The Family....

It amazes me how introspective music can make a man at 2:00 AM.

I was listening to "The Church" by Derek Webb. It is a very moving song about Christ's love for His bride, the church. In the song there is a line that sticks out in my mind. "If you love me, you will love the church."

Now, anyone who reads this blog will know I am the first to stand in line and say that the American church is sick. Most of the time, we're too busy bickering with each other to really make any headway in sharing the Gospel with anyone. And we're either too afraid to be labeled as judgmental, so we allow everything, wrong or not, and at the same time, we don't want to be labeled liberal, so we show everyone how angry we can get at the current government. For those outside looking in, we must look like a sad, pathetic, dysfunctional family.

But I've been convicted about something. As sad as the American church has become...it is still the church. And as angry as I get with some of the professors and students at Seminary who seem to have a "Baptist superiority complex," they are still brothers and sisters in Christ. I find that when I try to imitate Christ, I remember only Him turning over tables in the temple, and too easily forget him writing in the sand when he should be throwing stones. I remember only him yelling "Get thee behind me Satan!" and seem to forget a conversation about love and feeding sheep. In my zeal to reform and change the church, I have at some point lost my love for it. And that is not of God. Perfect or not, effective or not, it is still God's church.

So, for the believers who read this and are frustrated with the church, I understand how you feel. But remember, the church is made of people, and people are never perfect. Yes, we need to change the things that are broken, but its wrong to completely overlook what's not broken. The church is Christ's body. If it is sick, it's our job to heal it, not condemn it. So my challenge to you is to allow the Holy Spirit to transform your frustration to compassion, and your anger to grace. If we are of the Body, then we should love the Body, not judge it.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Something cliche that really shouldn't be...

My friend Sean has been posting devotions and songs leading up to Christmas, trying to remind us all of what Christmas means. He posted the song "O Come O Come Emanuel" by Rosie Thomas. Excellent sound, and it reminded me of something.

During this time of year, Christmas cards and decorations are so abundantly overflowing that we almost become desensitized to them. It's worse at Christian stores, because we look over tons and tons of "Remember the Reason for the Season" cards and decorations. Everyone seems intent on reminding us that Jesus is why Christmas is around, and Santa Claus is just a side show, that it tends to grate on my nerves a little. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with the sentiment. I just get tired of hearing it over and over again.

But then I heard this song, and it reminded me of something. Christmas isn't a birthday party (although "Happy Birthday Jesus" is a cute song). Jesus didn't come here to get wise men birthday presents and be cute and cuddly. He came here to die, that we might live. He came here to "ransom captive Israel." He's not a cute little baby that needs a birthday party. He's a hero coming to save his beloved, a warrior coming to conquer death...

A Savior coming to redeem His people....

When Isaiah pictured Christ, he didn't see a baby in a manger. He saw a warrior. Read his description:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."--Isaiah 9:6-7


So, I join in with my brothers and sisters in Christ who urge us all to "remember the reason for the season." God lowered himself to that of a man, that he might walk among us and save us from ourselves. He is the fulfillment of a promise to a desperate people yearning for freedom from bondage. He is the reason we have reason to celebrate. When you see the nativity scene, remember that the story of the Christ did not end in a manger. It only started there. And praise be to God, it didn't end at a cross either.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Unplowed Ground...

Too often I am a man of extremes, and when those extremes come, I forget who it is that guides me through them. Things become hard, and cry out for relief. And all the while God waits for me to turn to him, but for some reason, he is the last person I go to.

Likewise, when things are going well, I sit high and mighty on the happiness that I have found, smile a smile to all I see, and never bother to turn and acknowledge the God that gave me that happiness.

When times are difficult, the LORD should be the first place we run to you, and when things are happier and easier, he should be the first one we thank.

All this brought on by "Unplowed Ground" by Ross King:

It's drier here than ever I remember,
The fields that once were green and tall are now so bare.
And patience for relief has turned to anger
And joyous praise has been replaced by faithless prayer.

I used to love to tend these fields for hours
And even times of drought would only serve to spur me on.
But now it seems like years without a shower
And somehow my desire to grow has come and gone.

This was the word to Jeremiah, but I think it applies to me right about now...

Break up your unplowed ground, and turn your heart to Me again.
Lay all your idols down; come confess your sin.
I long to ease your pain and bring your fields to life once more,
But I will not send My rain until you make Me Lord.

A vineyard ripe with blessing now surrounds me,
And every harvest so much more than I hoped for.
But as the fruit increases all around me,
I see how fat I am and I'm still wanting more.

This was the word God gave Hosea, but I think it applies to me right about now...

Break up your unplowed ground, have you so soon forgotten Me?
I cannot watch you bow at the altar of prosperity.
I long to shower down and see our love affair restored.
So break up your unplowed ground; it's time to seek the Lord.

Habits turn to cycles turn to seasons,
And seasons turn to years before we know.
And we lay still alive but barely breathing,
And we whisper, "That's just the way it goes..." but the Lord says No.

Break up your unplowed ground and you will find a treasure.
Sell everything you own to buy what can't be measured.
I long to lay you down in richer fields than you have known.
So break up your unplowed ground and make this land your home.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Far too long away...

My most sincere apologies for my absence here. I could say it was because of the move, school, or just issues at home in general, but the truth is somewhere along the way I lost my zeal for what I was doing.

I wish I could say that my zeal is back, and that my heart strings reverberate with the same passion that led to the creation of this blog, but the truth is, I'm here now out of a sense of obligation and little bit of guilt. My life is peppered with unfinished projects that I have yet to finish. Novels are left half-written, graphic novels and comic books only sketched, and a head full of sermon series ideas without the least bit of notes to show for it. And here, now, with only two weeks of the semester left, rather than wanting to finish strong, I really just want to crawl in bed and go to sleep. My mind and heart just aren't in anything right now. The highlight of today has been running to Wendy's for some chicken nuggets and losing myself to a Denzel Washington crime movie. Greek quizzes are left unstudied for, the house still hasn't been cleaned from the holidays, and I lack the motivation to do anything about any of it.

But, if nothing else, I have this blog. And on the off chance that someone actually benefits from it, I find my fingers reaching for the keyboard again. Believe me, nothing would thrill me more than to just call it quits on all of it. Drop out of Seminary, get some mindless job at a factory or warehouse that pays enough to get the bills paid, forget about all my aspirations to be a writer and a graphic novelist, and let my life's ambition be to have a retirement that lets me sleep late and watch movies all day. But, something deep within me screams that that life is wrong, that that life is not what I was designed for. And despite my weariness of the way life in Fort Worth has turned out, despite the fact that all I want to do is throw away everything...I just can't .

So, even though I find myself quite comfortable in the muck and dust of the place that I've fallen into, I force myself to get up and start walking again. Not because of some noble desire to press on. Not because I'm supremely dedicated to the achievement of some grand purpose. No, none of that. I start walking again simply because I don't know how to do anything else. It's just the way God designed me. And for better or worse, it's who I am.

On a more positive note, we had a ton of family and a couple of friends come visit for the holidays. It was a much needed break from the monotony of life. I daresay the only reason I'm posting now is because I drew some joy out of seeing my parents and sisters and in-laws all under one roof, smiling. God knew what he was doing when He created holidays.

I promise to be more consistent with this blog as I was in the past. I can't promise daily updates, but I can promise that you'll hear from me again before the turn of the new year. In the meantime, pray that Mandy and I find some sense of stability here. Between her exhaustion from work, my frustration with school, and the lack of energy both of us are experiencing, this place isn't turning out to be quite the safe haven that we expected it to be. But despite that, it is where we are called to be. We just need a little help making it here.

Not much to comment on on this post, but if by some chance you have comments or questions, feel free to voice them. Now even more so than before, I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

"Venice is sinking" by Ross King

I came back to this song tonight. I can guarantee that our brother Ross King is not talking about Venice and water problems.

"Papa got the business back in 1953
He took it on when my grandfather drowned
35 years later it was passed along to me
Now I make the rounds
Wealthy and American is mostly who I take
Smile and tell the story for a price
You might be surprised how much a gondolier can make
Giving tourist rides
They float the waters, hear the history
They never have to fear what lies beneath
But as for me, I’m wondering quietly…

If Venice is sinking, how can we believe we’ll all be fine
If Venice is sinking, how can we believe we all stay dry
‘Cause I have been thinking, this water’s not worth drinking
so if Venice is sinking, then trouble’s on the rise

Centuries of living like the kings we should have been
And never having slaves to clean our mess
And still the water rises, so we raise the ground again

In our ignorance
Sometime they will ask about the garbage and the smell
‘Cause they don’t understand the way it works
To tell the truth it’s been so long that I can never tell
If it’s getting worse
We’re rich in romance and in poetry
But we have a sewer running in our streets
I wonder which will be our greater legacy

A city built on dreams, and a million giant beams
But reality, it seems is getting closer, and rising higher
And I still wonder"

Keep Soaring,

B

Funky Fresh Senior Adults...

