Faith seeking Understanding

Graduation and Family

2008-05-26T09:53:00.001-04:00

I finally finished school. I have to admit that the last four years here at Southern have been challenging in so many different ways. When I finished my last exam I was excited but also mindful of the things to come down the road. I thanked God for all the things He has taught me so far, and asked Him to continue to prepare me for whatever comes next.

Right now I am more than excited to be helping out at my current church. For almost a year now I have been reaching out to the poor at the Salvation Army. A few of us sing some songs there and give a 20 minute sermon. I have learned a lot about ministry to the poor and preaching. We have seen a few people come to Christ, and we have been discipling one man for a few months now. My hope is that others from our church will join in this ministry.

After graduation, my first desire was to reach out to my family. Little did I know that God would answer that desire right away. You see two hours before graduation my dad called me to tell me that my grandma had died. During the ceremony all I could think about was death and the fact that I was about to see my family on my dad’s side. I don’t think any of them are Christians except for my grandma who is with the Lord now.

Right before the funeral service my dad asked me if I wanted to say anything. I looked over to my brother and asked if he thought the pastor would proclaim the gospel. Joe said that I could not count on it. So I told my dad that I had a few things I would like to say.

Right before the pastor asked me to come up and talk, he asked my uncle to say a few things. So I had a little bit of time to think how I would transition from talking about my grandma to sharing the gospel with my family. Little did I know that my uncle, who is not a Christian, would encourage all of us to read our Bibles just like my grandma. I about fell out of my seat! The Lord sure did prepare the situation for my desire to be fulfilled.

When I got up to speak, I began with telling some childhood memories of my grandma. Then I talked about her death. It was at this point that I broke down in tears. However, the Lord gave me strength to keep talking. I could not help but proclaim the gospel to my family. I told my family that they did need to read the Bible, and that it can be difficult to understand. So I told them the main thing they needed to know, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a very detailed gospel presentation. My family members said what I told them was truly from the heart.

I am thankful that God gave me the opportunity to proclaim His name. Now I hope to write a letter to all of my family, each side, and tell them a few things I have learned in the last four years. I also hope to send this letter to all of my friends, who don’t know the gospel, from high school and college who I keep in contact through Myspace or Facebook. Ever think about joining these sites for this reason? How will friends and family know if you don’t tell them? Don’t wait on somebody else to do it.

Must read!

2007-11-05T14:26:00.000-05:00

You will want to read this! I guess Willow Creak Community Church did some research and found out that their seeker sensitve methodology gets a large crowd but self discipline of knowing Scripture is what really makes mature Christians. Woo hoo!

click here

Grace Church Louisville

2007-07-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

I have been a part of a daughter church plant from Clifton Baptist Church since April. 50 people left Clifton to make Grace Church Louisville. It has been a great experience. Our pastor has done a lot of research on church planting and it shows.

We meet in a building that is home to some Korean Seventh-Day Adventists; they meet on Saturday and we meet on Sunday. The church service is similar to Clifton’s except we partake in the Lord’s Supper every Sunday. At the end of every service the congregation goes up to the front of the room and breaks off some bread and dips it into either juice or wine. I enjoy that we do this every Sunday because it cultivates a reverence for God and His people.

The church has really been focused on getting out into the community. Whenever an event is going on in Louisville our Pastor calls for the congregation to volunteer to help out. This is a great way to glorify God by the example we set. I hope to reach out to the community by doing some door to door evangelism soon by simply telling people about our somewhat new church and telling them the basics of our beliefs. Some of our members have been able to share the gospel with co-workers just because they shared how they were excited about the church plant they were going to.

When our pastor and a few of us met to pray for the church plant, I said that I wanted to see some reaching out to the poor. There were a few other guys who have a heart for the poor and we are now visiting a homeless shelter weekly. Talking to the people has been a challenge, but I rejoice in the humbling experience. The four of us are going to be giving sermons at the homless shelter every Monday so it will be good experience for me.

"believe in Jesus"

2007-07-08T14:51:00.000-04:00

This excerpt (3 minutes) from one of John Piper’s sermons is a helpful reminder that you don’t always have to share the complete gospel with somebody and "close the deal" in order to take part in changing a person’s life. It helps me because I hope to use Facebook and Myspace to share the gospel with people I know from high school. Making sure I have everything down has caused me to stall in my writing to them. I have so many things I want to say, but I will start out with the very basics of the gospel and add some things later.

Helpful Books

2007-07-05T20:45:00.000-04:00

My OT2 professor gave us a list of books he recommended that we read to enrich our reading of Scripture. Some of them are a little too expensive for my taste; however, there are some books on the list I hope to read soon.

