The most powerful force in the universe bounces off of my chest every morning. I AM Superman.
Secondly, to me- Jesus healing the cripple man's body wasnt the incredible miracle. What astonishes me is that the man even knew how to use his new legs, so much so that he ran. I have a sore on the bottom of my foot, and I still limp whether or not it actually hurts. How amazing is it that by a touch, Jesus transformed and renewed the mans mind so that he knew how to run again. I guess that is what Christ is suppose to do to our minds. Transform them.... think about it.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Jubilee Conference... One week ago.
One week ago I went to a conference in Pittsburgh. It was called the Jubilee conference. For the most part, it was a series of lectures and social events for three days surrounding around the idea of moving college students into action to change the world around them. For me, it was both informative, in that I learned how really screwed the world is, but it was also a great time of reflection. While I was there, I wrote in my notebook an entry that I promised myself I was going to post on here no matter how it turned out. It has been a week, there has been no editing to this...so here goes nothing. Please forgive my tardiness.
My thoughts:
Since I can remember, I have been a fixer by nature. This has lead me into computers and engineering because they were constant problems that needed fixing. However, I soon grew tired because I had no goal or purpose, and I was not in complete dependence of God. For some reason, I have not expected the ways Gd has guided my life. My soccer career ended in a strange way. I was fouled out setting a precedent for the game. My friends were being bullied around and I grew tired of it and so I set a standard. We went from loosing with a full team to finally pulling through and tying into overtime, but loosing the shootout. Then, I saw myself as a failure, but perhaps it was not about winning the game but learning the lesson. In school, I was always the devils advocate against the teachers. This was not out of rebellion, but because I was tired of authority trampling people. In high school, my great task was debate. However, that crumbled as I grew tired of twisting the truth and I grew tired of arguing against little challenge, only for my own glorification. So, instead of moving forward in politics, I abandoned that outlet. But now, i can see that once again there was a lesson to be learned in my experiences. Though debate, I learned that: just because someone wins an argument does not make them right, it makes them persuasive. So, alas, here I stand at Grove City College seeking God and trying to see how I can help the world. Here is what I know about myself:
-- I have to be helping people to be happy in life.
-- I feel called to defend the underdog, purify the faith, and witness to the intellectuals and the powerful.
-- I am the happiness when I am fixing problems.
So, here is what i feel I must do for the fulfillment of Gods will in my life. This has come by revelation, and is in interesting timing with the rest of my life.
I need to place myself in the cross-hairs of the huge problems of life and just be me. Only admits the storms have I ever felt right/ happy/ complete. So, if I want to seek the will of God in my life – I need to place myself in the storms of life and start working. Then, let the favor and gifts God has given me begin to transform this world.
Ironically, I sit here in the second session of the Jubilee conference wondering why my affinity for books ifs fading. I walked around their book stand, thinking- these are all the same and none of them are actions, just words..... (and interestingly enough) the speaker just started talking about how books are not life. He said “You can get straight A's and still flunk life”.
My thoughts:
Since I can remember, I have been a fixer by nature. This has lead me into computers and engineering because they were constant problems that needed fixing. However, I soon grew tired because I had no goal or purpose, and I was not in complete dependence of God. For some reason, I have not expected the ways Gd has guided my life. My soccer career ended in a strange way. I was fouled out setting a precedent for the game. My friends were being bullied around and I grew tired of it and so I set a standard. We went from loosing with a full team to finally pulling through and tying into overtime, but loosing the shootout. Then, I saw myself as a failure, but perhaps it was not about winning the game but learning the lesson. In school, I was always the devils advocate against the teachers. This was not out of rebellion, but because I was tired of authority trampling people. In high school, my great task was debate. However, that crumbled as I grew tired of twisting the truth and I grew tired of arguing against little challenge, only for my own glorification. So, instead of moving forward in politics, I abandoned that outlet. But now, i can see that once again there was a lesson to be learned in my experiences. Though debate, I learned that: just because someone wins an argument does not make them right, it makes them persuasive. So, alas, here I stand at Grove City College seeking God and trying to see how I can help the world. Here is what I know about myself:
-- I have to be helping people to be happy in life.
