O.K. Although there are many things that I would like to write about today, I feel that its important to write about the Koran burning situation. I want to begin by saying that this is not me getting political (although I do tend to do that). Its me defending what Christianity is. Its very essence is in jeopardy, due to the fools that have the microphones. The media only seems to find the extremists to cover. You never see a story on a Joe blow Christian starting a revival in his town. Or the underground Church in China, or India. It has been proven that we as humans remember the negative more than the positive. Why this is I don’t know, I’m not qualified to deduct my opinions on it either. Regardless, this situation must be addressed!
First Id like to discuss when its O.K for someone to burn a religious book. Reason number one, if you was freezing to death and the book was all the paper you had. Number two, if you were a Muslim who has recently converted to Christianity. With both of these situations, you should do it in the small realm of influence you have, and not behind a T.V. crew. But that’s it. Any other reason is ignorant. It takes away any respect that others may have for you, and further hardens the hearts of Muslims to Christ.
You must at all times respect others, this is Biblical. This action (even if it was just talk) is disrespectful, and unnecessary. If you have a problem with Islam, address it by leading more of them to Christ. If you hate them, then you should probably check out who is in your heart, because its not God. Our God is a God of love. It is true that God hates sin, but not man. He has left us here to show people Gods love, to show them Christ. So that more may share in Christ’s glory.
This is all I need to say right now. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this also.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Communicating With Aliens 103.5
Communicating With Aliens
103.5
“All things to All men”
The world is full of snags and hang ups for those who choose to walk the narrow path. There are a hundred things a day that scream for our attention. Work, family, sports, and T.V all take up time in our lives. On top of that, we all have some sort of hobby that we enjoy. I’m not saying that these things are evil. Just that they seem to always take precedence to our time with God. It is easy to be distracted from your devotions when your phone rings. There are many Christians who steer clear of these distractions altogether. They have some how alienated themselves completely from the world. I argue that, if you have a destination it is not wise to leave the road that takes you there. Sometimes steering clear from temptation merely puts you on the wrong path. Here’s and analogy to describe what I’m talking about.
So your told that you are to take a trip. Along this trip you are going to cross paths with many others. The catch is, the trip is at night, and you’re going to be the only one with headlights. You gladly except the charge, knowing that your destination is worthwhile. The one you love is waiting there for you. As you drive, you notice hazards along the way. Potholes, oil spots, and debris that will surly slow you down (and may prove to be detrimental to your safety). So you decide that you will be much safer, if you left the highway and took the scenic rout. So you find a route, where there are no distractions. It seems to be a straight shot to your destination. As you embark on this road, you soon realize that there is no one on this road. Your headlights stretch into the abyss for no one to see but you.
The irony in it all, is that the one you were going to see was always able to come to you. The purpose of the whole trip was so you could help the others, without the headlights, along the way. Chances are, you will still reach that destination, but with nothing to show for it. When it all comes down to it, you wasted the trip, and opportunity to do any good. The saddest part is all those who are stranded because of your decision. It was all mapped out for you. You failed to trust the one who drew the map. The person behind you, who chose to continue is now responsible for your task to. He now must carry twice the load. You chose the path of least resistance. It looked good. It looked safe. But it wasn’t the road, full of the people who were lost in the dark, looking for their way.
What I am initially trying to say is, sin is in the world. Although, that fact should make us cautious, it should by no means make us hermits. The Christian walk will never be easy, it wasn’t meant to be. Temptation is and should be around every corner. Its what grows us, and makes us stronger. The strength that God give is efficient. To completely remove yourself from life, for fear of temptation, is a mistake. Instead, it would be wiser to draw closer to God and rely on him for your security. Stay out in the fight, and bring home the P.O.Ws. Now as for understanding. It is essential, for our effectiveness, to be understanding. People are drawn to people who understand them. We are all looking for people to connect with. It’s how we are made. It is our souls way of searching for the God it so longs to be a part of. Let me share my own story about understanding.
When I was seventeen, my father thought it best for me to get a job. I owed him plenty of money, and had no way to pay it back. He gave me a job at his company, doing concrete. Now I was never what you’d call a mans man. I was always more into reading, and the arts. Where as my Father and brother was more into the whole sports scene and everything. I quickly found that most of the men working for my dad shared those interests. I was different. I would spend day after day watching them be buddy, buddy. Laughing and carrying on, about sports and their man stuff. I yearned to be part of the conversation, but I had nothing to offer. I didn’t speak their language.
I continued to have no interest in sports. There was no way that I could possibly sit through an hour or to, of a bunch of guys who proved their worth by wailing one another, and wearing tight clothes. But in by desperation for human contact, I concocted a plan. Every morning I would flip on the tube and watch the highlights of the games. Id listen to that over zealous spots broadcaster for everything he had to offer. I learnt the lingo, and within days, began to insert myself into the conversation. My plan had worked. Through all of it, I never conformed into a sports guy (I still cant watch a game). But what I did do was make some friends. Some of which went nowhere. They just wound up being work buddies. But a few grew into deep friendships. One in particular resulted in a man twice my age being led to the Lord. John is still today one of my best friends, and most promising pupils.
You see, I never surrendered my convictions to sports. I held to them tightly. But yet did not feel the need to broadcast them to the guys. How do you think it would have ended up if I broadcasted on my first day, “I’m not a sports guy, I like reading and the arts.”? I suspect that I would have continued to be the guy on the bench, unable to participate in the game. But this is what we do, when we get defensive about our convictions. “I” don’t drink, “I” don’t smoke’ “I” don’t watch R movies, ext. Ext. Statements like these are pious. What you thought you had surrendered to God, has now lifted you to a lofty place in your own head. There is absolutely no reason to broadcast that which you have surrendered to God. It almost never brings anyone closer to God themselves. What often does is your humanity. it’s the tangible. The very things about you that they can identify with.
I believe this was what Paul was writing about when he said; “Though I am free and belong to no man. I make myself a slave to every one, to win as many as possible. To the Jews. I become a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the Law. I become like one under the Law (though myself am not under the Law), so as to win those under the Law. Those not having the Law (though I am not free from Gods Law but under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the Law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessing.” I do believe that its important to clarify myself. I am not by any means saying that we need to drop our convictions. Our convictions ,whatever they might be, are holy and pleasing to God when we live by them. That is what makes this a hard road. Our convictions are challenged constantly in life, when we walk with the blind. And that’s why its important to be firmly planted on a good foundation. We must at all times be secure in what we believe. Never shaken. So once again my disclaimer is noted. For the impressionable (children, teens, and those younger in their faith), It is wise to stick close to those who believe as you do. Now, this however is not an exception to duty. But rather a call to be extra safe, and to look that much harder for creative ways to reach those that God has put in your path. And for all the others out there, I will later go into detail of the importance of having a good support system, and how this is the purpose of a Church community. What I am saying is this, don’t ever expect others to understand your convictions. They belong to you and God. They’re not meant to be pushed onto others (especially those who are not yet under the law). We can no more expect the lost to know the way, than the blind to see the horizon. Be gracious and understanding. Meet them where they are. Walk through life with them, and show them Christ through love. And be ever so careful as you do it.
Paul’s example is not the only one we find in the Bible. The very foundation of Christianity shows us this same example. God, in all his perfection, saw fit to become man, in order to save man. He became fully man, but refrained from sin. Who are we, brothers and sisters’ to deny the same chance for grace as we’ve been shown? It is much harder to live amongst sin, them it is to hide from it. But, The fact is, lighthouses do no good at the bottom of canyons. Go and be seen. Quit hiding within your churches, and houses. Place yourselves strategically within the hoards of people without headlights. With the blind, and lost. Walk with the sinners for fear of their demise. Learn to love them, and in turn you will show them God. I pray that God will point someone out to you tomorrow. Some one to show his love to. I pray that you don’t botch it by preaching, or listing all the things you don’t do, or do differently than them. I pray that you fall in love with the person God has made them. And that God in turn, shows you how deeply he loves them.
