Beauty, Belief, and Blog

The Gift; The Gospel

2009-11-19T10:11:00.001-06:00

On my last blog, I stated I was back to blogging; this was a blog lie, and I want to blog now that I am sorry for my hiatus from the web. I have had much to write about, but little time to write. Much has happened over the last few months, primarily SEMINARY. I have stayed busy with class work and work. But over the last few months I have been reflecting over the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the amazing grace of our glorious God, and how the Holy Spirit is changing and sanctifying me. I have also been reflecting on the fact that some of you do not now and do not understand the brilliance and beauty of what God will do or is doing in your life; it is my fear you do not no this good news, this gospel.
I do not want you to miss out on receiving the greatest gift the world has ever known, so permit me time tell you my story, and the story of Him who has changed me and graced me. When I was seven years old my father and my pastor told me that God offered the free gift of salvation, because of Jesus Christ work on the cross. I have received many gifts in my life from good, loving, and giving people, but no gift compares to that free gift of salvation given by the truly good, loving and giving God because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, conquering the grave, and blessing me with a life that is devoted, no matter how often I fail, to glorifying God. The gifts in my life have not saved me or made me a whole and purposed person, but the gift of God has. No other gift in my life sustains me through seasons of sin and doubt, but the amazing part of the gift of God is that regardless of the doubts that spring up in me, or the sin that I commit, God still extends grace, Jesus still has sacrificed himself, and I am still his for eternity, I am still a Christian, a Christ follower. I have not recovered from this gift, and have no greater joy but to serve God.
That is my short story, but it is enveloped by a much larger story, the story of the gift giver. Some of you may be thinking, “Why in the world do I need this gift?” I would reply that you should look around at this world and see the brokenness. We live in a broken world; it is broken, because of sin. Romans 3:23 says that all people are sinners and are incapable of living lives that glorify God. Human brokenness and sin has separated it from God, from His glory, and Romans 6:23 says that the work of sin earns only death. This is an eternal separation from God; this is a wretched, an eternal, and a horrible separation from God.
There is hope; there is a gift. The gift exists, because of the love of our amazing God. Romans 5:8 says it best, “God demonstrated His love to us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. The Lord Jesus Christ came in flesh and suffered on cross and while on that cross he absorbed the wrath of God for our wretchedness. Jesus died, and they buried him, but let me tell you three days later Jesus Christ rose from the grave conquering the death that we should have died because of our sin. This death, burial, and resurrection has given us the opportunity to step into the light and out of darkness. This is the grace of God, that if you simply have faith, you can be saved from the eternal death and separation and live eternally with God. Begin this relationship; begin this new life now!
Ephesians 2:8-9 says “that by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing.” This is the doing of God, for God has extended to you a free gift, this grace that you may live eternally with Him and glorify him forever, rather than be separated in your broken state. Receive this gift, my friends. Pray to God, even if it is the first time, confess to God that you have sinned against Him; tell Him that you believe that Jesus came to earth, died, and rose from the dead; tell God you believe in Him and his power; tell Him you want him to be Lord of your life; tell God you want to live forever and wish to accept this wonderful free gift of salvation!

GET TO KNOW JESUS! The gift I have received has forever changed my life, and I want you to know this explosive joy that God has given me because of Him and for His glory!

Bryan

P.S. If you already have the gift, if you already know Jesus; tell somebody.

Gospel-Centered Leadership

2009-07-19T22:42:00.003-05:00

I am officially back into the blogosphere. It has been a crazy couple of months; we moved into a new place in Dallas, been delayed on every kind of service we needed, I nearly drove to AT&T's HQ just to punch somebody in the ear, both of our vehicles were broken into and our radios were stolen, and God is still good. In the midst, we have rejoined Friendship Baptist and we are hopeful and prayerful about how we can serve in the church and in our community.

