From now on my thoughts will no longer be available at this site. You can find them at the URL provided below.
http://mercenarysupport.wordpress.com
The following article is not my own but of one Kenneth Lowe originally posted
here.
I'm giving the apology for peace a rest this week, since researching it takes time and there would be no point in spouting obvious generalities -- a practice I call "Ann Coulter-ing." I've had occasion to think about another subject I think is pertinent to people our age. Those of us on our way out of Northern Illinois University are getting to the point in our lives when we start looking for spouses and thinking about kids. My advice today is not to have them. At least, not yet. If there's one thing I need no citation or research to prove, it's that our parents have done a pretty horrendous job bringing us up. I mean this as a whole, and not necessarily every single parent individually. And though I need no citation, I'll do it anyway, just to rub it in to those readers who disagree. According to a Jan. 16 New York Times article, 51 percent of U.S. women now live without a spouse. The Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey also found that married couples have become the minority in our country. Since the Baby Boomer generation has gotten so much fun out of naming us hurtful and insensitive things like "Generation Me," "Generation Why," "Generation A.D.D." or the "Entitlement Generation," we should perhaps return the favor and start calling them "Generation Divorce." What does this mean for the children we're going to have -- and that we're going to subject to our messy divorces? I have experienced divorce myself from the child's point of view, and it isn't anything I'd care to inflict on anybody else. My prediction of the outcome for our age group and our children is not a happy one, if we repeat the misbehavior of our parents. I foresee a lot of broken, unhappy households that ultimately end in separation, with another generation of kids that are going to look at us spitefully for being dysfunctional and petty people who refuse to work things out because we can just call up a lawyer and have divorce papers served. Our parents were so repulsed by the idea of the scrubbed-clean "Pleasantville" 1950s nuclear family that they have divorced in record numbers, and the lesson I see they've taught us is that compromise and fidelity are no longer in vogue. We're seeing it with more women marrying older, couples staying in long-term relationships without committing to marriage, crippling divorce rates and the ideal family now becoming a minority in our country. I realize I paint a bleak picture, but I'm only doing it with statistics, which don't always tell the whole story. I earlier said not to have kids -- not yet at least. That's because I believe that while we can't fix what's wrong with marriage -- an institution historically based on financial gain for the families and surefire misery for the betrothed -- we can change how we view the definition of family. Politicians are foaming at the mouth with rage over gay people asking for marriage rights. Let them foam. They're all past childbearing age and you and I and our whole age bracket can fix this by ourselves while they're still talking nonsense at each other. Marry late, and marry once, and don't have kids until you can love them, nurture them, pay for them and teach them there is such a thing in life as two people who cannot be severed. Don't feel pressure from your friends or your parents, and try to ignore it from yourself. We're young and strong and college-educated -- we can all wait for the right person, and I think we might even have the good sense once we find them to make sure we don't have a reason to put an end to a good thing and leave our kids listening to us shouting in the other room.
Sobering isn't it? This is someone who understands the pain of divorce from a child's perspective.
Biology or choice- Does it even matter?
I am now about to jump into a muddy pool of philosophy and thus throw myself into the bizarre mayhem that politicians, clergy, and philosophers alike are incapable of coming to a proper conclusion about. For those of you who simply cannot stand arguments over what should be trivial details in scripture, you might be wise to spare yourself the frustration of me extrapolating my personal views on the issue of whether or not homosexuality is a result of biology or of choice.
In one of his recent articles on his blog, Dr. Al Mohler posted an article which acknowledged biological evidence for homosexuality.
Research into the sexual orientation of sheep and other animals, as well as human studies, points to some level of biological causation for sexual orientation in at least some individuals.
Many conservative Christians have assailed this acknowledgement of this possibility largely out of the fear that if this is in fact a biologically provoked sin that it has found ground for justification and that it would no longer be a sin which the bible clearly says that it is. They’ve claimed that the only possible way for them to protect the credibility and justice of the bible would be to place the blame and thought of the action squarely on the so-inclined subject.