I promise to put something more serious up for an update later. In the meantime, here's something to make you smile... :-D

Now, I am always a big fan of engaging culture to reach the lost for Christ, but this....this is just plain funny. My hat's off to these fine elderly people. They have a courage I doubt I will ever have.



If you can't see the video, click here.

Keep Soaring,

B

What the church shoud look like....

For all my cynicism about the American church, the events of the past couple of days have really made me shut up and pay attention...

I met a man named Lon Chea. He's from Cambodia and is a man of faith like none other. He was raised by his parents to be a Buddhist Monk, but didn't feel that was for him. He came to American, found faith in the LORD, and over the course of about 20 years led his family still in Cambodia to Christ. The last time he saw them was in 2003, and he told me that he feels a great burden on his heart to see them again. But his finances aren't enough to get him there. I promised I'd pray for him.

On Friday nights I attend a faith-based karate school called Christian Soldiers. During Bible study I mentioned Lon to the class and asked them to pray for him. The response I got was astounding. Almost immediately, two people got out their checkbooks and wrote checks totaling to $150. Then my instructor said he would bring a coffee can to class next week so that everyone would have a chance to contribute. One of the other students said, "Even if we don't raise enough to send him there, we could at least give him a headstart."

I was shocked speechless, and even when I tried to tell Mandy about it I started crying. This karate class came together and chose to help a man they had never met. They just saw a need and decided to show the love of Christ. It's amazing that this karate class is acting exactly how a New Testament church should act. No accounting committees, no budget requests, no check that has to be signed by 3 deacons or more. Just a body of believers meeting the needs of the people around them.

The American church in general may be falling by the wayside. But at least in Fort Worth, TX, there's a little group of karate students who believe God when he said feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Thank you, LORD, for letting me see this.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Southcliff Baptist Church in review....

Mandy and I visited Southcliff Baptist Church this morning. It had been recommended by two different couples of friends, so we though we'd give it a shot.

On a minor side note: It seems that having a coffee shop just outside the sanctuary where members can buy coffee is becoming increasingly popular in churches.

So Mandy and I walk in the front door, and once again, not more than a few seconds into the door, we're greeted by someone. Now this guy has a name tag on, so chances are this is what he's supposed to do. But still, it's nice that at least someone is looking out for new faces.

He led us over to a booth where we filled out info about ourselves. Mandy filled out the form while I spoke with the greeter. He found out we were from LA and mentioned that the senior pastor was also from there. Once our info was in, they handed us bag with all sorts of material in it about the church and what they do. We also got coupons for free coffee, which Mandy used to give herself a little caffeine boost.

The service itself wasn't all that dissimilar from a normal service. There was singing, a recorded baptism (the live one happened in the 9:20 service), and then a prayer time and then preaching. The pastor spoke on Faith Amnesia, how to not forget what God has done for you when things go bad. He used the text Mark 8:1-9. Not 100% sure the text he used related to what he was preaching, but then again I wasn't the one that studied the text, he was. (The problem with going to Seminary is that it teaches you to be very critical of what you hear. And though that can be a good thing at times, it can also get in the way and make you seem arrogant.) What he had to say was good, especially the part about building landmarks for ourselves to remember God's faithfulness, i.e. a journal or diary where one could record God's working in your life.

Afterward, our friend the greeter came back and took us up to the front to meet the pastor. Very nice guy, seems real easy to talk to. We talked seminary chat for a while, then said our goodbyes. Then the greeter told us that if we needed any help to call them, and if the LORD leads us somewhere else, then wonderful, and if not, they look forward to seeing us again. So no pressure on joining was the point he was trying to make, which I appreciated.

Looking through the material given to us, I did notice a few things that I appreciated. (1) Joining the church was fairly simple. You attend a new members class where they talk about what being a member means, and then if you agree and want to join, you simply sign a statement and you're a member. I've become kind of burned on the whole walk down the aisle thing, so that was a pleasant change. (2) They have a class specifically for married couples age 21-29. So that means we don't have to pick between going to class with college freshmen or to a class filled with couples that have three kids and a good ten years into their marriage. There is a class for people at our life stage. (3) In late September they have a dinner scheduled specifically for New Seminary students looking for a church home. These people realize that there is a ministry there and they're jumping on it.

So, all in all, a good visit this morning. Plus on the welcoming newcomers, classes offered, and membership guidelines. The only bad thing is that it is a big church, and I was really wanting to go smaller this time around. But once again, God did not speak to me and tell me that this is the church he wants us to serve at. If He does, I wouldn't be heartbroken, but I'm not feeling anything now.

Mandy did make the comment that Freedom Church in Fort Worth seemed less polished than this church, and that made them seem more real and genuine. I agree with her; the conversation at Freedom Church felt less forced. But Southcliff is a mega-church, where individually recognizing visitors may be impossible. So I can't fault the church for being practical in training greeters on what to say in order to catch everyone. Forced conversation or not, it was nice that someone made the effort to talk to us.

So, those are my experience of the morning. Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

A friendly debate...

A buddy of mine named Tim had a few things to say about my last post, and nice conversation ensued about the different views of God's existence. The first part of the debate occured mostly on Facebook, so for for everyone's benefit I thought I'd post the entire discussion here.

***The following is a conversation resulting from a video I found on youtube called The Atheist. These comments were posted on Facebook.

Tim:
Branson,

This video is well made, well thought out, but it is also ridiculous. I appeals to an emotional, instead of an intellectual argument, like most religious arguments, and results in gaining no ground. The first point that is counter-intuitive is the premise, which has the main character becoming an atheist on emotional grounds. This is ... simply not the most common case. Most atheists do not believe in god because they have made argument after logical argument tearing down what has taken centuries construct: false hope, weak emotional strength, and disregard for fact. There are several arguments presented after the initial premise which again do nothing to argue actual facts. They present an emotional gap, and fill it with metaphor and poetry. Evil is the absence of good, like a donut? Seriously? God has morally sufficient reasons to allow suffering? Man's purpose is the knowledge of god? These arguments are not persuasive. Indeed, they are not even arguments.

Branson:
(1) I put this up for people who left God for emotional reasons, because believe it or not, most of the people I know that want nothing to do with God, Jesus, or anything church related, are that way because of an emotional reason. Not saying that's always the case or even mostly the case. That's just what I personally have been dealing with...
(2) If remaining on intellect alone is what it takes to have a civil conversation between a Christian and an atheist, then I am all for it. The problem is most of the time the atheist believes just as dogmatically in his "anti-faith" as the Christian does in his faith. In order to have that kind of conversation, the atheist would have to be as open-minded to the possibility that there may be a God as the Christian would that there may not be one. And sadly, that never happens. Ironically, for all his reliance on fact and science, at the end of the day, the atheist really only has "faith" that there is no God.

Tim:
I can accept you first point, as most of the 'athiest' you have probably come in contact with were just believers with angry doubts. On your second point I am truly sorry if you have been unable to have a civil conversation with an atheist, as I have had the same problem with Christians. I would have to completely disagree with your last point, as ...being an atheist means shedding all faith, including that which you may disagree with. It means basing your decisions on physical evidence and reasoned logic. As there is no evidence for god, there can be no reason to include him in your decisions. If you have some physical evidence for god, I would be pleased to see it, as would the rest of humanity. Only theists base their decisions not on fact, and anyone would be hard pressed to make such a comparison fairly.

