of submission, the act of offering our gifts to Him, pleading with Him, asking of God, and above all else, showing Him our love. I believe worship should be prevalent in every area of our life, not just the musical experience on a Sunday morning.
In conclusion, worship isn't simply music, or something that happens while others play songs for us. Rather, it is the everyday expression of our discipleship and fellowship with the Lord. Music is an excellent tool to help us drawing into the attitude of worship, and refresh our use of praise, but it cannot be relied on as the sole method. The importance of musical worship cannot be stressed enough, but perhaps it is time we expand our horizons, and look to include worship in every area of our lives, to transform the way we live.
As a member of a praise team, and someone that aspires to be a worship leader, I always thought I knew what the term worship meant. When I think of worship I see people with hands raised singing to the Lord with all of their hearts, hearts broken with pure passion and full adoration. However, after reading various literature, and participating in multiple university courses, I've come to question exactly what the definition of worship is.
After attending a university music appreciation course, my eyes were opened to the many different possibilities that were available musically, and the historic past of some of my favourite songs. As we studied all different types of music, from the historic Gregorian chants to the previously glorified hymns to the undeniable power of a full orchestra, I found a few questions arise concerning what worship is, and certain aspects that constitute our current stereotype of worship.
At first, my pondering was centered around the style of music that provoked worship. My personal experience is that my definition of worship can only occur with contemporary songs that include synth, piano, guitars, e.t.c. Bands such as Jesus Culture, and Hillsong United are the best examples of this genre of worship. However, after listening to the first musical records we have of chants that constituted the worship of the churches of old, I was challenged to perhaps see a bigger picture. Impacting me even more was learning about how many of the hymns I experience at church were so important to the worship experience only a few decades ago! The style of music has nothing to do with the worship experience, as can be proven by history. The same worship can be offered to the Lord whether it be sparked by chants, hymns, or song. Worship goes much deeper than music style.
I also held the thought process that only unflawed music could produce an atmosphere of worship. Over the past few years, many mentors have helped showed me the falseness of this statement. Worship has nothing to do with the skill, or perfectness of the piece being played. While it can influence us, worship again is more powerful, digging within our own personal desires and emotions for the Lord. The music being played, and the words being sung are only a method of helping us draw closer to God.
This brings up another point. Is worship solely centered around music? If indeed worship goes beyond the notes, and words being sung, it would follow that it can also reach to the happenings of life, the artistic expression of people, and the gratitude and emotions offered up by humble servants. I believe worship can also be shown when someone paints a picture, when someone writes a story, or even when someone falls on their knees and cries out to God.
I have come to believe that worship is the act of praising God, thanking Him for everything He has done, but also more than that. It's the act of submission, the act of offering our gifts to Him, pleading with Him, asking of God, and above all else, showing Him our love. I believe worship should be prevalent in every area of our life, not just the musical experience on a Sunday morning.
In conclusion, worship isn't simply music, or something that happens while others play songs for us. Rather, it is the everyday expression of our discipleship and fellowship with the Lord. Music is an excellent tool to help us drawing into the attitude of worship, and refresh our use of praise, but it cannot be relied on as the sole method. The importance of musical worship cannot be stressed enough, but perhaps it is time we expand our horizons, and look to include worship in every area of our lives, to transform the way we live.
Sunday 2 March 2014
Gender Equality in the Church
I love debates. Especially when I win them, which I normally always do! Just kidding, ask my brothers who really wins. Recently, I have come to realize that losing isn't so bad, because it opens new doors of realization and understanding.
A few years back in the youth group I attended, we debated almost every night. Every time, the same topic arose; should women be pastors? Ultimately this evolved; should women speak at church? Should women be leaders?
At first, I was strongly pro in the argument. Of course God would allow women to be pastors, speakers and leaders. After all, He isn't a discriminating God and He loves all equally, which would translate to letting all do everything. Take the Old Testament laws for example, where God allows for women to inherit land from their fathers, in the same way men are allowed to. (Numbers 21:1-11) Obviously God lets men and women participate in the same things. After all, if He didn't, would He be able to remain constant in a society that is pushing for more and more gender equality? Isn't His goal to show the world that He loves all no matter what gender, or race?
However, the opposition has a strong argument. Vital to their thesis is 1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." (NIV) Another verse states the same point, 1 Corinthians 14:34 "Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says." (NIV)
At first, I argued that using this verse was taking the words out of their context. Both times the books were written by Paul to new churches that were dealing with authority problems. In essence, all he was trying to do at this point was provide structure to the churches that were just starting off. I believed that Paul wasn't forbidding women to teach at all; rather just not at this point.
However, while I have not completely changed my view, I have succumbed in a few areas. First, I do believe that women should not teach in a church service consistently. Just as I argue with the issue of homosexuality, we must look at the way God created his perfect world. Man came first, and women followed. Essentially we are breaking the basic rules of structure if we place a women in lead. With that being said, at this point I do not have an issue with women business managers, rather only in an religious setting (however I am still studying this). Also, I do feel that God sometimes gifts women or lays upon their heart a topic that does need to be shared in front of the whole church. I have no issue with women leading women, or maybe even having a female teacher/pastor that is solely responsible for helping the female members of the congregation mature in their faith.
