About a week ago, I was unfortunately involved in a debate with others about, basically, judging others and how worship should be done. And it’s been on my mind ever since. It started out with my friend asking an innocent question on Facebook, something like “if I can’t make it to a church on Sunday morning, and I just worship God by myself, would it still count as worship?” A few good answers were given, one was that Jesus often went alone to pray. I pointed out that Paul worshipped while he was held in prison. Then a guy (we’ll call him Skippy) answers that it’s not our job to “sugarcoat” the truth, and that it’s not okay to choose whether we feel like going to church or not on Sunday mornings. Okay, first off, we weren’t talking about choosing whether we feel like going, we were talking about the possibility if we are not able to meet with other believers, if God accepts one-on-one time as valid worship. Secondly, (I had to bite my tongue on this one) does Skippy worship God every day, or just on Sundays? Does he put God off on the other 6 days of the week? Because God shouldn’t be just a part of our weekly schedule. He should be our schedule, if that makes any sense.

And so a sharing of our opinions go on, then Skippy actually starts condemning us and telling us not to “cast our demons”, calling us false prophets, or whatever. That’s when a few of the other discussers got a little heated as well. One even had the audacity to just write, “Go to hell.” I tried getting them to stop by asking if any of them had heard of the ad hominem fallacy (since that was basically what they were doing), at least trying to lighten the mood. Apparently that didn’t work, when Skippy told me that Christ himself attacked the Pharisees with harsh words (which back then, meant “brood of vipers” or “white-washed”), and, quoting Skippy, “take your rhetoric elsewhere. It is not welcome in God’s realm.” End quote. Okay, so Skippy doesn’t appreciate humor…

Yes, it did seem Jesus attacked the Pharisees with harsh words. But Jesus truly knew their hearts. This is the Son of God. Meanwhile, the only basis Skippy and the other attackers had for condemning us and each other were a few comments on a Facebook status, which just obviously isn’t enough. I had to have the patience of a rock to deal with these people.

So, finally, I decided to check out Skippy’s profile. The first quotation he has on his Favorite Quotations section was one by Einstein: “Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.” Skippy can’t even remember his own profile. He didn’t (and doesn’t) know any of us, yet he’s calling us false prophets and condemning us. I pointed this out to him, yet he just told me to read the rest of his quotes, and maybe I might learn something. So I told him, “Fair enough. I’ll ‘investigate’ you further. But I’m not going to condemn you. I have no right to.” Finally, I had my friend delete her status so the fierce debate wouldn’t have to go on anymore. And the other quotes on Skippy’s profile? Yeah, they had nothing to do with what we had been talking about.

Funny thing is, all of the discussers claimed to be Christians. Yet they were forgetting one of the greatest commandments: Love one another. They were also forgetting that we as humans are not to judge one another. If any non-believer had read that discussion we had, chances are they would not want to be involved at all with Christianity, and view all Christians as hypocrites. Do we want to risk that chance just to gain an “upper hand” on the opponent? I wonder how they would’ve responded to Gandhi’s statement…

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

- 1 Peter 3:8-16

I visited the Southwest Church today, partly to attend the youth group class, which my friend Brad Grow was teaching. He talked about his experience of counseling at Jr. Teen camp a couple of weeks ago, and the theme was “Story”. If there was one reason that I regret taking the summer macro course, it’s that I wasn’t able to counsel out at Jr. Teen. Apparently it was one of the greatest camp weeks Brad experienced, seeing all the kids grow and worship God. Going back to the theme of the camp, “Story”, everyone has a testimony. We all have a background and a present. We have all been through different experiences and cultures, and those things have shaped us to become who we are today.  All of the campers had stories to share, though some probably weren’t as intrepid to share them with others. So at the end of class, Brad (and another guy I don’t know) suggested that we think about our own stories, and that we share them next week.

My story? Well, I was basically born into the Church of Christ, and I’ve grown up in it since. I was baptized, by my dad, on October 13, 2005; almost 5 years ago. Some may obviously assume that I believe in God mainly because of my parents, and it’s true that they have had an influence in my life. But that is not why I believe. Believe me when I say I’ve had doubts of my own in the past. But I got over them, and I still do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died for me and all of you.

