P.E.

I have been taking a one credit P.E. class this quarter. Namely, toning. I know, I know, it sounds like a girls’ class, but just for the record, there is a really cool biker dude (motorcycle kind of biker dude) in the class along with three other guys (5 total), so keep your comments to yourself.

Anyway, it’s a lot harder than I expected. My teacher is as fit a person as you’ll ever meet (unless you hang out with Olympic quality athletes) and really hard to keep up with. It is good though because it allows me to see how far I can actually go physically. If I was left on my own, I would probably have quit a long time ago. Having an instructor to push you to your limit is good when working out.

So, at the end of the quarter, our final is going to be what my teacher calls the “wall sit.” What you do is take up a sitting position with you back against the wall with nothing underneath to support you other than the muscles in your legs. Then you stay there for five minutes. It is much harder than it sounds and I challenge all of you to try it and let me know what you think. We have been working up to it. First we started at 1 minute to 1.5 minutes to 2 minutes to 2.5 minutes to 3 minutes, which is where we are right now.

Anyway, I’ll be taking a weight training class next quarter (certainly more manly) and I’ll let you know how that goes in a few months.

Thoughts from Sociology Class

Sociology is an interesting class. A lot of people have little respect for sociology majors (this is not my major) . My teacher gets this question a lot: “You majored in what?!” Even his family introduces (probably on purpose) him as a Psychologist instead of a Sociologist after I don’t know how many years he’s been out of college. He has to keep correcting them .

Anyway, some interesting terminology was introduced that I have some thoughts on. First some ground work: a “Status” is a position that someone holds in society; a “role” is the obligation that comes with holding that position. People have many different statuses that they hold like being a mother, a student, a teacher, etc. A “master status” is the status one holds that defines their life. When my teacher mentioned this, the first thing that came to mind was, “Oh, one’s religion.” Instead, my teacher and the entire class said that it was someone’s job. In today’s society, I believe they are right. One’s job is seen as the definition of who someone is. This is interesting to me because of how one’s job has usurped the position that ought to be religion’s.

Another term used was “role conflict” where two or more roles are incompatible. For Christians, it is easy to obtain roles that conflict with their obligations to God. If our master status is our job, right there we have created role conflict, putting things of the world in the place of the things of God.

Lastly, we talked briefly about Charles Cooley and his “looking glass self.” His theory is in three parts: 1) We imagine our appearance; 2) We imagine others’ judgment of our appearance; 3) and lastly, we develop feelings that respond to the judgment we imagined that other people have about our appearance. This is kind of funny, but certainly true in many respects. Another thing I heard about Cooley’s ideas, not from my class but from my brother, is that there is always a you before there in an I. My brother had some pretty good insight when he immediately associated that with Christianity. He made the observation that one must know God before he can truly know himself. To know who God is allows us to understand our position under God and our true nature in relationship to him and the rest of the world. We understand that we are sinful and we understand what is meant by being created in the image of God.

There are certainly a lot of valuable things to be learned from the subject of sociology if one has the ability to see beyond the surface of things. I say that we should never underestimate the value of these sorts of things in our daily lives.

Test Taking

I just took an economics exam (1st of 4) today and I can honestly tell you with all assurance, that I absolutely positively have noideahowIdid.

Have you ever had a test where you didn’t exactly understand what was being asked? This test was like that. Because of this teacher’s poorly worded questions on his exams, I am no longer an A student. Last quarter, when I took his macro economics class, I got a B minus. The only thing under an A that I’ve ever gotten. I don’t mean to brag about my GPA (now a 3.77), but I am sure a lot of you students out there can sympathize about having such poorly written test. As a student, there isn’t much you can do about it.

The funny thing is that economics is the subject in which I find the most interest. It’s just difficult to master because everything seems upside down and backwards and when you have a teacher like mine… well, we won’t continue on that line of thought.

I am actually going to major in business since it seems to me to be the most useful degree that contains subject material that I find interesting.

I hope all of you students out there will keep studying hard and do well on your tests.

