Doing the hard thing

All,

It’s been quite some time since my last blog, but I am planning on making a second but secured blog.  I’ll be detailing what God does with my time on another project, but for obvious reasons I can’t release it to the general public.  My wish though is that through my journey on this project you can see the hand of God moving in a group of people that truly seek after His will and give Him all the glory.

Til then, keep searching.

-Andrew

Caged fire

A human life, I think, should be well rooted in some area of native land where it may get the love of tender kinship from the earth, for the labors men go forth to, for the sounds and accents that haunt it, for whatever will give that early home a familiar unmistakable difference amidst the future widening of knowledge. The best introduction to astronomy is to think of the nightly heavens as a little lot of stars belonging to one’s own homestead.

-George Eliot

Today I spent my time helping my (future) brother-in-law prepare his land for this season.  It’s the first time this ground has been tilled, worked and seeded.  We did a lot of tilling, burning brush, trimming and cutting trees, removing rocks from the gardens and general landscaping.  It felt so good to get up early and work hard; see productive work being done and have God smile down on us as we reap the blessings that come from obedience.

My sister and brother-in-law’s house is beautiful, it’s nestled right next to the Shenandoah Valley on over an acre of land in a small but decent farm house.  It’s a house a young couple can restore and clean up, start a family and watch it grow.  It won’t hold a large family but it will sell nicely when their family grows and it would give someone else a chance to start off right.
I pray that my path leads me to taking a wife and starting a family, I know I have a fantastic model in front me.  Watching my sister and her fiance has been so wonderful to observe and to learn from.  Seeing God’s hand of providence reign down on them as they keep His commandments and obey what He lays before them.  They’ve actually been engaged longer than the courtship – but that’s what happens when you do things right!  God moves them along to bigger and better things to accomplish higher deeds to advance His kingdom.

It’s tough for me to obedience to where God has placed me because I am still very far away from where they are.  He’s placed me in a baby industry that cannot support a man on his own and the hopes to start a family; at least not yet.  I know film making can me made into a model that have a man perform his duties and responsibilities but it’s dependent on a lot of factors that aren’t the norm yet.  I don’t care if I have to work hard and constantly, I don’t care if I get stuck in an office job, I don’t worry about ‘liking’ where He places me, I just want Him to use me and place me where I can do.

I’m restless because He is not pouring me with blessings or have me serve while I wait.  I’m just supposed to wait…but why has He made as I am where I cannot do anything?  Why have me serve Him in an industry where I can barely support myself, much less a family?  I’ve even tried getting my old (but stable) job back but He’s closed that door too.

He has called me to a time of just burning.  I can’t light other people’s fires, I can’t tame my own.  I’m just burning and praying.  Waiting on the time to where He calls me and I can let loose this passion for Him like a phoenix from it’s ashes.

I know God has aligned everything so that I will go where He calls me.  To a homestead, to a job, a wife and kids, another place altogether or nothing but death, I will go.

Being a living sacrifice is hard.

Self Expression

<i>”A fool has no delight in understanding,
but in expressing his own heart.”
Proverbs 18:2</i>

I am an artist.  I create, I move, I manipulate and emulate things around me and through me in order to create.  An artist is simply one who <i>creates</i> an object to a pleasing end.  Artists come in many different forms; such as painters, singers, song-writers, poets, sculptors and so on.  All of them sharing a common bond of creating work that exemplifies an aspect of it’s creator or the creator’s intent.  All art is representative of something, even if it’s just creating for the sake of creating.

Artists are usually passionate, and so therefore use the creation of art as an outlet for that passion.  Talent is almost irrelevant since art can be subjective from the creator to a viewer, or even a viewer from viewer.  It doesn’t need to adhere to a third party technical standard in order to do what it’s creator wants.  There are many fine, talented people that create but are not artists because their passion lies elsewhere.  Originality is not important, or even the views of a subjective viewer because the point of the creation is to simply adhere to that aforementioned third party standard.

So we have passion that drives an artist to create.  The artist creates art in order to express that passion and is personified through the specifics of the craft.  So logically we can ask ourselves the following questions:

Is art completely subjective or is there a common standard?
Is the best form of art derived from the deepest of passions?
Ultimately what is the highest beauty worthy of being expressed through art?

May I submit to you that all of the questions have the same answer?  Because in earnest they do.

Is art subjective?  Let’s delve deeper.  Can art have a different impact or message from one person to another?  Yes, of course it can.  We are all different, all coming from different background with different life experiences that taint and mold our worldview in which we see things like art.  A song that brings me to tears might only bring indifference to another person.  But we must realize that we are coming from an internal perspective of how a piece of art moves us in our personal way as opposed to an external view which is relating in a more logical and purposeful approach.

