tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34145553097030770102024-03-13T04:35:33.652-07:00Knowing, Abiding and LovingIn the Power of the SpiritAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-64605812024683141982014-04-14T12:22:00.001-07:002014-04-14T20:17:22.453-07:00On the corrilations between the conditions of and surrounding physical birth and spiritual birth. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
People will sometimes ask me how I know that God exists. When confronted with they query I could dive into the cosmological, teleological, or moral arguments, but while those are all solid arguments for the existence of a deity, none of them fully encompass who God really is, and none of them can really prove anything. Logic will only get you so far, after all as C.S. Lewis pointed out: "You cannot prove rational intuition by argument because argument depends on rational intuition." So therefore how can you know for sure that God exists?<br />
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To answer this question let us think back to before you first were. While you were still in your mother's womb you could not prove that there was such a thing as "mom", nor could you prove that there was life after birth. All that you knew was darkness. When the time came for you to be born you were suddenly and gloriously transformed from the world of "darkness" (literally) to the world of light. Still you were not fully aware that your mom existed because you were too undeveloped to be capable of such high thought, but you knew that there was more. After just a few years of development had anyone asked you if your mom existed you would immediately say (were you capable of communication) "yes of course!" and how would you know? You experienced her on a daily basis. From there as you got more and more developed physically and mentally* you would become more and more sure that your mother exists because you know her. Not do you just see her, feel her, or communicate with her, you actually know her on a intimate level. You know what she wants, how she wants it, and why she wants it that way. You know her will. </div>
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Now the cool part of this is relating this to the Christian life. When we were still yet unsaved we could not prove anything beyond the physical. We floated in a world of darkness and despair. How could we know if there was such a thing as "God" and how could we know if there is life after birth? When we were born into saving faith (by the grace of God, not by work of our own, just like physical birth) we suddenly were moved from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. No longer were we blinded, but we also had no means of comprehending what we had just experienced. We could not even fully prove that God is real, we just knew there was something more. After we started to develop in the faith we could slowly begin to have full confidence that God exists because we experience him on a daily basis, were anyone to ask us if he exists we could not necessarily prove it, but we could know for sure that he did. From there as we became more and more developed in the knowledge of God and maturity of faith** we began to become more and more sure that God was real because we had begun a relationship with him. From that point until death takes away all barriers we will be in a process of getting to know God more and more deeply, and although we will always be progressing in this knowledge we will never reach the bottom of the well, there will be no end to what we can know about God. We will know what he wants, how he wants it, and why he wants it that way. We will know His will. </div>
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There is a reason that Jesus used birth as an analogy for salvation. What then is the point of all of this? We do not have to be afraid that someone will come along and prove to us that God does not exist because just as someone can't make me disbelieve that my mother exists, there is no way to disprove that God exists in my mind because I have relationship with him. If you get to know God through talking and listening to him in prayer and reading the 66 book love letter he wrote you you will have confidence. Know God. </div>
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*This is not a choice that we can make (we will grow up), we just grow despite what we would desire, unless we intentionally destroy our body through deprivation of food. The extent to which we grow and the health of our growth is greatly affected by how we treat our body and what food and exercise we give it. </div>
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**Again this is not a choice that we can make (we will be sanctified), we grow despite what we would desire, unless we intentionally destroy our soul though deprivation of spiritual food (like the Word, and fellowship). The extent to which we grow and the heath of our growth is greatly affected by how we treat our soul and what food and exercise we give it. </div>
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Recommended reading on the topic: </div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Godliness-Puritan-Vision-Christian/dp/1433515814/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397503179&sr=1-1&keywords=quest+for+godliness+ji+packer">A Quest for Godliness</a></div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Christ-Studies-John-Vol/dp/0891077057/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=196F0TEKF7FQ266V8F73">Fellowship with God</a></div>
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-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Power-Gospel-Growing-Christ/dp/1617479225/ref=pd_sim_b_19?ie=UTF8&refRID=1JJH52NCDBYZTKSYMZAT">The Transforming Power of the Gospel</a></div>
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Also though I haven't personally read it yet John Owen's Communion with God is supposed to be good. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-2299719309728453642014-03-05T09:20:00.003-08:002014-03-05T10:40:15.973-08:00Five Reasons I Reject "Five Reasons I Reject Unconditional Atonement"I stumbled across a article (<a href="http://redemptionpictures.com/2013/07/13/election/">http://redemptionpictures.com/2013/07/13/election/</a>) the other day that left me disturbed. The reason for my concern will become aparent shortly, but in this article Micah Murray lays out five reasons he thinks unconditional atonement is wrong. <div><br></div><div>Now, without attempting to refute what he said or promoting Calvinism (in so far as I am able) I will lay out five concerns I have with what he presented. Do me a favor and read the last two paragraphs if nothing else:</div><div><br></div><div>1. Murray never quotes the Bible. </div><div><br></div><div>Micah's entire argument scheme is based on feelings about how God should be, he never even mentions the Bible except to casually mention it supossedly supports his point (he even claims not to be a theologian, or God-studier). </div><div><br></div><div>Scripture to consider: 2 Tim 2:15, 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Tim 4:2, Psalm 18:30, Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 2:2. </div><div><br></div><div>2. Murray claims that "if unconditional election is true God cannot be trusted". </div><div><br></div><div>This flies directly in the face of Romans 9:13-15 which, even if it isn't speaking of salvation, shows God's ability to be just and fair and sti favor some people over others. </div><div><br></div><div>Scriptures to consider: 1 Thess 1:4, Romans 9, Job 38:2.</div><div><br></div><div>3. He claims that salvation of a few would be "unfair" and "unloving" of God. </div><div><br></div><div>God is just, this is clear in scripture, and should he choose to bless some and give others what they deserve is that unfair? Read the parable at Matt 20:13, God deals with people unequally. Job 40:2,8 clearly shows that God is soverign over suffering and cannot be acused of wrong (Romans 9:13-15 again) so should God choose to save some from damnation that is pure grace and mercy for those who are chosen; we cannot incure that God is in the wrong for something he does in the Bible often. </div><div><br></div><div>Scriptures to consider: Ecclesiastes 11:5, Matt 20:13, Job 38:1ff; 40:2,8; Isaiah and 40:18. </div><div><br></div><div>4. Murray makes the implication that if unconditional election is true then sharing the gospel is unnecessary because it doesn't affect the chance someone will be saved. </div><div><br></div><div>This isn't just a false accusation of the implications of election, but its illogical, and poor theology/hermeneutics. False accusation because Calvinists have for years been preaching the gospel to the unsaved believing it was commanded and effective. Illogical because we do not know whether our witness will be what God uses to save our neighbor and we can only do all we can do for our neighbors. Poor theology because Romans 11:33-35 (also Isaiah 40:11-14) proclaims the fact that God's ways are not understandable by human finite minds (Ecc 11:5). We don't have the right to NOT do what he has clearly told us to do elsewhere in scripture (Acts 1:8, Matt 28:18-19). </div><div><br></div><div>Scripture to consider: Romans 11:33-35, Isaiah 40:11-14, Ecclesastes 11:5, Acts 1:8, and Matt 28:18-19. </div><div><br></div><div>5. In claiming that creation would be an act of cruelty with election he is condeming his own god, and forgetting the whole old testament. </div><div><br></div><div>There are people now who have never heard of Jesus. Lots of people living now, and many more who died never having heard. You cannot say that a perfect God allowed all those people to die unsaved without having a chance and also say that God would be cruel to allow people to no have a choice about their own repentance. Throughout the whole Old Testament and especially Joshua people are being killed by God without ever having a witness to them except the rumors of Israel's God. God is totally just to punish whom he pleases because Romans 3:23 clearly shows the depravity of mankind and the necessity of a substitute. God has mercy on whom he has mercy, blessed be the name of the Lord. </div><div><br></div><div>Scripture to consider: Exodus 7-12, Psalm 135:10, Romans 3:11, and Romans 3:23.