Branson:
You're absolutely right....mankind is pressed for physical evidence of God. As a believer in Christ, I can show you the results of God's handiwork throughout all of creation. But at the end of the day, I can't introduce you to God so you can shake his hand. I can't let you see a snapshot of Him from my wallet. There is evidence of God's work, ...not evidence of Him. That's where, for the Christian, faith and personal experience take over and fill in the gaps. You can get close to seeing the existence of God on fact alone, but it takes a "leap of faith" (pardon the cliche phrase) to actually believe. The point I'm trying to make is that for someone who does not believe in a God, they have to do the same thing. A lack of evidence to support the existence of God does not mean that there is no God, only that God can't be--or is very difficult to be--proven. In order to prove there is no God, a man would have to investigate every occurrence, circumstance, and phenomenon in the entire universe throughout all of time and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no way a supreme being commonly known as God could have possibly intervened in anyway. And mankind simply does not have the science or understanding to do such a thing. So, for a man to believe that there is no God, he has to look at the evidence presented and allow his faith to fill in the gaps, just like a Christian. So really, to have your decision on God based solely on fact, the best you could hope for in the "no God" direction in agnosticism.

The following is a continuation of the conversation above. All comments were posted on the blog site.

Tim:
Ok. So I'm going to post a few of your statements, and I'll try to tackle them one at a time. I'm just going to take them at random, since that's how they seemed to come out, but I do not want to belittle these, I only want to show why I disagree with them. So here we go...

1. "The problem is most of the time the atheist believes just as dogmatically in his 'anti-faith' as the Christian does in his faith." ... "Ironically, for all his reliance on fact and science, at the end of the day, the atheist really only has 'faith' that there is no God."

Alright. It is a complete misstatement to suggest that an atheist only has 'faith' there is no God. This statement suggests not only do you not understand an atheist's viewpoint, but you do not understand the basics of logic. There are many definitions of faith, but I will use the Merriam-Webster definition: 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof'. To suggest that someone's lack of belief is the same as faith is simply wrong. You do not believe in fairies. This is because there is no proof of fairies. Your A-fairieism is NOT faith that there are not fairies. You do not have to dis-prove the existence of something. The burden of proof is upon the argument of existence. This is why you cannot prove a negative. An atheist does not believe there is no God, he does not believe in a God. A subtle but important difference. Faith has nothing to do with it. If there was proof for God's existence, and the atheist still did not believe, then you might be able to apply the word faith. Unfortunately, no such proof of God exists, thus neither does the logical argument.

Branson:
Good point. "Faith" was the wrong word to use here when it comes to atheist beliefs. Let me see if I can re-word this to get the point that I'm trying to make across....

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that a belief or lack of belief in God ultimately comes down to a personal choice, not a result of scientific fact. A certain interpretation of the facts may cause someone to lean one way or the other, but the facts alone aren't enough to prove either way correct.

This isn't the best of illustrations, but it's all I can come up with at the moment. Let's say two men are presented with identical apple pies and asked the question, "Did a chef bake this pie?" One man looks at the pie and says, "I see that the apples in the pie have been cut, which suggests the work of an outside hand. I see that the ingredients necessary to make the pie are measured and blended in exactly the right way to create the taste that it has, which suggests intelligent design. Therefore, it must have been made by a chef." The second man looks at the pie and says, "There are no fingerprints on the dish or in the dough itself, so there couldn't have been hands involved in the making of this pie. I cannot see or speak with or touch this supposed chef. Therefore, since I find no evidence that a chef exists, this pie could not have been made by a chef."

Not the best illustration, but it makes the point. Looking at the pie alone won't tell you whether the pie was made by a chef or a machine, because the evidence in the pie is interpreted based on the presuppositions of the observer. We of course can't assume that just because we don't see fingerprints or a chef standing nearby means that there is no chef. But at the same time, the existence and particular construction of the pie alone isn't proof enough that a chef exists. In other words, the system itself is not enough evidence for or against the existence of the system's creator.

It's the same with science and God. A man who believes in God will look at scientific fact and interpret it according to his beliefs. An atheist will do the same thing, only he interprets the facts based on the assumption that there is no God. And a man who doesn't know either way, after looking at the evidence, will most likely remain that way, unsure of whether a God exists or not. All three of them have to at some point decide how they interpret the information.

I'm sure someone said this before me, so I'll put it in quotes: "A lack of evidence for something does not equal evidence to the contrary." In other words, a lack of physical evidence for God does not mean God doesn't exist. So, if a man wants to base his belief or lack of belief in God on physical evidence, all he can say is that God's existence is ultimately unknowable; it can't be proven or dis-proven. If he does not believe in God, it is because he chooses not to believe in God, and if he does believe in God, it is because he chooses to.

Forgive my long-windedness (I think the late hour might have something to do with it), but what I'm trying to say is this: Whether or not God exists is not a scientific question, because it can't be answered by science. It is a decision of the believer or non-believer, and all science can do for that decision is to be interpreted in light of it.

Tim:
"A lack of evidence for something does not equal evidence to the contrary."

Again, your argument is _explicitly_ valid. Unfortunately, it just isn't useful. To illustrate, I will use a commonly accepted truism: Unicorns do not exist. Now the implicit argument (modus tollens) is as follows:

1. If unicorns had existed, then there is evidence in the fossil record.
2. There is no evidence of unicorns in the fossil record.
3. Therefore, unicorns never existed.

Now, your argument holds weight here. There is a lack of evidence for unicorns, but that does not explicitly mean there have never been unicorns. The problem is that if we used this rule, we could never have a reasonable understanding of what exists and what doesn't. We could never KNOW anything. And while this is explicitly true, it isn't useful. The very nature of an inductive argument is to make a conclusion probable, but not certain, given the truth of the premises. That just what an inductive argument is. Why do you think that the sun will rise tomorrow? Not because of observation (you can’t observe the future!), but because that’s what it has always done in the past.

The point here is that I do not have to go around disproving every crazy idea that someone can up with. The burden of proof is not upon me. The world works perfectly well (and makes sense too!) without God, and without evidence, it simply makes no sense to believe in him. And the implicit argument holds weight. So while I cannot incontrovertibly PROVE that God doesn't exist, I can infer it. The opposite is not true. You cannot infer the existence of God, mainly because it would require evidence to support it.

The point here is that the only valid argument that can refute the logic that suggests God does not exist, is the same argument that suppresses ALL logic by implying you cannot know anything. In my experience, it is a weak argument.

"Whether or not God exists is not a scientific question, because it can't be answered by science. It is a decision of the believer or non-believer, and all science can do for that decision is to be interpreted in light of it."

I don't know how to argue this. You seem to be suggesting that a conclusion (God's existence) is somehow immune to logic (the scientific method). When people believe things that are illogical and cannot be proven, they are deemed INSANE. Everything is a scientific question. You see, the 'system' is all that we have. It MUST be enough, as there is nothing else from which to gain evidence.

Branson:
Before Galileo improved the telescope and made his observations about the Sun being the center of our solar system, everyone believed the Earth was the center of the universe. That idea was based on all the observations available at the time. Without Galileo's discoveries, there would be little to no evidence that the sun is the center of our solar system. So, assuming something isn't so simply because it can't be proven with contemporary science isn't always the most correct assumption.

You said, "The world works perfectly well (and makes sense too!) without God, and without evidence it simply makes no sense to believe in him." This illustrates what I've been trying to say for the past few comments. Atheism is a choice of the person's heart. You can envision and understand a world with no God, so that is what you believe, and you interpret science as such, namely pointing that God cannot be physically proven. To me, the world works perfectly well and makes sense with God, and I have personal experiences with God as my evidence, so it makes perfect sense to me that He exists. Because I believe that, a lack of physical evidence simply means that He chooses not to reveal Himself in that manner. So for both of us, our choice of belief or disbelief in God determines how the science is interpreted, not the other way around. Right or wrong, our positions on this topic are a result of personal choice, not science.

As for the existence of God being inferred, that's been done several times. One such instance is Intelligent Design Theory, which "holds that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." You can read more about it at http://www.intelligentdesign.org . Another instance is Thomas Aquinas, who came up with five logical arguments for the existence of God. You can read them at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/aquinas3.html . Both of these are cases where scientific evidence and logic point to the possible existence of God.

Now, here's the thing...a true atheist will read those arguments and immediately dismiss them or come up with another explanation for the "intelligent designer" or the "first cause" other than God. Why? Because he chooses not to believe in God. And that decision dictates his entire world view and how he interprets the information presented to him. There are brilliant, intelligent, logic-loving scientists who are willing to believe that life was seeded here on Earth by aliens from outer space simply because they refuse to believe in God.

So, in response to God's existence being immune to logic, it isn't immune; it simply isn't a conclusion. It's an axiom. Whether or not you believe in God determines how you view the world, not the other way around.