If I were to write a song that to me was the ultimate in beauty but was nothing but chaos to every other that heard it I would not say that my art is subjective and only those who live on my tier of creativity can understand, I would say there is something <i>different</i> in my worldview from others.  Different can certainly mean wrong in this case.  So assuming my art is flawed because of my flawed worldview, my art comes becomes a failure as it goes against a more universal standard.  But what is that standard?

Is the best form of art derived from the deepest of passions?  Now with our understanding on the unreletivistic nature of art we see this question in the following light:
Can a worldview that is in accordance to a higher standard which is fueled by large depths of passion create a high form of art?  Yes.  This is also where talent comes into play to help bridge the gap between the differences, the gaps if you will in our own worldviews which might view the art differently.  Talent can be described here the best bridge between worldviews to one view that is higher.

So we have the following equation: Deep passion= best art.  What then is the deepest passion?

Ultimately what is the highest beauty worth being expressed through art?  In understanding beauty we must also understand that beauty does not come to us as an open gift.  There are parameters around beauty that must be regarded and protected.  There are different levels of love, each expressed by different relationships.  Each has it’s own essence of beauty but likewise expressed different by each.  There are lines that are not meant to be crossed.  In our own worldviews we can understand the purpose of beautiful art out of it’s place, but that does not justify it’s existence outside of it’s borders.  But the highest beauty, as it were, is just as accessible to all regardless of experiences or highly evolved worldviews.  Ergo it’s expression through art should be reachable by all.  It is universal in the fact that it’s innate beauty can far surpass any gap we might have between our worldviews if it is sufficiently expressed with talent.

So the question begging to be asked to come to a full conclusion is this:

What is the highest beauty?

Please forgive me as I have only answered my own questions with more questions.  I have done so in order to attempt to follow logic in it’s course to come to better understanding of the answer.  But now that we have an understanding of the roots of the questions and both their philosophical and existential implications I can give the answer and supply a sufficient reasoning.

God.

Plain and simple everyone.  It’s God.  The Trinity, to be more exact.  Within the Trinity we have perfect love, perfect relationship, perfect communication, perfection of will and actions, perfection of the mind, body soul as expressed by three beings all relating to each other as one.  We are the creation of God as His expression of that love and passion being poured into our very being.  All of us bear His image as a sign of that love.

But we are fallen and seek to express our own fallen hearts.  Our distortions in our worldviews we come to love and seek to create art for instead of our Father’s love.  The shards of a broken image of God become mirrors for our souls in the way we express art.

What is the standard I was talking about?  God’s law.  God’s law is His will for us to live our lives in accordance with Him in order to have a perfect relationship with Him – the purpose behind our creation.

What is the deepest passion?  The passion that comes from realizing our fallen state and then returning to Him in approach of relationship.  Through salvation, just a mere taste of that divine passionate love God has for us is enough to fill us for eternity.  Do you realize that?  Since God in His character is infinite, His love and passion is infinite.  If we are the expression of His infinite love, then we can draw that same passion for Him through Him.

What is highest beauty?  All of the beauty that we see around us derives from the creator of beauty, the one who wolds the standard and content of perfect beauty in His hand.  This is the ultimate in contrast!  Our sinful nature – the darkest of blacks and the most chaotic of chords in relation to the brightest of whites and the most harmonic chords being played into eternity as the sinful nature is driven from us by God’s love.

I hear all the time from my fellow artists, “I lost inspiration” or, “There’s no passion that drives me”.  Taste of what Christ has to offer, drink from His overflowing and infinite cup of love and beauty and you will never quench of thirst again.

The best we can offer apart from God is dirty rags compared to His tapestries.  Read Psalm 51 and read what it’s like to beg God for that passion.  Read Jeremiah 20:9 and see a passion that burns hotter even than our own desires.  Read what Christ did on the cross willingly to bring us to that point of perfect expression – His love.

Quid est Veritas

In the tremendous conversation between Pontious Pilate and Jesus we see the quintessential condition of the human heart. Allow me to give you the context to this story.

Jesus has been arrested, after many attempts, by the hand of one of His own. It took a betrayal of one that was closest to Him for Him to be brought into custody and sure death. Now that He was under arrest, He was sent back and forth between the Roman government and the Pharisees in order for ‘due process’.

Finally He is taken to the Roman governor, Pontious Pilate, to be questioned by the governor himself.