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally the most crucial section of my response has come; I think that even if we all disagree on whether election is true we can agree that there is nothing in us which allows us to WANT to know God (Roman 3:11, Psalms 14:1-3) and even if we wanted to know God we cannot believe it by our own power (1 Corinthians 1:17-31; 3:6) so regardless of whether you believe in election or not you must allow for the fact that God is involved in the process so the very arguments that attack election or even free will can destroy our very assurance of salvation and cause divisivness and division (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) and therefore we should be very careful when accusing other people of such serious charges that Murray levels against Calvinists. </div><div><br></div><div>Search the scriptures for yourself (Acts 17:10-15) and understand why you believe what you believe but don't let yourself oppose your brothers in such a way that causes you to lose fellowship (which is a different level of accusation for different people so be VERY careful, 1 Cor 3:18, 21-23) and lose sight of the MOST important thing, which is a personal relationship with Christ. </div><div><br></div><div>Keep the main thing the main thing. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-86649669586449989232013-06-21T07:25:00.002-07:002013-06-21T07:25:26.972-07:00Unity in Christ<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What does it mean to be "one" with one another? In scripture we often see familiar themes, and over and over again throughout the letters we see the phrase "One in Christ", but what does that look like, what does it accomplish, and how is it achieved? Looking at Philippians 1:27-2:2 among others we will see what is meant by "unity in Christ".<br />
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Philippians 1:27-2:2 in the ESV says: "<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Phil-1-27" id="en-ESV-29372" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">27 </sup>Only <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29372A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>let your manner of life be <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29372B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29372C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>that you are standing firm in one spirit, with <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29372D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>one mind <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29372E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span class="text Phil-1-28" id="en-ESV-29373" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">28 </sup>and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29373F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>a clear sign to them of their destruction, but <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29373G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>of your salvation, and that from God.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span class="text Phil-1-29" id="en-ESV-29374" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">29 </sup>For <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29374H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29374I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>suffer for his sake,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span class="text Phil-1-30" id="en-ESV-29375" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">30 </sup>engaged in the same <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29375J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>conflict that <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29375K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>you saw I had and now hear that I still have.</span></span><br />
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<span class="text Phil-2-1" id="en-ESV-29376"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Christ's Example of Humility</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Phil-2-1"><span class="chapternum" style="bottom: -0.1em; font-weight: bold; left: 0px; line-height: 0.8em; position: relative;">2 </span>So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29376L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>love, any <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29376M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>participation in the Spirit, any <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29376N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup>affection and sympathy,</span> <span class="text Phil-2-2" id="en-ESV-29377"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">2 </sup><sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29377O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup>complete my joy by being <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29377P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup>of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> 500 years before Paul wrote this letter there happened a very important event: the Battle of Thermopylae. The Persians were invading Europe from the east in an attempt to conquer the world (common theme in history). Fortunately the Persian army would have to come through a small pass called Thermopylae and the Spartan general and king Leonidas saw this as an opportunity to stop their advance. Unfortunately the Persians would be coming through the pass on an important religious festival for the Spartans, during which no one was allowed to fight. Leonidas ignored the command from the counsel to wait, and because the whole army would not leave he took his personal guard of only 300 men to defend the pass against the Persian army of over 1,000,000 soldiers including the dreaded "immortals" who had never lost a fight. Long story short the heroic Greeks held out for three days against incredible odds, which allowed time for the rest of Sparta to wake up and get prepared for war. How did 300 men stop one million? Well it helped that they were Spartans, but they had also perfected the art of the hoplite<span style="line-height: 19px;"> </span>phalanx, which basically was a large group of men fighting as one giant spear (ch 1 vs 27b). When opposing soldiers saw the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">phalanx coming for them, they knew that their destruction was imminent (ch 1 vs 28b).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"> Just as the strength of the Spartan phalanx was in its unity, so the Christian church is strongest when each member realizes that he is part of a whole, and does not try to be a lone wolf. Isn't that the deffiniton of friendship? Two people striving side by side for a common purpose? How do you become unified with your brothers and sisters in the Church? Become friends. Find a common goal and strive together toward it (chapter 1 vs 27b). Also read</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Philippians 4:3.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The word used to describe unity in chapter 2 verse 2, "</span><span class="lexTitleGk" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 1px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">σύμψυχος"</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">[</span><em style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">sympsychos</em><em style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">], </em><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">also shows up in 1 Corinthians 1:10 and Hebrews 4:2 (and also Judges 20:11)<i>. </i>Both times Paul (and whoever wrote Hebrews) are encouraging unity for the purpose of the advancement of the gospel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> So what is does it mean to be united in Christ with your brethren? Practically it means to be striving side by side with them for the advancement of the gospel (Phil 1:27). It means that you sacrifice your own personal desires (Phil 2:4) for the </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">common good willingly because you <i>want </i>to do whatever is necessary to obtain the resurrection of the dead (Phil 3:11) not because it somehow makes you righteous (Phil 3:7-9) but because its what Christ did (1 Cor 11:1). </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-85174765487708770272013-05-29T10:23:00.001-07:002013-05-29T10:23:12.521-07:00Tattoos<div> The last decade has seen an extreme and sudden rise in the amount of tattooing going down. A recent survey put the figure at as much as 40% of adults aged 20-35 have at least one tattoo. From this arises the natural question: "Is it wrong to get a tattoo if you are a Christian?" It seems like everyone has a strong opinion on the subject, but who is right? Passages such as Leviticus 19:28, 1 Corinthians 6:19, and Galatians 5:1 can help shed some light on the topic.