Superbowl

So I'm in a bind when it comes to the Superbowl this year. See, I'm not a fan of either the Giants or Patriots. But watching the Superbowl is more fun if you are rooting one of the teams. My original hope was for the Packers to beat the Giants and then I would root for the Packers to beat the Patriots. Alas, the Packers gave the Championship game away to the Giants and now I stand with a decision to make: Pats or Giants. I'm leaning towards going for the Patriots because it would be historic. Win or lose, this Superbowl will be historic either for the Patriots perfect season or the Giants breaking up the perfect season. Its kind of like the ninth inning in baseball and a pitcher has a perfect game on the line. Three outs to go for that last zero on the board. Will the Patriots get the final three outs?

I pick Patriots to win 31-20. What is your Superbowl pick?

Drifting

Have you ever drifted while in a boat? I have. While fishing in the boundary waters, I remember looking across the lake and noticing the shore that was once close by was now in the distance. Perhaps it was because I was distracted with a walleye, bass, or northern on my line, but over the course of just a few minutes the current carried our canoe at will. We were drifting.

In Hebrews 2:1 we are given a strong warning not to drift when the author says: "We must pay more careful attention therefore to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." I had never noticed this word "drift" before, but it is a vivid word picture to help keep us from slipping away from the faith. Its easy to get distracted in this life for a moment letting other things grasp our attention. Before we know it we look towards the shore and we have drifted miles away.

Are you drifting today? Keep your eyes focused on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith...

Funny Cat Commercial

A laugh for your Tuesday!

Baptism link

For additional teaching about baptism check out the link below. There are three different sessions on baptism, all of them are great but I would highly recommend "Biblical Baptism." It is the best one hour teaching on baptism I've ever heard.

Check it out...Counterpoint: Baptism

Baptism-Part Two

Does baptism save? If one were to only look at 1 Peter 3:21 and Mark 16:16 they might be able to make a case for baptism saving. However we need to look at these verses in light of the rest of scripture and take these verses in context. Mark 16:16 says “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” If baptism were necessary for being saved then one would think that second half of the verse would say “whoever does not believe or is not baptized will be condemned.” The verse only speaks about one who does not believe being condemned.

Looking at other verses in scripture we see that one only needs to confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart to be saved (Rom 10:9-10). Interesting to note that baptism is not mentioned here. If baptism were required to be saved then one would think it would be mentioned in this passage. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast.” We are not saved by works. We are saved by grace through faith, believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; that he died and rose again and ascended in heaven.

So what is the point of baptism then? One, it is the example set out for us throughout Acts and the rest of scripture. Two, it is a symbol of us taking off the old and putting on the new, identifying ourselves with Christ. We see the example of the eunuch in Acts 8 wanting to be baptized immediately after he believed. He stopped his chariot and was baptized by Philip because he understood the message and wanted to identify himself with Christ. Baptism is us pledging ourselves to the Lord. We read in 1 Peter 3:21: “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.” God doesn’t need us to be baptized for his sake, it is for us. It is NOT the removal of dirt from our bodies but us pledging our hearts and lives to God, thus expressing our desire to become a disciple of Christ.

Cloverfield

So I went to see “Cloverfield” last night and it wasn’t worth the $5.75. How this movie was number one at the box office last weekend I don’t know. The main premise of the movie is that Manhattan is under attack from this thing/creature and we don’t know what it is until near the end of the film. The movie follows a group of friends that were all at a party when the attack occurred. And the entire film is supposedly “filmed” by one of the friends who had a video camera from the party. Thus, the filming is, on purpose, quite shaky throughout, so you’d better bring your barf bag. By the end of 90 minutes you are very tired of the constant motion on the big screen.

Between “I am Legend” and “Cloverfield,” New York City is in terrible shape these days. Good to know that if terror strikes it will be in NYC!

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Cloverfield. Don’t waste your time or your money…

Baptism- Part One

In this series of posts, I hope to take a fresh look at what the scriptures have to say about baptism. There is much tradition associated with baptism; however tradition ought not to be elevated to the same level as the Word of God. As you read these posts I ask you to set aside whatever bias you may have towards baptism and explore along with me what the scriptures have to say...