Now since this was a religious season for the Pharisees, in order to maintain cleanliness for the upcoming ceremonies they were not allowed to enter the house of a gentile. So they send Jesus in under Roman guard alone and is brought to Pilate.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked, seeking confirmation in the accusations brought against Jesus.

“Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” Jesus replied.

“Am I a Jew? It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it that you have done?”

“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would come to fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!”

“You are right in stating that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate looks down at the ground and shrugs his shoulders. He looks back at Jesus and says,
“What is truth?” he walks away and then allows Jesus to be crucified.

Are you the king of the Jews, Pilate asks at first. He’s looking for truth. There have been accusations brought to Him and the defendant is neither confirming nor denying this. Upon the answer that Jesus’ gives, Pilate can discern if Jesus is a liar, lunatic or Lord.

But always seeking the heart of men, Jesus responds by giving a question back to Pilate getting him to open up on his own personal assumptions.

Who’s asking that question? Do you really not believe me? Has someone else prompted to doubt what I say? Even when there is substantiated proof of my claims you reserve judgement. A man honestly seeking truth would see the evidence of people’s hearts and the actions it unfolds…not some accusation coming from a political force.

Pilate retorts by removing himself from the equation. Am I a Jew? What personal stake do I have in this issue? What consolation will I receive if I judge one way or another? Who are you and what have you really done to upset this many people who demand your death?

Humbly Jesus submits that He is a king, but a king that Pilate has not seen before. My kingdom, Jesus says, is not of this world.

You are a king? Pilate is now intrigued that this rational and calm man is providing an answer Pilate can ascertain. If Jesus really is a king of a earthly kingdom and is innocent of these charges, Pilate can release Him. If Jesus is not a king, a simple judgement will do.

Again causing Pilate to show his true motivation, Jesus appends by saying that His kingdom is not of this world. In fact, His kingdom is so powerful He could have prevent His arrest by the Jews. He could have overthrown the Jews, and quite possibly be a threat to the Empire. But that’s not why He came…He has come to testify to the truth that He is King.

Jesus is essentially bringing this conversation to an end, by forcing Pilate to conclude on his own assumptions, and not the persuasion of others.

Without God, Pilate could find no truth.

“What is truth?” He turns and walks away, as many of us do when faced with Christ.

Here was Christ the King before this man saying that He is the truth that Pilate has been searching for. When we think the question is more important in the answer, when we think that the answers cannot be obtained or when it’s easier to walk away from what’s in front of us; we miss the Christ standing before us offering truth.

“I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes onto the Father except through Me.”
-Jesus

COME WHAT MAY

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-Andrew

When you ‘loose’ Christ

A quote from a recent debate I had…

…”However, I know for a fact you won’t recede your argument anytime soon. As someone who was in exactly the same position you are in 20 years ago, (your age, sir?) It’s very hard to let go of faith, especially when it’s reinforced by the family. In the end, we all have to decide for ourselves what is ‘real’ when it comes to faith. Personally, my faith in God went out the window on 911, and every excuse I’ve heard from religious types on the subject since that day has been woefully inadequate. 
Maybe you’ll get to the stage in your life when the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” just isn’t good enough anymore.”

The debate, which ironically didn’t start off as a debate, was about homosexuality. The original post on this message board was a youtube video of some family in the southern US that used the majority of it’s time executing ‘hate crimes’ in the name of God. I use the term hate crime loosely here, but for what it’s worth that’s what they were doing. Literally picketing anything imaginable with signs stating God’s hatred for those in a homosexual lifestyle, God’s hatred for America and where it’s going; and praising the death of soliders in Iraq because it’s a sign of God’s hand of justice on the US.

What got me personally involved in this debate was not the fact that I am 1 of 2 Christians on this message board, nor was it that these people were bashing Christianity, but it was because this family on the video were homeschoolers. That’s right folks, homeschoolers.

This family of many children (I forget the exact number) also home churched with a few other people. In fact it was the grandfather of this family that started this church and the hate movement he started. So we’re even seeing the playing out of the multi-generational principle. I merely wished to show the rest of the members on the board that I am a Christian, unashamedly so, but I have no tolerance for attitudes like that. Naturally this went head long into the infamous “so why do you think homosexuality is wrong? isn’t it just love?” debate.

But the quote I placed up top really gripped me. You see the majority of the responses were either attempted one sentence debate smashers (which failed) or mindless profanity or the accusation of ignorance in Christians in general. This man had been a Christian once, is coming from a Christian heritage yet he has left without a doubt any trace of following God. In fact he’ll be the first to tell you he’s an Atheist.

