Spiritual growth

A few weeks ago we discussed things that had helped us in our spiritual growth, specifically relating to prayer. The item that I shared for the class was my prayer journal. Now, before some of you start tuning me out with the "I'm not a journal person" phrase, let me reassure you that I am not either. I had never kept a journal for more than a week in my entire life. However, a few summers ago someone introduced me to the idea and I have been blessed by using the journal ever since. All I have in my journal is the date and then a list of the situations and people that I am praying about. Using the journal has kept me more consistent in my prayer life and I have been able to go back and look at the ways that God has answered my prayers. I can see times where I had a request that seemed to be so daunting at the time, but God has answered the prayer and I have almost forgotten the problem.

The second item that has helped me grow spiritually is spending time reading the Bible. I have used Bible reading schedules, the Daily Bible, and I am using the One Year Bible now. All of them have their advantages, but they have all helped me grow. I cannot imagine being where I am today without all of the lessons that I have learned through reading every day.

Enough about me, what about you? What have you done that has impacted your spiritual growth? I would love to hear from you and let you share with others so that we can learn from each other.
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Changes

Well, to those of you checking in a few changes have happened over the past six months. Charissa and I moved to Searcy, AR and I am going back to school to certify to teach high school math. Charissa is enjoying teaching third grade at a local elementary school. I am going to school full time at Harding and I will be done with school in May. I helped coach the football team this past season and enjoyed being around the players. I love working with teenagers. I enjoy the time I spend with them now and look forward to the time I will have with them in the future. Charissa and I are working with a small group for the teens on Wednesday night and we have enjoyed that as well. So, to our friends in Colorado, Arkansas, Texas, or wherever else you live, that is the short version of what we have been up to for the past several months.

There are so many of you who have been such an important part of our lives, and since you are in so many different places it is nearly impossible for me to keep in contact with each of you. One of the main reasons that I want to start using this blog again is to help you in your spiritual walk. I hope that when you who check in from time to time you will find something to think about, laugh about, or maybe give you a different insight that you haven't had before. I hope that you will feel free to post a comment, since many of my blogs may be asking your thoughts on a particular idea. So, whenever you click on the blog, I hope more than anything that you are growing closer to God and developing a better relationship with His Son.

Language

I was reading some blogs today on my day off (which is when I do my blogging) and I ran across a blog that was talking about what language is appropriate for us to use as Christians. From my perspective, I think it is sad that we have to talk about this question so much. If you would like to read the blog I got this idea from, go to www.kendallball.net and look at the post on 3/21/05 titled "I Swear?". I thought my reply to his post might stimulate your own thoughts on the topic:

Ok, first of all, why is this topic such a popular topic of discussion? I’m just wondering who is raising this issue so much today anyway…popular author, speaker, random thought, etc. I agree with so much of what has already been said. Words do have power (otherwise, would we be having this discussion?), Philippians 4:8, Keith Riley’s & Keith Brenton’s comments, and thinking about the other words and phrases we use and what they convey. I guess my first question would be, “What’s the point (or your point) of cussing?” I guess I should mention the root of the words and that I guess in some ways the meanings are arbitrary or associated with being vulgar in some way. Some words we use in the US wouldn’t be as well received in other cultures. Still, for whatever reason, they carry a vulgar meaning in our society. I think it would be safe to say that we wouldn’t want our language to get in the way of bringing others to Jesus. Take a person I know here in town that doesn’t curse like a sailor, but uses expletives frequently…including God’s name. How anxious would I be to hear him tell me about Jesus if I didn’t know Him? Not much…he’s already turned me off to that. “But what if I don’t do it when anyone is around?” I totally agree with the comments people have made about keeping their language and thoughts (from the inside comes…Mark 7:23) in check at all times (see James 3). I don’t think that we should consciously live one way around others and one way by ourselves…and I’m not talking about the fact that we all have struggles that we work on…I’m talking about living a double standard. For instance, what if I had told myself that it was OK for me to curse when I am alone (which is a whole other topic anyway…it seems that people are always watching) but not around others? A couple of weeks ago I slammed my finger in my office door at church which is right by the lobby. I would have to say that if I let myself say those words when I was alone that my mind would have already sent an expletive to express my pain that would not have been well-received by the people in the lobby. That definitely would have had a negative effect on my ministry, especially with the teens. Let’s assume for a minute that curse words are unacceptable in society…which for a large segment they are. I think that using that language is a far cry from Paul saying that he would go so far as to not eat meat if it caused his brothers to stumble (Rm. 14:21, 1 Cor. 8:13). Jesus also warns us about causing little ones to sin (Matt. 18:6, see also 1 Cor. 10:32) and Paul warns us about doing the same. Paul also says lists as a quality for Elders that they should be above reproach (1 Tim. 3). Sure, you’re not an Elder and neither am I. I mess up often, but I believe that every Christian should aim to be above reproach. I believe that one of the main reasons that Paul said this quality is so that people wouldn’t look down on the church, and we should try not to hurt the church’s reputation also. If this is an area that can affect our witness potential (which I strongly believe it is), then we should do our best to not give Satan a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). Words are powerful, and even with the worst of language we probably can’t fully communicate to God our feeling, and that is where the Spirit helps us (Romans 8:26). Sure, a study may exist that say people who cuss are less stressed, but you can find a study to say pretty much anything you want and I don’t think this decision should be based on that (not saying that is the basis for your reasoning). From a personal standpoint, I have two groups of people that I disagree with. First, the people who think that cussing in public is OK because I think it sets a bad example, especially for children. There is a minister in my area who is gaining a slight reputation for using expletives in public (prayers in staff meetings, youth rallies, etc.) and I am really disappointed in his example…and the other youth workers and ministers who use curse words around me. I am also a bit disappointed with people who show disapproval for every word that people use to express frustration. I know of a lady who heard someone say, “stink” to express mild frustration and responded, “Oh really?” Raising a problem with “stink”??? Although I don’t approve of vulgar language to express frustration, I think there are some other more acceptable words that could be used and it irritates me when people want to throw out every word that people use. Sometimes I wonder if they know the struggle that people really face with language, especially with testosterone-driven teenage guys…not to discriminate against any other groups including girls.


