Priorities & relationships

Hello blog world,

Any of you who have checked my blog recently have probably noticed that I haven't been updated nearly as much as I was over the summer- amazing what being back at work will do, huh? But, I have missed getting to share what's going on in my life and what is tossing around in this head of mine. I thought it would be quite appropriate to talk about something that's been on my mind lately and relates to why I haven't been blogging as much lately.

I've been thinking some lately about priorities and how they influence the way that we live. We are all busy today; I don't think there's any denying that. And we all have the same amount of time in each day to use as we choose. I used to think during college that life would get easier and I'd be less busy after school- definately not true. In my own life, I've noticed all of the things that I'd like to do that I haven't- having a more organized office, redoing a web site, calling/keeping up with more old friends, etc. So, I decided to try to prioritize what's important to me and try to spend my time based on that. That's certainly not an easy task and one that I am still trying to figure out.

One area in specific that needs some work is that of relationships. I heard a speaker a couple weeks ago remind us of the importance of the realationships with those around us. I believe that God puts people in our paths for a reason and we have some responsibility in that- am I appreciating/encouraging/sharpening those He's put around me, or am I neglecting them so that I can achieve something more at work or pursue some hobby? For those who know me, it probably doesn't come as a huge shock that I generally lean towards the workaholic/overachiever extreme. It's really easy for me to get busy at work and forget to call/IM some of my friends and see what's going on in their lives.

I think we're all like this too- we allow busyness and distractions to get in the way of relationships, even with those who are closest to us. But, years later, what's going to matter- how much I accomplished in a day or week or being there for a friend who needs me? Certainly something to think about.

I'm back, baby! (in the blogging business that is)

-JRO

$100 Laptops?

I thought this was interesting enough to link to my other blog-

$100 laptops coming out soon

-JRO

Rules or no rules?

I was having a conversation with a good friend last week and he was talking about the idea of rules and their relevance on the lives of Christians today. His point was essentially that people get too caught up in rules and we should be primarily concerned with loving others. I have to both agree and disagree with this statement; let me explain how so. I think it primarily comes down to what kinds of rules we're talking about.

If we're talking about rules imposed by humans, such as Christians can't drink, watch R-rated movies, or listen to secular music, then I'm in agreement. When we add rules to the teachings of the Bible and seek to impose our individual convictions (beyond what Scripture teaches) on someone else, then we're just as bad as the Pharisees. God wants a people seeking after Him who have changed hearts, not just people who can follow a list of regulations and appear to be holy on the outside.

If, however, we're talking about teachings (I like that word better than rules) that are clearly specified in the Bible, then that's an entirely different matter. In some of His last teachings to His disciples, Christ talked about obedience as a way to demonstrate love for Him (and several times at that). So, to disregard the teachings/commands of Christ is to demonstrate a lack of love for Him- something I'm sure no God-lover really wants to do. God has every right to make certain demands of us (teachings of the Bible) and we are responsible to follow those. Does God love us any more if we keep them or less if we don't? Of course not. But, out of a desire to please God and show Him love, we should desire to live in these ways and not just write them off as unnecessary rules.

Our actions also carry consequences. God will forgive us when we miss the mark, but that doesn't mean He will always remove the consequences of our actions. Sin brings about negative consequences and will not lead to the best life that we could live. So, another reason for sticking to the teachings of Scripture is to live life as God intends.

Interestingly enough, John Piper has a new book coming out soon called What Jesus Demands from the World, which gets into what He demands throughout the gospels. I'm sure that should be a good read and get into some of these issues.

Essentially, my point is that as Christians, we should desire to live for God and a primary way we do that is by obeying His commands. This means studying and applying the Word to our lives, not just accepting what the "Christian culture" tells is the way that we should live. True godliness starts in the heart and manifests itself in the way that we live- not the other way around.

-JRO

Who am I?

Those three words were posed by Branson, our senior pastor as a part of a recent talk (yes, I'm bigtime behind on blogging, but I still want to talk about it). In case you weren't there (I think many who read this were), he was talking about a conversation he had with his father-in-law, who was essentially talking about how God had done so much in his life and how undeserving he was of that.

That really resonated with me. God has blessed me with so much in my life and has come through for me time and time again. Surely I deserve none of it; it's only by His grace that I am who I am, what I am, where I am, and with who and what I am. I find that it's easy for me to grow comfortable and to lose sight of what incredible blessings I have in my life. Lately, I've been trying to grow in the discipline of being truly thankful for what God's done in my life and what He's blessed me with. Instead of complaining about how things could be different in life, I'm focused on remembering how God has me where I am now for a reason and that things really are quite good.

Above all, I have God in my life and that should be enough for me. Beyond that, I have a great family, friends, girlfriend, job, etc. My material needs are all met (and then some), I'm healthy, I have been blessed with good skills & abilities. God answers my prayers, gets me through the hard times and gives me reason to rejoice in all seasons of life. I don't say this to boast about how great my life is, but rather to recognize that it's all God. He may choose to take some of this stuff away (like He did to Job), but even then He'd still be good. I hope He doesn't choose to do that, but I know He'll do whatever is necessary to refine me and mold me into what He'd have me to be.

But for now, I'm seeking to remember God and recognize Him as the source of all in my life. I believe He wants me to be glad with what He's given me and not look ahead to the next step or what I might want to change.

Who am I that God would bless me? I'm His child that He chose to bless in the way that He has. It's nothing I've earned or deserved, but something that I'm immensely thankful for.

-JRO

Working Backwards

I was reading a book recently and the author suggested the idea of living life based on who would be crying at your funeral. Family, friends, close associates, etc. will be there- those people whose lives you've impacted in one way or another. Often times, those we really try to please or impress won't give a flip when we die. And, all of the toys we've accumulated throughout life will be divided up and given to other people right after that funeral. So, what is the point in trying to keep up with the neighbors, impress or compete with a coworker, etc. when it won't really matter in the end? Life is a vapor and a lot of what we place so much emphasis on doesn't really matter.

So, this got me thinking about what I'm investing my time and energy in. A favorite quote of mine is: "Life is short, twill soon be past; only those things done for Christ will last." If I'm putting all my energy into running the rat race and living for my own pleasure, then I'm wasting that energy. The things that I'm pouring myself into should have lasting, eternal impact.

In that spirit, I went through and considered what my priorities in life are and I'm now trying to go back through and figure out how the things in my life are helping me live into those. I know that I'll never be perfect and I think I do need some seemingly wasteful time- watching TV and relaxing, chilling with a book, etc. I think relaxation and down time is purposeful and helps in fulfilling your purposes in life.

I guess my point (in a roundabout fashion) is that I realized that there are a lot of goals and priorities I have in life, but if I'm not living today with those in mind, then I risk losing sight of them. A company makes its decisions starting with its mission and vision, then setting goals and working down to the day-to-day stuff. If we lived our lives this way, I think we could be more effective: by knowing our mission and the goals we've set for ourselves, we can keep ourselves in check and make sure our daily activities are keeping in line with these. I don't want to near the end of my life and realize that I've gotten so bogged down in the daily stuff that I haven't really left a lasting eternal impact on the lives of those around me. After I'm gone, no one will care what car I drove or what job I had, but if I see one person in Heaven whose life I impacted, that will matter.

Just some food for thought... probably an area where we all (especially me) need some growth :-)

-JRO

Interesting new tool

For my fellow bloggers out there, I came across a new extension for Firefox that I've been trying out today. It's called Commentful and will track blogs for new entries and comments and will alert you when one on your watch list is updated. Now, I won't have to go from one blog to the next each morning to keep up-to-date :-)

Here's the link.

-JRO

ESV Outreach New Testaments

I saw the other day that Crossway is selling ESV New Testaments with features geared towards newcomers for 50 cents each. The idea is that you buy several and give them away to those who may not be that comfortable with the Bible. The ESV is a good translation for someone not that comfortable or familiar with the Bible- it's a good balance between readability and accuracy (fairly close to the NIV). They're being sold through Christian bookstores exclusively through March or so of 2007.

More info here.

-JRO

Do not be anxious about anything...

Last week, I shared with some people (and I think either posted on here or commented on someone else's blog) about my desire to get back into the habit of memorizing Scripture. I'm happy to report that I knocked out 2 verses last week: Philippians 4:6-7. I chose these because I often don't do what they say.

For much of my life, I have struggled with worry and anxiety, even when I can't exactly pinpoint what I'm anxious about. For example, I woke up a couple of mornings last week earlier than planned feeling very nervous and anxious, but for no particular reason. I also do pretty well worrying about specific things too. If there is any type of genetic link to worrying, I'm sure there's some in my family- my mom worries, her mom worried, my grandfather on my dad's side worries, etc. For a while, I just took this to be part of my personality and tried to deal with it.

But, at some point, I realized that if Scripture tells me to act in one way and I'm acting in a different way, I'm sinning. Plus, my worry is demonstrating unbelief in God's sovereignty and goodness- if I believe He's truly in control and loves me, what's the point in worrying? He promises to work things out according to His will and reminds me how my worries don't "help" Him in carrying out His plans. For some odd reason, I seem to have no trouble trusting in God for my eternal security, yet struggle to trust Him when it comes to details of my life and those I care about.