103.5
“All things to All men”
The world is full of snags and hang ups for those who choose to walk the narrow path. There are a hundred things a day that scream for our attention. Work, family, sports, and T.V all take up time in our lives. On top of that, we all have some sort of hobby that we enjoy. I’m not saying that these things are evil. Just that they seem to always take precedence to our time with God. It is easy to be distracted from your devotions when your phone rings. There are many Christians who steer clear of these distractions altogether. They have some how alienated themselves completely from the world. I argue that, if you have a destination it is not wise to leave the road that takes you there. Sometimes steering clear from temptation merely puts you on the wrong path. Here’s and analogy to describe what I’m talking about.
So your told that you are to take a trip. Along this trip you are going to cross paths with many others. The catch is, the trip is at night, and you’re going to be the only one with headlights. You gladly except the charge, knowing that your destination is worthwhile. The one you love is waiting there for you. As you drive, you notice hazards along the way. Potholes, oil spots, and debris that will surly slow you down (and may prove to be detrimental to your safety). So you decide that you will be much safer, if you left the highway and took the scenic rout. So you find a route, where there are no distractions. It seems to be a straight shot to your destination. As you embark on this road, you soon realize that there is no one on this road. Your headlights stretch into the abyss for no one to see but you.
The irony in it all, is that the one you were going to see was always able to come to you. The purpose of the whole trip was so you could help the others, without the headlights, along the way. Chances are, you will still reach that destination, but with nothing to show for it. When it all comes down to it, you wasted the trip, and opportunity to do any good. The saddest part is all those who are stranded because of your decision. It was all mapped out for you. You failed to trust the one who drew the map. The person behind you, who chose to continue is now responsible for your task to. He now must carry twice the load. You chose the path of least resistance. It looked good. It looked safe. But it wasn’t the road, full of the people who were lost in the dark, looking for their way.
What I am initially trying to say is, sin is in the world. Although, that fact should make us cautious, it should by no means make us hermits. The Christian walk will never be easy, it wasn’t meant to be. Temptation is and should be around every corner. Its what grows us, and makes us stronger. The strength that God give is efficient. To completely remove yourself from life, for fear of temptation, is a mistake. Instead, it would be wiser to draw closer to God and rely on him for your security. Stay out in the fight, and bring home the P.O.Ws. Now as for understanding. It is essential, for our effectiveness, to be understanding. People are drawn to people who understand them. We are all looking for people to connect with. It’s how we are made. It is our souls way of searching for the God it so longs to be a part of. Let me share my own story about understanding.
When I was seventeen, my father thought it best for me to get a job. I owed him plenty of money, and had no way to pay it back. He gave me a job at his company, doing concrete. Now I was never what you’d call a mans man. I was always more into reading, and the arts. Where as my Father and brother was more into the whole sports scene and everything. I quickly found that most of the men working for my dad shared those interests. I was different. I would spend day after day watching them be buddy, buddy. Laughing and carrying on, about sports and their man stuff. I yearned to be part of the conversation, but I had nothing to offer. I didn’t speak their language.
I continued to have no interest in sports. There was no way that I could possibly sit through an hour or to, of a bunch of guys who proved their worth by wailing one another, and wearing tight clothes. But in by desperation for human contact, I concocted a plan. Every morning I would flip on the tube and watch the highlights of the games. Id listen to that over zealous spots broadcaster for everything he had to offer. I learnt the lingo, and within days, began to insert myself into the conversation. My plan had worked. Through all of it, I never conformed into a sports guy (I still cant watch a game). But what I did do was make some friends. Some of which went nowhere. They just wound up being work buddies. But a few grew into deep friendships. One in particular resulted in a man twice my age being led to the Lord. John is still today one of my best friends, and most promising pupils.
You see, I never surrendered my convictions to sports. I held to them tightly. But yet did not feel the need to broadcast them to the guys. How do you think it would have ended up if I broadcasted on my first day, “I’m not a sports guy, I like reading and the arts.”? I suspect that I would have continued to be the guy on the bench, unable to participate in the game. But this is what we do, when we get defensive about our convictions. “I” don’t drink, “I” don’t smoke’ “I” don’t watch R movies, ext. Ext. Statements like these are pious. What you thought you had surrendered to God, has now lifted you to a lofty place in your own head. There is absolutely no reason to broadcast that which you have surrendered to God. It almost never brings anyone closer to God themselves. What often does is your humanity. it’s the tangible. The very things about you that they can identify with.
I believe this was what Paul was writing about when he said; “Though I am free and belong to no man. I make myself a slave to every one, to win as many as possible. To the Jews. I become a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the Law. I become like one under the Law (though myself am not under the Law), so as to win those under the Law. Those not having the Law (though I am not free from Gods Law but under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the Law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessing.” I do believe that its important to clarify myself. I am not by any means saying that we need to drop our convictions. Our convictions ,whatever they might be, are holy and pleasing to God when we live by them. That is what makes this a hard road. Our convictions are challenged constantly in life, when we walk with the blind. And that’s why its important to be firmly planted on a good foundation. We must at all times be secure in what we believe. Never shaken. So once again my disclaimer is noted. For the impressionable (children, teens, and those younger in their faith), It is wise to stick close to those who believe as you do. Now, this however is not an exception to duty. But rather a call to be extra safe, and to look that much harder for creative ways to reach those that God has put in your path. And for all the others out there, I will later go into detail of the importance of having a good support system, and how this is the purpose of a Church community. What I am saying is this, don’t ever expect others to understand your convictions. They belong to you and God. They’re not meant to be pushed onto others (especially those who are not yet under the law). We can no more expect the lost to know the way, than the blind to see the horizon. Be gracious and understanding. Meet them where they are. Walk through life with them, and show them Christ through love. And be ever so careful as you do it.
Paul’s example is not the only one we find in the Bible. The very foundation of Christianity shows us this same example. God, in all his perfection, saw fit to become man, in order to save man. He became fully man, but refrained from sin. Who are we, brothers and sisters’ to deny the same chance for grace as we’ve been shown? It is much harder to live amongst sin, them it is to hide from it. But, The fact is, lighthouses do no good at the bottom of canyons. Go and be seen. Quit hiding within your churches, and houses. Place yourselves strategically within the hoards of people without headlights. With the blind, and lost. Walk with the sinners for fear of their demise. Learn to love them, and in turn you will show them God. I pray that God will point someone out to you tomorrow. Some one to show his love to. I pray that you don’t botch it by preaching, or listing all the things you don’t do, or do differently than them. I pray that you fall in love with the person God has made them. And that God in turn, shows you how deeply he loves them.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Comunicating With Aliens 103
Communicating With Aliens
103
“So Loved the World”
Before I go on in the defense of man, I would like to take a moment to cement the case of Christ. In order for us to be effective at reaching men’s hearts, our own must not be confused in priority. Christ should always be first in our hearts, and our purpose must lie within this fact. There are definite truths about God, and our relationship with him. We have discussed in length the first, Gods love. I am not going to go into length about these facts, because I have not set forth to write a doctrinal thesis. But a guide, or a map if you will, into the hearts of the lost. What I do mean to point out is the importance in keeping these truths close to your heart at all times. We don’t need to defend them, they are truths and need no defense. They belong to us, and are the very foundation of our life’s. Upon this foundation we stand as testaments to these truths. For us to feel the need to defend them is a sign within itself, that the foundation is not finished. To be shaken is never a sign of a good foundation. We can see this in Jesus, and Paul. In all their persecution, they stood firmly on their foundation. When ridicule focused on their persons, they merely directed the source back to God. Lets explore some of the potential arguments to my conclusion before I reach it. In that way, you wont be tempted to be distracted by proving what I say wrong.
