Imago Dei

Well, good afternoon once again! It is that time of week that I am sure you all look forward to so fervently. I am all out of lab and good to go.

I was pleasantly surprised at the response to last weeks e-mail. I know for sure it got at least one motor turning and incited an awesome, edifying discussion on the role of mercy in the government, the purpose of the government and other related topics. As I was attempting to play Devil's Advocate, I posed this question: can a non-Christian genuinely display mercy?

As I briefly tossed around the notion in my head, I concluded in the negative. I figured people from the world would always have some sort of ulterior motive that would persuade them to act mercifully and therefore that act was not genuine.

But then as I discussed this even further with 2 people at the Women's Conference, I had a rather interesting paradigm shift. You see, what I failed to recognize is that all men (i.e. people, not literally "men") were created with the imago Dei (image of God - Gen 1:27). All people, were created in the image of God, this is not just exclusive to Christians. As a result, everyone has the ability to portray all the characteristics that God does (mercy, grace, etc.). And when you think of this, it makes sense: how else would parents [who do not fear God] be able to show love and affection to their child?

I think it is critical to recognize this attribute in every person. It definitely is a great way of understanding each person's worth in the eyes of God. If each and every person has the very attributes of God, it logically follows that He cares for them -- at least enough to infuse them with His own characteristics.

This is why the claim that people make in efforts to reconcile the creation narrative with the scientifically accepted theory of evolution is false. The imago Dei is precisely what separates man from beast. Evolution essentially equates man with beast, but since we are fundamentally different from the rest of creation, it is clear to see that it is just impossible. We were created and therefore could not have evolved from lesser species'.

So yea, it was a very cool (and aided) epiphany!

MTI

In Spite Of...

Good Afternoon!

Well, Fay is out of the way, but there is a small chance Gustav comes to visit this Labor Day Weekend. (Sorry, I tried to find something that rhymed with Gustav, but I got nothing.)

A conversation this weekend led me to think about the story of Rahab and the 2 spies she harbored (found in Joshua 2). I have been thinking about that fact that she lied to the King of Jericho and yet everything seemed to work out perfectly. The spies got away and the Israelites eventually conquered the land.

... so did God overlook that lie? Did he allow it simple because it would benefit the spies?

Brother Andrew had a policy when taking Bibles into foreign countries: he would not lie to the guards when asked if he Bibles. Why? Because lying is a sin.

So, let's call it for what it was. Rahab lied. Why then did God bless the situation? Because He is in control and sovereign and merciful and gracious.

And even when I think of my own life, isn't this true? How many times have I figuratively shaken my fist at God in defiance and received blessings in return? That's not this say that this is God's modus operandi, but in His mercy, He chooses to bless us. I look at my life now, and I see how many blessings I truly have, and I am blown away. If we truly got what we deserved, we would be in Hell, right? So this truth is applicable in our lives. In spite of our sin, God chooses to bless us, and He's the simple reason why: He loves us.

Then, don't we need to make it our effort to please Him in return? 2 Corinthians says that we should make it our goal to please God. How many goals do we have? Get an A in this class; save money; get prepared for the future. So many goals. Well, add one to the list... Please God. Make it your goal to please Him because He loves you and blesses you.

MTI

Vanity

Hello, Hello... Hola!

Then there is something about vertigo, but I guess that's just for Bono.

How are you all fairing with Fay? I thought she was held at bay. But hey, I enjoyed the 2 days off or work... mmm-kay. Tomorrow should be a great day, just like it were May.

I've spent my past to days watching foreign films and attempting to write a 16 page term paper by next Monday. Oh boy, the excitement is unbearable. But I am getting antsy and want to leave the house and do something. Hopefully tomorrow, though.

In any case, the issue of vanity has really been on my mind and how we all try to control our appearances - especially in today's day and age of photoshop and digital manipulation. We all have this perfect image in our minds of how we should look and get fussy if this ideal is not somewhat met. I think it's especially pervasive amongst women. Girls feel such an enormous pressure to control their appearance because they need to assimilate to the "girl model" that society and media idolizes. So what if a picture makes you little different, that's the beauty of it! Guys aren't exempt either. What makes this issue even worse is that we have gotten to a point where we actually let this control our actions. We forego our desires in order to control our appearance.

"Oh, I can't go because I don't have the right pants."

Sorry, can't make it... bad hair day."

"Please delete that photo, it makes me look fat."

I could keep going... but it's not just about appearance. Maintaining our reputation also falls into this category. So how do we change it?

Well, this problem is only the surface issue. The root of it extends in our identity in Christ. Knowing where we stand in God's eyes, it will not matter how anyone else perceives. Now, I am not going to cease my personal hygiene routine because I could careless what other people think; that's just absurd. But what I am getting at is this: knowing that I am created in God's image supersedes any other opinion. We were specially created in the womb by God.

Perhaps the saddest part of all this is that we have allowed this issue of appearance above the necessity to be there for friends. It's a manifestation of selfishness.

MTI

It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!

Good evening all!

Here is a question to ponder: how do you think the disciples felt during the 3 days Jesus was dead? Were they dejected and depressed? Did they fully trust and rely on the words of Christ? Did they doubt? I'm sure all those elements were involved at one point or the other.

The disciples had two positions to assume on the day after Christ's death. They could believe or not believe. Notice that if the disciples had solely focused on the fact that their Lord was dead and buried in some man's tomb, they certainly would have been dejected and depressed. They would have doubted His authentic messiahship had they not taken solace in His words.

Ok, so here is my point... Lately, I get the feeling that we can sometimes get lulled into having what I call spiritual myopia. We live in the moment and lose sight of the freedom found in the liberating words of Christ. Aside from the biggies, whom we will marry and what we will study, we tend to concentrate on the here and now. It's understandable (because that is precisely how the majority of society lives) but it is not justifiable (because it's flat out wrong). Many of the commands we are given span over our entire life. They are indefinite (i.e. be holy, walk in the Spirit, pray without ceasing) so it is easy to see how we are expected to be looking ahead.

