Learning

A little while back, I went to Northside for an entire school day for the first time since 5^th grade. What I noticed, was that no one liked learning. It was a short day, so I only observed math and science, but the overall attitude towards learning was negative. Like it was a nuisance instead of a privilege.

            Learning? A privilege? Well, yeah…

Proverbs 1:5

5. Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,

If we do not first learn about God, then how can we know him? I say first, because learning is not the end of it. When you were told the gospel, did you not first learn that Jesus died for you? Of course, a person can learn something and not have wisdom (2 Timothy 3:7-9).

Hosea 4:6a

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
    because you have rejected knowledge,
    I reject you from being a priest to me.

In other words, if we lack or reject knowledge, how can we be used by God?

            What does school have to do with this? At school we learn about how God’s creation works (math and science; which is important since we are part of his creation). We learn how to communicate God’s word (English, or any other language). We also learn what God has been doing in the past so that we can have wisdom towards our future (History). If you dislike learning, or grudgingly do it, then you’re missing out. Schoolwork can be a blessing!

This year I've been taking Modern History. I just learned about the end of the Cold War. During the Cold War,North Korea built the Berlin Wall. I find it completely amazing at how the Berlin Wall was torn down. There was no army and the protest groups only contributed. My History book says, “On both sides of the Iron Curtain, people waited, anxiously wondering whether communist authorities would lash back and try to reassert power (from the rebels). What followed was a misunderstanding that triggered one of the most significant events of the twentieth century.”

At a press conference, it was announced that there would be new relaxed travel limits. The speech said, “Permanent exit can take place via all border crossings.” Therefore, people were thinking that the Berlin wall was opening. Thousands of people stormed the wall with the hopes of the gates opening. Confused border guards opened the gates even though they weren't supposed to, but they didn't know what to do.

            Do you see the hand of God in that?

God can also be seen in learning science and math. By learning about what God created, we learn more about the God who created it. For example, if you wrote a song (or something else) then that song is your creation. The song tells others about you when they listen to it. If it about liking ice cream, then it shows that you probably like ice cream.

In a similar way, I believe, what God has created reflects back to God. Therefore, since physics is the learning of physical activity, which God gave us the ability to do, we are in turn learning about how to use what God has given us.

If I am making no sense, I am sorry.

For example, God can be seen in learning English. Or any language for that matter. If we are incapable of communicating, how can we teach others so that they might learn as well?

Now, I am mostly talking to students here and I’m kind of assuming that if you are reading this than you are a Christian believer, even though that assumption might not be true. Bottom line of all this, Proverbs 9:9-10. Learn, but when you are learning, use wisdom and insight, and in turn, use your knowledge to glorify God for what he has given you.

Proverbs 9: 9-10

⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

God is good.

God is good. Most people reading this have heard this phrase many times through their Christian School, Christian Church, Christian families, and Christian lives. But, do you really believe it? Let me put it this way using a fictional example (I know, shocking, right? Me - using a fictional example.)

Ally just got home from school. She had had a rough day with a big pile of homework left to do that night. Closing the door, she starts to complain about how much homework she has. Then, she sees her parents standing there very seriously. They sit down and tell her that her aunt had just died that day. Ally was devastated. Her aunt had been in and out of hospitals for years for heart problems. Every time she came out just fine, so Ally never gave a thought to it. Suddenly, her aunt was dead because her heart had failed completely.

She ran up to her room and cried. How could He? How could God just take her aunt like that? How could God be good?

Ally is looking at things short term and self-centered. I remember last year B.H. was my Bible teacher. He asked a question that really had me stumped. It was: “Say I come up to you and ask, ‘How can God be good?’” Classmates started spinning out answers, but our Bible teacher was always able to defend it with something. The problem was that every time he questioned our answers he would reply with “I” or “you” or “my aunt.” All of this dealt self-centered or “horizontal” (looking through people standers) as Hunter would say instead of vertical (God and his glory).

Finally, someone said, “Well, it’s not about you. It’s all about God.”

That was the correct answer. We are nothing. Only by God’s grace are we saved through faith. God has every right to dame us from his presence forever, but instead he gave us the chance to have a relationship with him by taking our sin, which was what was separating us from him, on the cross.

