This One is For You

For those of you out there who go home everyday and run to your computer to see if I have posted a new blog, this one is for you. Yes I know that it has been a couple weeks and probably longer then that, but I have been busy with all the new aspects of my life.

School has been so much fun and challenging. I have enjoyed school so much and am looking forward to every new class. Greek has been so much fun! LOL. If you think I am joking, I will let you decide. Just to let you know though, my professor has been known and feared by many students. At one point before the semester one student told me to take a different teacher because he was extremely hard. With that important info I thought, "I wanted a challenge and the very reason I came to DTS was because of the school's fantastic teachers." So far so good. As for all my other classes, they are also wonderful.

Work has been much better, too. I think that I have figured out the coffee world. Although every once in a while someone comes in and really tests my knowledge or speciality in coffee making. One great aspect about the job is the free drinks! Just because of that I may consider a full time career in Starbucks. LOL. Although God has bigger and better plans.

Thank you to those out there that pray for all of us everyday. We love you very much. Please pray for us if you haven't been. Please pray for me and my classes as I work to make quality papers. Pray for my family that we would have plenty of time together. Pray that God would lead me to a wonderful ministry/internship. Pray that my family and I would glorify Him in such a way that would bring Him the honor that He deserves.

The Beginning of School Again

This last week has been amazing for me. I have just been overwhelmed. Thursday we had school orientation and we were able to see all the professors. It was amazing for me to see all the wonderful teachers that I have listened to on the radio, watched on tv, or even read about. DTS is so blessed to have leaders that have stayed true throughout this century to the Word of God.

It just reminded me of why I came here. DTS's perspective of the bible being the authority we live by was the very reason why I wanted to come here. I have always believed that truth has never changed even when culture tells us it has. God hasn't changed, He doesn't care about what is in or out, He remains the same throughout time. Having the privilege to go to a college that believes in the eternal truths of God is such a wonderful gift.

Now, with that said, school starts on Tuesday for me and my tone may change in a couple of weeks. Being a part of such a wonderful college does require many challenges. Challenges that are intended to help me understand the Word of God better and to be able to handle it correctly.

For those that are out there and know my family, I ask that you would pray for us. Pray for my wife to be able to handle the girls as I am working and going to school. Pray for my daughters so they grow to be just as Christ intended. Yes, please pray for me to be there for my family first and then to my education. Pray that I will not only read my books for my classes but remember what I have read. Pray that I will be faithful with my time and not fall short in what God intends me to accomplish.

I know your prayers are there for us, cause I feel them everyday! Thank you so much and don't stop.

Two Weeks In

I have been working at the wonderful well known Starbucks for almost two weeks now. I have found myself wondering why in the world it took me so long to finally apply there. The benefits working at Starbucks is fantastic. Medical, Eye, Dental, Tuition assistance, and even FREE drinks! WOW!

Free drinks are far the greatest blessing due to our present situation restricting us from having that privilege to buy them. If one is cunning enough one can find a way to break the system and I am cunning! Although it may come back and shoot me in the foot if I drink so much coffee that company goes under.

As for memorizing all those drinks, that is another story. I have come a long ways in two weeks but have a long ways to go. If your a avid Latte drinker could you keep it simple and just ask for the Grande Latte. Skip the silly stuff like Non-fat, Skinny Vanilla, half decaf, etc.... At least wait tell I get a handle on it then we will let it get more complicated.

The Consequences of Sin

Simply stated in Romans 3:23, we find ourselves falling short of the glory of God. Some may read this passage and lose hope, but praise the Lord He continues by saying we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus", Romans 3:24

Does it amaze you that God created the opportunity for man to walk away from him (sin, Adam and Eve) and, even in that event, provided a way to come back to him? It amazes me on several levels. Have you ever considered why we have passage back to God while the angels (known as demons) that decided to follow Lucifer don't have that privilege? We did the exact same thing they did! We chose ourselves, not God! For some reason, we think {or thought} we were {or are} smarter then him. Yet, for some reason his hand reaches down, through Jesus Christ, to us and says come back my child. Why? It has to baffle the angels.

