Justified or Incarcerated

http://thespinalconnection.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/05/kid-computer.jpg The context of socialization is changing.  People used to get together and socialize, today, people have smartphone and electronic devices for social life, that is suitable for most.  The trend is leaving from real face to face communicate to a face, screen, face communication.  Today, more and more teenagers, kids learn the use of technology–and they love it.  If the gospel used to be heard on the street because that's where the people were, today, the gospel needs to be heard on social forms, that is where the people are now. The question is, how we, as Christians, share the gospel using internet?

I've asked Guillermo Powell's of his notes, who was performing Ivan's and Tania wedding August 11, 2013.   I was encouraged by a wise council that came from his experience and God's word.  Here's his script:   " Charge to the Bride and Groom You both have travelled through this road called LIFE to find each other. In fact, in your case the road for Ivan started in Santa Fe, Argentina and took you through New York state, and Texas; and for Tania it started in DEEDICHI, Ukraine, to meet, in all places, in Bellingham, WA. Each comes with family backgrounds that are unique, different cultures, different personalities and experiences which have made you who you are today – and you obviously like each other! This road does not stop here; on the contrary, it becomes much more exciting now, it is wider and deeper, fuller and robust… because now you will walk it TOGETHER. It has been this way from the beginning of times. - God made the sexes to be mutually comp...

"The main problem for those young people was that their parents' churches were indeed pathologically shallow and worldly.  The students had grown up being entertained far more than they were spiritually fed.  When they began to move out of the youth group into the adult world, they were turned off by churches that simply could not keep up with changing styles.  In reality, even the trendiest seeker-sensitive churches were still wedded to the tastes and convictions of a modern, not a postmodern, generation."   This is the quote from the book "Ashamed of the Gospel" written by John MacArthur.  As I got involved in church ministry, I have noticed a big difference between my generation and my parents generation christianity.  I've asked my self constantly, what contributed a none passionate Christian culture?  In other words, why Christianity slowly sliding into a dry religion.  The word "God" or "Christ" mostly mentioned only in Sunday ch...

On the day of Christ crucifixion, disciples were emotionally down, discouraged on what happened to their teacher—he was killed.  So much hope they had in their hearts towards God's kingdom being revealed to the humanity, was gone now.  At that day, it was not only a spiritual battle for Christ, it was a spiritual battle for his followers.  This happened because God had a plan.  It was a disaster, looking at  Christ on the cross.  He was humiliated before the crowed.  Isaiah says, "one from whom men hid their face... Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers" (53:3-7).  This was before the disciples eyes.  Peter, sneaked to the area where Jesus was tortured, became fearful.  Looking at how Jesus was torture, he denied any association with Jesus – this was not a pleasant moment in disciples life.  I just wonder what was the impression of those faces that evening.  What was the...

"'Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.' When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, 'Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.' Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward." (Exodus 33:3-6) First, God knows the people heart; therefore, He knows if he goes with Israel, he will destroy them with in a single moment.  The problem was in their hearts.  The word that God used to describe these people is "stiff-neck." We all known what happens if the person has a stiff neck, he can't turn his head right to left, the neck is stiff.  That's how God describe...

"All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" 3But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" (Exodus 17:1-3) All of us face disappointments, they very and different from each other.  Do to the context of our lives, for example if the person is single, married, divorce, in jail, work as a police officer will experience disappointments in one area or another.  But what all disappointments have in common is the reaction of the person.  Ether the person submits to the situation and goes on thankful...

http://wallpaperscristaos.com.br/christianwallpapers/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/faith-God-wallpaper_1920x1200.jpg “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"—Heb 11:1 Friend of mine recently asked me what I knew about faith.  Right away I made an attempt explaining him faith since I’ve been a Christian for few years now.  After a long discussion, we both decided to study faith and get back to this topic.  Faith is a word often heard in churches; when reading the Bible, just in New Testament we find 243 verses that mention the word faith.  When I began reading all these verses and thinking about them, I understood that I had little knowledge of faith.  Faith is a general and practical topic in Christianity, but I knew little about it.  So the question I want to ask is this: what is faith? Studying the scripture, the best description we find is in Hebrews chapter eleven verse one: “Now faith i...