Until you realize that God being fair means that he has to punish sin and that you don’t deserve anything created by him (which is everything we see) and a relationship with him, then you will never get the concept of God being good. Everything, including the death of a loved one, is for his glory. Somehow, whether we see it or not, it is in his perfect plan.

Remember when Adam and Eve first sinned by eating the fruit that they were told not to eat? God knew that they were going to sin because he is Sovereign. It wasn’t a mistake. God is able and chooses to use sinful people to work out his will.

There was a small example that I remember that my mom did when I was little. She asked Justin to come up. She handed him a quarter and said, “That quarter is yours. You can do what you want with it. Now, can I have it back?”

“No,” Justin said.

So, Justin got to keep the quarter, but if he had given it back, my mom was planning to give him two quarters back. When we give our entire life to God, we will always get more than we deserve back in return. But, say you are a “really good Christian.” You obey your parents, do you devotions, and have a good relationship with God. Suddenly, a loved one dies; your parents lose money and can’t afford much of anything.

This seems like God is taking everything away from you and you don’t get anything back. Here, you are looking horizontal. If you look vertical, you’ll see that when you die, none of that will matter. If you truly believe that God is good, you also know that he has given you spiritual riches beyond compare and a relationship that God keeps perfectly. You have more rich than you can imagine! Use them!

Matthew 6:19 - 20

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS3VzA1E8rI

Short story

There once were two boys. One was named Steven and the other was named Chuck. Steven lived in a wealthy family. Chuck, on the other hand, lived on the streets making a living by stealing.

It was wintertime, and Steven walked out of the house to play in the snow. Chuck saw Steven around the corner of a building and noticed Steven’s elegant clothes and knew that he was rich.

Chick grabbed some snow that consisted of an ice piece in the middle, then snow, then mud with sticks. Chuck through the snowball.

Bam! The snowball hit Steven in the forehead. Knocked unconscious, a trickle of blood from Steven’s forehead bled onto the white snow. Chuck ran in and took $500 from Steven’s coat pocket and ran away.

After three hours, Steven woke up. He went back to the house and got fixed up.

The next day, Steven went on a walk and saw Chuck eating a hot dog on the sidewalk. Steven walked up to Chuck. Once Chuck saw him, he turned to run, but then realized that a cop was right on that street giving a ticket to a speeding driver. If he ran, the cop would notice, but if he stayed, and got punched, then the cop would be on his side.

Chuck stayed. Steven stopped right in front of him. Without a word, he gave Chuck his gloves. Steven knelt down and formed a white snowball and handed it to Chuck.

“Why don’t you come with me and make a snowman at my house?” Steven asked and then walked away.

Steven felt something cold run down his back. Turning around, he watched as Chuck walked the other direction.

Teen service 1

   

This entire week, I tried to write about the teen service that we had last Sunday. It’s just that I’ve been so busy, that I didn’t have time. So, here I am a week later, finally writing it.

To start off with, the teen service wasn’t perfect by any means. There were a few times that we messed up, but each and ever time, we would forget that it happened and just keep going. We were able to do this because the teen service wasn’t about how our performance was, it was about God. In everything that every person on that stage did, they did to the glory to God.

Before we even began the service, we practiced. We didn’t practice Justin’s preaching or the other testimonies (except for at home). We practiced going up and down the stage, and singing some of the songs.

Then, it started. I was first playing the prelude, Bow the Knee on the flute. With a few places where I ran out of breathe, I made it through without stopping completely. After that, Pastor Sype introduced the teen service and then Prego (his nickname given by the Yorty family) explained the teen service.

I’m assuming that a lot of the people in the congregation thought that it would practically be a talent show. Our youth leader, Hunter, did his best not to make it that, and I dare say that it most certainly was not a talent show.

Prego then prayed and took his seat. We sang songs, had scripture readings, and testimonies.

Bethany was first. She told of when she had just started working at Tim Horton’s. Just starting work and not knowing where anything was or how to do it was a lot of her. On top of that, Bethany had been told that the Carpenters had left Calvary and that she would be playing the organ for the prelude on Sundays. In there somewhere, she had to find time to do her schoolwork. Bethany was so overwhelmed, and thought that she couldn’t do it all by herself. But wasn’t that the point? We can’t do anything without God. Without him, it is too much. But thank God that he doesn’t ask us to do it without him. If we just rely on God, he will help us.