-- I feel called to defend the underdog, purify the faith, and witness to the intellectuals and the powerful.
-- I am the happiness when I am fixing problems.
So, here is what i feel I must do for the fulfillment of Gods will in my life. This has come by revelation, and is in interesting timing with the rest of my life.
I need to place myself in the cross-hairs of the huge problems of life and just be me. Only admits the storms have I ever felt right/ happy/ complete. So, if I want to seek the will of God in my life – I need to place myself in the storms of life and start working. Then, let the favor and gifts God has given me begin to transform this world.
Ironically, I sit here in the second session of the Jubilee conference wondering why my affinity for books ifs fading. I walked around their book stand, thinking- these are all the same and none of them are actions, just words..... (and interestingly enough) the speaker just started talking about how books are not life. He said “You can get straight A's and still flunk life”.
Monday, February 12, 2007
My New Life
Interesting factoids about my new life:
1) My roomates rock. I am really glad that I have two roomates. I know a lot of people complain about the whole roomate situation, but I think if you get a group of individuals who are relativly considerate to each other, it can be really great to live together.
2) I do not mind asking the "hard questions". In class today, I asked my professor, essentially, whether or not a Christian could be possessed by a demon. You would have thought that I just shot someone. The entire class fell silent, but alas, the professor gave a great answer. I am not sure why people are so afraid of stepping on other's toes. But I am not. Granted, that has to be balanced with respect... which brings me to the next topic
3) Life is an interesting game of balance. Not just in the way you act and react, but also in the way with you deal with your inherent personality. I think that we all have natural personalities, that for whatever reason, we just have. Understandably, there is something to be said about becoming a "better person". However, I do not think that means that we are all suppose to be the same. For all negative personality traits, I think there are two ways they can hurt you. First, and most obviously, the negative nature of them (like anger, lack of self-control, being conceited, etc.) can hurt you and other people. However, what I didnt realize, was that overly opressing them can also hurt you and other people. I have several things that I have "struggled" with for a long time. I had a serious anger problem, I talked too much, I was apparently insensitive, I had a dominating personality, and I had a way of asking too many questions that were too deep, either intellectually, or emotionally probing. For the longest time I have been fighting all of those natural impulse- and I believe that it has done me good. But, there is something to be said that we were all given natural personality traits to do our plan and purpose with. To me, it only makes sense that Satan would attack, tempt, and frustrate us with our strengths, so that we would think they were weaknesses. For so long I have thought of my capacity for adrenaline, my audacity, my probing nature were negative traits that I needed to "oppress" if I was going to be a mature person. But now I am realizing that those traits, if viewed properly, can be very instrumental in life.
Case in Point: I think it is safe to say that many of the areas we think are our "weaknesses" are really are strengths. The good book once said "God will use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise". I think that it is parallel to my mini-sermon here, lol
4) I am learning once again that communication is key to having relationships with people. I have always been a proponent of talking- but in the last few years, I have thought that it was only plaguing... now I am once again assured that communication is key to any type of relationship you want to have, whether it is familial, romantic, or friendship.
5) You know you have left Oklahoma when you walk outside and think "Wow, it has warmed up"... and then you realize that it is actually 26 degrees... which, is "warmer" than -15... life is funny.
6) Laughter is the key to life. If you arent laughing, you need to change something, or find someone who will make you laugh. I dont see the point in living if we can be happy and laugh.
7) Making fun of people to get a laugh can be good... in very small quantities. That is something I need to work on.
8) I work harder than my roomates. Well, maybe not harder, but def. longer. I go to sleep after them most nights, and wake up before them. Currently I am averaging 6-7 hours a night. So far, I feel fine. Though, a nice 30 min afternoon nap is becoming my friend.
9) I love music, without it- I can easily go crazy. Whether it is worship music or secular self-expression... I am a sucker for a good rhythm and some nice lyrics.