The Argument, and the best case Biblically, would be that we are to be separate from the World. This idea is evident in the Bible. We see very harsh words and warnings on this very subject, spread out amongst the Word of God. My argument with this is not on its authority, but rather on how its perceived. When it comes down to it, its about the difference between the world and the lost. Even in the physical since of the word world, we find that the only connection between the physical world and its people is that we live in it. We are no more the physical world, as it is us. It is a place, and we merrily live on/ in it. This concept is also true to the biblical since of the world. It is not the person, but they place where he lives. The lost live in a place full of sin and deceit. They have residence in the world, but they are by no means “the world”. For us to be separate from “the world”, is for us to separate ourselves from its culture and mindset. Unfortunately, we have failed in this attempt. We “as the Church” have dove into politics, and adopted false freedom. We have made oaths to our countries and to their ideas. In contrary to the teachings of the Word, which tell us not to make oaths, and to claim citizenship only to the Kingdom of Heaven. You see, we do not belong to this World. The connection that we have made between “the world” and its natives is a great mistake. By doing this we have single handedly put them to blame for the state of this World. When that blame is to be placed on Sin, and the punishment is to be paid for by Satan and those who [in the end] chose him and his ways. The lost will only be made guilty of this if their not found. The responsibility for their salvation lies solely upon our shoulders. They my in the end burn with this World, but only by association.
In other words, take your family into consideration. We all have Sons or daughters, wife’s or husbands, fathers or mothers, who are lost and in the world. If this connection (that the lost is the world and vise versa) exists, than It would be blatant rebellion against the Word, for us to love them. Because it is written that we are not to love the world. But rest assured that this is not the case. But rather they are prisoners of that said world. We are to love them, and detest their capture. We are to pray for their freedom, the freedom that is offered by Christ. The only true freedom. We are to fight for their freedom, not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers that hold them captive.
Knowing this should spark another thought. This thought should come with conviction and yearning. A thought so powerful that its effects could change the world. A thought that motivated Christ, that prompted God. Are you ready to own this thought? Are you ready for a mere idea to change they very way you live your life? Here it is…..Everyone you come in contact with, not just some, but all. Are also someone else’s husband, wife, mother, father, brother or sister. The fact is that someone out there is shedding tears for them. Someone is crying out for their freedom. That person is loved by someone. And if somehow they have slipped through life without having anyone to love them, they have a Father who will love them that much more. God has already given his very life for their freedom. How could we set back and not act on the chance to influence them. How could we withhold our encouragement and love. It’s not humanly possible, unless. Unless we have in our hearts dehumanized them. If we view them as an object, instead of a person. We could spare ourselves from our moral responsibility to them simply by naming them “THE WORLD”
Unfortunately, my friends, this lie has plagued the Church since its very beginning. It was a lie that was used even before the first Church. It has always been the most effective weapon against us. This lie attacks us without us even knowing what it has done. It demobilizes us, makes us ineffective. It rip’s at the very fabric of our purpose. It gives us reason to hide, and gives way to our cowardice. In the end it may be the best lie ever told. The enemy does not want you to show the light. He is very happy to have you hide it within the circles of believers that you are accustomed to. So if he can make you fearful of the lost, he has initially won. So I encourage you to break away from this form of thought. To shun away from any thoughts that are not of love and God. To rid yourself of fear and selfishness. To no longer think of yourselves highly, but instead, with humility. Look at this world as a person who is saved only by grace. A grace that is given freely to anyone who asks. You are not special, and set apart because of what you’ve done or who you are. It is only because of the grace of God, that your end does not match that of the lost.
Now that that’s said, we can proceed in talking about relating. In relating I’m talking about identifying. We are to identify with Christ. That is where our identity lies. Identity is a subject that we as Americans treat with ownership. But there is absolutely nothing about your identity that belongs to you. With little motto’s like “to ones self be true”, we have been consumed in our society by individuality. This train of thinking is perhaps the single most detrimental form of thinking that consumes the world today. Fist off, there is no individuality in Christ, there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We fit into this mix. Not as individuals, but as a unified body of believers that is called the Bride. Second, there is absolutely nothing you do that only effects YOU. We are all connected to one another. We are all dependant on others. Individuality is just a pretty word for selfishness. Your identity is in Christ and only in Christ, and who you think you are often differs from how others see you. Unfortunately, its how others see you that truly matters. What good is knowing who you, if no one else sees it? If five people see the color green, and you in ignorance think that its orange, its because you perception is off. Everyone wants to see themselves as right, its human nature. Who you are is best described by others, and that’s just how it is. When you are dead and gone, so are your opinions on yourself. The world is left with all the opinions of the people in your life. Those are the opinions that hold water. We often hear the term “walk a mile in some one else’s shoes”. This neither is understanding. We are not to walk in their shoes, but rather, in Jesus’ sandals. What I mean by understanding comes more from a place of mercy. Its knowing that they merely no not. Its forgiving them for their offenses toward us and God. Just as a child doesn’t know that it is harmful to stick his finger in the electrical socket, they have no clue of things that are spiritual. To be understanding is simply to meet them where they are. Because the fact is, they will never be where you are without help. Lets describe this with my own story. In the next portion of this chapter I’ll show you some easy ways to achieve understanding in your life, without conforming to the patterns of the world. To embrace understanding in a world that is lacking of it. After all, understanding is the key ingredient of wisdom and justice.
103
“So Loved the World”
Before I go on in the defense of man, I would like to take a moment to cement the case of Christ. In order for us to be effective at reaching men’s hearts, our own must not be confused in priority. Christ should always be first in our hearts, and our purpose must lie within this fact. There are definite truths about God, and our relationship with him. We have discussed in length the first, Gods love. I am not going to go into length about these facts, because I have not set forth to write a doctrinal thesis. But a guide, or a map if you will, into the hearts of the lost. What I do mean to point out is the importance in keeping these truths close to your heart at all times. We don’t need to defend them, they are truths and need no defense. They belong to us, and are the very foundation of our life’s. Upon this foundation we stand as testaments to these truths. For us to feel the need to defend them is a sign within itself, that the foundation is not finished. To be shaken is never a sign of a good foundation. We can see this in Jesus, and Paul. In all their persecution, they stood firmly on their foundation. When ridicule focused on their persons, they merely directed the source back to God. Lets explore some of the potential arguments to my conclusion before I reach it. In that way, you wont be tempted to be distracted by proving what I say wrong.
The Argument, and the best case Biblically, would be that we are to be separate from the World. This idea is evident in the Bible. We see very harsh words and warnings on this very subject, spread out amongst the Word of God. My argument with this is not on its authority, but rather on how its perceived. When it comes down to it, its about the difference between the world and the lost. Even in the physical since of the word world, we find that the only connection between the physical world and its people is that we live in it. We are no more the physical world, as it is us. It is a place, and we merrily live on/ in it. This concept is also true to the biblical since of the world. It is not the person, but they place where he lives. The lost live in a place full of sin and deceit. They have residence in the world, but they are by no means “the world”. For us to be separate from “the world”, is for us to separate ourselves from its culture and mindset. Unfortunately, we have failed in this attempt. We “as the Church” have dove into politics, and adopted false freedom. We have made oaths to our countries and to their ideas. In contrary to the teachings of the Word, which tell us not to make oaths, and to claim citizenship only to the Kingdom of Heaven. You see, we do not belong to this World. The connection that we have made between “the world” and its natives is a great mistake. By doing this we have single handedly put them to blame for the state of this World. When that blame is to be placed on Sin, and the punishment is to be paid for by Satan and those who [in the end] chose him and his ways. The lost will only be made guilty of this if their not found. The responsibility for their salvation lies solely upon our shoulders. They my in the end burn with this World, but only by association.