http://honeyandlocusts.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/pointing-finger.jpg Discipleship leads towards a healthy life before God. Recently, one of my friends asked me about how to work with a person who has a pattern of expressing cold, critical, judgmental, and defensive responds when confronted with corrections. Eventually, the cold, critical, judgmental and defensive behavior at the end of the day only hurting the person who acts this way. Discipleship is not focused on cultivating friendship, which friendship plays a roll, but on sharpening the areas that are sinful, unhealthy, and destructive for the soul. Proverbs says, "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool" (17:10). Another words, Proverbs says there are two people at the end of those who are rebuke, a person who understands and a person who is a fool, (none of us reading this, think ourselves as a fool, but do we accept the rebuke from others?). Fool can hear hundred...

http://www.teenjury.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/freedom-of-speech.jpg What is marriage? A debatable question between a religious groups and homosexuals.  A biblical view on marriage is when a man and a women (opposite sex) become a husband and a wife consensual and contractual recognized by a law.  Where, the culture and the support from the government define marriage as "the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage, same-sex marriage" (Merriam-Webster).  For few years now, media, the influential people in Hollywood and in businesses, and few people in government were pressuring the biblical definition of marriage to redefine so homosexual can be accepted in the community. The debate arose when the law, "Don't ask, don't tell," that "was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 19...

Gospel as a phase can be over used. People are very vague when it comes to give a brief description on the gospel. “Jesus died for my sin,” or, “a story about redemption” common phrases we speak or hear. Nevertheless, gospel is the essential truth that saves a sinner, saves us. When we talk about the gospel, there are truths like an anchor that holds the story together. Gospel is not the gospel without an understanding of who is God, men, Jesus Christ, and how that truth applies to our life. When we speak of the Gospel, the conversation always begins with a phase, “God…” —God— God is the center being of why our universe exist. Nothing would exist if it wasn’t for God who spoke words into reality. This makes him the only creator and the only God who has full control over the our universe. In addition, when God created the world, God had a purpose for every matter that be found, this includes a human life. He is the Creator Universe came into existence as God said, ...

Most of us take the passage Matthew 18:8-9 and apply it to the separation of sin.  Which to say it is true. "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."   However, looking at why Jesus said these words gave me a different view of Matthew 18:8-9. This chapter starts when Jesus called a child and placed him in front of the disciples.  "He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in th...

http://www.thezerosbeforetheone.com/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2012/04/Never-Get-Married-300x300.gif My fourth month marriage anniversary has arrived, and there are already commitments that shaped and continue to shape my own heart.  It is an amazing ride, being Christian with a wife, who shares the same belief, goal, and purpose, makes life beautiful.  The more I live in the union, the more I see the culture differences.  For example, why won't we see love in marriage? Don't get me wrong, there is love in marriage but that's not something we see advertised or talked about everyday; what I am trying to say, love, most of the time promoted, advertised in songs, movies between two people but almost never in the context of marriage.  It is interesting, have sex, date someone, you were made for happiness, just not in marriage—no wonder why there are too many broken lives as people age. In one of my English classes, we talked about atmosphere that helps us be...

Recently Bubba Watson took the prize of the champion for 2012 Masters. In few words, when he was given the microphone, Bubba expressed his thankfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ, his savior. This video eventually went viral on the Internet, but in the comment sections creates a dilemma between those who believe and those who don't. People express their hate toward Bubba calling him moron, other expressed hate towards religion in general. But on the other side, religion people wrote something against evolution and atheism, interesting comments to read and see what is said about Bubba's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; people are more talking about his faith than his actual achievement as a golfer. One of the comments that got my attention was by the nickname: "Bennythebearful." This person said, "I think his comment about my lord and saviour shows that Bubba is mentally ill." Now is he? Is Bubba a person who is mentally ill? First of all, that is a hars...