Well, that was my reply to his post. We should be careful about the words that we use and I hope that this is helpful to you.

Does evil exist?

I haven't blogged in some time because I was working on this one and things have been busy. I hope this is helpful to you and sheds some light on the topic.

Does evil exist? Why does God let bad things happen to good people (or bad people for that matter)? This question has been asked millions of times I guess. I thought this article might help shed some light on the topic, or at least make you look at the issue a different way. I believe it is worth your time:

DOES EVIL EXIST- The university professor challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?" A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked. "Yes sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question Professor "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460° F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does." The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light." The professor sat down. The young man's name ---Albert Einstein


Now, I have no idea if this story is real, especially the part about Einstein. However, the concept seems to be accurate…or at least what I understand from my limited science/physics background. This article kind of made me look at the issue a different way and see that evil really is where God is not.

I also think that sometimes we loose sight of what God has promised us. God created a perfect world without sin, death, disease, but we messed it up. For basically the rest of the Old Testament, God was working behind the scenes to give mankind the opportunity to reunite with Him after sin entered the world. He didn’t promise us health. He didn’t promise us happiness...in our terms. He didn’t promise us riches or that everything would go well for us here on earth. He did promise us to be faithful and the chance for eternal life and a chance to be reunited with Him one day.

I don’t like to see when other people suffer. I don’t believe that God does either. We messed up and His Son had to suffer for us. God didn’t promise us an easy life here on earth in the way we would like to have life, but he did promise us eternal life with Him. Hopefully this doesn’t sound like some simplistic response, but helps shed some light on the topic.

What makes a great person "great"?

How do you decide who a "great person" is? Maybe you should think of it this way...think of a great person in your view, and then think of what they did to "earn" that spot in your mind. In my mind the people that I think of who are "great" have become great by the things that they have accomplished, or more specifically a hurdle that they have overcome. Maybe that person is a parent, grandparent, or other family member who has done a fantastic job of investing themselves in you. Maybe that person is a church leader that weathered a storm in their life or a public leader that overcame great hurdles to lead people to a better day.

I was reading another blog today on my day off, and I read about someone I have admired for many reasons from my teenage years. He just let some of his friends know that he has finally overcome a 20 year addiction to pornography. I didn't know what to think because of course I had no idea that was going on in his life. For whatever reason, I didn't think less of him but I admired his courage to face his struggle...which I guess is the way it should be. I'm not saying that we should all run out and get an addiction so that we can overcome it. I guess I have seen too many men give up the fight and fall to their temptation and ruin the lives of so many loved ones around them. The worst part about it is they make excuses along the way as their family members suffer the consequences.

