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Facebook God
I couldn’t go to sleep, so I grabbed my computer to see what interesting things I could get myself into. I started to think about God as I do when I’m bored. I noticed something: I spend way too much time on the computer. Not that it’s a bad thing to spend time online, I just figured out why I do. It has something to do with my relationship and understanding about God. Obviously, I can’t just reduce my interest in online communication to what I’m about to say, but it’s quite possible that it plays a major role.
I wish God had a Facebook account. I’m sure He would befriend me, and I’m sure We’d have a lot of friends in common. When I open up his page, I would first look at His info. I already know His birthday, so I would find out his political views (I think I know some of them) and his religion (I might be surprised and I might not). I would glance at his personal info; I’m sure I would find just what I expect: that He enjoys worship music and His favorite book is the bible.
The main reason I wish He had a Facebook account is so that my communication with Him would be more direct. I could leave my daily prayer requests on His wall, and I could check for an answer on our wall-to-wall. If I was really in trouble, I could just compose a message to God. That way nobody could see what I’m dealing with.
But He doesn’t have one. So I lay awake at night talking to God about my day, about my friends, about girls, about money, about skateboarding, about Tony Hawk Pro Skater III, then about Halo. I drift off after a few minutes and begin talking to myself or even the ceiling. Then I regain consciousness, and I’m usually embarrassed to find that God was listening to me that whole time (since I started off talking to Him). Since my prayers are usually in my head, I figure He can hear everything I say in my head; He can probably see the pictures that I’m painting in my head as well – some lovely, some inappropriate.
When I’m on the computer I forget that God doesn’t respond easily. I talk to all the people who do respond. When I post on my blog, it’s final; it’s official. When someone comments, I can read them. When someone wants to chat, I’m available, and we chat.
Then it’s time get off, and I go back to the real world where the person I care about the most is just far enough out of reach that I have to use all of my focus and energy to maintain a conversation. It isn’t always this way. After all, He wants to be near, and I want Him to be near. But it’s my nature, our nature, to keep Him at a distance.
I know it’s best this way even if it doesn’t immediately seem right. God allowed it to be this way for a reason. I don’t think Christ Himself had as much direct communication with the Father as did Adam before the fall (I’m not establishing a new doctrine here, just talking). I think flesh prevents it (maybe not Christ’s but definitely my own). Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for now, back to praying about Halo and girls.
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Creed
I’ve heard this poem in a few of Ravi’s podcasts, but it had even more of an impact when I read it in print. I found it in “Can Man Live Without God” by Ravi Zacharias, but it was written by the English Journalist, Steve Turner. It’s a satirical poem on modern humanist thinking:
We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don’t hurt anyone
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.
We believe in sex before, during, and
after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy’s OK.
We believe that taboos are taboo.
We believe that everything’s getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.
We believe there’s something in horoscopes
UFO’s and bent spoons.
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha,
Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher though we think
His good morals were bad.
We believe that all religions are basically the same-
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.
We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens
they say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its
compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps
Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn
We believe in Masters and Johnson
What’s selected is average.
What’s average is normal.
What’s normal is good.
We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between warfare and
bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors .
And the Russians would be sure to follow.
We believe that man is essentially good.
It’s only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.
We believe that each man must find the truth that
is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth
that there is no absolute truth.
We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.
If chance be
the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky
and when you hear
State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!
It is but the sound of man
worshipping his maker.
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Can Man live without God??
I read through a few chapters of Ravi’s “Can Man Live without God” while sitting at a little sandwich/coffee shop here on M Street in Georgetown. Zacharias very deliberately points out the natural consequences of atheism – more specifically atheistic philosophy as Nietzsche presents it. While I read I wrote down my own response to his analysis of human nature:
Our condition is unique. We have a human nature that is concerned with self-preservation, a nature that seems to be mere product of evolution. But when God breathed into us the breath of life He added to that animal nature His own characteristics, His own likeness. It is these characteristics that allow us to raise the question of our own existence and our own nature, but it is our nature that blinds us from an awareness of those same characteristics.
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David’s prayer and Bathsheba.
I often find my own sin unforgivable so I have to reread the story of David and Bathseba. When I read anything about David, I feel more a part of the story; I read as if the story is about me.