Perhaps some of you may be disappointed to know that I don't have an easy, 4-step outline to stopping worry and anxiety. If I did, I certainly would have applied it by now. All I can do is trust God, rely on Him daily, turn to Him regularly, by grace seek to defeat the temptation to worry and be thankful for His forgiveness when I fall short. We all have our thorns in the flesh that we must struggle with and battle, lest we think we're more spiritual than others. That always takes me back to Romans 7, where I see how struggling by God's grace is a part of life. I feel like I've made some progress over the last few years and I'm really thankful for that. But my hope and prayer is that I will continue to move forward and be able to trust God that much more as I grow more mature and closer to Heaven.

-JRO

Godly women

In my previous post on godly men, Jenn challenged me to do a similar post on women- without offending anyone. So, I will try my best to talk about attributes/characteristics of godly women, but I won't make any promises about not offending anyone ;-)

The main passages of Scripture that come to mind when I think of a picture of a godly woman are Proverbs 31, 1 Peter 3, 1 Timothy 2:9-10. So, I thought I'd tackle this by listing each of the characteristics brought out in these passages.

Prov 31:
-A godly woman is a woman of noble character: someone of good character and reputation.
-She is a hard worker.
-She takes care of her family (if applicable).
-She is generous to the needy.
-If married, she enhances the reputation of her husband because of her character.
-She has a good outlook on life.
-She is wise and speaks wisdom to others.
-Above all, she fears God- knows God, is growing, seeks first His kingdom.

1 Peter 3:
-She is submissive to the authority God has placed in her life (husband, church leaders, workplace, civil authority, etc).
-She lives a lifestyle characterized by purity and holiness that serves as a testimony to others.
-Her true beauty comes from within, not from things like fancy clothes, makeup, or showing off body parts.

1 Timothy 2:9-10:
-She dresses modestly.
-She lives a life rich in good deeds.

These are the major passages that deal with attributes of godly women. However, the Bible is also contains some good examples of women who lived these out (Ruth for example). And, of course, there are a lot of more general attributes listed in the Bible that are applicable to both men and women (obedience, faithfulness, love, generosity, hope, joy to name a few).

Just think of how much better off our churches and families would be if we all truly made an effort to live into the Biblical mold for what our lives should look like, as opposed to trying to conform to what this society says they should. But, such an effort isn't easy, won't happen overnight and requires that we depend on God. Those are my first thoughts on this question... I welcome further insight or questions.

-JRO

Real Men

In my last post, I complained about girly men and some of problems with them. As promised, I am going to now talk about what I think should be true of men. I'm sure all of my regular readers know that I'm a Christian and believe in the authority of the Bible, so that is going to form the basis of a lot of my thoughts on this. However, I think even if you don't share my views on this, you should be able to see the truth behind a lot of these characteristics.

Men were created to take responsibility and be leaders. When Adam was put on Earth, he was given jobs to do- it was up to him to name the animals; it was his ultimate responsibility. He also should have demonstrated leadership and stepped up when Eve picked up that apple. Other men have done a good job of demonstrating this trait too- Noah taking the initiative to create the ark, Moses taking on the responsibility of leading Israel, etc. We were created to take leadership roles in our families, churches and businesses.

Men are to be bold. We are shown examples of great men who would stand up for themselves and others and confront others. Paul rebuked Peter, Jesus rebuked people all the time, many writers had some pretty harsh things to say to their readers. This is not like the passivity encouraged by our politically-correct, afraid of offending anyone culture. When confrontation is necessary, then we are called on to rebuke, correct, or discipline someone- it's for their own good. Allowing someone to continue in a sinful pattern of life that hurts others isn't doing them any good. It's taking the easy way out in the interest of not offending them.

Men were also designed to show obedience and faith. Noah built the ark by faith, Abram left everything he knew on faith, Moses led the people into the Red Sea by faith, etc. These men had all met God and were taking steps of faith. They didn't have a fortune teller to show them what would happen, but instead just took God at His word and went forward into the realm of uncertainty. This one is really hard- I always like to know what's going to happen or feel like I have some control over what happens. But, the example I have to follow is guys who didn't know, but saw a great reward ahead for which it was worth risking it all.

Men are also made to be creative. The Bible says that men were created in His image and God created the heavens and earth. God also gave man the freedom to do as he pleased in the Garden of Eden (within bounds of course). So, I think we all have creativity within us that a lot of times we don't explore. A lot of great men have shown this streak- authors, entrepreneurs, composers, architects, and so on. But even those of us who don't do things that are recognized by the world can be creative. I like to think that I can express my creativity in coming up with good lectures, Bible studies, writing, cooking (yes I do that sometimes), planning dates, etc.

Those are the first few attributes that come to mind. I'm sure there are others and I would certainly welcome any additional suggestions you may have or comments you may have based on these.

-JRO

Girly men

About two years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger called members of the California legislature "girly men." Not necessarily the smartest comment made by a public figure, but nevertheless, I think it holds some truth today in America and in the church. I've just finished a book called No More Christian Nice Guy and I think it makes some very good points.

For one thing, it seems as if this culture can't figure out what real manhood looks like. On the one hand, there's the "macho" image- a guy who is cocky, acts as if he has everything together and doesn't show emotions. People have seen the negative side of the macho guy and seem to have overreacted by thinking being a girly, passive man is the answer. I'm afraid that's not any better- women don't want to date and marry passive men, employees don't want to hire or work for them anymore than the fake macho guys.

Sadly, I think this problem isn't any better (and in fact may be worse) within the church. The cultural norm for interactions between men encourages these extremes. For example, men often engage in surfacy small-talk and aren't willing to really be vulnerable with each other. It takes effort to find those who genuinely want to know what's going on in your life and stand with you in that. This leads to the impression that godly men are those who have everything together and forgets that we all struggle with stuff. I am so thankful for other guys who have listened to my struggles without freaking out and have been honest and vulnerable with their own ones. The Bible tells us that a godly man is one with a heart after God living a changed life and seeking to mortify sin, but still struggling with sin (not perfect).

Alternatively, we're also given the impression that a godly man is a pushover who acccepts mistreatment of himself and others without taking a stand or confronting people. This isn't exactly how Jesus and the apostles acted. They were bold and confronational when necessary, but also showed genuine kindness and gentleness when needed. I think a sad consequence of this false picture of godliness is men who are afraid to take a stand for what is right, for fear of offending someone and don't step up and lead as God intends. This isn't good for churches, businesses, relationships, families, or the Kingdom.

Now that I've complained about the problems, perhaps I'll give my thoughts on what manhood does look like and how to combat these problems in some future posts.

-JRO

For my fellow blog nerds...

I just discovered a cool new feature on Facebook (My Notes) that will allow you to incorporate the feed from your Blogger blog into Facebook. It appears to take the first little bit of your recent posts and put them in your profile and then allow people to see the rest of the entry by clicking on it. You can check out my Facebook profile and see how it works.

-JRO

Back to school

Well, today officially marked the start of the fall semester and therefore my first day back at work for the fall. I've enjoyed having the summer free from teaching, but at the same time, I'm ready to start back.

I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had this summer. I was able to finish up some things I've been putting off for far too long (painting my house, re-doing my personal web site), I got to get more involved with some ministry stuff at church (leading a summer Bible study, speaking 3 times at 20-something), got to enjoy some river & beach time, have been running better than I ever have. But, beyond that, what probably was the biggest blessing this summer was getting to hang out and spend time with some really great friends. It seems like during the year, we're all busy with work and other things and don't have that much time to spend together (that plus I go to bed early). So, I'm quite thankful for the river trips, races, Thursday & Saturday nights, lunches, par-3 trips, etc. over the past few months. I also was reminded of how much we need others in our lives. There were some times this summer when I was bummed out, disappointed, confused, excited, etc. and it seems to great to be able to share those moments with others.

So, as I go back to work this week, I'm thankful for this past summer. I hope that I can continue to make things like ministry and relationships a priority in my life and not allow them to be choked out by the grind. I'm also excited about what lies ahead: the opportunity to get to know about 120 new students, to help prepare them for their futures and hopefully to model to them what an authentically joyful, passionate life looks like. I'm also planning to get started looking into some potential research interests and see where that leads me- maybe down the PhD road in the future? It would be neat to be able to spend next summer working on a paper, book, or something along those lines. I certainly do have a creative streak in me that gets excited at the prospect of doing something like that. I'm sure there will be a lot of other things I'll do, learn and experience over the next 9 months. So, I'm looking ahead with anticipation. I believe that God will work all things together for my ultimate good, whatever those things are.

-JRO

Calvinism growing?

I saw something interesting over at Between Two Worlds- evidently Christianity Today has a cover story in their newest issue about the growth of Calvinism among the 20-something crowd in the church today. So, apparently I'm not alone in being a 20-something Calvinist. I especially like the t-shirt the guy on the cover is wearing: Jonathan Edwards is My Homeboy.