One of the greatest areas for women to serve is as Family Pastors. Again, going back to creation, God created women as nurturers for a specific reason: to care for children. While I do not think we should restrict males from serving in this area (one day I would like to possibly serve as a pastor here), I do feel that 9 times out of 10, females will be more successful.
While it may seem that I have set new strict standards for how I view women teachers, I still haven't completely rested all the issues. For instance, I'm still not 100% sure if women should be worship pastors. While at one point I may say that there shouldn't be an issue, on the other side if we restrict women from leading a congregation or teaching them, shouldn't we be consistent across the board?
I think that this issue goes beyond the simple questions of should we allow women pastors. I think at the heart of this issue we are wrestling with the character of God. For many us, we hold preconceived ideas about how our God should and would act. If we go back to my two questions about God staying constant in society, and loving everyone equally, basically what I was trying to do was mold God into a more admirable, likable entity for THIS society. Ultimately, we can't do that. God is way bigger then any of our issues here, and we certainly can't fit Him into this society. Does God really need to change His ways to remain constant with society? Should we really be judging God for His love instead of judging ourselves? And dealing with equal love, do we really think by restricting certain people from doing certain things, God is not spreading His love equally?
When we deal with issues such as gender equality, where I don't believe we will ever all agree on a "right" answer, each of us personally has to pray, study, and dwell in God's presence to come to our own realization. We must be respectful of each other's opinions, and make sure that our differences don't create a rift in the family of believers. One of the biggest mistakes we can ever make is dragging God down to society's level. Doing this does not make Him seem more attractive to non-believers, and it certainly doesn't solve our own problems. God is much more powerful than anything we could ever imagine, and we must continue to revere Him in awe.
A few years back in the youth group I attended, we debated almost every night. Every time, the same topic arose; should women be pastors? Ultimately this evolved; should women speak at church? Should women be leaders?
At first, I was strongly pro in the argument. Of course God would allow women to be pastors, speakers and leaders. After all, He isn't a discriminating God and He loves all equally, which would translate to letting all do everything. Take the Old Testament laws for example, where God allows for women to inherit land from their fathers, in the same way men are allowed to. (Numbers 21:1-11) Obviously God lets men and women participate in the same things. After all, if He didn't, would He be able to remain constant in a society that is pushing for more and more gender equality? Isn't His goal to show the world that He loves all no matter what gender, or race?
However, the opposition has a strong argument. Vital to their thesis is 1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." (NIV) Another verse states the same point, 1 Corinthians 14:34 "Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says." (NIV)
At first, I argued that using this verse was taking the words out of their context. Both times the books were written by Paul to new churches that were dealing with authority problems. In essence, all he was trying to do at this point was provide structure to the churches that were just starting off. I believed that Paul wasn't forbidding women to teach at all; rather just not at this point.
However, while I have not completely changed my view, I have succumbed in a few areas. First, I do believe that women should not teach in a church service consistently. Just as I argue with the issue of homosexuality, we must look at the way God created his perfect world. Man came first, and women followed. Essentially we are breaking the basic rules of structure if we place a women in lead. With that being said, at this point I do not have an issue with women business managers, rather only in an religious setting (however I am still studying this). Also, I do feel that God sometimes gifts women or lays upon their heart a topic that does need to be shared in front of the whole church. I have no issue with women leading women, or maybe even having a female teacher/pastor that is solely responsible for helping the female members of the congregation mature in their faith.
One of the greatest areas for women to serve is as Family Pastors. Again, going back to creation, God created women as nurturers for a specific reason: to care for children. While I do not think we should restrict males from serving in this area (one day I would like to possibly serve as a pastor here), I do feel that 9 times out of 10, females will be more successful.
While it may seem that I have set new strict standards for how I view women teachers, I still haven't completely rested all the issues. For instance, I'm still not 100% sure if women should be worship pastors. While at one point I may say that there shouldn't be an issue, on the other side if we restrict women from leading a congregation or teaching them, shouldn't we be consistent across the board?
I think that this issue goes beyond the simple questions of should we allow women pastors. I think at the heart of this issue we are wrestling with the character of God. For many us, we hold preconceived ideas about how our God should and would act. If we go back to my two questions about God staying constant in society, and loving everyone equally, basically what I was trying to do was mold God into a more admirable, likable entity for THIS society. Ultimately, we can't do that. God is way bigger then any of our issues here, and we certainly can't fit Him into this society. Does God really need to change His ways to remain constant with society? Should we really be judging God for His love instead of judging ourselves? And dealing with equal love, do we really think by restricting certain people from doing certain things, God is not spreading His love equally?
When we deal with issues such as gender equality, where I don't believe we will ever all agree on a "right" answer, each of us personally has to pray, study, and dwell in God's presence to come to our own realization. We must be respectful of each other's opinions, and make sure that our differences don't create a rift in the family of believers. One of the biggest mistakes we can ever make is dragging God down to society's level. Doing this does not make Him seem more attractive to non-believers, and it certainly doesn't solve our own problems. God is much more powerful than anything we could ever imagine, and we must continue to revere Him in awe.