I’ve been through some tough times. The one that always comes to mind is the time I went to bed one night, and woke up about an hour later in an ambulance on the way to the ER because I had a seizure. (I’m not mentioning this to seek sympathy. It doesn’t even matter to me anymore.) That did not shake my faith in God, however. If anything, it only made me question His love. Wasn’t I considered his child? Isn’t He a loving God? I struggled with that for a while, but then I came to the conclusion that I believed it was just a reminder that this life, the one we’re living now, is not the one that holds eternal glory as we were promised if we followed God. I mean, look at Job’s account! We are not home yet. We still have a journey ahead of us. We still have a story to write, and hopefully one with a happy ending.

Throughout my entire life I’ve always been baffled as to how much division exists within the church. People splitting apart because they can’t agree on using one communion cup or several? Sunday school or no Sunday school? Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t we all have the same Lord and Savior? “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:3-6. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” – Romans 12:6-8. These are the two main passages I think of when I think of unity or disunity. Note: I’m not writing this to stir up debates. On my facebook profile, under religious views, I just have “Christian” under it. Yes, I attend a Church of Christ, and have done so my whole life so far. But not once am I going to believe that only Church of Christ members will be saved. Mind you, earlier I only mentioned “trivial” things such as one cup or Sunday school, but concerning other things like “God loves homosexuals too, and He doesn’t care”, I have to disagree, since God is not only a God of love, but a God that is just. And Scripture speaks against it as well. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. The key phrase there is “that is what some of you were”, and the keyword is “were”. They “were” those kinds of people, but not anymore, and God has forgiven them for that. I believe God should not be seen as just a genie in a lamp that will grant our every wish. Love goes both ways. And God is forgiving, but He is not an idiot.

I don’t like debates, and I try to avoid them, for three reasons. One, I don’t want to intentionally offend or anger anybody. Two, I may be wrong in my reasoning. Three, who are we to judge? We’ve all made mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. Usually, that’s why today I do blogs or make videos about my beliefs. I’d rather plan and think ahead than just say the first thing that comes out of my mouth. I’ve made two videos,  and they encompass what I feel we should all focus on. God is a God of comfort, that this earthly life is not what matters most, and that we are all God’s children, should we choose to follow Him. My blog basically tells of some chapters in my life that I have felt like sharing.

While I was studying abroad in Europe last fall, specifically Croatia and Germany, I got to know other believers in Jesus. Even on the other side of the world I could be encouraged, knowing that our God is the God of all. Probably my favorite passage is Romans 5:6-8 – “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Now that I’ve shared my “story”, my advice is to not lose focus. Don’t forget who God is, what He has planned for us, why we “go to church”, why Jesus died on the cross, and what we are called to be. Don’t think “God-time” is just Sunday mornings, or even Wednesday nights. “God-time” is all the time, so every day, live for Him. Love Him. Love others, just as He loves you, because the day will come when we will all stand before Him. And if your “story” is about you and Him, then you will come to realize how amazing an eternity with Him will be, and that nothing in this life matters more.

So what exactly is meant by “the battle within”? Basically, there is a war, and each and every one of us have our own struggles that we battle with on a daily basis, whether it be anger, lust, gossip, or so on. How do we overcome these struggles? Our theme verse addressed that question:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” – Ephesians 6:10-17

Later in the week, we discussed the question of, “If the war has already been won (Jesus was victorious), why not just continue to live our life to the fullest?” Why do we need this armor still? Because we still allow sin to be a part of our lives. This life, the one we’re living now, is not the perfect one we have been promised. For us, the battle is still going on; we just need to be sure whose side we’re on. Even later in the week, we discussed the concept of a “rescue mission”:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” – Romans 10:14-15

Some of our friends have not heard of Jesus. So why keep Him to ourselves? Fear of rejection? Of losing a friend? I struggle with those thoughts too, and I need the strength to overcome that. But being a follower of Jesus should not be something to be ashamed of.