God made an awesome promise to David in 2 Samuel chapter 7. In the beginning of his promise, God deals with David’s desire to build a house for the ark of God. The Lord tells David that He has moved around from tent to tent, and He has never asked for a house of cedar. Then the Lord reminded David that God took him from a pasture and made him ruler of His people, Israel. The Lord was with David wherever he went, and He always cut off his enemies. Then the Lord promises David that his name will be great, and his offspring will succeed him to rule over Israel. And his son would be the one to build a house for the Lord. The Lord told David that his son would do wrong and be punished, but the Lord’s love would never leave him.
David’s response was humility: ”Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?”
David was overwhelmed; God’s promise was a blessing. Over the next few chapters of 2 Samuel, David, who is empowered by this promise, does great things for the Lord. He defeated the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, the Ammonites, and others. David also gave all of Saul’s land to Saul’s cripled grandson, Mephibosheth.
Now, David finds himself walking on the roof of his palace where he sees Bathseba. David forgets God’s promise and is captivated by Bathsheba’s beauty. In his pursuit of Bathsheba, David’s sins add up: lust, adultery, murder. When Nathan confronts him about his sin, David’s eyes are opened and he repents. Nathan tells David, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” But he also said there would be consequences.
David sinned against the Lord, but the Lord’s promise was secure. Although David had to suffer the consequences – losing his firstborn son, he was still blessed by God. David and Bathsheba had a second son called Solomon. Solomon was not only the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide David with a son that would succeed him and build the temple, but this is also the line of Christ. David’s sin could not shake the promise of God. God didn’t choose a line of perfect and righteous followers from which to bring his Son, He chose a line of sinners – repentant sinners – but still sinners.
In our sin, we must remember that it is God’s work that makes us righteous, not our own work. God’s promise in our lives is more powerful than our sin, and our sin will not prevent the victory of Christ in this world.
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thoughts.
I haven’t written in a while, but I need to. I’m in D.C. now, and I’ll be spending plenty of time by myself which means I’ll have more time to think about life and God and the point at which they meet. Fortunately, God is always more interested in me than I am in Him. It’s embarrassing and humbling to admit that, but I think that kind of honesty is central to growing closer to Him.
Like I said, I’m in Washington D.C. right now. More specifically, I’m in Georgetown. This entire region is amazing – the weather, the history, the architecture, the landscape. Everything here seems to have such significance. I’ve traveled a lot lately – Los Angeles, Denver, New York City, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Seattle, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Germany. No other place has caused me to just step back and take time to remember the people that rose up to lead, that stood for what they believed to be right, and that sacrificed- even their own lives.
I’m not a deluded American patriot blindly supporting everything that is put into effect so long as it is backed by the flag. I’m aware of the deceptions, scandals, and atrocities for which our country is responsible. Humanity is never above those things. But I am a patriot, and when I step foot in this city, an overwhelming sense of pride and patriotism creeps in because I remember the individuals that had a vision and followed it. The early history of this great nation becomes a reality instead of a story. Understanding the magnitude of what our founding fathers actually endured makes you realize that God’s hand was clearly empowering those who invited it.
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regeneration
A portion of yesterday’s reading from “My Utmost For His Highest:”
“If Jesus Christ is going to regenerate me, what is the problem He faces? It is simply this— I have a heredity in which I had no say or decision; I am not holy, nor am I likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is tell me that I must be holy, His teaching only causes me to despair. But if Jesus Christ is truly a regenerator, someone who can put His own heredity of holiness into me, then I can begin to see what He means when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into anyone the hereditary nature that was in Himself, and all the standards He gives us are based on that nature— His teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us.”
Sometimes those who appear to be the holiest are actually living in despair because it is by their own effort that they come close to the standard God set for us. On the other hand, those who accept the new life that Christ offers may not appear to be holy. “His teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us” and we become holy on His terms, not ours. When we become holy on God’s terms, the rules change. It’s no longer about appearance. It becomes a matter of freedom rather than rules. We are able to love God, love others and operate our lives without stressing over the loss of the holiness that we’ve been working for.
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which cup?
