tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-357942522024-03-04T23:10:39.787-05:00Mere Reflections of TruthThis blog is the summation of years worth of searching and spiritual prodding. The ideas may often times be wrong or misguided, and for that reason I truly appreciate the comments that will be left. Life is a journey that is meant to be taken together, and so I look forward to doing that with you in my physical and spiritual life. May Jesus guide our way in this walk of spiritual understanding.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-53658161448261287302009-01-05T17:36:00.002-05:002009-01-05T17:43:07.024-05:00Matthew 13:44<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL'; ">"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL';">-A man finds the truth of God, and in his giddiness, gets up and sells <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">everything </span>else he owns to take in the joy and truth of this one thing. Isn't this beautiful?!!? This is what God calls us to--to truly dive into His love and experience it in fullness. So much so that we are willing to give up everything we once had that does not relate to it. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL';">Remember, the man buys the field for the treasure--he accepts the gift along with every aspect of life that comes with it: the lack of a house; the possible leveling, plowing, and farming that the field requires to live in; the wild animals that may inhabit it; etc. Not only that, but he completely casts off everything he once knew because it pales in comparison to this glorious new gift. Have you ever experienced the same thing? Because this is the image of the love of God.</span></div>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-44454091161046573632009-01-04T08:24:00.003-05:002009-01-04T08:40:52.482-05:00Alone with God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILqQPHRG_wFdJaD0rx7HB1aYabM0iV2IWijQ7EYe_G2w8O2HfQrVRnqaRwzYnGydvfdfhjTyj7f4-siN9q6Pz3nDF9wqqQDFB9TKELWDYIKmPD-A-fywZ6BIBXuU9kaB_cRprjQ/s1600-h/Sick5%5B1%5D.jpg"></a><br />I have been all over the place recently. Finishing my senior year in college, serving as youth and outreach minister at my church (not to mention all of the Christmas stuff that happens, and the Winterfest trip we just took), being the Baptist Collegiate Ministry President, as well as the state representative for our school and planning the college retreats, spending time with my girlfriend and friends (which is a blessing completely, but still time taken), and in the midst of all of this I was trying to convince myself that I was setting aside enough time for me and God.<div><br /></div><div>But if that were true, there would be absolutely no reason for me to be writing this blog.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so I realized two nights ago that God had a more solitary experience planned for me than I had for myself. I was supposed to leave the next morning for a mission trip to Atlanta and felt incredibly ill--the worst I have felt in years. I woke up knowing I couldn't go on the trip. In fact, after a trip to the doctor, I realized I had tonsillitis, a respiratory infection, and strep.</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaDDTK5Zw4WVKvP7IMz2wzGC2P_4wyI6l6BjdgPExpFZ3pvtkFKrJRr__y_8VF1_3bdeJkCNe3R7vklmlJCqMYxhN3OCyQs0z-fPQlROsqsDa188U_nNju7vM8NGNnOpS-X9dbA/s200/Sick5%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287432879494968034" /><div>Though I'm sure that God didn't just all of a sudden set this up for me to realize that I wasn't spending enough time with him, I do believe that it may be one of those things in my life that has been planned all along. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes even good things like mission trips can be getting in the way of our relationship with God. If our hearts aren't right with God, and our lives aren't centered correctly around God, it is very easy to miss the mark as a missionary for His gospel. Don't get me wrong: I will never tell you to focus more on yourself than on others, because I believe wholeheartedly that the truest way to experience the love of God for yourself is to give it to others, but at the same time, you still have to focus on yourself some. God still wants to speak to you. God still wants to personally interact with you--so save some time for it.</div>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-56006438250165323992008-12-18T08:07:00.003-05:002008-12-18T08:54:50.848-05:00Christmas QuestionsSo I wanted to find some fun games for my youth to work with this Christmas and I recalled one that I first played with my old Pastor PJ. It is basically an asking of questions concerning the origins/legitimacy of the Christmas story. I remember the first time I took and did terribly: there were no Wisemen at the nativity scene (they came days or years later), there is no mention of a donkey, a stable, or any other farm animals (just a manger), and mistletoe apparently first meant "dung on a stick" (okay that has nothing to do with the nativity story, but it's true nonetheless). But there were two major questions that popped into my head after having read all of this information. <div><br /></div><div>The first had to do with the origins of Christmas. Nearly every aspect of the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus has pagan roots, even the day we celebrate it on! December 25th was chosen to please the Romans in the 4th century, because it fell between two of their major holidays: Saturnalia and Winter Solstice. Both of these holidays were known for their revelry and drunkenness. But before this, Christians would typically celebrate the birth on one of three days spread through out the year. What this means is that early Christians had no idea of the actual day that Christ was born! They obviously didn't even know the year until something like the 16th or 17th Century (seeing as they got our dating system wrong trying to base it around the year he was born, though it was more likely 3 or 4 BC....). But even things like Christmas trees, yule logs, Santa Claus, etc. come from pagan backgrounds. So if we as Christians know their origins, does that mean we should shun their use in our remembrance of the birth?</div><div><br /></div><div>I would answer with a resounding "NO." Christians have taken things that were commonly used by the world and made them their own for thousands of years--ever since the church was established. For instance (this is material from Rob Bell's "You" NOOMA video--I highly recommend it), the original translation of the "Gospels" was "euangelions." This word was first used by the Roman Caesar Augustus to declare the good news of his birth as the savior of the people, to bring peace and prosperity to all of them. He would then set up an advent season to celebrate this momentous occasion. Sound familiar? How about this: the Romans used the word "ekklesias" to describe a city that worshiped Caesar alone as Lord. Christians took this same word and used as what we know today as "church." There has always been a parallel between the ideas of the world and how Christians want to view them. They take something of evil nature and purify it to use for God. Such has been the case with Christmas, Easter (another pagan holiday season), Rock music (and more recently Rap music), and many other traditions we now share today. </div><div><br /></div><div>But more importantly: isn't this what God does for us? Doesn't He take us from our evil roots, purify us, and use us for His glory? When Christians take pagan practices and traditions and make them holy in the eyes of God they are literally emulating God in the world around them--they are trying to resemble the forgiving, correcting will of God. They are reconciling a broken world to God in every way that they know how.</div><div><br /></div><div>The second question is a little bit more complicated for some, but I figure I'll put it out there: would you still believe every portion of the nativity story if some of it looks to be wrong? This is a major challenge to the inerrantist and the Catholic alike because my question concerns the validity of the virgin birth. Matthew would have been reading Old Testament scriptures (Isaiah 7:14 specifically) from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT. This is very important, because we already see a translation from the original language, Hebrew, into Greek, even as the Bible is being written. As any linguistic scholar will tell you, there is no perfect translation, and many consider this to be such a case.</div><div><br /></div><div>The word in the Septuagint is 'parthenos' which, in English, means virgin. However, scholars believe the original translating scholar (who is unknown) used the wrong word. The word in the Hebrew language for virgin is 'bethulah,' however, the original word used by Isaiah was 'almah' which simply means young woman. So because of a misinterpretation of scripture, the idea of a virgin conception may be entirely wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not asking you to believe this, and in fact, I would love comments as to why it is wrong. But for now let's just assume that it is right. Aside from disturbing your inerrant perspective of the Bible, does it absolutely upset belief in Christianity? I would argue absolutely not. If anything, it makes Jesus more of a Savior for the people--He was born of an illegitimate birth, making Him that much easier to relate to for some. People may now argue that of course you can't believe that, because then he would be guilty of original sin. But if you can believe that God can make a virgin conceive a baby, can't you also believe that God has the ability to make a natural born child void of any sin? </div><div><br /></div><div>Again on this last point: I have not arrived to any final conclusion (though I'm much closer), as there are years of fundamentalist teaching to fight through. But let me make it clear that there is no wrong in searching and questioning, and being challenged. That's what theology is. And there is also no wrong in celebrating Christmas even after obtaining a knowledge of its origins. If we couldn't enjoy something with a humble and sinful past, there'd be no chance of enjoying this forgiven life in Christ.</div>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-76577405636327257512008-12-06T08:24:00.005-05:002008-12-06T08:45:55.033-05:00'Tis the Season<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This Wednesday was one of those awesome nights at church that, unfortunately, seems to only come around the holidays. Have you ever experienced one of those "perfect" church moments? One of those times where it seems like everything is running exactly the way the church should be? Let me give you my example.