As I was growing up, teenager then adult, my outside appearance was really important for me—I was chubby.  Ok, more then chubby my friends would say.  As a regular young guy, I desired for some girl to look at me and see some beauty, but that would only happen in my dreams.  Constantly from strangers, friends, and family members, I received comment's regarding my weight.  Comment would go like this: "who would ever marry you if you are that chubby."  Actually, I redraw the real comments that people would say. Knowing God, gave me comfort in the moments when I felt not accepted.  I was constantly comforted by scripture, always came back to the truths because the truth made me feel accepted no matter how I looked.  This is what makes God so beautiful, this is because of who He is in His nature—God looks at the human differently no matter how she or he has looks from outside.  Yes, the looks are important but so...

http://www.deliveringhappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/happyball.jpg All of us are in pursue of happiness. We desire to love and be loved. We pursue better life style, more comfortable vehicle, modern clothes, more easier and faster technology—a freedom to make choices and not be judged by others. But what is happiness? Can it be that what we pursue, actually doesn’t satisfy us? I can say that we all might disagree on what makes us happy. What make you happy, doesn’t make me happy, what makes me happy, probably wont bring you joy. The thought is conceived, then it perused, when accomplished, it bring the reward to our minds (this is called happiness)—we pursue it, it’s our dream. However, does what we pursue actually satisfies our comfort? After the fall of man, can it be that we are pursing the empty conception?

http://feedgrids.com/originals/images/uploads_post/image1.jpg I’ve always wondered if parents carry any responsibility for how their children turn out in life. Well lately, there has been research done on parenting styles. Four basic parenting styles are identified: uninvolved, indulgent, authoritarian, and authoritative. Uninvolved are the one’s who does not respond to his children and demand something little from them. Children get into trouble in their early years and perform poorly in life. They also have low self-esteem and high level in depression and substance abuse. This parenting style opens doors for other to set rules in their child life. Indulgent are high responsive to the need’s of their children but are not demanding. The children also get into trouble in their early life and perform poorly in school. However, these children have a better social life, higher self-esteem. These children say that they high too much money and have nothing to do, another w...

Lately I've watched "The Medical Child," for my psychology class.  "Marcel Gaviria confronts psychiatrists, researchers and government regulator about the risks, benefits and many questions surrounding prescription drugs for troubled children."  Interviewing doctors, families, and those who responsible to do research on the medication that children take. http://www.chiro.org/pediatrics/DISCONTINUED/ritalin.gif Since 1990's, the bipolar disorder is skyrocketed among children.  More and more parents are told that the way their child behaves is not normal, therefor medication is the solution.  The bipolar disorder is "A psychological disorder marked by manic and depressive episodes" (Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary).  In other words, the mood swing back and forth from being hyper to a depression mode.  But can you really do this analysis on the children? What if that's a normal behavior for being a child?   How do we kn...

Recently I had a conversation with my wife about the media and the influence of it.  Let's face it, every young adult has an Facebook account.  Facebook statistics show that it has more then 800 million active users.  But is there a different between parents and children generation in media?  Children were born to use Facebook, it came naturally; parents were forced to use Facebook, and it came with pain when learning was done.  But the question remains to be answered, is the media a good thing or a bad thing?  Here's some facts from Parent Further website about children exposure to media:    "According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Media and Family , children spend more time sitting in front of electronic screens than doing any other activity besides sleeping. 1 Kids’ excessive screen time comes with all kinds of hazards: lack of physical activity, exposure to adult themes and content, and lack of interaction with f...

http://jcow81.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/twenty-seven.gif As I am turning twenty seven, there are couple things that I want to thank my Lord for. Being twenty seven  might sound old for some people, but that is usually the case for people who are younger than 27. However for some (like a 50 year old), twenty seven is sounds like a child—it all depends from what perspective you are looking from. But as I look back, there are things that I am deeply humbled by: events, situations, and decisions that took place as I was 26 years old. Lot’s of changes that occurred in the past year. Learning to be content in any situation, being placed in different circumstances and not demanding my rights, these things filled my twenty sixth year. To be dependent on the Lord was something that I experience this year. As I look back and analyze, these are the things that my heart was influence by: My family:  Parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives are big part of my life, the...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82977271@N00/262738480/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Why am I writing this? Usual I try to escape a questions that has nothing to do with me or my life.  But for a few months, I was challenged to see what does the Bible say about a woman and her roll in the church.  I know that this is not a simple question that has a simple answer, this question requires a precise answer, and defiantly I am not qualified to do this.  On the other hand, I still had to formulate an answer for my self to see how am I going to approach this subject. Here are my thoughts.  I also would love to hear yours opinion and your thoughts to challenge my conclusions and be corrected. Different approach   People have good reasons and a good motivation for lot’s of events that are happening in the Church's.  These events flow out from the scripture, traditions, culture, personal desires, and maybe someone were just instructed that way.  With all that...