10) I love my family. I miss being around them sometimes. I have a great family. Every one of them are incredible, and uniquely special to me.
11) I like the cold, but it does make me miss the lake. I think I am going to really appreciate the lake and spending time with my family more this summer.
12) I avoid doing homework by blogging. Like now... bye
1) My roomates rock. I am really glad that I have two roomates. I know a lot of people complain about the whole roomate situation, but I think if you get a group of individuals who are relativly considerate to each other, it can be really great to live together.
2) I do not mind asking the "hard questions". In class today, I asked my professor, essentially, whether or not a Christian could be possessed by a demon. You would have thought that I just shot someone. The entire class fell silent, but alas, the professor gave a great answer. I am not sure why people are so afraid of stepping on other's toes. But I am not. Granted, that has to be balanced with respect... which brings me to the next topic
3) Life is an interesting game of balance. Not just in the way you act and react, but also in the way with you deal with your inherent personality. I think that we all have natural personalities, that for whatever reason, we just have. Understandably, there is something to be said about becoming a "better person". However, I do not think that means that we are all suppose to be the same. For all negative personality traits, I think there are two ways they can hurt you. First, and most obviously, the negative nature of them (like anger, lack of self-control, being conceited, etc.) can hurt you and other people. However, what I didnt realize, was that overly opressing them can also hurt you and other people. I have several things that I have "struggled" with for a long time. I had a serious anger problem, I talked too much, I was apparently insensitive, I had a dominating personality, and I had a way of asking too many questions that were too deep, either intellectually, or emotionally probing. For the longest time I have been fighting all of those natural impulse- and I believe that it has done me good. But, there is something to be said that we were all given natural personality traits to do our plan and purpose with. To me, it only makes sense that Satan would attack, tempt, and frustrate us with our strengths, so that we would think they were weaknesses. For so long I have thought of my capacity for adrenaline, my audacity, my probing nature were negative traits that I needed to "oppress" if I was going to be a mature person. But now I am realizing that those traits, if viewed properly, can be very instrumental in life.
Case in Point: I think it is safe to say that many of the areas we think are our "weaknesses" are really are strengths. The good book once said "God will use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise". I think that it is parallel to my mini-sermon here, lol
4) I am learning once again that communication is key to having relationships with people. I have always been a proponent of talking- but in the last few years, I have thought that it was only plaguing... now I am once again assured that communication is key to any type of relationship you want to have, whether it is familial, romantic, or friendship.
5) You know you have left Oklahoma when you walk outside and think "Wow, it has warmed up"... and then you realize that it is actually 26 degrees... which, is "warmer" than -15... life is funny.
6) Laughter is the key to life. If you arent laughing, you need to change something, or find someone who will make you laugh. I dont see the point in living if we can be happy and laugh.
7) Making fun of people to get a laugh can be good... in very small quantities. That is something I need to work on.
8) I work harder than my roomates. Well, maybe not harder, but def. longer. I go to sleep after them most nights, and wake up before them. Currently I am averaging 6-7 hours a night. So far, I feel fine. Though, a nice 30 min afternoon nap is becoming my friend.
9) I love music, without it- I can easily go crazy. Whether it is worship music or secular self-expression... I am a sucker for a good rhythm and some nice lyrics.
10) I love my family. I miss being around them sometimes. I have a great family. Every one of them are incredible, and uniquely special to me.
11) I like the cold, but it does make me miss the lake. I think I am going to really appreciate the lake and spending time with my family more this summer.
12) I avoid doing homework by blogging. Like now... bye
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Encouragement
I should ammend my previous post by saying that I now know that my words and actions did in fact have some impact on the group. If nothing else, I know it has helped to guide the leadership's vision of the direction this group needs to go.
However, I do still believe that my exposure to this group should be limited to some degree as I feel it is just not my place to be a part of this group yet. Time will tell.