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This week, we have had the privilege of housing the homeless at my church in Portsmouth. It is this awesome program that the Portsmouth churches run where, every fall/winter, all of the churches in the city take turns housing the homeless for a week. All of the churches seem to get involved, because, even if the homeless aren't actually at their church, they help with one of the other churches. In these recent years, we have had the pleasure of serving with St. Andrews United Methodist Church. But this program is perhaps one of my greatest memories so far of working at my church.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So this is obviously the biggest thing I enjoy of this time of year, but Wednesday night was bigger. I was exhausted. I had stayed the entire night two of the three days before it (when you stay all night, you don't sleep...) and I was fairly tired. So I couldn't help for long on Wednesday night. But, to my surprise, after I had told my youth group the prior week that we were doing this, and so they didn't have to come for our regular service, ALL of them came to serve the homeless brothers and sisters dinner on that night. Instead of the regular 10-12 helpers we have had through the rest of the week, we had about 35-40 helpers in the form of children and teens. It was an absolutely beautiful display of willing Christian service.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So as I was leaving, treasuring these two things in my heart, I was walking away from the building to my car and I could see the Christmas lights in the choir room and hear the choir practicing their Christmas carols. Isn't it awesome how quickly Christmas music can lighten your heart? Everything that should have been happening in the church was--service, willing unity of workers from all ages, and praise and thanksgiving being offered to God--and it was a beautiful memory.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe1xS6vUcGGoaxTGBzolW504gyYUy0udnrvTP6eLbr5OEQfY4CcpqB64h_Kkje8RWA50wuaqQJKKGU_iUszemCAl9pGZa66OKIUteMYHOefCP5vUlhPSRScRJ2xFQyjMDaGhVzg/s200/ChristmasInJuly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276671771268188114" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But as I said, this kind of thing seems to happen more often on Christmas than any other time. And I don't want to be a pessimist and say that, if that's the case, then </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">the church has a problem. Because I think the church already knows that. I think we have recognized the fact that we have gotten away from who we truly are to be in a world that is so longing for love. I look forward to the day when these sort of Christmas memories will be made all year long.</span></div><br /></div>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-80631977672904658092008-11-22T20:43:00.002-05:002008-11-22T20:53:28.172-05:00PEACE<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord."<br />-Isaiah 2:4-5<br /><br />Did you know that roughly ninety percent of our armed forces profess Christianity as their religion of choice? And that we have the largest and most globally active armed forces in the world? Do you have any idea how many wars are going on today?<br /><br />It’s incredibly controversial and challenging to think or talk about in today’s society because of the levels of violence in which we live. Defense seems almost required because of the efforts to attack our lives. Terrorism runs rampant. But has it always been this way? What happened to the days of martyrdom?<br /><br />Isaiah speaks of an incredible time--a day when men will turn weapons of death into tools for life. A day when God will judge and light the nations. I believe this will only happen when we let Him.<br /><br />Martyrdom fell to the wayside when Constantine decided to conquer under the cross. Believing this "symbol" to be his triumphant charm, Constantine "converted" to Christianity for the furthering of his state. In today’s world, the same philosophy lives within us: we have the right to property; we have the right to bear arms; we have the right to defend ourselves. In the United States especially, this "spirit of Capitalism" reigns supreme. The concept of prosperity helped to found our nation and rests within the mind of everyone following the "American Dream."<br /><br />But we are also made to believe that America is also a country founded "under God." That Christian values are the basis of our laws and values. If this is true, and the prophecy of Isaiah on the time to come is true, why does it seem like we are deviating from this path of peace? The truth is that being an American and being a Christian have become intermingled and have effectively watered down the power of both.<br /><br />To be an American today means to love and support your country. It means working hard to move up in the world. It means finding your niche in your city or town and fitting into the webbing of society. But is this what the original definition was? <br /><br />Thomas Jefferson once said "to dissent is the highest form of patriotism." The original idea was not to fit in to and accept the current conditions, but to better them. Many concepts like Capitalism and the "American dream" have become common among our citizens, but these shouldn’t be our final goal. Institutions like the military have become the strongest of hiring agents, but as citizens, we don’t necessarily have to be one of the employees. What Jefferson is saying is that to truly love our country is to look for opportunities to constantly better ourselves--not monetarily or physically, but through values and moral treatment. To be a patriot is to realize that the conditions of the nation are more important than the conditions of the individual and the ever-growing status of our bank account.<br /><br />Christianity in this country has almost been engulfed by the image of the flag. A pastor recently told me they were in a Christian bookstore looking for a Holy Spirit pin and couldn’t find a single Christian symbol that wasn’t wrapped in the American flag. Why is that? What has led us to believe that our country has a better form of our religion? Or even more troubling, what has led us to believe that the two are interchangeable terms?<br /><br />As citizens we have been fooled into believe that supporting our country that was built on "Christian principles", is a qualifying factor for being a Christian. And as Christians in this country, our faith has been watered down to mean the same thing as being a citizen. In essence, Christianity is patriotism--defending our property and Capitalist ideals are the same thing as defending our faith.<br /><br />God never intended it to be this way. As Isaiah clearly prophecies, the final plan is the end of war and the encouragement of life. Weapons will be destroyed and reused for harvesting crops, and all along God will judge and shine on creation. God never intended for us to defend our possessions: you might even question what sort of possessions He intended for us to at all. Do you remember how much Jesus and the disciples owned? Jesus once said that He didn’t even have a regular place to lay His head, and yet God would provide. If this is the case, how much do you think God intends for you to have? Even more so, what do you think He would we feel we should defend?<br /><br />We often make claims to the idea of defending our faith--our country was founded on this freedom of religion. But think about how many martyrs have died for this faith. Think about how many people believed the message of Jesus so much that they were willing to face opposition with nothing other than their faith until they lost their lives. And yet the faith persists. Thousands of lives have been lost and yet Christianity is still the most widely practiced faith in the world. Do you really think God needs you to defend His message? Or are you just unwilling to accept that God’s plan is bigger than ours, and that sometimes for His message to continue sacrifices, even to the extent of death, must occur?<br /><br />You see God has not called us to offense or defense. God has called us to peace. In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul tells us that "God has called us to live in peace." Even more so, because peace can be found no where in this world, He has called us to find peace in Him alone. Paul writes again in Ephesians 2:14 that, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..." and Jesus Himself says in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."<br /><br />Ultimately Americans and Christians have forsaken their core teachings. They have chosen the right to property over the right to equality and peace. Jefferson’s opinion on dissent being patriotic attests to the idea that we should seek change for the greater good because current practices do nothing but benefit the individual. As Christians, we are trying too hard to fulfill God’s role of defending the continued success of His message, rather than fulfilling our role of living it out.<br /><br />Ultimately, church and state should be united under only one common ideal--that they seek the well-being of its members and the peace and unity of them all. One does not determine the other. Being an American does not necessarily make one a Christian and vice versa. However, both roles can be fulfilled if we are willing to take up a lifestyle of peace--dissenting against individual gain in favor of living equally, and allowing God to defend Himself and living His message of love. As a Christian and an American I can do nothing greater than live a life of peace.<br /><br />I know many times we defend war as a means of ending social injustice, but maybe it’s because that is all we know. Do you have faith in the power of the message of God? More importantly, do you have more faith in the power of God's Word than you do in our guns and bombs? What might happen if we attacked enemies with love? Of course, there would be loss, but you have to ask yourself if you believe that God’s plan, whether or not it leads to martyrdom, is greater than our own. Hasn’t our message of love outlasted any civilization of force? <br /><br />God will certainly bless America when we are willing to give up our own physical attempts at solution and let His reign supreme.