Lost, Survivor & God's Will

So Ericka and I have been watching a ton of "lost" lately. If you have never seen the show basically a plane crashed and the show is based around following the survivors on a mysterious island. It has proven to be a very addictive show as well, as entertaining. A lot of times I am watching it and thinking about survivor (since I am a survivor fanatic). I wonder to myself sometimes if I could ever make it in a situation like that.

I think I could

anyways. . .

one of the main themes of lost, is destiny or fate and the interconnectedness of humanity. Really there are alot of faith issues that you can take from the show, and just kinda chew on and think about. As the seasons progress it becomes more and more apparent that these people have been put together, and there is some kind of purpose for each of them.

as a follower of Jesus and being part of the Christian community, the question of god's will often comes up. It shows itself in different forms, but it is ever present.

simply what does God want from us?

what did he make us for?

why did he make ME ?

these kind of deep internal deep life questions.

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I heard an author talking about he believes that the story that God is writing is not about me, or us as much as it is about him. And He is enjoying every twist and turn, because in the end He knows it will work out for His glory and our Good.

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probably my favorite quote in the world has to do with the subject of God's will.

"The center of God's will is not a safe place, but the most dangerous place in the world"

-Erwin McManus

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what are your thoughts when it comes to god's will . . . any conclusions or observations

when I was a child . . .

So I got up early this morning did some work and then headed over over to one of those coffee shop/bagleries. I enjoy grabbing a bagel, some diet pepsi and just spending some time thinking.

Well as I was drifting away in my thoughts, someone I knew was walking by so I greeted him. I could tell he was flustered, and in a passing way he mentioned how his day was not going well.

It was still early so I thought I would let him elaborate. So he spent the next few minutes describing how one of his children had basically spent the entire morning dragging his feet, procrastinating, and basically not wanting to get to school.

So the dad was hurrying all over the place and begging his son to just do what he asked, so they would we on time for school, which would allow the dad to be on time for work and so on . . .

The kid didn't listen and single handedly made everyone late.

What struck me as interesting as this man was telling me his story, was his animation. I could see how frustrated he was (and so could everyone else in the coffee shop/baglerie). He wasn't holding back. But it wasn't like he hated his kid for making him late. This morning he showed a different kind of emotion . . . one that I hadn't picked up on before.

It was a combination of love and frustration.

and for the simple purpose of this blog I will call it lovestration.

I have never witnesses this emotion before . . . I mean I am sure that I have been in the presence of if once or twice before, but I never cared.

But this morning as this dad was ranting in his love, I thought to myself . . .

"Self is this what God goes through, does God expereience lovestration ?"

The imagery of God as a father is nothing new . . . and recently I have seen more and more christian people that I know acting like little children . . . so when the story was being told I was viewing "us" in the child's role.

How true is it, that we act like little kids with God. We know what he wants, we understand what we can do to make his job easier, and there is no question we know that he loves us. But we get stuck on the fact that we "don't want to go to school" or that "we don't like the outfit we have on today" or that "the other kids were mean to me yesturday".

We let these silly things which center entirely around us STOP us from doing what our dad wants us to do, and what we know is right.

honestly this week I have become fed up with adults acting like little kids . . . and I know I do it sometimes too.

and in light of my conversation this morning, I am confident that God experiences lovestration . . . and I am so thankful that he does.

It makes him real, because sometimes I do act like a little kid.

The apostle Paul wrote:
"when I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me" (1 cor 13:11)

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So stop being a baby



any thoughts ?

God Speak . . .

So I have been thinking a lot lately about how God speaks to us. We are currently working on a couple projects for youth ministry. One of the topics of study is going to be on knowing God's will.

Today I was talking with someone who basically explained that God would have to preform a series of events that would all but rule out the possibility of coincidence before they would make a certain life changing decision.

I found this to be amusing becuase it seemed to me as if, he was trying to get God to perform for him. (i don't think he intends for it to come across like that) It's like saying hey God, I will do something that seems logical, practical, and in line with what you desire for my life only if you jump through these specific hoops first.

Why do we do this ?

Like those prayers when you were in high school . . .

"Hey God if you get me out of this jam, then I will do whatever you want, for the rest of my life."

or

"God if you help me pass this class, then I will go to church every week"

or

"God if you hook me up with that girl, then I will pray more often"


How sad is it that we turn the almighty God's movement in our lives into a circus trick.