In a sense, he lost Christ. Rather, he lost the Christ he assumed he was following. Circumstances and events took place that shattered his worldview and no one could give him an adequate answer besides, “God works in mysterious ways.” That phrase is a cop-out for non-believers cloaked as Christians to make other non-believers stay within Christianity.

There is nothing mysterious for God to tell us, “You’re slipping.” There is nothing we can’t comprehend behind a warning that we are as a whole removing God from our country and then wonder why He doesn’t protect us. We wonder why we can’t react unified or correctly when these bad things happen. Have we forgotten that is by a broken and contrite heart God will accept us?

I believe this man had ‘lost’ Christ because his Christ was not powerful enough to stop these things from happening, nor able to tell him why. He sought for an answer and he did not use 9/11 as an excuse to leave Christianity, it’s just that all he was left with was blind faith in a weak God that allows bad things to happen for no reason.

All of this I believe is summed up when Christ is talking with the 12 during the last supper, and He talks about Him leaving. Allow me write down John 14 (some verses omitted) for you and help create the scene:

“In My Father’s house there are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Philip said to Him, “Show us the Father, Lord.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I can only imagine the sorrow, the eagerness and the suspense that Thomas and Philip had as they responded to Him. Here is their Master, their Lord, saying that He is going to go away and that’ they can’t come with Him. They ask Him where is He going, if they can’t find Him they can’t find the way, and Jesus responds by saying that He is the way! You follow Him you follow the way to God. They then go on to say show us the Father then, Lord. If you’re the way, show us God. Again Jesus tells them that He is God, He is in God and God is Him.

I can only imagine Jesus looking back into Philip’s eyes with an equal amount of eagerness by saying, “Philip have you not been with me all this time?! Haven’t I told you these years that if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.”

When we loose our way, when we loose sight of things that keep us on the road with God, when that circumstance occurs in which we cannot understand or explain away why, look to Him.

My friend on this message board sought answers, but did not seek Jesus. Jesus is the answer, He is the way, He is the life. No man comes onto the Father except through Him.

And greater things than this shall he do.

Renhetens Elv (Jesus kom til Jordan for å dø)

Norwegian. Translation = River of Grace, Jesus came to earth to die.

Given to mankind for all to believe.
Sacrifice of life for all to receive.
-Øle Borud

Right now there is a Danish revival happening, led by a man named Mikael Thomsen. He is young, but he is wise and passionate about the things of God. In a culture where anti-religion is the best a Christian can afford, but paganism is the norm, the message that Mikael gives is in direct contradiction to his society. In almost all of the traditional Scandinavian countries paganism and very specifically anti-Christian sentiment is a cultural norm, can and is punishable by law if you preach outside a church. It’s considered a hate crime. It’s considered “anti-family.”

Look around at other countries around the world and their policies and laws. Look at our own Country and the way it has been going for the past century. The majority of legal actions have been taken in the name of morality! The entire world as we know is trying to undergo a change of how we define morality.

Justification is all the rage, perceptionism and popularism is abundant in our own America. Baseless existentialism is the best we can expect of any decent apologia (Ancient Greek = reasoned response) to the rest of our Country. We can’t define, we can’t explain, we can’t give an intelligent reasoned response for what we believe and why it is God who gives us the moral framework in which to live. We just “feel” it to be true.

Paul Washer in some of his recent messages has made this declaration,

“If the Church in America is to survive it either needs to undergo a massive revival or horrible persecution.”

We need to grow from the inside out. Teach each other, extol one another, keep each accountable and grow in the Lord to His glory. Let our hearts be put aflame with His truth with an unquenchable passion which a power that knows no chains of hell! Or we will undergo a persecution in our own ‘godly nation’ that will teach us the hard way.

Many people will renounce their faith in either situation. It is quite possible that a revival will happen and persecution will be the countries answer to it. People will see consequence to their actions and follow the dictates of their hearts – deceitfully wicked God hating hearts.

“Whoever loves this life shall lose it, whoever loses this life will gain it in eternity.”

I’ve seen a lot of people, many of them my friends, place their hope in the recent Presidential election. Yes, the leader of this nation will represent us unified before God. Yes, God will bless a nation who’s leader follows the will of God. Yes, there is much at stake if this position is misused. But our hope is not in Presidents, it’s not in a conservative agenda, it’s not in historical landmarks or political representations before God, it is in Christ alone.