</span></span>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-43482007563518285402008-11-22T20:42:00.002-05:002008-11-22T21:00:19.186-05:00My Unchemical Romance<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">It's absolutely incredible to say that I'm falling more in love with someone on a daily basis. Literally. Every single day my hormones fire off on a greater level. It's as if love continues to be exciting, thrilling, and all together new. And it's all about a love affair with Jesus.<br /><br />It doesn't make sense. We all know the scientific reasoning behind "love" and falling into it. We know that the other party's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;">pheromones</span> trigger our endorphins to make us excited, feeling fresher than before, and truly "falling hard." And we also know what happens after about the first six months--those hormones fade and we see our partner in passion through every day eyes.<br /><br />But this isn't the case with Jesus. In fact, not a single element of this "chemical romance" holds water with Christ. First off, He is eternal--residing in Heaven and waiting for us. There is no physical contact and no exchange of pheromones, which means there must be something more than the physical to draw us to Him. There's no loss of excitement in this love because everyday we can experience a different part of His fullness in our lives--who He is is too much to grab hold of in a lifetime, let alone six months. And most importantly, with Christ, there are no rose-colored glasses--when we truly meet Jesus we aren't blinded by love. We see Him exactly for what He is: an image of compassion and, most importantly, perfection. There is never an image that's too good of our Lord's love.<br /><br />Falling in love is an incredible feeling. I encourage you to seek the relationship where you are called to do it daily.</span></span>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-10307724067484504222008-11-22T20:18:00.002-05:002008-11-22T20:31:08.474-05:00Penalty of Death<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>After a rather....interesting conversation with my family at dinner, I have to ask a very important question: are there any Christians who can provide me with a solid, biblically-based argument in support of the death penalty? Now, again, let me clarify--I want this to be a Christian perspective and one that is biblically, not personally, founded. This is a major topic of discussion that I have yet to hear a sound rebuttal for. I know many of us feel strongly about the atrocities that people commit, and many others believe that death is the only penalty suitable for someone who is willing to take a life themselves, but as Christians we are called to a higher standard than just living by what we want to happen. We are called to live by what God wants to happen. <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My opinion, for a while, has been greatly against the death penalty, and I have yet to hear a strong argument in favor of it. Though you will most likely not change my stance in this topic (hey, at least I let you know beforehand...), you will provide a strong asset to my understanding of both sides of the topic. One of my strongest opinions on the topic is that judgement is to be left for God, and so I am seeking to do the same in my understanding of the topic: to not pass judgment on supporters of the death penalty, but rather to understand where they are coming from to see if the Bible has anything to say in favor of their position.<div><br /></div><div>P.S. I know the Old Testament has a lot to say about the use of death as a punishment. I'm looking for what Jesus or the New Testament might say in favor of it. Remember the New Covenant in your defense please!</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.S. If you are not Christian and still want to weigh in, I'd enjoy hearing your words as well; I'm just really trying to hear a sound biblical presentation for the death penalty. Thanks!</div></div>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-8942222112038461712008-11-20T22:50:00.002-05:002008-11-21T07:58:58.013-05:00Mere Reflections of Truth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 68); line-height: 18px; font-family:tahoma;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><div>God is big. I mean huge. But at the same time He's small. Small enough to "live in your heart" as they say. Does anyone see the paradox there? God is pure spirit and yet was fully human in the form of Jesus Christ. It doesn't make any sense! Perhaps that is why people believe. Physical nature deals in example. In experience. In tests. The spiritual nature doesn't understand that. Perhaps the greatest example is that of God's love.<br /></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">People have tried to qualify the love of God for years. In many cases, the concept has become an effort to disprove the existence of God. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">'If God is love, why does evil exist?' </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">'If God is love, why do bad things happen to good people?'</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">But to the true Christian these statements don't need to be qualified. God is love in the good and the bad. Everything is willed by Him, and for us to believe in His love is believe in His existence, His very Being. It is not a kind of love that can be qualified like the weaker version of human love that we try to compare to it, but rather one that goes beyond explanation. It precedes experience. It goes beyond tests. The love of God is beyond complete human understanding.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">As is the ultimate truth of who or what God is. This blog is an attempt to bridge the gaps of knowledge along the road we call life. Paul teaches in Ephesians 4 that unity within the body leads to spiritual development and the growth of the knowledge of God within that body. This is an attempt at reaching that goal as well. I'm seeking to search my own soul and thoughts, but also to use those searchings and thoughts to spark discussion within a communal setting--to allow this body of believers to discuss and grow in their knowledge of God.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Because we're never going to know it all, are we? But the Bible teaches us that together we can learn much more than we can individually. We can gain a fuller understanding of the Word. We can get closer to the heart of God together than we ever could apart. We can begin to dust off the glass to see the Being and love of God for what it is, with greater clarity and fullness than we could have ever imagined.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Charis SIL';"><p style="line-height: 140%; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 1em; "><span id="en-NIV-28658" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;">8</span>Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. <span id="en-NIV-28659" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;">9</span>For we know in part and we prophesy in part, <span id="en-NIV-28660" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;">10</span>but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. <span id="en-NIV-28661" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;">11</span>When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. <span id="en-NIV-28662" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">12</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.</span> Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. <span id="en-NIV-28663" class="sup" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; font-size:0.65em;">13</span>And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>-1 Corinthians 13: 8-13</p><p style="line-height: 140%; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 1em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">I look forward to striving towards fully knowing God together as a community. I pray that His love will continue to overflow in your life, and that you can testify to the love of God no matter what experiences you face.</span></p></span></div></span>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-59598721236206164582008-11-20T22:47:00.002-05:002008-11-21T07:59:25.114-05:00It's Been a While...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Wow. It has been far too long since I posted on this blog...after reading some of the previous posts, I realize how important it is to keep it up--I used to be darn good at writing!!! Whether or not that still holds true is up for debate. I recently (like 10 minutes ago) started a different blog because I couldn't remember the password to this one. But here I am, password rediscovered. So I'm going to post my semi-new blog semi-first post now. Don't mind the references to starting a new community if you used to read this--I still like you, I promise. And you can continue to read.</span>Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-70344134228321223532007-08-10T00:19:00.003-04:002008-11-21T08:00:39.995-05:00Woohoo!!!<p class="blogSubject">I was trying to think of something clever and witty to put into this blog, but I really can't think of anything other to say than this--my God is amazing. Thinking about Him honestly kept me smiling all day today. And that's not to say that today didn't have its issues. My cousin was sent away to a boarding school today for the school year, I was at work 45 minutes later than I was supposed to be because of a prior paperwork mistake that ended up costing me over 1000 dollars, and I had to wait for 30 minutes in a Taco Bell line to get a burrito. As traumatizing as it was (and I'm exaggerating my emotions tremendously on most of those), God managed to keep me smiling.</p>I was trying to think of something clever a<br />n<br /><br />I've realized that even when I can't get past my own faults I can look at God and see the image of perfection that He is creating me to be. I can look away from the sin and shortcomings of my life and the lives of those around me and see the God who loves us no matter who we are, but too much to leave us there. I can see through to a God who wants to remove the clutter and restraints in my life to mold me into a creation of perfection and freedom.