Happiness is a warm gun

                        The world is full of people seeking happiness. Dating sites, self-help books and religions promise eternal bliss. The desire for happiness determines what jobs we take and how we spend our time.  What I have found in my pursuit of happiness is that it never ends. I am constantly wrapped in the mindset that whatever move I make in the chess match of life has to ultimately lead to my happiness. I took the job I have now to make money and eventually buy a house with a white picket fence. I have bought into the theme of Star Trek to," Live long an prosper." This is the American dream. The constitution is built around the pursuit of happiness, and it's what our lives are built upon. Hoping for a like or a re-tweet. Is this all we are meant for? Are we destined to spend our momentary life pursuing a monetary happiness?  This premise has filled many pews in the country. "If you trust God, he will bless his children with financial freedom and the success life you have only seen in movies." This cannot be the meaning of life. This cannot be our only purpose in life. This cannot be the reason God created us and sent his only son to die for us. If we say that our purpose is this, then Jesus died in vain.                                                                                  
                         

                        This country is filled with pastors and preachers promising that God has destined us for success. "Total victory." I have found myself watching these preachers on television and realizing that I'm not worshipping the same God. Why would God allow me to be broken beyond compare. Why would he allow my car to break down? Why would he let my life fall in around me? They promise that God intends his creation to be happy and free from burden and worry. "This is the reason that Jesus came to die. To free us from struggle and suffering." This isn't the Gospel. This is a watered down plastic view of the cross. It's a commercialized money maker for the pastor. "Accept Jesus, he will grant you rings on your fingers and clothes on your back." The real joy and satisfaction in life isn't from the material "blessings" of God. God is the true blessing. We should delight in the Lord alone. When we demand these gifts from God, it's idolatry. We should be thanking God for one more day on earth to serve him. Happy Just to be alive; Being a child of a powerful, loving father.
                                           
                            The Christian life has always been marked by suffering. The shortest and most profound verse in the bible is "Jesus wept." (John 11:35) Jesus (being fully God) has felt sadness.  He was weeping over a friend he had lost to a sickness.(Lazarus) Jesus felt unhappiness. After this he was beaten and crucified by the people he came to save. Suffering an unbearable pain that left him broken and betrayed.  Jesus never allowed his desire for happiness to dictate his life. He knew that the cup couldn't be passed from him.(Luke 22:42) He knew that his death would be filled with deafening pain. He chose to live in God's will instead of his own happiness. It would have been easier to live the rest of his days on earth preaching to his twelve fisherman.

                                    It was ultimately Jesus' decision to deny himself and choose God's destiny over his happiness. This is what will lead to our infinite happiness. The real question we have to ask is: Are we willing to delight in the lord? God says he will give us the desires of our heart.(Psalm 37:4) What are the desires of our heart? Do we desire for our happiness or his will? We don't have to feel that his will means our unhappiness. His will leads to lasting joy. No one has a greater joy than a slave that has been set free. God died to free us from ourselves. He set us free from Sin and Guilt. He didn't die for our financial gain or our momentary gain. He died so that we may have eternal joy and everlasting love. We have to rest on the promise that this life is a momentary affliction. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

P.S. Be Happy-http://youtu.be/xj0fOvlyv9U
P.S.S. @learninhowtodie on twitter.
P.S.S.S. I love you all!
P.S.S.S.S. Thanks to AMC and Vince Gilligan for such and amazing photo of Heisenberg.
 

Doubt

                                   

   

“Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.” 

                                                                                  -George Carlin

                             

                                 

                              Doubt is a normal part of life. We are taught from a young age that God exist. When we grow older and escape our church bubble we encounter people who have different beliefs than we do. This can cause us to reflect on our own upbringing and lessons we were taught growing up. What if their beliefs are right? If God is all-powerful, why can't he stop evil? Why would a loving God send his creation to eternal darkness? These questions have been plaguing me for years. I have recently begun the process of seeking the truth. I have finally overcame the fear that seeking the truth would lead me away from the God of the bible. When I began to seek truth it lead me straight to him. The hardest questions for me weren't regarding his existence but his nature.