In other words, take your family into consideration. We all have Sons or daughters, wife’s or husbands, fathers or mothers, who are lost and in the world. If this connection (that the lost is the world and vise versa) exists, than It would be blatant rebellion against the Word, for us to love them. Because it is written that we are not to love the world. But rest assured that this is not the case. But rather they are prisoners of that said world. We are to love them, and detest their capture. We are to pray for their freedom, the freedom that is offered by Christ. The only true freedom. We are to fight for their freedom, not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers that hold them captive.
Knowing this should spark another thought. This thought should come with conviction and yearning. A thought so powerful that its effects could change the world. A thought that motivated Christ, that prompted God. Are you ready to own this thought? Are you ready for a mere idea to change they very way you live your life? Here it is…..Everyone you come in contact with, not just some, but all. Are also someone else’s husband, wife, mother, father, brother or sister. The fact is that someone out there is shedding tears for them. Someone is crying out for their freedom. That person is loved by someone. And if somehow they have slipped through life without having anyone to love them, they have a Father who will love them that much more. God has already given his very life for their freedom. How could we set back and not act on the chance to influence them. How could we withhold our encouragement and love. It’s not humanly possible, unless. Unless we have in our hearts dehumanized them. If we view them as an object, instead of a person. We could spare ourselves from our moral responsibility to them simply by naming them “THE WORLD”
Unfortunately, my friends, this lie has plagued the Church since its very beginning. It was a lie that was used even before the first Church. It has always been the most effective weapon against us. This lie attacks us without us even knowing what it has done. It demobilizes us, makes us ineffective. It rip’s at the very fabric of our purpose. It gives us reason to hide, and gives way to our cowardice. In the end it may be the best lie ever told. The enemy does not want you to show the light. He is very happy to have you hide it within the circles of believers that you are accustomed to. So if he can make you fearful of the lost, he has initially won. So I encourage you to break away from this form of thought. To shun away from any thoughts that are not of love and God. To rid yourself of fear and selfishness. To no longer think of yourselves highly, but instead, with humility. Look at this world as a person who is saved only by grace. A grace that is given freely to anyone who asks. You are not special, and set apart because of what you’ve done or who you are. It is only because of the grace of God, that your end does not match that of the lost.
Now that that’s said, we can proceed in talking about relating. In relating I’m talking about identifying. We are to identify with Christ. That is where our identity lies. Identity is a subject that we as Americans treat with ownership. But there is absolutely nothing about your identity that belongs to you. With little motto’s like “to ones self be true”, we have been consumed in our society by individuality. This train of thinking is perhaps the single most detrimental form of thinking that consumes the world today. Fist off, there is no individuality in Christ, there is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We fit into this mix. Not as individuals, but as a unified body of believers that is called the Bride. Second, there is absolutely nothing you do that only effects YOU. We are all connected to one another. We are all dependant on others. Individuality is just a pretty word for selfishness. Your identity is in Christ and only in Christ, and who you think you are often differs from how others see you. Unfortunately, its how others see you that truly matters. What good is knowing who you, if no one else sees it? If five people see the color green, and you in ignorance think that its orange, its because you perception is off. Everyone wants to see themselves as right, its human nature. Who you are is best described by others, and that’s just how it is. When you are dead and gone, so are your opinions on yourself. The world is left with all the opinions of the people in your life. Those are the opinions that hold water. We often hear the term “walk a mile in some one else’s shoes”. This neither is understanding. We are not to walk in their shoes, but rather, in Jesus’ sandals. What I mean by understanding comes more from a place of mercy. Its knowing that they merely no not. Its forgiving them for their offenses toward us and God. Just as a child doesn’t know that it is harmful to stick his finger in the electrical socket, they have no clue of things that are spiritual. To be understanding is simply to meet them where they are. Because the fact is, they will never be where you are without help. Lets describe this with my own story. In the next portion of this chapter I’ll show you some easy ways to achieve understanding in your life, without conforming to the patterns of the world. To embrace understanding in a world that is lacking of it. After all, understanding is the key ingredient of wisdom and justice.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Communicating With Aliens 101-102.5
101
Communicating With Aliens
Through a smoky atmosphere, we encroach closer to the strange land. Looking through the window, we realize how easy it would be to call this home. But, we can not. We merely have a short task to do here and we must depart to the wonderful home that our King resides in. Our task? To tell the natives that they are dying, them and their world is heading for disaster. That our King has always loved them, and has prepared away for them to our home.
As our cozy ship touches the rock and dirt, our anxiety ensues us. We can not wait to share this great news. As the hanger opens, crowds gather round. We hop at the opportunity to tell everyone there about our King. We spread in small groups, all with its own copy of the message, and proceed to read to them the news that has been given. Nothing! Not even a grunt, or a sigh. They stand there looking at us with confused eye’s. You can see clearly that they’re afraid.
What’s wrong? We wonder. It cant be the way we look, our appearance is just as theirs is. We don’t have weapons, and the message is good. It cant be in the message. It must be communication, ,,ahh, yes, communication. They don’t speak our language. Of course not, it makes perfect since. We storm off this ship with all this zeal, and start blabbering and pointing our fingers around. No wonder their all freaked out.
What do we do now? Well, we could retreat back to the cozy ship and discuss the differences between us and them. While we’re there we can listen to a pep talk from our coach. After all that we can all go out there and attempt at building our own communities, complete with only things and people from our world. And try to hold on until the return ship comes.
Or, we could buck up, and read the rest of the message to see if there are any hint as to what to do. All the while, building relationships with the Aliens. We could learn their language, and their culture, and in time give them the message when we know it can be well received. This would be tough. It would be grueling. It might even put us in danger, But our King has us here for one reason, and one reason only, and that’s to share this message.
“All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt. 28:18-20 ASV).
That’s a nice little story spin. It almost could be used to sell an investor on a plot for a show on the Sci-Fi channel. But its all to close to the truth. We are amongst aliens. We do have a job to do. And there is most defiantly a communication breakdown. Most Christians today ignore the great commission. They stick to what’s safe and known to them. They leave all the work to a selected few that they call evangelists. But the truth is, it consists of all of us. Yes there are people who have a gifting in this area. They tend to herd people into the Kingdom like cattle to a McDonalds meat processing plant. But we all are called to our circle of influence (which is work, play, school, family and so on). These potential relationships all around us are perfect places to show others the love of Christ. Some of the things I will address in this compilation of writings are, How personal relationships are the best form of mission completion, how to gain a foot hole into building a relationship with an alien, how to communicate with aliens (successfully), and how to bring the aliens home.
102
Communicating With Aliens
“On a personal note”
There are all kinds of evangelism. Street corner, T.V evangelism, handing out tracks, events, door to door, and many other creative ways to spread the good news. The most effective way, however, is the original. Love. Love doesn’t offend, it doesn’t push people away, it uplifts, and draws people closer. Love is the very essence of God, and all of creation yearns for it. Unfortunately, love takes work. Its does not come easily for us. It opens us up to hurt and turmoil. It takes our focus off of our own lives, rendering us susceptible to social responsibility. In every way, love is a hard road.
In a sense Love, being the character of God, is the anti- flesh. Now, I’m talking about love. Not the endorphine stimulated feeling that comes to us. Love is an action, not a feeling. You chose to love someone. “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.” 1 cor.13: 4-7. Nowhere does it say that love is a feeling that runs down your neck, or that its what you have in common with another. This is Biblical Love. It is God.
“…God is Love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.” 1 john 4:16.
God loved all of us before we believed. He loved us so much in fact that he walked on earth, and died on a cross for us. Our salvation comes when we choose to love him back. My point is, we don’t have to have the same beliefs that someone else has in order to Love them. And, in order to love them, we must have a relationship with them. The very act of Love requires time. “Love is patient” you cant be patient in passing. It would be awfully easy not to keep a record of wrongs if you only see the person at work. Love is an ongoing endeavor. It has no end, no break, and is expected of us to the fullest measure.
