Good works have gotten a bad name among many Christians, it's been said, stemming from the Protestant focus on salvation by grace, (what God has done) as opposed to works (what we have done).
Let me be clear here, there is nothing more beautiful then the idea that the God of the universe loves and finds pleasure in me, and that there is nothing I can do to make Him love me more or less. I'm totally intoxicated with this, not just as an abstract idea but as a life experience that allows me to reconnect with God on a regular basis. The book, What's So Amazing about Grace, blew me away and reduced me to tears off an on for days at a time. This experience of Grace is the dividing line in humanity, between those who are haunted by their wrongdoing and those who have been released from the condmnation that hangs over us all.
That being said, I think we've often over stated our case against good works and marginalized their vital role in the life of a Christian. It's my assertion that if you are not excited by good works your view needs reconstructing.We were re-created by God so that we could help re-create and renovate the fallen people (I'm including believers in that) and creation around us and its a beautiful and satisfying thing to be a part of.Working towards the resoration of something or someone is an adventure and a taste of the new order of things to come, and if that weren't enough, we will be generously rewarded for doing good things, both now and in the new renewed world that is coming. The Bible is absolutely clear that we will drink more deeply of his river of pleasures if we are working with Him to restore things now.
There is no need for the timidity of saying, I'm just happy to be going to heaven. Yes, we should be happy to be going, but let's boldly go after enjoying all the the new earth, with it's new city and above all it's new King have to offer. Let's go for broke in pleasing our King with a sacrifice of service. Let's proactivily look for good things to do. Let's start conversations and see where they lead, throwing out parables and dropping tantalizing hints as we speak. Let's be stupidly generous with people who don't deserve it. Let's love one another to a shocking degree hoping that we shock someone awake. Most of all let's worship with abandon, falling in love with the King of Glory again and again.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Oh Snap I'm ADD
No, really, I just figured out that I have adult ADD type 2, which is the innattentive version, not the hyperactive one, which is why it probably went un-noticed. My wife's mom, Denise had told me I had it a few years ago, but I brushed it off because I don't have problems focusing on one thing at a time, if its something that interests me. When I was a missionary I didn't have a problem sitting for an entire day, up to even like 12-14 hours at times to write a sermon or study russian. Now I understand, that that kind of hyper focus to the exclusion of all else is actually another confirmation.
This last week or so I,
-Left an expensive digital camera somewhere that I can't remember and now it's gone.
-Got on the turnpike going the wrong way at an entrance I'm familiar with (13 miles to the next exit! Thankfully I don't let myself get beat down by "the man", and I found my own exit which involved some serious offroading in a mini-van and tresspassing on state property.)
-Left the 2 different garage doors completely open overnight.
-Tuned out at a small group to the point where I was the only person out of 7 guys that didn't hear that we had decided on a book for our meeting together, kind of the main point of the meeting.
This might sound like minor stuff or like I have a lot on my mind, but I don't and this kind of crap has been happening my entire life and I'm very tired of it.
Basically it's an issue of mental clarity, my nourotransmitter is not pumping it's chemicals out quickly enough, almost all the time unless I'm hepped up on caffiene or something, (I'll leave it to your imagination what else I'd be hepped up on, JK, I just say no) which leaves my brain in a haze when it comes to the mundane, or often on another subject entirely, usually something pretty abstract that has no bearing on whatever I'm doing. That leaves me with the option of battling against daydreaming (I revert to thoughts that interest me, theology, econ. RVs etc.) or my preferred method of reality, sensory shock. Now I understand why I'm on top of my game when it comes to new experiences, new knowledge, strong flavorful foods and high risk situations. I think it's that hyper focus on what's interesting to me and high threshold for risk that has helped me in business.
2 funny sidenotes to end this on. I've been doing a lot of research on this, and whenever you read a post by an ADHD person (I don't have the H), you know it immediately. Short choppy sentences, and thought patterns that are hard to follow. The other thing is that in the middle of posting this I changed the baby, then not less then 10 minutes later, I couldn't for the life of me remember if I had done that or not and so I picked her up and took her over to get changed again, when I remembered that I had indeed changed her. I'm going to get more coffee so that I can semi function for the rest of my day.
This last week or so I,
-Left an expensive digital camera somewhere that I can't remember and now it's gone.
-Got on the turnpike going the wrong way at an entrance I'm familiar with (13 miles to the next exit! Thankfully I don't let myself get beat down by "the man", and I found my own exit which involved some serious offroading in a mini-van and tresspassing on state property.)
-Left the 2 different garage doors completely open overnight.
-Tuned out at a small group to the point where I was the only person out of 7 guys that didn't hear that we had decided on a book for our meeting together, kind of the main point of the meeting.
This might sound like minor stuff or like I have a lot on my mind, but I don't and this kind of crap has been happening my entire life and I'm very tired of it.
Basically it's an issue of mental clarity, my nourotransmitter is not pumping it's chemicals out quickly enough, almost all the time unless I'm hepped up on caffiene or something, (I'll leave it to your imagination what else I'd be hepped up on, JK, I just say no) which leaves my brain in a haze when it comes to the mundane, or often on another subject entirely, usually something pretty abstract that has no bearing on whatever I'm doing. That leaves me with the option of battling against daydreaming (I revert to thoughts that interest me, theology, econ. RVs etc.) or my preferred method of reality, sensory shock. Now I understand why I'm on top of my game when it comes to new experiences, new knowledge, strong flavorful foods and high risk situations. I think it's that hyper focus on what's interesting to me and high threshold for risk that has helped me in business.