It was the 6th senior teen in a row I’ve been to. It felt interesting counseling at the camp where I was a camper at just two years earlier. Yet there’s still so much I have learned, and have yet to learn. And I’m certain all the other campers and counselors have more to learn as well. This week was like a pit stop, for those who have not heard of Jesus, and for those who are running low on spiritual fuel (for lack of better term). Not once have I gone to this camp without coming home refreshed.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

- 2 Peter 1:3-11

Personally, this has been a very confusing semester for me. I’ve gotten upset over the most random things, shrugged off what others would call unfortunate, et cetera et cetera (my mgmt. teacher’s favorite phrase). There have been times when I just wondered if people were being condescending towards me. Why did I wonder that, and get upset over it? No idea.

Then I volunteered to help out with kids’ classes at a local church.

From my own experiences, this church is unique.  The kids there are rambunctiously rambunctious, and even that doesn’t do it justice. But all the while, there’s just something about that place that makes me decide to continue going back there each week. First time I went there, I introduced myself to a guy named Dre, about my age. The moment we introduced ourselves, he talked to me about his entire life testimony, and he was so excited to do so!  The entire time, I kept thinking, “I just met the guy, and he’s already telling me everything that he’s been through, all his struggles, how he came to follow Jesus, and so on?” Granted, not every kid there was like that, but still. This church does three things for me. One, it tests my patience. Looking back at the times I’ve visited the church, and how the kids are, I’m surprised how much patience I’ve had. Two, it reminds me that God can shine His light through anyone, anywhere, anytime. Finally, it gives me purpose. I could easily stay and do anything else (homework, games, et cetera et cetera), but I’ve been given the opportunity to help at a church that could really use help.

This world needs a lot more people like Dre. We need to be reminded that even in the worst of circumstances, God is still there. Dre’s life took a 180, for the better, when he first picked up the Bible. We should have faith.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100

Anyway, back to serious stuff, for lack of trying to think of a better term. The moment we’ve been waiting for is over: Christmas. This year, I was actually looking forward more to seeing my family receive my gifts than me receiving gifts. I was just all caught up in buying and wrapping presents, thinking, “I’m excited to show them what I got for them.” (I guess part of the reason is because some were souvenirs from Europe, and my fam thought they had received them all. So they were in for a surprise.) They seemed to be pleased with them.

I wonder if that’s how God feels. He already shows us His amazing works, and he wants us to be pleased with what he’s given us. Does he see that reaction from us? Are we happy with what he has given us (especially Jesus’ sacrifice)? Or are we going to go out and buy a new Wii, or perhaps a new mahogany desk, or maybe a new fancy camera, because we feel like our lives will be more complete with those items? Did we ask for Jesus’ sacrifice? We needed it. We need it more than anything else.

So Christmas is now over, which means something else is coming up: New Year’s. What is your resolution going to be? Will you even have one? The typical goals I hear are “lose weight”, “get more exercise”, “do good in school”, and so on. Wow. Those goals I said go along with what I had to say: they all have an “i” in it, but none have a “u”. I didn’t mean to do that. I’ll leave it to your interpretation on whether that was God’s doing. Will your resolution be one of selflessness and do things that will benefit others more than yourself? Have you put much thought into whether or not you are really helping others? How far are you stepping out of your comfort zone? Are you willing to step out even further in 2010? I know I need to. I hope you do too.

Some of our sites this week were the Stephansdom Square and Church and the catacombs underneath the church, Schonbrunn Palace, and Karlskirche (Charles’ Church). I don’t see buildings like these back in America. It’s amazing. A couple of times this week our group visited a shelter, mainly for refugees. It’s been quite fun over there, playing with the kids. 

Another site some of us always visit on our free time is Zanoni and Zanoni, an amazing gelato shop. It’s not academic related at all, but our sponsor got gelato there first, and suggested it to us. I think I’ve already got gelato five different times already. Our group has really come to like our sponsor over the last couple weeks. During last semester, we weren’t so certain, but now I feel like he enjoys having fun too. It’s experiences like these that make us understand each other more, and what makes us grow.