Thursday 23 January 2014
Judge a Book by its Cover
I was shocked to overhear a conversation between two co-workers a few days ago regarding appearances and attitudes. My two fellow lifeguards were discussing the attitude and appearance of two people, two that I knew personally. Although they had never talked to these people before, they were saying that the two seemed to be self-absorbed, disdainful, and unappreciative. They gathered all this information simply from facial expression, clothing, and the way the two acted.
This situation got me thinking on multiple levels. It also shocked me, and raised a giant concern in my mind.
Now, a lot of people would use this situation to show how mankind has fallen to a whole new level, one where we simply judge people by looking at them. The old cliche "Don't judge a book by its cover" no longer matters in society. All of the work people have put in to try and stop this judgement has not worked. Personally, I say just accept it. It's part of our fallen nature to judge people. Of course, Christians are in a different boat. We are supposed to judge in a different way, and definitely not in this kind of way. My statement revolves around the non-believers. They are simply never going to stop judging UNTIL they become Christians. Anyways, that wasn't the issue for me.
I knew these two people, and I knew that my co-workers description was completely off. What was even more shocking for me was the fact that these two people were Christians. Don't see the issue with this yet? Here's why it is a major concern;
We as Christians are supposed to be drawing people to the Lord, not scaring them away. How can we evangelize when people are afraid to come and talk to us? Our mission, our purpose on Earth centers around our evangelistic movement, and granted, it is difficult to approach people and talk to them about Jesus. But shouldn't the easiest step here be talking to someone who approaches you? That seems most logical, yet we seem to be failing at the simplest attempt? Also, we are supposed to be demonstrating a different life, one that makes others question their ways. Our actions will always speak louder then words! And whether we like it or not, our facial expressions and body stance do affect how people view our actions.
If you saw someone who constantly looked angry, would you want to be like them? If you saw someone who always had a smile on their face, wouldn't want to be more like them? I do understand that the person who has a smile may be fake, or the person who looks angry actually be a very generous person, but people are naturally drawn to the one who smiles. Plus, we have real reason to smile! If we truly are Christians, and the love of Jesus is in our lives, we shouldn't have a single moment when we are down. We should constantly look happy, appreciative, and joyful! Our lives should be a shining beacon of light!
If you saw someone who constantly looked angry, would you want to be like them? If you saw someone who always had a smile on their face, wouldn't want to be more like them? I do understand that the person who has a smile may be fake, or the person who looks angry actually be a very generous person, but people are naturally drawn to the one who smiles. Plus, we have real reason to smile! If we truly are Christians, and the love of Jesus is in our lives, we shouldn't have a single moment when we are down. We should constantly look happy, appreciative, and joyful! Our lives should be a shining beacon of light!
I know that these two people would have loved to share the gospel, and this is nothing against them. I am not judging them at all, or zeroing in on their behavior. But to all you Christians out there, wake up! Appearances and attitudes matter. We need to be careful that we are not falling into a rut where we simply act comfortably, or look a certain way. We should look excited, thankful, and enthused in every situation!
Sunday 19 January 2014
About this Blog
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
I have become increasingly convinced that this Bible verse means nothing to the people of today. We either don't understand exactly what John is saying here, or we are just completely being ignorant and stubborn headed. Where is our love? Our appreciation? Our dedication? Our passion? For many, it is nowhere to be found. This problem is crippling the Church, in a time where we are desperately needed to step up in society. I believe this generation has the potential to change the world, we just have to realize that, and then take action.
That is my mission purpose, my goal. I wish to use this blog as a means or as a tool to continue to work on achieving what God wants.
Through this blog, I will discuss Biblical principles, review sermons and other literature works, and reveal my own thoughts. I'll provide devotions, tools, and resources to help anyone progress on their Christian journey.
Those who are not Christian can also find something in this blog. I will be reviewing mainstream movies, novels, and other artistic works. I'll offer up my own opinions on worldly news involving as many industries that I can touch on.
I hope that God is able to use this blog as a means to impact people's lives. I pray that eyes are opened, minds spurred into gear, and hearts healed.
I have become increasingly convinced that this Bible verse means nothing to the people of today. We either don't understand exactly what John is saying here, or we are just completely being ignorant and stubborn headed. Where is our love? Our appreciation? Our dedication? Our passion? For many, it is nowhere to be found. This problem is crippling the Church, in a time where we are desperately needed to step up in society. I believe this generation has the potential to change the world, we just have to realize that, and then take action.
That is my mission purpose, my goal. I wish to use this blog as a means or as a tool to continue to work on achieving what God wants.
Through this blog, I will discuss Biblical principles, review sermons and other literature works, and reveal my own thoughts. I'll provide devotions, tools, and resources to help anyone progress on their Christian journey.
Those who are not Christian can also find something in this blog. I will be reviewing mainstream movies, novels, and other artistic works. I'll offer up my own opinions on worldly news involving as many industries that I can touch on.
I hope that God is able to use this blog as a means to impact people's lives. I pray that eyes are opened, minds spurred into gear, and hearts healed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)