Question

Which of the following does faith in Christ look like, or are both faith?

Person #1  "If I choose to follow Jesus and live the christian life and then die one day and find out that I was wrong, I haven't really lost anything.  In fact I still would have made a good decision because if you follow what the Bible teaches you will live a good moral and happy life.

Person #2 "If Jesus Christ is not God and has not died for my sins and is not going to give me a place with Him one day then I have wasted my life.  If I don't get to go to heaven with Jesus after this life on earth then I am the biggest fool of all.  If it is true that this life is all there is then let us eat the best all the time at every meal, let us drink to a drunken stupor every chance we get, let us do everything we can to make our bodies feel happy, because in a sense just in a few short days we die.

I have heard quite a few people say something like person number one when defending why they choose to be follow Jesus, and when I hear it it always terrifies me.  It may not be the exact words as what I used to describe the thought process.  I heard one man say, "you know I'm just not willing to take the chance."  By this he meant, the chance that there actually is heaven and hell and that if he hadn't 'got saved' he would go to hell.  It sounds like insurance to me, and I don't think Jesus deals like that.  The New Testament followers looked to Him as the life boat, not a life jacket to wear in case your boat wrecks.  This is not over-analyzing either.  It only takes about two minutes of honest reading in the New Testament to see that there faith was not casual.  Paul said near the end of 1 Corinthians that if we have hoped in Christ in this life only we are of all men most to be pitied.  He said if Christ is not raised let us eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.  There he was quoting the secular Greek philosophy of his time, and was affirming that if this faith in Jesus does not turn into sight one day then we all that have chosen follow Him are pitiful fools.  If Jesus has not died for us and rose for us then we are idiots who have chosen to give up our agendas for His will.  

Anyway, as always I appreciate any of you who take the time to read this.  I know I am choppy at times.  I am trying to get better and better at getting these ideas out.  These are all rough drafts from my head.  

Ryan

The Christmas Season

I love the Christmas season.  I have a ton of great memories from my childhood that still make me happy when I think of them.  I know some folks out there have not had such good memories of the holidays and that makes me sad.  I love remembering about seeing all my family and eating the most awesome home-made food from my grand-parents.  I have some great memories of some family members that have passed away in that last few years that I was so blessed to be around.  I have a few bad memories around the holidays too, but the overarching feeling I get when I think back is a warm one.  Without going any further into the details of my christmas time memories, I would like to talk about something that has been the topic of conversation for me and my wife lately....what are we going to do with our children as far as Santa Claus goes.  I personally think it is a conscience decision that is not specifically spelled out in the Bible.  However, I do think we ought to make every decision with the light of God's Word guiding us.  Where it does not specifically tell us what to do we ought to decide based on Biblical principles.  I think the Bible teaches us to be very purposeful with everything.  We are not just to decide whatever we want as long as the Bible does not say.  We are to 'do all things to the glory of God' (1 corinthians).  So with all that in mind, me and Emily have decided teach our children first and foremost about the wonderful Gift of Christmas that is Jesus, and within that mind-set to teach them about a man of God who followed truly followed Jesus, St. Nicholas.  As far as Santa Claus goes, we are not going to treat him as an evil idea.  I consider him along the same lines as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, all of which are fictional characters.  I don't think this will in any way take away any happiness from our children.  How can focusing all of their attention on a wonderful God that loved them so much that He gave His only begotten Son to live and die for them so that they could go to heaven one day be boring or a strike against their happiness.  On top of this there are some things about Santa Claus that I am weary of.  For one thing He supposedly only gives gifts to you if you have been a good boy or girl.  I guess poor children are all bad.  Another thing is that He is supposed to be able to see them at all times.  (He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when your awake.......)  Personally the only one I want my children to ever think about seeing them at all times is God.  Now I know, I can already hear some of you saying how overboard this is, but once again I'm just giving you my train of thought about it.  If we as parents are supposed to do everything to point our children to a personal relationship with Jesus, (a relationship that is not based on their performance, but on His mercy), then shouldn't we at least consider the possibility that Santa Claus could be a stumbling block to this.  Santa Claus teaches them to be good and they will get gifts, Jesus teaches them that He died for them in spite of their actions.  Now the story of St. Nicholas on the other hand teaches us to be like Jesus, who gave in spite of, not because of.  I have just recently researched to historical St. Nicholas.  There are tons of stories, some of which seem sure to be folklore, but some which seem to be true.  The most famous one was told by just about every writer I read.  The story is about this man that had three daughters.  He was poor and on the verge of starving along with the rest of his family.  So in desperation he decided to sell one of his daughters into slavery.  The night before he was going to take her to be sold, St Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and hurried away before he was found.  The man found the money and did not sell his daughter.  The story is told a little different by each writer, but the jest of it is the same.  St. Nicholas gave to a man that was in real need.  That is the example of Jesus.  He became poor, so we could be rich.  He died, so we could live.  What an awesome Saviour!  Another reason I think teaching only Jesus at Christmas is a good idea is because of the possibility of teaching our children the joy of giving to those who really need it.  Now I would never go into any details or say we or anyone else should give any certain amount to those in need each Christmas, but the example of Jesus leads us to do something.  If we allow our children to take part in this their whole lives, they will hopefully be drawn to the God who inspires all the giving.  This type of thinking is in sharp contrast to 'being good so that I can get all the toys I want'.  I want my children to think,  "Mommy and Daddy love us and give us gifts at Christmas."  That is all.  I can't wait till Garrison and Allie are old enough to enjoy the anticipation of getting gifts on Christmas morning, but I want them to know that they got them because we love them not because they earned them.  