-JRO

More on honesty & truth

It's kind of funny how things work out sometimes- what some would call coincidence, but I call providence. Last week, God was certainly reminding me of a lesson He'd taught me time and time before. But, for whatever reason, I seem to easily forget and need those reminders more often than I should. Through some Scripture I was reading and a couple of songs I was listening to, I was really thinking about the other side of the truth issue: not only are we called to be truthful in what we say/do to others, but also in what we believe and tell ourselves.

So, with all this bouncing around in my head, our pastor basically spoke about some of the same stuff on Saturday night. Hmm... another reminder?

This is something I have struggled with and I really don't think I'm alone in that. It seems like we often are shaped by what happens to us, what we're told, etc. and often allow those messages to stick with us. And, we're often fooled into thinking that the thoughts we have, whether they be negative thoughts about self or others, temptation, or any other untruthful thoughts comes from within ourselves. In truth, they often don't. Sure, we open ourselves up to some of these through what we feed our minds, how we dwell on them, etc., but ultimately these come from Satan, who is in the business of lies.

I've found that the key to fighting against this is twofold: being in the Word to know the truth and fighting to cling to that. When I'm tempted by something the world has to offer, I have to make a point of reminding myself of what I know to be true. Sometimes that literally means leaving a room and saying "It's a lie" out loud. I think this is why the psalmists sometimes make reference to speaking to their souls- their feelings and emotions may deceive them, but they are clinging to what they know to be true. This is what I strive for- to allow the truth stored up in my heart to lead my emotions/feelings/thoughts and keep them in line.

This reminds me of a song (I think by Casting Crowns) with these lyrics:
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

We've been given access to the voice of truth, so let's focus our ears on that truth as opposed to the lies all around us.

-JRO

The last part of the hot tub posts (maybe)

I was reading a devotion a few minutes ago in Life as a Vapor by John Piper and it made me think that I may have left out a key point in my posts about hot tub religion. So, I thought I'd do a quick follow-up on those.

One of my points earlier was how in today's culture of not wanting to offend people and feeling good about yourself, that we overlook the hard commands of Scripture. I certainly think this is true and it bothers me to see that lack of concern for holiness that people have nowadays. I was just praying today that God would really cause me to hate sin- not just the consequences of sin and not just those that are taboo, but even the "little" sins. I'm sure that if we all really saw it for what it was, we would hate sin and really desire to turn away from it. But, alas, we have that fallen nature we battle with.

Anyways, on to my point... I did not mean to imply that holiness is about following a list of do's & don'ts. That certainly isn't true- just look at how the Pharisees went about seeking holiness and what Jesus had to say to them. Rather, I think the teachings of Christ (and the rest of the NT) are clear that holiness is a heart thing. We need to be transformed daily so that our hearts are inclined to Christ and the Spirit helps us to see how we apply God's Word to our lives. Of course, the Bible is a key part of this and does outline some things that we should & shouldn't do. But, God is surely more concerned with our hearts- after all, what's in the heart manifests itself in how we speak and act. We can sin sitting still in the middle of Panera (like I did last week) without speaking a word or moving a muscle.

One of the things that has made the biggest difference in my own walk and struggle with sin is to stop focusing on fighting sin. Instead, my key is to each morning go to God through prayer and the Bible to allow Him to satisfy me and transform my mind, so that sin starts to lose its taste. After all, God provides us pleasures forevermore, satisfies us more than the richest meal, and is our exceeding joy (Psalms 16, 63, 43). When you have a Ruth's Chris steak before you, why go after a McDonald's burger that has been sitting on the floor for a week?

And, thankfully, when we do go after lesser things, God by His grace picks us up and gives us the strength to go on...

-JRO

My addition to the honesty issue

In case you don't read Sam's blog, he had a couple of posts within the last week or so dealing with honesty. Through some stuff God's been teaching me, I've been reading and experiencing, I thought I might add some of my own thoughts on another angle of honesty.

Within the culture of the American church, it seems as if we are encouraged to avoid confrontation at all costs. After all, it could offend someone, or show that we aren't abiding by the cultural norms we're expected to follow. To prove this point, think about how many instances of church discipline you can think of. Or, how many times when someone has sinned against you have you chosen to ignore it as opposed to pointing it out to them and lovingly correcting them? If you're anything like me, you're probably more likely to not deal with it and instead just turn the other cheek (not out of a desire for holiness, but to avoid conflict). Or, how often do we genuinely rebuke fellow believers?

I think the teachings of Scripture and people in Scripture look quite a bit different than what we expect "proper Christians" to look like nowadays. Jesus called people sons of the devil, He had no problem calling people out. Paul confronted Peter to his face and made a comment to the effect of wishing the Judaizers would castrate themselves. This seems to be a far cry from how we collectively act and deal with sin and conflict these days. These guys weren't afraid of confrontation and did what was necessary. I don't think they went around looking for conflicts, but they were honest in pointing out others' sins to them in a way that looked out for their best interest.

I think the right way is to confront someone and deal with an issue, not to ignore it and harbor negative feelings or to gossip behind their backs (with the excuse of it being a "prayer request"). This isn't easy; I certainly struggle to do this, but when I have dealt with people in this way, the result seems to be for the best. But regardless of how it turns out, I know that I am honestly and lovingly pointing out what the issue is. If I did something to offend someone else, I would certainly rather them point that out to me than to hold a grudge against me or to gossip about it behind my back. I think this would go a long way in maintaining unity among the Body and living at peace with others.

"...Encourage and rebuke with all authority..." (Titus 2:15)

-JRO

Accountability groups

I saw a link to a very good article over at Between Two Worlds dealing with accountability groups. Since I'm overseeing some groups at my church, I thought I'd check it out... the author offers some good tips for keeping these groups Christ-centered and not falling into the traps of legalism or cheap grace.

Check it out here. If you're in some type of accountability group, you may want to discuss this with your other group members to evaluate areas where your group may be able to grow.

-JRO

A follow-up on the hot tub

After writing my earlier post on hot tub religion, it occurred to me that I had more to say along those lines, so I thought that warranted a second post. While in the last one, it seemed the thoughts focused in on the idea of suffering/trials, my angle here is slightly different.

One of the other results of hot tub religion is overlooking some of the harder teachings of the Bible. For example, those who practice hot tub type religion seem to forget that the Bible says things like those who live in a lifestyle of sin have no place in the Kingdom, that our conduct needs to be above reproach, that serving God and anything else isn't possible, that divorce displeases God, that friendship with the world is hatred towards God, etc. There are tons of other examples of Biblical truth that a lot of Christians (and Christian teachers for that matter) tend to overlook.

In today's PC environment, we're told not to step on others' toes or say something that may be offensive. However, Christ told us that the gospel would divide even families (Mt 10:33-35). We have a responsibility to search out the Bible and accept what it says- we either accept God as He truly is or we end up making an idol out of how we think He should be. Choosing to selectively read and apply portions of the Bible doesn't work. He's given us the whole thing and expects that we read, study, live, practice and teach the whole thing- not just the parts that make us feel good or paint a picture of God as we'd like Him to be. That's where cults get their start- taking what they want out of the Bible (usually out of context) and ignoring the things that they don't like.

I heard Tommy Nelson say a while back (while talking about the importance of knowing the Bible), "What are you going to tell Habakkuk when you see him in Heaven? Good book... I skimmed it once." (or something to that effect; I don't remember the exact quote)


My challenge to myself is to really get serious about reading, studying and memorizing the Word... hard to think of a more worthwhile endeavor.

-JRO

Blogs in the news again

In case you haven't been following the news lately, bloggers have once again uncovered another scandal at a major news outlet. Two different blogs discovered Reuters photos that had been doctored by one freelance photographer (link).

This brings back memories of the whole Rathergate ordeal during the 2004 presidential election and I think really says something about interesting some of the new trends in the world. Who could have imagined a few years ago how much power individual people with blogs would have? The whole concept of a couple of individuals uncovering big problems in major news outlets really does show how much the playing field has been leveled in this economy (sounds like that's right out of The World is Flat).

I doubt my blog will ever have the following that some of those do, but it is cool to think about how many people out there could possibly be influenced by my blog in some way, shape, or form. It definitely does seem like we as individuals do have a lot more power these days to voice our opinions to the world, partner with people all over the world, etc. As a Christian, I hope that through my blog (whether I'm writing about theology or Windows Vista), I could be doing my job as an ambassador for God and influencing people in that way. After all, as much as I enjoy talking about computers, politics, etc., nothing has the significance of whether or not someone lives this life and the next in a relationship with God. Everything else is all details... so I'm hoping to use what little influence I have here for a purpose. I suppose I could slightly alter a John Piper quote and say, "Don't waste your blog."

-JRO

"Hot tub religion"

I'm borrowing the title of this blog from a chapter in God's Plans for You by J.I. Packer. I read it a while ago and it's a great book; I'd highly recommend it to those interested in a good general book about the Christian life. I happened to glance at the chapter title and it reminded me of some stuff I've been thinking about lately.

It seems like what a lot of people want is a hot tub religion: one that makes them feel good and comfortable, but when they start to get too hot, they can get right back out again. I see this in a lot of the beliefs people have, books they read, etc. They want a god who will help them live a happy, comfortable life, but never ask them to endure trials or do something that makes them feel uncomfortable. People say they believe in God, but aren't willing to change their life in a way that honors Him.