“….Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31
Love is the greatest commandment. This is true. It completes the Law in full. Love God, and Love others. What is also true, is that it is the purest form of evangelism. Perhaps the most effective also. Because, by loving others, you are introducing them to God. The very essence of who God is, becomes at reach to them. Not only are you fulfilling the Law, but your reaching the lost. PERFECT! God is amazing. He almost made it fool proof. Now the question is, are you sure your loving others? It’s easy to love family, and even church family, but are you loving “others”? Or are you sitting in judgment of their lives? Are you packing up God so no one else can see him? Do you make it a point not to associate with people who don’t share your moral point of view? If you answered yes to any of these than its time to make a change. Its time to realize that the only deference between us and the world is that we’re forgiven. Its time to know that we cant expect people to live according to a Bible that holds no meaning to them, to a Law that they are not yet under. It is our duty to show them God, and when God gets a hold of them then we can guide them in his ways. Love them, and cover yourself in the Law. Let God do the rest.
Perhaps this was a bit strong. But it is strength that I feel about this. I was once lost. It was not doctrine that lead me to the Lord. Nor was it the Law. It defiantly wasn’t someone pointing out the many, many sins in my life. It was this and this alone. Gods unfailing, undeserved, Love. His relentless pursuit for me was my persuasion. Everything else is back burner, and fleeting. God is the constant, and God is Love.
“ Love vs. Judgment”
102 cont.
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2.
Wow, Jesus meant business when he said this. It’s a shame that most everyone will tell you that they’ve been judged by a Christian. If you have any interaction with the unsaved, you’ve probably ran into a few that feel this way. But what does judgment have to do with communicating with the world (aliens)? The second that you judge someone, you place yourself higher than them. A person will never relate to a person who intimidates them. People naturally run away from judgment. Then, are we to sit back and let them sin? Yes. It does not matter what they do outside of Christ, with out him hell is evident. No matter how good they are, or how little they sin. Our goal is NOT to make them live like a Christian. Its to lead them to Christ, who will walk with them. Until that point comes, there is absolutely no reason to judge their decisions.
Now with that said, there are some exceptions. If what they’re doing is life threatening, a heart to heart, loving concern can be expressed. Or if there are children being influenced, and or baby believers. But this should be handled with the utmost care and sensitivity. This will only be effective if there is already a relationship in place, and even then there is no certainty. By all means, never pull your love as a “punishment”. If it gets bad, pray. If it continues, allow them to end the relationship. That way, when rock bottom hits, they feel comfortable coming to you when their ready. I will get into this alot more in the how- to portion of these writings.
If you find your self judging others, ask yourself why you do it. If you come up with a list of whys I’m sure you will not have listed Loving others as one of them. If you have, there’s a Book I want you to read, its big, mostly black and has allot of red letters. The judgment that we are talking about does not come from love. It can stem from pride, fear, anger, ext. All of which, derive from the enemy. It’s a tool he uses to divide, and alienate. To break hearts, and bring condemnation. There is nothing good that comes from it. Especially within the church walls.
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you- who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12
Back off, Gods got it. Its not your responsibility to judge, It’s Gods. If anything this should be a relief. Now you can stop worrying about how others are living, and put that energy into your relationship with Christ. The God who made the Law is so much more qualified than you to do it also. So relax. Let God work, and focus on your heart. We are always able to grow in God. Our hearts can always use more attention. If this is you. Don’t feel condemnation. As I pointed out before, your defiantly not alone in this. Conviction belongs to the Lord, Condemnation is the enemy’s.
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes…..” 1 Cor. 4:1-5
“ Men should regard us as servants”, not as judges. We are to lower ourselves, not walk around declaring that we’re right and their wrong. Even if its true to some extent. What we live, and the extent of our Love is what can change the hearts of men. If we become successful at controlling our judgment, we will be far more effective at our mission.
Before I conclude this section, I would like to point out that I am not by anyway innocent of judgment. “We have all sinned and fell short of the glory of God”. But it has always been an area of focus in my life. The grace that God has shown me, is what I wish on others. I can only try to show that grace with others. One more verse for the closing.
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, here’s a good seat for you, but to the poor man, you stand there or sit on the floor at my feet, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ……..If you keep the royal Law found in scripture, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law breakers. For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a law breaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James2:1-13
Thank the Lord for his mercy and grace!
Communicating With Aliens
Through a smoky atmosphere, we encroach closer to the strange land. Looking through the window, we realize how easy it would be to call this home. But, we can not. We merely have a short task to do here and we must depart to the wonderful home that our King resides in. Our task? To tell the natives that they are dying, them and their world is heading for disaster. That our King has always loved them, and has prepared away for them to our home.
As our cozy ship touches the rock and dirt, our anxiety ensues us. We can not wait to share this great news. As the hanger opens, crowds gather round. We hop at the opportunity to tell everyone there about our King. We spread in small groups, all with its own copy of the message, and proceed to read to them the news that has been given. Nothing! Not even a grunt, or a sigh. They stand there looking at us with confused eye’s. You can see clearly that they’re afraid.
What’s wrong? We wonder. It cant be the way we look, our appearance is just as theirs is. We don’t have weapons, and the message is good. It cant be in the message. It must be communication, ,,ahh, yes, communication. They don’t speak our language. Of course not, it makes perfect since. We storm off this ship with all this zeal, and start blabbering and pointing our fingers around. No wonder their all freaked out.
What do we do now? Well, we could retreat back to the cozy ship and discuss the differences between us and them. While we’re there we can listen to a pep talk from our coach. After all that we can all go out there and attempt at building our own communities, complete with only things and people from our world. And try to hold on until the return ship comes.
Or, we could buck up, and read the rest of the message to see if there are any hint as to what to do. All the while, building relationships with the Aliens. We could learn their language, and their culture, and in time give them the message when we know it can be well received. This would be tough. It would be grueling. It might even put us in danger, But our King has us here for one reason, and one reason only, and that’s to share this message.
“All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt. 28:18-20 ASV).
That’s a nice little story spin. It almost could be used to sell an investor on a plot for a show on the Sci-Fi channel. But its all to close to the truth. We are amongst aliens. We do have a job to do. And there is most defiantly a communication breakdown. Most Christians today ignore the great commission. They stick to what’s safe and known to them. They leave all the work to a selected few that they call evangelists. But the truth is, it consists of all of us. Yes there are people who have a gifting in this area. They tend to herd people into the Kingdom like cattle to a McDonalds meat processing plant. But we all are called to our circle of influence (which is work, play, school, family and so on). These potential relationships all around us are perfect places to show others the love of Christ. Some of the things I will address in this compilation of writings are, How personal relationships are the best form of mission completion, how to gain a foot hole into building a relationship with an alien, how to communicate with aliens (successfully), and how to bring the aliens home.
102
Communicating With Aliens
“On a personal note”
There are all kinds of evangelism. Street corner, T.V evangelism, handing out tracks, events, door to door, and many other creative ways to spread the good news. The most effective way, however, is the original. Love. Love doesn’t offend, it doesn’t push people away, it uplifts, and draws people closer. Love is the very essence of God, and all of creation yearns for it. Unfortunately, love takes work. Its does not come easily for us. It opens us up to hurt and turmoil. It takes our focus off of our own lives, rendering us susceptible to social responsibility. In every way, love is a hard road.
In a sense Love, being the character of God, is the anti- flesh. Now, I’m talking about love. Not the endorphine stimulated feeling that comes to us. Love is an action, not a feeling. You chose to love someone. “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.” 1 cor.13: 4-7. Nowhere does it say that love is a feeling that runs down your neck, or that its what you have in common with another. This is Biblical Love. It is God.
“…God is Love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.” 1 john 4:16.