                            Many ponder the question,"If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he stop evil?"  By definition evil is anything morally bad or wrong. If we stop to take a look at the scriptures we begin to see that evil is not only ,"Out in the world", it's in the mirror. If you have ever lied, glanced at a woman lustfully, or even thought of being with a woman other than your wife, it's sin. In the perfect and holy eyes of God sin and evil are one in the same. By making this connection we step back and realize that we should be eliminated. In other words, at what level of evil do you want God to stop allowing? If we say that evil should be stopped, we can't pick and choose what "evil" acts to stop. Do we stop the murder or the hate?  We have to be consistent in gauging what is evil and what is righteous.  Sin (evil) is rebellion against God.(Romans 8:7) So every sin we have ever committed is evil according to God's judgement. We are all evil by God's definition. (Romans 3:23) I agree wholeheartedly that we deserve separation from God eternally along with the rapist and murderer. The only way we are not evil is through our redemption through Jesus. He is the only being that can bridge the gap between our own sinfulness and God's righteousness.

                           Another question that I've spent countless moments on is,"Why would a "loving" God send his creation to hell?" I've received this objection to the Christian faith on multiple occasions. I'll start by saying that God created free will. (Proverbs 16:9) God's knowledge of our choice before our choosing doesn't mean he sends us to hell. It simply means that God is all-knowing and he knew what our free will choice would be. God knew our fall was going to happen. This changed the way I believe In a big way. I'll try to explain this in an illustration. A car is passing a cow and headed to a bend on a narrow country road. The bend prevents the car from seeing a semi making it's way into the opposite side of the bend.  The car is driving into a crash. One more player in this illustration is the helicopter in the clouds. The helicopter can see the cow, the car and the semi. The helicopter's knowledge of the inevitable crash doesn't make him guilty of the crash. It just means the helicopter has a wider scope than the car's limited line of vision. Like the car, our vision of our future is extremely limited. We like to put God in our fleeting, finite box of the present. What we fail to realize is that God's vision of time transcends our  understanding.(Isaiah 40:28)  We try to make our own way when God has already laid out a path leading to him. (Proverbs 16:9)

                     One very prevalent belief that I've recently begun examining is the idea of relativism. Relativism basically means that truth is relative. Whatever truth you have found is true to you. Whatever truth I have found is true to me. This feels warm and fuzzy on the surface. Everyone gets a golden ticket to a dance party on golden clouds. Even though it feels great, it has gaping holes in It's own logic. For example:What if my truth says that your truth is wrong? My truth says that Jesus is the only way. (John 14:6) How can this truth be right when other religions (Or "truths") say differently. Two absolute truths relevant to the salvation of man can't exist simultaneously. Another popular belief that fits in the category of relativism is the belief that there's no way to know what's absolute truth. With this very statement we already find a lack of logic. You just claimed an absolute truth saying that there is no truth. The only viable option in this time of doubt is that there is absolute truth and that Jesus is that absolute truth. I won't argue in this post on why I believe every other "religion" is wrong and polluted with false doctrine. I'm simply attempting to lay to rest questions that have caused me to look at the nature of my God in a new way.

                     I believe that doubting is healthy. It has only strengthened my relationship with God. When I began this journey for truth I believed that I would find myself in a place of logic separate from anything spiritual. What I came to realize is that God created logic for his glory. Every road apart from his narrow country road is filled with holes in logic. If you have fear that seeking out truth will lead you from God, that is called doubt. Countless people doubted in the bible and we are still doubting today. If you have any questions about the bible or the nature of God feel free to leave them in the comments. Or if you are wanting to be more private don't hesitate to shoot me a message or come talk to me in person. I am confident not only in my logic but the one who created logic.


P.S. Carm.org is a fantastic website.
P.S.S. http://youtu.be/Sw_8o85lFxA
P.S.S.S.Thanks to the Gospel Coalition for the great picture (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/01/Doubt.png)

Fifty Shades Of God

         

                                       

                                Sex is everywhere. Everyday there is a new nip-slip, crotch shot or sex tape. As a culture we have become saturated and engulfed in sex in every sense of the word. Marriages and friendships ruined over lust and the secret lives we create on the internet. Through all of this what we fail to realize is that God created sex. God created marriage first, and right after he created sex. The problem isn't with sex, the problem is the timing of our sexual desires. As soon as you are young enough to click a mouse or pick up a remote control the would of porn is at your fingertips. What makes lust and sexual sin such an engrossing addiction? Are we made to pursue every desire if we "feel" that it's natural?