The One who sits at the right hand of God almighty died and became all abomination and sin, threw damnation and condemnation into hell and came back to life to save us! If you don’t understand what I mean by Jesus becoming sin understand this – you are not saved because Jesus was tortured. You are not saved because the Jews betrayed Him and the Romans beat Him, you aren’t even saved because He died on a cross. You are saved because on that cross He took all iniquity and sin, bore it upon Himself as our propitiation before God the Just and had His Father look away.

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

We have forgotten this in America. We have reduced following God and all of His mandates to “it’s a relationship with Christ alone.” We are weak, thin skinned and rebellious anything else that resembles God. We just want our Christ that died on a cross because He loves me.

If that’s your view on Christ you will never understand the depth of His love for you. It so much more than just He loves you and died for you…He gave up perfect and holy communion with God to take your debt so that you might have fellowship with Him again.

God has been removed from the cornerstone of our country to an option that is open to any emotionally needy citizen.

We need revival. Yea, we need persecution. We need something to take us out of our apathy and contentment with cultural norms. It’s not because Barack Obama is President, it’s because we put him there. We, the people, have created a representative democracy that can only go down the tubes as it were if we let it. And we have.

Pray for our President in earnest. Pray for our Country. Pray for revival and persecution if need be. Pray for fathers hearts to turn to their children, pray for men to be men and women to be women.

But most of all pray for brokenness. Pray for a broken, contrite heart before God. That is all He ever wants from us.

A bit of fun

I AM that I AM

“How on earth can a holy and righteous God know what I thought, did and said yesterday and not kill me in my sleep last night? Why is it that we are here today? Why is it that He has not consumed and devoured each and every one of us? Why, why O God, does your judgement and wrath tarry?”
-Voddie Baucham

There is a doctrine, a belief if you will, that is the most important but most overlooked doctrine of the entire Christian faith. That is, the doctrine of the Trinity.

Although Catholics, Protestants and the majority of the other sects of Christianity hardly ever deny the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity, it is hardly ever expounded. It is never taught, nor is it delved into by majority of people who still have big questions left about their faith; but fail to study the truth that will give them what they need.

Why is it then that the doctrine of the Trinity is so important but so easily overlooked? It’s because it’s basic conceptual nature is easy to understand. Any Christian with any amount of faith finds it easy to believe that God is 1-in-3. He is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Simple.

But we never take it deeper than that. We never attribute more to this doctrine than numbers. Let me explain why it is so crucial to every other doctrine within Christianity.

The doctrine of the Trinity is the base for every other doctrine that exists within the truth. Before the foundations of the world were laid, before you and I were created, before time started, there was the Trinity. God eternally exists (eternally in this case also meaning without beginning) in complete glory, love and satisfaction within Himself. Since there are three person within the Trinity, there is relationship. Since there are three persons in relationship in all things good, there is glory. Henceforth since there is eternal glory within the Trinity there is nothing greater than Trinity itself.

God is not an idolator, He places nothing above Himself.

Let me define some of the attributes of Trinity to help explain this relationship:

God is omnipotent (all powerful). God is omniscient (all knowing). God is omnipresent (He is everywhere, including in, out and through time). God is omnibenevolent (all glorified and lovely). God is also sovereign.

You see if God was omnipotent but not sovereign, man could use God in His power (sovereignty of man). If God was omnibenevolent but not omniscient, He couldn’t express the beauty and love that lies within the Trinity. So on, and so forth.

Now you have a basic understanding of the nature of God and how He relates to Himself. But what’s the big deal? How does this change the rest of Christian doctrine and dogma?

God cannot love others if He does not love Himself.
God cannot extend mercy if He does not have authority.
God cannot give grace if He did not know how to go beyond Himself.
God cannot be the dictate of all things if He is not all powerful.

Everything you know that accummulativly impacts Christianity to it’s entirety is based upon the doctrine of the Trinity. God’s love, grace, knowledge, power, being, beauty, wrath, anger, wisdom and timing is all rooted in the doctrine of the Trinity.

The largest question to me in my mind, is not what God is, but how God is in relationship to man.

It’s not hard for me to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. It’s hard for me to understand (but do so with God’s grace, ironically enough) that such a God with such a nature would turn His head to look upon me, justify me through the death of Himself on the cross, and accept me as I am into His eternal presence.

I do not have to move to the left or to the right for God to love me. And that’s because He is who He is. He does not need ANYTHING.

I am not anything without Him.

http://prayerfoundation.org/st_patricks_breastplate_prayer.htm

Fixation

As in…fixed.  Figured out how for you, the reader, to post comments on here.  Took me a bit….but I fixed it.

 

Comment away as the Spirit leads.

 

-Andrew