A Biblical Archaeology Bibliography

Study Bible
Archaeological Study Bible
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., and Duane Garrett

Reference Texts
The Anchor Bible Dictionary David Noel Freedman
Holman Bible Atlas Thomas C. Brisco
The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land Joseph Aviram
Dictionary of the Ancient Near East Piotr Bienkowski and Alan R. Millard (Editors)
The Oxford Classical Dictionary Simon Hornblower

Histories
Peoples of the Old Testament World Alfred J. Hoerth

Mesopotamian History
History of the Ancient Near East: C. 3000-323 B.C. Marc Van De Mieroop
Ancient Iraq Georges Roux

Egyptian History
A History of Ancient Egypt Nicolas Grimal
The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt Ian Shaw

Persian History
Ancient Persia Josef Wiesehofer
Persia and the Bible Edwin M. Yamauchi

Greek History
Ancient Greece: A Concise History Peter Green
Alexander to Actium Peter Green

Roman History
History of Rome Michael Grant
The Oxford History of the Roman World John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, Oswyn Murray
Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician Anthony Everitt

Israelite History
A Biblical History of Israel Iain W. Provan, V. Philips Long, Tremper Longman
Ancient Israel Edited by Hershel Shanks
On the Reliability of the Old Testament K. A. Kitchen

Ancient Texts
Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible Kenton L. Sparks
The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls James VanderKam and Peter Flint
The Ancient Library of Qumran Frank Moore Cross
Jewish Literature Between The Bible And The Mishnah George W. E. Nickelsburg

Anthologies of Primary Texts
Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament James Bennett Pritchard
The Context of Scripture William W. Hallo and K. Lawson Younger
Myths from Mesopotamia Stephanie Dalley
Ancient Egyptian Literature Miriam Lichtheim
The Literature of Ancient Egypt William Kelley Simpson
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook
The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha James Charlesworth
Loeb Classical Library Various Authors and Translators

The Ancient Social and Cultural World
Life in Biblical Israel Philip King and Lawrence Stager
Ancient Mesopotamia Susan Pollock
Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel Othmar Keel
The World of Athens Joint Association of Classical Teachers
Surveys of the Archaeology Related to the Bible
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Volume 1 Amihai Mazar
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Volume 2 Ephraim Stern
The Archaeology of Ancient Israel Amnon Ben-Tor
The Archaeology of Ancient Judea and Palestine Ariel Lewin
Archaeology and the New Testament John McRay

Perspectives on Biblical Archaeology
Shifting Sands: The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology Thomas W. Davis
The Future of Biblical Archaeology James Hoffmeier and Alan Millard
What Did the Biblical Writers Know & When Did They Know It? William Dever

Ichabod Spencer (1798-1854)

2005-04-18T23:51:00.000-04:00

Last week I finished reading A Pastor's Sketches by Ichabod Spencer. Every chapter is about Ichabod speaking to individuals in his congregation (Ichabod was the pastor) about their salvation. Almost every chapter the individual comes to Christ in the end. Ichabod's main principle in evagelism was to always agree with and depend on the Holy Spirit. If you were to read this book you might be surprised by some of the things he did. For example, Ichabod asked a man about his salvation and the man claimed that he was realzing how wicked he was. Ichabod told the man that he was more wicked then he thought and walked away...that is all he said. Other times people would constantly come to him and ask questions about the gospel. If Ichabod felt that they had a good understanding of the gospel, he would tell them to go away. He said that anymore of his own words might do damage to the person. These people would go home feeling like there was no hope. Then they would finally think about what they needed to do instead of gaining more and more information. Ichabod would also remove any obstacles from peoples minds. For example, some people would be stuck on how one should be baptized. Ichabod would always bring the conversation back to Christ and tell them not to think too much about other things that get in the way.

Last Sunday I went to a nursing home to do evangelism. I talked to a 93 year old man by the name of Mr. Parker. When we finally got to talking about God, right away Mr. Parker brought up baptism and why different denominations do it diffetent ways. I quickly brought the conversation back to Christ. I also remember getting an e mail about somebody not desring a personal relationship with Christ. What was I to do? Run around like a chicken with my head cut off? Or pray like hard! I got on my knees and prayed hard. We will see wonderful things happen when we depend and trust in the Holy Spirit.

We are to do our job and not worry about the end judgement. Think about your friends that you deisre to see come to Christ. Do not merely bring them to church or bible studies or the like, but you yourself should tell them the gospel. Ask them questions like "Why do you think God made this world?" or "Did you know that Jesus claimed to be God?" Tell them the truth and ask them if they understand it. You might even ask them to repeat it back to you. Once you have done that trust in the Holy Spirit. Make sure they know that TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.

One thing that I really liked about Ichabod Spencer is that he had good doctrine. Many non Christians would argue about his doctrine. For example:

Young Woman: "I wish to be saved, but I never can believe in total depravity. The doctrine disgusts me. It sounds so much like cant. I never will believe it. I abhor it. And I won't believe it. "

Ichabod: "Perhaprs not. I dont not ask you to believe it. But I ask you to repent of sin now to improve your day of grace, and get ready for death and heaven. I ask you to love the world supremely no longer to deny yourself and follow Christ, as you know you ought to do. When you sincerely try to do these things, you will begin to find out something about your heart that you do not know now."

Young Woman: " But I don't like doctrines! I want a practical relgion!"

Ichabod: "That practical religion is the very thing I am urging upon you: the practice of prayer-the practice of repentance-the practice of self denial- the practice of loving and serving God in faith. "

Later:

Young Woman: "I never should have believed it, if I had not found it out by my own expereince. It was just as you told me. When I really tried to be a Christian, such as described in the Bible, I found my heart was all sin and enmity to God. And I am sure I never should have turned to Christ, if God had not shown mercy. It was all grace. Now I believe in total depravity. But I learned it alone. You did not convince me of it.

Ichabod: I never tried.

Check out what a young woman said after hearing a good sermon on the sovereignty of God.