God loved all of us before we believed. He loved us so much in fact that he walked on earth, and died on a cross for us. Our salvation comes when we choose to love him back. My point is, we don’t have to have the same beliefs that someone else has in order to Love them. And, in order to love them, we must have a relationship with them. The very act of Love requires time. “Love is patient” you cant be patient in passing. It would be awfully easy not to keep a record of wrongs if you only see the person at work. Love is an ongoing endeavor. It has no end, no break, and is expected of us to the fullest measure.
“….Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31
Love is the greatest commandment. This is true. It completes the Law in full. Love God, and Love others. What is also true, is that it is the purest form of evangelism. Perhaps the most effective also. Because, by loving others, you are introducing them to God. The very essence of who God is, becomes at reach to them. Not only are you fulfilling the Law, but your reaching the lost. PERFECT! God is amazing. He almost made it fool proof. Now the question is, are you sure your loving others? It’s easy to love family, and even church family, but are you loving “others”? Or are you sitting in judgment of their lives? Are you packing up God so no one else can see him? Do you make it a point not to associate with people who don’t share your moral point of view? If you answered yes to any of these than its time to make a change. Its time to realize that the only deference between us and the world is that we’re forgiven. Its time to know that we cant expect people to live according to a Bible that holds no meaning to them, to a Law that they are not yet under. It is our duty to show them God, and when God gets a hold of them then we can guide them in his ways. Love them, and cover yourself in the Law. Let God do the rest.
Perhaps this was a bit strong. But it is strength that I feel about this. I was once lost. It was not doctrine that lead me to the Lord. Nor was it the Law. It defiantly wasn’t someone pointing out the many, many sins in my life. It was this and this alone. Gods unfailing, undeserved, Love. His relentless pursuit for me was my persuasion. Everything else is back burner, and fleeting. God is the constant, and God is Love.
“ Love vs. Judgment”
102 cont.
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2.
Wow, Jesus meant business when he said this. It’s a shame that most everyone will tell you that they’ve been judged by a Christian. If you have any interaction with the unsaved, you’ve probably ran into a few that feel this way. But what does judgment have to do with communicating with the world (aliens)? The second that you judge someone, you place yourself higher than them. A person will never relate to a person who intimidates them. People naturally run away from judgment. Then, are we to sit back and let them sin? Yes. It does not matter what they do outside of Christ, with out him hell is evident. No matter how good they are, or how little they sin. Our goal is NOT to make them live like a Christian. Its to lead them to Christ, who will walk with them. Until that point comes, there is absolutely no reason to judge their decisions.
Now with that said, there are some exceptions. If what they’re doing is life threatening, a heart to heart, loving concern can be expressed. Or if there are children being influenced, and or baby believers. But this should be handled with the utmost care and sensitivity. This will only be effective if there is already a relationship in place, and even then there is no certainty. By all means, never pull your love as a “punishment”. If it gets bad, pray. If it continues, allow them to end the relationship. That way, when rock bottom hits, they feel comfortable coming to you when their ready. I will get into this alot more in the how- to portion of these writings.
If you find your self judging others, ask yourself why you do it. If you come up with a list of whys I’m sure you will not have listed Loving others as one of them. If you have, there’s a Book I want you to read, its big, mostly black and has allot of red letters. The judgment that we are talking about does not come from love. It can stem from pride, fear, anger, ext. All of which, derive from the enemy. It’s a tool he uses to divide, and alienate. To break hearts, and bring condemnation. There is nothing good that comes from it. Especially within the church walls.
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you- who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12
Back off, Gods got it. Its not your responsibility to judge, It’s Gods. If anything this should be a relief. Now you can stop worrying about how others are living, and put that energy into your relationship with Christ. The God who made the Law is so much more qualified than you to do it also. So relax. Let God work, and focus on your heart. We are always able to grow in God. Our hearts can always use more attention. If this is you. Don’t feel condemnation. As I pointed out before, your defiantly not alone in this. Conviction belongs to the Lord, Condemnation is the enemy’s.
“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes…..” 1 Cor. 4:1-5
“ Men should regard us as servants”, not as judges. We are to lower ourselves, not walk around declaring that we’re right and their wrong. Even if its true to some extent. What we live, and the extent of our Love is what can change the hearts of men. If we become successful at controlling our judgment, we will be far more effective at our mission.
Before I conclude this section, I would like to point out that I am not by anyway innocent of judgment. “We have all sinned and fell short of the glory of God”. But it has always been an area of focus in my life. The grace that God has shown me, is what I wish on others. I can only try to show that grace with others. One more verse for the closing.
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, here’s a good seat for you, but to the poor man, you stand there or sit on the floor at my feet, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ……..If you keep the royal Law found in scripture, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law breakers. For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, ‘do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a law breaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James2:1-13
Thank the Lord for his mercy and grace!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Pecker Roots
Certain, confident, arrogant, straight forward, humble, loving, sacrificial, short, common and generic, are only a few words to describe me. When it really comes down to who I am, I mean at the core, I’m lost. It is perhaps the only question that I have no answer for. Seriously, if I was asked any other question, I would have an answer licitly split (even if I had to make one up). As was my father. I remember looking out the car window, and seeing these huge orange balls hanging from the power lines. I looked over at dad and asked him what they was for, (as if a concrete man would have a clue about power lines). To this day, I can’t remember his reply. But you can bet your bottom dollar that it had something to do with elves, and or penis’s. Its also a winning bet, that I swallowed every word. Not because I thought he had all the answers, (we all knew Dad was full of BS) but because he went out of his way to give us an answer/ story. He could have taken the easy route, and replied, “I duno”. But see, that wouldn’t have been Dad.
Who am I? The very question frightens me. I choke on my words and trip over my tongue. I may even answer with,” ah, um I’m, my names Dustin Ray Peck, I’m a Libra who has a skewed view on God.” You’d perhaps reply with an “O.K?”, and go about your day. While the question constipates the perfect flow of thoughts in my ever learning brain, I will clasp onto comfort in the thought that, no one truly knows who they are. The problem with that notion is, I don’t believe it. People all around me walk around so comfortable with their people. In school you had the jocks, the geeks, the spaz’s, the nerds, the rednecks, the punks, the Goths, the preps, and the never ending barrage of new classifications. Regardless of the immaturity of it all, everyone knew where they stood. Outside of high school it’s the same. We may mingle a little better, but we all no where we belong. We all seem to know who we are. With the exception of me.
Perhaps the great vacancy of my identity derives from the fact that I moved around my entire childhood. Although, most kids in that position learn to regret the nomads life, I fell in love with it. Being able to change who I was, and what click I fell into was perfect for me. I thrived in the adventure of it all. The problem with that theory though is, my family grew roots in Indiana when I was in eighth grade. For most of the character forming years I was stuck in one identity. Instead of molding myself to fit, I merely stayed in default factory settings. So here I was in the heart land of America, stuck with a broken persona generator. Doomed to be a wind held captive. Maybe if we kept moving, I would find comfort in the gypsy in me. Or if we never moved I would be a prep, or a Jock. I would have child hood friends, connections, memories, all the things that attribute to a persons worth. Granted, I am a father for now nine years, and I have managed to keep my lovely bride mesmerized by me for a near decade now. But I am dumbfounded beyond that. Not that those are not noble signs of who I am, but that’s just it. I am no one except husband and daddy. I fit every where and yet no where. Blank, and empty, I simply live through the lives of those I love. It reminds me of Harry Potter, where the villain *(though dead) is forced to live through the live of others. A parasite. Is that what I am? Or maybe I’m symbiotic. All the same I guess.
