and man is basically good? Please, stop it--- we are no better than colonial ants. There are no exceptions in our history as humans. Its not just Europe, it is all continents.
The disease of self each man is born with has corrupted the earth. Many of us claim to look at the world with a more positive thinking but rather we are suppressors of the truth, we close our ears not wanting to hear the truth-- when it is obvious. All of time has been filled with blood shed, strife, fighting, quarreling, and hatred.
Nazi Germany in WWII was the most well educated nation in the world. Civilizing people does not change them, it is about our nature it is not the surface level issues:
Jesus, the God man. God who had taken flesh. Some have taken this as a means to attempt to disprove one part of who Jesus was on earth. Muslims often make efforts to deface the deity of Christ and claim that Christians believe in three gods. Or that Jesus could never be God by bringing up aspects of his humanity.
Here is an argument some people make and how to face it with scripture:
Jesus is also a man which is important to recognize. What does this say about our God... for one it shows the drastic measures needed to save one of us in our wickedness. But what does it say about our God that he chose to relate with us through taking on flesh in one part of the trinity, yet wholly God. It reminds me of when my youngest sister was saved. I had just gotten done sharing the gospel with her and had told her some about Old testament history and about how God had his people the Jews and prophecies and I told her about the messiah... and finally I had gotten to the cross and how Jesus was not just the promised messiah but he was also God who had taken flesh. It was God who had taken our sins. Her mouth dropped. God had in that moment opened her eyes and ears and she was getting it. Eventually after some thought she began tearing up and asked if in heaven she would be able to touch God's face. It makes me cry when I tell others about her childlike faith she had in that moment. I've never met someone who so deeply wanted to touch God that weeks later she said it was a struggle to grow because she wanted to hug God so dearly. What a blessing and awesome truth it is that I can actually tell her, yes, if you are in Christ, you will be able to touch him as Thomas did. What does it say that God made physical interaction and then entered it to interact with us on such a level?
Here is an old prophecy of Jesus before He came... think about what this implies about who he is!
Isaiah 9:6-7
English Standard Version (ESV)
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Then God reaffirms this gargantuan truth through John,
John 1:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
He was not only WITH God but Jesus, who is the word and the truth, he is also God himself.
John 14:6
English Standard Version (ESV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Colossians 1:15-23
English Standard Version (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
With such a lofty truth as Jesus being fully God and fully man-- we need to be careful of attempting to put too much human reasoning upon this idea of how Jesus works now after the resurrection. Some might begin to limit Him and his capability or deny that he is a personage of the trinity in the process. We cannot forget that Jesus is not only one who has taken flesh but as scripture says he also lives in us. How can God live in me, be a man, and be a son, be a father, pray to himself, die for me, place wrath on himself, and resurrect himself, create everything that is created, always exist, be omnipresent, but his presence only in certain places. Though these truths are in a sense far too much for us to understand, we should also not throw them out altogether and say-- I can't understand this, so I give up. No! Instead we should fight to have even just a basic understanding so that we can love God more fully in truth.
His omnipresence is a matter of his access to all things, and his nature of infinite power; he is able to fill all things, is anything not held up and continued by His hand? How can something be allowed to exist unless He actively allows it? Nothing is outside of his power (Ephesians 1:11). Yet, it is important to understand that his usage of the idea of presence can differ. God lives in us, if we are saved and have placed our faith in Him alone, because we are not allowed to enter his presence with our sinful flesh--we must be born again or changed / declared justified in His sight in order to be indwelt by Him. The trinity is an important aspect of all of this that helps us understand.
Here is a funny video that helps understand the trinity. Though I think we should be careful about holding too closely to confessions made by man instead of confessing scripture, or putting confessions on the level of scripture, I think this is still a good video and helpful.
We need to be careful to not use too much human reasoning apart from scripture. We are only told so much about God's character in this, much of it is mystery to behold but what is in scripture is what should inform us of the truths we ought to behold in it all. We cannot forget that Jesus lives in us, is God, but he also is a personage and is a man. The God man. The fact that Jesus is man now should not limit our understanding. For example, could it be that in
Exodus 33:18-23
English Standard Version (ESV)
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” That God here was using his back, his face, his hand as ways that a human could understand him when they are actually not quite the same? Was this not an image or type of the glorified Jesus? Jesus is in man form because we are made in his image. Nonetheless, when God says the word "hand" we often see this to mean that God's power was upon someone, could God's back be actually the back of the personage of our Lord Jesus?