Just as an aside, despite the burden proof not falling on disproving God, I know of two men who tried to do just that. And at the end of it, they both ended up becoming Christians. One such man is Lee Strobel, who's written several books about his journey, including The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator. The other man is Josh McDowell, who's compiled all of his research into one volume called The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict. Their journeys to Christ might prove enlightening as you see how they came to the beliefs they have now.

Tim:
1. Making a reasoned conclusion from available data is not an assumption.

2. Atheism is not a choice. It is a reasoned conclusion. My position is completely based in science.

3. I am well read in Aquinas. His five logical arguments for the existence of God are primitive and easily refuted. Intelligent design is one of his five proofs, and it too is easily dismissed. You see, intelligent design states that the world is so fundamentally complex, that it HAD to have been designed. The problem here is that the basis for its necessity (the universe being so complex that it demands a creator) is its greatest flaw (dismissing God, infinitely more complex than the universe, as not needing a creator). It refutes its own axiom. Ridiculous.

4. God's existence may be an axiom to you, but it is simply another logical argument to everyone who bases their conclusions on fact.

5. As I stated initially, I am not trying to persuade you. I am trying to let you understand an atheist's point of view: physical evidence and reasoned logic. I think you will find this series interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=762A731FA12BCB57&search_query=thunderf00t

Branson:
Thanks for the link. Although I think Ray has some valid points, he at times comes across a little more argumentative than I would want to be.

I think this is the point where we start to spin wheels and just agree to disagree. My belief in God is my defining point. Everything that I am and everything that I believe to be real about everything flows from assuming that the God of the Bible is real and active in my life. To you, God is an exercise in logic and reason, and short of God himself coming down and making Himself known, you don't believe He exists. And it seems there's no middle-ground where one of us can pull the other to the other side.

So, before this gets to be a long repetition of beating dead horses, and I start to sound exactly like the Bible-thwacking "Christians" that I take issue with, let me say thank you so much for the chance to talk. As I said before, this conversation has made me think hard about why I believe what I believe, and sadly that is something that just doesn't happen often enough for those who do believe in God.

I'd like to make just one more statement. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you." (Matthew 7:7). Jesus was mainly talking about God providing for the needs of His people, but I would say that offer extends to beyond simple physical needs. If you earnestly seek after God, you will find Him. To the one who wants to know Him, He reveals Himself, and the science and the logic and everything else starts to work itself out. The issue is whether or not a man is willing to seek after God, to know Him.

So, if you're absolutely sure that there is no God to know, and nothing will make you even consider the contrary, then I applaud you for your steadfastness to your convictions--it is a lesson I wish some "Christians" would learn. But if there is ever a time that you even consider the possibility of God's existence, I promise you that if you look for Him, you will find Him.

Thanks again so much for this discussion. I hope its been as engaging and thought provoking for you as it has been for me. And feel free to comment on any of my posts that you feel a desire to. The last thing I want is the God issue to be a source of alienation for either one of us. Besides, it makes me feel good to know that somebody is actually reading my posts. ;-) Until next time, take care.


***This is pretty much where the conversation ended. I enjoyed the debate and am glad that Tim and I were able to discuss our beliefs without getting at each other's throats. A good debate every now and then is good for the soul.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

The Atheist...

To anyone who ever wanted to shake their fist at God and demand "Why?"

Watch this...



If you can't see the video, click here.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

The Importance of Memorizing Scripture...

This is why you should always be sure you know what you're saying when it comes to the Bible.



If you can't see the video, click here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Freedom Church of Fort Worth.....a review

So Mandy and I are still in the long and arduous task of finding a church to join here in Fort Worth. As of yet, the LORD has not led us to a particular one. However, the church we last visited had some promising characteristics that I'd like to share.

Freedom Church of Fort Worth wasn't a huge church. First pulling into the parking lot, it looked to be a small country church who just recently got enough funds to build a new building. The first thing I noticed was three or four families walking to the front. All of them were wearing jeans, some of the children wearing shorts and flip flops. I didn't see the first tie, and button up shirts were rare. Personally, this was a plus. I'm always excited to attend a church that cares more about the hearts of its people rather than the clothes that they wear.

We walk in to the Sanctuary, and within two minutes of entering the building we're greeted by none other than the pastor of the church himself. He introduces himself, asks our names, where we're from, how we heard about the church. He brought us over to a counter in the back where the church sells coffee and muffins before the service and introduced us to his wife. After we had made all the small talk that could be made, we went and sat down. While sitting there, two other people came and introduced themselves to us. The biggest thing I noticed was that none of them wore an "usher" name tag. They came up and introduced themselves because they were all about community and we were new.

The service started, and I had to endure through it a little. The praise band was big fan of distorted electric guitars and heavy drums. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rock song here and there. But when it comes to praise and worship, I'm more of an acoustic guitar and bongo drums kinda guy. The whine of electric guitars was a little distracting to me. So I did my best to simply focus on the lyrics of the songs we sang and not so much on their arrangement, and things seemed to go well.

The pastor then got up and explained that they used "worship stations." During the last song of the worship, there were different stations that you could go to of yoru own accord. One was for you to have communion with your family....the old dip the cracker in the grape juice version. That station also had a piece of wood with a nail in it to remind you of the pain Jesus endured on the cross. A second station was for prayer, where you could write down a prayer request and light a candle to represent that request, or you could go to pray for the requests that were already written down. And finally, a station in the back and a frame with some sort of paste spread in it next to a cup full of broken tiles and another cup with sharpies. You were supposed to write a word or draw a symbol on a piece of tile that represented a time when you were broken and then place it in the paste. The idea is that eventually, there would be mosaic of all the brokenness of the church. The point is this: we're just a bunch of broken people, but when God calls us together for His work, He turns us into a beautiful work of art. All in all, it was different and took a little getting used to. Mandy wasn't a big fan of a communal cup that everyone dipped their crackers in, but aside from that the stations seemed like an interesting, if not unique, form of worship.

There was an offertory after the song, followed by a five-minute intermission before the sermon where people were allowed to get more coffee, stretch, and just walk around. Then the preaching started. No pulpit, this guy got right down in front of us and sat in a chair. The lesson wasn't so much his lecturing to us as it was a group discussion. He asked questions of the congregation and expected to be answered back. It was an interesting dynamic, and it was a little hard to follow. If it weren't for the notes in the bulletin, I don't know that I'd get the point of the message. But then again, I'm used to standard 3-point Baptist sermons with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Group discussion was something I was never good at. On a positive note, he spent a lot of time in the original languages, explaing meanings and where English and Hebrew had some issues in translation. I appreciated this a lot--it showed me that the pastor cares about study and understanding authorial intent, not just what the pastor he had told him.

(He managed to work in references to the Matrix, Star Wars, and Star Trek, in his sermon as illustrations. I was in hog heaven.)

After the sermon was an invitation time. Both the pastor and his wife waited up front to receive people, which I thought was a good idea. (If a woman is experiencing extreme pain from her ovaries, it's kinda hard to talk to a male pastor about that.) The worship stations were opened up again. After the song ended, the pastor gave announcements, we prayed, and then we were dismissed.

Before we could get out the door, the pastor ran us down again and talked with us afterward. He introduced us to his daughter (who is attending Southwestern) and son-in-law, and then we started talking about Seminary. (Turns out he graduated from Southwestern back in the 80's.) In the time it took for us to talk, three more families came and introduced themselves to us, again not wearing any usher name tags, just being friendly. By the time we were ready to leave, we probably had met nearly half the church, and they all came to us.

We talked about ministry and community. The pastor said their method of evangelism is kind of backwards. Rather than getting them saved and then welcoming them into the community, they welcome the people into the community first and love them to Christ. He gave the example of an atheist who came there two years ago and basically said, "I'm just here to check things out. Leave me alone." The pastor said fine and didn't push the guy, but made sure he felt welcomed and invited him to everything the church did. He was baptized two months ago, and it wasn't because someone beat him over the head with a Bible. It was because he saw real Christianity at work, and it made him desire Christ.

Of course, being a Seminary student, the question in the back of my mind is "do you give to the cooperative program? Will I get the discount on tuition if I join here?" I utterly loathe and hate that its something to consider, but it is. Where we end up joining will have a huge impact on how we handle our finances, so it's a point of concern. It does not dictate where we end up joining (God will provide the money one or the other), but it does affect decisions we make as a result of where we join. Thankfully, the pastor brought it up before I said anything about it. "Yeah, I really would like to give to the cooperative program, because it's a good thing and it would help on my daughter's tuition. But I can't justify giving to it for just my family. If I had about 4 or 5 families here that attended the seminary, I would definitely be open to giving to it, but right now it would just seem too self-serving." Gotta hand it to the guy for having principles. So, in the end, no this isn't a church on Southwestern's special list, but it could be.