******************
Also, one more addendum. I would also like to reiterate my first post- This blog is not for the purpose of instruction any/ all of its readers as to what the direct truth of life it. It is, instead, a means by which I get my thoughts on God, life, and such out into the open. I will not post something on here unless I am atleast 90% sure of its truth. However, seeing as how all of this is in my constant pursuit of truth, I do appreciate any and all criticism of these ideas if you feel such opposed, because I do want to know the truth of God, and I refuse to be trapped in the bubble of my own mind.
However, I do still believe that my exposure to this group should be limited to some degree as I feel it is just not my place to be a part of this group yet. Time will tell.
******************
Also, one more addendum. I would also like to reiterate my first post- This blog is not for the purpose of instruction any/ all of its readers as to what the direct truth of life it. It is, instead, a means by which I get my thoughts on God, life, and such out into the open. I will not post something on here unless I am atleast 90% sure of its truth. However, seeing as how all of this is in my constant pursuit of truth, I do appreciate any and all criticism of these ideas if you feel such opposed, because I do want to know the truth of God, and I refuse to be trapped in the bubble of my own mind.
Monday, February 05, 2007
silence
I have trouble being quiet. I learned that tonight. I went to a small-group / community group tonight and listened to a sermon. Through the worship, and the praying, and the sermon... I just kept yelling to myself all of these things I felt needed to be said. They were seeking God, and I knew that I should remain silent because they need to find them through their own ways- but I so felt that I knew the "missing link", and I felt such an urge to share it. So, needless to say, I did. Then, time went on, it was all good, so I shared another thought. Then, everyone just stared at me. Shortly there after one of the "main people" tried to clear up what I said to make it fit the group... but it was then that I learned my lesson.
Perhaps sometimes God wants me to just be quiet. I was silent for so long, but when it came out, it just exploded, and apparently I was "preaching"... which for some reason, I did not want to do. I guess it would be easier for me to think that what I said was of God, but I know that I did it with a caviot in the back of my head that perhaps these people should learn it themselves. Sadly, I do not think they understood what I was saying. But, perhaps someone did.
I pray that it did help someone. I just hope that this does not inhibit my future dealings with these people / this group. Next time, I will try and be more "community" and less "pastoral". If there is a next time.... lol
Perhaps sometimes God wants me to just be quiet. I was silent for so long, but when it came out, it just exploded, and apparently I was "preaching"... which for some reason, I did not want to do. I guess it would be easier for me to think that what I said was of God, but I know that I did it with a caviot in the back of my head that perhaps these people should learn it themselves. Sadly, I do not think they understood what I was saying. But, perhaps someone did.
I pray that it did help someone. I just hope that this does not inhibit my future dealings with these people / this group. Next time, I will try and be more "community" and less "pastoral". If there is a next time.... lol
Dominion
Okay, so I have written this three times, and it has been deleted each time by my computer... so either it is going to be really good, or really bad. I don't have time to explain it all right now, but I am just going to outline the points and come back to it later.
When Adam was created, he was given dominion over all of creation. However, because of the fall, he lost that dominion, and was held subject to the ways of nature. When Jesus was offered as a sacrifice, it allowed those who pursued a relationship with God to be restored to a pre-fall state, where as we could actually have a true, unadulterated relationship with God. Heb 10 tells us that the sacrifice of Jesus was ultimate and finished. Unlike the old covenant, where people need to be constantly attoned for, and constantly seek forgiveness- Salvation through Jesus was a once and for all deal, where as it not only covered your sins, but washed the entire idea of sin away for all of eternity so that those who believed in God and pursued a relationship with Him would not need to be burdened by sin.
Now, most people leave the analysis right there; however, I think it can go one step further. When God created all that is, he not only created it ex nihilo (out of nothing), but he instilled his image into it, and made it part of His creation that He Himself would live, to some end, within His creation so that He could have a relationship with His creation. Pre-Adam, we know that God walked through the garden with them. Pre-Jesus, we know that the spirit of God was behind the Holy vial. And now, the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit), runs freely throughout the creation.