Being back in church and in service to God is already bringing us great joy and presenting some amazing challenges for ministry. I have already had the opportunity to teach the youth about love, exhort our Crossroads class to live and speak the Gospel and become leaders centered on that gospel, and teach about Peter's arrogance, brokenness, and restoration. I have had the privilege to hear about the God of grace through tragedy from Darren, and the power of God and gospel even in midst of great suffering from Rocky Goodwin. In these three weeks of community with others, God has reminded me of the great Gospel and the Gospel's greater implications. I have been drawn to the cross where I have again been broken, and reminded of the Love of Jesus, and how that Love causes me to Love others and share with the people of my culture and my community the Gospel, that they may know the brilliant Agape LOVE displayed on the cross, and that they may feel and be an example of the love, mercy, and grace of God.

Last weekend, the Crossroads class (the young, college, and displaced of FBC) went on a retreat, and we talked about being Leaders influenced by the GOSPEL. We studied Paul's letter to Timothy. We studied how Paul felt that he must remind Timothy and the men and women of Ephesus of the gospel and the transforming Grace of God by sharing again with them his own testimony. Paul reminds these port workers and politicians that he, Paul, was the "foremost of sinners" yet was saved by God whose mercy was poured out on him. God, through these verses in 1 Timothy 1 remind us of the Gospel of grace! We are sinners, we are jacked up, and deserve every bit of God's wrath, for we are an idolatrous and wicked people who attempt to rob God of His Glory, but rather than His wrath, we receive His mercy, for God's wrath had been satisfied on the cross, and in the resurrection we have been justified, and Christ has imputed to us a righteousness we did not deserve, nor could gain from moral propriety. Going to church, being a republican, not drinking, cussing, smoking, gambling, or watching rated R movies has never caused anyone to be saved. God has saved us and imputed to a righteousness that was NOT OUR OWN through HIS grace and mercy, and this should HUMBLE us not puff us up.

The gospel should then stir us to take action for the kingdom, for we have each been called to leadership because of the gospel. We are ALIVE, because of the GOSPEL. It is, therefore, our mandate, our Duty, our DELIGHT to lead others to this Gospel, and we do this for the glory of God, who is the gospel. We are called also to pray praises for the gospel, pray and remind ourselves of the gospel, and pray that others will come to a deep knowledge of the gospel. We are called to be MISSIONAL and take to the world the gospel. This is not a job only for pastors and evangelists, but to all who have heard and seen, confessed and believed. It is my belief that each and everyone of us who are believers are called to be leaders; from warehouse workers to lawyers, from bartenders to Baptist preachers, NONE ARE EXEMPT from leadership, for none were or are exempt from the LOVE of God.

This is my counsel, my exhortation to you, my teaching to you. LEAD, you are not exempt, regardless of stature or personality, past or present sin, or abilities and talents; you are NOT exempt, for you have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, who was sent by a loving father to absorb His wrath through agony and torture. Jesus then rose three days later, imputed to us a righteousness and justification that we surely did not deserve, and then charged us to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. KNOW this gospel, BE this gospel, and PREACH this gospel. This is my hope for myself and for you that we will center our whole lives around the gospel of the grace of God.

GOD, let me bring glory to YOU through the leading of YOUR Spirit, as a leader enabled by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hi....I Missed You

2009-07-03T15:58:00.002-05:00

I will blog again soon, because I have a number of things rolling through the mind, but now I shall just update. Natalie and I are finally settled in Dallas, TX at our own place, which was very difficult...our last two weeks have been terrible, but we are very excited about the future. We now live in uptown, and are surrounded by everything, I mean everything. Natalie will begin teaching full time in August and I will begin my Th.M. work at DTS in August as well. We have have undergone about one hundred eighty four changes in the past year, and we are worn out, but God has pulled us through, strengthened, and taught us through every change. Please continue to pray for us. Blog again soon. Peace Love Bryan

Heroes Need Heroes Too

2009-03-15T10:41:00.003-05:00

I wrote a blog called "The Heroes of Culture...then Jesus" a couple of weeks ago about our cultures obsession with superheroes and television saviors who serve justice, while our culture does not believe in the true savior. My sister and I had a conversation shortly after that post, and she had some interesting thoughts. Liz said she thought that the people of our culture do not believe they need a savior, because they are essentially "good people" who have nothing to be saved from (Liz if I misrepresented your thoughts, set me straight). I very much agree with this thought.