So, all in all, there are a few things I wasn't wild about, but those things were issues of personal preference, not doctrine. And they definitely have a community-driven ministry that cares just as much about the school and houses across the street as it does some obscure village in Asia. So, while God hasn't been clear about where He's calling us yet, if He did call us to Freedom Church or Fort Worth, I'd be okay with that.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Everything by Lifehouse

I'm not one to cry at movies or dramas, but this one struck me hard. My thanks to Lauren for sharing it with us.



Keep Soaring,

B

Update on the life and times of the Boykins....

So we've been in Fort Worth for just over two months now. We're finally starting to find a place for everything so that we don't have boxes packed ceiling high everywhere. The only thing really left to unpack is a few boxes of pictures here and there. But I'm not really worried about that....Mandy already has the big stuff up.

I start Seminary in a few weeks. Had a very weak moment yesterday. I opened up my recently purchased Greek New Testament and saw what looked to my mind to be chicken scratch scribbled across the page. I panicked, quite certain that there was no way I could handle this. Thankfully, Mandy was there. And after holding me a little while, she helped me get a start by working with me on memorizing the Greek Alphabet:

Get ready....GO!!! Alpha beta gamma delta zeta eta theta iota kappa lamda mu nu xi omicron pi rho sigma tau phi chi psi omega!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait let me check.......darnit!! Forgot Epsilon......ah well.....work in progress.

Mandy continues her journey as nurse at Plaza Medical Center. It's weighing on her a little. The past few days she's worked, she's had to stay an hour over to get all her work done. I shutter to think what kind of job has so much to do that a 12 hour shift isn't long enough to do everything. The woman is a warrior. She's hard on herself right now, but with time she's gonna get better at this. I'd ask that you pray for strength and endurance for her as she tries to do everything. And confidence, too. She needs to see herself as her Father in Heaven sees her, not as her Accuser would have her be seen.

In-laws are stopping in on their trip home from Canada tomorrow. Glad they had fun and that they made it back safe. Btw, Skype is an extremely fun and cheap way to communicate with friends and loved ones far away. Check it out.

Keep praying for the family of Flint Smith. The funeral for his brother was this week, though I'm sure the sting of his death remains. Pray for peace for the family and strength for Flint.

Working on a new project called Faith Noir. As Dustin so adequately put it, "It's like Sin City meets The Shack." It's my first venture into crime comics, so it'll be interesting.

Not much on the teaching side in this post....but regardless, feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Pray for Flint Smith....

Flint Smith is a guy from my old lifegroup at First West in West Monroe. As I type this message, he and his parents are making a long trek to Houston from West Monroe to see his now-dead brother. They started while he was still alive, hoping to make it there before he passed. They didn't.

I ask that you pray for comfort and safety as they travel. It must be emotionally exhausting to have to make so far of a drive knowing something horrible is waiting for you on the other end of it. Flint is a strong man with a heart for the LORD like none other. He is going to need a lot of support now. Please send it to him through your prayers.

When I started this blog, I promised that I wouldn't sugar coat, that I would always be open and honest about what I believed and about what the Bible says. And the Bible says that regardless of circumstances, God is good. Even when He doesn't give us the answer we want, God is good.

And I believe that, I really do. All of the teaching I've had, all of the men I have sat under and learned from....they all have ingrained that into my soul, to the point that even in the wildest of rages I cannot help but admit that God is good.

I know you are good. Every piece of my heart that now breaks for my brother Flint knows that. And in this time of sorrow for him, you are the only sure thing that he has. So, please, be there for him. He's making a journey now that a weaker man could not do. Go with him, hold him like a father holds his child, and speak to him the words that will give him strength for the days ahead. Carry him, as you have carried others before. Give him the grace he needs to endure this storm.

And where our futile minds cannot make sense of these things that you have allowed to happen, give us the faith to trust in what we cannot understand.

Brothers and sisters, what prayers you may utter tonight, let them speak of Flint Smith and his family. This titan of faith now walks on shaken ground, and more than anything he needs his God and his spiritual family. God is with him already. Let us be with him, too.

Keep Soaring,

B

Let it be real

It's been far too long since I've said anything of consequence here on my blog. But that doesn't mean that nothing of consequence has been going on in my life. The LORD has been working in me quite a bit, showing me things that I think are important to my ministry. Here's mainly what he's been dealing with me about:

(1) We as a body of believers are not going to agree on everything. There are going to be doctrines within each church that some are going to think aren't as supported by Scripture as others are. And you know what? That's okay. So long as the irreducible minimums are met...that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross for the sins of the world, that he rose again on the third day as foretold by the Scriptures, and that by grace alone through faith in Him alone, we are saved. So long as those conditions are met, the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit will convict and lead individual members of the body to what Scripture supports, even at different speeds for different members.

(2) We as a body have forgotten one very important element in our growth....we are at war with the powers of darkness. Especially in America, if not solely in America, we have so modernized the Gospel into this feel-good Sunday morning ritual that there is no room in our hearts or minds for God to work and do truly amazing things and for the powers and principalities to be cast out. In the East, demons are cast out, the sick are healed, and people who have never learned a foreign language suddenly speak a foreign dialect perfectly. In America, we have rallys to show how much we hate what the world has. Wow...whoopee. I think I heard it best by missionary I watched on tangle..."I have seen eight year old children die for their faith in Christ in the middle east....and you think you're radical because you wear a t-shirt." When are we going to be real about the battle around us?

The bickering and the lack of power in the modern-day church is what has led to many people leaving the faith and forsaking the body. But if we truly believed in what we say we do, and if we started living it out more, imagine what would happen here. The great revivals that spark up in the underground in India and China would happen here!!! Brothers and sisters, let us strike to that end!!! Let our faith be more than a tradition or a social network. Let it be real!!!!

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Our normal routine before the Ultimate Judge...

I saw this video on tangle and thought it would be a nice wake-up call to believers that read this. Let's stop being safe, guys. Let's be real.



Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Texas Superiority Complex...

My friend Sean sent me this email, and now that my side has quit hurting from laughing so hard, I feel the need to share it. I hope it brings you as many smiles as it did me.

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be out-done by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, in California an archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'

One week later, a local newspaper in Texas , reported the following:

After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Cut-n-Shoot, Montgomery County, Texas, Bubba Rathbone, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.


Texans are an intelligent bunch...--

Keep soaring,

B

Worrying over Nothing....

I've recently signed up for a seminary scholarship that's been offered through the guys that sell the Logos Library System. For a chance to win more money or a credit towards their software, I'm supposed to blog about a seminary experience I've had and why I think the extra money would help me out in school.

I've given thought for nearly a week now as to what I could write. I was burdened by the thought of not having a good enough blog and being ignored when the final decision was made. But now, I find that in the end it really doesn't matter what I write. God called me to be here at Southwestern. He provided my way here, and so far He has provided the means for me to stay. Regardless of whether this blog post is the best written text ever to grace a computer screen or the equivalent of the ground beneath a dung heap, if the LORD has ordained that I be at Seminary, then no amount of winning will make my place here more secure than God has already done, and losing will not remove me from it.

So, to the men and women who will be reviewing this blog and determining whether or not I am "worthy" of the extra money, I say this to you: the LORD has already decided where I am to be. And I have been obedient in following Him here. If He chooses to use you to provide for me here, then praise be unto His name. If not, then move on to the next contestant and fret over me no more. The LORD has brought me here, and the LORD will keep me here, with or without a seminary scholarship.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

"If God Were Real"

Something has been hammering me a lot lately....

It started when I was having a conversation with some new friends, Ben and Kari Mitchell. Kari told me a story about a friend of hers who, by God's grace, was able to be the instrument in a miraculous healing in the mission field. Her friend said that despite the fact that God was telling her to command a lame man to get up and walk, she at first hesitated, thinking "God doesn't do that anymore. It must be just my head." Thankfully, she listened to God and not herself, and a new brother in Christ has the use of his legs again.

A few minutes ago, I read a note on Facebook where a young woman had been experiencing trial after trial, and through a series of seemingly unconnected events, ended up reading (in someone else's devotion) a verse from the Bible that brought her peace in a time when she needed. She qualified her note by saying, "I know some of you think this is just coincidence, but..."