                                     God is the author of sex. In the early part of Genesis he became the first father to give his daughter away in marriage. (Genesis 2:24) This verse also contains the first sexual encounter. It says, "The two became one flesh." They were first married, then they spiritually and physically become one flesh. I believe God created the framework for a healthy sexual relationship. The reason porn and fornication are so damaging is laid out here in Genesis. To have a healthy sex life, you first need to become one flesh emotionally, spiritually and then physically. The act of sex is an expression of a deep longing between two lovers who have already became emotionally invested into their partner. Porn steals this idea and skips straight for the physical. You can't have the physical alone without the emotional investment that goes along with sex.

                                  Did you know that there is an entire book in the bible dedicated to sex? Song of Songs (Or Song Of Solomon) tells the story of two lovers through desire, courtship and ultimately consummation. It speaks of their desire to be with each other emotionally and physically in the first half of the book, then their marriage and consummation. As I have said there is a right order to sexuality that has to take place before a healthy sexual relationship can be obtained. "I adjure you O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." (Song of Solomon 8:4) In other words, its healthy to have sexual desire, but it needs to be "awakened" at the right time and context. Directly after this verse in the bible, they become married and consummate the marriage. Fulfilling God's desire for us to have sex in the context of marriage and not before.

                                  God designed sex to prevent sin, not to cause it. In fact, God demands we have more sex to prevent sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:5). Sex outside of marriage is clearly laid out biblical to be a wrecker of lives and kingdoms (David). In the context of marriage though it is deeply encouraged. Sex isn't the evil, sinful act many people believe.It just has to be in the right context of first becoming emotionally and spiritually invested in marriage to you're beloved then ultimately consummated. In other words this post is an encouragement to romance and "awaken" each others love in the house of marriage. Its a call to walk against the trend of porn and lust to a brighter and holier calling of a healthy sexual relationship.


P.S.Thanks for the great picture! (http://stevecha.net/ask-steve-marital-relations-in-song-of-solomon/)
P.S.S. For updates on future posts follow me on twitter (@learninhowtodie)

Castin' Stones

                                          "Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum"
                                                      
                                                                       - St. Augustine

                                             
                                                 The above quote is a popular christian mantra we love to use in the christian church to describe our relationship with the world of sinners outside our church walls. The quote roughly translates to,"With love for mankind and hatred of sins."  In the south we just say, "Love the sinner, hate the sin." I totally agree with this quote in principle but its rarely adequately lived out. We often point out sinners with "heavier" sins than ours. The bible says we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.(Romans 8:23) In other words, we can point to other people that have sinned but the one thing we usually don't do is look in the mirror at our own sins. One group of people that receive a great deal of abuse and scrutiny from the church is the "LGBT" community. 
                                          
                                                  The purpose of this blog is not to argue what may or may not be sinful because sometimes I don't know the sin in my own mirror. The purpose for this post is to say that as the church we often give our mirror to other "sinners" and fail to take a glance into it ourselves. The "LGBT" community is a popular and often misunderstood group of people. I have personally been among this particular group of people and I've never found a group closer to Jesus. They really get this whole "Love the sinner, hate the sin" mantra. My only experiences with this community has been met with unbridled  love and true acceptance. They don't care where you come from or what kind of past you have, they just love.  We want to call them "sinners" but we fail to realize that if we are human, then we are in the same boat going over a waterfall. As the bible says we have all sinned and fall short of God's glory. The verse goes on to say that we have redemption through Jesus's blood on the cross.(Romans 8:24-26)

                                               I've said all this to simply say that we have all sinned and we can all have redemption. Sin is what truly creates equality. We all equally fall short of the perfect glory of God. We are all equally engulfed in our own total depravity. The only way we are all equally saved is through the totally undeserved gift of Jesus's blood. The best way I can put it is that no matter your lifestyle or creed, we are all equally undeserving of God's holy and glorious Love. Sin has left us all dead but Jesus died to raise us all up from our own grave. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

                                      I know we weren't put on earth just for pointing fingers. I believe that we were placed on earth to love God and love people. (Matthew 22:37-40) Love can't be contained into a box of fear and misunderstanding.  Love is unbridled and without limit in its rawest form. (1 John 4:18) Let us all walk in love and the notion that we are equally unworthy. Lets love without condition and watch God move like he has wanted to all along.

P.S. Thank you for the artwork! ( http://www.whatisblik.com/customize/manifest-equality/)
P.S.S. Thank you to everyone who spends their valuable time reading my little blog.
P.S.S.S. For notifications on future post follow me on twitter (@learninhowtodie)