This is a radical difference from what early Christians believed. Read the Bible and you'll find a group of people that are so content and satisfied with God that they don't have a need for material possessions, don't mind facing real suffering and are glad to be stretched to take steps of faith. It seems like (to borrow another one of Packer's terms), today's professing Christians need to "get serious." That is, realize that Christianity is about more than a one-time decision. Now, I think we absolutely do need to come to a point where we decide to give our lives to Christ. But, if we have genuine faith, that will come out in a lifestyle that seeks to honor God and accepts the good as well as the seemingly bad and challenging.

I think this idea of "hot tub religion" is a product of humanism creeping into Christianity. We (myself included) seem to have a hard time believing that God would ordain things like challenges and sometimes even suffering for His saints. But, if we look past our humanistic tendencies to who God is, we can see the real picture and understand that He can still love us even as things aren't all blessings and comfort.

For the record, I do love hot tubs and hope to own one someday!

-JRO

Winning at all costs

It sure seems like today's culture applauds winning, regardless of what the means to achieve that victory are. I've been reminded of that lately by the doping scandals that are so prevalent in many major sports (baseball, track & field, cylcling). But, I think this attitude extends off of the field as well. Just look at the corporate scandals of the last several years. That was basically executives who were so focused on driving up their stock prices that they were willing to deceive shareholders (the people they're supposed to be working for) and cheat employees (those who are actually creating the value). Those execs are certainly nothing like the servant leaders talked about by so many leading management writers and professors (of course using the concept introduced by Christ 2000 years ago).

I see this same attitude on the college campus today (and saw it when I was in school too). Students want to win (get a good job), so they are willing to do whatever it takes to get there- sometimes by good means like studying and doing homework, other times by bad means like cheating. Sadly, I've seen too many colleagues look the other way or let a student off with a slap on the wrist for cheating. Cheating disgusts me and I see it as a threat to the educational process. But, I suppose that to someone who wants to get ahead, it represents that little bit of an extra edge.

My fear is that as long as this culture focuses on the end, regardless of the means and slips further into moral relativism that things will just get worse. After all, if there is no absolute right & wrong, then maybe cheating or doping is OK for some because they don't think it's wrong. I miss the days when sports heroes and the like played fairly, led respectable lives and at least appeared to operate with integrity and we collectively cared about the means to an end. Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one left who feels this way, but it does seem like a lot of people aren't necessarily acting that out anymore. After all, fame, fortune and success can be awfully tempting... what would you be willing to do to get there? Tell a little white lie? Stab someone in the back? Cheat? Deceive a boss/shareholders?

I don't think most people who get involved in this stuff set out that way. Instead, I think they gradually become desensitized to it and before they know it, they're in deep. What maybe started out as "embellishing" a resume turns into cooking the books years later, or taking home paper & pens from work turns into embezzling.

So, I applaud the guy who passes on a promotion because he knows it would require compromising his integrity or the coach who benches his quarterback over a team rules violation. Those are the people we should look up to, not those who do whatever is necessary to get ahead.

-JRO

A changed life

It seems like one topic has kept coming up in conversations, blogs and Bible study, so I thought it would be worth talking about on here. This topic is that of a changed life: is it optional for a Christian to live a changed life?

My opinion on this is an emphatic yes! I've studied through the book of James a couple of times this year and James makes it crystal clear (especially in chapter 2) that genuine faith will produce works. A "faith" that produces no works is dead; that is, was never real faith to begin with. Elsewhere, the Bible is also clear- we're a new creation, called to live as children of light, we were prepared for good works, we should be eager to do good, etc. In our men's Bible study, we've been going through Ephesians and in chapter 5, Paul makes it clear that those who live immoral/greedy lives have no inheritance in the kingdom and have the wrath of God upon them- that is, they are not believers. So, I think the Bible is very clear that a changed life isn't optional, but rather the result of God changing our heart. We see in the promise of the new covenant where God talks about how He gives all genuine believers a new heart- a heart that has the desire and power (through the Spirit) to live a changed life that pleases God. So, I think our life before and after Christ should look radically different.

After living in the south for 7 years (as of today actually), I've noticed that the southern "Bible belt" culture seems to distort this truth. I hear a lot of "Oh, I'm a Christian because I went forward at church when I was 5" or "I believe in Jesus", meaning I intellectually assent to Him from people who live a life that doesn't reflect Him at all. This bothers me because I expect those who call themselves Christians to reflect that in the way that they live their lives.

Of course, I don't think that sinless perfection is attainable on this side of heaven. And, Christians (at least me and those that I know) still sin. In fact, I just recognized a sin I committed right here in Panera while writing this blog entry. As Christians, we will continue to struggle with sin, but the overall pattern of our lives should be different than before Christ and different from those non-believers around us. The Bible has a much harsher look at sin and sinful patterns in life than we do. After all, it's scary to see how the Bible says people who live in sinful lifestyles have the wrath of God upon them- not quite the do what you want, God will forgive you attitude around us today.

I want to grow to where I see win for what it is, see how it grieves God, hurts me & others, and hate it as God hates it. But, I'm not there yet and it's not an easy quest. But thankfully, where sin increases so does God's grace to cover it... and I'm thankful for that, because I'd be nowhere without grace. Certainly, God's grace covers our sins, but more than that, it's also by grace that we are able to fight sin and live in a way that pleases God- it's not by our willpower.

-JRO

DG Conference blog

I just saw today that the Desiring God 2006 National Conference has started a blog. The topic of the conference is The Supremacy of Christ in a Post-Modern World, so I imagine that will be the general idea of most of those posts.

Check it out.

-JRO

The value of memory

I've been thinking some lately about the value of remembering certain things in life and how key that is. Now, thankfully (at least for me), I don't think that includes stuff like where I left my keys, why I went into a room, and things like that- if it did, I'd be in trouble.

But, what I mean is making an effort to remember things like where I find my hope and security, who God is, what God has done throughout the course of history and what He's done in my life. It seems like when we lose sight of some of this, it's so much easier to fall into self-pity, resentment, discouragement and things like that.

I think Psalm 42 does a pretty good job of hitting at this. The psalmist at one point (verse 5) is essentially preaching to his own soul. He's reminding himself of who God is and what He's done. Too often I find that I allow bad or sinful thoughts to dwell in my head rather than clinging to Scripture to remind myself of what is true. For example, a lot of times when something seemingly bad happens, I'll end up thinking about how bad things are in my life and how much I'd rather things be different, as opposed to being thankful for all the good that's in my life and how God might be using this situation to teach me or grow me up. Or, just today, I noticed myself being kind of joyful about being secure financially and I had to immediately fight that by reminding myself of where my real security comes from (God) and how fleeting things like CD's and IRA's are.

Sometime back I was encouraged by a Christian brother to keep a journal of what God is teaching me. That has proven to be a good discipline (when I actually do it)- it helps me to look back at sometime in the past and see how God did something cool in my life or even how He brought me through a difficult time. So, I'll continue to try to discipline myself to memorize Scripture and keep a journal... 2 big keys that have benefited me greatly.

-JRO

Could have fooled me

Here's one to tuck away in the interesting information category: take a wild guess as to which city is rated the #18 in the country in terms of number of single people. Well, your guess probably wouldn't be any closer to right than mine. It's Greenville (yes, Greenville, NC).

Check it out at Money Magazine.

Kind of frustrating if you ask me. One of my excuses for the generally poor condition of my love life has always been there aren't that many single people here. Guess I can't use that one anymore. Maybe I'll clarify it by saying there aren't that many single, Christian, intelligent, not crazy women in Greenville who want to date me. Maybe that'll work better.

Interestingly enough, we don't do so hot on some other categories: average salary, crime, job growth, etc. But apparently we have a lot of single people (and good air quality).

-JRO

"Christian" Books

I enjoy going to Barnes & Noble to look at books, check out what's new, or just hang out. It seems like I can't escape any B&N without visiting the Christian book section to see what they have and especially which titles by some of my favorite authors they have. Lately it seems I'm discouraged when I look through the selection of some of the more popular books.

Of course, the most prominent books are the latest thing. With the exception of CS Lewis, good luck finding many books written by dead authors. For that matter, even some older books by current authors. I suppose people want the latest thing, so they're only responding to customer demand; it's hard to fault them for that.

It's also irritating to see books that really aren't Christian at all passed off as such and offered in the Christian book section. There is of course the latest heresy of the daVinci Code and things like that. Perhaps more disturbing are things like the emerging church movement, which seems to deny absolute truth and certainty in faith, the liberal church movement (again, losing sight of absolute truth, refusing to deal with sin or discipline).

Then, we get into the world of books written by those considered to be evangelicals and what do we find? One popular book that is basically promoting the prosperity gospel written by a pastor of a very large, influential church. Another author who is very popular and prolific doesn't believe in the Trinity. I could probably think of some more examples if I tried, but I think you get the point. Even those who we label as evangelicals seem to be slipping away from the truth of Scripture.