Lets begin by looking at Acts chapter 8:12-13: “But when they believed Phillip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptizing both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized.” Here we see that when those who had been listening to Phillip believed in the name of Jesus, they didn’t raise their hand or say a prayer, they were baptized immediately. The same is true of Simon; he believed and was baptized right then and there.

In Acts 16 we read the familiar passage about Paul and Silas leading the jailer to Christ. Starting in verse 30 the jailer asks Paul and Silas: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household.” “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.” Here it was in the middle of the night yet they didn’t wait for the next baptism service or a particular minister to be baptized. The scripture says they were baptized immediately.

Throughout scripture there are numerous examples that confirm this truth of people being baptized immediately after they believe. How come we don’t practice this today? Have we instead shifted the focus to a person coming forward or raising their hand? We don’t see this in scripture at all. I don’t want to be misunderstood here, I don’t believe the act of baptism saves you; faith alone saves you. We will look at this distinction in part two of this series.

I believe that if an adult believes in the name and work of Jesus then they ought to be baptized immediately. Go find some water and dunk em, who cares if it is 2am and -10 outside ;-)

The point is this: in scripture we see people being baptized right after believing, so why shouldn’t we?

The genie

A man was walking along the beach and found a bottle. He looked around and didn't see anyone so he opened it. A genie appeared and thanked the man for letting him out. The genie said, "For your kindness I will grant you one wish, but only one."

The man thought for a minute and said, "I have always wanted to go to Hawaii but have never been able to because I'm afraid of flying and ships make me claustrophobic and ill. So, I wish for a road to be built from here to Hawaii." The genie thought for a few minutes and said, "No, I don't think I can do that. Just think of all the work involved with the pilings needed to hold up the highway and how deep they would have to be to reach the bottom of the ocean. Think of all the pavement that would be needed. No, that is just too much to ask."

The man thought for a minute and then told the genie, "There is one other thing that I have always wanted. I would like to be able to understand women. What makes them laugh and cry; why are they temperamental; why are they so difficult to get along with? Basically, what makes them tick?"

The genie considered for a few minutes and said, "So, do you want two lanes or four?"

God is good

“God is good.” I’ve said it a thousand times. Theologically, I know it’s true. But do I fully comprehend its meaning and believe it to be true in MY life? Do I live each day trusting in a God who is good? Romans 8:28 says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

The first step in trusting Him to do good in our lives is to love Him. We love him because he first loved us. Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If we truly love Him we should not fear or worry about things in this life. There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18). When tragedy strikes our lives we often ask why a good God would let it happen. While we may not know the specific answer to this question we do know two things about the character of God that give us a sense of peace. One, our God is good. Two, our God is sovereign over all. If for just one millisecond He isn’t good or sovereign then we are in a world of trouble. It would mean that He could fail and His control over our lives could be undone. Praise the Lord that this isn’t possible. We know from the scriptures that God knows even when a sparrow falls to the ground. Why do we worry about things in our lives if we know and believe that our God is good? Listen to Luke 12:24: “Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds? If God can provide and take care of the ravens then surely he cares for us.

It’s easy to say He is good when things are going well and we are joyful. But the real test of faith is when the rubber meets the road with things seemingly out of control and chaotic. Our perspective and actions will dictate whether or not we truly believe that our God is good. I pray that I will not only say “God is good” but continually mean it in my heart and actions.

Our God is good, so incredibly good. Do you believe this?

Mind Mullings: the beginning

I've contemplated starting a blog for some time, so today I decided to join the ranks of bloggers across the world. This will be a place to share thoughts, feelings, and other mind mulling's. What exactly is a mind mulling you ask? It can be anything from a convincing argument, to a theological response, to a thrilling story, or an emotional reaction. Or maybe it's just a quote, link, or question. Regardless of the subject matter, a mind mulling lets your mind explore a plethora of ideas and thoughts. So my goal for this blog is to do just that, let my mind mull over a wide variety of subjects, and receive insightful comments from people like you...