Revival

I desperately need revival. The church needs revival. The world needs revival. When I use to word "revival" I do not mean revival meetings...I more closely mean an Awakening. Wikipedia gives a pretty good definition of revival as "a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally." The emphasis would be on increased spiritual interest, but I believe it goes much further. Webster goes a little further: "the act or an instance of bringing something back to life, public attention, or vigorous activity." This is getting better. The thesaurus had some great synonyms: reanimation, rebirth, regeneration, rejuvenation, renewal, resurgence, resurrection, resuscitation, revitalization. These words are great! I get pumped just reading them.

There is a serious lack of "spiritual" interest in the world that I see. People just don't care. Why don't they care? I'm not sure. But it does make it difficult to care when others don't. I see that a lot in my field of work: education. All the time I see students and parents who do not care about grades or education. Actually, I even see a lot of parents who do not even care about their students...their children. They don't feed them or take care of them at all. It is saddening. This is occurring in our church. Students AND parents do not care about their children spiritually. They do not feed them or take care of them. It's not the church's responsibility to raise and teach children. That's the parent's responsibility. But the parents slack and don't do their part, so we (similarly to a school district), the church, step in and take up their responsibility..and we don't even get support for it. Remember...they don't care. I'm sure there are some that do care, but more often than not, they don't. At least their actions show that they do not care.

We need revival. I need revival. I want a dramatic increase in my interest and walk with Christ. I want our church to have a dramatic interest in spiritual things. Our country desperately needs it. I want people to care about the spiritual condition of their children and family. I want the students to care.

Lord, revive us again.

Revival

Journaling Blogging and the Reformation

I realized that I have been trying put too much thought into my journal blog. It's not like I get paid to do this or my life will make it or break it depending on what I write here. Plus, who really reads this thing anyways? I'm basically going to let this go and write down the first thing that comes to mind. Therefore, there may be grammatical errors, but I don't care. I'm also working on empathy. :p

Donald Whitney's book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, is a resource that I have returned to time and time again over the years for council. I usually read bits and pieces here and there, but this time I was focused on prayer and journaling. While I'm not going to write about either, I am going to write about a topic suggested in the book: Reformation. Here it goes!

I thought it was prudent to discuss and write about the Reformation as this Sunday is the celebration of the Reformation (on a side note, I don't know if I should capitalize Reformation or not, but I'm doing it anyways). I was listening to Moody radio this morning on the way to work and there was a guest on that was talking about the Reformation and Martin Luther. After listening to it for a while, it got me thinking about the KCBA (Kenosha Christian Bloggers Association) and the 50+ comment discussion about how God speaks today. When I read the posts/comments, something was just not sitting right with me. After much thought and meditation, I realized what it was! There is a doctrine called the Sufficiency of Scripture which basically says that scripture is all we need for salvation and the Christian life. We need nothing else (you may have to read the comments/posts to understand what I'm talking about). Therefore, when I think about God literally speaking to us today, I get uneasy and stuff just doesn't seem right. If the Bible is all that we need, why would God have to speak to us today? Isn't everything already in His Word? If God did speak to us today, then it seems like scripture is not sufficient.

However, I am very aware that there is a subjective guidance that occurs via the work of the Holy Spirit in which we can be guided how to act (i.e. when to say something, when not to say something, what to say, etc.) in daily life. For instance, scripture commands us to "love one another with brotherly affection," but how to live that out (meaning how to apply it), I believe, is a work of the Holy Spirit that occurs. So the question for me then becomes: how can the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture and the subject guidance of the Holy Spirit both be true?

My answer, even though I am still working on it, lies in the context of the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture. When did that doctrine come about? John Piper discusses how some heretics used the doctrine to argue against adding certain phrases like "of one essence with the Father" to orthodox creeds because that phrase is not found in scripture...idk.

This is where the reformation comes in (see, now I'm using a lower case "r"). The sufficiency of scripture likely got a huge boost from the reformation. The doctrine says that we only need scripture (Sola Scriptura) for salvation and Christian living (Justification and Sanctification). In other words, we don't need priests to get to God. We don't need priests to get saved; we only need scripture. That was the crux of the whole reformation. His famous quote: "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen." (paraphrased because I'm pretty sure it was in a different language). Priests refused to give the scripture to the common people in their own language. They required "indulgences" and other nonsense in order to grant salvation to the people...Martin Luther was the most visible voice of the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture.

Today, the sufficiency of scripture could be applied to cults, i.e. Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. We do not need the Book of Mormon or the Watchtower for salvation or living in Christ. We only need scripture. In that context of the sufficiency of scripture, I understand that it can coincide with the work of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture has historically fought against man-made addendums to scripture. That is the point of the doctrine.

So, this Sunday, I hope to spend more time contemplating the reformation and its impact on the Christian world. I'm grateful to have the scripture in my own language where I can read that I can go straight to God. There is no medium anymore. Christ is our medium. We go to God.

Sola Scriptura!

