Martin Luther

During Martin Luther's life, there were many turning points and situations that shaped his life.  He grew up under the guidance of his father, who wanted Luther to become a lawyer.  When Luther started to grow older, he developed a passion for being a monk.  He asked God to spare his life and that if He did so, he would passionately follow Him.  Needless to say, Luther did just that.  It was not an easy road at all for him, but Christianity is not supposed to be easy.  In fact, in John 16:33 it says, "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Martin often feared death and struggled with the idea of salvation.  This was a big deal because it led him to pursue a different career and to take a course at an Augustinian monastery.  He was searching for answers and was greatly troubled.  While learning about theology at that monastery, his father disagreed with what Luther was doing.  After learning a great deal and then eventually teaching, he started reaching out more.  He grew quite sick of how the Catholic Church in general was being run.  He rebuked the idea of indulgences.  So he posted his 95 theses on the door of the church.  This started a very long and difficult process for Luther.  People were outraged because of this and they were upset that he challenged the Pope.  He went through many trials and court hearings, but he stood firm and did not revoke any of his saying in the 95 theses or his other works.  All that he did was apologize for being to harsh.  He was wanted by many people and some desired to murder him because Luther had started confusion and made people question the Catholic church.  This was just the beginning of the whole transformation.  Because he was wanted so badly, he was hidden for a very long time in a castle.  In that time, he wrote the New Testament in German.  Eventually, he would have the whole Bible translated to German.  Some people saw this as being disgraceful.  All of these hardships and trials that Luther faced helped shape who he was.  Luther stood strong for God and tried to do His work very passionately and I admire him for never backing down.  He was very bold and courageous to do some of what he did.  Also, I like he tried to measure everything up to Scripture.  He knew that indulgences or good works did not buy salvation or get you into heaven.  It is only by Jesus.  Luther did have some downfalls, such as being too harsh sometimes, but he was a big part in changing the world.  If it wasn't for him, many of the denominations we have today would not exist.  I believe that movie was pretty acurate in portraying Luther.  It showed him when he was being a little too harsh, but it also showed him doing things in the right way.  I enjoyed the movie and learned a lot.  He truly started a great Reformation. He was said to be a heretic, but he never let anything stop him or slow him down.  He was often threatened to be burned.  That didn't matter to him: he was going to keep living with a fire for his God.  He was not alone, as others were growing tired of the Catholic church, but he sure did face his share of opposition.  What a way to take a stand for what he believed in! He truly made a difference and impacted many lives.  His impact is still being felt today.  (http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/luther.html)

Chapter 8 - DWYL

I must remember that the war of good and evil takes place in the heart and it is not defined by geography.  Everyday I must choose to do right and fight the evil that shows up in my life.  It is not about where I live my life and where I do everything, it is all about how I go about doing that.  I need to it all to the glory of God and work as hard as possible and do my best.  "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him... Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," Colossians 3:17, 23
It should not matter where or when or what type of work I am doing.  All I need to is make sure I am working as hard as I can and working for the Lord, rather than for myself or to please people.  If I work at a "secular vocation" it is not wrong.  I need to go to work with God and be an example for others at the workplace, to show God to others.  Not everyone is a pastor or missionary, but we can all be ministers at our own vocation.  It is not the where or what; it is the how.  I need to work hard.  If I do that, God will provide for me and I have no reason to ever worry.  Work should not wear us down or depress us.  I need to stay strong and work in a way for the Lord so that my work is in in vain.  Also, I should not only work to get money and so I can be rich.  I need to provide for myself and a family.  I should work as though it will be eternal. I should view work as how it can profit others and not just myself.  At work, I should make others glad in God.  Work is a situation that gives me the opportunity to reach many other people and share the Gospel with them.  Just as long as we are making much of Christ in our work, it is not a waste.  As long as I am in this world and not of it and am showing others God's love, then it is not a waste.

Skid Row

I thought that the video we watched in Bible class about the guy who went to Skid Row was very interesting. It was neat how the "Secret Millionaire" went to Skid Row for about one week just to see what it was like and tried to live on $55.00.  He had planned all along to reveal that he was a Millionaire at the end of the week and give money away.  He really wanted to make sure he gave the money to people who would use it in the right way and not just go spend it on drugs or things of that nature.  He got to know people to make sure they were trying to get their life back on track before he gave them money.  Encountering the guy who gave away clothes and toiletries and stuff really made the Secret Millionaire think and it touched him.  During the week, he also went and volunteered at the Alexandria House and talked to people there.  At the end of the week, he donated money to help that first guy start a Non-profit organization and also gave money to the 10 families at the House, and then gave money for the House to use in general, as well as to some people at the park where guys played basketball.  It was just neat to see the guy give the money like that.  I do not think the motive was right, but that is a start.  Maybe he will  realize eventually he should give and donate still, but do it to share Christ and save people.  It was good of him to give but if he understood the correct motive and did it for all the right reasons, there would be an even bigger impact.  I hope the video opened the eyes of people and lets people know that there are things that can be done and should be done to help people.  It is ridiculous how many people are homeless and that number could be a lot less if more people got together to fix that and to go share Christ with the people.  I wish I was able to go to the Skid Row Mission Trip with OBA, but I can pray for those who are going and support them.  It will be tough and will be frightening I am sure, and will make people get out of their comfort zone, but I have no doubt they can all do it and will have a great time.  It is great to see them risking things to go reach the people of Skid Row and I will be praying for everyone and am very excited everyone gets to go.  This video just reminded me also that I can do things for people around here, too and to keep my eyes open for anyone who needs help.  It reminds me of one of my favorite songs: Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath.  Thank you Mr. Mendenhall for showing us the video in Bible!!