As an aside, one skill that is severely lacking in today's day and age is self-analysis. We fail to introspectively dissect our intentions and motivations. Without this technique, we cannot know what areas of our lives need improvement. Where do I constantly fall into temptation? In what areas do I need to practice more patience? This is absolutely necessary for us not to lose sight of what's ahead. How can I be expected to be constantly walking the spirit if I am not recognizing what interrupts my relationship with Christ?

Back to the disciples: In the moments following Jesus' death, His followers had to decide whether or not they were going to look beyond what they see and act upon what He had said - trusting that He would resurrect. I'm sure things seemed bleak in the moment, but they were not focusing on that day. They were looking ahead. They were looking past the 3 days he would be lifeless.

In the 18th century, if I am not mistaken, there was a Puritan preacher who delivered a famous sermon. His one and only point was this: It's Friday, but Sunday is coming.

It's Friday, Jesus is dead. There are many people mourning and weeping. It's devastating. But you know what? Sunday is coming. His resurrection is nigh. His glorious appearing to reconcile the situation is a mere 3 days away. Ecstasy and jubilation is not far off.

We must look past the here and the now and live life with an eternal and lasting perspective. Don't lose sight of the purpose in life. Don't get lost in the triviality and monotony of the everyday. So yea, let's avoid spiritual myopia. Use the corrective lens of the Bible to restore your vision. And don't worry, that analogy, albeit true, is corny even to me, the King of Corny.

MTI

Glory in Knowing God

Good evening all!

How are you all doing? Seriously, I want to know. I feel disconnected from some of you... it's summer though, so I guess it's only natural for us to head out separate ways.

As some of you may know, the concept of glory has really been on my mind for the past couples weeks or so. I just realized that all the past meetings I've given have been somehow connected to God's glory. Well, along those same lines, I read this verse not too long ago: "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD." (Jer 9:23,24 - NKJV).

Did you catch that? We are not to glory in ourselves or our accomplishments, "but let him who glories glory in this: that he understand and knows me." We are took glory in the fact that we know God! This illuminates the fact that knowing God is an extreme privilege. I am reminded of the verse in Psalms 8 (?) that questions our importance: "what is man that you are mindful of Him?" What makes us so special? Why me? Why you? Why?

I don't know; haven't you ever taken your relationship with God for granted? We've been Christians for so long to it sort of becomes second-nature. Our intimacy with Him loses its pizazz. We become so used to it that it is no longer anything special.

I'll tell you, I don't know what makes me any special and why Christ chose to die for me and the rest of humanity. I don't know why He is mindful of us. But I accept it. I welcome it. I may not understand it, but I will glory in the fact that He knows me and that He loves me. I do not want to take my relationship with God for granted, because that denies Him the glory that He rightly deserve. Remember, God will receive glory; that is not a question. The question is, then, will I be the vessel which voluntarily gives Him glory?

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I still don't know why I have been thinking about this so much lately. I don't know what the Lord is teaching me yet. Obviously, I know it is about glory. But why glory? How can I apply this? I need to think about this some more... which shouldn't be a problem; I like thinking =)

As for this Friday, we will be having a Cry Out Night at the building. The theme will be giving your life to Christ. Let's go ahead and begin preparing for that time. Include it in your prayers and ask God to make that evening a special one. It certainly has the potential to be a powerful night.

I don't think there are any other group related announcements that are e-mail worthy. Just remember that we will recap and finish the second-half of the game we started on the 18th. So be there next Friday (Aug 1st) at Chelsea's house!

See you Friday!

MTI

Mission Statement

As a cell group, we exist to foster intimate relationships amongst fellow believers, united under a common desire to become spiritually mature. We desire to grow closer to God and one another, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:11)

Welcoming Weakness

Hello! Hello! Hello!

I want to mention, really quickly, that you cannot spell awesome without me ;-P. lol

Let me get off my high horse...

So how are you all doing? I've been living my life in the fast lane lately, but I've been traveling in the HOV, so it's not all that bad. Let me tell you, though, I was really surprised by last Sunday's meeting. Jerry was on the ball, on the money, off the chain, and off the wall. haha. I really like how he emphasized the fact that what matters is how we conduct ourselves in spite of our weaknesses. We are human and will be weak; that, of course, is apparent. So the deciding factor then is what we do about those weaknesses. How do we combat them? How can we make them strengths? How can we use them to have Christ build and mold our character?

Second Corinthians 12:9 says that God's "grace is sufficient for you, for [His] power is made perfect in weakness." Also, note that Paul writes how he wants "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection" (Phil 3:10). So, in order to intimately know Christ and have fellowship with Him, we must welcome our weaknesses and use them to embrace God's perfecting power. Look at Paul's reaction: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

So what do we do about our weaknesses? We delight in them, because it is only then that Christ can use us to the max. I must confess, this is one of those dichotomies that I do not fully comprehend. But nonetheless, I accept it as truth, and you should too!

MTI

Control Freak

I did it! I did it!

It is still Wednesday as I write this, and I fully intend to get this to you by Wednesday. So technically, even though you’ll likely receive and read this on Thursday, I can still say that I got it out on Wednesday! Now that right there is how you thumb your nose at the system! 10 points for Mikey and loopholes! =)

(Did anyone notice the inordinate amount of exclamation points?!)

Anyway, I figure I have an excuse to be a little cockamamie. I actually sat through a 3.5 hour lecture on the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, the rise of Rabbinic Theology and other “precious gems” of post-second Temple Judaism (Ba-Ba-Ba-Boring!). Actually, it is quite interesting, but not at 9:30 PM following 3 hours of incessant droning. 10 more points for me!

