tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145083252012-02-16T21:05:49.142-06:00random thoughts and questions of a nobody in processJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-87089212040354591002007-06-21T17:07:00.000-05:002007-07-06T11:14:52.202-05:00

Another (few) quote(s) from The Subversion of Christianity by Jacques Ellul that I found interesting:Security is always inevitably bought at the cost of freedom.There is an exact equilibrium. The more security and guarantees we want against things, the less free we are. What we want is . . . the illusion of freedom.Grace is intolerable, the Father is unbearable, weakness is discouraging, freedom

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-86995092780844809102007-06-21T17:01:00.000-05:002007-07-06T11:15:25.487-05:00

Below is a quote from The Subversion of Christianity by Jacques Ellul that I found interesting:I am saved by grace, agreed. But once this is done, it is done, is it not? I enter into a stable, solid state that is foreseeable and unchangeable. But lo! in salvation as in faith or freedom, I do not enter a fixed state. Salvation is not a finished thing. I never hold it. I never own it. It is not an

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-55327670659519147962007-03-07T21:28:00.000-06:002007-03-07T21:49:57.655-06:00

My friend Chris recently posted the following quote from John Chrysostom on his blog The Proletariat of God:For even in these mystical blessings, it is, on the one hand, God’s part, to give the grace, on the other, man’s to supply faith; and in after time there needs for what remains much earnestness. In order to preserve our purity, it is not sufficient for us merely to have been baptized and

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-81760943366462756642007-03-07T21:19:00.000-06:002007-03-07T21:27:15.455-06:00

The cover story of The Mennonite Magazine on February 20, 2007, talked about the temptation of violence. The article was good and concluded with the following thought:. . . we will not, under any circumstances, be grateful for the sacrifices of those who, blinded and deceived by the myth of justified violence, kill and die “for us.” Instead we will mourn as senseless and immeasurably tragic their

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1170997468776490562007-02-08T22:51:00.000-06:002007-02-08T23:05:32.223-06:00

I totally agree with Hubmaier's belief that humans have free will. Hubmaier uses a distinction between body, soul, and spirit to explain how this works out. The body desires to do evil and the spirit desires to do good. It is the soul of humanity that is able to decide between the two of them to live according to the will of God or the will of the flesh. This is only possible because Christ

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1170996656545349992007-02-08T22:22:00.000-06:002007-02-08T23:13:20.680-06:00

I have been reading a lot of Anabaptist theology lately. I have labeled myself as an Arminian and as an Anabaptist but after some current reading I really don't need the Arminian label to express what I believe. It seems that most of the Anbaptist thoughts that I have been reading agree a lot with Arminian theology without the influence of Jacobus Arminius (or his followers problems with John

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1166406289431929472006-12-09T12:22:00.000-06:002006-12-17T19:44:49.443-06:00

My mom went to be with the Lord on the 9th of November (one month ago) after having a heart attack on the 7th of November. She was in the hospital for two days and never regained consciousness.My mom had the habit of reading from Our Daily Bread every day for as long as I can remember. The following was the scripture and devotional reading that she had bookmarked on the day of her heart attack

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-23489050154396319762006-11-06T17:21:00.000-06:002007-06-21T17:50:13.492-05:00

Recently somebody suggested that I talk about marriage and divorce.I don't accept the state's authority to marry people. The state offers civil unions only. Therefore, it is totally okay for same-sex civil unions because this is done under the authority of the government, not God. Some may argue that the government is under the authority of God and I agree to an extent. No nation is a Christian

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1161538420574242242006-10-22T12:30:00.000-05:002006-10-22T17:38:38.960-05:00

A friend wanted me to make a statement on how the sovereignty of God would allow for free will. What follows may or may not get at the answer his question.I must begin by saying that I do not believe that God's sovereignty and human freedom are mutually exclusive ideas. Scripture can be found to support both. My question for those who doubt this would be, how does the sovereignty of God hinder

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1161401345903945932006-10-20T22:15:00.000-05:002006-10-20T22:29:05.916-05:00

I just watched The Guardian and I have to admit that despite the presence of Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner it is a decent movie. It was definately worth volunteering at the theater for a free viewing (with soda and popcorn thrown in as well).Several statements about sacrificing one's own life for the life of a stranger (or any other person) and the motto "so others may live" that they put on

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1160710227406101762006-10-12T22:25:00.000-05:002006-10-14T10:50:35.916-05:00

I recently spent some time with a good friend that told me that I need to speak up more.Even though I think she may have been talking about something totally different and that I am taking the suggestion completely out of context, I agree that I need to open up more with my opinions.Unfortunately I don't know where to start, so I am going to open it up to the few that may stumble across this blog

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1160709914991354192006-10-12T22:09:00.000-05:002006-10-12T22:25:15.010-05:00

I know that many people have fought over the years to get the right to vote extended to all people regardless of gender, race, religion, and other reasons.I am told that it is supposedly "un-American" to not utilize the right to vote and have a say about who will lead the varying levels of government.I know that we do not live in a Christian nation, but that I am to pray for those in leadership

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1160708941766414522006-10-12T22:02:00.000-05:002006-10-12T22:09:01.776-05:00

I pledge allegiance to God and God alone.God is the father and source of all that exists.God is the son and salvation for all of humanity.God is the spirit and sanctifier of the Christian community.-------Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters. I cannot pledge my allegiance to both God and country (especially not a piece of cloth said to represent a country).