"All my life I have been troubled with the doctrine of election. I have studied it for more than twenty years in vain. But now I know what has been the matter - I have never been entirely willing that God should be God. And when you are entirely willing that God should be God, election will trouble you no longer. "

new web address

2007-06-30T22:22:00.001-04:00

I decided to change this blog's web address to faithseekingunderstanding81.blogspot.com due to layout reasons.

Update #1: Health

2007-06-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

(I seem to blog more often if i keep it short)

I write about my health because it might inspire you. Besides, your body isn’t your own.

Since December I have lost 30 pounds! I think the last time I weighed as much as I do now was probably my freshman year of high school. I have a lot more energy these days which helps for any kind of contribution to the Kingdom (does that inspire you?)

What helped me the most with my weight loss was keeping a journal of my calorie in-take. In order to lose weight you must be burning more energy than you take in calories (or something like that.) So I got a journal and recorded all the calories of foods that I normally eat throughout the week. Lenny wasn’t a big fan of my practice, because I would record all the calories of his precious sweets. I even went online and recorded most fast food nutirion charts. Then, throughout the day, I would add up my calories after every meal. I’m guessing at my age I should take in about 2,000 calories a day. So I brought it down to about 1,700 calories a day (which is still a good amount of food.) I would lose weight every week. Now that I reached my goal, I eat about 2,000 calories and work out.

The fitness instructor who gave me my orientation for the gym, here at Southern, told me that we control about 70% of our weight just by how much we eat. “Now I’m a believer.”

Here are some other things to consider:

1. Cardio AND lifting weights is the next best thing for losing weight. I would recommend doing cardio at least 30 minutes everyday. If you don’t like running (like me) try walking on a treadmill (3.5mph) with the incline up to 10% (it is equivalent to running.) Lifting weights tones your muscle which will help you burn calories faster.

2. Not getting enough sleep could (will) easily cause you to overeat. I recommend 8 hours of sleep. The average American got 10 hours of sleep before the light bulb was invented.

3. Supposedly eating protein in the morning will make you not as hungry throughout the day.

4.Be Patient. If you follow the above examples, then you will lose about 3 pounds a week. Just keep focused on your goal. Get on the scale once every two weeks. I use a scale that measures weight and body fat seperatly which is helpful.

My example helped some other people lose weight so I figured if I wrote it down, then it might encourage you.

Books by John Piper for $5.

2007-06-23T20:33:00.000-04:00

My friend Jim inspired me to blog again thanks to his recent post. He makes a good point that monthly updates do not take much effort. The fact that some people out there actually care is enough motivation to blog again.

Before I give all you readers an update, I want to make mention of a great deal at desiringGod. On June 27-28 the ministry will be selling their books for $5 each!

Check it out here

in my mind

2006-06-13T22:34:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday I was hoping to go to the membership meeting at the church in which I am a member. The reason was not exactly a happy reason but it had to be done. I was not able to attend because I had to work. At work I got soaked by a thunderstorm probably at the same time the event at church occured.

When Lenny got back from the meeting I asked him if it actually happend. He said it did and explained it all to me. Now it is in my mind all the time. Last Sunday night a decision was made to remove a member from the church. According to 1 Corinthians 5 the former member has been handed over to Satan. The member was caught in sin and would not repent. The former member realizes what this church discipline means. Lenny said it was a solemn moment in the congeregation.

I am thankful our church does church discipline. For me there seems to be more of a reverence for God and life. Hopefully all will see things in a more serious manner and always be encouraging their friends to press on. I take every chance i can to pray so hard for my friends in Christ. I know without a doubt that they are saved but i still pray. We know Christ will return but we are still to pray for His return. You better believe I will always be praying for the perseverenace of those around me. In the same way I want to be more careful with my words taking the most out of every opportunity to speak to those around me. We are Christians and we know the truth. Our words, prayers, and actions, are the only light the world can see. Set the example among Christians and non- Christians. Their life depends on it.

Why Would an Eskimo Need an Air Conditioner?

2006-06-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few highlights from the past two months.

1. Scott Ryan

Uche moved back to Canada for the summer (a sad day it was) and was replaced by Mr. Scott Ryan. Scott attended Wright State University his freshman year of college, finished college at Cedarville University (which is 7 miles from my hometown), spent a year in China with one of my best friend’s from high school, and is the brother of Jim Ryan who I knew in Campus Crusade for Christ at WSU. All of those facts and yet I did not meet Scott until last fall semester. I can tell it will be a great time having Scott as a roommate. I think he might be one of the most positive people I know and I still have not known him that long. For example, he just got home from working a very long day at J. Alexander’s (which sounds really tough) and told me about his long day with a big smile on his face. The whole time he explained his work day there was not a single hint of complaint. So far Scott has been very consistent in just sounding excited about everything he talks about (I know I should not end a sentence with a preposition…you don’t want me to fix it the way we use to fix them at WSU.) I am thankful the Lord has blessed us with such a positive example in Scott in which we all can learn from him. Uche was such a blessing to our apartment as well and us WSU boys can learn a lot from both of them.

Random Fact about Scott: Every morning Scott likes to eat two different kinds of cereals at the same time! In other words, Scott mixes his cereal (i.e. Raisin Brain and Cheerios together.)