</div><div> Leviticus 19:28 (ESV) says: "You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord." The answer to our seems like it should be simple then, right? Well while it is true that the Israelites were not allowed to Tattoo themselves they were also not allowed to shave their temples, have a scraggly beard [Leviticus 19:27], eat catfish [Leviticus 11:12] or eat any meat with blood in it [Leviticus 19:26]. I've never heard anyone debate whether or not its right to eat steak, so clearly this Leviticus verse is not conclusive. </div><div> In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul reminds the Corinthians that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is often argued that just as one wouldn't deface a regular temple or church by putting graffiti on it one should not mark up one's body. This logic is faulty however because not only do we write names and Bible verses on our churches but with some hermeneutical research it becomes clear that Paul is talking about sexual immorality and defacing your body with sin (Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. [1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV]). Therefore, to say that 1 Corinthians was intended to keep Christians free from tattoos is more than just a stretch, its misinterpreting the verse and losing valuable meaning of the body being a temple. </div><div> Finally lets take a look at Galatians 5:1-3. Here Paul points out the obvious, if we try to keep the law because its the "law" them we are subject to the authority of the whole law. We are free in Christ and therefore all things are lawful for us. We see in 1 Corinthians 9:21 that we are clearly no longer under the Old Testament law. Anyone who would say that he keeps the law is a liar and starts to go down the road of Phariseeness. Clearly there are right things and wrong things (Romans 6:10), but these are illustrated in the 10 Commandments, the moral code of God. Therefore the question becomes not "Is it lawful" but instead "Is it a good idea" as seen in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23. As we see in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 if your ministry field is among those who tattoo themselves then it only makes sense to get a God-glorifying tattoo to relate to them, make acceptance of your teaching easier (no strict laws), and show everyone a constant reminder that you belong to Christ. </div><div> As we have seen it is neither unlawful to get a tattoo, nor is it morally wrong according to the moral code that God has implanted in each of our hearts and written in the Ten Commandments. To say that one must not tattoo one's self is legalism and makes cheep the grace of God. However, while it is never wrong to tattoo oneself, it is not always a good idea because of circumstances or prejudices. Whether or not tattoos should be utilized depends on to whom one is planning on ministering to. Ultimately the decision should be based on heart condition. If one wants a tattoo because they are "cool" then it shows that one's heart is focused inward instead of outward, and a tattoo would not be useful, however if one wants a tattoo to further ministry and glorify God then it can be a very good thing. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-34041012234022918082013-02-26T07:22:00.001-08:002013-02-26T07:22:56.079-08:00ScienceScience.<br />
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Science frustrates me, not because I don't like studying it, I do, but because it is misused so often to try to prove untrue things. The phrase "scientifically proven" drives me up the wall especially, first because its technically impossible to prove anything, and second I can actually "prove" that weight lifting makes you weaker using science, and that is obviously not true. I guess the thing that makes me so biased against science is it is twisted the most in the two areas that I spend the most time researching, studying, and debating: the origin of everything, and bodybuilding.<br />
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In the area of bodybuilding the hard thing is there isn't one "truth". Everything is subjective, there isn't one cookie cutter that everyone fits into to get the most results. But every week there are 22.7 new ideas about what gets the best results and what you HAVE to do to get ripped, and they all contradict each other. I'm pretty old school, you do what gets results. Forget about the exact science behind every single exercise, just work out hard, eat well, sleep lots, and be consistent and you will get in shape. <br />
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For apologetics and the origin of life things are less complicated. There is only one truth and our job is just to find it. Therefore saying that "science" has "proved" something is not only incorrect but also quite prideful, because no one was there, even their fancy "dating" methods are just like telling the time a candle has been burning by the amount left, with no idea how long it was at the beginning. I prefer logic and reasoning (two other horribly misused words) to find the origin of life. We have lots of facts, so we need to find a theory that best fits the facts. I am convinced that Christianity gives the best explanation for the facts. In fact it works so well that the more information I find, the better the theory works. I have actually won every single debate I've conducted in the last four months without much of a fight whatsoever. Every atheist you debate will use science as their biggest "proof" so if you can discredit science the battle becomes a cake walk. When you are right, both sides figure out pretty quickly. <br />
<br />
So basically, next time someone tries to hook you on a new product or a new idea that has been "proven with science" spit in their eye! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-38778692172218305042013-02-20T19:37:00.001-08:002013-02-20T19:37:09.771-08:00Young or Foolish?So I haven't posted for a while... Here is something to chew on:<br />
<br />
Young or foolish?<br />
<br />
Young does not necessarily mean foolish. Foolish means foolish, it is not determined by age. You can have 90 year old idiots and 12 year old geniuses. Wisdom, the opposite of foolishness, is made up of three things: knowledge, experience, and understanding. You can have a very experienced and knowledgeable old fellow who has no understanding, you can also have a young guy who has lots of knowledge and understanding, but limited experience, neither of these people qualify as wise. Wisdom is something that you can not self diagnose, it must be obvious to other people. This is why God is the most wise being that has ever existed; he has ultimate amounts of every facet of wisdom, he is all knowing, all understanding, and has infinite experience. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-91716605801367610192012-06-29T11:22:00.001-07:002012-06-29T11:22:17.805-07:00Why do so many scientists believe in evolution?<br />
<br />
The obvious reason that so many scientists endorse the theory of macroevolutionary process as the best explanation for life origins and development here on earth is because they really believe such to be the case. But is that true, really? Is it possible that there's a lot more to the story than meets the eye?<br />
<br />
Wayne Friar, Ph.D., AIIA's Resource Associate for Science and Origins, says this:<br />
<br />
Polls have shown that about 40% of scientists acknowledge a supernatural power. But the majority of the scientific community, especially evolutionary leaders today, hold an atheistic worldview. As support for their anti-supernatural worldviews, these scientists need mechanisms for the origin of life, especially humans.<br />
<br />
Atheism needs evolution to escape from any implications regarding a creator. If one starts with Darwinism, certainly it is easy to escape from any obligation to God. Those opposed to their reasoning are branded as obscurantists who are trying to intrude religion into science.<br />
<br />
Dr. Emery S. Dunfee, former professor of physics at the University of Maine at Farmington:<br />
<br />
One wonders why, with all the evidence, the (Godless) theory of evolution still persists. One major reason is that many people have a sort of vested interest in this theory. Jobs would be lost, loss of face would result, text books would need to be eliminated or revised.<br />
<br />
Evolutionist Richard Lewontin in The New York Review, January, 1997, page 31:<br />
<br />
We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of the failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so-stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.<br />
<br />
Columnist George Caylor once interviewed a molecular biologist for an article entitled “The Biologist,” that ran on February 17, 2000, in The Ledger (Lynchburg, VA), and is in part reprinted here as a conversation between "G: (Caylor) and “J” (the scientist). We joint the piece in the middle of a discussion about the complexity of human code.<br />
<br />
G: "Do you believe that the information evolved?"<br />
<br />
J: "George, nobody I know in my profession believes it evolved. It was engineered by genius beyond genius, and such information could not have been written any other way. The paper and ink did not write the book! Knowing what we know, it is ridiculous to think otherwise."<br />
<br />
G: "Have you ever stated that in a public lecture, or in any public writings?"<br />
<br />