So, here is where things begin to get interesting. Many people have this idea that here on earth, we live in the physical, or natural. In heaven, and in another spiritual dimension, there exists the supernatural. Even if you believe Eph 6, that “our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ... spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places”- I would venture to say that you would still believe that the spiritual world still exists in a separate place, but has a profound impact on our lives.
Now, here is where it might get confusing. I would like to venture to say that there is no separate “natural world”, nor a distinct “supernatural realm”... case in point, Jesus. When He came down to earth, his actions did not seem to be a great bridging of the cosmos. His miracles seemed common place to Him. Casting out demons was not a ritual or a process, but rather- He spoke, and they obeyed. When Jesus was talking to the Roman soldier about his son being possessed, the Roman soldier said that just as he could speak to one of his soldiers and they would obey, so could Jesus speak to a demon and they would obey, because they were under His authority. Because of this, Jesus said the man had greater faith than anyone he encountered.
Every time Jesus spoke about miracles, driving out demons, or enacting the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, it seemed to be “by faith”... which simply means believing the correct reality. Many people today want to go through drawn out ceremonies, or prayer battles to do “supernatural things”. However, I would suggest that such a view of the world is not correct. I believe that there is no distinct supernatural realm. Instead, what we would consider natural and supernatural exist together. Case in point, I believe we are living in the supernatural. All that is limiting us is our unbelief, or rather- our misguided belief. Many people view the supernatural or spiritual realm as something distinctly different. However, that just does not seem to be the case. Jesus did not talk in hypothetical when it came to doing spiritual things. He showed that the merging of such two ideas, was simply done by faith and by speech. Even when he responded to His apostles who were unable to cast out a demon, he told them “this kind comes by prayer and fasting”. Now, I might be wrong by saying this, but this is how I see that response... What do prayer and fasting do but to give you more faith in God. I would venture to say that prayer and fasting are for devoutly seeking God, and based on that search of God, you become close to Him and start to realize the truth of His creation. Therefore, giving you the authority in His creation. When Adam and Eve fell, they did so because their minds became so flooded with knowledge that they were unable to seek God through all the clutter. They disobeyed His commandment, and so they were put in a position where they would have to seek God, instead of just enjoying His fellowship.
However, now we have the ability to live and breathe with God as we walk in our day to day. We know that God is living with us, and we should know that the world we are living in is no different, in a structural sense, than it was when Jesus performed His miracles. Therefore, if we are walking in the supernatural, and if our relationship with God, through Christ is such that the Kingdom of Heaven is our everyday lives, then we have the same authority over earth that Adam was given pre-fall. That means we have authority over all areas of this world.
Now, here is an interesting thought that will perhaps make you all think I have lost my mind. It is my own personal extrapolation, so take it with a grain of salt. Miracles, as we understand them, can all be explained by a supernatural phenomena. Jesus jumping through time and space can be theoretically explained by string theory, Jesus healing people can be explained by Him speaking order to that persons bodily functions, and such an action would be simply the speaker commanding that part of creation to act in the way it was designed, and not in the way it was. Now, this is not to say that we are all meant to be in ideal function, because I know different bodies were made different ways, for different reasons- but to the end God has given us authority, or rather dominion, we should have the ability to shape and mold His creation as our spirit guides us, and tells us how it should be. Jesus walking on the water can be explained by his atoms resisting the pull of attraction to the earth (gravity), and/or his atoms distributing his weight perfectly over the water. Ultimately, anything is possible if one had the authority to command it so (as long as it was within the creation of God) because we were not given the ability to create ex nihilo, but we were given the authority to command the already present creation.
However, I will append to this that we are told to not worship the miracles. In Luke 10:19-20 we are reminded to “not rejoice [that we have authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the power of the enemy], but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Now, granted, this was probably written to dissuade the cults that bite snakes and what-not to show the power of God. But still, it is a reminder that life with God is not about all the cool stuff we can do, but rather about a relationship with Him.