Favorite Quote from Scott Thus Far: “Did somebody’s cereal just explode?” (Ok so I made a mess with my cereal.) It was funny when Scott said it because he sounded so concerned (yet positive….of course.)

2. Food Making SKills

Lenny, Tyler, Scott, and I decided we would put together our food making skills and invite some people over. The guests were Danielle Evans, Carrie Beohm, Mike Ward, and Beth Swearinger (sp?) Lenny made the best lasagna I have ever had, Tyler made the best apple pie that Beth has ever had, I made the best salad that…ummm… I have ever had, and Scott….provided the drinks (somebody had to do it.) I was actually disappointed when I was chosen to make the salad but then I remembered en excellent salad that my mother made last summer. So I got a hold of her and got the recipe. The salad calls for nuts and sunflowers seeds. I found the sunflowers seeds and there just happened to be a bag of nuts next to them. I realized it was actually a mix of things but that didn’t phase me from buying them. So I was making the salad and adding everything together and I poured the nuts in and whatever else was in the bag. To my surprise the bag also had m&m’s in them! At first I thought chocolate in a salad might seem really weird but figured the ladies might enjoy it. Well Beth said the salad was really good except she wasn’t so sure about the m&m’s (woops.) Oh well I liked it.

Later that night we played a game. The game consists of people and chairs. There is one less chair than there are people so there will always be one person standing. The person standing will say a somewhat interesting fact about themselves. For example, one of the participants said, “I have been arrested.” Everybody who had ever been arrested had to get up out of their chair and move to another chair. The standing participant is now allowed to also find a chair to sit in. Whoever does not act fast enough in order to sit in another chair is the next person who has to say a somewhat interesting fact. Needless to say nobody got up for the fact just mentioned and the standing participant had to mention another fact about themselves. I really enjoy the game because it allows you to learn a lot of things about people really quick.

Interesting Facts From the Game:

Danielle has won a burping contest in which the guys were allowed to drink a carbonated beverage and she did not need to drink anything. Note: Danielle does not promote burping loudly she just can do it really well when competing.

Mike and I have memorized at least 6 consecutive chapters in the bible.

Out of the 8 of us only two had ever been pulled over by a cop (very impressive!)

Out of the 8 of us only one has divorced parents.

We all have read through the entire bible (in this day and age that is actually impressive.)

When Scott Ryan was little he shoved a carrot up his nose and left it there for a whole day until it came out during dinner when he sneezed. ( I bet he had a smile on his face the whole day too “Yep….just got this carrot up my nose…that’s all.”)

3. Walk Please!

Sometimes Christians like to think that since they work with non-Christians that there job is much better than being stuck in the Christian bubble. Well I have two jobs this summer and one of them is with many Christians and the other includes many non-Christians. I would have to say that both jobs are very rewarding. I have been lifeguarding on campus and at Eagles Eyrie (apartment complex.) On campus I have been encouraged and inspired by so many Christians. At the apartment complex I have become friends with many non-Christians and hope to share the gospel with them.

One of My Favorite Memories at Work: An international student stepped on to the deck of the pool on campus. He began to do jumping jacks and various other exercises. Then the student began to…..RUN LAPS AROUND THE POOL! I was shocked because this is one of the few places where you are specifically not supposed to run! As he finished his first lap and passed by me, I told him to stop but I quickly realized that he did not know English very well. So the next time he came around I stepped in front of him with my hands out waving for him to stop. He stopped running and I proceeded to try to explain to him that it is bad to run around the pool area. Of course he just nodded his head and smiled at me and then jumped in the pool. Aw geez.

4. I Hold to the Millinnium Falconist View

Well I am doing a lot of reading this summer, but for now I will only give two book reviews from books that have been great for me to read this summer.

The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views (contributors are George Ladd, Anthony Hoekema, Herman Hoyt, and Loraine Bottner):

I actually got a lot more out of this book than I expected. I enjoyed the format in that all four theologians give their view of the millennium and then everybody responds to the other views. Ladd did a good job in presenting the historical premillinnial view because he spends time on how he interprets Scripture and he actually covers Revelation 20.

Hoyt and Bottner (representing the dispensational premillinnial view and postmillennial view) give some thought provoking ideas but do not seem to back up their ideas with Scripture as much as I was hoping they would. For example, neither Hoyt nor Bottner cover Revelation 20 which is the key text to cover when discussing the millennium. Bottner’s main argument for a postmillennial view (view that claims that the peaceful millennium will occur before Christ returns) is that the world is getting better. He spends a lot of time mentioning how communication is improving (radio, television) and this allows for the gospel to travel rapidly. The other theologians simply respond with the fact that there are many terrible things going on in the world and sin is evidently alive.

Then enter Anthony Hoekema! If this book were turned into a war movie I would close my eyes every time Anthony Hoekema appeared on the scene because I know it would be bloody. I learned a lot from this man. Hoekema sets a wonderful example when replying to the other theologians. He begins by pointing out everything good he found in the essays. The he, in a loving manner, gives about 6 reasons why he does not think that their positions are valid. Hoekema defends the Amillinnial view (view that claims that there will be no millennium on earth but that the millennium is going on right now as Christ reigns in heaven at the right hand of the Father) and gives superb interpretation of Revelation, exegesis, implications, AND APPLICATION (you don’t see this in the other defenses.) Nevertheless, so far Hoekema has not persuaded me to be Amillinnial. I am still a historical premillinnialist even if some of the ideas are a little fishy but that is a post for another time.