Of course, heresy has always been around. Interestingly enough, a lot of the same false teaching around today has been around since Biblical times; just read some of the NT letters to get a feel for that. But what does seem to be getting worse as of late is those who seem willing to distort or overlook the truth of Scripture in order to make people feel better, to be more welcoming, etc. Truth is truth and we have a responsibility to embrace, practice and teach it. Jesus told us that the Gospel would divide people. Now, I don't think that's an excuse to not try to reach people and love people regardless of where they are, but it does show us that watering down the Bible for the sake of bringing people in doesn't work. That's not how God intended it.

How nice would it be to have a bookstore with lots of Christ-centered books grounded solidly in Scripture by wise saints! I guess I'll have to deal with what I can get for now.

-JRO

#8- The Christian & Giving

OK, time for a slightly more controversial post ;-)

If you walk into the sanctuary at about any American church, when it comes time for the offering, what do you hear? You hear the pastor mention something about the giving of tithes. We're essentially taught that we are to give God 10% of our earnings- that's the way a lot of churches teach giving. However, it's my conviction that this is not the proper model for Christians to use in giving. Let me attempt to explain this and also what the proper model for giving is.

The tithe originated during the Old Covenant era. The tithe was one of several giving requirments imposed on Israelites by God. God promised to bless them if they would bring their tithes and offerings to Him (Malachi 3). But, we as Christians, are no longer under the Old Covenant. We are under the New Covenant brought about by Christ. So, instead of looking to OT law, we should look to the teaching of the NT to establish a model for Christian giving. That's not to say that the OT isn't relevant for us in Christian living. But, we need to understand that OT law was the conditions of the covenant between God and Israel, not the covenant between God and His new covenant church. Therefore, things like tithing and other parts of the OT law, which applied to Israel, don't apply to Christians. For more on

That's why God gave us 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. This establishes the model of sowing generously- we decide in our hearts before God what to give and give joyfully. For some this may be 10%, but I would dare say for most all American believers it needs to be higher. We live in a society so much more prosperous than ancient Israel, so I think 10% is inadequate. But, that's ultimately up to you and God as you pray about what your specific amount of giving should be.

Check out 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, pray over that and let me know what you think.

-JRO

Another blog!

For anyone interested in topics in the IT/computer world, I've started a second blog. I won't be updating that much until the fall semester starts, but my plan is to put up topics relevant to the stuff I'm covering in class. I may also require my students to comment as a way to get them some experience in the world of blogging. So, check it out if you'd like:

http://orr2223.blogspot.com

-JRO

Back from the beach

For those of you who know what I've been up to lately (or are stalking me), you probably know that I was at the beach last week. We actually stayed in Wilmington, about 5-10 minutes away from the beach near one of the richer neighborhoods in Wilmington. I decided to run through that neighborhood a couple of mornings while I was there. It seemed like about 1 in 3 cars was either a BMW or Mercedes and the houses were pretty much gigantic. Whenever I'm around conspicuous consumption like this, it makes me feel kind of bad. For one thing, I know that a lot of these people are probably chasing the big house, nice car, things like that in hopes of finding some type of happiness in life or dulling the pain of life. I've tried chasing after material things with the same goal in mind, but to no avail. As Solomon discovered a long time ago, wealth and pleasures are meaningless.

It also makes me wonder how much less poverty there would be in the world if those of us who have much would give much, instead of storing it all up for ourselves. I use "us" here because I know I'm guilty of this, even if it is to a lesser degree. I am in fairly good shape financially and enjoy nice things... often times too much I think. It's challenging to me to try to use what I've been given to make an eternal impact and not just bring myself some short-lived happiness or pleasure. I don't think I have it all together... in fact I think I have a long ways to go. But I'm trying to let this not just be an idea in my head, but actually something I follow through with. I don't want to become one of these Christians who lives (and consumes) just like the world without making a major impact for the cause of Christ in the world and being generous to those in need.

-JRO

A little bit of perspective

Well, it seems judging from blogs and conversations, some of my friends haven't had the best week. I haven't either for that matter. But, I thought it may help some of you who aren't having the greatest week to see a little perspective on how good our bad weeks really are.

A Christian brother of ours, Nasir, was severely beaten in India for drinking from a water cup. Extremist Muslims accused him of polluting the water and beat him to the point that he was unconscious, had a dislocated shoulder and a collarbone broken in two places. Please join me in praying for Nasir and the countless other Christians who face daily persecution simply for believing in Jesus Christ.

I think we tend to take certain things for granted here. I know I don't usually think about how thankful I am to have my basic needs met, be able to worship freely, have a loving family and good friends, etc. It's a lot easier to think about what I don't have or how things could be better. But, God calls us to have a thankful attitude, regardless of circumstances. So, hopefully this may serve as an encouragement and perspective check to someone out there.

-JRO

#7- Childlike Faith

OK, back to the series for at least another post. Incidentally, I don't really know how much longer I plan to do this one. So, if you love it or hate it and want to let me know, feel free.

But in this post, I'm going to look at Matthew 18:3 - "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Some take this to mean that as Christians, we don't need to worry about learning theology or doctrine and we should be simple-minded. I think this is a misunderstanding of what this passage means. We see elsewhere in the Bible people being condemned for being infants in the faith and told to love the Lord with all our mind (in addition to heart, soul and strength). Now I don't think we should become so into theology (or a certain doctrine) so that we neglect more important things. For example, we shouldn't be more interested in debating pre-destination than we are sharing the gospel. Certainly discussing pre-destination among believers can be a fun and beneficial experience, but sharing the gospel is a more important endeavor.

I think the point of this passage is to tell us to have a childlike trust in God, not to be childish in our understanding. Think of how a small child crosses the street- he holds hands with his dad and looks to his dad to help him get across. He doesn't assume that he can make it across by himself, but puts his faith and trust in his dad. Likewise, we should put our full faith and trust in God, not trying to do things on our own and not pretending like we don't need God.

So, theology does matter. We will be held accountable for what we believe- not what our pastor believes, not what our parents believe, etc. It is up to us to search the Scriptures and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to reach our own conclusions about doctrinal issues.

-JRO

Fighting the good fight until the end

One section of Scripture that has always challenged and inspired me is 2 Timothy 4:6-8:

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Death is an inevitable part of life that we all must face. My desire is that at the end of my life, whether that is tomorrow, or in another 60 years, I'll be able to look back and see how I served God to the end, throughout all of the seasons of life. I (and many others in Greenville over the last few years) have had theprivilegee of seeing a man live in this way: Keith LeClair. For those who don't know of him, Coach LeClair came to ECU and helped to take our baseball program to a position of national prominence. He was also a strong Christian with a wife and two kids. In the midst of his successful career, he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and had to step down from his coaching job and quickly was confined to a wheelchair, respirator and feeding tube.

It would have been easy and tempting to get mad at God over something like this- after all, it doesn't fit with our human understanding of fairness. We like to think that if we seek God and live obediently, then He'll make sure we're healthy and comfortable. But, God doesn't work this way; sometimes things like suffering and death bring God more glory. That's tough and I really hope that if God chooses to do something like this in my life, that He'll grant me the grace and strength to act as Coach LeClair did. From what I understand, He spent much of his time writing (using a special computer operated by using his eyes) and continuing to glorify God in his life even in the midst of this. He is a real hero in the midst of a world that glorifies things like selfishness and irresponsibility.

One quote he had in an interview a few years ago was: "We don't know the answers, and we never will until we have that day of judgment. I don't ask, 'Why me?' That's irrelevant. I'm just grateful to have today."

Coach LeClair went home to be with the Lord this morning. Through his life, so many people have been touched by the gospel and seen the power of God manifested. He seemed to do as Paul did: fight the good fight until the end. I hope and pray that I too, by God's power, will continue to live for Christ and seek to make Him known until the end, regardless of what He brings about (or allows) in my life.

-JRO

Christians & the Environment

I was reading an interesting article in the paper over the weekend that got me thinking, so I thought I'd post that on here. One issue that has apparently been coming up some lately is that of what is our duty as Christians with regard to the environment.

On the one hand, there are those who put a lot of emphasis on this issue and elevate it above others. They see our calling to be a good steward of the environment to mean that it's our duty to do all that we can to protect the environment, even when it's at a cost to some other priorities and could have a hurtful effect on the economy. Alternatively, there are those who really don't give a flip about the environment- the view that since the world is passing away, what we do to it doesn't matter anyway. So, from that viewpoint, doing things to protect the environment really aren't big priority issues.

I guess I'd fall in the middle on this issue. If the Bible tells us to be good stewards of the environment, I think we need to do what we can to be obedient. There are a lot of things that we can be doing on a regular basis that won't really cause a whole lot of hardship that can be ways of obeying this command. However, I have a problem with elevating this issue (or most others for that matter) above a concern for evangelism. Yes, we are called to protect the environment, but if we are putting so much effort into these efforts that we lose sight of our greater calling, then I think we're missing the point. People without Christ are dead and without hope; it's our responsibility to share with them the hope that has changed us. I don't think environmental policy, prayer in schools, gay marriage, etc. are worth forsaking our personal ministry for. I also have a problem with the more extreme approaches to protecting the environment which end up hurting the economy. Perhaps we need to make some adjustments in the way we do things to protect the economy, but I think going to the extreme where we are causing major hardships to business is taking a bit too far.