J: "No, I just say it evolved. To be a molecular biologist requires one to hold onto two insanities at all times. One, it would be insane to believe in evolution when you can see the truth for yourself. Two, it would be insane to say you don't believe evolution. All government work, research grants, papers, big college lectures—everything would stop. I'd be out of a job, or relegated to the outer fringes where I couldn't earn a decent living.<br />
<br />
G: I hate to say it, but that sounds intellectually dishonest.<br />
<br />
J: The work I do in genetic research is honorable. We will find the cures to many of mankind's worst diseases. But in the meantime, we have to live with the elephant in the living room.<br />
<br />
<br />
G: What elephant?<br />
<br />
G: Creation design. It's like an elephant in the living room. It moves around, takes up space, loudly trumpets, bumps into us, knocks things over, eats a ton of hay, and smells like an elephant. And yet we have to swear it isn't there!<br />
<br />
Dr. John Morris, president of the Institute for Creation Research:<br />
<br />
[Scientists] see the evidence for creation, and they see it clearly, but peer pressure, financial considerations, political correctness, and a religious commitment to naturalism force them to look the other way and insist they see nothing. And so, the illogical origins myth of modern society perpetuates itselfAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-38840523618247778232012-06-26T22:52:00.001-07:002012-06-26T22:53:36.194-07:00Biblical worrying.Biblical Worrying (7)<br />
<br />
This actually was not one of the lectures but I decided to talk about it today. <br />
<br />
Is it biblical to worry?<br />
My first inclination is to say no. It must not be because it says to worry about nothing:<br />
Matthew 6:27, 34<br />
Philippians 4:6,7,19<br />
1 Peter 5:7<br />
Luke 12:29<br />
John 14:1<br />
<br />
A closer look at these verses changed my mind. I separate worry and concern. (I'm just using these for what I'm saying, not for their actual definitions...) <br />
Worry is noticing that you have no bread for tomorrow and staying up fretting.<br />
Concern is knowing that your son is out fighting in Iraq and feeling anxious about him. <br />
<br />
I think that it is biblical to be concerned about other's welfare, although it should not become a distraction that prevents a perfect relationship with Christ. As it says in 1 Peter 5:7 you should cast your concerns and anxieties on Jesus and let him handle the stress. <br />
<br />
Worry is always wrong. It shows a lack of faith in God's providence and ability to provide for your needs. This is strongly supported by the verses above. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-714228875735690122012-06-24T20:36:00.001-07:002012-06-24T20:37:03.782-07:00Image of the LogosThe Image of the Logos (6)<br />
Being a word eater, part 1.<br />
<br />
Key verses: But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4 ESV) <br />
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ESV)<br />
<br />
The most significant event of the 20th century was the decline of the age of typography and the ascent of the age of television. <br />
<br />
Why is this significant?<br />
Because with no words you can not think. With no way to organize your thoughts into things with meaning you do not think. This is shown by Helen Keller.<br />
<br />
She remembers when she didn't know how to communicate everything was just black nothingness in her mind. There was no meaning to anything. It was only on March 3, 1887, when she learned her first word that she said that she first had a thought and was excited for the next day to <br />
come. She calls that day her soul's birthday.<br />
<br />
The imago dei---what is it?<br />
(Image of God) <br />
We have five basic non-physical attributes of a non-physical God.<br />
This is also what separates us from animals. Animals have the first three but to a lesser degree because of the lack of words.<br />
•Intelligence- Language enables a much higher level of intelligence. With no language Helen Keller would have peaked at a low level of smarts. As it works out she was a genius. <br />
•Personality- Animals have a certain level of personality but it is more in their breeds then the individuals. Golden retrievers are more friendly while terriers are more fierce. <br />
•Gregariousness- (a fancy way of saying we like to hang out with other people). Animals form groups too but it is mostly for survival purposes. We group together because humans are attracted to each other. <br />
•Morality-We have innate morality while animals do not. They have no problem killing each other. <br />
•Creativity-We are the only creatures that create for our pleasure alone. <br />
<br />
We should consume words.<br />
<br />
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)<br />
<br />
Being a question asker (part 2)<br />
<br />
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11 ESV)<br />
<br />
When we are consuming words we should not always do it by ourselves. Sometimes we must have discourses with others. <br />
There are three ways we should do this: <br />
•Language acquisition-hearing words.<br />
•Oral discourse-Asking questions of people.<br />
•Literary discourse-Having conversations with authors and books by reading them. <br />
<br />
We are a generation raised by appliances. We are raised more by computers than by people. This is not a good set up for learning. The messages might be true but there is no room for questions.<br />
<br />
So what is the difference between images and words?<br />
<br />
Images:<br />
-Communicate immediately and intuitively.<br />
-Are impressionistic<br />
-Are scanned subjectively<br />
-Can not be judged true or false<br />
<br />
Words:<br />
-Communicate through abstraction and analysis<br />
-Are precise and exact<br />
-Are read in linear, logical fashion<br />
-Can be judged as true or false.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-9219841384621689762012-06-19T23:21:00.001-07:002012-06-19T23:21:28.315-07:00The Principle ThingThe Principle Thing<br />
<br />
Ok let's face it. Logic and reason are good but there is something better: wisdom. <br />
<br />
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15, 16 ESV)<br />
<br />
Wisdom is ALL OVER in the scriptures. READ IT. It goes from Job to the Song of Solomon. <br />
<br />
If we live by open doors and green lights we will never get anywhere. We must have wisdom to discern for ourselves what is the path to choose and not just go with the path of least resistance. <br />
<br />
There is basically two types of wisdom: <br />
1) That which is from man.<br />
2) That which is from God.<br />
<br />
These OFTEN CONFLICT. Obviously the wisdom of God is always gonna be right and because we are often wrong then they are not always gonna go hand in hand. <br />
<br />
Wisdom is NOT: What you THINK.<br />
Wisdom is NOT: What YOU think.<br />
Wisdom IS discerning truth.<br />
Foolishness is inventing truth.<br />
<br />
Wisdom requires the same thing as a building:<br />
Fortifica/Foundati<br />
Basically that means that you need both a foundation and fortifications. But they must be in their proper place. <br />
<br />
A Theory of Wisdom:<br />
-Wisdom starts with worldview<br />
-Wisdom is the consistent outworking of (a) belief (b) action (c) discernment from worldview. <br />
<br />
Basically it means wisdom is deciding what to believe and what not to believe. <br />
<br />
Three times in the Bible (Proverbs 1:7,9:10, Psalm 111:10) it says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I don't know a whole lot but I do know that when the Bible says something three times it means that it is REALLY important. <br />
<br />
So what does it mean to fear God?<br />
1. Establish the right relationship with Him.<br />
2. See the world as he sees it, through His eyes. <br />
<br />
Let's look at two examples of people who took different ways in life, one is man's wisdom and the other is God's wisdom. Watch how it turns out:<br />
<br />
1. Path of Pleasure<br />
Man: Solomon<br />
<br />
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10, 11 ESV)<br />
<br />
It doesn't make you happy. It leaves you with the feeling that you accomplished nothing. <br />
<br />
This is man's wisdom: Avoid pain, pursue pleasure. <br />
<br />
2. Path of Pain.<br />
Man: Job<br />
<br />
Then Job answered the Lord and said: "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6 ESV)<br />
<br />
You go to any public school, raise your hand in class, and tell the teacher that you despise yourself and repent in dust and ashes and you will probably be sent to counseling...<br />
<br />
The truth is pain teaches a lesson. <br />
The lesson: the inscrutability of God's ways and our need to glorify Him regardless. <br />
<br />
God's wisdom:<br />
Believe truth (the Bible), do good. <br />
<br />
Clearly the second option looks foolish but in factuality it is the wise one. Does this mean that you should seek suffering and try to fail? No! It will come soon enough, just read 1 Peter 3:14b-17. It just means that you shouldn't try to avoid pain and pursue pleasure with all you've got.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-49179608987350767892012-06-17T18:21:00.001-07:002012-06-17T18:21:33.683-07:00The Power of DoubtThe Power of Doubt <br />
<br />
Mark Bertrand<br />
<br />
Read the following passage:<br />
<br />
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:1-14 ESV)<br />
<br />
Then read Genesis 18:22-33<br />
<br />
Did you notice anything?<br />
<br />
Abraham pleads for Sodom, but NOT for Isaac! Why? <br />
<br />
Perhaps it is because Abraham knew something about God: God was perfectly holy and told Abraham that murder was wrong. Hmm... How would a perfectly holy God order someone to murder his own son? The answer is that he wouldn't, and perhaps Abraham knew this. <br />