“But Omar makes [wine], not a sacrament, but a medicine. He feasts because life is not joyful; he revels because he is not glad. “Drink,” he says, “for you know not whence you come nor why. Drink, for you know not when you go nor where. Drink, because the stars are cruel and the world as idle as a humming-top. Drink, because there is nothing worth trusting, nothing worth fighting for. Drink, because all things are lapsed in a base equality and an evil peace.” So he stands offering us the cup in his hand.” -G.K. Chesterton
Is this the cup from which we drink, a cup offered as a medicine to cure our meaningless lives? Do we drink to forget that there is nothing worth trusting? It’s not this cup alone that we use to cure the pain. Do we work a meaningless job because we believe there is nothing worth fighting for? Do we use relationships to find meaning and worth? Do we paint, sing, perform, relax, exercise, fight, love; do we cry, celebrate, play, study because there is no other answer?
“And at the high altar of Christianity stands another figure, in whose hand also is the cup of the vine. “Drink” he says “for the whole world is as red as this wine, with the crimson of the love and wrath of God. Drink, for the trumpets are blowing for battle and this is the stirrup-cup. Drink, for this my blood of the new testament that is shed for you. Drink, for I know of whence you come and why. Drink, for I know of when you go and where.” -G.K. Chesterton
Or do we drink because Christ offers purpose?
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infanticide.
I was prompted by JD’s comment on my “women’s choice nonsense” post to research infanticide. I didn’t realize this was an issue. It’s sickening:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/05042706.html
If you read the article, it’s important to note the signficance of ‘utilitarianism’. This is the philosphy that humans are nothing more than ‘disposable biological machines’ as the article states. This philosophy is the very product of athiesm. It’s what Nietzsche believed and what Hitler put into practice.
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your love is strong.
Trying to find inconsistencies in my belief about God’s goodness and love, a friend asked why there is suffering in the world. How can a loving God not only observe injustice and suffering but also create the environment for it?
This question isn’t original; it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard it, and it won’t be the last. Usually people love to ask this question because they’re sure that it cannot be reconciled.
God is love; love is a choice.
In your relationships, would you rather be with those who genuinely love you as you love them? Or would you rather be with someone who is forced to imitate love? If it is not a choice, a sacrifice even, is it love?
God created us to love Him. The creation of love allowed the possibility not to love. It’s the nature of love. Both choices have consequences. The choice to love God establishes a relationship, a fulfillment, a promise. The choice not to love him creates separation, pain, suffering.
His love is strong. His love is perfect.
His love is the answer to our every desire, our every need. Where we are broken, his love is the fix. Where we are wounded, his love heals. Yet, the world finds this love undesirable. How? “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18) The message of the cross is love. True love is foolishness to the world.
Do I have it within me to help the world make sense of God’s love? Can I bring God’s love to them?
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Tags: God's Love, still don't know what a tag does, world
Sonnet 1
A love that no man can perceive is here,
anticipated yet often denied
by those who can’t receive this love for fear
of losing self and letting go of pride.
I know not whether she’ll reflect his love
but even still I’ll put it on the line.
For love like this comes only from above
to bring our savior’s sacrifice to mind.
And central to this love is sacrifice
So I would give my life for her today.
For love worth giving comes at the high price
of putting her before myself always.
I hope to God she finds my love to be
an image of what Christ’s love is for me.
***
I decided to write my sonnet on the plane to NYC. I was assigned to write about love for my British Literature class after reading Sir Philip Sidney’s Astrophel and Stella.
A thought about Christ’s sacrifice became a theme for my sonnet. Christ went to the cross, and theoretically, it’s possible that no one after him would ever return his love. Christ’s sacrifice and his love were completely one sided; his love is independent of us. As His love is offered without expecting anything in return, so my love for my wife (and the world) should share this quality.
This is how our love should be for everyone. Not just for our spouse with a romantic love but for the world with the same love that Christ showed for us. It’s a sacrifice that doesn’t wonder what it will get in return.
God is love. Most of the world either doesn’t believe in God or doesn’t acknowledge his existence. I think the same is true for love. As I’ve ventured away from the ‘Christian bubble’ where I’m most comfortable, I’ve met people that don’t believe in love. The only love they know is love that offers something in return. Even in marriage there are people that love their spouse like they love pizza, or dolphins, or the color red. It makes them feel good, it’s pleasing. It isn’t a sacrificial love given without condition.
But God’s love is.
I think that if the world were exposed to this type of love in great measure it would reject it. His love is foreign to most people. It’s value isn’t recognized; it’s need is inexpressible. It’s my job show the world God’s love – to give love freely, without terms or conditions. I realize I’m setting myself up for heartbreak, but that’s fine. The world is worth it; she is worth it – at least Christ thought so.
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