Journaling Blogging and the Reformation

No Free Speech Zone Outside Planned Parenthood

November 17th, 2009. That is the day that if anyone in Chicago attempts to distribute a handbill to, distribute a leaflet to, argue with, educate, or give council within 8 feet of anyone in front of a health care center (especially including Planned Parenthood), they will be breaking the law. It will be illegal to do any of the aforementioned activities in those parameters on or after November 17th, 2009. Anyone who gets within 8 feet without consent could face charges of up to $500.

When the city council voted 28-13 in favor of the "No Free Speech Zone" "bubble-zone", there were about 100 protesters outside singing Amazing Grace. Good thing city hall isn't a health care facility; they might have been fined.

I should not be surprised that events like this are occurring. Free speech is being denied constantly. Colorado was the first state to have a "No Free Speech Zone" "bubble-zone" case that went to the Supreme Court in 2000, and it was affirmed by a 6-3 vote. In other words, the Supreme Court agrees that this is no infringement on our First Amendment. I read the dissenting opinions of Justice Scalia in the decision and he states that this is "a speech regulation directed against the opponents of abortion, and it therefore enjoys the benefit of the 'ad hoc nullification machine' that the Court has set in motion to push aside whatever doctrines of constitutional law stand in the way of that highly favored practice" (emphasis added).

Justice Scalia, along with Justices Thomas and Kennedy all agree that this a direct assault on our First Amendment rights. Justice Kennedy, in his dissent, went so far as to say, "The Court's holding contradicts more than a half century of well-established First Amendment principles. For the first time, the Court approves a law which bars a private citizen from passing a message, in a peaceful manner and on a profound moral issue, to a fellow citizen on a public sidewalk. If from this time forward the Court repeats its grave errors of analysis, we shall have no longer the proud tradition of free and open discourse in a public forum" (emphasis added).

I understand that some are claiming that patients are being harassed. However, it is illegal to educate or even council them?? Are they trying to tell us that if someone begging and pleading with someone about to commit a horrible and heinous thing to consider the alternatives and consider life...that should be illegal? This is a huge problem. It starts with only 8 feet. Watch it grow to 10, 50, 100 feet or higher.

So, if you happen to be in Chicago on November 17th, 2009 or later, be careful where you walk. If it is within 50 feet of Planned Parenthood a healthcare center and you are closer than 8 feet to someone entering it, and even utter the words, "Wow, I pray no one comes here," you will be breaking the law!

Way to go America.

For the full text of the Supreme Court case, click here

No Free Speech Zone Outside Planned Parenthood

Pilot Lights and Water Heaters

I thought my cold shower this morning was due to my wife's long shower before I got up. I'm reasonably use to knowing that if I'm the second one in the shower, then I'm the one with no hot water. Its almost as if my wife's cue to stop showering is that there is no hot water left.

That being said, my wife wanted to take a shower this evening and wash her hair before The Office tonight (Pam and Jim's Wedding!). She came back telling me there was no hot water. No hot water? There should have been enough time for the water heater to refill from this morning..hmm.. I definitely don't know enough this.

I Googled the problem and am told that it may be that my pilot light is out, so I try to check it. However, I have no clue how to check for a pilot light. I Googled it. Then I called my dad. He tried explaining and then I called my brother. He came over and helped me re-light it. Upon re-lighting it, I turned the dial up to get it hotter and there was a teeny-tiny explosion that singed my brothers arm hair...whoops. Hey, at least we didn't get blown up, right?

Needless to say, this all made me appreciate life, my dad, my brother, and God a lot more. It's like when I'm on a plane. Every time I get on, I get closer with God. I know that statistically you are safer flying, but there is just something about holding that steering wheel that makes me feel like I'm in control.

I know the Christian life is full of ups and downs. This helped remind me how to get back on the up:

"Don't let my love grow cold
I'm calling out
Light the fire again
Don't let my vision die
I'm calling out
Light the fire again.

"You know my heart, my deeds
I'm calling out
Light the fire again
I need your discipline
I'm calling out
Light the fire again

"I am here to buy gold
Refined in the fire
Naked and poor
Wretched and blind I come
Clothe me in white
So I won't be ashamed
Lord, light the fire again."

(Music and Lyrics by Brian Doerkson).

Anyone remember this song? You Lakeview people (previous and current) may remember this song being sung by a big guy with a goatee...ah the good 'ol days.

Pilot Lights and Water Heaters

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Working on some changes...

For my countless readers, I have been making some updates! I added a "Share This" to every post so that you can share it on almost any platform (Facebook, email, etc...). I've also added the RSS button on the upper right-hand corner. I designed it myself! I'm working on the spacing of everything, so I have a lot more work to do. Also, I've added a twitter feed that shows my last 5 tweets. I don't at all like the way this looks right now...so I will be working on it in the coming days. I've also been playing around with Google Docs and the forms. That is what you see on the last post...it was a complete test and does not mean anything. Alright, I should be going to bed now. Until next time here is an embed of some pictures from a while ago.

Working on some changes...

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