I Am Not A Hand, I Am A Foot! April 25, 2009

This is something that has been on my heart now for a long time. I had just been waiting for the opportunity and time to write it. I think that people generally have expectations for one another: expectations of how others will act, what others will say, what their roles are, and so forth. I believe that expectations are inevitable and can either be good or bad. I also believe that people should look within themselves and see what kind of expectations they place on others and if they are reasonable expectations or not.

Well, it seems that I (and supposedly many others) have let people down recently (or for a while now). People have expected me to be a HAND, when in reality I am NOT a HAND, I am a FOOT! This lanugage of hands and feet comes from the Bible where it talks about the Church being the Body of Christ and how we all have different parts…

ROMANS 12:3-8

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (NIV)

Born to Sing… April 19, 2009

Declan Galbraith…this guy is one of my new favorite artists. He was seriously born to sing. I think this is his purpose in life. Some people are great singers, but some people are born singers and are meant to sing. I know music, and this guy, he’s absolutely amazing. He has great vibrato and he has a great range. Hope you enjoy his stuff, go check him out…

Jesus Died Of Old Age April 11, 2009

Before you label me a heretic, actually read what I have to say. =)

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. After one Sunday service when Artur (our College/Career Pastor) said that Jesus didn’t have to die such a horrible death on the cross, He could have just died of old age. That made me think…

Really? Could Jesus have actually died of old age and that be sufficient enough to cover the sins of all humanity in the past, present, and future?

How interesting would the story have been if we read in the Bible that Jesus lived until age 85 and died of natural causes and was then laid in a tomb and after 3 days He rose again and conquered death? Is that really sufficient? Was His purpose here to simply die or was it to be the Suffering Servant as well? Is His “blood” that we sing about all the time “that makes us white as snow” simply referring to Him dying or did His blood actually have to be spilt?

So, the question here that I grapple with is whether Jesus’ death alone was enough, or did He have to suffer and did His body have to break and bleed for us as well?

We Are All Moving Along On A Continuum… April 8, 2009

(Here is something i wrote a little while back, just wanted to post it up and hear your thoughts…)

Prophetic message is progressive
i. Its transforms gradually as changes take place in history
ii. Bound together by one spirit and revealing one revelation.
iii. We’re moving along on a continuum and there is an end…

 

This is a little part of my notes from my Hebrew Prophets class and as I was studying for my test I couldn’t help but stop here and think about this, and I just wanted to share my thoughts with you all…

 

First of all it is important to note that God is always the main figure of the prophetic message (This is known as Theocentric)

 

Every prophet’s message was about God and how much humans need God and salvation. It’s not about humans, it’s about God! Even when you read the prophetic judgments against Israel or Judah, there is always a promise of salvation. How beautiful it is to know that even though God’s people were screwing up big time and turned to idol worship…God was still faithful.

 

Isn’t it interesting that while God’s people were idolaters, they were committing adultery against God? As the covenant people they were supposed to remain faithful to God and His commands and in return they would be God’s adopted children and they would be protected, secure, and peaceful. This was very much a covenant relationship like marriage. If a married person lies with another person whom is not their spouse, they are adulterous, so in the same sense if a believer turns to other “gods”, they are adulterous in their covenant relationship with God.