A friend asked me not that long ago, "if people really believed in heaven and hell, would they live the way they do?" OUCH! That one hurt. =( It was a reminder that I really needed, though... It is important that what I do matches what I say.
I was listening to Could You Believe?, by Twila Paris, this morning and it made me think of that conversation.
Here are my favorite parts of the song...
He was a friend to sinners
He was a gentle man
Beautiful, humble master plan
His voice could pierce the darkness
Quiet an angry sea
I hear Him saying follow me
I look in your eyes and I tell you these things
But somehow I know that it’s hard to believe
Could you believe if I really was like Him
If I lived all the words that I said
If for a change I would kneel down before you
And serve you instead
Could you believe if I stood here transparent
And through me you could see his eyes
Could you believe if you saw right inside
Me and there was no disguise
Could you believe if I was really like him
If I lived all the words that I said
If it was clear that I held in my heart
What I know in my head
Could you believe, could you believe
Looking at me, could you believe
Could you believe?
~ Twila Paris
Friday, January 20, 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
His Blood be on Us and on Our Children!
I read through the gosepl of Matthew last week and I came across a phrase that I had never noticed before.
The people did not realize what they were actually asking for, but in their ignorance, the requested the one thing they really needed.
It's easy for me to forget that I too am guilty of putting Christ to death and so this verse was a good reminder that the one thing I need cost Christ His life.
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, His blood be on us and on our children! ~ Matthew 27:24-25
The people did not realize what they were actually asking for, but in their ignorance, the requested the one thing they really needed.
The blood shall be a sign for you... And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you... ~ Exodus 12:13
It's easy for me to forget that I too am guilty of putting Christ to death and so this verse was a good reminder that the one thing I need cost Christ His life.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Amusing Calvinist/Arminian Quote
By Ravi Zacherias (of course). It was the intro to his answer on a "once saved always saved" question.
You know that Calvinists have TULIP (Total depravity, Unmerited favor, Limited atonement, Irresistable grace, and Perseverance of the saints)... well the Arminians have their own flower. It's called, He loves me... He loves me not...He loves me... He loves me not...
Movie Review: Syriana
I suppose it is about time to write my review of Syriana (considering I watched it...hmmm... almost three weeks ago!).
Ideologically, it was awful! It does a great job of making the US government, along with the entire oil industry, look atrocious. The bottom line is, crisis makes the world go 'round, or, at the very least, is good for the politicians and big business owners in the United States, so it is in our best interest to keep the Middle East in constant turmoil. Nothing makes this more obvious that a quote near the beginning of the movie, "Corruption? Corruption is our protection! Corruption keeps us safe and warm! Corruption... is why we win!"
As a work of propaganda, it was beautifully done. I knew, going into it, that it was going to be a left-leaning movie, but I still left, feeling like the suicide bombers came out on top. They were the ones who were wronged and they were the ones that stuck to what they believed. There is something about self-sacrifice in this self-serving culture that appeals to the better part of our humanity.
Despite my disagreement with the politics of Syriana, I really enjoyed watching it. I loved all the Middle Eastern settings (as well as the many familiar DC shots) and, as someone interested in the language, I was mezmorized by the Arabic conversations interfused throughout the dialogue! The fact that I could pick out words and phrases that I recognized was very exciting to me. =)
Would I recommend it? Well, it depends... There is quite a bit of language and some of the images are extremely disturbing (to the point where I had to close my eyes). If it is a topic, you're interested in, it is worth it to see the liberal perspective as portrayed by the entertainment industry.
Ideologically, it was awful! It does a great job of making the US government, along with the entire oil industry, look atrocious. The bottom line is, crisis makes the world go 'round, or, at the very least, is good for the politicians and big business owners in the United States, so it is in our best interest to keep the Middle East in constant turmoil. Nothing makes this more obvious that a quote near the beginning of the movie, "Corruption? Corruption is our protection! Corruption keeps us safe and warm! Corruption... is why we win!"
As a work of propaganda, it was beautifully done. I knew, going into it, that it was going to be a left-leaning movie, but I still left, feeling like the suicide bombers came out on top. They were the ones who were wronged and they were the ones that stuck to what they believed. There is something about self-sacrifice in this self-serving culture that appeals to the better part of our humanity.
Despite my disagreement with the politics of Syriana, I really enjoyed watching it. I loved all the Middle Eastern settings (as well as the many familiar DC shots) and, as someone interested in the language, I was mezmorized by the Arabic conversations interfused throughout the dialogue! The fact that I could pick out words and phrases that I recognized was very exciting to me. =)
Would I recommend it? Well, it depends... There is quite a bit of language and some of the images are extremely disturbing (to the point where I had to close my eyes). If it is a topic, you're interested in, it is worth it to see the liberal perspective as portrayed by the entertainment industry.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
An Article About Our Own Kevin Radman...By Our Own Stefanie Hausner =)
I haven't read World magezine in months, but just decided to see what was in it this week... I was surprised to read an article about a fellow PHC alumnus, written by current PHC student!