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp:

Reading this book has been one of the biggest highlights of my summer. Honestly I always look forward to reading another chapter in this book each day. Tripp has really caused me to analyze myself and see what a selfish person I am. As Tripp goes through Scripture he has really wanted me to seek out others and to be a great brother in Christ to them. I think my favorite part of the book so far is that Tripp is not a big fan of merely fixing a persons problems by going over the Scripture that only covers those problems. This approach mutilates the Scripture. Tripp calls for whole biblical counseling. We are people who need to hear and understand the whole bible because it tells of God’s amazing action to redeem and change people and causes us to want to live for Him.

5. Thunderstorms

Louisville doesn’t mess around when it comes to thunderstorms! A few days ago Tyler, Lenny, and I watched a thunderstorm that had constant lightning! There was not a time when we did not see the sky being lit up. I can’t imagine why people don’t like them. It is always a good time for me to sit back and watch the amazing things God causes to happen. Note: If there is a thunderstorm you still have to get out of the pool on campus. Many people ask me why they still have to get out. Well lightning can supposedly still come into the pool and lightning + water + people = dead people and we don’t want that. This answer seems to work most of the time.

Well there are many more highlights but these will have to do for now because….I’m tired of typing and you are probably tired of reading.

new additions

2006-07-28T23:48:00.000-04:00

1. Tyler got all of us roommates a devotional book for when reading through the bible. The devotional book has the date on each page, it tells you four chapters to read from the bible for that date, and the author gives a one page comment about one of the chapters. There are actually two volumes and the second volume is exactly the same thing except the author makes a comment on one of the other chapters read for that day. When you get all the way through the devotional book (one year) you will have read the NT and Psalm twice and the OT once. Now I have been a strong supporter of reading through the entire bible at least every year for a while but this devotional has been really helpful. The great thing is that I know my roommates are reading the same thing (except for Lenny because for some weird reason he feels like he has to wait for January 1st) so it allows for great discussion of what we all read for that day and what we thought about the author’s comments in the devotion book. Did I mention the author of the devotion book was D.A. Carson? Carson does a great job of giving some historical facts for the time setting of the chapter, helping you understand how the bible fits together, and of course giving some application.

(can you spot the two UFO's in this picture?)

2. I have never owned a camera but always enjoyed taking pictures. A lot of times I find myself wondering why nobody brought their camera to a certain event or wishing I had one when a great sunset appears from behind the clouds. Well a few weeks ago I received a digital camera for a birthday gift and it is great!

3. I have not done much traveling this summer but I am about to do a lot of it next week. Next Thursday I will be leaving with my parents to go to Rochester, Minnesota for my brother’s wedding! Then when we get back I will be off to New York to be in a friend from high school’s wedding. That will be a lot of hours on the road. I am really looking forward to getting out of Louisville and seeing family and friends!!! I will be taking many pictures! I like the whole idea of having new additions to the family…especially Joe’s fiancé! She is a great person and I know she will be great for Joe as well. I hope to visit again sometime after they are married. Maybe we can all go visit Minneapolis…say on a…umm Sunday..and maybe go visit a…ummm a certain church..(cough cough.) Then when I get back from all of that seminary classes will start up again. I am looking forward to seeing people who went away for the summer.

(this was how the sky looked the night i got my camera)

Reality

2006-09-01T13:19:00.000-04:00

1. Well classes have been going on for a while now. At Southern it seems like the weeks go by so fast and yet I feel like I have just begun. I suppose this means I am behind in school work already. In all of my classes I am learning things that are very new to me. My biblical counseling class is by far the most interesting. Every time our class meets it seems like Dr. Scott is causing me to question myself about why I think certain ways. He is really ripping some roots out of my mind and planting fresh biblical theolgy within. In one of our classes we watched some videos of non-Christians doing some "counseling." I must admit that some of the videos were somewhat humerous but over all it was very sad. I sat there in shock as I saw counelors try to help people fix there problems. The "professionals" had these people thinking back to their childhood and encouraged them to even become that person again. One person was encouraged to think back to when they were 3, but this time they had strengh and a voice. The man actually started crying like a 3 year old, and when his pretend mother would tell him to shut up, the man would yell back . Another woman thought all the way back to when she was stuck in her mother's fallopian tube. The counseler encouraged her to over come that horrible time in her life. The video's became even more bizarre. For example, one woman was encouraged to think back to another lifetime. She somehow was able to remember when she lived in the first century and how she was stabbed in the stomach and died. She relived that moment as she was screaming in pain in front of the counselor. Another woman was encouraged to overcome her problems by detatching from all of her family and friends. I could not help but wonder where these people are now and what they believe about life. The videos were a good dose of reality for me. I like to think that I don't get angry very easily, but I was pretty upset that night after class. After such a wake up call one must ask..."Do I really want to do this?" I will one day have to deal with these very same people. Am I ready for that? I could know all there is to know about theology, but am I going to know how to apply it to help the person whose life is a mess? Can I undoe the damage that has been done? As I sat there in class I had mix of emotions within my mind. Although I was upset and broken, I was also excited. I know that I am not adequate for these things. I think these videos have helped me put so much more trust in Christ, because it is only through Him that these people can change. I am excited to help people. I can think of nothing more joyful than living for others. I am eager to undergird people's misconceptions about life and ground a biblical foundation for them. I know I will probably not see dramatic changes in people right away, but I will rest in knowing that I am being obedient to my Lord.