Ok really though… Tuesday for me was a day of testing. Not academic, standardized testing – but testing of my faith and trust in God. Remember how James says that faith is nothing if not validated and manifested through how I conduct my life. Well, the Lord put several obstacles in my way that challenged my faith/worldview and ensured the Lord’s sovereignty. The actual hurdles are immaterial; in the grand scheme of things, they mean nothing.

The best part is that the Lord prepared me for what I was to go through. Throughout all my QTs this week, I have read about the Lord’s control over everything. And I mean everything. I tend to be a bit of a “control freak,” as the kids these days say (I prefer administrative extraordinaire, but that’s just me).

In any case, I decided to read the book of Genesis. So, those evening’s I recounted the story of creation through the flood narrative. I kept realizing God’s control:

1. How He spoke everything into existence.

2. How managed every detail.

3. How He would not allow deviations from His “plan” to sway Him from pursuing the ultimate purpose of a relationship with mankind. (The fall, Cain, etc.)

God, in His infinite mercy, still makes provision for us to reestablish our fellowship with Him, despite our constant betrayal. He had everything in such an order, that He even made it a point to bless the birds! (Gen. 1:22, Matt. 6)

Everything I read pointed straight to God’s complete and absolute control in every facet of life. I didn’t realize it then, but it was like the Lord knew on Monday what I was going to go through on Tuesday! Who woulda thunk it, huh?!

Not only did He know, but in all His grace and mercy, He prepared me for all of it. Despite everything going on around me, and despite all the reasons why I could doubt God and want to take things into my own hands, the Lord spared me some anguish. The phrase constantly reverberating in my mind was that the Lord was in control… there was absolutely no doubt about that. Now matter how I sliced it, I could not deny that the Lord was in control of the events in my life. It was my job to sit back and let Him drive (I think Carrie Underwood might know a little something about this: Jesus take the wheel; take it from my hands…). Now isn’t that something?!

So yea, I pray you are encouraged by that. Hopefully it can serve as a gentle prodding to read the Word and spend time with the Lord. There is a promise in the OT that His Word will not return void. If you legitimately put in the time and effort, God’s Word will not be fruitless in your life.

MTI

Epiphany?

Good evening all!

I apologize for the late hour of this e-mail. My entire week has been occupied with "stuff" and I haven't been able to chisel out some time to write this. I've probably worked harder than a squirrel before winter. Or not? No, but really. Ugh, I am tired. I had the unthinkable joy of staying until 4 AM studying last night. Ok, serious mode.

You know, I had a rather interesting thought this evening as I emerged from Subways and looked on US1 as cars streamed by. I was astounded at how many people there are in this world. Have you ever stepped back from it all and noticed this? The world is filled with people. And get this... Christ is seeking a relationship with each and every one of them. God cares about all the people in those cars speeding down the road (I Timothy 2:3, 4). All those people who I will never see again, and all those people who pass me by. Let me tell you, we have our work cut out for us.

Now, does this mean that I am to abandon everything become a soap-box Preacher on the sidewalk? No, I personally believe that this method of evangelism is overwhelming ineffective. Nonetheless, I do acknowledge that some who are gifted and called to this evangelistic style and are greatly fruitful with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

The last 2 e-mails have focused on glorifying God. Also, last Friday we spoke about the importance of glorifying God in those "Now what?" moments. Of course, there is a connection here. When the eyes are on us, we have the opportunity to be an arrow pointing to our Creator willingly giving Him the glory. Remember, God will receive glory, that is no question; the real question is how He will receive it. Will we give it to Him selflessly? In doing so, our examples and testimonies will have a far greater impact than our words. Paul even says that we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1:27). Also, towards the end of Colossians chapter 1 (don't remember the exact), Paul indicates the effectiveness of our testimonies in evangelism.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. There are so many people out there. There are only so many of us. No matter how big the task may seem, we are still called to be examples to this world and glorify Him. We must be purposeful in our relationships so as to be winsome. This is probably the best (and most natural) result of a life lived to glorify God.

MTI

PS - I remembered to tag this post JJ... just for you!

Glorifying God

Well, good morning!

It is another day, and another opportunity to glorify God. I've been chewing this concept over since last Friday - the notion of glorifying God. To refresh your memories, we read from I Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV), which states that we are to "do all to the glory of God." Fairly straightforward, eh?

If you remember, we spoke about returning to the basics and making God the #1 priority of our lives. I suppose the Christian life doesn't get any more basic than that: anything we do should be done for God's glory. Ultimately, it is our choice to give God glory. If we choose not to, Luke says that the rocks will take our place and declare God's glory (cf. Luke 19:37-40). So regardless, God will receive glory. Amen to that!

Living our lives to glorify Him is the reason why we are still here. That is our purpose. Life without this objective is meaningless and futile. Jeremiah says this: "'But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD which exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight,' says the LORD" (9:24).

God's blessings are contingent upon his instruction, as Freddy mentioned on Sunday. So, by giving God glory with our lives, we unlock many spiritual blessings that the Lord is waiting to give us. By placing God on the most important seat of our life, we glorify Him. By obeying His word despite our reluctance, we glorify Him. By serving others in spite of our selfishness, we glorify Him. So long as we are following His instruction, we glorify God; and in doing so, we open up opportunities in our lives to receive blessings from God.

Now, who doesn't want that?!

MTI

Severity of Sin

G’evening all! I just got back from school, so it has been a particularly long day for me, but I hope you all have had great days.