(This last Thursday, I had just found out that we had to read a chapter in our book, The God who is There, and memorize Genesis 1:1-2 by the next day. So, I did my schoolwork as fast as I could. That night, we had an away volleyball game and we would get home very late, so I had a limited time to get my schoolwork time and read the entire chapter. We were supposed to have been reading it throughout the week, but I didn’t know that. With the chapter, we had a work sheet that we were supposed to fill out. Bethany was picking Miranda and me up for volleyball at 3:15p.m.

At 2:30, I was able to start reading the chapter. Looking at how long it was, I realized that there was no way that I was finishing the chapter and the worksheet and memorize the easy verses before it was time to go to volleyball. I started to think more about how I was going to get it all in than about what I was reading. I realized that somehow God would take care of it. That’s when I heard the phone ring and Bethany’s voice say, “Turns out the volleyball team is actually leaving at 4:30. I’ll be picking you up at 4:15.”

YES! THANK YOU! I thought. I was able to get all of it done before going to volleyball.)

Miranda was next. She pretty much told everyone in the auditorium a testimony that I hadn’t even known some of it. She said that she used to do workout videos, and she would feel good afterwards. Then, she began to eat less and do workout videos more. Before long, she was hardly eating anything and working out about two hours a day. Miranda said that she doesn’t think she was depressed, it’s just that it made her feel in control of her life. When the issue of being under weight occurred, she knew that she needed to eat more, but by this time, she didn’t want too. Miranda would feel guilty every time she would eat something. After talking to Hunter and Nikki for spiritual guidance, she realized that she didn’t have to feel guilty about eating, and that she could take joy in serving God by having… say… a cheeseburger. In conclusion, just take joy in serving God in ever aspect of life.

Then, there was John. In Korea, John said, everything is fast, especially technology. Businesses are growing everyday and students pressured to get a good grade on a single test that determines the rest of your life; whether you will be successful or not. That, John said, is why Korea is the number one country to commit suicide. He talked about his family and why it is so hard for them to be Christians there. In the end, he got everyone in tears.

After a song, Jesus, Thank You, Justin went up to preach. “After John’s testimony, I don’t know if I can come close to it but…” Justin took a verse that is familiar to most Christians, Proverbs 3:5-6, and explained deeply on the meaning of the verses. He said that we need to trust God with all our hearts meaning that we don’t trust him with just the parts that we want to trust him with. Even when we feel like our lives are doing awesome, we still need to lean on his Word and his understanding.

In all, the service was really used by God. If you weren’t there this Sunday, you really should come when/if, most likely when, we do it again. The night after the service, face book just blew up with all the comments on the teen service (and again, sorry this is late). The audio for the teen service will be available, somewhere, somehow (I know… I’m so helpful!)

Camp Peniel Teen 1 Week

Night fell upon Camp Peniel that Friday evening. Cabin #1 lined up right outside of the cabins. “Do you have the song you’re going to sing?” Ms. Wolf asked our counselor, Miss Banks. Miss Banks replied with the song, Bow the Knee. I smiled. My favorite hymn was This is my Father’s World, and my second favorite was Bow the Knee.

We began to walk down the gravel path that was filled with pointy rocks that would stick up into the foam of our flip-flops. As we walked, we sang the song. Some of the campers didn’t know the song, so I tried singing loud to make up for them. We sang:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2aSOEhs0c0&feature=related

¯What a privilege to come into God’s presence-

Just to linger with the one who set me free-

As I lift my eyes and see his awesome glory-

I remember who he is and bow the knee. ¯

Chorus: ¯Bow the knee!              Bow the knee!

Bow the knee!            Bow the knee!

He is King of all the ages – Bow the knee!

God alone-           On His throne-

God alone-           On His throne-

Sing it high and lift it up and bow the knee!