The problem is this: the reason the world needs a savior is precisely that they are not "good people". Scripture says we were "slaves to sin", "enemies of God", and it says that "all have sinned and fallen short", and the wages of this death. But, the good news is Jesus Christ came to earth as humble hero to serve justice, not by executing the wrath of God, but by being executed and absorbing that wrath. If our culture believed scripture they would see that, apart from God, they are not really good people, nor was I, nor am I. Let me explain; I am not good or righteous would be the better word, Christ is; and it is this righteousness in me sanctifying. Jesus Christ is working in me, so that my actions and words are used for God's glory: this is righteousness. Me taking the "right steps" to look like a Christian and follow "right teaching" in order to magnify my worth and look like a good person actually makes me more of a narcissistic bad person. The thing is I am not attacking just sinners that are unbelievers, I am attacking believers who are sinning by living by the law instead of by grace as well. The first group needs to here the gospel about how we have a hero in Christ. The second group needs to be reminded we can stop saving ourselves, for our hero has come, and we must seek to glorify God, not earn approval.

Ok, ok, maybe I am a little off track, but we are gonna get back on the rail with the superhero analogy (of which I am a big fan). Where were we, ah, people do not think they need saving and do not see themselves as sinner.

In the movies, there is generally always been the white hat and the black hat, the good guy and the bad guy. The good guy is always good, and the bad guy is always bad. This is what I would say was the "modern model", and it has been pertinent for many years. What this model meant was that people would identify themselves with the white hat, therefore saying, "I am the good guy". This caused everyone to pat themselves on the back, put on their white hat, and turn their noses up at "the world". The "modern model" is a good example, I think, of why legalism is more relevant to the modern generation. But, of course, there has been a shift to the "post-modern" model of moral relativism; I believe this shift can be very dangerous or very helpful to the psyche of the seeker.

Here are some examples of this model.

1. House is a great "good/bad" guy, for he is unethical and often immoral, but saves lives.

2. LOST is the conversion of many men and women of many different backgrounds onto one island, and it seems to me that they are all being led into one faith or destiny.

3. Jack Bauer (you knew it was coming) is the hero of America time and again, through coercion, murder, and torture.

4. Even reality TV; the experience of "real" emotion as men and women seek the same thing.

What we have is danger and good examples in all of these. Jack and House are dangerous because they present the idea that morality and ethics are relative to the situation you find yourself in. LOST is dangerous, because it teaches that there is a plurality of though and belief, and it must be so for there to be true universal balance. Reality TV just sucks, and it shows men and women doing despicable things in order to "win" love or money. All of these examples also can be beneficial in formulating a concept of humanity and savior.

Jack and House show me who are not always proud of what they do, rather it shows men who are empty, sad, and lonely. They both NEED to be heroes, because then someone NEEDS them. They are both seekers of something More. Jack goes to Africa to work among boy soldiers in "24:Redemption". House tries to "almost kill himself" in order to get a glimpse at something beyond himself. LOST is brilliant and I will devote an entire post to it one of these days, but here I will just say this: some on the island where black hats, some white, some gray, but they are ALL screwed up and are in need of a savior and an answer. Lost is more reality than reality TV (thats right the show with the smoke monster). We are all screwed up and in need of a savior and an answer to living happy and living eternal. Let me end by saying this about Television and Movies; movies and t.v. dominate the thought our culture and especially my generation, because we now live in a culture that desires experience rather than simple existence. The "modern" question for life was this, "How do I get to heaven?" that is a question of existence. The "post-modern" question is now one of "experience", "How do I experience life at its fullest?". The great thing is the question will be ever changing, but the answer is constant and eternal: JESUS.

The Heroes of Culture, and then Jesus

2009-02-20T06:17:00.003-06:00

"But God demonstrates His love to us, that while we were yet sinners (vile, depraved), Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

This is the highest form of love, right? I mean a Man dying for another. Our movies, books, newspapers, on the TV, and our stories are filled with the stories of heroism, sacrificial death, and redemption. I remember when I was a kid, one of my favorite movies (I am afraid to admit) was Independence Day, where in the end this wayward trailer park dad and former pilot saves the world by flying his plane into the alien ship and killing himself while killing the "mother ship". We have Jack being "so cold" after the Titanic (some big ship God sunk) hit the berg and he sinks away to death so that Winslet (who was not supposed to let go) could save herself. Neo's sacrifice in the Matrix is there too. These are a little on the older side, but they are to demonstrate that we, as people, are fascinated with sacrificial death.