2 funny sidenotes to end this on. I've been doing a lot of research on this, and whenever you read a post by an ADHD person (I don't have the H), you know it immediately. Short choppy sentences, and thought patterns that are hard to follow. The other thing is that in the middle of posting this I changed the baby, then not less then 10 minutes later, I couldn't for the life of me remember if I had done that or not and so I picked her up and took her over to get changed again, when I remembered that I had indeed changed her. I'm going to get more coffee so that I can semi function for the rest of my day.
It's the end of the world as we know it...
I'm not into trying to dogmatically nail down the details of how this old world ends, I think how the new one begins is more interesting. However there are definately some broad themes in the Bible for how it's all going to go down and the world as we see it today lookes very similar to that collective picture.
That collective picture involves unprecedented natural disasters, mass destruction, travel and knowledge that is increased exponintially and of course global unity, economy and governance.
Here are some indicators I've noticed in the news, feel free to disagree with your comments weather you think I'm a crazy Christian, or not crazy enough.
-In the last decade we have seen the world shrink at warp speed. Economist Friedman (The World is Flat) says something to the effect that we are in the 3d and final stage of globalization. Stage one being when interchange between nations began as the Europeans started kicking butt and taking names on a global scale. Stage two was when organizations and companies moving within the different nations started to have global reach, with largescale missionary activity in the 19th century and multinational companies. In the 3d stage we have moved to individuals, as people can connect with others accross the world at the speed of thought, online.
-In many ways we already have a global economy where anyone can play, and while there are large swaths of the world population that are still stuck in the crumbling infrastructure of yesterday, it's all undeniably moving that way at a lightening pace.
-The book, The Wealth and Poverty of the Nations, ends with a haunting paragraph that it is for the first time possible that one man or one group could actually achieve what Hittler failed at, world domination, or at the least world controll. And as the world shrinks more and more, and the clash of civilisations intensifies, it becomes logical to have a central world governing body, most likely with the main tenant being tolerance. Maybe something along the lines of the UN with some gohonas and some badass firepower?
-A poll of security experts recently put the chances of a nuclear detonation in a major city in America or Europe in the next 10 years at 29%. Ezekial paints a picture of skin being melted away where people stand.
-Isreal is a nation again after 19 centuries, when no other nation has ever re-formed after being destroyed after a few generations. This is thouroughly fortold of, including talking about how the Jews would be hated more then anyone, becoming a byword (ever heard someone insulted by being called "Jewish" for being cheap?) and being chased with the sword and famine as happened in the Holacoaust.
-Democracy, which is powered by the people is spreading globally though it looks different in different locals. (6 is the number of man 666 would could be the goverment of the people.)
-In the last couple of years people have become very familiar with the idea of global catastphe's that are to be brought on by global warming. In fact in his lecture, Al Gore talks about how if things continue at their current pace it will be like taking a walk through the book of revelation. Perhaps Al will become the savior of the world, though to think that he is the Anti-Christ you have to read the book of Rev. more AlaGoreically then some do. :)
Anyway this is all just a little food for thought.
That collective picture involves unprecedented natural disasters, mass destruction, travel and knowledge that is increased exponintially and of course global unity, economy and governance.
Here are some indicators I've noticed in the news, feel free to disagree with your comments weather you think I'm a crazy Christian, or not crazy enough.
-In the last decade we have seen the world shrink at warp speed. Economist Friedman (The World is Flat) says something to the effect that we are in the 3d and final stage of globalization. Stage one being when interchange between nations began as the Europeans started kicking butt and taking names on a global scale. Stage two was when organizations and companies moving within the different nations started to have global reach, with largescale missionary activity in the 19th century and multinational companies. In the 3d stage we have moved to individuals, as people can connect with others accross the world at the speed of thought, online.
-In many ways we already have a global economy where anyone can play, and while there are large swaths of the world population that are still stuck in the crumbling infrastructure of yesterday, it's all undeniably moving that way at a lightening pace.
-The book, The Wealth and Poverty of the Nations, ends with a haunting paragraph that it is for the first time possible that one man or one group could actually achieve what Hittler failed at, world domination, or at the least world controll. And as the world shrinks more and more, and the clash of civilisations intensifies, it becomes logical to have a central world governing body, most likely with the main tenant being tolerance. Maybe something along the lines of the UN with some gohonas and some badass firepower?
-A poll of security experts recently put the chances of a nuclear detonation in a major city in America or Europe in the next 10 years at 29%. Ezekial paints a picture of skin being melted away where people stand.
-Isreal is a nation again after 19 centuries, when no other nation has ever re-formed after being destroyed after a few generations. This is thouroughly fortold of, including talking about how the Jews would be hated more then anyone, becoming a byword (ever heard someone insulted by being called "Jewish" for being cheap?) and being chased with the sword and famine as happened in the Holacoaust.
-Democracy, which is powered by the people is spreading globally though it looks different in different locals. (6 is the number of man 666 would could be the goverment of the people.)
-In the last couple of years people have become very familiar with the idea of global catastphe's that are to be brought on by global warming. In fact in his lecture, Al Gore talks about how if things continue at their current pace it will be like taking a walk through the book of revelation. Perhaps Al will become the savior of the world, though to think that he is the Anti-Christ you have to read the book of Rev. more AlaGoreically then some do. :)
Anyway this is all just a little food for thought.
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