Kneel before him-

All adore him-

As you live to love him more,

And bow the knee. ¯

¯In his hands he holds the power of Creation-

With his voice he spoke and all things came to be-

Yet he hears each simple prayer I bring before him-

When I humbly seek his face and bow the knee. ¯

Chorus:

Our cabin reached the fire pit. A warm glow emitted from the bonfire. Cracking wood shot sparks that looked like fireflies into the night sky. We took our seats on the hard, wooden logs.

After a few minutes once we had gotten settled, I heard another cabin come through the cleared out, grassy pathway. They sang, Seek ye First.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ifVNaN8pY

¯Seek ye first the kingdom of God-

And his righteousness-

And all these things shall be added onto you-

Hallelu- Hallelujah. ¯

Chorus: ¯Hallelujah- Hallelu- Hallelujah!

Hallelujah- Hallelu- Hallelujah. ¯

I heard some other songs as well as campers in different cabins entered the clearing. From where I was sitting, I could see the sky. God had filled the sky with flashes of lightning, yet it did not rain, putting our fire out. As it did this, a lyric came to my head –

¯The heavens declare the glory of God! ¯

Once everyone was seated, we sang songs, and many people gave testimonies. One camper had gotten saved that week. Others had grown more in Christ our Savior.

The wood popped, and fell over. It didn’t take long before the bonfire became so small that it looked like a one person’s camp fire. My eyes felt tired as I watched the flames flicker. I was entertained with the orange fireworks that came from the camp fire, danced to the sky, and disappeared in the middle of the air.

Behind me, I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and saw that M.S. had stood up to give her testimony of that week. Once she had sat down, the very next person was B.R.

Before, I had thought about telling my testimony, but once I had gotten there, I couldn’t remember what I was going to say. Now, I remembered. I was about to raise my hand, when someone else did… then someone else… and someone else. They were all good testimonies, and so I waited for them to be done.

“Okay, we’ll sing one final song and be done,” The instructor said. Well, I guess everyone couldn’t say something.

We sang the song, and got up to leave. I used my flashlight to go back, but Miss Banks came up next to me with her flashlight, which was so bright that it made mine pointless. I turned my flashlight off, and continued walking.

Down the gravel path again. I looked up and saw that the sky continued to flash with lightning. Crickets chirped in the bushes. The lake was so still that it looked like smooth, black, glass. The moonlight reflected off of the lake, and a small cool breeze blew throughout the camp.

It was the perfect ending to a wonderful week.

***

I love Camp Peniel. The people there are always great, and it seems like no matter who is speaking, they really show God not just in their preaching but in their life as well. Pastor Brent was the speaker that week. He took hard pieces of scripture and explained it so well that I doubt anyone at that camp did not understand it.

I was in Cabin #1 (Red Team), and my counselors were Miss Banks, as you read in the short storyline, and Miss Becca. Both of them were probably the best counselors I ever had.

As always, the food was amazing, and the staff appeared to work hard to make the week go smoothly. At the end, Blue Team won, but that doesn’t matter when the whole week was fun and enjoyable.

The week was awesome, but right now, I am happy to be at home with air-conditioning and a bug-free (mostly) house.

                                                                                                      J The End J

Better written (Let Freedom Ring)

Again today, I was reading through the blogs that I follow, and it seems like God’s Promises are Real had the same idea as me when I wrote Let Freedom Ring. I think she wrote it better though, so I think I’ll attach it:

 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD  (Psalm 33:12a)