I think we are equally obsessed with the idea of redemption and a savior. In this culture the highest grossing films have to do with superheroes: Spiderman, X-Men, Superman, Iron Man, Transformers, Hulk,and I will throw in Bond and Bourne in there as well. What is even more appealing to this culture are heroes who also are experiencing any kind of redemption of character. The Hulk has done dark things but is redeemed. Spiderman feels responsible for hurt in his family and friends, and must redeem himself, Wolverine's past causes him to seek redemption, James Bond lets his demons haunt him (Daniel Craig bond specifically) and redeems himself, Jason Bourne seeks redemption for his difficult to remember past (he also seeks reconciliation). We also have T.V. heroes on this note, Smallville, Heroes, 24 and T.V. seekers of redemption in Bauer, House, Jack, Sawyer, and Kate from LOST.

Yes, we are obsessed, in our pop culture, with some of the greatest Biblical lessons and doctrines. Culture reveres sacrificial death, but rejects the God who came to earth still fully God as a man to achieve full penal substitutionary atonement for His people by absorbing the wrath of God that should have been poured out on us. This was not "divine child abuse" this was divine love that while we were lousy and depraved God died for us, that we would not suffer His terrible wrath, rather we would experience His amazing love. Culture is obsessed with stories of redemption, but think Christians fools for being born again, passing from death to life, from sin to imputed righteousness. They do not see the most amazing redemption story in our lives that we were vile sinners who idolized the weak things of the world and basked in pride, but God's amazing grace still works to bring us from being a wretch to being His child. Our culture loves heroes, but the greatest hero with the powers to heal, to raise from the dead, to calm the storm, to feed five thousand with a loaf and a can of tuna, with the power to create and destroy, this man who was God is rejected. They say He was only a man and they are wrong, for He was and IS God seated at the throne, and will return not only as hero, but in judgment. Praise the true God and savior, praise His sacrificial death, and thank God for grace and redemption.

Relativism, Emergents, and Frustration

2008-12-18T17:06:00.004-06:00

I will begin this post by expressing that much of the emergent praxis is very good and engages culture and cares of social issues, and for this, I respect them. I would also like to point out that I have read many "emergent" books including Brian Mclaren, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Tony Campolo, and Shane Claiborne. In each of these books I found something to value and to use in my own walk. Mclaren has taught me to grasp from other traditions new practice and ideas, and that being a good steward of God's earth is not a "liberal" idea. Jones has taught me to look down into ancient history and learn from great contemplative practices (not all of them). Kimball has helped me look creatively at worship. Campolo and Claiborne have shown me the great call in scripture to feed the poor, care for the homeless, defend the oppressed, and shown what it looks like to love you're enemies. Yes, I have taken much from these authors, but I have complaints of which none of them care about and have heard from others. My complaint is that some in the emergent "conversation" have become so generous and absorbed by their culture, that they are no longer ministering to the postmodern, rather they have become the postmodern, and are now completing good deeds of humanity without reference to the TRUE divinity. What I mean is this, the emergent "conversation" is actually all talked out in the way of Biblical foundation, they have talked with the culture, and, in some ways, are only having a half-hearted conversation with the scriptures. I am rambling I know, so let me take a step back and explain what has prompted all this, I listened to a interview with an Emergent Leader, and he was reluctant to say whether or not homosexuality was wrong or right, then I heard a interview with a different emergent leader and he said the Muslims worship the same God as Christians and we should learn from them. (John 3:36) For if you do not believe in the Son, God's wrath is on you and you do not believe in God. For GOD is TRIUNE and the Son is part of the Godhead if you do not believe in the Son you do not worship the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, you do not worship JESUS CHRIST. Muslim's, although I am sure are good and moral people, are in need of the true savior, Jesus Christ. It seems to me that in all the interfaith gatherings of the Emergent movement they just want the other religions to know we love em, and are just there to help and pat backs, but nobody even when outside that interfaith circle is saying in desperation, "my friends, I love you, repent, know Jesus, the true God and Savior". The emergent movement appears to be to relativistic, too P.C., and more worried about loving people but not being offensive rather than proclaiming Christ's excellencies and His death on the cross and OFFENDING. Do not tell me we worship the same God, we do not. Do not tell me, all religions lead to God, for they do not. Other religions do not have Jesus as Christians have Jesus. I want the emergents (and this goes against all that they hold to) to tell me what they believe, for I want to actually hear them say, "Jesus is the only WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE and Gandhi and Muhammad did not proclaim HIM as there WAY, as their TRUTH, as their LIFE, and they therefore face eternal death" (which is a shame i like Gandhi). I want to hear an emergent say, "Yes I believe homosexuality is wrong, but I love them and I want them to know Jesus." or even "No it is not wrong". My point is I JUST WANT THEM TO SAY what they believe and not let their relativism destroy their high view of the one and only Holy GOD. There is this story relativist like to use called the "Blind men and the Elephant" where these men grab different parts of the elephant and proclaim them to be a certain animal, for instance one gets the tail and calls it a snake, and one the tusk and calls it a spear, and the poem ends like this:

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion ~ Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right ~ And all were in the wrong!

Moral

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

The moral he says is that we philosophers and theologians should not argue about God because in a way we all agree, there are two problems with this. One is that God has been revealed in scripture, and Jesus Christ was seen alive by hundreds of witnesses. Two there is an objective viewer in the story, so somebody has seed the elephant and has eyes that are open to the truth.

I pray for your sanity (Drew) if you actually made it to the end of this post.

Bryan

P.S. I hope not to convey arrogance in this post, because I have been coming to understanding by the promptings of God on these matters and gotten out of my own relativistic mindset, and therefore my criticisms are not intending to wound anyone, but only to convey those Truths that led me into repentance.

Atonement Part 2: Grace

2008-09-30T22:47:00.003-05:00

I have not much to say, but Darrel Manson at Hollywood Jesus does. To read the full article hit this link:

http://www.hollywoodjesus.com//movieDetail.cfm/i/8543B260-DD34-362C-C62B1A4F44CFE255/ia/C959A8F2-E366-66CA-AB432D7324F6258F

Like the theological concept of atonement, this film is not about cheap grace. What a meaningless story this would be if everyone just let bygones be bygones and told Briony “It’s okay, you didn’t mean any harm.” Instead, this story takes a much harder route in the search of redemption.

Twentieth Century theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of the difference between cheap and costly grace:

"[Cheap] grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. . .Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock."

Briony is not looking for cheap grace. Her whole life is filled with contrition although that never brings the comfort she seeks. She understands that grace must be sought again and again. There is no end to the guilt that has defined her life, at least as long as she has her memory. Only at the very end is there a hint of mercy coming into Briony’s life, and even that is a very hard mercy. Thus we learn that her sin in act one not only ruined the lives of Robbie and Cecilia, but her own life as well.

Atonement serves as a reminder of how hard it is to find the redemption we need. The sins of our past never go away. Our guilt lives with us. If we take the concept of grace seriously, our lives are not the undoing of our sins but, as with Briony becoming a nurse, the penance as we seek atonement.

Atonement: Justice and Injustice

2008-09-29T20:00:00.003-05:00

The title of this blog actually has little to do with the biblical sense of the word, and much to do with the novel by Ian Mcewan. This is one of the most intriguing novels I have ever read. Besides being a brilliant story, the author has created greatly complex and well developed characters especially in those of Robbie Turner and Briony Tallis. Now, if you have seen the movie, you got the gist of the story, but was you did not get was Mcewan's brilliant psychological development of his characters, who experience tremendous emotions. The great thing that can be gleaned from this novel is the wonderful themes throughout, for me, I read much about justice and guilt.