Recently, my former pastor published a book he has been working on for the past couple of weeks entitled If God Were Real. In this book he makes a simple statement: Christians, especially in America, today don't act like God is real, and if we did, things would be a lot different in our churches.

Of course a lot of us agree with him at face value...we could always improve our faith. But I really wonder just how bad things are. In the Eastern Hemisphere, spiritual warfare is a daily constant struggle. Demons are cast out daily, miracles happen, and entire people groups are led to Christ, even in the midst of persecution from other religions. And yet, here in America, many people don't even believe in the devil, miracles are credited to modern science instead of God, and we have to beg and plead or "be creative" to get just one person to accept Christ on weekly basis, if even that often.

If God is truly God, and not an excercise in heritage or tradition, then why are we so slow to share with others the faith that we claim to have. If God is God, and not just a crutch to believe that sickness and hardship will pass, then why do we fret when things out of our control attack us? If God is God, and His words are not just suggestions about how to live a righteous life, then why do we so easily ignore the lessons that are written in His word for the sake of self-gratification and tolerance?

I've been convicted (and I know I've been using that word a lot lately) of how I view the God I serve. I'd ask that agree with me to start living as though I believed God were real. We all say that we do in word; let us live it out in our lives through action.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

It's all just stuff....

Something has just happened that deeply bothers me and convicts me greatly....

For those of you who don't know, I'm an avid comic book collector. I've got five active collections going right now, not to mention a Rubbermaid box full of miscellaneous comic books I've collected over the years. It's something that I've always enjoyed, and it's even been an inspiration for some ministry ideas that I've had.

But even good things can be harmful...

Moving to Fort Worth involved a lot of changes, the least of which is my address. Unfortunately, because this is the most obvious change, when it came to my ebay account, it was a change that was overlooked. So, somewhere around 10 comic books, some of them extremely rare, three of them gifts from my wife, are on their way to my old address in West Monroe, and may or may not be forwarded to my new address depending on the mail type. Needless to say, I became extremely worried. I've spent the past half hour pacing the hallway of my rent house, frantically calling the West Monroe Post Office and my old landlord to ensure that these mis-mailed items would be sent to me. Thankfully, everything seems to be set up so that they will arrive at the right place, albeit a little later than expected.

Now this is what bothers me. When I found out my comic books were going to the wrong address, my heart raced and I was overcome with worry. And yet, to this day I have yet to determine the spiritual status of my new neighbors here, and the thought of them dying without Christ barely raises my blood pressure. I have bags and boards and a special place in a banker's box waiting for these comic books, if and when they arrive. And my own Bible that I use for personal Bible study sits forgotten for days on a shelf, and when I think to read it, I usually have to spend several minutes trying to remember where I put it. I've spent over $50 on comic books in the past few weeks. And yet, even though I'm still in the process of visiting churches, 10% of my income hasn't yet found its way to any ministry of the Lord whatsoever.

Jesus asked, "For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?" (Matthew 16:26) I would ask this: what does it benefit me if I gain every comic book I have ever desired but forfeit my relationship with Christ? What does it benefit me if I possess every material thing I've ever wanted and forfeit a life lived in service to the Lord?

I am broken for the materialism I've allowed myself to fall into. I ask that God would forgive me, and that He can use my experiences today to convict and draw you away from the trap I fell in. And may we all remember and take to heart the words of this classic hymn:

"Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise.
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart.
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art."

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Gender roles, or lack thereof......

Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. The move took a little more out of me than I planned. But now we're finally settling. There is an odd reverse in gender roles, since Mandy goes to work everyday, and I'm staying home, doing the dishes and the laundry, and usually the one to cook supper (and no, that does not mean we eat McDonald's every night!!).

Interestingly enough, with Father's Day coming up so close, it's made me think about the subject of manhood. Technically, when you look at the traditional gender roles, one could say that I should feel my masculinity threatened by the situation. I'm not out working a 40/week job trying to provide for the family. Granted, I still get a teacher paycheck through August, but still. I wake up between 8 and 9 everyday, run errands, do chores, and whatever else comes to mind. Meanwhile, my wife is at work all day most of the week, learning new procedures for her hospital and taking care of people so she can bring home a paycheck.

But you know, oddly enough, I don't feel threatened at all. I realize that this is where God has for us now. He wants Mandy to pursue her ministry in the medical field, and He wants me to pursue my education at Seminary. And, as I'm sure most of you have heard, Seminary is a job in and of itself. So, as long as I'm doing what God has called me to do, then no, I'm not ducking on any responsibility.

Now this isn't an excuse for idleness. If I spent the entire day watching ThunderCats reruns and playing Freedom Force or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and my wife came home to dirty laundry, dishes, and a hungry husband expecting dinner to be cooked, then yes, my masculinity should feel threatened. Because then I would not be providing for my wife in the way that God wants me to.

The day will be coming when Mandy will stay home with the kids (not to worry, they are still a long way off), and I'll be the one out and about providing for my family. That season will come, but for now, in this season, my place is to learn, to support my wife through acts of service, and leave the financial security to her and God.

So, until God calls me to do otherwise, I'll be the "happy homemaker husband."

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Is it cheesy....or is it truth?

My friend Sean recently purchased a copy of Freedom Force for me. Basically, its a video game detailing the adventures of heroes born from exposure to Energy X. Together they must stop an alien invasion from destroying Earth. The plot is very much like a post World-War II Captain America comic book. The heroes are completely good, the villains are completely evil, and there is no mistaking who is on what side.

Most people today see that kind of story and groan. Some of us start twitching from memories of Adam West and Burt Ward running around with bad theme music and sounds effect words flashing on the screen. Today we want our villains to be sympathetic and our heroes to be flawed. We enjoy seeing the story of a villain who could have been a good guy except for this one incident. Or a hero who could have been a bad guy except for this one good trait he has. That's why movies like Ocean's Eleven and The Fast and the Furious hit the screen big. That's why Stan Lee was able to make the success that he did. We want to be able to relate to the characters.

But sometimes I wonder if that isn't a commentary on how the world has turned out. Could it be the reason that we like a flawed hero is because it makes us feel better about ourselves? If the hero of an epic battle has a few vices, then aren't we allowed to have ours? And could it be that the sympathetic villain, if we can feel sorry for his circumstances, gives us hope in the thought that maybe our darker side isn't that bad after all? Do we enjoy graying the edges between black and white because it makes us comfortable in straddling the line when it comes to following Christ?

Don't get me wrong. We need to be understanding of each other in our struggles. A man struggling with homosexuality is not the scum of the earth; he is a man struggling with a particular sin, just like the "little white" liar and the "window shopping" adulterer. We all are struggling with things in our hearts that keep us from the perfection that we were meant to be. And it would be wrong of us to stand in judgment of our brothers and sisters in Christ when we ourselves have flaws to deal with. But that doesn't change the fact the sins we struggle with are sins.

To keep with the hero/villain motif, Frodo in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings felt the pull and temptation of the One ring, and he therefore pitied Gollum. He saw in himself the propensity to become what Gollum had, and because of that passed on several opportunites to kill him. But in the end, the murdering and stealing and lying that Gollum did to obtain the ring was still wrong, and his own sinfulness led to his death.

I've always been a big believer in "love the sinner and hate the sin." But I think sometimes in our efforts to love the sinner we forget that the sin is still evil. 1 John 1:5 says, "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." Christ is not a flawed hero, and Satan is not a sympathetic villain. Christ is complete and total perfection and holiness, and anything less than that is by definition evil. So while we are to love each other as much as we love ourselves, that does not mean to condone the evil that we do. We don't judge, but we do hold each other accountable. Sin is evil, evil enough it required Christ to die for us to be rid of it. Let us not cheapen His sacrifice by graying the edges of what is right and wrong.

So, the next time an old re-run of Batman comes on, instead of immediately flipping to the next station, I challenge you to take some time to watch it, and remember what it was like for good and evil to be clearly defined. Because that is how God views the world, and hence that is how we as His children should view it as well.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Real Danger....

We had a little excitement at my apartment last night....

We're getting ready to move to Fort Worth, TX, in a couple of weeks, and my mother-in-law came over last night to help us pack. She and Mandy took some garbage to the dumpster, and while they were down there they noticed a group of young men. The group seemed to be in the middle of an argument (Mrs. Debbie said she heard "mf" a few times). So they decided to hurriedly return. Mandy nonchalantly mentions as they walk back in the apartment, "I think there's going to be a fight." Not more than two seconds later, two gunshots are heard in the parking lot. I look out the window to see this group of young men scatter like scared mice. Several of them are jumping in cars and speeding out of the parking lot. I call 911 and tell the police what happened. They send a couple of officers to interview the complex, and thankfully, within a few hours, they make several arrests. (Thanks, Brit, for the info.)