It seems to me that God is trying to constantly communicate to us, I believe I have experienced his leading through many different venues and forms.

Some seem normal others "out there" and weird . . . I am convinced that God has not left his communication with us to exclusivley supernatural action in our lives.

(this does not mean he is not capable of supernatural intervention to get our attention, but I think he has done so much to show us, and continues to work out things in our lives so we know what he would want)

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What are some ways in which you have connected with God, and known you were doing what he intended for you to do in that moment ?

what is the problem

So at any point in the day you can turn on your local news station,
C-SPAN, or CNBC and you have available to you (in HD none the less) some of the most heinous and horrible things imaginable. Scandals, theft, starvation, rape, murder, genoside.

As americans in the 21st century we have the ability to have a global understanding of the issues that plague humanity, and yet we don't do anything about it.

Many times we look at the world, and say that isn't right, or thats not fair !

I have been reading a book recently called "Blue Like Jazz" - by Donald Miller in it he wrestles with this issue of what is the world's problem. And he comes to the conclusion that the people who committ these horrible acts are really no different than he is. He realizes that he has the potential to do all of the before mentioned acts. He writes these statements:

"I am the problem"

"The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest"

"I don't have to watch the evening news to see that the world is bad, I only have to look at myself"

What do you think about this ?


How do we correct the problem, if we are the problem ?


I personally see this a very poignant thought . . . the problems I see in the world, are not the issues I have with others, they are the issues I have with myself. When I hear of someone committing adultry i am ultimately disgusted because of the lustful feelings that have been in my heart. When I hear about a murder, I find it horrible becuase I know it was done out of hate or greed, and I have hated and been greedy. For every horrible act committed I know that I have sinned in the same or similar way. . . meaning I have the propensity to sin

This speaks very specifically to the "log in your own eye" mentality that Jesus had. I think for me this plays a lot into the way that I view those outside of the kingdom.

Only God can judge them, and I have no right to put upon them the mantle of my beliefs. Those beliefs are ones that I have glady put on during my journey. They however are not the ruler by which to judge others.

If I am the problem...and I believe I am; then change starts with me.

I need to get the log out of my own eye, before I can help you with your speck.

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any thoughts ?

Who is King ?

someone asked me my thoughts about this quote . . .

"the only one that got condemed to hell was the devil and his demons for trying to be God"

here are my thoughts . . .

the focus of this quote seems to be the place of hell, which is always an interesting topic when it comes to who is going there, who is not, and who ultimatly belongs there.

let me first note, that I believe only God has the authority to judge the hearts and souls of people . . . I can't, and I don't want you to either. With that being said ma'ny people would argue that they know what "kind" of people are going to heaven and what "kind of people are going to hell, but honestly I don't think anyone has the "rules" pertaining to the destinations of eternity perfectly worked out.

When I think about the question of who is going to heaven and who is going to hell i am immediatly drawn to the issue of sin. I think it is because it is sin which has seperated us from God and because the most simple definition of hell is eternity seperated from God.

So sin seems like the central issue to me.

so lets take a minute to think about sin . . .

the dictionary says that sin is : a transgression of divine law

so if sin is our disobedience to what God has defined as ultimatly right

Then He in essence is the King of creation . . . he makes the laws and rules, and sin is our breaking of those laws.

In a sense when we sin , through our actions we are saying, "You know what I think I know what is right, better than you do" to the King.

In a sense when we sin, we are declaring to God that we don't think he is right, that he is not doing a good job and being King, and that we believe we know whats best and could do his job better.

So when I look at sin in this light, I honestly see the little devils in all of us, because we have decided that we know better. . .

and in this sense we are trying to be God.

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so what do you think?

thirteen eat dinner, two swords are taken, and one messy ear is mended

So my sister and I were talking about a passage that was used for a sermon she heard this past week. The passage used was Luke 22:35-38 . But to really get a grasp on what is going on you probably need to read Luke 22:7-53 - This section includes that last supper, Jesus going to the mount of olives, and his arrest.

