Don't Get Taken

Jonah or at least what I got out of it.

2009-04-30T13:18:00.003-04:00

God: Hey Jonah go tell those people in Nineveh that I am gonna punish them for what they did.
Jonah: Why?!? They are mean and I don't like them. Hmm let me book a cruise.
God sends a storm and Jonah's boat is ready to sink. The other people on the boat pray and cry out and nothing happens...
Jonah: I probably shouldn't be here since I serve Yahweh, the LORD, the one true God and he told me to do something else and I didn't listen so now you should just throw me overboard. No big deal.
The crew tries to get to land, it doesn't work, Jonah goes over the side, fish eats him, and Jonah writes a worship song...
Jonah: You know God you are great, you're the only real God. When people choose to worship something else they cannot experience your salvation...I smell like fish and stuff.
Fish drops off Jonah on the shore. Jonah goes to Nineveh.

He goes part way into the city (probably not anywhere close to the palace where the king can hear him since it's a 3 day commute across the city)...
Jonah: This is far enough I guess. HEY PEOPLE YOU ARE ALL GONNA DIE IN 40 DAYS BECAUSE YOU'VE SINNED AND DESERVE JUDGEMENT!
Everyone in the city freaks out. The word makes it all the way to the King...
King: Alright everyone is gonna stop what they are doing, noone eats anything and we put on our special mourning sacks and maybe God won't destroy us.
God doesn't destroy them...
Jonah: I knew you were gonna do that, you are that kind of God who likes to forgive people. Just kill me because I can't stand seeing these jerks not being destroyed.
God: So you have a right to be angry?
Jonah makes a tent and watches to see if anything happens to the city. God makes a plant to shade Jonah. Jonah likes the plant...Ok so he LOVES the plant. God sends a worm to NOM NOM on the the plant...
Jonah: Ummm, that's not cool. Why did you kill my plant? Just kill me!
God: You want to die because I killed the plant? So you think you have a right to be angry about the plant?
Jonah: Yup just kill me.
God: You didn't do any work to tend the plant and take care of it, and it grew and died in a day. There are 120,000 people in Nineveh, and you feel sorry for a plant? Shouldn't I pity them?
PWNED! I mean could you really see yourself winning an argument with God?

What to expect

2009-04-14T08:38:00.000-04:00

#1 I've done a few Bible studies in the past few weeks and I would like to convert them from notes on FB to entries here. After the move overs are complete I desire to find time for more Bible commentating.

#2 I would also like to put down my testimony in words and this is definitely one of the places I think I would like to showcase that. I shared my testimony with a friend a little while ago and it took at least 45 minutes. I also started writing down things about my life from as far back as I could remember and realized that a) it was more of a biography than a testimony b) people would probably fall asleep before I even got to the part on conversion and faith and beliefs.

#3 I always come across news articles, quotes, and happenings that either cause me to think or fire me up in the most unpleasant ways. I will no doubt try to comment on these from time to time trying to keep the amount of reading that I subject you to, to a light digest.

#4 I would also like to digest the media in a way that considers what is true in light of what a particular piece of entertainment is trying to say. This could probably be the most hairy section considering that, just like driving, there is always some risk in veiwing unfiltered secular content, and just like when one is driving, the risk should be minimized to the greatest extent.

The Liberty of Faith

2007-07-05T03:13:00.001-04:00

WARNING: This post, like any other that may follow, will only be relevant to you if you have accepted what has been stated in the title section as true.

Maybe you have heard people justify something seeming to be poorly thought out or a simple shot in the dark by the phrase "I have faith to do this" or "I'm in faith for this". My beef is with those people who would be the first to question someone's reasoning, but the last to question the aspect of wisdom in making a decision. I believe that it is never wrong to have faith that God CAN do something, but I also believe someone is wanting for wisdom if they do not prepare for what God MAY do simply because it is not the eventuality that that person desires.

We would all agree that faith is a good thing, yet for the most part we can only measure it within ourselves while in the midst particular circumstance. It is often the case that we cannot measure faith in others until after a faith requiring event has transpired. So if we are wise we can counsel our friends on the practicals and even share from experience, but we cannot discount the possiblilty of God calling someone to do something which cannot be justified in mere practical, human terms.

I also think it's goofy that people can say they are putting faith in God doing something that they are actually bringing about themselves by reliable practical means (i.e. God is sustaining the laws of science which are usually in place) so maybe it would be good to clarify where faith is present and what it does. For instance, I do not believe it takes faith to get up early every morning, because all sorts of people do that for all sort of reasons. I also do not believe that it takes faith to simply read the Bible, since there are many who read and do not alter thier lives in the slightest. (James 1:22-25) I do believe it is faith that someone would give the first part of each day to pursue God in the scriptures and not to consider it a waste. Such a person who is FAITHFUL in this way, if he has truly put value in the words of the Bible, will no doubt quickly remember the words that have been read and be comforted in a time of trouble. I believe the faith comes in where we place value in the investment we make and transform that value into the ability to stand firm in a decision even when it departs from what is practical. This is where faith being a gift comes in, because otherwise we would always choose, like Eve, what is pleasing to the eye, good for food (i.e. practically beneficial), and useful for gaining knowledge. It is God's spirit that give us the edge to see beyond mere visible factors and to hope for more than what is seemingly obvious.

I don't mean to be a buzzkill, and I am most certainly not saying that we can never have faith for God to provide things which fit more into the wants and dreams category than in the needs column. What I am trying to say is that faith is more than making a plan and hoping that God will decide to adhere to it. It's not like God is missing one of our good ideas and needs to hear it to put all things into consideration. Faith if it is true must be permeated with humilty and be characterized by a trust that says God will never forget to show us important details that we need to make a faith requiring decision. So we should do things like pray for saftey when we go to play sports, or in a more general sense, pray for God's protection in all our daily endeavors, but what we should not do is try to shoot the moon and assume that God will not decide to alter the course of things. If we endeavor to surmise the ends of a sovereignty we do not control, not only is there no faith involved but we would make ourselves fools. (James 4:13-16) We may be good at guessing, but we are nonetheless presumptuous fools.

Just as we can see the closest of the waves on the shore and not the whole sea, and just as we cannot see well to what is hidden below the surface of the water, so we cannot look far into the future with much clarity other than acting on what is clearly visible. At best some of us may be privy to the ongoings of hundreds or thousands of people's lives, and within that group have some inking of what will happen next to ourselves and a few friends, but God is ever weaving together the lives of ALL people for his glory and the particular good of his servants. Faith is believing exactly that, despite what the signs we can see may tell us. And remember, the relief and satisfaction of striving for faith will never arrive completely in this life at all. I might even say the lucky ones would be the ones that have the least rest on this planet, because I do not doubt that is easier for them to anticipate the glory of God that will be displayed in paradise.

So liberty of faith, I believe that quite simply it means we can make the choice to believe God is good and not have to worry. Sure we pray for situations that arise and follow practical advice, but we can throughout our lives be free to make decisions without the fear that drives us to lose sleep or fervently calculate the odds of our favorite outcome coming to pass.