I guess then the point of this long post is to tell you that in Christ, all things really are possible to Him that believe, and even though your relationship with God might be pulling you in such a direction that you do not see as practice or even possible.... stretch your imagination a bit a just get it into your thick skull that God is bigger than your dreams and your reality. So seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you. That includes understanding, and sense of reality around you. Too often, I find myself limited by my comfort zone, or at least only allowing direction from God to send me into the norms of life. But why should I let my own mind limit what God can and cant do when I know my own mind doesn't even know what I can and cant do. Even if you had some trouble with the talk on the supernatural, surely you can agree that you do not even know your own abilities. If you don't even know yourself, then why on earth should we ever think that we know God.
So, dream big, follow God, and stop constraining the guidance of the Holy Spirit to your own logic and understanding. If you want to really work for something, work for a relationship with God where you can be sensitive to the guidance of the spirit and trust it as you trust your relationship with God. Then, maybe he will call a few more of us out onto the waters
When Adam was created, he was given dominion over all of creation. However, because of the fall, he lost that dominion, and was held subject to the ways of nature. When Jesus was offered as a sacrifice, it allowed those who pursued a relationship with God to be restored to a pre-fall state, where as we could actually have a true, unadulterated relationship with God. Heb 10 tells us that the sacrifice of Jesus was ultimate and finished. Unlike the old covenant, where people need to be constantly attoned for, and constantly seek forgiveness- Salvation through Jesus was a once and for all deal, where as it not only covered your sins, but washed the entire idea of sin away for all of eternity so that those who believed in God and pursued a relationship with Him would not need to be burdened by sin.
Now, most people leave the analysis right there; however, I think it can go one step further. When God created all that is, he not only created it ex nihilo (out of nothing), but he instilled his image into it, and made it part of His creation that He Himself would live, to some end, within His creation so that He could have a relationship with His creation. Pre-Adam, we know that God walked through the garden with them. Pre-Jesus, we know that the spirit of God was behind the Holy vial. And now, the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit), runs freely throughout the creation.
So, here is where things begin to get interesting. Many people have this idea that here on earth, we live in the physical, or natural. In heaven, and in another spiritual dimension, there exists the supernatural. Even if you believe Eph 6, that “our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ... spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places”- I would venture to say that you would still believe that the spiritual world still exists in a separate place, but has a profound impact on our lives.
Now, here is where it might get confusing. I would like to venture to say that there is no separate “natural world”, nor a distinct “supernatural realm”... case in point, Jesus. When He came down to earth, his actions did not seem to be a great bridging of the cosmos. His miracles seemed common place to Him. Casting out demons was not a ritual or a process, but rather- He spoke, and they obeyed. When Jesus was talking to the Roman soldier about his son being possessed, the Roman soldier said that just as he could speak to one of his soldiers and they would obey, so could Jesus speak to a demon and they would obey, because they were under His authority. Because of this, Jesus said the man had greater faith than anyone he encountered.
Every time Jesus spoke about miracles, driving out demons, or enacting the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, it seemed to be “by faith”... which simply means believing the correct reality. Many people today want to go through drawn out ceremonies, or prayer battles to do “supernatural things”. However, I would suggest that such a view of the world is not correct. I believe that there is no distinct supernatural realm. Instead, what we would consider natural and supernatural exist together. Case in point, I believe we are living in the supernatural. All that is limiting us is our unbelief, or rather- our misguided belief. Many people view the supernatural or spiritual realm as something distinctly different. However, that just does not seem to be the case. Jesus did not talk in hypothetical when it came to doing spiritual things. He showed that the merging of such two ideas, was simply done by faith and by speech. Even when he responded to His apostles who were unable to cast out a demon, he told them “this kind comes by prayer and fasting”. Now, I might be wrong by saying this, but this is how I see that response... What do prayer and fasting do but to give you more faith in God. I would venture to say that prayer and fasting are for devoutly seeking God, and based on that search of God, you become close to Him and start to realize the truth of His creation. Therefore, giving you the authority in His creation. When Adam and Eve fell, they did so because their minds became so flooded with knowledge that they were unable to seek God through all the clutter. They disobeyed His commandment, and so they were put in a position where they would have to seek God, instead of just enjoying His fellowship.