I knew the severity of the situation--there was a gun shoot out in our parking lot, not 50 yards from where we lived. I understood that it was a big deal. But it didn't really affect me. I mean, after all, they weren't shooting at me or Mandy or Mrs. Debbie. We weren't even involved in whatever those men were arguing about. So why worry?

Then I got some more info this morning.

Apparently, one of those two gunshots I heard went through a bedroom window and, thanks be to God, passed OVER a sleeping child and lodged a bullet into the wall. It was the window to Apartment 44.

We live in Apartment 45.

Suddenly the entire situation came into focus. That weren't shooting at us specifically, but they were shooting in our direction. There were no injuries last night, so apparently the shooter had bad aim. But if his aim were to the left instead of the right, it would have entered my window, where I, or worse yet my wife, could have been standing. Suddenly I see the entire situation in a new light. God didn't just let us experiene the sound of a gunshot. He rescued us from that gunshot.

I think a great many of us view the sin in our lives much like I viewed the gunshot at first. Yes, sin is a bad thing, and we really don't need to give in to it. But all in all, it's not that big of a deal, and besides, we don't give in to it THAT much. We just need Jesus to help us out every now and then and we're fine.

Wrong. Romans says, "The wages of sin is DEATH..."--Romans 6:23, emphasis mine. Sin is not some minor error that needs to be corrected, or some small problem that needs a solution. To God, it is the very thing that seperates us from Him. It is the poison that destroyed our eternal peace in the garden. It is the driving force behind the wars and rage that we see on the news every day. It is the enemy steals children's innocence and creates fatherless homes. Sin is a force to be reckoned with, one that we cannot possibly overcome by ourselves.

So, when Jesus died on the cross, He did more than just give us a boost in the right direction. He put us in a place where we could attain something that on our own we could never even dream of attaining--righteousness. We were completely lost without His sacrifice, depraved and condmened to eternal punishment. But by grace through faith in Him, we can experience the eternal bliss of God's presence.

I know for a fact some great mind has already said this, so I will paraphrase and tip my hat to whomever he may be. Our perspective of how powerful Christ is is directly proportional to our perspective of the severity of our sin. If we think sin is really no big deal, then to us, Christ is really no big deal. But if we understand just how serious sin is, then we better understand just how much Jesus did for us on that cross.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Canaan Bound....

When God told Abraham and Sarah to pack their bags and move to what would be the Promised Land, I'm sure they had a lot of uncertainties to deal with. They had no clue where they were going, what they would find when they got there, or what they were supposed to do once they were there. Abraham's leap of faith was a great deal more literal than anything most of use face in our daily lives.

So when I look at the move coming up in a couple of weeks, I'm not surprised at the fears that I feel. Granted, I'm in a better position than Abraham was. I know where I'm going, I have a general idea of what I'll find when I get there, and I know exactly what I'm supposed to do once I'm there. I suppose the thing I deal with the most is this--once I get there, how do I stay there?

But as usual, God has an interesting way of reminding me of just how in control He is. There is a song by Andrew Peterson (I think this is the 2nd time I've quoted him here) called "Canaan Bound." It's a song between Abraham and Sarah, and Abraham encourages Sarah to go with him to Canaan where "long after [they] are dead and gone, a thousand years [their] tale be sung, how faith compelled and bore [them] on, how barren Sarah bore a son."

God called Abraham to believe in Him whole-heartedly, to jump out into the unknown and trust Him. Abraham did, and "it was credited to him as righteousness." --Genesis 15:6. He believed and was blessed for his believing. And his example beckons us all, "Come to Canaan, come."

And so, with a head full of fear, but a heart full of hope, I sing along with the words of my brother in Christ, Andrew......

"Oh, [Mandy] take me by my arm. Tomorrow we are Canaan bound."

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

"Back Man" by big AL

Al Cherry is a coworker of mine who, when he's not teaching Math at Richwood High School, is using his talents for the LORD as a singer and rapper. He's recently produced a Music video to his song "Back Man." You can view it here.

If you enjoy this, you can go to his website to see what else he's done. It's guys like this that are willing to try new ways to teach the Gospel that spear head ministries into places as of yet unreached.

Also, my web comic strip has officially started. You can view the strip here. It updates every Monday, so stay tuned for more.

Feel free to leave comments or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

I am a horse....

My sister was telling me about a guy she saw who breaks horses for riding and then uses that to share the Gospel. He never uses brute force to break the horse. Instead, he simply pursues it. When he tries to pet the horse, if it runs away, he simply chases it, making it run even more. Eventually, the horse tires out and learns that it can't escape the man, so it stops running. When that happens, the man is able to care for the horse, give it water, let it rest, and be the care-taker he wants to be. He says that God is the same way. When He approaches us, if we run, He chases. And sooner or later, we tire out. We reach the point where we realize we have nowhere to go and God is the only way we're going to survive. And when that happens, God is able to be the care-taker to you that He wants to be.

It reminded me of the story Hosea and Gomer, and how God used their relationship to represent His relationship to Israel. Even though Gomer cheated on Hosea and ran from him every chance she had, he pursued her. And when she was on the slave block, with no where to run, Hosea was there to clothe her, nurse her to health, and take care of her.

"Therefore, I will soon fence her in with thorns; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch them; she will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then I am now. '" --Hosea 2:6-7

God knows that He's the only thing that can satisfy. So when we take off, He pursues, knowing full well that eventually we'll tire out. And at that point, when we've reached rock bottom, He'll be waiting to restore us and ease our wounds. Granted, it's always better to start out doing what God wants, but if it doesn't happen that way, if we turn to God, He will turn to us.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Thanks, Maggie, for the story.

Keep Soaring,

B

Afraid to look up....

This is one of those times for me where God feels so close, if I were to look up I might catch Him watching me. This hymn seems to pretty much sum up what's happening in my head....and my heart:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Keep Soaring,

B

Trust...

When I was little, I used to worry about everything....no, literally everything. I worried about people dying, my teacher being a literal witch, making bad grades. Every patch of tall grass I saw just had to have some sort of poisonous snake in it, and anyone knocking on the front door I didn't know was a potential drug dealer trying to inject poison into me. Yeah, I was a basket case.

Mom tried to help by giving me a book about worrying. The point of the book was that most of what we worry about we can do nothing about, so why worry? After reading the book, Mom asked me if I learned anything. My response was "yeah. I have a lot more to worry about than I thought." Well, she tried at least.

Thankfully, I got better with age. But now I find myself sitting in a similar position. Mandy's been job-hunting, and so far no success. Granted, we haven't heard back from everyone yet, but those we have heard from either said no or asked us to fill out a survey, whatever that means. Of course, if Mandy can't find a job as a nurse, I can always teach, but we all know what teachers get paid. Right now we're barely getting by on what I make now. How much tighter is it going to be in Texas?

Not to mention Mandy has been having headaches a lot, and she says her vision is strained, even with new contacts. Now, the stress of it all may be causing tension headaches, which could pull things tight enough to mess with her vision, and as soon as she gets a job it will all go away. But she has a headache with blurred vision. Remembering my uncle, what am I supposed to think about that?

On top of that, my grandmother is in the hospital with pneumonia, which will probably never get any better if she doesn't change her environment at home (she lives out in the woods where dust and pollen are a common part of life). But if you mention moving to her at all, she quite vehemently tells you no, and the discussion is over. Pushing it any further only upsets her, and that's the last thing she needs.

So now, instead of worrying about unseen snakes and mean looking teachers, I'm worrying about getting bills paid and loved ones being taken from me long before I'm ready to let them go. the issues are all grown up now. And, to be honest, I'm scared out of my wits. I have no idea how any of this is going to turn out. I try to be reassuring for Mandy, but half the time I feel like I'm trying to convince myself more than I am her.

But still, despite all this, I still believe this, because I don't know how to not believe it:

"So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations in the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." --Luke 12:29-31

If I am going where God has called me, then He will take care of everything--jobs, headaches, and pneumonia. All that I have to do is trust. I won't lie; it's hard to do that. But it's all that is required of me.

Still, any prayer sent up on our behalf for any of these circumstances would be greatly appreciated.