I want to say a few words today as we celebrate in America the birth of our nation.  We have been a people who have been blessed by our God and he has shed his grace upon us.  I am  fortunate to live in a nation that was founded by men and women of extreme courage and dedication.  I am grateful for all those who are in service to America and who risk their lives  so that we may live and worship in freedom .  We can never truly thank them enough.  I pray God’s blessings and favor upon them all.
With all that said, as we watch as darkness and evil fill this earth, the question still  remains ”Are you truly set free?“.   The bondage of sin can cause havoc and destruction in your life no matter where you live and how much money and power you  have.  Each day I watch with sadness as people choose to live their life in the chains of the enemy who has blinded them to the fact that they are perishing as they walk the path of death. They are not free.  They are deceived! Without Christ, there is no freedom for your life.  You can have all you think is good but you will never be truly happy because your hope to be victorious in this world comes only in being surrendered to Christ!  He is the one who sets the prisoners free so that we no longer have to be held captive in the trap of sin.  Christ is our power over the darkness and our hope when we come to the end of ourselves and have nowhere else to turn.  There is always a way for God to help you.  You can never fall too far that his grace cannot lift you.
What does it serve you to live in a worldly freedom when you come to the end of your life?  It is only when your life is in Christ that you can have peace no matter what you face.  He has conquered all of your enemies and death no longer has any power over you.   Money, fame and even earthly freedom can never give you that!
I want to include a few quotes from our Founding Fathers that show the heart of those who once led this country with truth.  Read them over and ponder how far we have come from this once ideal.
“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.”  Thomas Jefferson, Signer and Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence; Third President of the United States.
“Is it not that in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? – that it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation?  Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”   John Quincy Adams: Statesman; Diplomat; Sixth President of the United States.
“One of the beautiful boast of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is part of the Common Law…there never has been a period in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundations… I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society.” Joseph Story: U.S. Supreme Court Justice; “Father of American Jurisprudence,” Placed on the Court by President james Madison.
” We are a Christian people…not because the law demands it, not to gain exclusive benefits or to avoid legal disabilities, but from choice and education; and in a land thus universally Christian, what is to be expected, what desired, but that we shall pay due regard to Christianity?” Senate Judiciary Committee Report, January 19, 1853
Who is fighting for those ideals now?  Too many people are being deceived by the enemy. My friends, our freedom has been bought at a price of the blood of Jesus Christ.  All that we have and the future with hope that we aspire to has been given to us by Him.  You can make a choice today to have real freedom that releases you from the bonds of every pain, addiction and trouble that the earth sends your way.  This world is passing away.  Only those things that stand the test of fire shall live on.  Only that which we surrender to Christ can we keep.  Be blessed this day.  You no longer have to be sold out to the enemy and live as a puppet of his schemes.  You have a choice.  Choose to live in the freedom of Christ.  No one can take you from his hands or rob you of the destiny he planned for you.  That is a freedom you can celebrate!

                                                     

Dear Father,  I lift up to you those who are struggling to be free.  I pray for those who are suffering in trials of every kind and who need to know that you can meet them in any situation and that you have the power to take them to victory no matter how impossible their situation seems.  Give them your peace this day, dear Jesus.  Let them understand that you love is enough and that you will never fail them.
I pray also for those are in restricted nations where to be a Christian is a death sentence.  I pray for you to touch those who are persecuted, tortured and imprisoned for their faith.  I pray that you will reach them with a joy that surpasses their understanding.  May they know that you are with them to the end. 
Lord Jesus, show those who come to this site what real freedom in you can mean.  Amen

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4^th of July, everyone! I hope you enjoy cookouts, parades, and the fireworks tonight. Today is the day that we celebrate our independence. Our freedom. Freedom from what? For what? We have freedom to serve God without worrying about persecution. That’s a gift from God that we seem not to think about most days.

America was founded because a group of people wished to serve God freely. Now that we have that freedom, how many of us use it? To me, the Fourth of July is a reminder that we are only free under the rule of God. Most people think that the word free has to do with breaking away from something, which it does. It also has to do with being free to do something.

If we are Christians, we are free from the bondage of sin, and free to worship God and obey Him. In America, we gained the freedom to worship God and obey Him openly without being persecuted. Being a Christian already makes you free. Free from sin.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is this. We all know what we are free from. We’re free from the rule from England. That’s in our history books. That’s obvious. But what are you free to do? Are you free from sin? Are you free to serve God?

This Fourth of July, I challenge you to think about what you are free to do. Find out what the words free and freedom mean to you.

Definition of Free: having no obligations or commitments

As said before, we are free to worship God. Isn’t that an obligation? Absolutely not! We have a choice of whether or not to worship Him. We should want to worship Him, though. I find it sad that some people think that it is an obligation.

I’m probably not the right person to be talking about this. I’m kind of confusing myself as I write. But it makes you think, doesn’t it? On Independence Day, we throw around the word free without thinking about what we are free from and free to do.

…One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

So, let’s remember who this country was founded on and for.

God bless the U.S.A! :D