<br />
Would God ever order us to murder? This question is asked by atheists a lot as a way to get Christians to doubt. They say that "God told old testament people to kill all the time... Why would he not tell you to?" the answer is very simple: God is perfectly consistent and Holy. He also is perfectly just. Killing is not wrong if the person is being punished by God. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. <br />
I believe that Abraham knew that whole time that God would never tell him to murder, however he was so tuned into following God that he probably would have gone through with it had God not stopped him. <br />
<br />
Let's look at Matthew 28:16-17<br />
<br />
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16, 17 ESV)<br />
<br />
Did you catch it? "but some doubted" <br />
<br />
Is doubt permissible? Yes. But it should not be commonplace. <br />
<br />
In the play Hamlet, the prince doubts the legitimacy of his fathers ghost's claims. Hamlet is looking for verification. He must be sure before he kills his uncle. Abraham just believes God, he doesn't question him. <br />
<br />
Doubt is powerful. Rene Descartes once said:<br />
"I will suppose therefore, some malicious demon of utmost power and cunning has employed all his energies to deceive me."<br />
<br />
Doubt requires grace to be overcome. We can't do it on our own.<br />
<br />
Abraham doesn't have to go through with the sacrifice of Isaac but God went through with the sacrifice of Jesus. <br />
<br />
Look at the parallels between Romans 8:32 and Genesis 22:16-17Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-72930248313346038112012-06-16T21:50:00.001-07:002012-06-16T21:50:51.436-07:00What Kind of Monster are You?Worldview seeks to answer two main questions:<br />
1. What is the nature of man?<br />
2. What is the nature of God?<br />
<br />
We will deal with the first now.<br />
<br />
<br />
In two books, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two different types of natures are described. In Frankenstein man, the monster, is basically good and corrupted by society over the course of the book. In Dr. Jekll and Mr. Hyde a man tries to seperate his good side and his bad side. It backfires when his bad side is created and formed a new man, but his good side is still corrupted too. In that book men are basically evil and individuals are responsible. <br />
<br />
I'm gonna make a pretty hefty claim now. <br />
<br />
Christianity is the ONLY worldview that assumes that man is basically evil. <br />
<br />
Now I know what you are thinking. You have already made a list of other religions that assume that man is evil. These might include:<br />
1. Jewish <br />
2. Morman<br />
3. Muslim<br />
4. Jehovah's Wittness<br />
<br />
Well let's look at them then!<br />
<br />
1. In the Jewish faith you are required to maintain certain parts of the law in order to make it to heaven. These include sacrifices. If man is able to do anything good on his own then he is not totally evil, and can therefore save himself. <br />
<br />
2. Mormons believe that everyone goes to some eternity. You mus work hard to become good enough to go to the good place though and must not be wholly evil. <br />
<br />
3. Muslims believe that, even if you are not part of the faith, your good deeds and your bad feeds will be put on a scale and if you have at least 50.0000000001% good deeds then you make it to heaven. This implies that man can become mostly good and this is ridiculous.<br />
<br />
4. Jehovah's Wittnesses that Jesus died for us, but God can chose not to accept that ransom. You will only be acceptable if you are good enough to make it in. <br />
<br />
"For the wages of sin is Death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."<br />
--Romans 6:23<br />
<br />
In Christianity man is totally incapable of doing anything not sinful before salvation. This means that we are not only evil, we are TOTALLY evil. The Bible says that men don't even desire salvation. It is all God. We are totally helpless until he decides to save us. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-49313391112257248732012-06-16T21:31:00.001-07:002012-06-16T21:51:03.960-07:00Charting WorldviewsCharting Worldviews<br />
<br />
In this section we will look at the key points of Christianity vs every other religion, or the world for short. <br />
<br />
MAN<br />
<br />
Christianity:<br />
-Man is basically evil. This means that we are born totally sinful and incapable of doing ANYTHING not sinful until we are changed by God. (Explained in Law Breakers, coming later)<br />
-Total depravity. This means that we are completely helpless and unable to save ourselves. <br />
-We are called to tell people the bad news. They need to know the bad news before they can hear the good news. <br />
<br />
The world:<br />
-Man is basically good. This means that we are born good and corrupted by society. This allows people to blame society for all the stupid stuff they do while still taking credit for doing anything of value. <br />
<br />
GOD<br />
<br />
Christianity:<br />
-God is infinitely gracious and perfectly holy. The God of the Bible. Yes, he is gracious and holy even when destroying cities. (that is explained in The Power of Doubt coming later)<br />
-The trinity exists. <br />
<br />
The World:<br />
-No, He is not.<br />
<br />
THE UNIVERSE<br />
<br />
Christianity:<br />
-Genesis and John accurately describe Creation. <br />
<br />
The World: <br />
-No they don't. Jews will say that Genesis describes creation, but John doesn't.<br />
<br />
TRUTH<br />
<br />
Christianity:<br />
-Truth is in the Bible. This means that the Bible is the ultimate source or truth and takes authority over any other "truth". No other "truth" has ever been able to disprove any part of the Bible.<br />
<br />
The World:<br />
-Truth is in man. That has to be a sad way to live! "You must find your own truth and purpose." <br />
<br />
<br />
He had three other points (Morality, Family, and Politics) but he ran out of time talking about these. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-36473095020146939452012-06-15T20:56:00.001-07:002012-06-15T20:56:31.965-07:00As an Atheist, I Truly Believe Africa Needs God.The following is an actual article that appeared in the london times, written by Matthew Paris.<br />
<br />
Reposted from:<br />
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5400568.ece<br />
<br />
Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.<br />
<br />
It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.<br />
<br />
Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.<br />
<br />
I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.<br />
<br />
But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.<br />
<br />
First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.<br />
<br />
At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.<br />
<br />
We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.<br />
<br />
Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.<br />
<br />
This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. âPrivatelyâ because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.<br />
<br />
It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.<br />
<br />
There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: âtheirsâ and therefore best for âthemâ; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.<br />
<br />
I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the âbig manâ and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.<br />
<br />
Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.<br />
<br />
How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds - at the very moment of passing into the new - that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? âBecause it's there,â he said.<br />
<br />
To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It's... well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary's further explanation - that nobody else had climbed it - would stand as a second reason for passivity.<br />
<br />
Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.<br />
<br />
Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.<br />
<br />
And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-15459601925194499672012-06-15T20:45:00.001-07:002012-06-16T21:51:47.635-07:00WorldviewAs most of you know I went to a Worldview Academy last few days. It was pretty epic, but instead of just talking about it I'm gonna try to put the main points of the many lectures in different posts and see how that goes. I am gonna do them in the order that they appear in the book, not how I got them. Without further delay, enjoy...<br />
<br />
<br />
Blind Faith<br />
<br />
First off there is no such thing as an unbeliever. <br />
The absence of belief or faith is just not possible. In fact those who say that they rely on only logic and reason, namely the atheists, rely heavily on faith. For example there are actually at least twelve (12) things that an Atheist MUST take on faith. Here they are:<br />
<br />
1. There is no God.<br />
2. Free will and dignity do not exist.<br />
3. Something came from nothing.<br />
4. Life came from non life.<br />
5. Mind and thought do not exist.<br />
6. There are no absolutes.<br />
7. Conscience does not exist.<br />
8. There is no afterlife.<br />
9. There are no angles or demons.<br />
10. Your life has no meaning or purpose.<br />
11. Miracles can not happen.<br />
12. Souls do not exist. <br />
<br />
Now I will briefly try to explain why all of these must be taken on faith:<br />