However, now we have the ability to live and breathe with God as we walk in our day to day. We know that God is living with us, and we should know that the world we are living in is no different, in a structural sense, than it was when Jesus performed His miracles. Therefore, if we are walking in the supernatural, and if our relationship with God, through Christ is such that the Kingdom of Heaven is our everyday lives, then we have the same authority over earth that Adam was given pre-fall. That means we have authority over all areas of this world.
Now, here is an interesting thought that will perhaps make you all think I have lost my mind. It is my own personal extrapolation, so take it with a grain of salt. Miracles, as we understand them, can all be explained by a supernatural phenomena. Jesus jumping through time and space can be theoretically explained by string theory, Jesus healing people can be explained by Him speaking order to that persons bodily functions, and such an action would be simply the speaker commanding that part of creation to act in the way it was designed, and not in the way it was. Now, this is not to say that we are all meant to be in ideal function, because I know different bodies were made different ways, for different reasons- but to the end God has given us authority, or rather dominion, we should have the ability to shape and mold His creation as our spirit guides us, and tells us how it should be. Jesus walking on the water can be explained by his atoms resisting the pull of attraction to the earth (gravity), and/or his atoms distributing his weight perfectly over the water. Ultimately, anything is possible if one had the authority to command it so (as long as it was within the creation of God) because we were not given the ability to create ex nihilo, but we were given the authority to command the already present creation.
However, I will append to this that we are told to not worship the miracles. In Luke 10:19-20 we are reminded to “not rejoice [that we have authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the power of the enemy], but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Now, granted, this was probably written to dissuade the cults that bite snakes and what-not to show the power of God. But still, it is a reminder that life with God is not about all the cool stuff we can do, but rather about a relationship with Him.
I guess then the point of this long post is to tell you that in Christ, all things really are possible to Him that believe, and even though your relationship with God might be pulling you in such a direction that you do not see as practice or even possible.... stretch your imagination a bit a just get it into your thick skull that God is bigger than your dreams and your reality. So seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you. That includes understanding, and sense of reality around you. Too often, I find myself limited by my comfort zone, or at least only allowing direction from God to send me into the norms of life. But why should I let my own mind limit what God can and cant do when I know my own mind doesn't even know what I can and cant do. Even if you had some trouble with the talk on the supernatural, surely you can agree that you do not even know your own abilities. If you don't even know yourself, then why on earth should we ever think that we know God.
So, dream big, follow God, and stop constraining the guidance of the Holy Spirit to your own logic and understanding. If you want to really work for something, work for a relationship with God where you can be sensitive to the guidance of the spirit and trust it as you trust your relationship with God. Then, maybe he will call a few more of us out onto the waters
Sunday, February 04, 2007
journey to Virginia
This weekend my life took an exciting detour... all the way to Virginia. I drove a few of my friends from GCC to Virginia to do some skiing. It was about a 6 hour drive, so we left Friday afternoon, spent the night, skied the next day, then drove back today (Sunday). On the way back, we took the "scenic route"- so, our drive was about 8 hours (including several cool stops). All in all, it was awesome. The people I went with were really cool, and I am looking forward to forging better friendships with them. We stayed with the ski-patrol at the mountain, and they were all really nice.... So, I said all that to say this. Here is what I learned from my road-trip:
1) My body was made to work. I cannot sleep properly, and still have a functional, enjoyable day unless I work my butt off during the day. It is just the way it is.
2) Roadtrips with friends are amazing. Not only are they exciting, but they teach you so much about a person. It is incredible what 8 hours in a car with someone will teach you. ( All in all, I found out my friends from GCC were pretty great, just btw )
3) The best sanctuary made for the worship is nature. Roadtrips allow you to put life in such perspective. You get to see how big the world is, and how ordered God has your life.
4) People love to laugh, and love to tell stories. It is pretty much what gets us through the days. I am not sure why this is, but it makes sense why the bible is in story format. As for the laughter, it just makes me happy. Though, I do need to work on how I make people laugh.