Apparently the sermon focused on v. 38 and the point was made that "there are times when we as Christians need to be ready to fight"

I Never had heard that passage focus on the taking of the swords. Very interesting. I had some personal thoughts, but first I looked up in a commentary what they interpreted this passage to mean so: here it is- it's taken fom

The College Press NIV Commentary Series: Luke by Mark C. Black (pages 358-359)

verses 35 - 37

"These verses present yet one more account found only in Luke which is a challenge for interpreters. Having spoken of the time of sifting which will soon arrice, Jesus teaches that the time will be difficult even for those who maintain their faith. He begins by reminding them of thier "limited commission" in which they succsessfully preached and healed in Galilee and were well received (luke 9:1-10). Even thought they went without purse, bag, or sandals, they did not lack anything. That is, all their needs were supplied by those to whom they preached. Those days are now over, Jesus implies. He tells them that they will now need to take money (purse) and extra provisions (bag). He even tells them to sell one of their most important possessions, their cloak, and buy a sword if they do not already own one. The reason is that Jesus and therefore his followers are going to be viewed as criminals (transgressors). This must be, because it is written in Isaiah 53:12. This is the earliest clear indication that Jesus saw his role in terms of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. The early church will utilize this text often in its preaching about a rejected and slain Messiah (for example, Acts 8:32-33).

Verse 38

The disciples take Jesus literally with reference to the swords and are able to produce two swords from amon their belongings. When they show them to Jesus, he ends the conversatino abruptly when he says, "That is enough." He cannot mean that two swords are enought to fight off the soldiers which with their enemies will have behind them. He must mean, "that is enough of this nonsense." He did not intend to be taken literally as verses 49-51 will demonstrate. The disciple once again show their fundamental lack of understanding."


my thoughts - (disclaimer: I am not a "scholar")

I agree with the comentary on this being a shifting point in the way that Jesus and his disciples will be viewed. It is no longer going to be an easy road, In this same passage Jesus has made clear he will be killed and worse yet, one of the men in the room will betray him. Even though the disciples don't get it; it is plain to see that he is trying to prepare them for the the tough part of this journey.

another personal thought . . .

I have to be confident that Jesus knew what was going to happen after passover. he knew about his betrayal so he would know about his arrest, and how the whole thing would go down.
If he hadn't mentioned the swords I doubt they would have taken them to the Mount of Olives, jesus set it up. And if you notice during his arrest it is peter who uses the sword to fight the men coming to arrest Jesus, and just earlier Jesus "goaded" peter saying that he would betray him. If I am peter and Jesus is telling me this I am going to do everything I can to show him that it is not true.

It is almost as if jesus sets the whole arrest scene up, while he is having the last supper. His final point before he is taken into custody is this "
"Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour -when darkness reigns"

The charges brought against Jesus was that he was a rebellious leader, trying to overthrow the roman government and usurp its authority in Judea. Jesus makes it clear by healing the man at his arrest. It is clear that HE IS SUPERNATURAL, and it is clear that he has not come to overthrow the government, but rather to overthrow darkness.

It is interesting that he says "darkness reigns" in this hour . . . because as we look back on Jesus we see that he has crafted this event, and that his father has planned and prepared for the "fullness of time" for the event to take place. I don't know how darkness reigns when God is in total controll." It is like Jesus is playing the game letting evil think it has won.

That reminds me of the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe; when the witch thinks she has killed aslan with deep magic...but aslan comes back from the dead and he says "there is deeper magic at work"

....just some of my thoughts what do you think about them ?

-Dev

the heart: that beautiful and wretched thing

So I think I have known this for a long time, but honestly the reality of it all comes and goes. There are days when I know this and live like it...and then there are days that if you saw me, you would never know that I believed this :

The heart is a matter of life and death.

I really believe that all of life hinges upon how we handle our heart . . . not that physical thing that pumps blood throughout your body, but that intangible thing that makes you, well you. Others call it your soul, but whatever you want to call it . . . it is the thing that truly defines who you are, and what you do with your life. How you treat it, guard it, share it, use it truly is a matter of life and death

So it is my goal with this blog to spend time on my heart, on my soul. I want to dedicate the time to my soul and its nourishment, and development that it deserves. The time that God intended for it to have.

I hope that you will want to join in on this journey, because your heart (soul) is precious to God, and it is worth the time invested on it. It defines who you are and who you will become, so in the words of the great theologians Switchfoot:

" This is your life; are you who you want to be ? "

If you feel your identity is out of whack, its because your heart is not lined up with the way that God has made you, and too many times I know I feel that way. So why don't you join me on this journey. I know that God will do the necessary heart surgery that each of us needs, if we just commit to take the time and allow him to do his marvelous work, to restore our hearts, those sometimes beautiful sometimes wretched things.