Resolved

"52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723."- The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards


 Time. Is there a more precious resource? You are given a set amount of time for your life. You cannot buy more time. You can, however, invest your time.


You might be wondering why I am writing this post. Is this a preach at readers about using their time more wisely post? No. This is a post of personal reflection. I have found in my life that the people that I admire the most are the ones that are willing to peel back the facade of perfection or having one's life all figured out. They are the ones that point to their faults and failures and say, "I've got plenty of those". I can relate to those people. The purpose of this post is to share what I am doing. This is my resolution.


 I have idols in my heart. Some of them I am very aware of. Others I am blind to. Would you like to know what one of them is? Yes? Great! You've come to the right blog post. One of the idols of my heart:

 Video Games

 This isn't a new revelation to my heart. I've known about this one for a long time. But here is the thing about idols.. they don't like being ignored. They demand the chief seat at the table. They sit there waving their arms at you, while crying out for more attention. "Satisfied" is not a word found in their Websters. More,More, MORE! They love to whisper delicious little lies. Your mother died of brain cancer last year. I will satisfy you with comfort. You've had health issues. Let's not talk to God about this. Let's go for some quick comfort. You desire to be married, but keep getting the friend speech. How about you just block out that pain with some comfort.

 Escapism: The tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, esp. by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

 Video Games were the easy escape from reality. It brought along its temporary shot of comfort. There was one problem. It was a lie. I was looking for comfort in the wrong places.


 So what did I do? I deleted my hundreds of computer games. I packaged up the rest of my video games. I made a resolution. I would stop looking to video games as a place of comfort. I would take the time spent there and invest it. How am I investing it? Daily I am spending time with my roommate reading scripture to each other. We are daily praying together. I am exercising my body daily so that I can bring my strength back to where it was before and in doing so puts me in a position to be better able to serve others. I am also reading books that will help equip me for when the trials come.

In the reading of this post there will be the temptation to want to heap praise on me. That is not the purpose of this post. While I appreciate encouraging words, I want praise bestowed on the only one that deserves any: Christ. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, there would be no change. My life purpose would still be to satisfy the lusts and idols of my heart. So encourage me to fight on? Yes, please. Praise God that He cares about His children. Praise God that He changes the desires of my heart.


Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

Father knows best

"Satan is ever seeking to inject that poison into our hearts to distrust God's goodness - especially in connection with his commandments. That is what really lies behind all evil, lusting and disobedience. A discontent with our position and portion, a craving from something which God has wisely held from us. Reject any suggestion that God is unduly severe with you. Resist with the utmost abhorrence anything that causes you to doubt God's love and his lovingkindness toward you. Allow nothing to make you question the Father's love for his child."
A.W. Pink

Praying for Trials?!?

I prayed for trials.

Nearly every person that I told of my prayer was surprised. "Why would you pray for something like that?" "That's a strange thing to pray for." "Trials are going to come anyways, so why pray for them to come?" It made me question my motives. Why would I pray for something like that?

Last fall semester I decided to pray for trials. I'm not some kind of masochist. Neither am I some super spiritual person that has transcended to an elite spiritual plane. What I am is someone who knows what the scriptures say about trials. There are trials that men in scripture rejoice in.

Romans 5:3-5 says: "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Exulting in trials sounds unusual. Why would one rejoice in something painful? But as I read through that list.. it looks like there are some major benefits.

Romans 8:18 says: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

When I consider a trial in the light of eternity.. the trial gets significantly smaller. The beauty and majesty of what is to come though difficult to see at times, looks all the more beautiful when the Lord gets us through a trial.

Then I see these verses in James that really hit me hard.. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

So... trials will produce perseverance.. which must finish its work, so that I may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. That is a rather positive view on trials. The benefits that happen make the temporary pain of the trial look less significant.

Well, the Lord did give me a trial. At the start of the spring semester this year, I went through an ordeal that caused huge amounts of stress in my life. It was not long after this event that I started experiencing health problems. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with an intestinal disease. Stress was a big cause of this. I was a little alarmed by this trial coming into my life. This didn't look like a quick trial at all. Yes, I wanted the Lord to refine me.. but couldn't we do this the quick and painful way.. and not the long and painful way?

I started to worry a little. I feel that the Lord may want to use my business abilities overseas in the near future. This diagnosis though.. felt like it might complicate my plans. However the Lord keeps reminding me of a particular verse..

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Did my disease somehow complicate God's plan? Not in the least. He just wants me to trust Him. The Lord has helped me in this trial to trust Him more. Though I can't say that praying for trials is what everyone should do, I can honestly say that I am thankful I did. The Lord will not allow a trial to overwhelm me or go beyond what I can endure. He receives glory when I repeat back His words to Him.. "My grace is sufficient for you". I pray that the Lord is using a trial like this to prepare me for far greater trials ahead. For if I one day am tortured for my faith and at the point of death at the hands of wicked men in a far away land, it will be because of the maturing and completing that the Lord has done in the trials leading up to that, so that I can still say in that dark hour.. Jesus.. your grace is sufficient for me.

Running Downhill

"If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; if God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; if the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; if the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness, will reign without mitigation or end"
-Daniel Webster, 1823

Might Makes Right

“Suppose, in the encounter between doctor and child [in an abortion], the child won half of the time, and killed the doctor in self-defense—something he would have every right to do. Very few doctors would perform abortions. They perform them now only because of their absolute power over a small, fragile, helpless victim.”

—Stephen D. Schwarz

How Much Do You Have to Hate Somebody to Not Proselytize?

That is a very "in your face" title that Justin Taylor of Gospel Coalition used in a rather interesting post on his blog. He found a short video done by the atheist Penn Jillette, of the magician duo, Penn & Teller.

Here is what Penn Jillette said:
“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

I find it not only remarkable that it is an atheist that is speaking these words, but this is also a great challenge for us. We have the most incredible news in the history of mankind, yet we often don't share it because of a host of excuses. May this encourage us to get out and tell people the great news of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Source Link: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/11/17/how-much-do-you-have-to-hate-somebody-to-not-proselytize/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+between2worlds+%28Between+Two+Worlds%29

Why Blog?

One might wonder why I joined the blogging community. I have a few reasons for doing so.
1. Facebook eats my life away.
The social networking world of Facebook is certainly a place to use time up. It all starts with a simple status change.. that friends comment on.. you decide to go on their pages to see how they are doing... they are in a relationship with who?... Family vacation pictures in Tahiti 2005!... before you know it, the day just got significantly shorter. Thus I want to significantly reduce my time on that website, while still being able to share what is going on in my life.
2. For Encouragement of Others
I don't know about you, but I find watching a believer grow in their walk with the Lord to be extremely encouraging. Seeing them actively pursuing Christ while far too many others seem content with cruise control Christianity is a breath of fresh air. I want this blog to be the same for you.
3. A Challenge
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"- Proverbs 27:17 I hope to at times challenge the thinking of Christians. Sometimes in our desire to fit in, we emulate habits of this world that aren't Christlike at all, but are rather in sinful violation of the Word of God.
4. For the Glory of God
This is ultimately the most important reason. I want my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to receive glory and honor in everything I do.