Originally – this morning, in fact – I wanted to share something that had been on my mind throughout the past week: the dangers of compartmentalizing (lol, it sounds so boring as I write it here). But, I got this e-mail from Casting Crowns, which put a strong desire on my heart. It is a music video of the song “Slow Fade.” Please, if you have 5 short minutes, watch it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j0aBchNYxIM

This really got me meditating on the severity of sin, and our tendency to view sin so aloofly. When we are in the moment of temptation, we do not properly understand how much God detests sin and how strict the possible ramifications could be. It took a music video like this for me to be reminded of this. I see a man who has the potential to decimate his family because he wants to live in and seek out sin. Check out this verse: “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.” (Psalms 5:4-6, NASB).

I think, at least in part, that this is because we tend to define good and evil relativistically; we base it on the cultural standards, and not on God’s standards defined biblically. We see ourselves as “good,” so long as we are better than the secular of this world (whatever that means?). So, as society liberalizes and deteriorates, our morals and values take a plunge as well.

“Oh no, we are still good, though, because we are better than the world, and can still be an example.” LIES! All lies!

God’s standard is His standard. It is immutable and not contingent upon the morality of this world. We are subject to this standard (it was in the fine print of that little contract we signed to save our soul =P), whether we like it or not.

Nonetheless, we need to check our view on sin. Every defiance of God’s standard is considered sin, and it has stark consequences. No evil dwells with Him and He hates all those who do iniquity. We must realize this every time we on sin’s stoop. Remember, sin is punishable by death, we are exempt because we are gracefully redeemed by Christ. How dare we abuse the grace given us!

I felt led to share that, I hope some of you find it convicting and encouraging, I know I did when the Lord placed it on my heart this morning.

MTI

A Thought from Kermit the Frog

Let’s get to the chase, because I have a big headache and don’t feel up to typing too much =/

Ok, so you are frog. You are green, which can be difficult because you find that you are easily lost and forgotten amidst other nature. You are constantly being chased by an obsessive and violent pig, whom you actually end up marrying…

Lol, have you caught on about who I am talking about? Of course, it’s none other than Kermit the Frog!

Don’t worry, I haven’t (completely) lost my mind. It’s just that I read a very interesting quote from him, and I wanted to share it. He talks, in his book It’s Not Easy Being Green: and Other Things to Consider, about Family. He has this to say: “Yeah, well, I’ve got a dream too. But it’s about singing and dancing and making people happy. That’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And, well, I’ve found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And it kind of makes us like a family.”

This really got me thinking about our Spiritual Family. What makes us a family? The fact that we are united by a common God, for a common purpose. While it’s not completely true that it gets better when you share it with more people, it definitely is a plus. Even from a secular perspective, we are a bunch of friends who have the same dream, like Kermit says. We have the dream to see others know Christ and grow in Him.

Although I wasn’t there Sunday, I am told that Freddy spoke of something similar to this. I heard this interesting quote which says that Christians comprise the only army that fights against itself. Isn’t that true though? We believe in the same God, the same resurrection, the same Trinity, the same Messiah, yet we differ in a minor theological discrepancy and we are ready to break off completely and form different denominations. We consider our church to be “non-denominational,” yet, that is a denomination in and of itself.

I know that I used a rather flippant way to introduce the topics, but nonetheless, that point remains. If we are ever to make an impact in this world, we must stop fighting against each other and unite to reach the lost of this world. Like Freddy always says “In the big things, unity. In the small things, liberty. In all things, Love (adapted from St. Augustine).”

C’mon, we are a family (according to Sister Sledge). Let’s start acting like it. If a frog and a soul singer can recognize it, so can we =)

Goodness me, I cannot believe that I alluded to both a frog and a soul singer to make a point. What is this world coming to?

Well anyway, this Friday’s meeting will be held at Walyce’s house. It’s going to be real nice to meet as a group again. I feel disconnected from some of you, so it’ll be great to reconnect and be united. I look forward to seeing you there.

Call me if you need anything. I am praying for you!

MTI

Brokenness

G’morning =)

I have one thing to say: “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last.”

Of course, I didn’t really say that; MLK Jr. did. And obviously, I have more than just one thing to say, duh! When do I ever say only one thing in these e-mails?! C’mon now =P. Plus, he was talking about segregation and slavery. I am not talking about segregation, just slav… err, school.

Yes, yes, the rumors are true; I am done with the Spring 2008 semester… only to start up again next Wednesday =(. Not much of a vacation, I suppose.

Anyway, let’s get to the juicy stuff! I want to share two quick (I hope, lol) things that I have been thinking about throughout this week.

One thing Juan Otero shared during last Sunday’s meeting keeps resonating in my mind. He said, in his thick yet passionate accent, that “a truly broken person is not sad.” Wow! Honestly, I do not know what makes me think that this phrase is so special, but I cannot stop thinking about it. I guess it is because this is one of my pet peeves. Frankly, I get tired over a lot of prayer for revival, and rejuvenation and renovation, and all the other “re-” words. Don’t get me wrong, those prayers are undoubtedly necessary, given its apropos. But I think sometimes we can stop seeking God, and instead, seek what He offers us. You see, we know that brokenness is what God wants; however, we are reluctant to actual be broken because it requires pain and sacrifice (Like the Third Day song says, “I must go through the valley to stand before the Mountain of God.”). It is like you wanting an ‘A’ in a course, yet you are unwilling to actually learning the material taught in the class. Oswald Chambers put it as such: “There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God, except when it is not God whom you want, but only what He gives.” (My Utmost for His Highest) We substitute the feeling of somberness and grief with that of true humility and brokenness, in an attempt to reap the full blessings and promises of God. We think entering into a relationship with is so difficult and confusing. Then we wonder why God is not answering prayer, why He is seemingly not working in our lives, we our church seems stagnant… etc. We are not truly broken. We think we are, but we are not. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise!” It’s that simple. There is no secret handshake, no unheard of ritual, no forgotten séance. The answer is right in front of us; and as Toucan Sam always says, “follow your nose!” “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise!”