<br />
1. Because you must search all knowledge to prove there is no God and when you have searched all knowledge they you will have become God the only way to say that He doesn't exist is faith. (original idea from David Platt)<br />
<br />
2. Because, if we evolved and everything is scientific, we are run by different reactions stimulated by different events or emotions we are just robots. Dignity doesn't exist where free will doesn't. <br />
<br />
3. Almost all atheists are willing to agree that the universe had to have a definite beginning point and because there was nothing before that then something had to come from nothing. <br />
<br />
4. Even scientists with rigged science rooms have never been able to make life from non life, much less watch it happen with no prompting. <br />
<br />
5. If we have no actual physical thoughts and there is no such thing as the spiritual dimension thoughts must not exist.<br />
<br />
6. Unless you have a holy, eternal, loving, unchanging God you can't have absolutes. <br />
<br />
7. If there is no standard for moral values we can not feel bad when we do something wrong because it would not, in fact, be wrong. <br />
<br />
8. Pretty self explanatory. If there is no way to prove that there is no afterlife then it must be taken on faith. <br />
<br />
9. With no spiritual realm at all them there must be no angles or demons. Hard to explain possessed people then. <br />
<br />
10. Life is meaningless with no one giving it meaning. Mortal men can not give meaning or value to anything spiritual, much less life.<br />
<br />
11. When you have mathematical proof (another lecture) of the historical accuracy of the Bible and it speaks of miracles but there is no spiritual dimension then something has to give. <br />
<br />
12. Souls do not exist. No afterlife, no souls, no nothing. <br />
<br />
So the question is not "who has faith and who has reason" it really is who uses the most blind faith. <br />
For a worldview that claims to rely on reason and logic, it is strange that try would require so much faith. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-65897105930953957392012-05-18T12:56:00.001-07:002012-05-18T12:57:59.255-07:00Ronald Reagan Quotes"My fellow Americans. I'm pleased to announce that I've signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes." -joking during a mike check before his Saturday radio broadcast<br />
<br />
"It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?"<br />
<br />
"I hope you're all Republicans." -speaking to surgeons as he entered the operating room following a 1981 assassination attempt<br />
<br />
"Honey, I forgot to duck." -to his wife, Nancy, after surviving the assassination attempt<br />
<br />
"I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself."<br />
<br />
"I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency -- even if I'm in a Cabinet meeting."<br />
<br />
"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."<br />
<br />
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"<br />
<br />
"I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers: Go ahead, make my day." -threatening to veto tax-increase legislation after getting his record tax cut to date in 1981. He ultimately followed with two tax increases, though declined to go any further.<br />
<br />
"Well, I learned a lot....I went down to (Latin America) to find out from them and (learn) their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries"<br />
<br />
"I don't know. I've never played a governor." -asked by a reporter in 1966 what kind of governor he would be<br />
<br />
"Facts are stupid things." -at the 1988 Republican National Convention, attempting to quote John Adams, who said, "Facts are stubborn things"<br />
<br />
"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."<br />
<br />
"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk."<br />
<br />
"There is absolutely no circumstance whatever under which I would accept that spot. Even if they tied and gagged me, I would find a way to signal by wiggling my ears." --on possibly being offered the vice presidency in 1968<br />
<br />
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards. If you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."<br />
<br />
"You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful." -explaining why he liked to have a jar of jelly beans on hand for important meetings<br />
<br />
"I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." -during a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale<br />
<br />
"The state of California has no business subsidizing intellectual curiosity." -responding to student protests on college campuses during his tenure as California governor<br />
<br />
"Approximately 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources."<br />
<br />
"Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."<br />
<br />
"We are trying to get unemployment to go up, and I think we're going to succeed."<br />
<br />
"As a matter of fact, Nancy never had any interest in politics or anything else when we got married."<br />
<br />
"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born."<br />
<br />
"Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement."<br />
<br />
"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress."<br />
<br />
"Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."<br />
<br />
"I'm afraid I can't use a mule. I have several hundred up on Capitol Hill." -refusing a gift of a mule<br />
<br />
"What we have found in this country, and maybe we're more aware of it now, is one problem that we've had, even in the best of times, and that is the people who are sleeping on the grates, the homeless who are homeless, you might say, by choice."<br />
<br />
"How are you, Mr. Mayor? I'm glad to meet you. How are things in your city?" -greeting Samual Pierce, his secretary of Housing and Urban Development, during a White House reception for mayors<br />
<br />
"My name is Ronald Reagan. What's yours?" -introducing himself after delivering a prep school commencement address. The individual responded, "I'm your son, Mike," to which Reagan replied, "Oh, I didn't recognize you."<br />
<br />
"One picture is worth 1,000 denials."<br />
<br />
"What does an actor know about politics?" -criticizing Ed Asner for opposing American foreign policy<br />
<br />
"What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who's played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?" -on Clint Eastwood's bid to become mayor of Carmel<br />
<br />
"How can a president not be an actor?" -when asked "How could an actor become president?'Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-25262970952360645192012-04-19T15:45:00.001-07:002012-04-19T15:45:32.851-07:00The absolutely knock-you-off-your-feet glory of GodLike the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.<br />
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. (Ezekiel 1:28 ESV)<br />
<br />
He fell on his face. Hmm I would too... <br />
<br />
And he said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2:1, 2 ESV)<br />
<br />
He couldn't even stand. The Spirit had to do it for him. Next time you pray to God, the God who can do a whole lot more then knock people off their feet by showing some of His glory, do it with total awe at who He is. Then try to talk. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-3958773179499523982012-04-16T19:05:00.001-07:002012-04-16T19:05:59.672-07:00Things I don&apos;t get:1. People who tuck their hoodies into their jeans.<br />
2. People who wear suspenders yet still manage to have their pants falling off.<br />
3. People who write a review on a free app and say "worth every cent"<br />
4. Evolution <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-12382867635901454222012-04-03T20:59:00.001-07:002012-04-03T20:59:50.356-07:00AustronautsHere is a favorite song of mine:<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxWvgwnx1NA&feature=youtube_gdata_player<br />
<br />
As I look through the evening sky<br />
I think to myself<br />
How much He must love you and I<br />
The Milky Way makes me look<br />
Like a piece of dust on the road<br />
But the Milky Way is a speck of dust<br />
Compared to my Lord<br />
That's how big He is<br />
That's how big He is<br />
<br />
And I don't know that much about astronauts<br />
But I know that Jesus cares an awful lot<br />
He made the stars<br />
He made the moon<br />
Just think of how much more<br />
He loves you<br />
<br />
Space may be the final frontier<br />
For a lot of people who show no fear<br />
They step outside and they look around<br />
They take a sample and come back down<br />
Have they ever found the meaning of life out there<br />
I don't think so, no way<br />
I don't think so <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-43770770987771212712012-04-02T21:10:00.001-07:002012-04-02T21:10:51.885-07:00Young and unashamedI am kinda sick of always hearing about how being young and inexperienced makes people listen to what you have to say less. God can speak through anyone, they do not have to have had a long relationship with God or be respected in their community. Here are a couple songs that I like:<br />
<br />
<br />
Young and Unashamed<br />
By Trip Lee<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTPqsaJvPg4&feature=youtube_gdata_player<br />
<br />
<br />
Verse 1:<br />
Hey when they see ya boy, what's they first impression?<br />
Probably not a teen redeemed from the worst transgressions<br />
That's repented from the path of His first ancestors<br />
Was cursed but since rebirth this person's dressed in<br />
The glorious righteousness of Christ<br />