Military: Fade to gray
Proposed military guidelines could muzzle evangelical officers and chaplains
by Les Sillars, Stefanie Hausner
Shortly after Kevin Radman arrived at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., last summer, his sergeant instructor ensured that each member of the unit had access to a chapel service. "He did not ask how many people were religious, he asked what sort of religion you were," recalls Mr. Radman, now a second lieutenant. The sergeant needled the lone candidate who said he was an atheist. He'd better find God, he said, because "you need to find something to hold on to."
OCS is not exactly Bible camp. But for 2nd Lt. Radman, who expected and found a fair bit of "drinking, womanizing, and swearing," he also discovered "good people" at OCS. "They firmly believe in helping people," he said. "Integrity and honesty are huge. They're very aware of those virtues." He figures that the Marine Corps "wants you to have religion because they're asking you to kill people and so they want you to have moral principles," he says. "They recognize that people need an internal [compass], something to help them through this stuff."
Five of 35 classmates, 2nd Lt. Radman estimates, attend a Bible study and "talk about God on the weekdays." There is no hard line between official business and personal interaction, he says, but clearly "you can't be proselytizing [subordinates] here. This is your job. But if you're just a genuine guy trying to share what you believe, then that's OK. Between peers you can say whatever you want."
Traditionally an American military officer can make three kinds of statements about faith and religion: "I believe" is acceptable and "you will" is not, particularly to subordinates.
In the huge gray area in the middle are things that imply "you should." This gray area is important because, since Vietnam, religion has become a widely accepted part of everyday military life and conversation. This shift is partly the result of increasing numbers of evangelical Christian chaplains and officers who see talking about their faith as both a central part of who they are and a right protected by the Constitution.
But the gray area could be shrinking. In the wake of a lawsuit over alleged religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the Air Force is now considering new guidelines for public prayer and "sharing of faith" that some worry could be construed in ways that would muzzle outspoken evangelical chaplains and officers.
Read the rest of this article
Military: Fade to gray
Proposed military guidelines could muzzle evangelical officers and chaplains
by Les Sillars, Stefanie Hausner
Shortly after Kevin Radman arrived at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., last summer, his sergeant instructor ensured that each member of the unit had access to a chapel service. "He did not ask how many people were religious, he asked what sort of religion you were," recalls Mr. Radman, now a second lieutenant. The sergeant needled the lone candidate who said he was an atheist. He'd better find God, he said, because "you need to find something to hold on to."
OCS is not exactly Bible camp. But for 2nd Lt. Radman, who expected and found a fair bit of "drinking, womanizing, and swearing," he also discovered "good people" at OCS. "They firmly believe in helping people," he said. "Integrity and honesty are huge. They're very aware of those virtues." He figures that the Marine Corps "wants you to have religion because they're asking you to kill people and so they want you to have moral principles," he says. "They recognize that people need an internal [compass], something to help them through this stuff."
Five of 35 classmates, 2nd Lt. Radman estimates, attend a Bible study and "talk about God on the weekdays." There is no hard line between official business and personal interaction, he says, but clearly "you can't be proselytizing [subordinates] here. This is your job. But if you're just a genuine guy trying to share what you believe, then that's OK. Between peers you can say whatever you want."
Traditionally an American military officer can make three kinds of statements about faith and religion: "I believe" is acceptable and "you will" is not, particularly to subordinates.
In the huge gray area in the middle are things that imply "you should." This gray area is important because, since Vietnam, religion has become a widely accepted part of everyday military life and conversation. This shift is partly the result of increasing numbers of evangelical Christian chaplains and officers who see talking about their faith as both a central part of who they are and a right protected by the Constitution.
But the gray area could be shrinking. In the wake of a lawsuit over alleged religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the Air Force is now considering new guidelines for public prayer and "sharing of faith" that some worry could be construed in ways that would muzzle outspoken evangelical chaplains and officers.
Read the rest of this article
Maximus (the Gladiator, NOT the salon!) Still... it's ironic, don't ya think?
You scored as Maximus. After his family was murdered by the evil emperor Commodus, the great Roman general Maximus went into hiding to avoid Commodus's assassins. He became a gladiator, hoping to dominate the colosseum in order to one day get the chance of killing Commodus. Maximus is valiant, courageous, and dedicated. He wants nothing more than the chance to avenge his family, but his temper often gets the better of him.
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 |
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