This is tied into something that I really enjoyed about last Wednesday’s meeting. It was a combination of what Jerry said, and this song:

Fuiste a la cruz a morir por mí,
Hoy te agradezco por amarme así
Le diste valor a mi vida Señor
Por eso te adoro, te adoro Cristo

Te amo Jesús, me cambiaste tu a mi
Veo el antes y ahora y soy feliz

My, oh my, I can’t stop smiling even as I read those lyrics (lol, people here at the UM library must think I am psycho). The realization of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross should be a joyous one! Being in the auditorium last Wednesday, I cannot say that I had a profound or intimate time of worship. But what I do know is that I left that place so happy and joyful, because of what Christ did on the cross. We focus on ourselves in the transaction that saved our soul. We concentrate on the fact that we will never be able to repay Christ. We center our attention on the fact that we cannot do anything to attain perfection. We lose sight of God in all this and the change that He made in our lives. His unconditional love. His persistent nudging. Because of God, I can rejoice in how He has changed me. For that, I will worship Him. For that, I will be glad. For that, I will be broken, so that He can continue to use me! Por eso te adoro, te adoro Cristo!

MTI

Tolerance

Good morning everyone!

I really shouldn’t be up so early this morning. I quite literally spent all of yesterday finishing a term paper and a take-home final exam (now all I have left is my research paper and then I am done, I was very productive!). But, our wonderful little “fur-ball ‘o’ fun,” or Brandi, as my Dad calls her, relentlessly bit away at my hands and feet and barked loudly in my ears. Oh the joys to having a dog!

Anyway, I have been thinking this week. You know what I have realized? … I realized that “shenanigan” is a rather funny word. Say it with me: [shuh-nan-i-guhn], Shenanigan! lol

Ok, in all seriousness, now. I have really been thinking this week about tolerance and its effect on our spiritual lives. This is going to be rather difficult for me to discuss with much authority, because tolerance is not a spiritual concept, but a political/social one. There aren’t many verses on tolerance in the Bible.

You see, I was walking down the halls at UM (it is great to be a Miami Hurricane!) and a sign caught my attention. It was advertising for a student tolerance group. Essentially, from what I gathered, the group was promoting the tolerance of all societal “sects” in UM. From the Christians, to the Rockers, to the Gays, to the Muslims, to the Atheists, to whomever you wish, this group said that in order to coexist peacefully, we must be willing and able to tolerate and respect each others beliefs. Now, on the outside, this seems like a glorious proposition. Almost utopian, even. Here is the problem:

If we set our minds onto tolerance, two things – in my opinion – will result…

1) The first is its effect on the entire culture. Tolerance will lead to cultural relativism. Of course, we are seeing this now. There is no absolute. If everyone is allowed to have their own beliefs, then there is no ultimate or supreme truth. Everyone believes that what they believe is truth to them. Your truth is your truth and their truth is their truth and they are equally true, even when they apparently negate one another. Oh how dangerous! Like I said, we are seeing this now in our culture. By tolerating each and everyone’s belief, we are subtly accepting this as truth. On a more personal level, I believe that this affect leads to a lack of assertiveness and an inability to properly defend your faith. If everyone is going to have their own beliefs, what is the point of speaking out for your own or knowing why you believe it?

2) The second is tolerance’s effect on the individual. Once we get into the habit of tolerating other people and their opinions, we begin to tolerate other things in our own lives. The most critical area is sin. When we get in the habit of tolerating things we know are wrong, or things we disagree with, we will begin to tolerate those same types of things in our own life (i.e. sin). You let one small, insignificant thing pass by without addressing, and before you know it you are on a slippery slope in rampant sin.

So what’s the solution? We stop tolerating? If only it were that easy. Satan has crafted society so that we seem bigoted and hateful if we cannot learn to tolerate and respect other people/beliefs.

Honestly, I do not know if I have a fail-proof solution to this conundrum. I think we need to learn how to separate the two aspects of toleration and not to allow that in your personal life. Accountability will help with this.

What do you think?

MTI

Passion

Hello everyone!

How are you all doing? I am writing this e-mail in place of doing actual HW. I am at Starbucks with Emme and I just found out that my 10 page research paper isn’t due until May 7 (rather than this Thursday, like I originally thought), so I figured I could spare the time and write this a day early. Hope this doesn’t throw off your perfectly fashioned routine. =D

My mind has been all over the place these short days following last Friday’s meeting. Thoughts of passion, of forgiveness, of unfaltering love, of diligence (… etc.) have bombarded my mind. Glimpses and instances of humble service, and considerate fellowship have rehearsed themselves in my head combining into a sort of Christian utopia. Then BAM… the supposed “reality” sinks in. The lewd and lascivious (public) billboard averts my attention. The “religion” class riddled with Godlessness and evolution permeates the constructs of my intellect. Confusion, apathy, helplessness, complacency… (yadda, yadda, yadda.) settle in. It’s a vicious cycle, I tell ya.

I can’t help but wonder how what we spoke about last Friday is related to all this. Can you imagine the impact that our church alone would make in this society if we were all gung-ho (i.e. passionate) towards our relationship with Christ? Do you understand the gravity and vastness of that question? Really, think about it. Think about what that entails. Passion is the manifestation of our acknowledgement and surrender to Christ’s actions on the cross. A passionate relationship with Christ is the constant realization that we need to imitate Christ, and that our best efforts fall drastically short. It is a joyous revelation coupled with an element of ineptness and unworthiness.

I kept thinking and thinking, though… (I have a long drive =P). Why? Why must we constantly have that aspect of unworthiness as an integral part of relationship with God? Why? … Epiphany!