Romans 8:1-11
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Let us bask in these truths, and drink deeply of the mystery
let us not become like those who simply call it too big or too mysterious and run away
Rather let us say, God has taught us about himself
and I want to drink deeply of this
Lets look at these characteristics of God as though they were a picture of a distant beautiful galaxy
too large to truly fathom, and yet if we don't strive to fathom it... we will not see its awesome beauty.
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For some further research
look into this article, it talks about some of what seems to be "contradiction" to us, but in the end is not contradiction with the God-man.
I believe the key to understanding how Jesus could grow in wisdom from the size of a baby, and yet also be the Lord of glory, is to understand that he was tempted as we were and to understand that he was also all knowledgeable-- even as he could only babble words
as a young babe. He was still one with the Father. We cannot allow ourselves to create heresies
from extremes as we attempt to fathom God sized issues.
That same God lives in those who are indeed His true children and believe... How amazing..
Eugenics is sick and wrong. Survival does not equal value. Eugenics is rooted in self-glory and man-glory. The desire to create a better man not to help man. And if it is to help man it is for his temporary need and ultimate death. And the reasoning for eugenics can be supported through naturalistic thinking. What an evil it is to support such wretchedness.
The United State's black history month is probably not the best way to appreciate black history. But it does insure a message that helps the government and the students keep in mind the brutal history of the United States as well as the horrid treatment of Black Africans in much of the world, from Zanzibar, to Trinidad and Tobago, to Sudan the history is wide scale and disturbing.
Though I think we need to recognize history not through a month of stale celebration or mockery (like that of my mormon friends drinking chocolate milk during the month), we should not allow this to take hold of us and react in the opposite extreme detesting any recognition of a specific group of people who have been harmed both in society long ago and today. But rather, lets help others to grow in learning history or the damages of hatred in racism and hatred/enslavement of all kinds. ____________________________ For the sake of celebration, I wanted to share just one African American man that I like from history:
First African american congressman of the state of Georgia and the first African american man to speak on the floor in front of the House of Representatives. He became a merchant tailor in Macon, Georgia, and soon after began to teach himself how to read and write.
Also an epic-baller bearded man.
Jefferson Franklin Long,
self-educated, and born a slave.
Jesus is glorified in us when we are satisfied in him, and one way we can be satisfied in him through this is to appreciate how awesome God is. God is really cool for inventing beards, manes, tusks, cyborgs arms that have hidden guns, etc. We can be amazed and the fact that he did not only create them but he allowed us to have personality through styling them. Certainly though, even in this we get to see that God is the creative genius of in it all. He was the one to who made us and made our creativity and has guided us.
God, the author of life, thought of this man's story.And he's making/made one for you too.
Psalm 139:16
English Standard Version (ESV)
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Acts 3:15
English Standard Version (ESV)
and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
Ephesians 1:11
English Standard Version (ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all thingsaccording to the counsel of his will,
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John Piper: “Two hundred years ago Big God Theology was indigenous to the African American Christian mind. The African American recovery of this emphasis today is, therefore, not the mere echo of white, western, Big God awakenings. Instead, what’s happening, across numerous cultures and ethnicities and geographies, is that the all-sovereign God of the Bible is reasserting himself for the strength and joy of his people.”
I am thankful for one of my close friend's Mother and Father who fought to live a lifestyle like Francis explains here, a true life example. They were missionaries in France and raised a large family loving them with christlike love. They laid down their finances and lives for their own parents when they grew sick and accepted poverty and all types of hardships to press forward. We need more examples of families fighting for the glory of God like this and more bold young people who will go whether or not the example exists.
Young Man's Invitation
(ironic that this is on a blog-- but this is only an outlet for me to meditate on Jesus but not my end goal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKF2zJFlrBI
___________________________
Also some humorz about GOING
Although I like some ridiculous laughs, don't let this steal the truths of this message out of your hearts.