The story makes you ask yourself, "What is justice?" and "Does guilt redeem"? At least these were the questions I asked myself. On the topic of justice, for instance, in one part of the book it seems as though one girl, Lola, the cousin of the female main character, is raped by Marshall, a family friend. This is injustice. Later she marries the man. Also seems to be injustice, for by being raped she felt connected (or something) to the rich older Marshall and now must constantly see the face of the rapist in her bed. Now then, by God's standard of justice and injustice, this was injustice, for the man committed an evil sin against the young Lola, whether she married him or not, whether she believed that the rape was right or wrong. Briony then comes to the defense of her poor cousin, but she believes the rapist to be Robbie Turner, Lola readily agrees, and now the injustice done to Lola is being "paid forward", not to Robbie, but first to Briony who is done an injustice, for she, in her ignorance and imagination, will wrongly accuse the wrong man with a ferocity. Briony later understands her mistake, and must live with the guilt and depression of her decision; a decision that ultimately results in Robbie's death and her sisters devastation. So injustice seeps from Marshall raping Lola, to Lola allowing Briony wallow in future guilt, because of the accusation of a heinous crime against an innocent man, a innocent man who hates Danny Hardman, who he believes the real rapists (another false accusation, another injustice). The saddest part of all this is that there is no actual atonement for the sins committed, only guilt in the minds of the accusers.

All of that to say this; I am glad that justice is paid forward, and is more effective and affecting than injustice. For this justice starts not with man, but with a just God, who is just in saving us from Hell, because of the perfect sacrifice of His son. Justice is served to the sinner in hell. Justice is served to the saint through Christ who bore God's wrath. This is not something that should be overlooked or underestimated! And, this justice is something that we must be active in, God has shown us grace,and we must show Grace. We must be to an unregenerate world a model of God's justice; this does not mean take up arms, rather it means laying down our lives and becoming servants to broken man, taking care of the orphans and widows, the poor, the dead and the dying, so that justice is served, grace is magnified, and God is glorified. This may seem like a big jump for some of you, from Atonement to Jesus, but this is what has been on my mind sense I started reading. Hope you made it through this post awake. Peace. Love.

I see dying people

2008-08-06T09:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I experienced something I never had before. I saw a man who was dying. Literally at deaths door. It was strange. His eyes were open but did not see they were staring at something not existing physically. Strange. I wander sometime when I am going to die, hopefully I am ready to roll. I am tired, and scatterbrained. I am thankful that Christ has defeated death and that, to quote Rowling, "to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure". I know that to the regenerate mind death is but the beginning of an eternal adventure.

Contending for the Gospel/ Dark Night of the Soul/ Ranting On About My Screwed up Spirituality/ God Brought Me Joy and Revelation Again/ My Comeback

2008-06-07T01:51:00.010-05:00

Here lately, I have been concentrating on, meditating on, and praying over a single verse that hit me like a freight train the other day while listening to a sermon over the same passage. The verse was Philippians 1:27, which says "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel". I was listening to this sermon by Driscoll over the first chapter of Philippians, and I opened up my Bible (a.k.a unsheathed my sword, wow that's lame) to read with him. My eyes read across this passage and then my brain actually received it about five minutes later. I, then, grabbed my Bible re-read the verse, and repented before God that NONE of my actions were worthy of the Gospel. My actions/words/thoughts/ at home/work/school/play had been worthy of nothing better than the hell from which I had been saved through the gospel! I repented that I had not talked to my God in a while and repented of my lust, lies, PRIDE, immoderation, and unnecessary, unedifying, ignorant speech (for which I have the rebuke of a faithful friend to be thankful to slap me into spiritual consciousness). After I repented, my prayer turned to a plea, that I could be one whose every single action would be worthy of the gospel. What I think Paul was going for and what I am going for here, is that every action is not only defending the gospel, but is also representative of what the gospel ensues: Christ, Sacrifice, Eternality, Hope, Repentance, Reconciliation, GRACE, and most assuredly LOVE. The Bible urges the regenerate that our actions should be sacrificial and not selfish, our actions should be echo in eternity not be bound up on earth, they should carry the freedom of hope not the bondage of cynicism and regret, our actions should recognize sin not carry it around like baggage, they should reconcile, not divide, our actions should show grace, not judgement, for God judged our sins on the cross, and extended grace because of it, and we must be Christ -like and in every action we should have the all-so-important LOVE; Love should be in and the reason for every action, it should season our words, even if they must be salty. (may God forgive for my words so often carry hate). The Bible says in Philippians 1:27 that we must take every action as worthy of the Gospel that we can stand firm and contend for it! I must live for the Gospel and fight for it. I pray God that I will not be a wimpy contender, but I would stand firm for your Gospel, living worthy of it in love and sacrifice. Thank you Jesus for being the perfect example to this needy servant, Spirit comfort and strengthen in my times of weakness. In Jesus name, Amen.

