Predestination

Over the past few weeks, some of the guys in my Youth Group and I, have gotten together and discussed different topics. It started with just me and one other guy.

That first night, we discussed predestination. Now, for a long time now, Predestination has been a topic that I did not like to discuss, because I did not like the idea of no control over my life. Mainly, it was because of Pride. But as we sat down and started talking, we talked some about Romans 8:28; (All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His Purpose.)

Then I read the next verse with it.
29:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

I have always struggled with the idea of Predestination, for a number of reasons. So, as we began to talk about this, and to debate different things; I found that I could not walk around and just simply forget this verse. So, I read over it. And the verse phrase caught me. Specifically the one word, foreknew. It reminded me of Matthew 7:20-23:
It talks about here, people coming, crying to God, all the things they did in Christ' name. But Christ said, I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. Perhaps, the word, foreknew, and knew are similar here. Perhaps God is saying, that since He is God, and He does not live inside of time, that He knows who will pursue a true relationship with Him, getting to know Him. And who will not. And from there, He gives each to his own destiny. Thus, they are Predestined.

God gives to each the opportunity to know Him, but He knows that some will not pursue. Some will claim, some will act like it. But wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many are they that go on that road. But narrow is the way that leads to Righteousness, and few are those who find it.

This is just a shortened version, and quite simply, it is what I believe on the subject of Predestination. I may be wrong, but personally, I do not believe that this matter is the one on which my faith stands. My faith stands alone on the belief of Christ Came, Christ Served, Christ Died, Christ Rose, Christ Redeemed.

In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found.

Thanks for reading!

Adios,

No longer Pointless.

Sunday morning as my Pastor was preaching. I had this thought; one that affected my thought process the entire day. I thought to myself: I'm bored.

• No, not bored in the sense that I was listening to some old dude give a lecture on the Bible. In fact, I quite enjoy my church, my pastor, and the words that God speaks through him every week. So no, I'm not bored in the church service. I am bored in the church. I mean, what is Church?? We go two days a week, perhaps participate in activities on other days of the weak. Go on mission trips, and summer retreats we amass great amounts of knowledge from This Amazing Book, and then give 10%... if that. 

• But that sums it up. Quite frankly, its boring. I read stories of people, missionaries overseas mostly, who go, leave everything behind, just to preach the Gospel. Some get beaten and throne in a prison, left to live their last days in a cell. Others are tortured and killed publicly. But each sees, or sparks, amazing things in that area. Whether it is mass amounts of people coming to God. Or supernatural occurences, much the same to the ones in the book of Acts. I imagine it this way. I am in an army, I hear stories, see soldiers in the army hospitals seriously wounded, yet filled with joy. Their joy over flows as they explain their wounds. And after hearing that... I go back to my desk job, doing paper work. Paper work that is good yes, but not what I was trained for. 
• It's much like the movie Captain America (*Spoiler Alert*) when he becomes a "show boy." And then this girl tells him, that he was made for more than cheap theatrics. So he takes action.I am tired of cheap theatrics. I want to be on the front lines as my General raises His banner high, yelling "Onward to the Prize!!"
• As I have considered this, and I think of the fact that I say all the time: The Church is not the building, the Church is the people. I have come to realize that I am of a sad group, of Churchgoers. Not in what I believe, but in how I live. Sure, I believe the Bible. Yeah, I carry out my beliefs in keeping from sin as best as possible. But, that's not all that Christ called us to be. He called us to be the Church. Not Church goers. It is boring in this routine.
• So, as I went to Church Sunday night, I got together with some of the guys in my youth group. And I told them straight out, I'm bored. Then I asked them, when it was that they felt most alive in God. And each of them named a time when they were serving, or in deep study. Coincidence?? What we are called to do is serve. That is our job. We claim Christ as our example? Well what did Christ do?He served selflessly. Stood up to the oppressers. Loved the hated. Hm... not a very good picture of the majority of Christians I see. Sure, they are kind, loving, well meaning, and Bible believing. But theirs, and my life, do not reflect selfless service. Radical fulfillment of God's commands.
• I read verses like 2 Corinthians 13:5, saying test yourselves to know that you are in the faith. And I test myself. I read Revelations 3, saying to the Lukewarm Church, I will spit, literally puke, hurl, you out of My mouth. And no, I don't believe in "Lukewarm" Christians going to Heaven. You are either in or out, no middle. Or to the church of Sardis a bit before in that chapter: You have a reputation, but I know your works. That you are dead. Anyone else wary when they hear this?? I know, good and well that I have a good reputation. I hear it all the time. So I am scared, that perhaps I am dead.
• It scares me to read Matthew 10:16 on through the rest of the chapter, when Jesus says: When you are persecuted, not if, but when. I frightens me that I face no opposition in my beliefs. We sing songs of praise to God, but rarely do we consider those words. If we really did, I think we would either Radically change our lifestyles. Or sit down and be quiet. Then I read Ezekial 16:48-50; Where God says to Isreal, (His chosen people.)
• As I speak, Sodom never did as you did. This is why I destroyed Sodom: They were Prideful, Full of Food, and had abundance of Idleness, (Notice it says Idle, not Idol. Idle. As in, not doing anything) neither did they strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. But were haughty, and committed sin before Me. (Paraphrase. Go read it yourself though, its awesome.)
• This should scare you. Because I can pin this on the American Church. Even on myself.We were made for more than this. It is high time we take action. If you truly believe the Bible, you will realize, that pursuing what you want, is a sin if it is not what God wants. Cause then it is against God's will.
• So decide now, are you the Church, or a Church Goer. Because if we are simply churchgoers. We honestly, might as well put our Bibles on the shelf, and lock up our churches. Because our purpose on this earth is to serve. If we don't do that, we are pointless.
• I don't know what the first step is. But we have to do something more than what we are doing. We need to be Radical.
• I understand, that this does not apply to every Christian in America. But it certainly applies to a lot of us.
• I hope that in this, this deep desire to be more. That I am not alone. I also hope that in this doing all I can to take action, that I am not alone. If we rise up, we can change the world. Like we were made to do.
• Thanks for reading, 
• John Mark.
• Isaiah 58:3-14; 51:7; 61:1; 
• Jeremiah 20:9; 22:15-17; 

And love is... what exactly??