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1159188348809419342006-09-25T07:39:00.000-05:002006-09-25T07:50:29.676-05:00

I finally read The Peaceable Kingdom by Stanley Hauerwas. I enjoyed it and wanted to share some of what he said in that book that appealed to me.Hauerwas says that "Nonviolence is the hallmark of the Christian moral life." In further discussion or perhaps explanation of this statement he goes on to say:"I hope to show that such a stance is not just an option for a few, but incumbent on all

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1159155912841955872006-09-24T22:39:00.000-05:002006-10-18T21:14:31.073-05:00

So I was looking at some books at the school I work at and found a book called "20 Most Asked Questions about the Amish and Mennonites." I had passed on buying this book a couple months ago while in Indiana so I checked it out. Most of what I read was a refresher of what I already know about this group of people.In this book there was a comment that made me think. In the brief chapter about

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1154280395744931792006-07-30T12:15:00.000-05:002006-10-18T21:13:05.000-05:00

So here is a question that I have recently been thinking about. I hope that one of brave people that read my blog and comment might be able to give some insight.Most Christians would agree that we are called to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We all struggle with the direct application of the command to love our enemies as well.Question: why do some

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153774295112144502006-07-24T15:43:00.000-05:002006-07-24T15:51:35.140-05:00

I have been exchanging emails recently with a friend who took issue with my Peace post. It appears that I am ignoring part of the Old Testament by taking a stand against violence. God led Israel to war and God cannot be wrong.I believe that war was allowed by God but not part of his plan.Also, aren't we (as Christians) guilty of ignoring huge parts of the Old Testament by focusing on only 10 of

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153419152109116342006-07-21T13:06:00.000-05:002006-07-21T12:29:03.200-05:00

Just as many individual grapes are crushed and processed to make wine, so we as individuals are to be processed from unholy to holy as part of the church.Just as many individual grains are crushed and processed to make bread, so we as individuals are to be processed from unholy to holy as part of the church.It is common practice in many churches to practice open-communion. By this they mean that

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153418782699245162006-07-21T12:51:00.000-05:002006-07-21T12:28:41.663-05:00

I believe that baptism is the result of obedient discipleship. It is not an issue of adult versus infant baptism, but rather believer's versus non-believer's baptism.Sometimes I think that there is a contradiction between "justification by faith" and "infant baptism". I could be wrong.Baptism is the external testimony of the internal submission to a life of discipleship.Water does not save us

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153417911272174272006-07-21T12:42:00.000-05:002006-07-21T12:28:14.076-05:00

Some recent reading has led me to the conclusion that how we live our lives is more important than what we believe. This may sound too liberal for some people, but let me try and explain.The church has divided so many times over disagreements over theological statements that there are almost too many denominations to count. Currently their are denominations that may split over issues like gay

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153420101193815342006-07-20T13:12:00.000-05:002006-07-20T15:42:27.360-05:00

I went to church with my parents about a month ago. I went because they who led my Sunday morning Bible study in High school was going to be a guest speaker. He is a missionary who focuses on prison ministry and transitional housing for men and women.He said something that really disturbed me while he was presenting new developments in his current ministry.Just prior to him talking there was a

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153417349093308502006-07-20T12:37:00.000-05:002006-07-20T15:43:56.483-05:00

Another idea that I think is central to Christianity is simplicity. Christians are not to worry about what they will eat, drink, or wear. We are not to worry about the future, but are to live in faith. Faith that God will take care of us and provide our every need.I struggle to do this as much as most people. I have accumulated so much junk and debt in my short life because I believed I

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153417044544502552006-07-20T12:28:00.000-05:002006-07-20T15:43:32.303-05:00

I believe that pacifism is central to the Gospel of Christ. Christians are called to love God with all that they are and to love their neighbors as themselves.How can we injure/kill those that we are supposed to love?We are to bless our enemies, pray for those that persecute us, and turn the other cheek. We are not called to die for a country but for a God who gave us His son Jesus Christ as an

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1153416481862125772006-07-20T12:12:00.000-05:002006-07-20T15:43:03.206-05:00

This may come as a surprise to some people (and common sense to others), but the United States of America is not a Christian nation. I won't debate the intentions of the founding fathers, but I will say that they made it clear when they separated the state from the church because the church should not be controlled by a secular government. I go further and believe that Christians should not try

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1135369371401447842005-12-23T14:20:00.000-06:002005-12-23T14:22:51.403-06:00

When I claim to be a Christian, I do not mean that I said a prayer in a little booklet and then went on living my life like nothing happened (Fire Insurance Christianity).My use of the title Christian means so much more than that and should not be used lightly.It means I am devoted to God with all that I am.Thanks to the working of the Holy Spirit in my life to reveal God to me and all that God