They probably think I'm on the stage 'cause I like the mic<br />
Or like to get hype, but really I'm laid back main<br />
But sometimes could lose my mind if you say that name<br />
(Who?) Jehohah Jireh, my soul's provider<br />
Life without Him's a contradiction like bein' poor with Prada<br />
I done wrote a lot of flows, in my soul's a fire<br />
That shut up in my bones, ah my soul desire<br />
Is for some slick guys to the know the Lord He died<br />
But still the Son did rise like it was mornin' time<br />
So if you think you fully satisfied wit a vette wit chrome<br />
You better check yourself like playin' chess alone<br />
I'm a stranger, is Earth really my residence? Nope<br />
I'm a alien and I can't wait to rest at home<br />
My dress ain't always fresh to def I ain't impressed wit clothes<br />
But Christ, He's the key to life dog and death's the door (and rebirth)<br />
Since the moment I believed, my flesh was broke<br />
Sin lost it's control and death it's hold<br />
So maybe now you'll understand and get up in ya brain<br />
Why ya boy so young and unashamed<br />
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/trip_lee/young_and_unashamed.html ]<br />
Verse 2:<br />
They don't associate ya boy wit Christ Jesus kid<br />
'Cause I got my hat cocked and my jeans is big<br />
No suit and tie, tall tees and kicks<br />
But you ain't gotta be a geek to preach that Jesus lives<br />
So it's almost strange when they see me hit tha street blocks<br />
'Cause with my life I copy Christ like a Xerox<br />
No heat cocked, I roll wit the Lord and<br />
Wit a team full of Saints like I play for New Orleans<br />
We hold each other accountable when seekin sound doctrine<br />
Through Christ we been found not guilty without Cochran<br />
We kingdom people selected to rep His name<br />
Forget bout cheddar main, Christ is the better thing<br />
I don't let no weapon hang, I don't roll wit thugs<br />
That's holdin drugs and spendin all they dough in clubs<br />
I roll wit a gang of believers that's crazy for Jesus<br />
That's saved from the flames and unashamed of His teachings<br />
Cats be like, "You just a baby, how you know about the Lord?"<br />
To know Jehovah at His core we had to open up our swords<br />
We read His word on a daily, His inspired text<br />
And submit to the Spirit dog, we died to flesh<br />
I confess, they tell us that our youth is bein wasted<br />
Instead of jewels up in a bracelet, we speak truth each time we make hits<br />
So maybe now it's stuck up in ya brain<br />
Why the 116 is so young and unashamed<br />
<br />
Verse 3:<br />
Cats don't really understand, they think I lost my mind<br />
They hood on they back, but I rock a cross on mine<br />
Walk wit Christ in light, blood bought plus I'm<br />
Not dark as night, I'm light because I sought His shine<br />
I was livin' for today, was always caught in crimes<br />
Bout guilty as O.J., my talk and walk declined<br />
The Boss of time and space, but I put that to rest man<br />
I saw my old life, it wasn't right like my left hand<br />
Now He orders my steps and with Him is how I walk bro<br />
Got off the highway to Hell and I took the cross roads<br />
Now I'm walkin with Christ, what beautiful thing<br />
It's cooler than fame, more precious than jewelry and chains<br />
Most think God is just old school like Kool and the Gang<br />
They wanna be like Jeezy, Jay-Z and Ludacris main<br />
But I'm here today to say that if you want a greater day<br />
Don't fade away, cling to Christ and His amazing savin grace<br />
If you a Christian who accepted the King and you clean<br />
We gotta move, the Lord is pleased when we play on His team<br />
I hope young believers understand, I pray it's in ya brain<br />
If we love the Lord we must be young and unashamed<br />
<br />
<br />
Young <br />
By Andy Mineo<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h46Hx0pyik&feature=youtube_gdata_player<br />
<br />
Look it don't matter if I'm young<br />
This life isn't mine I'm living for Him now<br />
I ain't wasting time (*tick tick) never turn back<br />
I really ain't missing nothing stead of living for myself<br />
I be living for the mission of the King that'll soon be coming<br />
Sin over promise under delivers<br />
I ain't with the nonsense I'm in the Scriptures<br />
Get to know Him early I tell 'em why I wait<br />
So Imma serve Him all my days<br />
<br />
It don't matter if I'm (Young 2x)<br />
Yeah I'm unashamed (Young 2x)<br />
That's right I'm living for the King (Young 2x)<br />
Through Him I can do all things (Young 2x)<br />
Yeah it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm Young<br />
<br />
They say living in your twenties<br />
Go and get yours go and get money<br />
Sow them wild oats slide with some honeys<br />
Yeah I tried that already and them lies don't satisfy buddy<br />
This ones really dumb they like have some fun<br />
Now and change tomorrow, but that may never come (*tick tick)<br />
And they saying they excuses that they young<br />
While you stop making excuses when a man's what you become<br />
Don't believe the lies yeah ya'll ain't missing nothing<br />
'Cept never ending gains of holding on to sand grains<br />
They calling me a fool I giving what I can't keep<br />
Gaining what I can't lose<br />
<br />
It don't matter if I'm (Young 2x)<br />
Yeah I'm unashamed (Young 2x)<br />
That's right I'm living for the King (Young 2x)<br />
Through Him I can do all things (Young 2x)<br />
Yeah it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm<br />
<br />
Wheezy told me get that money little duffel bag boy<br />
Them dime-bags, nickle-bags, hustle that enjoy<br />
But Eons D say go to jail get out you unemployed<br />
Now you a Winn-Dixie, Publix or a Kroger bag boy<br />
And uh and if I listen to the colleges<br />
I probably come out sounding like a Darwinist<br />
Agnostic and arguing tolerance I can do whatever no consequence<br />
Partyin' partyin' with a couple barbies<br />
Going to Bob Marley spliffs<br />
And my god is in science, psychology<br />
The only problem is Yahweh's real<br />
I was locked up in a box car<br />
Couldn't pop the top until the Son popped up<br />
Then He copped us with a drop blood<br />
He would adopt the flock and by the cross bring us<br />
Brought us from the bottom though I lost<br />
Over what I got was God and His love<br />
How could I be missing out on everything I'm hearing now?<br />
This better and better I'm glad I'm young<br />
So they say you young live your life<br />
Do what you want I think they right<br />
Cause we want Jesus living in our sight<br />
You only live once, my homie's living twice<br />
New heaven homie new earth too<br />
<br />
Yeah I'm unashamed (Young 2x)<br />
That's right I'm living for the King (Young 2x)<br />
Through Him I can do all things (Young 2x)<br />
Yeah it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm (Young 4x)<br />
No it don't matter if I'm<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0Eau Claire (null)44.716825 -91.45415tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-8544903921903515762012-04-02T08:45:00.001-07:002012-04-02T08:45:55.741-07:00Part of a puzzleA big theme on our recent trip to Honduras was how everything was part of puzzles. The big puzzle of God's plan, the smaller puzzle of relief to Honduras, and the even smaller puzzle of how our team works. With surgeons but now nurses the surgeries don't go well because nothing would be clean or orderly. With no anesthesiologists patients would have to revert back to the old practice of shotgunning some rum before the surgeries. With only doctors the patients would have knowledge of the drugs they need but would be no better off. With only pharmacists patients would get overdoses and wrong meds. <br />
<br />
Also a big problem that people were facing on our last day was "is what we did actually useful and beneficial?" people had many ideas and were saying that while medicines help them in the moment, they still are gonna get sick again. The thing is if we only focus on the long run, people die now and there would be no one left to help later. Basically they argued it back and forth for a while. Then God had me say "Guys, it really doesn't matter if you think that you are doing any good. Or that others think that you are doing any good. If God called you to do this just do it. Don't ask questions." They thought that it was deep and it ended the conversation anyway. <br />
<br />
The fact is when a puzzle is not put together it is hard to see how each piece fits. Only God knows everything and our job is to just trust him and praise him for everything. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-91761076421326547342012-04-01T14:46:00.001-07:002012-04-01T14:46:19.610-07:00Trip #2Being the second part of our trip. Btw this is an event only version. The theology will be discussed more later.<br />
<br />
Also forgive the grammar errors. All of this was written on site and I was not worried about grammar.<br />
<br />
<br />
H-Trip<br />
March 24 2012<br />