-JRO

This isn't very pleasant

The Bible tells us that discipline is for our good, even though it seems to never be a very pleasant or enjoyable experience. Well, it seems as if God has been trying to show me one of those lessons you really don't want to learn: that I've been holding onto some pride and letting that come out in some words and actions lately.

Earlier in life I seemed to have problems with self-confidence and in some ways tried to cover that up by taking pride in things I did do well or had going for me, like money, success in school, etc. It seems as if some of these prideful attitudes have been creeping back up. God has blessed me so richly with the opportunity to read and be taught by some godly people with a great perspective on the Word. More importantly, He has taught me so much in my own study in the last few years. But, I've started to notice that Satan has been trying to get me to become "spiritually prideful." It seems as if sometimes when discussing theology, I end up being motivated by wanting to be right or show others how smart and spiritual I am. What a screwed-up attitude! I know that others who have been walking with God a lot longer have reached different conclusions; I shouldn't be trying to prove them wrong, but rather seeking to discover the truth together and speak the truth in love.

Now, I think there are certainly times where we need to agree to disagree on certain issues. However, I do think it's important that we all study the Word and reach our own convictions about theology- God will hold us responsible for what we believe, so theology does matter!

A bit more humbly yours tonight,

-JRO

Beaufort Pics Up

I just posted some photos from the Beaufort race yesterday. Despite a not-so-well organized race and some award mishaps, it was a fun race. Plus, I suppose it's hard to complain about any race where you set a new PR and walk away with a $50 gift card!

Check out the photos if you'd like: www.jamesrorr.com/photos/beaufort06/

-JRO

#6- The Fleece

OK, time to get back on track with my series on commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted Biblical passages. I was reminded of one by something I heard earlier today. In Judges 6:36-40, Gideon twice asks God to give him a supernatural sign to confirm what He has told him to do (might help to read Judges 6 to see what's going on). Some people take this example to teach that we should do a similar thing today- ask God for a supernatural sign or some type of specific guidance, usually when making a decision. However, I think this is not the right conclusion to draw from these verses and doesn't present a proper model for decision making.

Look at what Gideon is doing here: he's basically doubting God and exhibiting unbelief. God had already revealed His will to Gideon; he is asking God to confirm what He already told him (and already gave him another sign). Hardly the example that I want to follow. Jesus condemns people for asking for a sign and commands us to live by faith. It doesn't seem to me that asking God to give a sign like this is faith; it seems more like treating God as a fortune teller.

This viewpoint also often leads to interpreting open & closed doors as signs from God. It goes something like this: I didn't know which job to pick, so when I got an offer of one job, I took that as a sign that it was God's will. That doesn't really add up either. Now, I think that open & closed doors can be one factor in making a decision- obviously we need to be aware of which opportunities are available to use at any given time. However, to take every open and closed door as a sign from God and basing a decision on that doesn't make sense. In the Bible, we see how Paul took advantage of one open door and did not take advantage of another open door (1 Cor 16:8-9, 2 Cor 2:12-13). So, an open door or closed door doesn't necessarily show us the will of God: we must look at each opportunity in light of Scripture to make a wise, God-honoring decision.

-JRO

Some food for thought

As many of my readers know, I'm going to be in and out of town for the next 10 days or so, which means I won't be updating as frequently as I normally do. However, I will try to get a few posts up in that time- after all, I do make sure to pick hotels with Internet in the room if possible (yes, I realize I'm a nerd).

Yesterday, I went to the cell phone place to add text messaging. I've gotten hooked on sending them back and forth and was basically having to pay 15 cents per outgoing message, so I decided to upgrade my plan. That got me thinking- I pay a decent chunk of money each month on communication- cell phone, landline, Internet, etc. and really enjoy talking to/hearing from others. Certainly that's not a bad thing. But, what I was really challenged by is comparing the amount of time I devote to things like IM and the phone with the amount of time I spend in prayer. If God really is my refuge and treasure, shouldn't that really be reflected by spending more than 15 minutes or so a day praying to Him? The Bible tells us to pray continually, be thankful in all circumstances and that it is a privilege to be able to approach God. Sometimes though, I find myself having to make a point of prayer as opposed to really longing for that communion with God.

Now, I'm not suggesting we withdraw from society to only talk to God. But, I know I have been trying to make some strides towards making prayer more of a priority and realizing what a privilege it truly is. After all, the God who created and maintains the world, who can with one breath cause planets to cease to exist, actually made a way for us to know Him and actually desires that we spend time with Him. And, He is always there for us, will never turn a deaf ear to us, is for us, calls us His friends, etc. Wow, how amazing!

So, that's what's on my mind today; now I'm off to the Outer Banks. I'd love to hear your thoughts and will look forward to checking back in tomorrow night.

-JRO

Politics & Religion

Apparently it's taboo to talk about politics and religion. Well, I guess I'll be going against the cultural etiquette today since I'm going to be talking about both and specifically where they intersect.

In case you missed it, there was a survey done last week that measured voters' opinions of possible presidential candidates based on their religions. Among other things, it found that 37% said that they would not vote for a Mormon and 21% said they could not vote for an evangelical Christian. Cal Thomas also had an interesting perspective on this issue in his column this week as well (check it out here).

This got me thinking about the possible candidates on the Republican side for the 2008 presidential election. If you believe what you hear, John McCain, Rudi Guiliani and Mitt Romney seem to be some of the big names being tossed around. Something about McCain has always appealed to me- he seems above the partisan politics that plague so many in Washington these days and he seems to have no fear about saying what he thinks, even to his own peril at times. He also seems to be pretty solid on some key conservative positions: he is pro-life, supports intelligent design in schools, etc. Guiliani seems to be the biggest name out of the crowd, but in my opinion is awfully liberal to be calling himself a Republican (pro-choice, supports gay marriage, etc). Romney is the unknown of the crowd, but does fall in line with traditional conservative ideology.

So, back to the point of this blog. What impact should a candidate's religion have on opinions of them? McCain is apparently affiliated with the Episcopal church, but doesn't show any indication of Biblical Christian faith. Guiliani is apparently a Catholic but has some policy positions and beliefs that don't mesh with the teachings of the Catholic church. Romney is a Mormon. This makes me wonder how much this really matters. I don't believe that America is a Christian country (there actually isn't such a thing, but that's for another entry). So, should it matter if our president is a Christian?

Personally, I think I would feel more comfortable with a leader who shows evidence of being a genuine believer in Christ. However, when the Republican primary rolls around, I'm going to cast my vote for the person who seems to have beliefs and positions that I think will be best for this country- even if that means voting for a Mormon or other nonChristian. I think a nonChristian can do an effective job of leading the country and make decisions in the best interest of the country. After all, the Bible tells us that all authority is God-given anyway. So, whether someone is aware of it or not, He is sovereign over their leadership.

What do you think? How much impact does a candidate's religion factor into your choosing him or her?

-JRO

#5- The promise from Peter's sermon

In preparing for tonight's discussion on baptism, I came across another verse that I think is often misunderstood. It is Acts 2:39, which says:

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.

In the preceding couple of verses, Peter (who is speaking) commands for all to repent and be baptized and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. This verse is commonly misunderstood to support the practice of infant baptism. However, that is not doing credit to the context of this verse. If you only look at the first part of this verse, you could come up with that conclusion. But, look at the 2nd part: "all whom the Lord our God will call." This restricts the promise of the Holy Spirit to those whom God will call (referring to the inner call to faith given to the elect, not the broad gospel proclamation to all people). The previous verses also link this promise to faith. Peter simply understood that in order for someone to receive the Spirit, he or she had to be a believer. And, following faith was the symbolic act of baptism. I don't think he at all intended for this to extend the covenant sign to infants who are incapable of exercising faith.

These verses suggest that those who receive the covenantial sign of baptism are those whom God calls and who exercise faith (the ever confusing dual truth of God's sovereignty in election and man's responsibility to believe). It also makes it clear that all believers do receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the post-Pentecost world.

-JRO

#4- God will give us all things

For the fourth entry in this series, I'm going to pull out what is actually a favorite verse of mine- Romans 8:32, which says:

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Now, I am not necessarily just dealing with this verse in this entry but more an attitude that you could get from this verse and some others like it in Scripture. I heard someone say at a Sunday school class something along the lines of: We as God's children should expect to receive all of the same material blessings as the non-believers we see around us. Or, the "name it & claim it" movement out there- that God will bless us with everything we want if we only have the faith to believe God for it.

Unfortunately, this interpretation doesn't at all add up with Scripture and especially the New Testament. First off, Romans 8 doesn't deal with physical stuff at all; it talks about spiritual things and our relationship with Christ. Think also about who wrote Romans- it was Paul who talks about being content in all circumstances, being persecuted and considering worldly things rubbish compared to knowing Christ. So surely he didn't mean that God will give us everything we want materially or physically.

We can see so many of God's people who lived in a way that would be considered foolish to today's American. Jesus, Paul, the apostles, etc. weren't concerned with things like money or material possessions, but instead realized how much they had in Christ and how God giving us all things means all that we have in Christ, not material things. We are promised that God will meet all of our needs- not give us everything that we want when we want it (materially or otherwise).