Praise God that he reaches into the dark night of the soul and restores it.

P.S. This is my record thirteenth comeback to blogging wish me luck!

Crash

2007-10-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

It's an odd life we live in Los Angeles, a city that uses freeways and wide boulevards to divide people by race and class. We spend most of our time encased in metal and glass; in our homes, our cars, at work. Unlike any real city, we only walk where "it's safe"-those outdoor malls and ersatz city blocks we've created to feel like we're still part of humanity, if only humanity could afford to shop where we do. We no longer truly feel the touch of strangers as we brush past them on the street.
I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into one another just to feel something. -Don Cheadle in "Crash"

I posted this a while back, but felt like I would bring it out again here.

I couldn't stop thinking that God created this world in an beautiful, intricate way, not just in the way most people talk about with creation of nature, leaves, trees, stars, and birds. Although these things are intricatley beautiful it's not what I'm talking about. I mean humans, not just faces, skin, blood, and bones, but emotion and character. What I mean is, the diverse infrastructure of the human emotion. Some love better than they hate, some grieve, some are filled with joy, some are filled with sorrow, some laugh, cry, some hope, some have fatih, some desire peace, and then there are fighters and those who fear, and those who live to live, and those who live to die. These are the natural emotions that come from birth or just life, but they all move together in an uninhibited dance, moving towards relationship and glory to God. Heres what I mean I guess that there are amazing opposites male/female, odd/even, love/hate, war/peace, and they exist in a world created, in a perfect way turned to imperfection. Let me explain, the one who loves finds the one who hates in a moment of unexplainable romance and they become lovers, the one who hated now loves. The one who has joy cries with the one who sorrows, and the sorrow laughs with joy. Art is the clashing of colors with the white canvas to creat a mystery. This is humanity. Crowder says, as the theme of his record, "When our depravity meets divinity it's a beautiful collision". This is seen in the human relatioship dynamic. The dance of hate and love is still a dance, meaning they find each other and the floor and become one. That is not to say they are one in the same, but that they are striving to find one another to be one in something wothwhile, the lover to make the hate feel loved, the hate to be loved. The these things crash, and explode into artful love, not just feelings, but truth and beauty. What I am trying to say is one should'nt isolate one opposite from the other, but bring them together and see what God does, because our own love is not pure, but our hate is rampid and one both opposites are brought together with God's purity, wow. This is relationship, this is community, or communion, that we live our lives with a plethera ofemotion, but drink from the same cup and eat from the same plate, that we may be one with each other and with Christ. This Spirit of God communing with our spirits, and spirit of ourselves in communion with each other. God has given us so many examples of the art of opposites. Hot and Cold collide into storm, a woman and a man become one and make love, sex being a artful and beautiful thing in the oneness of marrige. Imperfection entered this world, and God began the art of reconcilliation. So, in all of this, I don't know what the moral, or whatever application is. This is all I know, we should see all interaction, all emotion, all action as acts of art in God's universe. Even the evils of the world end in moving to the glory of God. The only opposite that will never collide is eternity, therefore each moment that we crash into another on earth should be a moment viewed as a dance with the unknown, a chance to teach and be a taught, a chance to teach hate it can explode into something beautiful, the reconcilliation of hate to love, despair into hope, and death into life. I want to treat each moment on earth as God's design to paint and be painted. May we burst, as dots in the cosmos, with emotion and relationship. May we be as we are, but always leave room to become something we are not, because the not collides with system and swirlls into a color not yet known. This is art to me, that we are different, opposites, yet still human, that we are who we are, but will crash into what we are not, and be made into something new. Rain still falls on the joyous and the sun still shines on the sorrowful.

Peace Love, Bryan