Honestly, it scares me how tightly we hold on to Santa Clause.  It seems for some of us that our affections are stirred much more by thinking of him than by thinking of Jesus.  Its seems to me that, though we would never say it, we believe Jesus is the necessary part and Santa is the fun.  God help us if this is the case.  We need to be brought back to the wonder of how awesome the real story of Christmas is.  

With all that said I will not cut you off as friends if you disagree with me.  I would love to hear other angles on this topic if you would like to comment.

Ryan  

Please Read This!

They are His first and foremost, and then ours.  
I would like you to read a devotional from a very good friend of mine.  He is a Pastor of a church in Mobile.  He has been one of the biggest influences in my christian life.  He is a father-figure to me and a true man of God.  I think we could all benefit from reading what he has to say about our present President-elect.  

Friends,        My wife Frances has been a Labor & Delivery RN for 30 years, and is currently Assistant Manager of the L&D unit at a local hospital.  She has witnessed thousands of births, and has personally delivered many babies when doctors could not arrive in time for the blessed event.  As the title of a book she is working on about her experience in Labor and Delivery indicates ("Memories of Miracles"), she  says that every birth she witnesses is an obvious miracle, an obvious act of God.  As such, she has a unique perspective regarding the election of Sen. Barack Obama as President of the United States.     As many of you know, Sen. Obama has in the past advocated and legislated for a procedure known as partial birth abortion. In the present, he is unrepentant for having done so. The procedure involves allowing babies to die if an abortion fails to end its life, usually by setting it aside in some out of the way place (although occasionally, some kind-hearted health care professional may hold the baby as it dies).  In essence, the procedure is death by neglect, to put it very moderately. Before the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007, and opposed by Sen. Obama), lowest estimates indicated that at least 500 partial birth abortions a year took place in the United States, while higher estimates were in the thousands.          "Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?" (Job 31:15).     "But Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts" (Psalm 22:9).         The born again Christian who believes the Bible must be deeply disturbed that such a procedure was once legal in the United States, and that Sen. Obama - now President Elect Obama - was an ardent supporter of its legality.  Clearly, God is involved in our conception and gestation, as the passages above declare, and it is He that takes us out of the womb through the agency of nurses, doctors, midwives and others.  L&D nurses therefore see obvious acts of the Creator in every birth.  Their perception and understanding of the sacredness of birth is therefore to be expected, as is the horror which many of them feel that we have elected a president who advocated and legislated for this "death by neglect."       I was in my 20s when science shows on TV began to show childbirth.  I cried the first time I saw a baby born on film, and I have cried every time I have seen any baby born (including, of course, my own).  I have never sensed the presence of God more than when witnessing the miracle of childbirth.  God is there in some special and glorious way whenever a child enters the world, and crying for emotional types like myself is the obvious response.  Of course, you don't have to cry, but the point is that anyone with any heart whatsoever is going to be deeply affected.  You have to be because, again, God is present in His glory when His splendid creations, His babies, are called forth from the womb.        The history of Barack Obama regarding this issue is a matter of public record despite his statements in the campaign which contradicted the facts.  Again, he has advocated and legislated for partial birth abortion, or infanticide, or death by neglect.  I've wondered recently if he was present when his own children were born.  I suspect not.  I sincerely hope and pray not!  Because if he could have witnessed the birth of his children - and the manifested presence of God in their entrance into the world - how could he  could have been the ardent proponent of partial birth abortion that he has been?  What are we to believe about his heart?  No excuse will suffice, not "the mother's choice," or "women's rights," or "the antiabortion crowd will use banning partial birth abortion as a stepping stone to banning all abortions."      I sincerely wish that every American would be required to witness either in person or on film a partial birth abortion.  