We must always have that “woe to me” factor (as Isaiah 6 puts it) because it humbles us and forces to rely on God and His sovereignty. Notice how Isaiah reacts when he was faced with the apparent frailty and incompetence: “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’" (Isaiah 6:5) He immediately took notice of his frailty and his incompetence. But also, he was aware of the shortcomings of his culture – of the people around him.

An angel then approached him; the seraph removed his guilt and atoned for his sins by cleansing his lips with burning coal (foreshadowing Jesus). What did Isaiah then do?: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’" (Isaiah 6:8).

His realization led to action; an action that impacted both himself and the culture with which he resided.

So I ask again, can you imagine the impact that our church alone would make in this society if we were passionate towards our relationship with Christ? This impact rests on your shoulders. I cannot do anything to make you more passionate towards God. I can only live my life in accordance with how I know Christ wants me to. But I am sure of this: living passionately is a choice. It is a decision you must make NOW! Do not settle for a second-rate religion when you can have a genuine, no holds barred relationship. “Choose this day whom you will serve!”

Well, as for this Friday… Same Bat time, same Bat channel (You are awesome if you get that reference!). We are doing something rather special and unique. I do not want to spoil it via e-mail, though. But, as I say every week, please make it a priority to be there.

I am praying for you,

MTI

Two for the Price of One

Good morning!

Thankfully, I was able to sneak away some time now. I figured should take advantage of it and write the e-mail now, as opposed to waiting until around midnight to spam it out. I actually almost sent it out last night; that would have thrown everyone for a loop, so I decided against it... plus, I was tired =)

I have been wrestling over 2 things this week. The first one is simple: I/We need memorize more scripture. I wish it were as easy as Sunday school back in the day. You memorize one a week and get a candy if you recite it correctly. Sadly, those times are gone. There are multiple reasons and benefits to memorize verses, which I am sure you all know, but that just doesn't change the fact that we need more Scripture committed to memory. You with me? I am doing 1 Corinthians 15:57 and Psalms 84:11.

The second thing I have been pondering is God's qualities as a leader. Time and again, God's role as a leader has been standing out to me and how I need to mimic those qualities above all else. The trait that remains at the forefront of my mind is God's role as an initiator. 1 John 4:19 says that "we love because He first loved us." Our knowledge of love is a direct result of what Christ did on the cross. That holds true even when you compare it to the "love" of this world. The biased, conditional, lustful "love" is nothing more than an attempt for man to experience heavenly love without the Heavenly Father. It is a perversion of the truth. How many times do we fall for the counterfeit? In what areas of our life are we refusing to accept God's leadership in our life and settling for a perversion of this world? God initiated a relationship with us so that we wouldn't have to settle for second-rate, yet we still do. Think about it...

MTI

Update

Good morning!

Are you sitting down? You should be; what I have to say now is momentous! Yesterday morning, I actually listened to Chris Tomlin on my trek down to Miami... not Casting Crowns. lol

All kidding aside, how are you all doing? So often I feel that this e-mail has become a one-way street. You know, part of the purpose of this e-mail is to encourage you (Heb 10:25), but also so that you can reciprocate and encourage us by what the Lord has been teaching you and what you have been going through. We would love to read it!

Personally, I have been making it an effort to enjoy my relationship with Christ. I don't want to take it for granted. Think about it, we have the ability to be intimate with the most transcendent and powerful being; wouldn't you want to take advantage of it?! Honestly, people who see me driving on the highway must think I am some sort of psycho. My commute has consisted, lately, of me riding with music blasting and my singing quite emphatically. However, I am making it a point to have those songs lead me into worship and prayer. I don't know, I guess I am just spending time with God, and it's nice. He knows my wants, desires, aches, hurts, yadda yadda yadda... and I trust that He is going to take of it, because He promises to.

MTI

Awesome!

Ok, now this is totally wicked (as the boy from The Incredibles so eloquently puts it)!

I read chapter 1 of I Corinthians during my QT not too long ago. These verses were screaming at me: "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men...but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God." (I Corinthians 1:25, 27-29, NASB)

How awesome is that?!

MTI

Put in Place

So what I have been learning? My word, this question has been plaguing me all week! I've had no idea what I would I share here. I can't say that I've learned some vast, profound truth straight from the mouth of God Himself. I feel as if the Lord is merely putting me in my place and showing me where I stand - but not necessarily in the tear jerking manner that I normally associate with being humbled. It seems to be more of an understanding: a realization, or sorts. Several thoughts have been bouncing around my mind:

1) This morning I listened to 2 sermons by James MacDonald about the "Awesomeness of God." He is only point in the entire broadcast was that God is awesome. So often we overuse words (i.e. love); which in turn, dilutes the meaning of the word... really think about this: God is awesome! We tend to focus on God's intimacy and proximity that we completely forget about His transcendence and sovereignty. We forget how truly awesome He is! Read Psalms 8:4, Isaiah 40:10-31 and 55:9

2) I have not been able to get this song out of my head... for good reason, too.

Tal Como Soy
by Jesus Adrian Romero

Tal como soy Señor,

sin nada que ofrecer
mas que mi canción.
No tengo mas que darte
pues todo es tuyo Señor.

Tal como soy Señor,
sin nada que entregar
mas que el corazón.
Me rindo todo a ti;
tómame Señor, tal como soy.

Aceptame
como ofrenda de amor;
como un sacrificio
agradable en tu honor;
grato perfume
yo quiero ser Señor.

The song talks about how we can just come to God as we are. Forget the pretenses. Forget the façades. Forget it all. We have nothing to legitimately offer God that will surprise Him. Think about it, what can we give Him that he doesn't already have? The only reason He loves us and initiated a relationship with us is because He chooses too! (Now doesn't that make you feel special?! =D ). That's the beauty of Christianity; it's not a religion, it's a relationship. We can only give Him our hearts; our lives. In the grand scheme of things, nothing else really matters.