<br /><br />That's right freedom. Being a Christian has nothing to do with being controlled by God and being a goody-goody. As a matter of fact, if you aren't following God, then you are being controlled by the lustful desires of your body. To follow sin and pleasure is to be like everyone else in this world, and therefore, to be ordinary. To find your identity in Christ is to become an entirely NEW CREATION. It's to gain freedom from the body, to break free from the chains of sin, and to gain a personality that is completely unique to you given through Christ.<br /><br />But enough of the personal, small-scale level. Consider how amazing God is in that sense, in the lives of the individual, and then look at the larger picture, the entire realm of Creation around us. Some celestial being can create a world of this measure in 7 days, turn back time for His servant Joshua to win a war, raise His Holy Son from the dead after three days, and change the entire story of mankind for the rest of time. And this created me? I can't even begin to fathom this entity!! I could honestly sit here and try and wrap my brain around it until the sunrises, but I do have work in the morning...<br /><br />We all have goals--great plans for where we want to be in 10 years and what kind of house we want to live in. We can all picture the things that we want to pursue. Why not pursue the thing that's too big to picture, too big to dream of, or even begin to comprehend? Following God and His plan for your life is the most reasonable thing you can do. Nobody wants to aim for mediocrity. So shoot for the highest possible goal in this life--creativity, individuality, and personality found through nothing else than Christ Jesus our Savior.<br /><br />"The earth and everything in it,<br />the world and its inhabitants,<br />belong to the Lord:<br />for He laid its foundation on the seas<br />and established it on the rivers.<br /><br />Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?<br />Who may stand in His holy place?<br />The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,<br />who has not set his mind on what is false,<br />and who has not sworn deceitfully.<br />He will receive blessing from the Lord,<br />and righteousness from the God of his salvation.<br />Such is the generation of those who seek Him,<br />who seek the face of the God of Jacob.<br /><br />Lift up your heads, you gates!<br />Rise up, ancient doors!<br />Then the King of Glory will come in.<br />Who is this King of Glory?<br />The Lord, strong and mighty,<br />the Lord, mighty in battle.<br />Lift up your heads, you gates!<br />Rise up, ancient doors!<br />Then the King of glory will come in.<br />Who is He, this King of Glory?<br />The Lord of Hosts,<br />He is the King of Glory."<br /><br />-Psalm 24Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-18566715841739302902007-06-27T15:04:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:01:21.136-05:00Our Inheritance"But Moses did not give a protion to the tribe of Levi. The Lord, the God of Israel, was their inheritance, just as He had promised them." -Joshua 13:33<br /><br />So I've been reading through the book of Joshua for my devotional recently and I guess it started out when Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, then conquered every other track of land along the Mediterranean Sea and continued until the Israelites finally possessed all of the land from the inheritance that God promised them. Reuben got this piece, Gad got this piece, Manasseh got this piece and so on, and then we see the inheritance of the Levites--no land at all. Nothing on which to farm, nothing on which to live, just a few cities designated to be safe havens for the poor, the murderers, and yes, the Levites. But perhaps the greatest possession that they inherited was God Himself.<br /><br />Can you imagine being a Levite at that time? You had to have an incredible amount of faith to see the beauty in inheriting the Lord God, and yet nothing to lay your head on at night. I would like to think that I would be one of the Levites that was completely awed by that concept, although sometimes I'm sure I'd much rather have a house that I owned.<br /><br />It's a beautiful image really, one that paints a wonderful bridge between Judaism and Christianity--God chose to let the people who had nothing inherit Him as their possession. The ones who lived among the poor and manslaughter convicts. He chose to give Himself to the lowest of low, not the home owning Josephites or Reubenites, but the Levites.<br /><br />I wonder what it would have been like to be a Levite in those days. To know that you don't have a single thing to your name, but at the same time God was going to provide because He was yours. I wonder if they ever worried about making it, or starving, or any of the normal concerns of a person, or if inheriting God brought a sense of overwhelming peace into their lives.<br /><br />The wonderful thing today is that Christians are like modern day Levites. Because Jesus died for our sins, we now have a part in God and in His kingdom. We have, in a sense, inherited God. Now I'm not too sure about how the Levites handled it, but I know for a fact that even Christians worry about what we will eat or where we will sleep. Luckily for us, we have a message from Jesus concerning that very topic to guide us day by day:<br /><br />"So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things wil be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:31-34<br /><br />Jesus tells us, basically, 'It's cool, I've got your back. I know you have to eat, sleep, drink, and unfortunately(**my thoughts, not necessarily Jesus'**) wear clothes so I will provide them for You.' Why? Because we are His and He is ours. He is our inheritance.<br /><br />It's pretty awesome having our inheritance, Jesus, teaching us in every step of the journey. But just so you know, it's pretty widely accepted that Jesus was also there to help the Levites and the rest of the Israelites in the book of Joshua--that's right, the Old Testament, hundreds of years BEFORE he was even born on Earth. Where in Joshua? Sounds like a good thing to search for and find out....Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-7819235079840527522007-06-19T15:31:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:01:56.436-05:00UghhYou know those things that you hate to enjoy because they are definately worldly, and yet you can't seem to get away or take your eyes off of them? Yea, well short shorts are definately the one that gets me the most. Guys, shamefully I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about...Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-11034742665902172012007-06-19T00:45:00.000-04:002007-06-19T00:50:26.363-04:00Man, I'll tell you something honest--if you want to experience one of the greatest pains in the earthly flesh, go through a breakup.<br />It's hard after more than a year's worth of life shared with someone to finally realize that they weren't the one that God planned to be in your life. Partly because you feel like you weren't good enough to satisfy the things that they needed, and partly because you committed yourself to something completely and still couldn't manage to make it work. <br />It's things like this that make me realize that no matter how hard I try to maintain something or to make it better, if God wills for it not to be, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE. I guess I'm coming to this realization fairly easily considering the circumstances. I would definately say that God has given me the spiritual gift of great faith to know that he will get me through the hard times. I just pray that he can do the same for the person on the other side of this breakup. Please keep both of us in your prayers, that we may continue to grow in the Lord and be built in faith for better things to come.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-41939839982079931462007-06-15T20:22:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:07:12.535-05:00We Are One...Jesus's two major commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself. These two things are the very basis of what each of His stories, parables and lessons came down to. Even in His final prayer to the father we see the same plea- begging the Father for unity.<br /><br />In John 17, a chapter dedicated to completely to the final prayer of Jesus, John portrays one common message throughout the entire prayer- unity. Unity between the Father and Son, the Father and the Church, the Son and the Church, and one that we tend to forget, the Church and the rest of the Church. So many times we fail to see ourselves as one body of believers, but rather the America image of a "Tossed Salad". You have your Catholics, your Baptists, Methodists, etc. but very rarely are we merely called "Christian". If someone asks you what religion you are, I can almost guarantee that we will answer "Baptist" or so on. As a matter of fact I made the same mistake about a week ago.<br /><br />If we really want to see the Church living up to its full potential of healing and reaching in the world today, we must seek that final plea of Jesus- unity with the Father and Son as well as with ourselves.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-18055728551173452542007-06-13T21:23:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:07:49.347-05:00POOPSo I woke up yesterday and I was incredibly sick and dizzy and a bird had pooped all over my side view mirror. Yes, ALL over it. In fact, the same bird has been pooping on my car for about a month now. I usually get a pretty good laugh out of the irony, especially when I just wash my car the day before. As a matter of fact, every Sunday for the past few weeks I have put it on our prayer list as either a praise that they haven't pooped on it yet, or a prayer that they would stop. Unfortunately, yesterday when I was sick, I didn't seem to see the irony in it too much. It really just upset me.<br />I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy, and when something small like this upsets me, it really brings me down. I usually pride myself in being joyous in all occasions and bringing praise through every hardship, but sometimes its the little things that really get to me. I think we can all relate to this occasionally, whether it be bird poop, Sunday drivers, rude cashiers, or something else, we also seem to have those little bumps in our lives that break us from our cool.<br />I think Satan uses these things in an incredible abundance because many of us fail to recognize them. We all see that it's bad when we yell at a friend or cuss at someone, but we don't see that our little spurts of anger are what keep those outbursts coming. They are like trial runs for the major events.