The most amazing attribute about Christ providing a way back to him is his love for us. I titled this the "consequences of sin" because the consequences of sin IS death and yes, even God's (Christ) death. Christ has paid my death sentence. Yes, God had the prefect world for us to live in and we went and screwed it up; but he doesn't give up on us or wipe us off the face of the earth, instead he provides a way back to him. He gives us the opportunity to exercise our freewill and return to him.

We all want freewill but don't want the consequences of it. We find ourselves today facing the consequences of our freewill. Free to do righteous acts or evil acts. Choose Christ or reject him.

Freewill causes us many problems, but it also provides us with the best relationship we can have with God. Let me explain real quick.

We see everyday where people take their freewill and torture others. The other day on the news there was a couple that was starving their children by only giving them a small amount of food a week and would not allow them to venture out of the bathroom for days. It tore at my heart to see children abused in such a horrible way. Those parents had the privilege to freely give so much more to their children, but decided instead to torture them. (Consequences of Sin)

They took their freewill and used it to benefit themselves and ruined other people's lives.

When we use our freewill as God intended we experience something beyond our imaginations. We get to experience "God" when we choose to freely follow him. It doesn't stop there because others around you get to experience "God" when you choose to follow his ways. God loves to see his children freely choose him instead of making us choose him. That is love and when we do that everyone benefits.

In closing, I want to say one more thing. God continues to allow us to freely choose him even after Christ's death on the cross. He didn't die on the cross and make everyone believe in him even though it provides everyone with the opportunity for eternal life with him.

Instead, we face the same trial that Adam and Eve had in the garden. Freewill to choose God and his ways. Adam and Eve chose their own way and we stand in a time in history where God provided, yet again another opportunity to choose his way through Christ. There will be those that don't and those that do. I do. I choose Christ and look forward to the day where we will no longer face everyday the consequences of sin. Non posse pecccare!

Thanks to those that have read this series of posts. These posts have been for everyone to read, but they have been more then that to me. They have been of great interest to me and my thoughts and I have enjoyed putting them into words. So these last several articles may have been more for me then for those that read them, but if you enjoyed them, all the better.

Why Sin at all?

Sorry I didn't think I would put so much thought into my last blog, but I can't help but talk on part two of non posse peccare. If we were at a state where we were able not to sin (posse non peccare) why didn't God just make it in the beginning where we were unable to sin (non posse peccare)? If God's intent for us from the very beginning was to be without sin, why do you think he allowed us to sin? Can I answer this quickly? No, but let's see how I do.

MECHANICALISM*

The greatest resolution found for answering the reason why God chose to give mankind the choice over sin was avoiding making us into machines.

When we build machines for our benefit they have a desired role to perform. Usually, when the machine doesn't reach that desired intent we go and buy a new machine. For example, a blender that no longer blends needs to be replaced. Machines don't have a choice. They are built to perform and a specific result is expected. A coffee machine better make coffee, another example of mechanicalism.

God created all things to glorify Him. We see some machine type creations all around us that glorify His name specifically in one intention. An example may be true referring to a tree or a flower, their existence is always the same. They perform a specific role without any real choice and perform it beautifully. Yet, humans are different. We have choice, we are not locked into one set of expectation. There is one great expectation, which is following God, but we still get to choose.

CHOOSING

Unlike any other creation we have the right to choose. Adam and Eve were given the opportunity to choose God or something other than Him. We all know what they did but this illustrates my point that God created them to love Him through choice.

God knowing that He wanted a unique relationship with humanity created us with the ability to choose Him willingly, which sadly allowed the opportunity for sin. For we know that choosing anything besides God is sin and distances ourselves from Him.

"Are you saying that God made sin so we could choose Him?" If you're thinking that, stop for a second and let me rephrase. What I believe I am saying is "God allowed the potential for sin, so that we could love Him."* I believe in order for us to truly love God, as God intended us too and wanted, we had to have the potential to say no. With that potential there came great consequences for refusing His love because when you choose something other then God, you're choosing something that is against your best interest.