I woke up at 2:57 to dad trying to make the clock near our bed snooze, though it hadn't gone off. Turns out he heard my iPod and thought it was that clock. We got to the airport and checked in before I realized that I had forgotten my carry-on bag in the hotel. Fortunately I had taken my wallet, my iPod, and some headphones from it right before we left. We ate at burger king before we took off. The flight lasted 2 1/2 hours. We landed, ate at mcdonalds, and got ready for the next flight. The plane was really nice and they fed us so we got three breakfasts today xD. After we landed we met up with the BMDMI head dude for the hospital and his wife, along with three interpreters. We waited at the airport for 3 hours or so as other team members arrived. This took that long because one of the flights was delayed by two hours due to a very strange occourance. After boarding the plane they were told that there was some problem with the nose cap. After two hours of waiting the were finally alerted that the problem had been solved with, of course, duc tape. The nose of their plane was held together with duc tape! Anyway, during the time we waited we got lunch at McDonald's. As soon as everyone had arrived we went over to pizza hut and ate another lunch (yes that is 5 meals so far). After that everyone loaded on the buss and we navigated streets that made New York look tame. There appeared to be no traffic signals, but somehow we got out into the country and drove three hours to our final destination. Once there we unpacked and settled in. Then, after a dinner of some rice and meat thing, we got briefed and took a quick tour of the hospital. Bed shortly followed. <br />
<br />
March 25 2012<br />
Not much happening today. Got up at 6:45 and spent a while after breakfast trying to work the tech. We went to church this morning and listened to a Spanish sermon, but they had a translator. Today we see no patients because it's Sunday. After a lunch of nachos we started pumping some pills. We sorted, counted, bagged, and bottled medicines from 12:30-20:30 at night with a break for dinner that lasted about an hour and a half. We played some frisbee during that time and it rained while we stood on a little watch tower thing. From then on we just chillaxed. It's 22:13 right now. Oh, one other thing, someone saw a coral snake today! They are very poisonous and can kill with a single bite so I hope I don't run into one xD.<br />
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March 26 2012 <br />
We woke up at the regular time (6:45) and took a bus, after breakfast, to Talanga nearby and set up a hospital. I worked as a pharmacist and distributed like 500 packs of pills. xD after about 8 hours we stopped for the day. I'll give you the basic thing that happens to the patients. First they fill out "una tarjeta," which means a card. Each card has the patients height, weight, age, and stuff like that for the doctors on the front, and on the back is a list of all out medicines with check boxes next to the name. Ok, back to the patient's experience... They get their blood pressure taken and sent to the doctors. After the doctor sees them and checks the correct medicines they take their tarjeta to me and the farmicia crew. Basically I take their card, grab the medicines that are checked, and say something like "esto es para usted" or "estos son tuyos". The first version is more polite. You would be surprised at how many patients don't say thanks after they get their medicine. We finished and ate dinner and played some frisbee and games. Then we cooked some utensils to sterilize them. <br />
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March 27 2012<br />
Woke up again at the regular time. Again I went to telanga to work as a pharmacist. It's pretty awesome, now that I have been doing it for two days I started to be able to check other people's trays and give my own out with out having to check it with the head honcho. We got back and ate a dinner of enchiladas. After dinner we talked for a while and went to bed at about 23:00. <br />
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March 28 2012<br />
Got up and ate breakfast. Then we talked about the day and other stuff. Today I am gonna go to Telanga (surprise, surprise) and be a pharmacist again. The trip out is always interesting. We will pass these little shacks with shingles falling off and stuff and on top of EVERY shack is a "claro" wifi dish. It's humorous. We distributed medicines until lunch. After lunch we went out on a house visit and bought a lot of EXTREMELY MEGA SOUR candies which we fed to a bunch of people off the street to see their reaction xD it was hilarious, one started to do some sorta dance from the mega sour part, a lot of people tried to be polite and not freak out and pretended like they liked it. After we got back we just hung out till dinner, and after dinner we chilled till bed. <br />
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March 29 2012<br />
We went to a different place today; a small school near by. We saw patients till lunch and ate a picnic at a marble mine. To get to the mine you must go on a trail that would be easy for a jeep, but for a school bus it was nearly impossible. Actually we had to get out an walk for one section to take some weight from the bus. After lunch we went back to the hospital and played four square and dodgeball until diner. <br />
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March 30 2012<br />
We are headed to the valley of angels today. There we did some shopping. After that we went to a orphan's home run by BMDMI. All the kids were lacking attention and basically mobbed us. It started out nice, then we started to play soccer. NOT A GOOD IDEA!! They were wild and played by crazy rules. I told the girls on the sideline my name when they asked and they started chants and stuff with it. For some reason they kept telling me that I had to hit the ball with my feet instead of my hands... xD All the kids loved my accent and especially how I said "benjamin" and "soy americano". The kids all lacked attention and were very wild. One little fellow just ran up and slugged me in the gut. Another was testing out his water balloon throwing abilities. The game ended 1-1. After we left the kids place we went to a mission home. The place was really nice. After a dinner of beef and potatoes we watched some videos of BMDMI and our trip slideshow. When we finished that we went up to a balcony and talked for a while. People were trying to figure out all sorts of questions like if short-term mission trips are useful and what if what we just did is only a temporary bandage and not fixing any problem. During one of the prayers suddenly God told me something to say and apparently knew I wouldn't do it on my own so after the prayer was over the guy kinda running it pointed right at me and said something to the effect that I have been pretty quiet so far. It was pretty cool. After we finished the talk I looked at all 2111 pictures that were taken and went to bed. <br />
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March 31 2012<br />
We fly out today. Breakfast was at 7:00 and I had five omelets that tasted really good. When breakfast was over we drove out to the airport. At one point the road disappeared over the edge of a cliff where an avalanche had ripped out a hole. We avoided the pit. The trip took a few hours and we got to the airport at 9:30 or so. My bag almost was left behind but fortunately was put into the ambulance and showed up. The runway that we will be leaving from is one of the most dangerous in the world so hopefully we survive... We took off by going to the very end of the runway (and I mean the VERY end) then they turned the jets on and kept the brakes on until the engines were going fast. They released the brakes and we shot away! It still took almost all the runway to take off but it was very fun xD. We arrived in Houston at about 4:00 and prepared for our next flight which left at 7:30, 25 minutes late. Got into Minneapolis and eventually got to our hotel where we quickly realized that I was more sick then anyone else had thought. We went to McDonald's for a midnight snack at 12:05 and went to bed at 12:30. The major difference between Honduras and USA can be summed up by two sentences: I saw only two stop signs in Honduras. No one stopped for either. <br />
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Trip stats:<br />
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1337 total patients<br />
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4119 prescriptions total<br />
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I probably filled somewhere between 40-60% of the prescriptions.<br />
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Total miles traveled: a large number<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-44007087299317933422012-03-23T20:34:00.001-07:002012-03-23T20:34:54.496-07:00Trip #1This being the first installment in a two part series...<br />
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We got to our hotel and spent like 30 minutes checking in. Then we got up to our room and watched the wolf pack play some basketball. This ended at 10:27 and now I am blogging before bed. <br />
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Tomorrow at 3:15 we leave for the air port. Then I am headed off to Honduras to do what only Micah and I know... (not a word, Micah...) just kidding, but seriously this will probably be the last time I have internet until we get back. <br />
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But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8 KJV)<br />
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See ya!!! <br />
2 Timothy 2:22 <br />
(you knew I was gonna put that there...)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-59995049820507110812012-03-22T20:24:00.001-07:002012-03-22T20:24:12.416-07:00Psalm 100Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalm 100:1-5 KJV)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3414555309703077010.post-90600790850933805262012-03-22T11:32:00.001-07:002012-03-22T11:32:27.223-07:00No more JustinYou can't call me Bibier any more! :PPPAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10744292956557578973noreply@blogger.com0