Prayers For Boston

Prayers For Boston

In light of the recent tragic events that have occurred in Boston, I think we as Christians should take the time to pray for those who have been affected by this and do our part to help any of the people out there who need that support. As I watched the images on my computer, I could only imagine what it would be like if I was there instead. The closest I have been to danger was in a gang shoot out near the church I was at, but even that does not compare to compare to this tragedy. Let’s pray together and remember that anyone of us could have died instead on that day:

Dear Loving Father, 

We know you know all things and will use all things for good in accord to your grande purpose.  Please comfort those in this disaster with your love and if they have not turned to you then please use this event to turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. May they see the truth and be granted eternal life in your Son’s name.

This life is fleeting and fragile, no one can escape death unless He who overcame death gives us life. Not everyone who lives deserves life, but not everyone who dies deserves death. We know you have the love and power to make things right as you already have done on that cross.

So please continue to use us in any way to be a light to the world. May we recognize that our life here is temporary and we as sinners deserve death as a result. But in your mercy and grace we live today not so that we can continue in our pointless activities but to make a difference in the world for your name’s sake. Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

I’m very pleased to report that one of our atheist friends at our BibleTalk group just converted from atheism to agnosticism! This is a major step toward theism and I just couldn’t be more happier with how God seems to be using this group to accomplish mind blowing things. It’s exactly what I hoped it to be! Please continue praying for us as we look to expand this ministry.

Gay Marriage and the Breakdown of Moral Argument

I never looked at it this way but the use of terms like “bigot” and “homophobe” do suggest a breakdown of the ability to construct moral arguments. Sentimentalism has replaced rational thought. This applies to other issues as well, it’s not just gay marriage. Who knows what will happen in the Supreme Court, but it would not surprise me if DOMA is repealed as unconstitutional.

Introducing BibleTalk!

Introducing BibleTalk!

I just opened up a group at Meetup.com to let others know of the Bible Study that I have been hosting with Mike for several weeks now. The image that you see here is just a “placeholder” but it seems to do a good job of getting the idea across. It started as a Bible Study, at least on the first day, but it quickly turned into a discussion group on biblical issues and I think it has turned out great so far. This group started because I think it’s important to make disciples as Jesus commanded us to do and it is an open format of doing so.

I’m hoping it turns into something more than a discussion group, however, as I want it to be a group where we go out and live the Christian life. You know, something that Christ and His disciples would do. That’s not going to be easy though and I am by no means the best person to lead this, but I hope to do my best. For those who don’t live in the area, I’m thinking of allowing you to tune in through Skype. Would any of you be interested in listening in? We’ll be having the study tomorrow night at 8 PM PST, so let please let me know!

What Has America Become?

What Has America Become?

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Both parties, regardless of which one you adhere to, have failed this country. The political powers that be are not the only ones at fault however, we are just as responsible for indulging in sin and letting this happen without a fight. We have privatized our faith in order to be politically correct but a faith that is privatized is a faith that has no light. True followers of Christ will fight for what is right to the end. Compromising our beliefs (such as accepting homosexuality, pornography, premarital sex, etc) is only of the devil, it will weaken our witness and we will be just like the rest of the world.

Being As Transcendental

Being is a transcendental and any actual/potential thing must share that attribute in some form. For example, the genus “cats” may have various species within its genus but each one analogically share in common that same genus (or type) even if they’re not univocally the same as the other species within that genus. Being is similar to a “genus” but unlike “cats” which can be subsumed under another genus (e.g, it’s a mammal), Being cannot be subsumed under any other genus. Hence, why it must be considered a “transcendental” under scholastic metaphysics. Following this line of reasoning, we can apply this to God, who is understood as “Pure Act”. That which is purely actual cannot have potential in its being, either in its composition or in its essence (refer to the essence/existence, act/potency, and matter/form distinctions) by definition. Thus its being (essence) would simply be its act of being (existence) and its form would simply be its form.

If being had any divisible parts in its being then its parts could not equal the sum: cats + dogs =/= being in a univocal sense. To suggest this to be the case would require us to think that all beings are equivalent to cats + dogs, which would also require us to think that cats and dogs are univocally the same being. This is self-evidently absurd. Such things are sets of “a” genus, not the sets of “the” genus. Now, the perfection of being is pure actuality, which no other thing can possibly posses. And anything other than Pure Act cannot exist apart from it giving an act of being to such potential beings. Furthermore, in accord to the law of proportionate causality, a cause cannot give what it does not have. In which case, every effect that God produces must be analogically present in Himself. Thus, if God is Being, then He cannot be composed of any parts or He could not be God.

How to Respond to Biblical Errors

This is the framework by which you can respond to most biblical errors. It’s important to keep in mind that the Bible is not written for the 21st century reader in mind, it must be read carefully within its time period. Merely finding two verses that seem to be in conflict with each other is not enough, that is more or less the same as proof texting. Rather, you need to use the historical grammatical approach in order to properly understand this text before criticizing it. All the so called errors or contradictions that I have come across can be resolved with these simple principles.

Don’t Adorn the Church But Ignore the Poor

Don’t Adorn the Church But Ignore the Poor

(An excerpt by Early Church Father St. John Chrysostom from His writings on the Gospel of Matthew)

Let us learn, therefore, to be men of wisdom and to honor Christ as he desires. For a person being honoured finds greatest pleasure in the honor he desires, not in the honor we think best. Peter thought he was honoring Christ when he refused to let him wash his feet; but what Peter wanted was not truly an honour, quite the opposite! Give him the honour prescribed in his law by giving your riches to the poor. For God does not want golden vessels but golden hearts. Do you want to honor Christ’s body? Then do not scorn him in his nakedness, nor honor him here in the church with silken garments while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked. For he who said: This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: “You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.” (Mat 25:34) What we do here in the church requires a pure heart, not special garments; what we do outside requires great dedication.

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Belief in Resurrection Drops 13%

From Rasmussen Reports:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults believe Jesus rose from the dead, while 19% reject the central Christian tenet of the Resurrection. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

This differs from the poll that was taken last year, which reported that 77% of Americans retained belief in the Resurrection. That is a huge drop in a short amount of time. Christianity is dying folks, that’s a fact. Are you seeing the alarming need to make disciples yet? We can’t sit and twiddle our thumbs, we need to stand up for the truth and defend it as truth, not as the blind faith that most people treat it to be. I’m curious as to what exactly is responsible for this decline in belief, but if I had to guess, it would probably be the fact that they were mostly christian in name only. As our culture declines, so too will belief decline.

So belief is not everything, we can reason with someone that the Resurrection is a real historical event but it can only go so far. We need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work just as the early disciples did. It’s the only way to make big things happen. This task is given to each one of us and it is up to us to be good stewards with the responsibilities that the Lord has given us. Will you stand up and make a difference or will you reject the command of our Lord and leave people in their sin?

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