Chapters 6 and 7 - Don't waste Ya Life

            Well, first, if someone was to watch me that didn't know me or that I was a Christian, I would hope that they would be able to tell a huge difference in how I act, spend my time, money, and everything, and just how I do everything that I do.  I hope that I would be so joyful and hopeful that people would want what I have and ask me why I am like that.  But honestly, lately I have not lived in a way that is much different than the world.  I get caught up in things and let things bother me or bring me down, just like non-believers.  People could notice that I am more kind and patient than others, but really there is not a whole lot that they would see, and that is very sad.  The past couple weeks have been great for me.  I have really been challenged in my faith and I have felt quite a bit of growth and I am living more for Him in everything I do. 
           
           I need to be careful to make sure that I follow the theme of Mark 10:21, Luke 6:20,24, and Luke 18:25.  Having many possessions and becoming saved and living all out for God is a very hard thing to do.  It is so hard that is seems impossible.  But the only way to be able to live for Him is by Him.  He can make the impossible possible.  I need to give my time, effort, attention, money, just everything that I am, to serving God and His people.  By focusing on everyone else and on God, I won't have time to be selfish or to lust after the things of this world.  I pray that I can be so consumed with God that all that comes out of me is wanting to serve Him more and to draw closer to Him.  I try to serve and help make sure I follow the theme of those verses by helping the less fortunate in Enid, by giving my time to listen to people, by giving what I do have, and just loving people.  Those are some ways I can make a big difference.  I have never put so much thought into how important it is not get wrapped up in consuming things.  It is very hard not to do in this society but it has really hit me lately how important it is to God to not be a blind consumer. 

            I normally live in a peaceful way.  I always try to make sure everything is good and that everyone is getting along and that no one is upset or bothered by others.  But I need to realize that I need to follow all the Bible and to fight the good fight of faith and not always just have a peaceful mindset.  I kow that doesn't mean forcing things upon people and truly fighting people, but I need to fight the things of this world that are not giving glory to God or not God-filled.  All too often I call things as "needs" that really aren't.  I may say I need technology or I need this person or that thing.  But I do not.  All I really need is more of God and what He says I need. 

          The biggest thing wrong with TV is that it is such a waste of time, just as John Piper states.  We could be doing so much better things, such as have family time without the TV on and playing games or just talking to each other.  All too often I think TV takes up way too much of people's lives without them even realizing it.  TV and the Internet affect me in that alot of the ads are about getting the best new things and being selfish.  Even if you guard against seeing the bad things, you are still going to be exposed to it and no matter how hard you try, I think it will still affect you.  Also, it takes up so much time.  I could use that time to read the Bible or pray or love on someone.  These technologies also affect relationships, I think.  There is so much more talking through technology and we put off important things just to watch our favorite TV show or to check e-mail or whatever.  I am very thankful that my parents do not pay for TV.  I am glad that the negativeness is not being poured into our house as much.  I have been doing much better about spending more time on God than on the Internet or watching something and I think people would realize that.  Many people would be able to tell that my greatest satisfaction is Jesus and worshiping Him.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

        I thought that this video was very interesting.  Some of the ways in which Dan Merchant interacted with just everyone was very good.  I think a big problem that people have against Christianity is that Christians a lot of times force their beliefs upon other people and tell them what they are doing wrong.  This seems like we are judging people, which is the case sometimes, but even if it is not the case, the way we force our beliefs on them seems like it.  We don't seem to loving if we just start throwing our belief at people and then tell them what is wrong with them.  The way to get a meaningful conversation started is by loving them and talking to them lovingly, without rebuking or judging them, even if you don't believe what they believe.  Once you start a loving conversation, eventually you may be able to state your faith and lead others to Christ.  But a good starting point is to talk to them and get their story.