Somehow the baby survives the savagery of the abortion process, and then if the mother nevertheless chooses its death, it is denied care which would preserve its life.  The death process may take as little as 45 minutes, or 8 hours or more.  It is simply left to die, or perhaps someone may hold it until it does.        Make this very personal.  Imagine for a moment that you are witnessing the film of a partial birth abortion,  or the actual event.  Feel your heart break, and the tears flow from your eyes.  Hear the sounds of the dying baby.  Look at its struggle to breath, to live.  See the reality.  Look at it.  Look at it!  Watch in your mind's eye, your heart's eye, the baby die.      If we were required to witness this horror, would any American with any semblance of a heart continue to support such barbarism?  Or, could we vote for any politician who advocated and legislated for the procedure?      Barack Obama's history is known, and easily researched.  He knows what partial birth abortion is.  He has advocated and legislated for it.  If, therefore, he is successful as President in matters of economics, foreign policy, social issues and any other aspects of our society, the believer must nevertheless ask the question:  Can I give him my support until he repents of his support for partial birth abortion, and until he decisively advocates against it?  The answer is obvious.  Certainly we will pray for him as a human being and as our President, as the Bible commands, and we will respect him as our President, as the Bible commands.  But never should he have our political support.  We must pray with all our hearts that Americans will become aware of what partial birth abortion is, and that the man our nation elected as president has been one of its primary political supporters.  And let us pray that God will change his heart, and indeed, break his heart for having supported the barbarism that is partial birth abortion.       "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14).      Glen" The above is the exact quotation from the OM devotional.  I would encourage anyone that would like a good place to be stirred to visit his site at www.omcafe.org Ryan

One more note on the election

I recommend a site to go to that has some interesting points to think about concerning the candidates this year.  I think you will find what is said to be honest and frank but insightful as well.  Please go to www.desiringgod.org and go to the blog section from Oct. 30th, or you could probably just search the topic from the front page.  Anyway, I think anyone could benefit from listening to what John Piper says in the 7 minute talk.  There is a long version which is 7 minutes and a short version skips the first 3 points.  I recommend listening to the long version, but both are very helpful.

Ryan

Election 08'

In just a few days there will be a new President of the United States voted in.  Should I really care what happens in politics?  If I believe in a sovereign God who is in control of all things should I really be concerned about who the next President of the United States is?  Should I just sit back and let what happens happen?  After all I don't necessarily agree with either of them.  

Well let me say that I think by not voting I would inevitably vote for whoever wins.  Now I know that my one little measly vote may not seem to matter much, but all our votes together do.  I really do think that we christians have a responsibility to help make the world around us, (wherever that may be) the best it can be according to His principles.  We can not take a fatalistic approach to God's will; (living like no decision we make can affect it).  I have done this in the past, but I was wrong.  We must do whatever we can with the power given us for His glory.  We also can not sit back and watch what we think to be God's judgement happen; (watching America fall further into depravity and into the hands of men and women who have no moral compass).  I'm bringing this particular attitude up because I have had it before.  I have thought, "well God must be bringing judgement on America."  That may be true, but that is not my place to say.  I have an obligation to do my part, and that is to vote for the best candidate that reflects His principles the closest.  If it were the case that the two candidates both had similar moral convictions, then I would be responsible to choose the best one according to practical wisdom.  That is not the case this year though.  Before we ever get to the practical issues of the economy and such we must look at the moral issues.  One believes in the woman's choice to kill her unborn little one.  The other does not believe that should be the woman's choice.  The only way that this issue would prove to be invalid  to a christian is if the candidate that does not think it is the right of the woman to kill her unborn baby countered with supporting some other issue that is immoral.  Once again though, this is not the case this year.  