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1135369160234160902005-12-23T14:00:00.000-06:002005-12-23T14:20:41.526-06:00

Today at work somebody asked me what nationality my last name was. I gave my typical sarcastic preceded by an "I don't know" and he was shocked that I did not know what country my family is from.The fact of the matter is that I do not care. As a follower of Jesus I do not claim any country as my nationality. I am a Christian who happens to live in America but I do not care whatsoever about

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1130424608941865952005-10-27T09:37:00.000-05:002005-10-27T09:50:08.953-05:00

Just finished reading Manana by Justo Gonzalez and have learned more than expected.-------God is three in one. The confusion of the central doctrine of the Trinity is no longer confusing to me now that I have had it explained from a new perspective that gives it a new light.There is a commonality within the Godhead that is to imitated by humanity (we were created in God's image). God did not

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1129470251861769912005-10-16T08:33:00.000-05:002005-10-16T08:44:11.866-05:00

How is it that I can have no desire but God and still have the desire for companionship in the context of marriage?How can one be fully committed to Christ and married to the church if one is married to another human being?How can one love the Lord their God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength and love their neighbor as themselves and still have enough love and devotion needed to

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1129469629957954402005-10-16T08:23:00.000-05:002005-10-16T08:33:49.966-05:00

I desire to desire God and God alone. I cannot get to that point in my life without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I desire to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. I desire to do nothing that will hinder my walk with Christ. I cannot get to that point alone, but only in the context of a community that shares this desire.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1128169442340080702005-10-01T07:06:00.000-05:002005-10-01T07:24:02.346-05:00

In previous posts I have mentioned an interest in reaching out to Muslims. It has been a desire of mine for a while to build bridges between Christians and Muslims so that we can live in harmony together. Some desires in life change as we experience more things.The large majority of those I work with at my new job are from East Africa. A great majority of these people are Muslim and I have

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1124074651154057482005-08-14T21:49:00.000-05:002005-08-14T21:57:31.156-05:00

Those who know me personally may recall that half of my family are Jehovah Witnesses.I recently spent time with one of these relatives (an uncle) who is going through a divorce. I found it interesting to know that he was only willing to pursue this divorce after trying to reconcile and also at the approval of the elders at his local Kingdom Hall.I found it very interesting and appealing for

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1124074157889331222005-08-14T21:42:00.000-05:002005-08-14T21:49:17.890-05:00

For the time being, my posting will deal mostly with my thoughts on Christianity.A friend of mine told me a couple of months ago that Christianity cannot be about morality. As somebody who advocates the pursuit of holiness in the individual lives of Christians in community I wonder what this means.I agree that Christianity cannot be completely about morality. I agree that the grace of God needs

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1123252308263347822005-08-05T09:10:00.000-05:002007-09-08T11:18:09.924-05:00

A while back on a blog (http://blorge.blogspot.com), Blorge mentioned that one of the random thoughts that enter his head concerns his love for the French language and culture. He wonders if he likes it on its own merit or because of the au pairs he had as a kid or possibly because of a family friend who is French.I have this dilemna also, but my desire has to do with the Middle East (that is

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1122145517569249942005-07-23T22:00:00.000-05:002006-10-18T21:09:16.723-05:00

One of my favourite songs on the new George Strait album contains the following lyrics: "it's amazing what a man can see by the light of a burning bridge"This got me thinking about my pursuit of holiness. By holiness, sanctification to those who like more theological terminology, I mean the process by which God is bringing me to the point of loving Him with my whole heart, soul, mind, and

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1127167654098169602005-07-19T22:30:00.000-05:002006-10-18T20:54:32.853-05:00

Nobody should claim that they are spiritually perfect. We all should daily repent, renew our application of the blood of Christ, and seek rekindling of the Holy Spirit. It has been my experience that the way we evangelize puts too much emphasis on getting somebody to say a prayer and little to no emphasis on encouraging authentic spiritual change. I would like to say that my life has been

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1127167335754073342005-07-19T22:15:00.000-05:002006-10-18T20:53:38.043-05:00

My current ministry setting is within a house church. The idea of pursuing perfection in the midst of community is directly applicable to this church. One of the things that drew me to using John Wesley as a source for this paper was my previous knowledge about the class meetings he began throughout England.I did not learn much more about the reasoning behind these groups but, in studying the

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1121828756359286832005-07-19T22:00:00.000-05:002006-10-18T20:51:56.103-05:00

Christian perfection, on the rare occurrences that it is discussed, is often seen as something that is both unbiblical and heretical. As for the claim that it is unbiblical there are a number of verses that not only support it but command it. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands his audience to be perfect just as their Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). In the Gospel of John, Jesus

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14508325.post-1161223562269269672005-07-19T21:45:00.000-05:002006-10-18T21:06:02.283-05:00

Welcome to my blog about the pursuit of holiness. I am hoping to most my thoughts on various theological thoughts that cross my mind on a semi-regular basis.My next three posts will be from a paper that I wrote for my final systematic theology class in graduate school. My goal is to give you a taste of what I think about and from where it is that I am coming from.I removed all footnotes for

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03892949985852436150noreply@blogger.com0