<br />I often look at the story of Job and wonder how someone could see so much crap in his life and still live to praise God. I wonder often how it's possible when I get mad at bird poop....anyways, I guess what I'm really trying to say is that we have to truly look at the sickness and bird poops of our lives and realize that God is so much bigger than them and that praising Him is so much more important.<br />Lord give me the patience to deal with the small things in life, thereby preparing me for the major dilemmas to come in my future. Help me to praise You no matter what storms I face.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-45388500431502932712007-06-12T11:55:00.005-04:002008-11-21T08:09:03.185-05:00Praiseship???<p class="blogSubject">So it's definately summer again because here I am, typing away 20-30 minutes of my time, trying to keep my intellectual capacity up for the next four months that don't include some sort of studying or mandatory reading. Yes, I'm one of those strange guys who really ENJOYS learning.<br /></p><br />We just played at an incredible event called Soul'd Out this past weekend, a show that we played at last year and an experience that we can never get enough of. Now before that, about 6 months actually, we recorded a live CD at another event. We were really looking forward to bringing them to the Rally with us, but only got them about three days beforehand. So we burnt them as quickly as possible and brought them out to Hampton with us.<br /><br />After listening to it, Brian (guitarist) really remembered the nerves he had playing at the show. We talked about how we didn't want to mess up the CDs and how it was a really big deal. Well, like everything else that any normal person would just discuss and then let go, it got me thinking...that was a praise and worship event just like any other, so what could have caused him to tense up?<br /><br />A couple of stories involving David really came into my mind strongly. In 2 Samuel 6 David was celebrating the coming of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. He showed his joy and praise to the Lord by dancing in front of it in nothing but his underwear. His wife Michal confronted him about it and he simply stated, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." He was willing to lay down his own pride for the glory of the Lord in his praise, and most importantly, his worship.<br /><br />In Psalms, David says to praise the Lord with stringed instruments and lyres, to lift a song of praise to Him. Brian told me that he had been nervous and so I began to ponder this. It hit me incredibly strongly a couple of days before Soul'd Out: WE are these people. Every time we worship we get to lift a song with stringed instruments and with our voices. In a sense, we are leading Modern Day Psalms.<br /><br />So why is this titled Praiseship?? Well, because earlier I said that David danced almost naked in praise and in worship. The musical "genre" called Praise and Worship is seperated for a reason--they are two seperate things. At the Soul'd Out Youth Rally everyone lifted a song of praise. We all jumped around and sang to God on high. But I am sad to say that the odds are that someone was merely having a good time. Anyone can come up to the stage and sing praise and have a good time, but the concept of WORSHIP is one that is completely different. Worship is a lifestyle--it's not only the single event of David dancing through the streets, but the condition of his heart when doing it, the recorded events of his humble life, and the most likely recurrent dances that happened later in praise of his Heavenly Father.<br /><br />Anyone can "praise" or sing it, but only when you combine the lifestyle of worship that you lead with those songs of praise and those psalms of stringed instruments can you make something holy and pleasing to the Lord. I encourage you--dance like an idiot, sing as loud as you have to to go out of key, smile constantly for the mercy you've received, and never, NEVER be ashamed of the praise that you are about to bring to the Father. The humility in your praise is a true sign of your worship lifestyle.<br /><br />I'm sure anyone who was at Soul'd Out can attest to the extent of humility that Brian brought to that event. I can truly say that he was never more susceptible before the Lord, and the passion with which our music and praise came let it resignate. God bless everyone at that event and may you continue to live worship lifestyles worthy of the King. We hope to hear from and see all of our friends in Christ soon.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-14479632504045994262007-06-12T11:55:00.004-04:002008-11-21T08:08:32.206-05:00Nothing Simple<p class="blogSubject">Soooo I got an incredible idea for a song last night. Each and every time we try and write a song, or a poem, or a skit for God we sit down for hours, or days, or even weeks to debate on the perfect sentence structure, just the right adjective, past or present tense, and so on. But last night, I was sitting there, writing a song, when a Bible verse came into my head, "when you pray, don't go on rambling like the hypocrites, but make your words few because the Father knows your needs." Jesus actually told us not to stress over the words because God already knows them.<br /></p><br />Now I know what You're thinking, and no, I didn't just write a song where we repeat "I love God" or "I love Jesus" over and over again. I thought hard on that concept and wondered why Jesus might tell us that. The conclusion I came to was that, in my personal experience, everytime I write, it takes FOREVER to think of the exact thing to say because God is so many things. Infinite, omnipotent, rational, irrational, and most importantly BEYOND VOCABULARY. Jesus told us not to be concerned with finding the words to describe God because it can't be done, our God is beyond words and cannot be confined within any sort of human construction.<br /><br />And that, my friends, was the basis for this song. Throughout the verses I delved into my vocabulary, writing down the first things that popped into my head when I think of the glory and majesty of God. I tried my best to convey everything that he means to me and to this world. And then upon reaching the chorus, you realize that we can try and try to describe our God, turn through pages of dictionaries and the Bible and still fall short. But the beauty of the whole thing is that we still try--can you imagine the fact that we are going to be bringing praise to God for ETERNITY.....how many different words and tongues will we get to praise Him with?<br /><br />When you look past a song or poem as stressful and just realize that bringing everything You can out of joy and love is all you can do in His presence, THAT'S when you see the true goal of praise. Comprehending God and explaining who He is will always be beyond our understanding, but the beautiful thing about praise is that we will always keep trying.<br /><br />"I'll try to make my words few,<br />But there's nothing simple about You."Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-35100698464318841302007-06-12T11:49:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:09:40.448-05:00Just to Clarify...All of these posts are things that I have written over a period of time on my Myspace blog that I wanted to share with possibly a different audience. Hope you enjoy the reads and getting something meaningful out of them. I also hope that if you do, you can leave me a little nugget of enlightenment to ponder!!Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-82411321137528054552007-06-12T11:48:00.004-04:002008-11-21T08:11:14.934-05:00The Perfect Marriage<p class="blogSubject"><span id="en-NIV-20764" class="sup">1</span> The word of the LORD came to me: <span id="en-NIV-20765" class="sup">2</span> "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices <span id="en-NIV-20766" class="sup">3</span> and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. <span id="en-NIV-20767" class="sup">4</span> On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. <span id="en-NIV-20768" class="sup">5</span> No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.<br /></p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20769" class="sup">6</span> " 'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20769a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</sup> <span id="en-NIV-20770" class="sup">7</span> I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20770b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]</sup> Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20771" class="sup">8</span> " 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20772" class="sup">9</span> " 'I bathed <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20772c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]</sup> you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. <span id="en-NIV-20773" class="sup">10</span> I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. <span id="en-NIV-20774" class="sup">11</span> I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, <span id="en-NIV-20775" class="sup">12</span> and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. <span id="en-NIV-20776" class="sup">13</span> So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. <span id="en-NIV-20777" class="sup">14</span> And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20778" class="sup">15</span> " 'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20778d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]</sup> <span id="en-NIV-20779" class="sup">16</span> You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur. <span id="en-NIV-20780" class="sup">17</span> You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. <span id="en-NIV-20781" class="sup">18</span> And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. <span id="en-NIV-20782" class="sup">19</span> Also the food I provided for you—the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign LORD. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20783" class="sup">20</span> " 'And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? <span id="en-NIV-20784" class="sup">21</span> You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20784e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]</sup> to the idols. <span id="en-NIV-20785" class="sup">22</span> In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20786" class="sup">23</span> " 'Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, <span id="en-NIV-20787" class="sup">24</span> you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. <span id="en-NIV-20788" class="sup">25</span> At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, offering your body with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. <span id="en-NIV-20789" class="sup">26</span> You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. <span id="en-NIV-20790" class="sup">27</span> So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. <span id="en-NIV-20791" class="sup">28</span> You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. <span id="en-NIV-20792" class="sup">29</span> Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20792f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]</sup> a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20793" class="sup">30</span> " 'How weak-willed you are, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! <span id="en-NIV-20794" class="sup">31</span> When you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20795" class="sup">32</span> " 'You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! <span id="en-NIV-20796" class="sup">33</span> Every prostitute receives a fee, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. <span id="en-NIV-20797" class="sup">34</span> So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20798" class="sup">35</span> " 'Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the LORD! <span id="en-NIV-20799" class="sup">36</span> This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your wealth <sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Ezekiel%2016-17;%20James%203&version=31;#fen-NIV-20799g" title="See footnote g">g</a>]</sup> and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children's blood, <span id="en-NIV-20800" class="sup">37</span> therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see all your nakedness. <span id="en-NIV-20801" class="sup">38</span> I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. <span id="en-NIV-20802" class="sup">39</span> Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you naked and bare. <span id="en-NIV-20803" class="sup">40</span> They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. <span id="en-NIV-20804" class="sup">41</span> They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. <span id="en-NIV-20805" class="sup">42</span> Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20806" class="sup">43</span> " 'Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices? </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20807" class="sup">44</span> " 'Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: "Like mother, like daughter." <span id="en-NIV-20808" class="sup">45</span> You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. <span id="en-NIV-20809" class="sup">46</span> Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. <span id="en-NIV-20810" class="sup">47</span> You not only walked in their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. <span id="en-NIV-20811" class="sup">48</span> As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. </p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20812" class="sup">49</span> " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. <span id="en-NIV-20813" class="sup">50</span> They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. <span id="en-NIV-20814" class="sup">51</span> Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. <span id="en-NIV-20815" class="sup">52</span> Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.<br /></p><p> <span id="en-NIV-20822" class="sup">59</span> " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. <span id="en-NIV-20823" class="sup">60</span> Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.</p><p>Ezekiel 16: 1-52; 59-60<br /></p><p>An incredibly long verse to start off with, and I apologize if I've lost your attention, but it was of complete necessity to the cause. The analogy of God's people being His bride--it's one way that we know that God and Jesus were in fact the same person because they both spoke of us as their bride, but it's also my favorite comparison as to what we are to our Lord. We've been called children, we've been called friends, but greatest of all, we are called His wife. Where friends come and go and children are raised and set out to carry on for themselves, marriage is permanent--the way God intended for it to work was a relationship that lasted until death do you part. And since God is eternal and so are we when we come into a relationship with Him, we have a union that is eternally binding and all loving.<br /></p><p>It's an incredible thing, really. Marriage was created by God to last forever no matter what problems must be worked out, and we can see God's intention of that through his very own relationship. Look back at the verse: can you see the emotion of God in this passage? Marriage is intended to last through the good and the bad, and this is most certainly not the best of days for our relationship with our Lord. Read the words the Father uses when he speaks of His people--how he chose us from our broken and humble roots; how he raised us and cared for us; adorned us with beauty and lavish things; chose us as His bride and Queen over all of creation; and how He made us capable of sharing in His perfect and eternal love. It is clear to see how much our Groom truly loves and cares for us. But how did we choose to share in our love? We took advantage of our beauty and gifts and decided to prostitute ourselves out to every idol and people we could find. We gave our gold as gifts for those who practiced prostitution with us; instead of charging for our infidelity, we paid those who helped us defile ourselves. We offered our children, HIS offspring, as human sacrifices to our false idols and fake Gods. The Lord even goes far enough to say that we are a far worse people than our sisters Samaria and Sodom, one of which was destroyed by God's wrath because of their sins. (Ezekiel 15-34; 45-48)<br /></p><p>So why are we still here? Why are we still the chosen people and Bride of Christ? It is because God created marriage to be a commitment through the good and the bad, the sickness and the health, the rich and the poor, and in this case the idolatry and the prostitution, and since in death we do not part, NOTHING can cause divorce between us (Ezekiel 16: 41-42). It's incredible to think of this idea considering that in America today, 51% of marriages end before death in divorce. I am completely blown away by my Savior, that through all of this He would still decide to keep His word and keep His commitment--THIS is how I know that He is a fair and loving God.<br /></p><p>When I read this passage this morning, I was moved to tears because I could FEEL the pain God must have felt when He spoke these words. I could honestly see the TEARS that must have been falling from His eyes as He watched us sell ourselves as sex toys to our idols and neighboring lands. What do you think it looks like when a perfect, omnipresent, and all-powerful being cries? How much of the earth do you think is shaken and disturbed? I can't scarcely fathom the concept. I do, however, know one thing: any God and groom that is willing to watch this through all of the agony and pain He must have felt and still choose to love and keep me is one that I will do my best to stay faithful to for the rest of my days on this earth.<br /></p>We talk so much about what we want our wedding to be like some day: on the beach, under a sunset, in the church we grew up in with all of our family there, and so on. But I urge you to never forget the most beautiful union man has ever seen: when our Savior came and pulled us from our humble foundations, where we were squirming in our own blood, and established us as the most beautiful of all of His creations--His eternal companion and loving bride. Have you been faithful to your groom? Have you felt His love and seeked it alone? Or have you gone astray, selling yourself to the idols of this world and the desires of your sin? We all want that perfect relationship, and I can promise you that you won't find it anywhere else than in the welcoming embrace of our Maker. Don't let death do you part--stay faithful, stay committed, and experience eternity with the perfect groom in His perfect love.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-1283675829159600662007-06-12T11:48:00.003-04:002008-11-21T08:10:09.823-05:00See it<p class="blogSubject">It's been a while since I said something in this environment. And to be honest, I'm not really sure what I came here to say. There's somewhat of a raw honesty that seems to work its way out when you just let your fingers linger on and find the words as they move.<br /></p><br />I believe in nature. I believe in the beauty of the created world around me--not the buildings and the cars and the paved roads, because all of these will fail and need reconstruction or renovation. Animals and plants have existed for thousands of years and yet we see our neighborhoods needing new streets every decade. I believe in the neverending astonishment that comes with seeing the sunrise or the mountains that reach the clouds. I believe that the stars on a clear night can never fail to take my breath away.<br /><br />I believe in peace. Not one promised to me by the politicians of our day and age, or by the radical groups who see it in the distance after some sort of "cleansing", but a peace that is received in one breath, one sentence, one declaration. One that can last through the bombs, the global warming, and the societies dying of diseases like AIDS.<br /><br />I believe in salvation--in eternity in the here and now. One that has been granted to us by the grace of our loving Creator. A salvation for all people who choose it whether young, old, lame, rich, poor, or any other condition.<br /><br />It's amazing to me how intertwined they are. Each day the sunrise offers hope for peace, hope for new beginnings, hope for grace. I believe in a love so strong that it has the ability to create and maintain each of these things on a consistent basis. I believe in a love that created nature, inventors, the invented, and everything around them. What do I believe in? I believe in a love that, because of one ultimate cleansing sacrifice, believes in me.<br /><br />Can you see it in the world around you? Do you see compassion in the stars, concern in the waves, strength in the trees, and jubilation in the sun? These are the things that awaken and enliven me everyday. This is my truth, my fact, my form.