AWWWW.... I just had the perfect opportunity to witness, and I got too nervous and didn't know what to say!!! I had Mormons come to the door, nooooooooooooooo!!!! I'm so disappointed with myself.
Haha, I tried to ask them about justification, but all they would say was through the atonement of Jesus. And I didn't really know how to squeeze the heresy out of them, so I pretty much chickened out. It totally stinks.
I don't think they wanted to debate with me though. At all.
The lesson I learned is be prepared. I should've given them my million dollar tracts. Very sad.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Goats
Can a sheep be drawn to a goat and maintain an assurance that she is indeed a sheep?
I guess I don't really need an answer. I just sometimes wish I had gone to a "Christian" university before I realize it might not really be much different.
I guess I don't really need an answer. I just sometimes wish I had gone to a "Christian" university before I realize it might not really be much different.
Friday, January 23, 2009
A Random Thought From Wretched Radio
A thought from the Wretched Radio program today... do worship leaders use music as a means of manipulation of the emotions of people? My best answer is some do. Really, especially among the unsaved, the tactic probably does more harm than good. I knew a girl a few years ago that claimed to be a Christian after "getting saved" at the church of a major charismatic denomination. However, when prodded as to what she believed and why she believed it, her answer was, "I know it's true because of how it makes me feel." She now calls herself agnostic.
The problem is not feelings, the problem is allowing feelings to be the force behind belief rather than allowing truth the be the force behind emotion. This is not to create any sort of false dichotomy. It's equally frustrating to meet someone who believes without any form of emotional response. That is such a rare experience that it can hardly be considered any sort of troubling problem though. Generally when someone realizes how depraved they are, the response is sadness and appropriately fear. And when someone really understands the cross, the response really ought to be joy and unfathomable gratitude. Perhaps not always. I'm not omniscient. Actually, I know really very little and would have no problem with receiving wisdom from believers more mature (it may not be measurable, but I think they would know) than me.
Wow, am I ever disorganized, but I have no time for this. I have to read my thermodynamics book!
The problem is not feelings, the problem is allowing feelings to be the force behind belief rather than allowing truth the be the force behind emotion. This is not to create any sort of false dichotomy. It's equally frustrating to meet someone who believes without any form of emotional response. That is such a rare experience that it can hardly be considered any sort of troubling problem though. Generally when someone realizes how depraved they are, the response is sadness and appropriately fear. And when someone really understands the cross, the response really ought to be joy and unfathomable gratitude. Perhaps not always. I'm not omniscient. Actually, I know really very little and would have no problem with receiving wisdom from believers more mature (it may not be measurable, but I think they would know) than me.
Wow, am I ever disorganized, but I have no time for this. I have to read my thermodynamics book!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Long Week... or Two
I felt first as if I had a lot to complain about from these past couple of weeks, which have been very, very long. But God, in His love and sovereignty, has already turned these complaints around.
I went on a youth retreat as an adult sponsor (aka chaperone), last week. Man was that rough! And somewhat demoralizing as I pondered the sad state of the modern American young person. The blessing therein? I was reminded of the wretched little snot I was as a fifteen-year-old (not that I don't still have the tendency...) and was overjoyed to see the cross where Christ died even for some of those wretched, little, fifteen-year-old snots (I'm not talking about anyone specific).
When I got home, I came down with a nasty cold. So my entire last week of break, I pretty much sat around, drooling or sleeping or both. Being sick though, always reminds me of the incredible blessing of health. And it reminds me that I can assume nothing about my future other than that I am safe in God's goodness. It just doesn't always display itself as I might prefer. Other than that, it was a blessing in that I finally stopped walking around constantly on my horribly sprained ankle-and now it's healing!
But today. Today was the worst. I had to drive back to Laramie. That in and of itself is nothing happy because it's been rather a lonely place for me what with me being a "fundamentalist" and all. But two hours from home and two hours from Laramie, my tire blew out. I began the attempt to actually change the tire (on the interstate). But I could not for the life of me get the nuts loose. Then a nice man named Jack stopped and helped me... meaning he changed my tire for me. But also informed me that the spare was really low. No way I'd make it. So I went to the near town (po-dunk) and searched for AIR. No one had any AIR. Every gas station's AIR compressor was broken. It's nuts, I know, but true. And there were no tire repair places open. Apparently, no one gets flats on Saturday. So I went looking for Pamida, I knew they had a Pamida, but I drove the wrong way. After managing to get lost in town Po-Dunk, I found an Ace, bought an air compressor, broke it a minute after starting to air my tire and bloodied up my thumb. (I seem to be unable to stop smirking as I type this.) So I exchanged the air compressor, aired up my tire and drove 55 all the way to Laramie.
And what did I get from this? Contrition. I forget sometimes that the world doesn't revolve around me. Everything went wrong, but I realized, it's not as though I personally deserve any better. Also, I had to praise the Lord over and over again for the nice man Jack and for my dad. Not previously mentioned, I probably made between ten and twenty calls to my father throughout this entire two hour ordeal. And by the time I told him there was no AIR, he and my mom were actually leaving Gillette and heading to Po-Dunk. I'm glad they didn't have to drive the whole way but even gladder that they were willing. If God's love displayed in imperfect people is so wonderful and humbling, how much more His love displayed in His perfect Son. Reminders, reminders. I'm learning.