But the more research that is done it seems that the more evidence turns up in support of the side that claims that homosexuality is rooted in one’s genetic structure.
So how do we reconcile this? On the one hand we have the credibility of scripture to adhere to. On the other hand we cannot simply ignore the discoveries made daily about the genetic structures of sexual orientation. How can the scriptures justly condemn homosexuality if it is in the very fabric of how individuals are made?
So is it choice or biology?
That is the question that most critics, evangelical and secular alike, have been trying to answer. However, I believe that the question is avoiding a more obvious answer. So I must defer away from answering this question in favor of giving an answer which does not rest on the answering of this question.
The fact is that each of us is biologically oriented in such a way that God has predetermined for us. And each of us is biologically oriented to sin. Just because we are all made in God’s image does not mean we are made perfect. Remember, we are living after the fall.
But just because an action or behavior can be biologically motivated, does that then ethically justify it? Is everything that we do that is motivated or provoked by a natural biological function automatically good and right to do? Certainly not. If actions were justified on the basis of whether or not it was oriented in genetic traits then sins such as fornication would be completely justified which is not the case.
One may be biologically oriented towards homosexuality. But I personally don’t believe that it is a sin any more than it is to be sexually oriented at all. I certainly believe that the condition is a result of the fall and is the effect of sin. It is a temptation just as any orientation is. But by the grace of God human beings are able to overcome temptation.
Biological orientation of any kind, whether it be sexual orientation or orientation which dictates what you like to eat most, is nothing more than a temptation. We do not sin simply by having it. But we sin by lacking self-control and succumbing to the temptation.
Homosexuality will not cease to be a sin if incontravertible evidence of its genetic causes were brought up. It is not a sin because it is something that is predominately chosen. It is a sin because God declared it to be a sin in the bible.
It would not surprise me if rock-solid evidence stating that homosexuality is a result of genetic traits was brought up. The doctrine of absolute depravity states that all things in this world are tainted by sin including genetic structure.
I leave you with a few closing thoughts.
I believe that claiming that homosexuality is a predominately chosen trait is a dangerous position to take on this issue. We put the credibility of the church at stake when we make scientific claims that are unproven as of yet. (A similar mistake was made in the Middle-ages when the church insisted that the earth was the center of the universe and it cost them dearly.)
We must not place our credibility in the world on the line to defend a moot point. Homosexual behavior is a sin. We need no long discourse to discern that God clearly views it as such regardless of whether or not it is biologically oriented.
We must also not sin against homosexuals by refusing to understand that their temptation could very well be a result of their biological structure. We pass judgment on them by saying that their sinful behavior and desires are freely chosen. We must be gracious and grant the benefit of the doubt to their arguments. Our refusal to give ear to their arguments can severely detract from our ability to help them through their temptation.
In closing, I leave you with some of Al Mohler's words.
Christians must be very careful not to claim that science can never prove a biological basis for sexual orientation. We can and must insist that no scientific finding can change the basic sinfulness of all homosexual behavior. The general trend of the research points to at least some biological factors behind sexual attraction, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This does not alter God's moral verdict on homosexual sin (or heterosexual sin, for that matter), but it does hold some promise that a deeper knowledge of homosexuality and its cause will allow for more effective ministries to those who struggle with this particular pattern of temptation. If such knowledge should ever be discovered, we should embrace it and use it for the greater good of humanity and for the greater glory of God.
All quotes taken from the aforementioned article by Al Mohler available
here.
What about the parents?
I’ve had the blessing of growing up in a context in which parents were an integral part of the raising of youth as God designed that it should be. As I grow older, I begin to see how lucky I was to be raised apart from our culture’s ideal model of child raising.
I have gotten to experience the blessing of being raised my whole life by Mom and Dad both of whom have cared for me beyond my imagination. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to discipline or withhold a blessing from a child whom you love, yet my parents have both loved me this way on repeated occasions.
But while I am reaping the eternal rewards of having godly parents, I see that many of the post-modern youth culture have built themselves a society of deliberate orphans*.