I think a key to understanding this is thinking of either in terms of:
-Temporary significance-
or
-Eternal significance-
Is what you are RISKING for risking in serving for God's purposes for eternal significance or is this risk for temporary significance? This is an important way to view this. I just recently read an article where a newly wed couple were base jumping. The new bride's parachute did not work... and was crushed and disassembled on the earth floor. Her new husband didn't call the police right away out of absolute agony. He searched for her for some time and finally found her. By chance, I had accidentally came across the picture online (why it is SO important to be careful over the internet). I was absolutely scarred. Someone who was attempting to defame and attack the couple (who I suppose knew them) was attempting to spam parts of the internet with the horrifying scene. I was brought to tears as I was attempting to go to bed. Why was God allowing me to see this? It was one of the most horrifying sights I had ever laid eyes on. I was reminded of the grim reality of death and our decisions and how they effect death. I was reminded that Jesus was "crushed" for our sins, and it pleased the Lord to do so for his name's sake and for our sake. I was dumbfounded as the thought had finally hit me by the Holy Spirit's mercy (to really help me fall asleep and get this out of my head). Jesus was crushed far worse than this horrid situation from a earthly risk, no Jesus was crushed with a worse force than the universe sandwiching him from both sides--no he was crushed with the fiery wrath of the almighty creator of the universe. Ground to powder. This is why the image of the grape becoming wine and the wheat being ground by the millstone into bread is so relevant. When we take communion we are remembering that our savior was ground to powder for our sake and crushed like a popping and gushing grape for our sake. What a savior! But he wasn't RISKING as the world risks. No he was following the will of the Father for the sake of the elect. But for us who live by faith we must risk (making choices without knowing the future) and these choices should be dictated by following God's will also. We should risk only for the sake of Christ's purposes.
Two quick/short videos on the subject of our perspective:
Many people who are aware of Russian Culture after the fall of the Soviet Union have been aware of some of the wild behavior of the youth... one of the sub-cultures that have come out of this has been a culture of "daredevils." It has followed the french movement of Parkour and has upped it 1,000 fold.
The Russian slang word for daredevil is a pretty cool word--but it gives you an idea of just how insane people are there-- its literal translation is Rip Head... or ripping someone's head off.
Here are some videos of this sub-culture... there is an element of it that seems cool and interesting but when we reflect on the fact that this is actually real people doing this in real situations... it becomes gravely horrifying.
Now here is the question to ask with all of these videos...
Why do this?
For excitement, for joy?
Who's glory are they seeking? Their own temporary glory? Or that of Jesus?
Are they thinking about eternity or the temporary?
It should be obvious... they are looking only at the temporary and only for their own self-glory...
They neglect the cares of their loved ones and parents and selfishly risk their own lives as though it were of no potential value.
This is the type of risk that we want to have:
It reminds me of the warning in Revelation 21:8 and the inclusion of the word "cowardly." We could have done something, we had the ability, but we didn't risk. Jump across that holy cliff, come to the arms of Christ.
"The purpose of God in creating the universe is to display the greatness of the glory of his grace supremely in the suffering of his Son. That's yesterday; today the summons: Will you join the Son in displaying the supremesatisfaction of the glory of grace in joining him on the Calvary road of suffering? Because there is no other way the world is gonna see the supreme glory of Christ today except that we break free from the Disney Land of America; and begin to live lifestyles of missionary sacrifice, that looks to the world like our treasure is in heaven and not on the earth. Its the only way. The "prosperity gospel" will not make anybody praise Jesus. It will make people praise prosperity. Of course I'll have a Jesus who will give me a car! Who wouldn't want a Jesus who gives me health, a car, a fine marriage? I'll take your Jesus-- if the pay off is right! That's not the way that you are going to win your campuses. Dressin' the coolest Drivin' the coolest Typin' on the coolest Its not going to get any praise for the suffering Christ. ... He calls you to another way."
Suffering makes it so that you would not choose this lifestyle if it were not true. This way we see his glory in our lives in the fact that he can sustain us though we are not filled by the ongoing drone of temporary pleasures as the world around us is continually shoveling up.
