Doubt

I think all Christians doubt. If you are a Christian and you don't doubt, I'd like to meet you and pick your brain. Despite all the evidence I've seen in my life and in other's lives, I still sometimes have the gnawing thought at the back of my head that maybe I'm wrong and there isn't more to life than being born, procreating and dying.

I have been reading through Matthew and studying it in depth, verse by verse, for the last couple of months. I found something in chapter 11 that caught my attention:
(verse 2 and 3) "And when John (the baptist) heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, 'Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"

Keep in mind that by this time John the Baptist had already baptised Jesus and was there to hear the voice of the Father from heaven and the whole nine yards. My first reaction upon reading this was "doesn't he remember baptising Christ?" Then I thought maybe John just wanted confirmation. I think while he was sitting in jail, the thought began to creep up on him, maybe this isn't the right guy. I mean, afterall, Jesus wasn't exactly the Messiah that anyone was expecting. John must have been a little concerned.

What really encourages me was Christ's response to John's question.
"Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of me."

Important things:
1. Jesus' response was go and tell the things which you HEAR and SEE. Jesus didn't talk about how it makes no sense that the earth is six billion years old; he didn't start a lecture about moral law; he didn't talk about democrats or gun laws. He said look at what's going on right now and then go tell John, and that will be enough for him.

2. Jesus did not say "John, you faithless jerk! I'm going to go get rebaptized by someone who isn't a shmuck." I think Jesus understood that he was taking people by surprise in not overthrowing Jerusalem and "burning up the chaff with inquenchable fire." Jesus gave enough evidence though to compensate for the Jews' false pretenses. (which brings me to #3)

3. The last sentence there says "And blessed is he who is not offended because of me." At first, I didn't get it. Then I pulled out my handy Greek-English Interlinear Bible and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (coolest things ever) and looked up the original Greek for the word offended. The NIV says 'blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.' I think that's a little closer to the original. The word "offend" in the Greek is skandalizo, where we get our word scandal or scandalize. It means "to trip up or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure." Jesus was saying basically, Blessed is the man who isn't tripped up because of something I didn't do (such as heal the sick, raise the dead, or preach to the poor.) He wanted to make it clear that he did everything he could do to get people to realize he was the Messiah. He did not hold back in regards to proof.

4. John learned of these things by word of mouth, just as we have learned of Jesus' miracles by word of mouth, or the written word.

Now what does that mean for us?
The Lord never meant for us to blindly follow something for which there was no proof. Jesus was very concerned with providing enough proof for his followers. However, most of us are in the position of John, having to rely on what we hear is going on in other parts of the world, or having to rely on what we've seen done in the past. Now, that said, Christ expects us to take existing proof and run with it. He didn't go to John and do some miracle to prove himself. He expected John's disciples to accurately report what was going on. In light of that, I don't think I have much room for doubt at all. For those who think they haven't seen enough, I would encourage you to talk to people who do seem firm in their faith and ask them why they are so certain. Christ is eager to provide what you need to believe in him; you just have to look for it.

dcTalk: A Legend Lives On

Today was a bittersweet day. As many of you know, dcTalk has always been, and will remain, the best band on Earth. I am filled with mixed emotions as I write this because of both the happiness and bewilderment of what happened to me today.
Okay, I'll tell you.
As I was driving in the car, the instrumental beginning of the song "Jesus Freak" came on the radio, the song for which dcTalk will probably be most remembered for centuries, nay, millenia to come. I was naturally excited, as any dcTalk fan would be, as I opened my mouth to sing the first word "Separated..."
My immediate response to what I heard was horror. Michael Tait's voice did not echo from the speakers like a squirrel peeks his head out of his tree burrowed hole (both are so natural). Instead, I heard a woman's voice singing words that I have never heard a woman sing before (on the radio, I sing the words all the time, but that doesn't count. Imagine your mom's voice coming out of the face of the cookie monster going "cookie, cookie." It's just wrong.)

Someone has done a remake of the dcTalk song "Jesus Freak".

At first I was dissapointed and confused; terrible confusion and crying ensued. Then I realized... DcTalk is worthy of having a song THEY WROTE resung and remade into something new (although NOT better.) I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH A DCTALK SHRINE IN MY SOUL! Ok, maybe that's going a little far, but if there exists something just a degree or two less than a shrine in my soul, that's what I have for dcTalk. But, this proves it! I'm not alone!!!

So for the many of you who don't think dcTalk is the greatest band ever, I would insist that you're incorrect. DcTalk has has a song stolen from them and rerecorded. Have you? Has your favorite band? Okay, maybe they have, but that just goes to show you, that dcTalk is just as good as them, if not better.

I come back to Spain in nine days. In memory of dcTalk, and sheer excitement about them and their aura, I shall quote lyrics now.


The other night I met a girl, and she looked at me so nice,
I asked her for the digits and she didn't think twice.
A couple'a days later, called her up and asked her out,
she said "with you?" I said "with me!" and she said "without a doubt."

I took her to the garden, where I guess they grow the olives,
she wore a tighter skirt than any I had seen at college.
She said "I love to smoke and drink while cursin' like a sailor."
I asked her where she got her mouth and if she had a tailor.

Finally, I walked her to the door to say goodnight,
She said "I am an apple, would you care to take a bite?"
Politely I refused and said "I'm lookin' for a lady,"
so she slapped me in my face and said "BOY YOU MUST BE CRAZY!"

The Anvil of God's Word

I found a poem that I really really like. It's old and corny but I hope you like it too.

The Anvil of God's Word

Last eve I passed beside the blacksmith's door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and battle all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, I thought, the Anvil of God's Word
For ages sceptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.

-John Clifford (1836-1923)

I'M TWUNNEEEEEE!!!!

I am no longer a teenager. CRAP. hee hee.

Yesterday I turned 20. Thats crazy. But I got some good presents. I think my most exciting one was an interlinear Bible- It's an English Bible with the original Greek translation right above the English words. very very cool.

Cake is delicious.

In other news, I called my dad the other day and he started talking about how "Last night, when I was talking to Denzel Washington..." I was like WHAT!?
He apparently went to a party where Denzel Washington was there and he played harmonica for him and all his famous friends. So thats crazy too.

In other other news. I'm twenty. I come back to Spain in twenty days. I get my wisdom teeth out next monday. All four of them, so that will be fun. It's the first day of August! That's crazy! I can't think of anything else remotely interesting or important, so... this leads to the question of the day.

Question of the day:
Have you ever talked to a famous person?

and/or

What's the best present you've ever received?



I await your answers with bated breath.