If you want to know what I think about how we should handle them as a church, then read my previous blog "...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours." Without a doubt we should love them and support them. The guy who was writing about it had been in an accountability group with this man for 10 years. Did he have any idea? Did this guy have a "safe place" where he could let his struggle be known without fearing rejection? Do you have people in your life you could share struggles with and know that they will still accept you and support you?

Today, may we have the courage to face the hurdles that come our way and look to help others around us. Don't think that the obstacle you face-- addictions or opportunities-- are what are keeping you from being a great person for God. They are the things that are making you "great."

"...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours."

Have you ever seen Enemy at the Gates? Charissa and I watched it the other night. I thought it was a great movie. By the way, almost any movie that I see is a Clean Films movie (e-mail me for info), so if you see one and it has all kinds of "stuff" through it, sorry. I didn't see the unedited version. Anyway, the scene is set in World War 2. Russia is vigorously defending Stalingrad against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces. The beginning of the movie shows literal cattle cars (pad locked to keep soldiers from escaping) rolling up to the battle scene and all of the young soldiers being herded out of the cars...after taking a step back from the imposing scent...and sent directly to the front line. The boats ferrying the soldiers across the river are under heavy attack. Army officers for the Russians keep the soldiers on the boats at all costs, even shooting the ones that jump off of the boat. They land on the other side and are issued weapons...for every other person. One soldier gets a gun, and the other gets a 5-round clip of ammo. There is a man standing above the guns saying, "One man gets a gun, the other man gets ammo. The one without a gun follows the one with a gun. When the one with the gun gets killed, the other man picks up the gun." Brilliant strategy, eh...and very demoralizing. They rush these half-scared young men into battle in a desperation charge where they are mowed down by the Nazi artillery and machine guns. HUNDREDS fall dead, and a young soldier shouts they should all retreat. What do they meet when they fall back? Russians with a few machine guns mowing them down for being "cowards" and retreating.

A few days later the hard-nosed general asks his officers for suggestions. One suggest imprisoning the families of some of the soldiers, another a similar punishment-focused option...all of which are already being done. Then, from somewhere down the line some says, "Give them hope." The general finds the vocal officer and glares him down. The officer suggests giving them hope, giving them pride in the country, giving them stories of heroes to aspire to be like. Other officers are shaking their heads and rolling their eyes the whole time. The thing that the officer said that caught me was, "...the only choice they have is their bullets or ours."

For whatever reason, that stuck with me. "Their bullets or ours." A battle. That is what we are in as Christians...the greatest battle that could ever be fought. So what about the people that we go to church with that need to retreat, maybe from the sins that the Enemy has used to ambush them? Do we open up the 50 cal and let the lead fly...spiritually speaking? Is the only choice that they have to face the literally impenetrable (without God and fellow "soldiers") attacks of the Enemy or turn around and get shot by the bullets that their comrades in arms fire at them?

I'll be honest (see, I'm off to a good start with being honest). I'm not the best at dealing with the retreaters. I want to welcome them, support them, pray for them, but sometimes I really don't know how to handle them. So may things seem to be "ambushes" that I haven't had to face. But what is our attitude? Where is the lead being aimed? By the way, I have no intention of this being a "bad mouth the church" blog. Complaining about the church does not fix problems. Complaining creates them, throws lead in the wrong direction like shooting a tank (instead of redirecting the cannon at the Enemy), and bombshells those around us. I've seen enough teens loose faith in the church because parents are too busy saying what's wrong with the church. Sure, we can sometimes influence others, but ultimately the main thing we can change...and will be held accountable to the General for...is ourselves. What about you? How do you handle the retreaters?

Let's lock and load and melt some barrels firing over the heads of our wounded and retreaters...fellow soldiers...into the front lines of the Enemy...and have the ambulance ready for them so that they can later return to action. Let's give them hope!

The journey begins...

I guess that every journey must have a beginning...and we are just picking up in the middle of my story. To be honest with you (which I will try to do at all times in my blog anyway), I only have this blog spot because I was trying to leave a comment for someone else and I ended up with a blog of my own! Anyway, I plan to leave something funny, interesting, or a thought for you to think about. I'm sure you have seen a scene in movies where a guy (or girl) is writing a letter or a journal and there is someone speaking the words that s/he is writing...the thoughts, feelings, and the like for the character. That is kind of like my blog, and I hope that it helps you in your life...and helps you to get to know me and point to God along the way.

Road trip! Doesn't that get you kind of excited?!? It does to me. Well, this is the road trip of my life, so I hope you're excited! Ready? Let's go!