I have recently looked at the various titles of media that is uniquely focused to the youth culture and I have found a common trait. So many of them (and I mean a lot) portray young adults or young teens as protagonists who have some way or another been separated from their parents and must now endeavor to fulfill their destiny whatever it may be. Parents are no longer part of a youth’s plan to succeed. Now it seems that parents are obstacles to fulfilling the youth’s dreams (I am speaking from experience).
Indeed, it is sad that we live in a culture that not only accepts adolescent rebellion; it seems that our culture has grown to expect rebellion. Disrespectful children do not seem to be the exceptions any more.
It is a sad reality that the sinful attitude that leads to this rebellion is not unfamiliar even to us as Christians and causes us to distort God's image in us.
* * *
Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
When I was younger, I might have heard this verse and thought “This verse means that I need to obey Mom and Dad ‘happy way, right away, and all the way.’” I’m not sure I gave this gut interpretation of the verse a second thought until somewhat recently.
This is not to say that this was an incorrect interpretation of the scripture. The problem with that interpretation is that is an incomplete interpretation of that scripture. The command does not say you shall not disobey Mom and Dad nor does it say you shall not dishonor Mom and Dad. The command is not instructing the God’s people to abstain from a certain behavior but it instructs them to pursue a certain behavior (it is one of only two out of the Ten Commandments that does so). It clearly says that you are to “honor your father and your mother.”
Why is this so important to God? God instituted the family to show us something about Himself. God calls Himself our Father and whether we like it or not our perception and reverence of our parents is a good indication of, if not directly related to, our reverence of God as our Heavenly Father.
God takes on a similar role as our parents do. Or is it better said our parents take on a similar as God does in shaping their children. They love them and love to bless them. They teach them in the way of wisdom. And, when need arises, they discipline their children. Our response to this authority that our parents exercise over us will affect our response to God’s authority over us.
Granted, our parents are sinners, are imperfect, and will make mistakes. But though they are imperfect human beings , we, as children, still have our fifth commandment to obey. This is a non-conditional commandment. This is not a commandment that is ever to be broken. No matter how my parents act and treat me, God has charged me to honor them. (I thank God that my parents are not hard at all for me to honor and characteristically show God’s grace to me)
We (assuming a Christian audience raised by Christian parents) are especially responsible to obey this commandment. Because our parents are uniquely equipped to take on their God-given role, we are uniquely responsible not to abuse this blessing and in addition I believe, uniquely guilty when we do abuse it.
Finally, I do not think this would be complete if I did not seek to explicitly obey this commandment and honor my mom and my dad.
Mom and Dad, you are simply and sincerely the best parents. Your faithfulness to love me when I even hated your authority, your teaching when I was stupid and foolish, your blessing me when I was undeserving, and your patience with me when I was rebellious are things that I am truly grateful for. You have taken up the daunting task of emulating God’s character in my life very nobly. I can honestly say that it is not at all hard for me to think of God’s love for His children and relate it to your love for me. Because you have emulated God in your training of me, I am truly grateful to you. I love you.
*Phrase coined by Dr. Albert Mohler in his message on the 5th Commandment available for download here. It's a great message and is worth a listening.
Faith in God
Joshua 23:14 "...and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed."
I recall one history class in my first year one. Mrs. Somerville was covering the basics of every human religion and asked the question, "How can we have faith in something?" We were all perplexed by this question and our poor answers called for clarification. “How can we have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow morning? We don’t know the future so how do we know that the sun will rise tomorrow?”
One of the students in a moment of simple-minded brilliance answered, “Because it usually does.” *bingo*
Mrs. Somerville followed up with the question, “So then how do we know that God will be faithful to his promises to us?” Because he always has been faithful to them.
This discussion worked to secure what my idea of faith was. Faith in God was not an irrational trust in him. I had always thought that I was really putting myself on the line to have faith in God (a faith I now doubt that I had at the time).