I can imagine someone asking that 2000 or so years ago before Christ came to earth. What is love? Is it this odd set of butterflies? What is it? Christ came to show Love. Not the world's idea of love.

Nearly a year ago, I chose not to pursue a relationship, with any girl outside of Friendship, until I felt I was old enough to consider marriage. I had several reasons for this, Emotional Purity, wanting to take time to get closer to God without yet another distraction, and because when I look at someone and say: I Love You. I want it to be real. I want to mean it. I want to know what I mean, and not fall back from it. I want to know what Love truly is.

Paul told the Corinthian Church that:


⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I see several relationships around me all the time, come and go. I see them rise and fall. They are not unlike Old Testament Kingdoms. Initially filled with so much promise! But this people know not what they are doing, nor the meaning of what they claim. So they crumble, as a spectacle for the multitudes to see. It is so sad. And more of a reason for me to stay away.

In my house, there is a joke, that I am a "Relationship killer." Because I have had some people come up to me, and ask me for my opinion on their relationship, and the situation they are in. And I tell them honestly, most times, my opinion is for them to back out. And several have.
I am known at my Church, to all of the younger girls, for telling them that they should not get into a relationship if they are not in one. And if they are, they shouldn't be.

It's not that I want to ruin peoples relationships. Or make them unhappy. Or anything of the sort. Quite the opposite. Because in this world, where "Love: is as frequent as McDonalds, I see the people hurt by these things. (Not unlike the affects of McDonalds on your system... but that's a whole other story.)
I see girls, running to men for affection that they feel robbed of. Looking for love, in this world where love is distorted. I see relationships ruined, because one day, this couple are best friends, and the next day, week, or how ever long, never speak much a word again!

No, I don't want to ruin peoples lives. I just want a few simple things.
I want to know, what Love is.
I want to live, what Love is.
I want to see, what Love is, in the lives around me.
I want to show, what Love is, to those who are searching.

What is Love then? Still a struggle I have. I wonder what it is. I rarely believe anyone, when they say that they love someone. Especially after the relationship ends. Because, Love NEVER Fails. Failure, and Love, never met each other.

I have noticed that all of the attributes of Love are much the same as the Fruits of The Spirit. So, it seems to me, that true love, is found in God alone. It is in God's example. Christ.

What did this Man do?? This Man, Served, selflessly. This Man, Gave Himself, holding nothing back for Himself; Except His prize... which was His Love. This Man, was Patient, when His own followers, like children, argued among themselves, asking "who will be greatest??" This Man, was Kind and Caring, when a woman hated by society was brought before Him, and was said to be deserving of death. This Man, Spoke Truth, and Truth alone. Even when people didn't like it. He Spoke only Truth. Truth of the better things to come. This Man, never made someone smaller than Himself. Rather, He made Himself the smallest. This Man Healed the hurting. This Man Did Not Want FAME from this world. But instead would make Himself hated so that I could know that I am loved. This Man, Protected His loved ones, when the Pharisees came with a mob to arrest Him, telling them to leave His followers alone. In the times where I have been attacked, He has protected. This Man, Forgave me when I was unwilling to forgive myself.

So what is Love? God is Love. And to truly Love, one must be as Christ was.

Love Never Fails.

I would ask of you one thing, do not say this word love to another, unless you are willing to take on full responsibility of what it means, keep this word Sacred.

Thanks for Reading.

John Mark,

Discussion Session Part 1:

Over the past few weeks, some of the guys in my Youth Group and I, have gotten together and discussed different topics. It started with just me and one other guy.

That first night, we discussed predestination. Now, for a long time now, Predestination has been a topic that I did not like to discuss, because I did not like the idea of no control over my life. Mainly, it was because of Pride. But as we sat down and started talking, we talked some about Romans 8:28; (All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His Purpose.)

Then I read the next verse with it.
29:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

I have always struggled with the idea of Predestination, for a number of reasons. So, as we began to talk about this, and to debate different things; I found that I could not walk around and just simply forget this verse. So, I read over it. And the verse phrase caught me. Specifically the one word, foreknew. It reminded me of Matthew 7:20-23:
It talks about here, people coming, crying to God, all the things they did in Christ' name. But Christ said, I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. Perhaps, the word, foreknew, and knew are similar here. Perhaps God is saying, that since He is God, and He does not live inside of time, that He knows who will pursue a true relationship with Him, getting to know Him. And who will not. And from there, He gives each to his own destiny. Thus, they are Predestined.

God gives to each the opportunity to know Him, but He knows that some will not pursue. Some will claim, some will act like it. But wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many are they that go on that road. But narrow is the way that leads to Righteousness, and few are those who find it.

This is just a shortened version, and quite simply, it is what I believe on the subject of Predestination. I may be wrong, but personally, I do not believe that this matter is the one on which my faith stands. My faith stands alone on the belief of Christ Came, Christ Served, Christ Died, Christ Rose, Christ Redeemed.

In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found.

Thanks for reading!

Adios,