I have lately been convicted more and more about how to simplify my life- free myself from things that would distract or even take away time and effort from serving God. For example, I just last year sold a boat that I really wasn't using and replaced it with one that was a lot cheaper and much easier to maintain. I am also pretty sure that I'll be consolidating down to one car, just because of how unnecessary a 2nd one is and how much trouble that goes along with it.

So, in closing, God has promised to meet our needs. And, sometimes, He sees fit to bless us beyond our needs so that we may then bless others and show His love to them. He doesn't promise to give us all that we need and those who aren't rich in the world's eyes aren't lacking in faith or aren't second-class Christians. It's God who determines how to gift and bless individual people and He does so according to His perfect plan.

-JRO

#3- Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord

To celebrate Independence Day on my blog, I thought I would continue in my current series with a relevant verse. The verse I’ll be writing about is Psalm 33:12, which says:

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

A common (and I would venture to say incorrect) way of looking at this is to say that if we as a country (USA) were to return to our “Christian” roots, then we would receive blessings from God. I think this is incorrect for a couple of different reasons. First, we need to consider the context of this verse. It was written during the Old Covenant when God’s chosen people were the nation of Israel, a physical nation. So, this verse would make perfect sense to them: they would be blessed above other nations because God specifically chose them to be His people. But, this isn’t how God works in the New Covenant era. His chosen people now are the Church, not any one physical nation. So, I think it’s incorrect to say that we can apply this verse written in a specific context to say that a nation with supposed Christian roots can expect blessings from God.

The other problem with this viewpoint is that it can result in a works mentality. Suppose that all of a sudden, the government were totally led by godly people and all of our laws reflected Biblical teaching (far-fetched, I know). Now, let’s say that God allowed another horrible 9-11 type tragedy to happen even after that. What would people say? I suspect a lot would be waving their finger at God and calling Him unfair. Why? Because they would argue that since they did their part, they felt like God should do His, or- they feel like their own (or their country’s) acts of obedience obligate God to then bless them. Something we all tend to think from time to time, but something not in line with the God of the Bible. God may be more glorified by something in the life of me (or the USA) that hurts and stings than something that is comfortable and feels good.

Thinking of this stuff makes me wonder how much more progress we’d be making in spreading the gospel if we focused on winning hearts, not court battles.

-JRO

#2- The desires of your heart

As I was reading through Psalm 37 the other day, I came across one of the other verses that is commonly misinterpreted in my opinion. Here is the verse (Ps 37:4):

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Here's an example of how this verse is commonly misinterpreted: "Oh, well I want to get married, so that must mean that God will bring me a wife/husband" or "I really want this job, so I'm going to believe God to provide it for me." I really don't think this is what this verse means at all.

Look at the first part (what is often overlooked in quoting this verse): "Delight yourself in the Lord." What does delighting in the Lord look like? Treasuring God above all else and making Him your ultimate desire. When we truly delight in God, other stuff doesn't matter as much. When life is hard or things don't work out like we'd like to them, we can still be joyful and at peace because we have God.

So, how does that apply to the rest of the verse? Well, I think that sheds some light on what is meant by the "desires of your heart." Are these desires that are spoken of all the desires that we have? I don't think so. Our desires come from a variety of sources- some from God, some from ourselves, some from the world around us, etc. So, which desires are spoken of here?

Let me sidetrack from that question to give some helpful background. The Bible speaks of us receiving new hearts when we become believers in Christ. This new heart produces change within us- we now desire God and want to live lives that honor Him. So, I think we have to keep this in mind when interpreting this verse. God doesn't promise to give us everything that we want. Instead, He promises that as we seek Him above all else, He will give us what we ultimately desire- more of Him. That makes me think of Jesus' teachings about a spring of living water that we can never exhaust- there will always be more of God to desire, delight in and satisfy us like nothing else can.

Now, does this mean that God won't ever grant us things that we want? Of course not. God is infinitely wise and knows which of our desires glorify Him and are ultimately the best for us and which ones aren't. So, we need to trust Him in this. There are certain things that I would like to happen in my life, but I don't know for sure if those are in God's plans for me. What I do know is that God has my best in mind and will bring that about. So, I work each day to trust Him and remember how much He does care for me.

So to sum it up, this verse doesn't mean that God will give us something just because we desire it. Rather, it must fit into His sovereign plan. Accordingly, our responsibility is to trust Him and not get mad when we don't get what we want or be bitter towards God. Second-guessing God is basically a sinful attitude (one I've found myself confessing far too often).

What are your thoughts?

-JRO

A question for the ladies

Since it seems a good portion of my blogging audience is of the opposite sex, I thought I'd pose a question to you. Guys, perhaps this may help us in moving one step closer to understanding the complex infrastructure of the female mind (Relient K lyric); incidentally that's probably doubtful as I think it's a lost cause.

So, here's the deal: I was having lunch with my sister today and in the last 2 days, she's had two random guys just come up out of the blue and ask her out (FYI, she had surgery on her wrist so she isn't able to wear her engagement ring). So, have/would any of you go out with some random guy you didn't know who just came up and asked you out like that?

I have never done that and I don't think that I ever would. It doesn't fit my personality, plus it would seem kind of odd and high-pressure to have to go out with someone you didn't know at all. For all I know, if I did that, I'd end up on a date with a crazy horse girl... bad idea.

So I'm curious to get some female insight into this; what do you think?

-JRO

How radical are we?

This post will be a brief departure from the series that I've been blogging about. But, I have heard this same verse come up in a sermon and book I've been reading lately and it has really struck a chord with me, so I thought I'd pass it along. This is 1 Corinthians 15:19-

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

The point I've heard is this: do our lives as Christians look that much different than the rest of the world that we'd look like fools if there were no Heaven? I'd dare say that for probably the majority of American Christians, the answer is no.

This verse was written by Paul, who chose to embrace a life of great suffering and give up a life as a well-respected, well-to-do member of society so that he could share the hope of the gospel with others. He was hoping in what was to come, which enabled him to look past his present trials and sufferings to see something (or perhaps Someone) who would far outweigh them all. But, how far is that mindset from most American churches? Are we really ready to embrace sacrifice and suffering for the sake of the gospel?

I know this is challenging me to evaluate some things in my life and maybe make some changes. So, something to ponder...

-JRO

Responses to Comments from #1

Thanks to all who read and left your thoughts on my latest blog entry. In this entry, I'll try to respond to the questions raised in those comments.

As Maggie touched on, we are called to pray in order to be at peace about life. Our worrying and trying to figure things out on our own leads to anxiety. Praying and trusting God leads to peace. We can be at peace in a decision or situation, knowing that God is at work and He is accomplishing His purposes in that situation. And no, it's not that easy (at least for me that is). For some reason, I tend to think that I know better than God and I should "help Him out" by worrying or reminding Him how I want things to turn out. Seems like wasted effort.

Now, let me try to deal with the couple of questions Jenn raised. The basic question was: what response should we look for from God in a decision situation or how do we have more confidence in a decision we're making? First off, let's distinguish between 2 types of decisions: sometimes we have a moral decision (one where the Bible gives a clear answer), other times we have a nonmoral decision (one where the Bible does not give a clear answer one way or another). It seems like most decisions we face would be nonmoral decisions. Even though the Bible may not be crystal-clear on something like that, I think we still need to aim to approach them in a God-honoring way. Let me share how I approach decisions like this. I first will spend time in the Word and prayer examining things like my motives and how one alternative or the other alternative would be more glorifying to God. Is it only some type of selfish, non-godly desire (like greed) driving me to a job offering more money or the desire to be better able to provide for my family or support missions? I think wisdom is a key factor too: maybe what I'm thinking of doing isn't prohibited by Scripture, but is it something wise for me to do right now? For example, I have heard someone I know who is married share that he won't do a 1-on-1 lunch meeting with a woman. Is that prohibited by Scripture? No, but he has decided that just isn't wise for him in that situation. Then, I seek advice from some wise godly people to help get some additional perspective. Then, I make a choice! I don't sit around and wait for an inner feeling, I don't ask God for a sign, but I trust in the wisdom He's given me and take a step forward in faith. Waiting for God to show us what to do isn't living by faith; that's unbelief. Faith is being able to take a step when the outcome is unsure and leaning on God's infinite wisdom.

OK, now to try to answer that question: how do we know if we've made the right decision? I think we often approach this from the wrong angle. We worry about whether we picked the "right" job or the "right" person. Instead, if we've made the decision seeking to honor God and with wisdom, we don't really need to worry about missing the mark. Instead, we should aim to do God's will as He's shown us in the Bible. So, instead of worrying if I'm in the right job, I should be seeking to do God's will in that job- there is plenty of Scripture telling us how to live. I heard someone once say that we should be more concerned about the question of how than the question of what. That is, seeking to know and do God's will as the Bible talks about isn't finding some ideal path, but rather, seeking and honoring God in whatever place in life you find yourself. So, I think we approach things incorrectly when we try to make decisions based on an inner feeling of peace or we use that inner feeling of peace (or lack thereof) to confirm whether we've made the right decision.