Later Part 3 -Consequences of Choosing

*Mechanicalism is not a word it is a JACOBISM yet I believe that its intent is self explanatory.

*I assert that I don't know everything so don't take this to the bank, it just makes sense to me.

Non posse peccare

We have been in our new home for a month now and have enjoyed the time here very much. Our days are full of laughter and rest. It has been different not having to go to work everyday but those days will come when school starts. I have greatly enjoyed the time I have been able to spend with my family. Swimming, puzzles, hide and seek, and many other wonderful events have filled my days. Often when the kids go to bed I have had the privilege to do some important and fulfilling reading, which leads me to this blog.

For those out there that don't like philosophy and start to go to sleep when the very word is mentioned please bare with me for a sec. I was forced to ponder on something that Augustine said as I was reading a philosophy book about our wonderful savior, Jesus Christ, and that statement is "Non posse pecccare."

When Adam and Eve were created their human nature was posse non peccare, which means able not to sin. I don't know if you have ever thought how that might have been, but I have. We face evil everyday, it surrounds us. Turn on the TV and you will see it. Can you imagine a time where people never tasted sin? News stations would be in serious trouble. What would they report?

"Again today everybody did what was right and nothing went wrong. Today in the weather..."

Instead, we see stories about rapes here, theft over there, murders far and wide, etc... People don't refrain from sinning at all. I must be honest and I find myself falling short of perfection and feel extremely discouraged at times which leads us into non posse non peccare where we are unable not to sin.

Trapped by our own lust we cannot ever go back to posse non peccare as God intended us in the beginning. Being born into sin we find it impossible to avoid sin. Trust me, if you disagree with me take my daughters for a day and you see the implications of being born into sin. Contemplate over this, you have never known a day without sin. Temptations everywhere we go force us to remember that we can't escape it, that is until Christ, one day we will face "Non posse peccare" which victoriously means will not BE ABLE to sin.

Imagine that! No really please stop for a second and think about it. For those in Christ we face a day where you and I will be unable to harm God or each other. Redemption is coming. We will live lives that bring about great things. At the time that which Christ redeems us we will face God's grace and only be able to do that which is HOLY.

No longer will you have to worry about talking about somebody behind their back because you WILL NOT do it. No longer will you be able to lie, cheat, hurt, or any other atrocious act. Can't! It will be, consider this, out of your very nature to do such things. A horse by itself can't fly because it is restricted by natural laws from doing so and so will we, by the grace of God, be from sinning.

Non posse peccare is a day that I look forward to enjoying. The peace, rest, and serenity will be a day, no an eternality, of worship to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am NOT DUMB!

You may have seen these little buggers at someones house and given this little game a shot. I did at one of the famous Cracker Barrel franchises on the way down to Texas. I understood the rules and gave it my best shot. On my first try I had three sticks left.

Pretty good right? Well not according to the wood block that holds those sticks. I was just plain DUMB! What? How can that be! Am I really!?! If that is the case then maybe I shouldn't be going to seminary. Man I wish I had this wood block a couple of years ago it would have saved me lots of trouble.

I sat at that restaurant for almost thirty minutes trying to figure out how to get rid of all of the sticks except for one, and failed every time. At one point I had two left which made me smart according to the block, but I wanted to be a genius with only one. Yet I failed every single stinkin' time!

My wife must of seen my frustration of falling short of perfection, so she sought one out and bought me that stupid little game. That was nice of her except now it just tormented me, laughed at me, and mocked me because I couldn't do it!

Well, I know you guys really care, but according to the block I am now a stinkin' genius! Yep, I finally did it and memorized how to do it so that if I went back to it at anytime of feeling or being stupid I would be reminded, according to the block, I am a genius.

I don't know if you have things in your life like this little block that will bug you until you get them right, but for some reason I find those things and have to figure them out. I was looking at the game for a bit after solving it and thought to myself, "That is probably how Christ wants me to chase after Him." I wanted perfection in that game and Christ wants perfection in my life. Which do I try harder for? A game made of wood or Christ? The little areas in my life where I have three sticks instead of one, being Christ, I should pursue with great ambition. Hmmm.