Feel free to leave comments or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

The Silence of God....

I came across this song while looking through some old CDs. Something tells me this song applies to more people than who care to admit that it does. If you care to download it, it's performed by Andrew Peterson.

"The Silence of God"

It's enough to drive a man crazy.
It'll break a man's faith.
It's enough to make him wonder
If he's ever been saved.
When he's bleating for comfort
From thy staff and thy rod
And the Heaven's only answer
Is the silence of God.

And it'll shake a man's timbers
When he loses his heart,
When he has to remember
What broke him apart.
And this yoke may be easy,
But this burden is not.
When the crying fields are frozen
By the silence of God.

And if a man has got to listen
To the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throws
Of all the happiness they've got.
When they tell you all their troubles
Have been nailed up to that cross,
What about the time when even
Followers get lost.
Because we all get lost sometimes.

There's a statue of Jesus
On a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky
All quiet and cold.
He's kneeling in the garden
Silent as a stone
And all his friends are sleeping.
He is weeping all alone.

And the Man of all Sorrows,
He never forgot
What sorrow is carried
By the hearts that He bought.
So when the questions dissolve
Into the silence of God,
The aching may remain,
But the breaking does not.

The aching may remain
But the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo
Of the Silence of God.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

Happy Birthday Mandy!!

The plan for tonight is as follows:

1.) Crawfish and real coke for the birthday girl

2.) Chick-fil-A sweet tea and something non-shellfish for me

3.) A chick flick selected by the birthday girl

Adding up to a sum total of:

--Spending an evening with the beautiful woman God has blessed me with.

Keep Soaring,

B

Garlic sauce, birthdays, and the Lone Ranger...

I'm afraid this post isn't going to be a lesson, more like a sharing of some things that have been on my mind. The LORD has been doing things in my life, allowing things to happen, and some of it has me kind of scrambled up. If nothing else, the title of this post should suggest something of my mental capacity to stay focused.

My wife didn't get a position at the hospital that she wanted. Which, in all actuality, means nothing. There are literally thousands of positions in the Dallas Fort worth area for BSNs, so not getting one job is in no way an indication of whether or not she will find a job. But still, I feel somewhat regretful. She was so worried that this was going to happen, and everytime she mentioned it, I would always say, "but you're going to get it. You're good at what you do and you have a very impressive resume. They'll jump at the chance to hire you." It's true...she is good at this nursing thing and she does have an impressive resume. But for whatever reason, the hospital just didn't hire her. Now I feel like a heel, because I told her this wouldn't happen, and it did. Maybe I should have spent less time trying to fix her worries and more time simply acknowledging that she was worried. I'm learning that sometimes a shoulder to punch/cry on is needed a lot more than the mystery answer to the problems at hand.

On a more comical note, she did find some courage in ordering garlic sauce. She tells the story about it here, but the cool part is that God used it to help overcome her fear of talking to recruiters. God can use anything....even garlic sauce.

Today is my mother's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!!) and Thursday is my wife's (Happy Early Birthday Sweetheart!!). It's a very happy and exciting time of the year, and often serves as an excuse for everyone to get together, which I thoroughly enjoy. But this year, things are little disjointed. Between work schedules, school activities, assignments being due, and increasingly aggravating geography, it's become impossible to have a gathering to celebrate either birthday where everyone is there. My sister managed to make it in last night to see Mom, but has to work this weekend, which is of course the only time that Mandy and I can make it out to see her, and it also happens to be right when my other sister is going to be in Baton Rouge. Mandy and I have plans to celebrate her birthday with my sister later in the week, and we sort of celebrated with her parents last weekend. But her parents are going to out of town this weekend, so having an actual party is impossible. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is part of life, and I wouldn't change any of it. Children grow up, they have their own lives to tend to, and getting together gets harder and harder the farther along this life we get. But still, I feel a little disappointed (mainly in myself for not coming up with a solution) that the birthdays of two of the most important women in my life have to be celebrated in pieces where we can manage to fit them.

If you read this blog, and you're not related to me or one of my friends from my many walks of life, then chances are you have a bone to pick with the church. Somewhere along the way, someone has hurt you, ridiculed you, embarassed you, or otherwise caused some sort of emotional damage that makes you uncomfortable to walk into anywhere that has the word "Church" or "Fellowship" written on the building. I understand how you feel; several of my friends and loved ones have been there. But I think it's important to remember something....churches unfortunately are full of people, which means someone at some point is going to screw up and hurt somebody. No matter which church you go to, it's going to happen. Some of you probably figured this out, and so, like I've done before, you just don't go to church at all, thinking "I believe in Jesus, that's good enough. Church is for those other people." It's almost like we adopt this "Lone Ranger" mentality. We can survive this harsh world on our own, we just need Jesus like the Lone Ranger needs Silver, someone to travel with and keep you going. But that just isn't how it works. We're group minded by nature; even loners tend to find a group of "loners" that they feel comfortable with. It's how were programmed.

My old pastor can give you all the Biblical reasons of why you need others here. The point I'm trying to make is this: just like you wouldn't disown your entire family because of one or two mean cousins, it really isn't fair to disown the entire Body of Christ for one sick group of people. I realize that most of the churches in this country are nothing like they should be, but there has to be at least a few, so please find one where you can be at peace and be part of the Body again. And if for some reason you simply can't find one, get a group of like-minded people together and start your own Bible study. Those who earnestly seek God will not be disappointed, and having someone with you to talk about what He's doing in your life makes this life all the more bearable.

I was somewhat lazy on this post and let other people do all my talking for me. But hopefully, somewhere in this madness that is my mind, you have managed to find truth. And I hope that it will point you to the One who defines what truth is.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B

THIS IS NOT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!......this is.......

I've been away from the blogging realm for a little while now. I've been in Fort Worth, TX, securing a rent home so that my wife and I won't be literally homeless while I attend Seminary. The LORD had his hand in the whole process. Our new landlords just happen to walk into the hardware store where a friend of mine worked, who happened to mention to said landlords that he has friends (that's us) who just happen to be moving to the Fort Worth Area and needed a home. Then it turns out that the only week we have to go looking just happens to be the week that the landlords are finishing remodeling the house. The cards were shuffled, the dominoes fell, we somehow managed to survive all of my mixed metaphors, and God allowed us to put down a safety deposit on a small but beautiful rent home. Thanks to all who have been praying, and please remember to praise God for His provision.

Something happened to me on the way home from out house hunting. It's a little embarassing, honestly, that it's taken this long for me to get it. But God knows how thick-headed I can be sometimes, and that subtlety for me isn't always the best way to do things.

To spare the suspense, I believe, for the first time in a long, long while, I heard God speak.

Now let me clarify, God did not verbally speak to me. The heavens did not open, I did not have a vision of a winged creature wreathed in light and speaking with a tongue shaped like a sword. I don't have some sort of special communication with God that no one else has. This is not the televangelist "God told me to tell you" horse manuer that you get so often these days. What I am talking about is the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me in a way that is undeniable.

I won't go into details of the circumstances due to their personal nature, but suffice it to say I was very bewildered. Things were going on a track that I didn't know how to get off of, and I was going to crash emotionally if things didn't work out soon. I had asked God for guidance on the subject before, but He never really seemed to be answering. Well this time, He answered. As I said before, it wasn't a grand vision of epic proportions. No, God chose to speak to me in probably the most unlikely way you can imagine.....He spoke to me in a whisper. Just a slight "tug" on my heart that pulled me in a direction I didn't normally go. And the results were profound. Months of confusion suddenly and instantly made clear. Wounds that had been open for far too long, for the first time, seemed to finally be healing. And the oddest part of it all was that it wasn't because of a great effort on my part. It was because God chose to whisper.

I know that this is terribly vague, and if the circumstances didn't involve more people than just me, I would be more forthcoming about it. But the point remains the same--when God spoke to me and gave me an answer to questions that had been plaguing me, He spoke in a whisper. So, if you have tried to listen for God and heard nothing, maybe you were like me. You were looking for skywriting and supernatural events, when really all you need to wait for is a whisper.

I wanna close this post with a lesson that the prophet Elijah learned. He had just seen God work an amazing miracle by conquering the false god Baal. Then, when his life was threatened, he fell into horrible depression. When God came to him, to encourage him, this is what happened:

"A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave." --1 Kings 19:11-13

To hear God's voice, we don't need to look for miraculous signs and wonders. We need only to listen for a whisper.

Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.

Keep Soaring,

B