2. In one of the books I am reading for class, the author said that we really don't know people like we think we do. For example, he spoke of a couple that he has been friends with for years. He said it seemd like their relationship was great until one day when the husband came in for counseling. It turns out that for years the couple had been fighting and there marriage was not good at all. The author also tells us that in a way we are all counselors. People come to us with problems and we should be wise about the way we handle our answers. So I am thinking it would be wise to look at our friends and make sure we know them well. We should always be asking questions and offering help even if the friend doesn't come for help. Most importantly, we should always be encouraging one another so that our hearts do not harden.

The other day I was eating lunch in the cafeteria with some friends. One of them admitted that when he first met me he thought I was the rebellious type. He said that I looked like I was not very interested at the meeting we were at. He thought I would drop out of seminary! Ha! I was acutally excited to hear the speaker at that meeting. I suppose we all have our first impressions about people. I think it would be good to realize that most of us here at Southern have at least some kind of desire to do ministry and we are willing to learn. That has to be somewhat admirable. Also as a Christian we have our first impressons and we also have our misconceptions about people well after we have met them. It would do all of us some good to always keep in mind that we are all created in the image of God and that we are all going through the sanctification process. We might have the wrong attitude about people, but there is always hope and room for change. The more you pray for and help people with their lives you might find the more you love and care for them. Next time you see somebody who rubs you the wrong way think about how you can make a big impact in their lives and do it with gentleness. So please pray for me as I learn to handle reality with a biblical worldview, and you know I will be praying for you.

Read any book you want online!

2006-04-04T00:16:00.000-04:00

Ok maybe not any book but google does have a few good books to read. I wish I knew about this a while ago (actually I think I did know about it but just forgot.) After reading Schreiner's NT theology on the computer I think I can handle reading a few shorter books online.

Check it out! www.print.google.com (click on the full view books option and search away)

Old Poems

2005-04-08T16:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some old poems that I wrote a while ago:

FREE FOOD

if there were a science fair
what would i find there
all kinds of people from big to thin
would i see things like transparent skin
could projects explode
turn me into a toad
maybe there will be something rare
like magic talking hair
i picture mammoth balloons
candles that smell like prunes
babies that fly
instead of cry
a lawn mower that works on its own
an oven also used for a phone
now if all this was there
i would not care
though it may sound rude
if there was no free food

ETERNITY DOESN"T RUST

It looks like my things are falling apart.
My flesh's paintings no longer art.
Shoes have aged and become to old.
Cheese and bread share some mold.
The CD player has had enough.
Polker cards have the last bluff.
Computers crashing all the time.
All the pets have passed their prime.
Instead of breaks I call them brokes,
And I'm waiting for when the whole car croakes.
The house has cracks all over the ceiling.
This black spotted banana isn't worth peeling.
My guitar rejects any new string.
Not even a bank can save my diamond ring.
Clothes I admit put up a good fight.
I just can't wear them when they get too tight.
Books are bent and somewhat faded.
Lifetime gaurantees are over rated.
I sit and watch my dying flowers,
As i listen to the crash of two tall towers.
I thankfully think as I turn to dust,
At least eternity doesn't rust.

THREE THOUSAND NATIONS ARE WE

three thousand nations are we
neither breathe nor do we see
we dont know we are dead
these words are never said
nor would we hear if it came to be

controlled by an amazing power
like a horrible wind with a dainty flower
being a slave to a dark dominion
gives us thoughts of an evil opinion
and our deeds are nothing but sour

forever stuck in a destructive kingdom
always starving just like Edom
feeding from sin to sin
leading up to death again
unless you come and preach us freedom

UTMOST GLORY

if we speak of His predestination
yet shy away from reprobation
we only tell half the story
only give Him half the glory
His almighty power must be known
for true holiness to be shown
it will happen whether we like it or not
making us thankful if we have been bought

The Children's Petition

Father listen to your children today
For it is through Christ we pray
Give wisdom to make us wise
Tame our tongues from blasphemous cries
Forgive us when we seek competition
And forget about our spiritual mission
Teach us to master our sin
And kill the evil within
Keep us strong to the end of your story
Fighting the times into glory

Friends

2006-03-29T00:28:00.000-05:00

Sometime around August 2004 I had three days until I would leave my apartment in Fairborn, Ohio for good. One of my roommates, Abhinav, had still not seen The Lord of the Rings. So those last three days were devoted to sitting down with the roomies and watching LOTR! The very last day everybody except for one of my best friends and roommates, Travis Kavanagh, left right before The Return of the King was over. I found myself watching the end with Travis as Frodo said goodbye to Merry, Pippen, and Sam. Not only was this sad, but I realized that I would be saying goodbye to my very dear friends at college. I could not help but break down. When the movie was over there was a long pause of silence. I still remember the words that Travis had to force out of his mouth..."I don't like this." I did not like it either. Of course I would see all of them from time to time,but I knew it wouldnt be the same. I wouldn't be a part of their lives on a daily basis.