5) I very commonly make-fun of people for a laugh. It is in total sarcasm, so I am not actually mean, but I think I need to stop that. It just isnt worth it to slowly chop people down, even if they act like everything is fine.
6) People love when you notice the little things about them. Sure, anybody can make a comment about the generalities of your personality and such... but the little things really seem to matter.
7) Life is not about on-upping everyone. Too often we fall into the cycle of trying to prove to each other that we are equal or superior to each other. I am not sure why this is, but we all do it. Even if it is just as simple as telling a "similar story" about how we "went through the same thing". This is something I really need to work on. I need to learn to listen more and just "chil-lax" as Karen puts it.
8) "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - The Bible
9) I need to stop thinking about dating. My mind wonders far too often to girls and the possibility for "something more". If I learned anything this trip, it was how to have good friends... that are girls. (Thank God for maturity)
10) God has made us in His image, and has instilled in us a certain personality to exercise the Kingdom of God in our own lives. It is good to sharpen your own skills... I believe we all have areas of our own self that need improvement... but in all reality- our pursuit should not be an external, ideal personality- for that would make us all the same. Rather, we should strive to be a better version of ourself. I think that I have been cutting my own legs out from under me, trying to be a "better person"- when in truth, there are parts of my personality that could be used very much for the "good" if only channeled the right way.
11) I need to learn how to relax more, and appreciate every moment of life.
12) I know I am going against #9 here... but I think I am going to one day marry a girl from the north-east.... not any time soon, don't worry, but still... ha.
13) lastly, I love the white powdered, chocolate cream filled donuts.
Okay, I need sleep. I haven't slept well this whole week.
-Z
1) My body was made to work. I cannot sleep properly, and still have a functional, enjoyable day unless I work my butt off during the day. It is just the way it is.
2) Roadtrips with friends are amazing. Not only are they exciting, but they teach you so much about a person. It is incredible what 8 hours in a car with someone will teach you. ( All in all, I found out my friends from GCC were pretty great, just btw )
3) The best sanctuary made for the worship is nature. Roadtrips allow you to put life in such perspective. You get to see how big the world is, and how ordered God has your life.
4) People love to laugh, and love to tell stories. It is pretty much what gets us through the days. I am not sure why this is, but it makes sense why the bible is in story format. As for the laughter, it just makes me happy. Though, I do need to work on how I make people laugh.
5) I very commonly make-fun of people for a laugh. It is in total sarcasm, so I am not actually mean, but I think I need to stop that. It just isnt worth it to slowly chop people down, even if they act like everything is fine.
6) People love when you notice the little things about them. Sure, anybody can make a comment about the generalities of your personality and such... but the little things really seem to matter.
7) Life is not about on-upping everyone. Too often we fall into the cycle of trying to prove to each other that we are equal or superior to each other. I am not sure why this is, but we all do it. Even if it is just as simple as telling a "similar story" about how we "went through the same thing". This is something I really need to work on. I need to learn to listen more and just "chil-lax" as Karen puts it.
8) "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - The Bible
9) I need to stop thinking about dating. My mind wonders far too often to girls and the possibility for "something more". If I learned anything this trip, it was how to have good friends... that are girls. (Thank God for maturity)
10) God has made us in His image, and has instilled in us a certain personality to exercise the Kingdom of God in our own lives. It is good to sharpen your own skills... I believe we all have areas of our own self that need improvement... but in all reality- our pursuit should not be an external, ideal personality- for that would make us all the same. Rather, we should strive to be a better version of ourself. I think that I have been cutting my own legs out from under me, trying to be a "better person"- when in truth, there are parts of my personality that could be used very much for the "good" if only channeled the right way.
11) I need to learn how to relax more, and appreciate every moment of life.
12) I know I am going against #9 here... but I think I am going to one day marry a girl from the north-east.... not any time soon, don't worry, but still... ha.
13) lastly, I love the white powdered, chocolate cream filled donuts.
Okay, I need sleep. I haven't slept well this whole week.
-Z
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