I suppose this is just another one of those dichotomy's in the Christian faith. God is so big and so powerful and so awesome. We are so small and so insignificant and so petty. But God loves us; He loves us enough to not leave us alone, but also be involved in our growth. I hope this puts you in your place, as it did me =)

MTI

Funk

Happy Wednesday to you all!

So let’s cut to the chase….

Lately, I have really been in a funk. (Seriously, I’ve been searching all week for the best word to describe it, and I feel that “funk” expresses how I feel quite nicely, lol.) A spiritual funk.

When about I think about it though, is God fundamentally different in His relationship with me now than with how He related to me when I was on a spiritual high? No. So the blame falls squarely on my shoulder. This “funk” is my fault; there is something that I need to learn, change, correct, or whatever. (Hebrews 13:8) Now I need to find out what it is and heed to whatever it is God has in store for me.

One thing that I have been learning is that I think too much. Is this a bad thing? Alas, I do not know. However, at times, it can cloud certain situations. Brother Andrew says that “it is through the paralysis of analysis that we fail to act.” You see, when we spend time thinking over ever possible scenario and searching for every intricacy, we tend to lose sight of what we already know.

You know what I am talking about… When you think and rethink and over-think a question on an exam, what happens? You rarely get it right; you either get it wrong or run out of time to answer it altogether. Well, I think this can transfer over to our spiritual life as well (Big surprise, huh?!).

We try so hard to discern God’s will. We wonder what He has in store for us. We attempt to discover where He wants to take us. But we try so hard; we search relentlessly. And all the while, His answer is right in front of our nose. In a manner of speaking, we need to forget about what Jesus would do and begin focusing on what Jesus already did! We already know the basics of the faith: we know God wants all to come to the knowledge of Him; we know God is going to continue working in our life; we know God will never leave us nor forsake us; we know; we know; we know… We know all these magnificent promises, yet we still don’t act! We hypothesize and theorize, and ultimately go nowhere.

We must act. Go! We already know what God wants. So what’s holding us back? I think that is a question only you can answer. Don’t worry about what could/would/should happen. Realize what God has already done for you and use that to fuel you now!

MTI

Wait - II

Ok, so, good morning? I am burning the midnight oil, but still want to spam out this e-mail so that you all can wake up and have it in your inbox.

For me, staying up late isn't too bad - I get a lot of my hilarious jokes and quirky statements at this hour (you can tell, huh? =P)

Allow me to take you on a journey into my mind:

I was attempting to fall asleep one evening up in Georgia, and a rather strange image bombarded my mind. It was of a infant. This child was laboriously jamming a square peg into a slot intended for a circular disk. I am sure you are familiar with those puzzle-type games. Now, as you know, the Lord has been showing and teaching me about waiting on Him; naturally, I drew a connection between this infant and my own life. Allow me to explain.

You see, a lot of times, we are that child. We get impatient with God. We know that God has a plan for us, there are countless verse that attest to this truth. However, we get antsy. We fail to wait on Him, and begin to take matters into our own hands. We take that square peg and jam it into the round hole. If we try hard enough, the jagged edges of the peg will soon dull, and I am sure that it could fit into the round slot. Two things happen at this point: (1) The square peg is out of place; it doesn't quite fit. (2) It blocks the originally intended piece from finding its niche.

I hope I am making sense... let me now relate this to our spiritual lives. When we fail to wait on God and take things in our own hand, we are missing out on the blessing! Recall that "waiting on Him" is the constant recognition of God's commitment to fulfill His promises and our active preparations to both invite and welcome His blessing. By waiting on Him, we are conceded control and letting Him call the shots. We no longer recognize His potency and distrust Him to keep His promise. You may be serving in the church, and you may be doing things to keep us occupied - but it is not what God has intended for you. You are merely filling a position; You are doing a job, a task. It will not be as fulfilling as what God has intended for you, based on the unique intricacies with which He crafted you. What's more, you will be stopping someone else for serving in the position that was intended for them!

My, oh my, I hope this is as clear to you as it is to me! Please, do not hesitate to contact me if you would like me to elaborate on an individual basis. Right now, I am the point where God cannot not teach me (knowledge) on waiting. I need to take the next-step and begin applying it: which is what I am trying. I'll tell you, it is difficult, especially with my nature. I want to control everything. But by waiting on God, and allowing Him to work, I am given Him authority over my life, and showing Him that His will is more important than my own (Read Proverbs 3:5,6)

Good night

MTI

Wait

The Lord has been showing this week about waiting on Him. One question that constantly permeates throughout my mind is this: If we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, like it mentions in Ephesians, why don't we have all of them now? (I don't know if this is the right answer, but it is probably an interesting way of looking at it...) I think it is because God withholds some of them from us in order to teach us invaluable lessons. He mainly does this through having us wait. Waiting is perhaps the method most used by God to chisel away at and refine our character. Unfortunately, we are terrible at waiting.

Haven't you notice that our lives run much smoother when we go through green lights, rather than sitting at the red ones? We live in a "Microwave Generation." We want everything now. Think of the difference between a TV Dinner and a real home-cooked meal. You must sacrifice quality in order to get it quicker. Doesn't that summarize things of this world all too well? Those "technological advances" intended to expedite our lives have caused us to compromise and lower our standards of quality. This is applicable to our spiritual lives, also. We wake up and look for our "quick-fix" of Scripture and claim that we spent time with the Lord. As corny as this metaphor may sound about our spiritual life - God is calling us to a Thanksgiving day feast that takes the entire day to prepare, yet we are settling for the frozen TV dinner that is still a little cold in the center. It is all summed up in the fact that we are not willing to wait on God.