I went on a youth retreat as an adult sponsor (aka chaperone), last week. Man was that rough! And somewhat demoralizing as I pondered the sad state of the modern American young person. The blessing therein? I was reminded of the wretched little snot I was as a fifteen-year-old (not that I don't still have the tendency...) and was overjoyed to see the cross where Christ died even for some of those wretched, little, fifteen-year-old snots (I'm not talking about anyone specific).
When I got home, I came down with a nasty cold. So my entire last week of break, I pretty much sat around, drooling or sleeping or both. Being sick though, always reminds me of the incredible blessing of health. And it reminds me that I can assume nothing about my future other than that I am safe in God's goodness. It just doesn't always display itself as I might prefer. Other than that, it was a blessing in that I finally stopped walking around constantly on my horribly sprained ankle-and now it's healing!
But today. Today was the worst. I had to drive back to Laramie. That in and of itself is nothing happy because it's been rather a lonely place for me what with me being a "fundamentalist" and all. But two hours from home and two hours from Laramie, my tire blew out. I began the attempt to actually change the tire (on the interstate). But I could not for the life of me get the nuts loose. Then a nice man named Jack stopped and helped me... meaning he changed my tire for me. But also informed me that the spare was really low. No way I'd make it. So I went to the near town (po-dunk) and searched for AIR. No one had any AIR. Every gas station's AIR compressor was broken. It's nuts, I know, but true. And there were no tire repair places open. Apparently, no one gets flats on Saturday. So I went looking for Pamida, I knew they had a Pamida, but I drove the wrong way. After managing to get lost in town Po-Dunk, I found an Ace, bought an air compressor, broke it a minute after starting to air my tire and bloodied up my thumb. (I seem to be unable to stop smirking as I type this.) So I exchanged the air compressor, aired up my tire and drove 55 all the way to Laramie.
And what did I get from this? Contrition. I forget sometimes that the world doesn't revolve around me. Everything went wrong, but I realized, it's not as though I personally deserve any better. Also, I had to praise the Lord over and over again for the nice man Jack and for my dad. Not previously mentioned, I probably made between ten and twenty calls to my father throughout this entire two hour ordeal. And by the time I told him there was no AIR, he and my mom were actually leaving Gillette and heading to Po-Dunk. I'm glad they didn't have to drive the whole way but even gladder that they were willing. If God's love displayed in imperfect people is so wonderful and humbling, how much more His love displayed in His perfect Son. Reminders, reminders. I'm learning.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Narnia Disappoints
I was reading through the reviews on Amazon's page for the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian and I was amazed at all the good reviews it got. I was totally disappointed in the movie, which I saw in theatre last spring. They tried to improve from the book, but anyone with a lick of sense would know that no one, absolutely no one, can improve on C.S. Lewis.
The romance between Susan and Caspian was so out of place and completely atrocious.
Way too much battle, hardly any Aslan.
And the plot was really screwed up while most of the characters were far departed from the pen of Lewis.
It made me sad because I love the Chronicles, and I was really excited about the movies. The first stuck to the book well enough that I even bought it. Cannot say the same for the second. I hope they do better if they make the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Maybe the sea serpent will be a squirmy Michael Jackson and the Star's daughter will be Hannah Montana. Ouch.
The romance between Susan and Caspian was so out of place and completely atrocious.
Way too much battle, hardly any Aslan.
And the plot was really screwed up while most of the characters were far departed from the pen of Lewis.
It made me sad because I love the Chronicles, and I was really excited about the movies. The first stuck to the book well enough that I even bought it. Cannot say the same for the second. I hope they do better if they make the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Maybe the sea serpent will be a squirmy Michael Jackson and the Star's daughter will be Hannah Montana. Ouch.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Unimpressed
What is "Christian spirituality" exactly? I've been wondering where the sold-out-for-Christ people are hanging out, so I checked out the websites of some of the on-campus RSOs. Yowzas! I saw the word glorify once. Mostly the descriptions were fuzzy and made no real statement of what the intention of said Christian organization actually is.
I should feel no surprise. This is just another fruit of the modern American church, but it still feels pretty ooky. "Christian spirituality" sounds nearly cultish, at least tribal. Are Christians spiritual? No doubt, but I've seen way too many charismatics defend their complete lack of understanding and totally unGodly way of living with "spirituality." Though this spirituality is usually nothing but occasional floods of emotion.
Anyways, I'm just bummed. Really, where are God's people? Christ didn't die so you could live a well-balanced life and have a slightly higher moral standard than the world around you. Christ died because you (and I) are wicked, depraved, and totally separated from God. The death of Christ is the only thing that could ever pay in full for our sins outside of our own eternal damnation. And ultimately, Jesus suffered on the cross to glorify God.
So balance? Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Period.
I should feel no surprise. This is just another fruit of the modern American church, but it still feels pretty ooky. "Christian spirituality" sounds nearly cultish, at least tribal. Are Christians spiritual? No doubt, but I've seen way too many charismatics defend their complete lack of understanding and totally unGodly way of living with "spirituality." Though this spirituality is usually nothing but occasional floods of emotion.
Anyways, I'm just bummed. Really, where are God's people? Christ didn't die so you could live a well-balanced life and have a slightly higher moral standard than the world around you. Christ died because you (and I) are wicked, depraved, and totally separated from God. The death of Christ is the only thing that could ever pay in full for our sins outside of our own eternal damnation. And ultimately, Jesus suffered on the cross to glorify God.
So balance? Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Period.
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