<br /><br />What do you believe in?Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-57734526609134065812007-06-12T11:46:00.004-04:002008-11-21T08:14:58.061-05:00PKs<p class="blogSubject">How many of you have known a preacher's kid? I know my mom is one and one of my good friends is one also(which makes sense considering I go to her dad's church). And I also know a couple at my old high school. So if you know one, go ahead, get them in your head, think about who they are and what they are like. Ok, now think about this--how do they usually act? What is their personality like? I know the ones I know, or have met, are almost always one of two ways--either on fire for God or completely smothered and drowning from the ways of the world.<br /></p><br />Does that sound familiar? I know a couple who are absolutely spot on with God and seeking after His holiness, and I know a couple who are absolutely crazy and do pretty much everything they can in sin, but I can't think of very many at all who are just "good kids". I guess it goes down to our roots, to the very morals and beliefs that we are raised on. If we have Christian parents, they will, most likely, raise us with Christian teachings and Christian morals. So everything we learn as children and continue to learn until we are on our own is from a Christian perspective--"good morals" are taught with Christ at the core.<br /><br />So if this is the case, why do some of the "preacher's kids" or merely the kids of Christians turn out to be such party animals? I don't believe that the problem can lie in our morals, because we are told to set our mind on things above and not on earthly things, so if God is in our values, they are not in fact wrong. So what's the problem? If our parents' teachings are rooted in truth, why do some of us just seem to miss it?<br /><br />I think one of the majors things we fail to do as Christians is raise disciples instead of just converts. What I mean is this: we are so worried about following the "Great Commission" and go to all corners of the earth, that we forget the part about making DISCIPLES. We weren't called to just tell people about Jesus and the things He did, we are called to get them to know Him as their Lord and Savior and learn how to seek holiness themselves. Too often we focus on the shallow aspects of the Christian faith and the smaller aspects of it rather than getting them to pursue the wholeness and truth of who God is. Too many times, we try to relay our stories of faith to our children instead of getting them to have their own. Where we go wrong in raising our families is not in the ideas, but how we make them come across. If instead of telling and forcing our opinions on our children we invited them to know God themselves and learn to find out for themselves who He is, we wouldn't have the "party animal" preacher kids or believers' children gone bad.<br /><br />In the same manner as raising children, please treat your friends and peers the same way. Don't set out to merely introduce thousands to Christ and not follow through with the biggest step of all: Discipleship. We need more people seeking to be like Jesus, not more people seeking to live their own sinful lives and showing an interest in who Jesus was. Take the time to help build relationships. You took the time to meet your most incredible friends and got to know them on an intimate level, so do not deny them that opportunity with the most loving friend they will ever meet in Jesus Christ. So with the wild and crazy, did our morals just miss the mark? No, sometimes we just missed the opportunity to help them sink in and take root.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-32634324486446884722007-06-12T11:46:00.003-04:002008-11-21T08:11:59.093-05:00The Enlightment<p class="blogSubject">The Enlightment really screwed up our perception of what Christianity and reality should be about. If you have been following these blogs, you will know that earlier I posted a blog on the idea of God being irrational/rational at the same time and the idea behind it. Well I don't feel that I specified enough just how vital that is to the idea of Christianity, so here I am to do it again. If you read it once and didn't like it, I apologize, but I will be giving a recapitulation of what I said before.<br /></p><br />One of the major reasons behind people's lack of faith is a lack of proof. Too often, people say they will believe in God when they can see Him, or when they can see him do some sort of miracle--they want God to be rational. It's a funny concept, for me to think that God can be rational: let me explain. Rationality, in a definitive sense, means to be able to be explained or understood. In other words, it's a human concept. Rationality was a term derived by humans to put meaning to the happenings of our lives. Now pardon me in saying, but I don't know whose God can be contained in the definition of a human word. The meaning was created by man, who are the ideas of God themselves, and it would make no sense for a creation to be able to describe or match its creator.<br /><br />Irrationality, however, means that there is no capability of being understood. I think it is incredibly wonderful to think that my God is irrational. He is all-knowing, exceeding the limitations of the human mind; all-loving, outreaching the deepest sinews of the human heart; and all-forgiving, throwing sins as far away as East is from the West. For me, realizing that my God is completely irrational is a surprisingly rational and comforting thought.<br /><br />As a matter of fact, it goes beyond just God as a creator. Like I said at the beginning, Christianity is based upon irrationality--and that is what distinguishes it from the rest of the world religions. Every major religion in today's society talks about freeing ourselves from sin and wrong doing, but of our own free will and trial, except for Christianity. Christianity requires its followers to understand that they are permanently flawed, and that they cannot be fixed by their own doing--from a worldly perspective, this is completely irrational.<br /><br />So God as a creator, God as a religious-founder, and lastly, God as a Savior are all completely uncomprehensible. In no other faith will you find a God who is willing to give up his place of glory and perfection for an extended length of time to come to Earth, live in the form of His flawed creation, and die for their sins permanently, merely to show His untainted love. This, by far, is one of the most unfathomable concepts of them all. Rationality cannot contain the love that our God has shown to us through His son, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />So I urge you, move away from the Enlightenment thought of "What can God do for me?" and start asking "What I can I do for the one who has already given everything for me?" And change the idea of denying God for lack of rationality for total dedication and servitude because of that very detail. Take the step of faith to believe in an entity who is powerful enough to exist outside of the confines of human definition and understanding, and experience a love that can be found in no other place. I love my God and Savior for the irrational being that He is, and it is the most rational thing I will ever do in this lifetime.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-66868107108486053402007-06-12T11:44:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:15:35.827-05:00I Saw the Sign<p class="blogSubject">It seems like everyone who claims to be a Christian these days has the fish on the back of their car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, (in fact I have one myself) I actually think it's a great idea.<br /></p><br />The fish originiated through two major phases. The first step was that the way Jesus was referred to in the Greek alphabet was very similar to the spelling of fish (IXOYE- to symbolize Jesus being a fisher of men). From this, during the time of Roman persecution of the Christians, Christ followers, when talking to someone would draw one half of the fish in the sand, and if the person they were talking to was of the faith, they would finish it by drawing with their foot.<br /><br />It is a different symbol today, but it is cool to look at the history-- a sign that was once a hidden message to other Christians is now a widely known sign to the entire world that we are children of God. It's a cool progression if you ask me. Anyways, this kind of got me thinking-- though this can be a good thing, it can be a sign of hypocrisy as well, because of the things we may do while we drive that, sometimes, can make some of us take it off of their cars completely.<br /><br />But what if you couldnt? What if we as Christians were made to carry around a sign of our faith? But not only a sign-- what if the sign grew and shrank with the progression of our walks of faith? This puts a completely different twist on the idea. I would venture to say that many of us would grow. It's a sad thought, but we as humans are creatures that care about our appearance. Even as Christians, just like Adam, I believe we would recognize and adjust when we are "spiritually naked." I truly believe that if we didn't try so hard to cover up our sins and pretend that they didn't exist-- or better yet, if we couldn't cover it up no matter how hard we tried-- there would be many stronger disciples for Christ in this world.<br /><br />I would never wish for this though. Not because I myself am afraid of it, because honestly my sign shrank over the past week or so, but because then we lose the true meaning of the faith-- the relationship.<br /><br />This sign is missing one key concept: our purpose. You see, God doesn't want us trying to grow to merely compete against the signs and accomplishments of others, but rather to recognize our own humility and short comings, and there in try to grow. God wants us to change because we WANT to. He desires for us to seek holiness by coming to know Him on a more intimate level, not how we relate to the success of the world.<br /><br />So today, what would your sign look like? Would it be a small, diseased fish that seems to be suffocating you, or a majestic one, glowing with the radiance of our Savior and covering over all of your sins? But remember, no matter how many good deeds you may complete, no fish can grow bigger than in relation to its environment, and in our case, in relation to our relationship with God. DESIRE holiness, PURSUE righteousness, and LIVE for His glory alone, and I can guarantee you that your sign will be one that the world sees shining brightly, reflecting our heavenly Savior and not something earthly at all.