As christians we are to be most concerned with moral issues and then with the economy.  Now one's view on morals will surely affect their outlook on economy, but lets not get the cart before the horse.  A seemingly strong economic plan with no moral foundation to build on will never be secure.  Principles should guide and fulfill the wants.  When the wants start making principles bend to them, watch out.  I'm not advocating the joining of church and state here either.  History shows the corruption that happens every time that has happened.  What I am promoting is the idea that we have an obligation as christians to help see God's will accomplished on earth as it is in heaven as much as is within our power.  This is of course always to be done in the way the Bible outlines it to be done.  I don't believe in 'Christian Crusades' and I don't think Jesus does either.  If I am missing something here, please comment. 

Ryan 

I Want Greatness!

I do!  I can ignore the fact, or try to humbly reject it, but the fact is that I want greatness.  I want something extraordinary, something excellent, something filled with glory.  I do not want the ho-hum life.  I do not want to glide into the subtle trap of the just get by.  Now I can hear some saying, "yeah me too, I want to be the best, I want to excel above everyone so everybody will know who I am."  I can also hear some saying, "well that seems kinda cocky; I live what you might consider the ho-hum life.  I don't have a notorious job.  I think I'm doing ok with my life."  I disagree with first quote, and I might disagree with the second depending on what is meant by 'ok'.  I'm not talking about putting others down. I'm talking about being excellent; getting involved in something with all my heart that is full of glory.  I'm talking about something bigger than me.  So if the second quote may happen to mean just doing enough to get by to pay the bills, or finish the job or any kind of minimalist type of attitude then I'm against it.  Yet if you mean by 'ok' doing a satisfactory job to the best of your ability then I agree.  I know I just made those arguments up, but it helps me to clarify what I mean.  I think we all want greatness.  This can be good or evil, depending on if it is totally selfish or not.  I do think there was a man from Galilee that said we ought not just get by, but pursue His kingdom with passion.  I agree with C.S. Lewis.  He said that it is not that we are to passionate, but that we are not passionate enough.  He said we are like children that are consumed with a sand castle, not realizing that there is a real castle just a little ways away.  (My paraphrase)

Women Warriors

The title to this post should make you feel uneasy. I hope it does. Women soldiers. Right now women can be in the military, but are not supposed to have a combat type job, however many of these non-combat jobs become combat jobs once the position title hits the battle scene. There have been 70 women killed so far in Iraq, more than every other U.S. war combined. I hate the fact that any person gets killed in war, but especially women. We are so twisted that we deny even our most basic gender differences. God made man and God made woman. There are significant differences between us (Thank God). But in our twisted nation and twisted world we are becoming more and more manly women, and womanly men. We can't even see anymore that it is wrong for a woman to fight for a man. If there must be a fight a man should lay his life down for a woman. Can't you see how sick it is for us men to step back and let our women die for us. God help us! Of course this all goes back to our foundation. Do we believe in the God of the Bible and what He says about our differences or not? If we take His words to be true there is no doubt that women fighting for men is not only a bad idea strategically but it is sinful. Even our anatomical make-up proves that men are made to fight better than women. Men are naturally stronger than women. Men are naturally faster than women. Look at a woman's trunk and compare it to a man's. Does not the man's look more suitable to take a blow. Now some wars have sinful motives and I'm not here defending all wars or saying that all men soldiers are good men, but there is sometimes things that must be defended and when they must we as men should rise up and fight, not cowardly sit back and let our wives, sisters, and daughters do the fighting! I can't understand a man that this doesn't affect or woman that this doesn't make feel safe like she ought to. The fact that women have to fight at all anywhere, does not show that they can fight too, but that we men have done such a horrible job of being the heads or our homes!

I thank God for our differences as men and women. I thank God for my very very very soft and womanly wife. She loves the thought of being protected. She loves being taken care of. She loves the fact that she will never as long as I'm breathing have to defend herself. She loves being a nurturer. She loves being a woman. I love having her as my wife. I'm so thankful she is a girly girl; a womanly woman.

Men stand up and fight!, if needed for your women and children

Women please let us.