I think your final question hits the nail on the head: we do just need to have faith that as we are seeking after God and walking in the Spirit, He is changing our desires. We can trust that while we are leaning on Him, our desires and motives become more and more Christlike. Now, of course, we are still open to desires and feelings coming from other places too, which is why it's so critical to weigh these desires and feelings against the Word.

Does this answer questions/ address concerns about this issue?

-JRO

#1- The peace of God

The first thing in this series that we'll be looking at it is the "peace of God," as referred to in Philippians 4:7 (and a few other places in the Bible).

Php 4:7 reads:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now, what I've heard from a lot of well-meaning Christians is that this verse implies that when making a decision, we should rely on an inner feeling of peace. So, for example, if I am choosing between 2 job offers, I should consider which job I feel more at peace about. But, it's my opinion that this verse simply doesn't say that in context and it's too big a leap to make from this text. Not only that, but nowhere else in Scripture do we find a command to wait on some inner feeling of peace when making a decision.

But, let's look at this verse in context (it might be helpful if you pull out a Bible or jump over to Bible Gateway). In verse 6, Paul instructs us not to be anxious, but to be prayerful instead. Then, verse 7 simply shows the result of this. So, if we pray about things instead of worrying about them, then we can be at peace about the situation. So, going back to the job example, I should be praying about the situation and be at peace knowing that God is sovereign and He is working in this situation. If I feel more at peace about one job than the other, that really doesn't mean anything. I could be more anxious about one job because it may not be the best choice. But, it could also be because it would involve taking a step of faith that scares me.

So, to summarize, the teaching of relying on an inner feeling of peace in making decisions in something that is not backed up Biblically.

Look into this for yourself and let me know what you think.

-JRO

A blog series

Just a quick plug for what's coming up- I have decided to start a blog series for the next several days. I will be looking at what I consider to be some of the most frequently misinterpreted pieces of Scripture and the bad theology that they lead to. I hope and pray that this will be beneficial to those who read. As always, I encourage you to look into this stuff for yourself and form your own conclusions through the Word; don't just take my word for it. Feel free to ask questions or challenge my interpretation if you come to a different conclusion than I do.

I'll put the first one up later tonight or tomorrow.

-JRO

The Sovereignty of God

That's cool; I got to use a big theological term in the title of this post. After last night's blog, I decided to dig through the Bible to find out what exactly the Bible says about God's authority and control over things in the world. A few selected things I found in my digging:

-God works in the hearts/wills of men to bring about His desired events in history (Joshua 11:20, 1 Ki 12:15).
-Even sinful acts are on some level ordained by God. Of course, James tells us that God doesn't tempt anyone and we know that God cannot sin. But, Scripture shows us examples of how God is sovereign over even sin (story of Joseph, 2 Sam 24:1, the crucifixion).
-God is sovereign over stuff like nature (Jonah 1:4).
-God is sovereign over the salvation of men through election (Romans 9).
-We can lay out plans, but need to ultimately submit to the sovereign will of God when it (James 4:13-17, some of Paul's missionary journeys).

So, after finding all of these examples, I drew some conclusions about how the truth of God's absolute sovereignty should influence the way I live:

1. We need to submit to God's sovereign will. Sometimes we can desire something, pray for it, plan it thoroughly and it just doesn't happen because it's not in God's sovereign will. So, this leads to a humble and submissive attitude before God, realizing that His plan is far greater than those that we try to make. The question I posed to a friend recently was, "If you got everything that you wanted in your life during the past 5 years, where would you be today? Would you really want to be in that place?" I would dare say that for most of us, the answer to that second question is a resounding No.

2. This frees us from fear and worry. We know not only that God is sovereign, but that He exercises His sovereignty in a way that has the best interests of believers in mind (Rom 8:28). I also don't need to worry about making some mistake and causing God's plans to be thwarted. God is sovereign and is going to work in spite of me if necessary. Now, I'm not using that as an excuse to sin. I know that God has laid out His will through the Bible and we are certainly responsible for living according to that.

3. We realize that everything (including hard times, trials, suffering and pain) are from God. Steve Saint (whose father was a martyred missionary) says that he used to think God allowed his dad to be killed, but doesn't believe that anymore. Now, he believes that God planned for his dad to die in that way. We simply can't see God's eternal purposes in what He's doing, but we can cling to the hope in knowing that God doesn't make mistakes, He isn't surprised and not even one sparrow can fall to the ground without his ordaining it (Mt 10:29).

Well, if you've made it this far, I promise I'll make my conclusion short. This seems like an appropriate follow-up to yesterday's entry. It gives me hope keeping in mind God's sovereignty and how He providentially is working in my life. It's not as if he has left me here to figure things out and function without His help. So, I guess He really doesn't need me to "help" by worrying and fretting over the little details of life. One of my own quotes that I thought of one day was: If I can trust God with my very life and eternal destiny, then shoudn't I also be able to trust Him with the little details within this life? After all, eternity is a whole lot longer than the few years we've been given on this earth.

-JRO

Are we wasting our thoughts and worries?

Seeing as though it's already 10:47 PM as I start writing, this is going to be a short entry tonight. But, I really wanted to get one entry in before the weekend was over, so I thought I'd share something I was thinking about earlier.

I was thinking today about how I waste a lot of time thinking and worrying about things that are really insignificant- things like what I'll be doing 2 years from now, what my career future holds, whether or not I'll get married, etc. I find myself devoting way too much time thinking, worrying and talking about this stuff. A part of me would really like a detailed blueprint of what's coming up so things would be all mapped out for me.

But, that's not exactly faith. Living by faith seems to me to be daily seeking after God, being made new and focusing on what really matters. I know that regardless of how all these little details work out, I am called to live in a God-honoring way. So, it makes me wonder why I spend so much time worrying about this stuff. What if instead, I devoted that much time and mental faculty to memorizing and meditating on Scripture or other things like that?

Ultimately, God's will is going to be accomplished in my life and He really doesn't need my worries to help bring it about. So, I'm trying to change my perspective a tad there: however all these details work out, my overall focus and objectives should be the same. Easier said than done, but I would really like to think that I could be more focused by paying less attention to these insignificant things and investing more energies into thinking about things that really ultimately matter so much more.

-JRO

Follow-up from the other day

Thanks to all for your input on my question for reflection from a couple days ago. It seemed as if a lot of what others posted on here hit on some of my thoughts on the topic. I said that I'd come back and give you my thoughts, so that's what I'd like to do in this post.

The question I asked was: "Would you prefer if God made much of us or if He enabled us to make much of Him?" posed by John Piper.

This is something I've been studying, reading, praying and thinking about a lot lately. Our culture (and even some Christian teachers) give us the impression that life is all about us. Do what feels good, do what makes you feel happy. It's okay as long as it doesn't hurt anyone (or, even hurt someone if it makes you feel better about yourself). Just look at the way advertising seems to appeal to a very me-centered outlook on life. The Christian version of this really isn't all that different- God loves you, so you should expect Him to bless you with whatever you want. Forget about stuff like character development and trials, you should expect health, wealth, prosperity and life as you want it. Talk about a distortion of the truth.

The message of the Bible is clear- we were created for God and created to glorify Him. It's really not about me at all. But yet, the Bible is also clear that God loves us and acts in our best interest.

So, here is what I've been learning: God loves us enough to allow us to make much of Him. He had every right to simply look past us all and allow us to go straight to Hell, but instead chose to redeem a people for Himself. He knows that our ultimate happiness rests in nothing short of Himself. If He were to give us everything we wanted when we wanted it and make much of us, then we'd miss the chance at much greater joy. I've found that real lasting joy is only found in God Himself: not His blessings, not His creation, but Him. So, God creating us for His glory and our desire for happiness are not at odds; they meet together in this amazing, mysterious thing called faith.

Is it easy? Not yet... I still find myself struggling when things don't go my way. I'd love to be able to humbly submit to God, but it takes effort. Just recently I felt as though God was blessing me with something new in my life, but things didn't exactly turn out as I had hoped or thought they would. So, it's taken some fighting and reminding myself to keep perspective and realize that it's not all about me. If I have God, then I can be content no matter what else happens because He Himself is our ultimate joy and treasure.

I've found this truth to be incredibly freeing, but at the same time, radical and difficult. For most of my life, I have looked to people and things to find happiness (and have been let down again and again). It's a matter of retraining the way I think and feel and having to lean on God as I seek to embrace this truth. A lot of times it's a matter of using the Bible to remind myself of things, instead of listening to the lies around me and even the ones in my head.

Anyways, probably enough to digest for one post. If this topic interests you, I'll be doing a seminar on it next month at Covenant.

-JRO

Web Site

The web site is finished! I still haven't posted anything under Resources yet- I envision that as a place to post white papers, publications, book reviews, talks/sermons, etc. But everything else is up and running.

For those who appreciate tech stuff, you've got to check out the links page. I have that running off of a database. Essentially, everytime I want to add a link, I insert it into the database. When you visit that page and choose a link category, it queries the database and returns only those links fitting into that category. The title of the page is also generated from a different table that holds the names of each link category.

So, thanks to all for the input into the project. I may actually work on some resources today... maybe a database-driven book list?

-JRO