So often when I look at one of the great martyrs or apologetics of our age, I am tempted to think “I can never have faith like that.” As if the essence of faith depended on the volume I’ve attained. The truth is, the amount I have is completely unimportant. The important thing in faith is not its volume. The important thing is its object.
When we focus on our own faith, it always seems we are lacking in it. When we focus on our God, we will never be better off.
So who is this God that we have faith in?
Jeremiah 32:27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Exodus 6:6-8 Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'"
Exodus 20:2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Isaiah 43:11 I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,
Psalms 81:10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
This is the God we have faith in. It’s some wonder that we take any credit at all for the faith that we have. Our faith and trust in God is not in the least bit about us. Our trust in God is an impulse we have when God in his mercy reveals himself to us. We have faith because we have seen what God has done and have seen who God is.
So since we have seen God’s faithfulness on display time and time again and most clearly on display at the cross, how can we not trust Him completely? If only our remembrance of God’s faithfulness would be a permanent state of ours would it be so hard to trust Him?
One of my favorite verses
Jeremiah 31:35-37Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD of hosts is his name: "If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever."
Thus says the LORD: "If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD."
Wow! God is faithful.
These verses don't set limits on God's faithfulness. They give us vivid illustrations of just how great God's faithfulness is. It's not like these verses are saying "when you finally figure out all these things then I'll forget about you all and my promises." Rather, it is saying, "My faithfulness is so great that you cannot understand its full extent. Observe how the sun and the stars move faithfully in a preordained pattern and know that I am more faithful. Look at the stars above and the earth below to see how great they are and know that I am even greater."
Are these not beautiful illustrations? Understanding that we cannot know His faithfulness as it really is, God blessed us by giving us this wonderful imagery of it.
"If the heavens above can be measured..."
What can I say? God is
very faithful.
Prayer
A while back, my brother invited me to attend a private prayer group that he had attended which was mostly made up of older men from out church at the time. Something I came away with, other than inspired confidence in the prayers and the faith of the older men, was a desire to understand to a greater extent the importance and power of prayer.
A little later, I picked up a small book called A Call to Prayer (available in full here) written by JC Ryle. This urgent call to every Christian to come regularly to God in prayer inspired me further to explore this gift to men.
So, this past summer, I decided to make a point of learning more about prayer and training myself to pray more often.
Here's the highlights of my learning. Many of these may not seem like things that are new things but to me they have been gold.
The very act of prayer and not merely God's answer to it is a precious act.
After this summer, I am so aware the there is so much value in the attitude that prayer indicates. I’ve found, through experience, and through certain books that the very act of coming to God and submitting your desires to him builds trust in God to do as He pleases with the issues surrounding those desires. This trust in God yields a contentment from God to be satisfied with God’s plan no matter what his answer is.
“Apart from the answer, prayer is itself a benediction. To pray is to cast off your burdens, it is to tear away your rags, it is to shake off your diseases, it is to be filled with spiritual vigour, it is to reach the highest point of Christian health. God give us to be in the holy art of arguing with God in prayer.”
~CH Spurgeon
God answers prayer
You guys don’t need a paragraph to know that God answers prayer. Just remember those times that He has answered prayer and you’ll know that He does do it. But I am reminded again every time He answers a prayer as He has done often this past year.
"Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear us."
~CH Spurgeon
Praying for the desires of your heart keeps your desires in check.
I’ve found so much blessing in this fact. As the year has progressed, I’ve found myself praying more and more (all credit to God) and now I see that it is a thin line to be crossed for me to desire something and then to pray for it. It is good for me to ask God for the desires of my heart. But I’ve also found this is good because in the act of asking for my desires, I am submitting my desires to the scrutiny of God’s standards and I can more easily detect those desires of mine that are not in line with God’s word.
The power of prayer to fight temptation
This quote pretty much says it all for me.
“If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: "God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled." When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage.”
~John Owen
So all this leaves me with one baffling question. Given the innumerable benefits of eternal value and the ease which God makes prayer available, why don’t I pray more than I do?