Total Depravity

My pastor mentioned in his Sunday School recently that Arminianism is probably the biggest heresy in the church. Having been to over 30 different churches myself, I whole heartedly agree with him. One of the problems is that what is identified as Calvinism is not exactly Calvinism. Even the Five Points of Calvinism are often times misleading, but that is actually no big surprise considering that the points were created by Arminians. So, I am always looking for better ways to explain the doctrines of what is called Calvinism. R.C. Sproul gave me a good term to use in the place of total depravity the other day. Moral Inability. Considering what we have in Christ, total depravity is not the best term, but moral inability  better describes our inability to do good and our innate sinfulness because of Adam.

I have been asked the question and often pondered whether or not someone could go to heaven if they led a so called “sinless” life. I have now come to the conclusion that they cannot. My reason is original sin. We are condemned because of what Adam did in the garden, not just because of our own personal sins. That is why Christ’s death and resurrection was so essential. It is also why Christ had to be born of a virgin. Seeing as Adam is the father of all mankind, his sin is passed on through generations. Christ, having no earthly father, inherited no sin and was indeed sinless and hence the only person who could be the Saviour and Sacrifice for the sins of his people.

Just some food for thought (and maybe comment ).

Devotions on Abortion

I have the privilege to lead the devotions at school on Thursdays for a group of fellow Believers from my church. Last Thursday, I talked a little bit about sin in the church (abortion being part of it).

As many of you know (or at least will know if you are a Christian and follow such things) Dr. D. James Kennedy passed away over a month ago, which I believe to be one of the biggest losses to the church in America, and had a funeral not long after. I recently received a news letter in the mail from Coral Ridge Ministries describing the service. At Dr. Kennedy’s request, the Doxology was sung at the start of the service and the Hallelujah chorus was sung at the end. The news letter described several “dignitaries” in attendance including “Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson; Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson; Dr. Frank Wright, President of the National Religious Broadcasters’ Association; and Timothy Goeglein, Special Assistant to President George W. Bush.” Dr. James Dobson was the keynote speaker and I quoted him from the news letter for my devotion.

“Dr. James Dobson, the main speaker at the service, said, ‘a towering oak tree has fallen, but we know where he is.’ He asked mourners ‘Who will answer the call?’ to fill the void left be the recent deaths of many great Christian leaders, such as Jerry Falwell, Adrian Rogers, Bill Bright, and others, and now Dr. Kennedy. ‘Who will carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone?’ Dr. Dobson questioned. ‘ who will defend the unborn child; who will speak for them? Who will speak for those who are older and no longer productive? who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world who can be starved to death legally for having the misfortune of being disabled? Who has the courage to speak up? Who is going to fight for the institution of marriage… and teach young people the dangers of heterosexual and homosexual promiscuity? Who will, in the next generation, be willing to take the heat when it is so much safer and comfortable to avoid controversy?” -Coral Ridge News Letter, October 2007

I continued by telling of something I had recently heard from a lecture by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi makes the claim (which I believe to be true) that the most dangerous place in the USA is the mother’s womb, where 1 out of 3 babies die. I then gave the statistics, which are very well know in my church, that about 1.5 million infants are reported to be aborted each year in the U.S. alone. That comes down to over 4ooo in one day and about 1 every 2-3 minutes. The appalling thing is that the statistics are almost the same in the church as they are outside the church.

I would like to answer the “call” as Dobson puts it, but as Christians, what can we do when we are no different from the secular world? When sin is just as prominent in the church as it is out of the church? How can we say what is right or wrong? Brothers and sisters in Christ, heresy has entered the church and it must leave. Many churches today reject the divinity of Christ and the authority and infallibility of the Scripture. They teach that there are many ways to heaven and one does not need the gift that Christ gives on the cross to those that believe in his name. They teach that only devils go to hell and are punished and that everyone receives free admittance to heaven. They say that we will not pay the consequences of our actions because God loves everyone and will not punish them.