Tyler, Uche, and I had a conversation today that I didn't really want to hear. It looks like the four roommates will only be 3 this summer and next year. I guess the breaking of the fellowship is a really hard thing for me. I love to know that I am a part of peoples lives...that I can be a part of peoples plans on a weekly basis...to grow together with friends. I have enjoyed getting to spend time with married couples while in seminary. I like to here the husband or wife talk about spending time and doing everything together with their best friend. I remember a couple just checking their mail together on campus...just a little thing like that was great to me.

After the roommate discussion, I talked to Tyler about Paul. Could you imagine building up a church for two years and then leaving them? Could you imagine being ready to die and all your friends want to protect you from death? Paul helps me a lot! His zeal to do the Lord's work is a great example for me. Friends will come and friends will go but Christ is always there. My King, Lord, God, and Friend will never leave me. I hope those words never sound cheesy to any of us. It is the truth and we should cherish it. I rejoice in knowing that I am with my friends in spreading the gospel. What great hope we have in Christ!

Rob Turner in Chapel!

2006-03-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

The moment we have all been waiting for...Rob Turner in a suit! Rob is the pastor of the church that me, Tyler, and Lenny attended while in college. He spoke in chapel today! Rob has the amazing ability to always keep your attention while he is preaching. There is never a dull moment with Rob. He gave a great sermon over Psalm 42:1-11. Dr. Schreiner was cracking up at his funny but relevant stories. Go to this website and scroll down to March 9th to here the sermon.

http://www.sbts.edu/resources/audio/Spring2006.php

(Also in this picture Tyler has decided to reveal the head that is growing out of his back...still not as neat as Rob in a suit.)

Was Cornelius Saved Before Hearing Peter?

2006-02-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

Inclusivism is the idea that people can be saved without knowing about Jesus Christ. They are still saved by Jesus Christ, but they do not know about Jesus Christ. They have not heard the gospel.

One of the favorite arguments for inclusivism is that Cornelius was saved before Peter talked to him (Acts 10.) Inclusivists claim that since Cornelius was God fearing, gave alms to Jews, and prayed to God continually, then he must be saved. Since Cornelius' prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God(Acts10:4), then he must be saved because only people who are saved through Christ are able to do such things. It is not until later when he hears the the preaching of the gospel by Peter. Therefore he must have been saved before he heard the gospel.

The reason I am writing this is because some day or later you will probably come across somebody with such an argument. Here is what you need to say to them.

First of all, you could ask the inclusivist why God had Peter preach the exclusivity of the gospel to Peter when he was already saved. Why did Peter tell Cornelius that only believing in Christ brings about forgiveness of sins?(Acts 10:43.)

Someone might tell you he has an implicit faith. He does believe in Christ, but he doesn't know he believes.

Next, you could tell the inclusivist that Cornelius did not have the Spirit until after Peter spoke the gospel to him (Acts 10:44.)

The best thing to tell the inclusivist is to always always always read the whole story. Then tell the inclusivist that the angel in the vision specifically claims that Peter's words are what Cornelius needs to hear in order to be saved (Acts 11:13-14.) Hence he was not saved before hearing the gospel.

We need to realize that Acts is written in order to show God's awesome faithfulness in redemptive history. The stories show how the gospel spreads throughout Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and even to the remostes parts of the earth (Acts 1:8.)

We should not be so eager to take a special story about Cornelius, claim inclusivism, and believe that many others will believe without knowing the truth of the gospel.

We should take this special story about Cornelius and praise God for bringing the gospel to the gentiles.

Everything and Nothing All at Once

2006-02-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few simple thoughts, facts, quotes, and updates.

1. Uche and I have decided not to do any school work on Sundays. We will spend the time relaxing, reading a lot of Scripture, discussing theology, blogging, being creative, calling friends, replying to e mails, and slowing down to enjoy life.

2. Lottie Moon (1840 – 1912) gave her life to being a missionary in China for 40 years. She practically became Chinese to the Chinese so that she might save some. She went through a lot of rough times in her life but her life of perseverance is an example we all can learn from. Every year, near Christmas, many Southern Baptist churches give a Lottie Moon offering that goes straight to missionaries. In the year 2000, the Lottie Moon offering had given over $2 billion to missionaries since it began.

3. “Surely there can be no deeper joy than that of saving souls.”
- Lottie Moon

4. When I filled out my application to attend SBTS, I had to mention if I planned on staying with the Southern Baptist denomination after I graduated. At first the question made me squirm. Saying that I would remain Southern Baptist was not something I wanted to write. I don’t remember my answer, but I have been extremely impressed with Southern Baptist life and their zeal for sound doctrine and missions.

5. “Southern Baptist missions have been instrumental in spreading the gospel of Christ in more countries and with a larger mission force than any other organized evangelical mission effort in history.” (Baptists and the Bible, 359.)

6. “He who tries to win people from other denominations to his own distinctive views may be a sectarian bigot; but he may also be a humble and loving Christian.”
-John A. Broadus

7. Dr. Schreiner has spent the first two classes of NT Theology going over some books that he recommends us to read. Most of these books are by people who are uiversalists, liberals, errantists, and neo-orthodox. Dr. Schreiner has over and over again challenged us to be open to people’s ideas even if we think they are way off. Now I don’t mean open in a way that compromises what we believe is truth, but to learn from all sorts of people and to understand where they are coming from. For example, some of his PhD students thought a book was horrible just because it was by a liberal author, but when read in context the book did a lot of good because it was refuting another person who was really off his rocker. It is wise to learn what people believe and why even when we don’t believe they are telling the truth. Then we can show them what we believe in a kind and gentle way by speaking about the heart of the issue without our close minded ignorance.