Normally, when I think of waiting, I think of people mindlessly sitting in dull room, like a doctors office, awaiting to be called. I used to think that "being still before God" was equivalent to "waiting on Him." Nope. "Being still" is more of a reflective admiration of God's sovereignty over our individual lives and desires, whereas "waiting on Him" is the constant recognition of God's commitment to fulfill His promises and our active preparations to both invite and welcome His blessing. Waiting is not passive; it is proactive! If we are not constantly learning and allowing to mold our character, we are not truly waiting.

We must wait more, because we are lousy at waiting. I am praying for you all. See you soon

MTI

Faith

... and just like that we are in March. I cannot believe that this year is going by so quickly. But then I stopped and think, "Don't I say this every year?" lol. That's not all, though.The worst part is that I devised a theory justifying why this happens; don't worry, that explanation is for another day (or not =P).

Anyway, on to something a bit more serious. God really convicted me, through another person, about how I spend my time in the car. It's not that I spend my time driving idly, however, I could spend it a more wisely. Normally, I would either be on the phone or listening to Casting Crowns, which, again, is not bad. Nevertheless, I realized that I need to spend that time feed myself a little bit more, so I downloaded some free sermons by James MacDonald (oneplace.com) and am now beginning to listen to those. The messages I downloaded were about Faith, so that is what I have been learning about recently.

What I gathered from his preaching was phenomenal. We must remember that God is not here for us, but rather, we are here for Him! That is where faith comes in: since we are here for Him, we must understand that He calls the shots, that He will lead us according to His will, and He will provide for our needs, as well as fulfill all the promises He set forth in Scripture. Ultimately, though, God does not merely reward our faith. He rewards the manifestation of our faith in drawing us closer to Him (Heb 11:6, Jas 4:8). I could have all the faith in the world, but if that is not drawing me nearer to God, then it means nothing!

This is a good test for faith: Does your belief of God outweigh your belief in God?* Namely, are your directing your life according to God's precepts? (*Wrap your mind around that one for a while)

Faith is the funnel through which all grace flows (Eph 2:8, 9). By it, we worship according to His Word, walk according to His way and work according to His will.

Ok, I may have jammed to much information into those paragraphs, sorry. But I've been learning so much, and I wanted to share in this area. Give me a call if you want to discuss it further! Maybe we can make some more sense of it that way

MTI

Mature vs. Maturing (an Update)

My, oh my...

This week has been one of the worst, for me, in recent memory. I feel like it should be nearing the beginning of next week; but no, it is merely Wednesday. As I write this, I am in the UM library (I will have been here for over 12 hours) exhausted from a huge Physics exam that I barely studied for. Mind you, I didn't study for it because of the myriad events that required and reverted my attention elsewhere, not because I felt prepared in any way. Nonetheless, that is over with. Now I can focus my efforts to finishing a project (haven't started - due tomorrow), completing an HW assignment, and studying for another exam Friday.

Now, this week hasn't been miserable because of all the school work (it's probably the opposite actually, school would barely scratch the surface), but because of multiple trials flung my way. I wish I could go into detail about these issues, but I believe God values men who wrestle with their struggles independently, without having to involve a ton of people. Rest assured, though, I am not keeping everything to myself; as a matter of fact, I have already spoken to various people about what is going on in my life and the things I've endured (I am probably over-dramatizing it, but it's still rather tough for me). Just watch, this is going to through you for a loop: The purpose of this e-mail is to encourage you! lol

Think back to last week. Do you remember what the e-mail was about? No? Ok, well I do -- and it was about being mature in Christ and exactly what that entails. I wrote this last week:

"If anything, true Christian maturity is being able to say 'Blessed be the name of the Lord' when your flesh desires to throw in the towel. It is understanding that becoming a man or woman of God is incredibly difficult, yet surprisingly refreshing when God graciously offers us His strength to make it through the day."

Isn't it amazing how God answers our prayers before we pray them?! You see, I never specifically prayed to be more mature -- but after learning what I did last week, and after what Freddy spoke about on Sunday, the topic of maturity was on my mind and heart. To make a long story short (too late, huh?), I think the Lord has been using these events in my life to develop me into a more mature Christian. You see, our concept of "mature Christianity" is skewed. Being "mature" implies a level of completion, almost as if there is no more growth to accrue. However, we, as Christians, understand that "mature Christians" do not settle for where they are at in their spiritual walk. They know that their lives are the result of constant self-denial. Instead, these "mature Christians" are, in actuality, better labeled as "maturing Christians," in order to reflect that ongoing process.

I am in the middle of this process -- this struggle, no less. And yes, it is very tough. But I know, when all is said and done, it will be more rewarding than it was tough. Materialistically, I may come out on bottom, but I will be closer in my relationship with Christ and I have faith that it will be more satisfying than anything of this world.

Ok, that's what I am going through. How are you all doing? I wish you guys would take some time to update us on your life and on how God is working in it. I would love to read it... really, I would!

MTI

PS - Throw up a prayer for me every now and then, why don't ya? lol
PPS- I guess I should throw this out there, why not? ... Happy Valentines Day!

Sober

It was so hard getting out of bed and making it to CCA this week, and I realize now why that was the case. My goodness, I left that little get-together so encouraged by what we discussed! I feel like I have a better understanding of 1 Peter and its contents, themes, etc.

Strangely enough, I am eagerly anticipating this upcoming semester, and year, in general. God is really stressing action! A "get on the ball" type mentality. We need to bridge the gap between what we want to do and what we are actually doing! This verse really struck me (and it summarized the purpose of CCA quite nicely): "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (I Peter 1:13, NASB)

We need to get ready to work (prepare for action), to be clear-minded and level-headed (sober) and put our faith and trust in the promises of God (fix your hope).

I look forward to remaining connected to CCA through this website blog and perhaps even starting a similar branch down in Miami!

MTI