All I can do is say nothing, but point to Scripture:

“[1] But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
[2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
[3] And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
[4] For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
[5] And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
[6] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
[7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
[8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
[9] The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
[10] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
[11] Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
[12] But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
[13] And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
[14] Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
[15] Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
[16] But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
[17] These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
[18] For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
[19] While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
[20] For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
[21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
[22] But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” -II Peter chapter 2

As Christians, it is extremely important to realize our sin and the consequences that come from it. We must accept the part it plays in our lives and pray to God for forgiveness. As a church, repentance is needed because judgment will first come to the people who wear God’s name. We cannot complain about the evil of the world if we follow after the world. Let us rather follow after Christ.

Gov’t School

I have now met several people attending my college who took calculus in high school and couldn’t place into intermediate algebra on the college entrance exam. This is just too sad. I am not against education or school, but something really needs to happen about the current government school system (preferably get rid of it or not use it except when necessary). It’s creating way too many problems for colleges (especially community colleges). Since my wonderful state has been pouring a lot of money into the k-12 school system with little results, I don’t think that more money will solve the problem. From a worldly perspective, they need to stop with the anti-religious propaganda and teach real academics.

From my personally religious perspective, private school is the way to go. Churches need to start schools and educate their own. Other religions should do the same thing. Teach their own. When everyone in the school believes the same way, there is less need to demolish everyone else’s worldview and a greater need to learn academics. If people develop a greater capacity to read and spell, do mathematical calculations, analyze and think a little more logically, they will be better equiped to understand their own beliefs and philosophy. I do not claim to have a particularly significant education, but I can see with what education I do have that the results from government schools is extremely undesirable. I would go so far as to say that it is killing the society through neglect.

“Instead of the State undertaking to be universal creator and sustainer of school, let it invite parents to create, sustain and govern their own schools…”-Robert Lewis Dabney

“The parents are the real architects of their children’s destiny, and the state cannot help it.”-Robert Lewis Dabney

Atheism: Not a religion?

Hmm… I wonder why they have a convention if they are not organized. Not a religion. You know, the CIA classifies them as their own religion. Those who are not a religion (not classified as atheist either) are put in their own group. Atheist groups get the same benefits as religious organizations. These groups also function as religious organizations do. They also have a scary objective (listen to Richard Dawkins for awhile to find out what; I know, I know, not everyone of them believes the same way, but neither does anyone in any religion). I like reading Ken Ham’s blog and he has a good post today on the recent AAI meeting. What surprised me was something else I heard today, apparently Rush Limbaugh is unfamiliar with Richard Dawkins. This might not be true seeing as I did not hear the broadcast myself and cannot verify that, but that is what I heard and it is sort of funny.

Pleasure

For the Christian, there is a certain kind of pleasure that is righteous and a certain kind that is unrighteous. Certain things that are okay to take pleasure in and certain things that are not okay to find pleasure in.

I was riding the bus home today and I was listening to a lecture by Ravi Zacharias on pleasure. I will post a brief summary of what he said because I found it very helpful in my own personal walk, but first I’d like to know how other Christians judge the difference between righteous and unrighteous pleasure. Please give us your thoughts and if you have any Scriptural passages to back up you point, please give us those as well (you do not have to use Scripture, though).

Edit: Since there are no comments, I will presume that there is no interest in this, so I’ll just leave the subject.

Edit 2: I now have a comment! Yay.

Ravi Zacharias said a lot of things about it and now I’ll have to go back and relisten to him, but briefly he stated that pleasure always comes with a price; with righteous pleasure, the price is paid before; and, with unrighteous pleasure, the price is paid after. A perfect example of this (from a Christian perspective) is premarital sex. Sex can be righteously enjoyed after marriage or unrighteously enjoyed before marriage. Money is another good example. If one steals, they seek immediate pleasure, but later they will pay the consequences. If one works hard to earn money, they can enjoy it righteously after the price has been paid. I was particularly thinking about this because I am currently trying to learn about investing. Investing can be an extremely dangerous thing to do if one does not know how to do it; or it can be very profitable if done with knowledge and experience. The time it takes to learn how to do something correctly if often very hard because it is inherent in human nature to want something immediately or in our own time frame instead of in God’s time frame. Anyway, I highly recommend listening to Ravi Zacharias whenever you get the chance. He is very insightful.