Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Motivation

There are so many people that talk about things. We argue about things. We have meetings about things. We talk about movies. We talk about music. We argue about what is ‘good’ music or ‘bad’ music, or movies, or books…blah, blah, blah. We talk about what motivates us, or what inspires us.

But, what does motivate us? Money? Power? Hate? Revenge? Or are you motivated by the desire to make yourself acceptable? Acceptable to whom? Man? God?

Maybe you’re motivated by the desire to control others. They aren’t acting the way I think they should act so I’ll use guilt, condemnation, threats, or religion to control their behavior. We make statements like, “This is what you should be doing,” or “You shouldn’t be doing that.”

We say that if you do this or that, “You will be good.” But we forget, “There is none good, no not one.” Jesus told the rich young ruler, “You lack one thing, sell all you have and come follow me.” Our personal righteousness is our idol. We trust more in our behavior than in what Jesus did, once, for all, on the cross of Calvary. Then we turn around and treat people based on our personal ‘holiness’ or ‘righteousness.’

Maybe we seek recognition or acclaim. We want people to think we’re great. We want to be famous. We strive and sacrifice for that hint of glory. But Jesus told His servants, “So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

Yet there will be those that stand before God and say, “Hey, did we not do many wonderful things in Your name?” What were they doing, and why were they doing it? Did they trust in Christ or in their ‘wonderful things?’ God sees the motives of the heart.

Who are the ‘good’ or ‘great’ people of God? They are the people who are living their lives not seeking recognition. They are the sheep that Jesus said, “Come into my kingdom faithful servant…” Who answer back, “When did we do these things?” They lived their lives of love. They were led by the Spirit, but have been unaware. Who knows, maybe they were “angels unaware” that are spoken of. These are people who know that God has accepted them because of what Jesus has done on the cross and now love from a free heart. They go the extra mile, not because it’s ‘commanded,’ but because it is a part of who they are in Christ.

What is our duty? What is required of us? “This is the first and greatest commandment. Love God with all your heart, mind, body and soul. The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Love should be the motivator – love for God and love for your neighbors. ‘Therefore abide these three, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Faith saves us and makes us acceptable to God. For by grace we are saved through faith, and not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hope sustains us. In the trials of life, knowing that this is not all there is and that God loves us so much He opened the door for us, He made the Way for us. He gave His life for us. It strengthens and sustains us.

But it is love that is the greatest. For this is how we share Christ with the world, by the love we have one for another.

May the Grace of Christ fill your life,
DJ GlenMC

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

RIP Larry Norman

Larry Norman
4/8/1947 - 2/24/2008
You will be missed.
For those who don't know who Larry Norman is, he wrote one of the best Christian Rock Songs.
"Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"

Friday, February 15, 2008

Some Good Websites

Have you ever heard the lie that "All credible scientists believe in evolution?" It's a slap at creation scientists and those that don't fully accept evolution. Here are a couple of good websites.

http://www.icr.org/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.discovery.org/
http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/
http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/creation/people/home.html

Of course everything depends on Who your faith is in.

Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

I am a Creationist

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56243

The above link is to an article concerning standards for teaching the theory of evolution in Florida schools. After reading the article I decided to blog. I also recommend Vox Day's book "The Irrational Atheist." You can download it for whatever you feel like paying at Vox Day's website. http://irrationalatheist.com/downloads.html

In the interest of disclosure, before I talk about what I’m going to talk about, let me say unequivocally that I am a Biblical Creationist. I believe in the Biblical account as it is written. I believe the Bible as truth. I believe that there are differences between allegory, stories and history written in the Bible. I believe Jonah and the large fish is history. I believe David and the giant was history. I believe creation was history. Was I there to witness it? No. Do I accept it? Yes.

I also believe that evolution is a theory, not a fact, a theory. I believe it is a theory being used to undermine the faith of millions. I know that evolutionist will claim that creation is a theory. So be it. Funny thing is about this word ‘theory.’ I saw someone write an article complaining that someone wanted the teaching of evolution to include the word ‘theory.’ They had a problem with that. It is a theory. That’s all it is. Contrary to what is pushed upon us, evolution is a theory not a proven fact, a theory.

What should be taught in schools? Neither. What? You may say.

In his book “The Irrational Atheist,” Vox Day talks about the definition of science. “But if Oxford’s most famous professor never quite gets around to answering the question, the Oxford English Dictionary does not shirk from the task. It defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. (—ORIGIN Latin scientia, from scire “know.”)There, was that so hard? Science is systematic study done through observation and experiment. Therefore, if the study is not systematic, or if observation and experiment are not involved, it is obviously not science by this definition.”[1]

Using the Oxford English Dictionary view of science, neither evolutionary theory nor creation theory should be taught in school. Maybe both should be taught in philosophy.

What the schools should teach is how things work, not how we think it came in to being. Math isn’t taught by teaching how it came into being. English isn’t taught by teaching how it came to be. Why should biology and science be taught that way? Biology especially shouldn’t be taught that way. Teach how something that we must deal with works now, not the theory of how we think it worked before it came to be now. I don’t care how you think it came to be. How does it work now?

First day of class the teacher should say, “There are many who believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Others believe that it just happened by chance. Others just don’t know. In this class we will learn what we do know – how things work.” Teach how the eye works. Teach how the body works. Teach about the healing process and how thing work together. Neither creation nor evolution is fundamentally necessary to teach how something that is in existence works. Teach how things work, not how you think it came into being. How it works will be more of a benefit that how you think it came about.

The only reason I can see for the pushing of evolutionary theory on anyone is to undermine their faith. Just teach how things work and function. I believe God created us. Man sinned. Jesus died and rose for us to make us acceptable to God. I will do what is in my power to love you.

Now explain to me how the body is designed to heal itself. Explain to me how the eye works. Explain how the ear works. Don’t tell me how you think it came to be, I’m not interested in how you think it came to be. I know what I believe. My faith is in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. There is no other. He has no brother, except his adopted brothers and sisters of grace through faith. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

To me the body functions too well together to be an accident.

[1] The Irrational Atheist by Vox Day, Page 30, BenBella Books, Inc, Dallas, TX