John 10:25-27 25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. 26"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
"If this were written today by some of the most popular preachers alive, it would be totally and completely the opposite. It says 'you do not believe because you are not my sheep' and they would rewrite it as 'you are not my sheep because you do not believe.' There is a major difference in these two things." -Paul Washer
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardlyappear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
James 5:15-16
New International Version (NIV)
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Proverbs 28:13-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
Looking like a crocodile from donkey kong crossed with a ghost... the icefish has a caiman like head and a smooth lionfish/perch like body and fanned dorsal fin. If I were currently doing a graduate level thesis for zoology-- which was a path that I had almost taken-- I would probably study the blood of the Icefish. The icefish has no scales, and bleeds clear blood. The blood lacks hemoglobin which is the protein in blood cells that makes them red and helps them carry oxygen. This is why blood darkens as it is exposed to the air, it begins to hold more oxygen upon its hemoglobin. If blood cells lack oxygen then they would be blue by default-- the icefish, though transparent, is neither color. Did I mention that they live in the Antarctic? Normally fish that live in cold regions of the world have simply less blood so as to circulate more easily through their bodies. But the icefish has much blood. Most fish if you cut behind their eyes you will see tightly bound and organized capillaries, but for the icefish they are mixed up and thick like a bowl of spaghetti rather than well compacted honeycombs. In other words they have a lot of capillaries, volume, and usage of blood. But they even lack red blood cells. How is this all possible? Scientists don't even know.
Essentially how we think it works is that oxygen gets dissolved in the fish's plasma which carries only 10% of what it would normally carry, though oxygen is more soluble in the cold temperatures. The temperature gets so cold that the blood actually has antifreeze glycoproteins to keep it from hardening into ice. The fish makes up for the difference by having larger hearts and more blood. But questions still remain, how does oxygen exchange work, are there other factors in play?
If you cut them open they actually would ooze colorless, inviso-blood.
Lets glorify God in his ability to sustain life no matter where-- I always found it ridiculous when people studied the possibility of lifeforms in other areas of the universe. If God wanted to sustain life, then he can do it! How ridiculous we are to find animals who produce chemosynthesis in the vents of the bottom of the ocean, then to find bacteria with arsenic DNA which is regularly poisonous and then for us to claim that certain structures are necessary for life. We must realize that God can make the transfer of energy occur in any way that he sees suitable. We always doubt the possibility of life somewhere, but could God not make lifeforms in the universe specifically made for surviving on comet dust? Of course he could if he so pleased. We look at these animals with bizarre micro-level exchanges and yet.. he is doing far more under the surface than we will ever realize. Both on a microscopic level in our bodies and animal bodies but also in our lives and the intricate connections and events that are happening like chain reactions around the entire world only they are not maverick cells... there is no maverick cell... as RC Sproul once said,
“If there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God’s sovereignty, then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God will ever be fulfilled.”
Lets glorify him in his immense creativity! and also his immense control and power. We are able to explore the universe with an infinite wonder and sense of discovery because of the working of Jesus and how imaginative and wonderful and even adventurous he is. Praise to him for such amazing creative power.
He prospers us to live abundantly in joy, in growing to know the fullness of Him--not necessarily in health, wealth, or the miraculous. No, he hasn't come to fill our fleshly desires. But instead he offers us higher things to desire! Eternal glory, eternal joy, eternal life. A relationship with the greatest of all beings. We should not be discouraged by this message but turn to love and trust that he will take care of us but the aspect of us that needs support more deeply than being kept from being scratched. If you are cut by a knife the issue is not the cutting from the knife-- the issue lies in our pain, and our doubt. Now we live for a purpose and passion that is far more meaningful and all tears will be wiped away, all pains will be wiped away by Jesus to us who believe as though they had never happened! But we will be glorified with him undeservingly so because everything we've done even after being saved was ordained and gifted by God and him working through us-- so he does the work and then glorifies us in it; but he will do so. He is always the giver. He is the great giver. No one can give to God out of nothing. But he does for us. If we give it is out of what he has given us That breath you just took? Stolen from his lungs. He is the great giver. Let that sink in, all about him is worthy of genuine praise. Let us not be beaten down through these difficult teachings. They are only difficult because we do not trust Jesus' character and we do not see how sufficient he is in all things. May he show us and bring peace to us-- but also help us mourn and celebrate those who have fought to good fight before us. Or even today--suffer with Christ. But let us be thankful that Psalm 147 affirms that God is close to the broken hearted and let us be comforted in Jesus' great SOVEREIGNTY. He is in control, and all powerful. We are in His hands.
"God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.” - Jonathan Edwards
2 Peter 1:3
English Standard Version (ESV)
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
Revelation 2:10
English Standard Version (ESV)
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
2 Corinthians 6
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