<br /><br /> ****1 Peter 4:14****Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-30513550799671166382007-06-12T11:42:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:16:05.713-05:00Qualms<p class="blogSubject">When I say that I have met more Christ followers on varying walks in the past 6 months I truly mean it. Never before in my faith have I met people from so many different backgrounds, on different journeys, and following different guidelines. In many ways its invigorating, but also very eye-opening. One of the things that I've struggled with recently from my own as well as those around me's spiritual walks is the concept of being revolutionary versus being disrespectful.<br /></p>Jesus was most certainly a man of revolutionary belief. His ideas were unconventional, His methods untested, and His love unheard of. He was seen not only healing people miraculously, but preaching on the Word of God with no earthly authority, speaking against the religious leaders, and overturning trading tables in the tabernacle in a fit of rage, yet all of this was revolutionary, NOT disrespectful. And this is where I truly believe many of us may be losing sight of the true message and goal. Jesus calls us to be Revolutionaries in an unbelieving world, but in a respectful way. There are many things that we seem to have missed the mark on in general, but a couple of them have really stood out recently.<br /> James spoke a great deal of the damage our tongues can do: "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." From our tongues come earthly and spiritual praises, songs, and hymns, but contrastingly also slander, racial slurs, and terms of hatred. We know that sin overtook the world and God gave it over to Satan, and I truly believe that Satan enjoys greatly lighting our little tongues with the fire of hell.<br /> I have heard all of the origins of the modern day "cuss words" but, frankly, I think that Jesus would care very little of the history and much more of how an unbelieving and sinful world portrays their meaning. Just because something originated from nothing does not mean that it doesn't carry weight now. The fact of the matter is that these terms not only reflect a weak vocabulary, but more importantly, a disrespectful disregard for what is considered proper language for a believer, no matter what the words' origin.<br /> Another major concept that I believe the Christian culture is still learning how to handle is that of unconditional love. I'm not sure about whoever may be reading this, but many times it is not my secular friends who I feel vulnerable around, but more so that of my church and believer body. We have missed the idea of loving our brothers and it has overflowed into the affection we show for those who are lost. Judgment is still prevalent for someone different in our churches, many still hope to maintain a certain "image", and people are made to think that Christianity is some sort of top model search and only the best all around candidates are fit to make it. Our judgment has surpassed the saving love of Jesus that was granted to all who were thirsty. In our daily episodes of spiritual warfare against Satan, we are far too often guilty of shooting the hostage instead of the enemy.<br /> It's also very disturbing how watered down our ideas of sinning and forgiveness have become. In the modern church, sinning and asking for forgiveness have become too common and too simple. "Oh well, I'm a sinner" is the generalized outlook of far too many people in the church today. Not only are we not ever referred to as "sinners" in the New Testament, but instead "saints", but sin carries much more of a load than we have commonly come to believe. In our Christian walks, the foundation and saving grace of our faith is our relationship with Jesus- He is our brother, friend, savior, and yes, groom. What this idea of bride and groom means is that we are bonded through the most intimate relationship known to man. This means that sinning or doing anything that does not bring honor to our perfect groom is, in fact, considered unfaithfulness or infidelity in our relationship, and reason for DIVORCE- so maybe our sins aren't as minor as we think....<br /> Whether or not you feel convicted by these ideas as I was is not for me to decide-that is between you and God. What I do know is that if convicted, we have no other choice but to change our ways. We are no longer sinners- as Christians we are saints and the bride of Christ- let's keep it a healthy marriage.<br /> "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We <span style="text-decoration: underline;">DIED</span> to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"<br /> -Romans 6:1-2Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35794252.post-73658789352778104492007-06-12T11:40:00.001-04:002008-11-21T08:17:43.870-05:00'Ello Puppet<p class="blogSubject">Monday morning- wake up, bounce on bed to jump out, walk to bathroom, get in shower, sing while washing to wake up, dry off, get dressed, brush teeth, grab food, leave for work.<br /></p>Tuesday morning- wake up, bounce on bed to jump out, walk to bathroom, get in shower, sing while washing to wake up, dry off, get dressed, brush teeth, grab food, leave for work.<br />Wednesday morning- wake up, bounce on bed to jump out, walk to bathroom, get in shower, sing while washing to wake up, dry off, get dressed, brush teeth, grab food, leave for work.<br />Thursday morning- wake up, bounce on bed to jump out, walk to bathroom, get in shower, sing while washing to wake up, dry off, get dressed, brush teeth with lotion, grab food, leave for work.<br />Friday morning- yet to come...<br /><br />Ahh the monotony of the morning- you remember those routines we talked about? Well this is one that everyone seems to be guilty of. But why? Well for one, they work- it's comforting, it keeps our not yet fully-functioning brain moving in the right direction, and it gives a schedule to keep ourselves focused on.<br />Now like the majority of the population, we all tend to have a morning routine, and we all tend to passively glimpse over repeating material.<br />You may have caught it, but I'm sure some didn't; there was something wrong with that account of my week. "He didn't state putting on deodorant."- true, but I guess I assumed that to be implied. No, look a little closer. There in the midst of my regular Thursday routine is hidden a trifle of oddity- brush teeth <span style="text-decoration: underline;">with body lotion</span>.<br />Yes it's true, and let me be completely honest when I say that something like that will instantly jolt you from a mindless morning routine. In the process of washing my toothbrush off, I found myself laughing pretty heartily at this disgusting, yet enlivening wake up call. "What in the world would cause me to do that?" I thought.<br />I'm not sure if you'd agree, but I've always believed that God has an amazing sense of humor. I find it hard to believe that someone who created lemmings, the platypus, or gave my brother, a 300 pound guy, a fear of small things like spiders, didn't do it for an occasional laugh. So if you don't see humor in God, disregard this comment, but I truly believe my Aloe Vera brushing experience was from none other than Abba Himself. Was it just for a good laugh? Possibly. But I got much more from it.<br />Routine has really been something laden on my heart recently. Religion can create confines that we fail to realize are not making us stronger, but are only preventing us from going beyond our spiritual surface. Following the rules and laws can make our yokes heavier than we could possibly imagine, and it's only through the freedom of Jesus' love that we can overcome that burden and prevail. But is God calling us to leave the routines in the rest of our lives? You tell me.<br />"Carpe diem", seize the day, has been a saying of adventurous lifestyle for thousands of years. Existentialism brought about the wonderful idea of questioning and challenging ourselves- are we who we want to be, are we doing enough, or are we stuck in our tracks simply going through the drones of life? Jon Foreman of Switchfoot once said, "I dare you to move", a challenge we all sometimes need to get away from the repitition life can bring and actually get up and LIVE. Are routines bad spiritually? Absolutely- they confine, constrict, and constrain any opportunities of growth we may have. So why should that be any different when dealing with the rest of our lives?<br />One of my favorite radio morning shows is run by two guys who are experts at breaking from routine. Though sometimes perverse, and occasionally distasteful, they never have issues finding new adventures or ways to entertain. FM99's Tommy and Rumble (if you're not from the Tidewater area and visit, tune in) are some of the most spontaneous and intriguing people I've ever heard. There has not been a single time I've listened that I haven't been content, and it's because there is no routine. One day they'll be set up with a stand where you can drop your pants and show your underwear to win prizes, and the next they'll have a lemonade stand to raise money for the local food bank. Awesome.<br />It's an extreme example I know, but shouldn't our lives be an extreme thing? They are short-lived gifts from God made to be enjoyed. Too often we let ourselves get bogged down by what our lives throw at us- we get stuck. And the only way to break free is to get out of routine. Do something unusual like go for a bike ride, buy a pair of shoes, drive somewhere new, or even scream at the top of your lungs. Or maybe it needs to be something as drastic as selling a car to buy a new one, moving, or leaving a job (though I disclaim myself from being used as a reference).<br />God will call us to do some things that we often find strange, whether spiritually or physically, and many times it's to free us from our routines. We get comfortable, and comfort leads to lack of growth in spirit as well as in life. Just like in spirit, routine in life can create a shallow security that prevents us from going any deeper than the surface.<br />Our lives are vast things- capable of experiencing and taking in knowledge, surroundings, and emotions. They're gifts, given to be lived to the fullest, free of routine. Sometimes we just need a wake up call, reminding us to not be afraid of occasionally brushing with lotion.Josh B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18321109413251974715noreply@blogger.com0