8. “First pure, then peaceable, if only one is attainable, choose the former.”
-Charles Spurgeon

“Fellowship with known and vital error is participation in sin and to pursue union at the price of truth is treason to the Lord.”
- Charles Spurgeon.

9. The Jerusalem bible was the first catholic bible to be translated into English from the Greek and Hebrew text. One of the translators of the Jerusalem bible was J.R.R. Tolkien. (Journey from Text to Translation)

10. Over the years I have had many thoughts about death. While I was in college some of my friends thought there was something wrong with me because I thought about death. I thought I needed to change my thinking habits. I have realized that my thoughts about death have really kept my life in perspective. It is amazing to think that some day we will some day die. We will probably see many loved ones die as well. I can’t get over how fragile our lives are. The other day my thoughts about death made me so glad that I was alive so that I could be encouraging to fellow Christians to stand strong for Christ. I can encourage them about the resurrection. I can rejoice with those who rejoice. I want to be so encouraging to those who are engaged. Rejoice with your friends in their times of happiness for death will some day come upon us. It will not help at all if we are envious of our friends. The thought of death gives strength to faith, love, and hope. I hate death and look forward to the defeat of death by Christ.

11. Rob Turner, the pastor of the church I attended while in college, will be speaking in chapel on March 9th. Woo Hoo!

Many Readings

2006-01-24T21:47:00.000-05:00

During the massive break we have before school begins I have been working on getting a lot of my reading done for classes. As you can tell from this picture I need a break. Since I havnt posted in a long time I will write something soon on my blog which will be an overflow of the reading I have done and some other thoughts.

I'm thankful to have other crazy theologians who will read with me. Uche doesn't look to comfortable in that position but I think he learns better that way. I notice Chris has a smile on his face. He must have read one of Schreiner's knock knock jokes in his commentary on Romans.

In Need of A Title

2005-11-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

ST2 Project

What should be the title of this painting?

Keep Them Secret! Keep Them Safe!

2005-10-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

Since I have a great desire to take care of the Lord's people, and realize that I am not adequate for such a huge task, I always have these verses on my mind when I am praying.

"Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?" God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you."

2 Chronicles 1:10-12

The Doctrine of the Trinity and Almost Hitting a Deer

2005-10-23T16:13:00.000-04:00

1."Trinitarian theology has had a wider impact on the piety of the Eastern church. Eastern liturgies are permeated with Trinitarian prayers and doxologies. In the West, the Trinity has in practice been relegated to such an extent that most Christians are little more than practical modalists."

-Robert Letham

After almost being done with The Doctrine of the Trinity class, I have come to the realization that everybody needs to study up on this doctrine. When I say study i don't mean just read the chapter in Wayne Grudem's systematic theology.

I have learned a lot of concepts and ideas that I feel every Christian should be aware of. Therefore I recommend to you The Holy Trinity by Robert Letham. It goes over biblical foundations, historical development, modern discussions, and crtitical issues. I promise you will learn something new from this book. (It even has a really good chapter on John Calvin that any reformed theologian would enjoy...and he wasnt a subordinationist)

2. A few nights ago I was coming home from a pumpkin carving party when a deer stepped out in front of my car while I was going 65mph. I slammed on my breaks and my car decided to go sideways. The deer ran out of the way but now I was going sideways down the highway. Of course i tried to turn but ended up over correcting and started going sideways the other direction. Then I just stopped turning the wheel and pressed on my breaks until I was at a complete stop. I thanked God for having mercy on me at that time. I truly believe that God ordains prayer because that morning I felt compelled to pray for my safety while I was driving. After I was done praying, I had a feeling something scary might happen but that I would still be safe.

new blog

2005-08-31T00:04:00.000-04:00

I told you he had something to say. Now he speaks! 90 in a 55?! Didn't we cover that in Bible study?

http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=dkfultz

Piper on Romans 9

2005-08-12T18:09:00.000-04:00

"There are two experiences in my life that make Romans 9 one of the most important chapters in shaping the way I think about everything, and the way I have been led in ministry. One happened in seminary and turned my mental world upside down. The other happened in the fall of 1979 and led to my coming to serve this church. "

"Emotions run high when you feel your man-centered world crumbling around you. I met Dr. Morgan in the hall one day. After a few minutes of heated argument about the freedom of my will, I held a pen in front of his face and dropped it to the floor. Then I said, with not as much respect as a student ought to have, "I [!] dropped it." Somehow that was supposed to prove that my choice to drop the pen was not governed by anything but my sovereign self. "

"But thanks be to God’s mercy and patience, at the end of the semester I wrote in my blue book for the final exam, "Romans 9 is like a tiger going about devouring free-willers like me." That was the end of my love affair with human autonomy and the ultimate self-determination of my will. My worldview simply could not stand against the scriptures, especially Romans 9. And it was the beginning of a lifelong passion to see and savor the supremacy of God in absolutely everything."

-John Piper

http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/02/110302.html

worth reading