The one consistent thing in my life is my family (mom, dad and my brother). But in terms of identity via family roots, I’m pulling from a very shallow gene pool. I really have no clue as to what it means to be a “Peck” either. For all I know a Peck by any other word is a Pecker, Pecker Head, short Peck, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I know very little about my Grandfather. What I do know is that he was a drunk that my Dad doest care to speak about. The one source I have, to learn more about him, now has alstimers. My Grandmother doesn’t even remember who I am. My grandfather was an only child, and my father is the only reproducing Peck for three generations. So here I am making it up as I go. As of now, a Peck is what my brother and I make it ( with the influence of our father). In a sense, we have been given the responsibility of an entire blood line. The future of our last name lies solely on the shoulders of a couple of mentally unstable Peck boys, with an indefinite Identity crisis. One thing that I know without a fact about us Pecks is, We love furiously. We protect those around us, those who cannot protect themselves. Though these young impressionable souls, who have been unfortunate enough to be entrusted to us might forever be confused as to who they truly are, you can bet your ass that they’ll be loved, and they’ll be safe.
Thanks Dad.
Who am I? The very question frightens me. I choke on my words and trip over my tongue. I may even answer with,” ah, um I’m, my names Dustin Ray Peck, I’m a Libra who has a skewed view on God.” You’d perhaps reply with an “O.K?”, and go about your day. While the question constipates the perfect flow of thoughts in my ever learning brain, I will clasp onto comfort in the thought that, no one truly knows who they are. The problem with that notion is, I don’t believe it. People all around me walk around so comfortable with their people. In school you had the jocks, the geeks, the spaz’s, the nerds, the rednecks, the punks, the Goths, the preps, and the never ending barrage of new classifications. Regardless of the immaturity of it all, everyone knew where they stood. Outside of high school it’s the same. We may mingle a little better, but we all no where we belong. We all seem to know who we are. With the exception of me.
Perhaps the great vacancy of my identity derives from the fact that I moved around my entire childhood. Although, most kids in that position learn to regret the nomads life, I fell in love with it. Being able to change who I was, and what click I fell into was perfect for me. I thrived in the adventure of it all. The problem with that theory though is, my family grew roots in Indiana when I was in eighth grade. For most of the character forming years I was stuck in one identity. Instead of molding myself to fit, I merely stayed in default factory settings. So here I was in the heart land of America, stuck with a broken persona generator. Doomed to be a wind held captive. Maybe if we kept moving, I would find comfort in the gypsy in me. Or if we never moved I would be a prep, or a Jock. I would have child hood friends, connections, memories, all the things that attribute to a persons worth. Granted, I am a father for now nine years, and I have managed to keep my lovely bride mesmerized by me for a near decade now. But I am dumbfounded beyond that. Not that those are not noble signs of who I am, but that’s just it. I am no one except husband and daddy. I fit every where and yet no where. Blank, and empty, I simply live through the lives of those I love. It reminds me of Harry Potter, where the villain *(though dead) is forced to live through the live of others. A parasite. Is that what I am? Or maybe I’m symbiotic. All the same I guess.
The one consistent thing in my life is my family (mom, dad and my brother). But in terms of identity via family roots, I’m pulling from a very shallow gene pool. I really have no clue as to what it means to be a “Peck” either. For all I know a Peck by any other word is a Pecker, Pecker Head, short Peck, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I know very little about my Grandfather. What I do know is that he was a drunk that my Dad doest care to speak about. The one source I have, to learn more about him, now has alstimers. My Grandmother doesn’t even remember who I am. My grandfather was an only child, and my father is the only reproducing Peck for three generations. So here I am making it up as I go. As of now, a Peck is what my brother and I make it ( with the influence of our father). In a sense, we have been given the responsibility of an entire blood line. The future of our last name lies solely on the shoulders of a couple of mentally unstable Peck boys, with an indefinite Identity crisis. One thing that I know without a fact about us Pecks is, We love furiously. We protect those around us, those who cannot protect themselves. Though these young impressionable souls, who have been unfortunate enough to be entrusted to us might forever be confused as to who they truly are, you can bet your ass that they’ll be loved, and they’ll be safe.
Thanks Dad.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Live, Love and Experiance
We, as humans, tend to live what we know. I know that this is a packed statement, and if you bare with me I'd like to unpack it a little. Let me tell a few stories to explain what I mean. Let's tale Scott for instance. Scott's father was a drunk. From Scott's experience and knowledge, he will most likely have a said outcome in his life. He will either follow the example of his father, or he will see the negative effects of alcoholism and vow never to drink.
Now, Im not saying that these are his only options. what i am saying is that unless he finds another way, he will choose one or the other. Scott is limited by what he knows. He may trust the scientific proof that drinking is dangerous, and never drink. There is also the chance that his fathers example will trump all other examples.
Lets take Jan fro example. Jan was raised in a home that made sex taboo. At sixteen she is taken by a handsome young man who thinks that she is the best thing since sliced bread. When she finds out that she is pregnant she is left with choices. Law or no law, those same choices are there. The choice that she makes is going to be based on experiences. What she is experiencing now is fear. Fear of the experiences she has never had. She has never been a mother, she has never been disowned by her parents, and she fears both. If she is lucky, she may have experienced the feeling that life is not choice. But the decision will be based on experience.
Before I move on with my point, I need to clear your perception of my experience. Experience comes in a variety of forms. It can be felt, thought, taught, lived, or learned. Regardless of how its obtained, it continues to be a road map to the journey of life. Its why we are who we are, and do what we do. The lady at the well lived what she knew. It wasn't until she experienced Christ that she began to live differently. All of the disciples were living out their lives based on what they knew. One day they experienced Jesus. Based on this experience they made the decision to follow Him.
Now, if you agree with me so far, stay with me. If not, it would be best if you stop reading. Chances are, you wont and you will have read this for nothing. For those of you who are still with me, Ill try to sum up my point for fear of writing a novel.
Just like the lady at the well, and the disciples, we as Christians follow Jesus because of experience. We have experienced the forgiveness and love of Christ. The decisions we make are based on this experience. How can we expect people to make the same decisions without the experience. Now, I know that this applies both ways, but are we not to e set apart? Are we not of a higher standard?
When I turn on a Christian radio or television, I tend to hear laundry lists of the sin in the world, but the solutions I hear make no sense. How is voting a certain way going to make someone experience Christ. Petitioning, picketing, and telling people they're wrong doesn't count as telling them about Christ; and without that experience they will never live like us. Even if they doit will all be in vain.
If you find yourself worried that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, the solution is more simple than you think. Stop pointing all of the negative outcomes of poor experiences. Try to share your experiences, and pray that they will share them.
If the answer is wrong, help them through the process. They can't learn the math by looking at the answers.
And that's the way I see it.
Now, Im not saying that these are his only options. what i am saying is that unless he finds another way, he will choose one or the other. Scott is limited by what he knows. He may trust the scientific proof that drinking is dangerous, and never drink. There is also the chance that his fathers example will trump all other examples.
Lets take Jan fro example. Jan was raised in a home that made sex taboo. At sixteen she is taken by a handsome young man who thinks that she is the best thing since sliced bread. When she finds out that she is pregnant she is left with choices. Law or no law, those same choices are there. The choice that she makes is going to be based on experiences. What she is experiencing now is fear. Fear of the experiences she has never had. She has never been a mother, she has never been disowned by her parents, and she fears both. If she is lucky, she may have experienced the feeling that life is not choice. But the decision will be based on experience.
Before I move on with my point, I need to clear your perception of my experience. Experience comes in a variety of forms. It can be felt, thought, taught, lived, or learned. Regardless of how its obtained, it continues to be a road map to the journey of life. Its why we are who we are, and do what we do. The lady at the well lived what she knew. It wasn't until she experienced Christ that she began to live differently. All of the disciples were living out their lives based on what they knew. One day they experienced Jesus. Based on this experience they made the decision to follow Him.
Now, if you agree with me so far, stay with me. If not, it would be best if you stop reading. Chances are, you wont and you will have read this for nothing. For those of you who are still with me, Ill try to sum up my point for fear of writing a novel.
Just like the lady at the well, and the disciples, we as Christians follow Jesus because of experience. We have experienced the forgiveness and love of Christ. The decisions we make are based on this experience. How can we expect people to make the same decisions without the experience. Now, I know that this applies both ways, but are we not to e set apart? Are we not of a higher standard?
When I turn on a Christian radio or television, I tend to hear laundry lists of the sin in the world, but the solutions I hear make no sense. How is voting a certain way going to make someone experience Christ. Petitioning, picketing, and telling people they're wrong doesn't count as telling them about Christ; and without that experience they will never live like us. Even if they doit will all be in vain.
If you find yourself worried that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, the solution is more simple than you think. Stop pointing all of the negative outcomes of poor experiences. Try to share your experiences, and pray that they will share them.
If the answer is wrong, help them through the process. They can't learn the math by looking at the answers.
And that's the way I see it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
My Story
Before September 11, 1997, I was a unholy force against Christianity. I made it my mission to bring down the establishment of the American Church. I was very misinformed about my capability to take on such a cause. However, I did make life very hard for the Christians that God had put in my life. The interesting part is that I was more or less raised in Church. My parents didn't fail in raising me. You see, I was born an underdog. I always have put my bet with the least of these. My mission was to protect those whom I loved, and the ones I loved was being judged by those who new nothing about them and their lives.
My weakness was always women. I loved to fall in love. I met some girls that would convince me that I had to go to church with them at least once to have a chance to date them. Although it was against every thing I believed in, I could not pass up the chance of love. That Sunday night, I found love. It was not the love I was looking for. It was the love that was looking for me. I did not loose an argument, or all of a sudden see myself unholy. What brought me to God that night was His love. He showed me his heart. I cant explain it. I just was able to see His love. That night I realized that what I despised in the Church, he did too. This God showed me, that he to was for the underdog. That night I gave my life to Him.
Knowing this was not enough for me. I had a new mission. I had to tell all of the underdogs that there was a God that loved them. That he loved them where they was. Tons of teenagers gave there lives to Christ. It was all they wanted, to be loved and accepted. I continue to walk the line. Motivated to not stray to the Church, or step over to the world. I make it my point to love all people the best I can. I dont always have something in common with them. Often I don't. I still try my best to understand all of them. I almost always fall in love with their hearts and their stories. I am ever learning, and being tested. I wouldn't have it any other way!
And thats the way I see It.
My weakness was always women. I loved to fall in love. I met some girls that would convince me that I had to go to church with them at least once to have a chance to date them. Although it was against every thing I believed in, I could not pass up the chance of love. That Sunday night, I found love. It was not the love I was looking for. It was the love that was looking for me. I did not loose an argument, or all of a sudden see myself unholy. What brought me to God that night was His love. He showed me his heart. I cant explain it. I just was able to see His love. That night I realized that what I despised in the Church, he did too. This God showed me, that he to was for the underdog. That night I gave my life to Him.
Knowing this was not enough for me. I had a new mission. I had to tell all of the underdogs that there was a God that loved them. That he loved them where they was. Tons of teenagers gave there lives to Christ. It was all they wanted, to be loved and accepted. I continue to walk the line. Motivated to not stray to the Church, or step over to the world. I make it my point to love all people the best I can. I dont always have something in common with them. Often I don't. I still try my best to understand all of them. I almost always fall in love with their hearts and their stories. I am ever learning, and being tested. I wouldn't have it any other way!
And thats the way I see It.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Dear Pat,
I wrote this to address something that might be touchy subject. So I wrote in a metaphoric letter. I didn't want to bread hate for the person it's addressed to, so Ill just use his first name, "Pat". I could have, however, used his last name, "Robertson", for the same effect. Anyways, here's the letter.
Dear Pat,
I know you don't know me, but we work for the same boss. I'm sure you've heard the news, but the boss' son, "Carpenter", has taken over as the new chief of public relations. I am writing to you on his behalf.
It seems, Pat, that there have been some misunderstanding with the memo that was sent. The memo was sent out to the Company so that all of us could understand Company policy. I know, Pat, that you are a figure head of the company. You have the eyes and ears of millions of people around the world.
We are very proud of how you handle the pressure that your job entails, although, there seems to be some confusion with what we do as a Company. You see, we're a public Company, not a private one. How well our Company does highly rests on the public's response to us. The goal of a public company should be to ensure that the public wants to invest in us. We feel that you have failed in this.
Pat, you have also seemed to confuse us with our competitor. We don't, will not, and never will deal with Hate brand products. We are committed entirely to the Love brand. We have noticed a decline of sales since you've taken your position. Our competitor, however, has had sales go through the roof.
The C.O.P.R. wants me to be sure that you understand that the memo is for employees only, and is not to be pushed on potential investors. Please address these issues right away.
P.S.
Pat, you're on probation.
Sincerely, Underdog
Dear Pat,
I know you don't know me, but we work for the same boss. I'm sure you've heard the news, but the boss' son, "Carpenter", has taken over as the new chief of public relations. I am writing to you on his behalf.
It seems, Pat, that there have been some misunderstanding with the memo that was sent. The memo was sent out to the Company so that all of us could understand Company policy. I know, Pat, that you are a figure head of the company. You have the eyes and ears of millions of people around the world.
We are very proud of how you handle the pressure that your job entails, although, there seems to be some confusion with what we do as a Company. You see, we're a public Company, not a private one. How well our Company does highly rests on the public's response to us. The goal of a public company should be to ensure that the public wants to invest in us. We feel that you have failed in this.
Pat, you have also seemed to confuse us with our competitor. We don't, will not, and never will deal with Hate brand products. We are committed entirely to the Love brand. We have noticed a decline of sales since you've taken your position. Our competitor, however, has had sales go through the roof.
The C.O.P.R. wants me to be sure that you understand that the memo is for employees only, and is not to be pushed on potential investors. Please address these issues right away.
P.S.
Pat, you're on probation.
Sincerely, Underdog
Marriage
My wife and I have noticed that most of the couples, that were married when we were, are now divorced. I have no idea why someone would through away the chance to have someone by your side through life. My wife and I have been married for ten years now, and have four kids. We've had allot of reasons to argue, but divorce has never been an option. We stick it through the hard times, and that makes the good times so much sweater!
I think most of the problem setts in selfishness. Everyone in America is so self centered (i can only speak on America). Its all about me, my needs, the way they treat me. That's not even close to the definition of marriage. Another reason might be our definition of love. We tend to only know it as a feeling. Love is more of a choice. Its a verb not a noun. Love is choosing to put someone else above yourself. If we simply depend on the bubbly feelings, we will always be disappointed. All feelings pass (and return). Like fear, You don't always feel fear, but that doesn't mean you not afraid of the dark. It just means its not dark at the moment.
Just to clear it up, I am not saying that people should stay in ABUSIVE relationships. I'm just saying that divorce should never be taken lightly. It's a disease that spreads to people all around you. So the next time you argue with your spouse, consider taking the "d" word out of your vocabulary. Consider all that is at stake.
And that's the way I see it.
I think most of the problem setts in selfishness. Everyone in America is so self centered (i can only speak on America). Its all about me, my needs, the way they treat me. That's not even close to the definition of marriage. Another reason might be our definition of love. We tend to only know it as a feeling. Love is more of a choice. Its a verb not a noun. Love is choosing to put someone else above yourself. If we simply depend on the bubbly feelings, we will always be disappointed. All feelings pass (and return). Like fear, You don't always feel fear, but that doesn't mean you not afraid of the dark. It just means its not dark at the moment.
Just to clear it up, I am not saying that people should stay in ABUSIVE relationships. I'm just saying that divorce should never be taken lightly. It's a disease that spreads to people all around you. So the next time you argue with your spouse, consider taking the "d" word out of your vocabulary. Consider all that is at stake.
And that's the way I see it.
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