          I really liked how Merchant went to some of the places in the U.S. where evil is most prevalent.  I agree that Jesus would be among the gays and prostitutes, etc.  He would be there loving on them and would have compassion for them. Instead of rebuking the people and looking down on them because they are different, or "wrong," Merchant interacted with these people and had compassion for them.  His confession booth was a pretty good idea.  It was a good way to see what others thought about his faith and to hear why his faith is persecuted.  Most of the time it was simply because they were turned off by Christians not loving them or caring for them at all.  When Merchant apologized for the wrongs The Church and he had done, I think it made people realize there are actually Christians out there who live right and how Christ would want us to.  It's not naturally a good feeling to start confessing what we have done wrong to other people we may think we are way better than or to people who seem "bad."  I really like how he went about doing that.  When we admit we have messed up and have not loved everyone like we should, it opens up people's hearts and makes them want to listen to what else you have to say.  By doing that, they then may feel comfortable to talk to you about their beliefs and that would be a good way to share Christ and see where God would lead you in the conversation.  A lot of times the big problem is that Christians aren't open to everyone like they should and the conversations don't get started.  But if we all started being more open to the non-believers and really everyone, we could engage in conversations where God might open doors to save people. 

        We never know what may be going on in someone's life and may not know what led them to be like they are.  I think we would have a lot more compassion on people if we knew their whole story.  Since we do not know the whole story, we need to have compassion on them anyways and be friends with them.  Like I said, we don't have to agree at all with what they believe, and we shouldn't fight it and say they are going to hell or their belief is wrong, but instead we should be loving and listen to them and their ideas.  I loved the way Merchant reached out to people and loved them and had compassion, no matter what was they were living like. 

       At the beginning of the film, I didn't think starting the Christian rally on those steps was a good idea.  It offended many people and it seemed to the people who were doing "wrong" that they were being attacked.  Instead of doing it there, they should have split up and talked to the people and get to know them, instead of hosting a big rally, that didn't get anything done but instead caused tension.  We can disagree with people and what they do but we should be careful to do it in a way that is loving and Christ-like.  That way we will be able to make a much bigger difference.  Instead of focusing on what is wrong with others, we need to fix what is wrong with us first.  By doing so, I think we can make a much bigger difference and set a good example of how to live Christ-like and truly make a difference in this commercialized and lost country and world.

Jesus Camp

I really don't know what to think about "Jesus Camp."  I won't say if it is bad or good, right or wrong.  Looking at the positive and negatives of the film, I will try to show you how I felt about it.  I agree with a lot of what the leader of the camp said.  Like how Christianity has been changed and tainted, causing it to be confusing to some people.  No wonder people criticize our religion so much.  We don't have a lot of people who radically live out their faith. Now there are quite a few people who do, but not enough who are making a big difference.  Anyone can make a difference, but we have to be willing to give up everything and let Him be in total control.  I think that is why she tries to reach little kids so much.  The faith of children is typically quite good and she says that if she reaches them and teaches them at a young age, then they will have that the rest of their lives and will live it out. In a messed up world, we should try to reach children and share Jesus with them.  How can we be loving if we do not share the greatest gift, Jesus, with others?  She had a heart for reaching children and teens and said that Jesus is the only way to salvation.  I totally agree with that.  The way she presents much of her stuff, though, seems to be brainwashing or indoctrinating.  We don't have to speak in tongues or be very dramatic to feel God's presence.  She almost made it seem we have to lift our hands in the air and speak in tongues to be able to fully reach God.  I am not in any way saying that her belief and what she is doing is wrong, but I don't agree with it.  In the way she teaches the kids, it seems like they know a lot but aren't taught how to defend their faith and say why it is right.  One of the best things to do is raise your children up to be a Christian.  But I would not let any children I know go to her camps because of the way it seems to be a little brainwashing.  She would pray about God not letting the power go out and other things.  We shouldn't demand God to do things like that and then be upset when the prayer isn't answered.  We can worship God even if there is no power and reach people.  Worship can happen in the worst or the best situations.  In that one church, the worship should not be about the pastor or the band.  The lighting was just highlighting that and that is wrong.  The only thing we should worry about is if God is getting glory or not.  Our whole lives can be and should be worship to God.  People in her camps are not being brought up in the right way, I think.  You can't threaten people to follow and make them believe something.  She seemed to guilt trip the kids into asking for forgiveness.  Her passion is great and I like that about her.  But sometimes it was hard to watch how she went around preaching and saying some things.  The kids are partially being misguided.  It's not just at a camp like that where you can experience God and feel Him.  You can always be in His presence and can feel Him anywhere.  It is not how we worship, but how authentic it is.  We don't have to speak in tongues or jump up and down or be moving around to feel Him.  It is good to be still and silent to hear Him and be with Him.  All too often, people go to camp and get on a Spiritual high that fades after a few weeks.  We need to be able to keep it going and always feel like that and want to live for Him like that.  She taugh her kids to go out with the Gospel with a war-like approach.  Sure you can say we need to conquer evil or the wrong in this wicked world.  But we need to be loving and we shouldn't force it upon people.  But she is right that we need to reach the world and take the Gospel to people.  She is trying to serve God and reach people, and that is a very good thing.  But because of the brainwashing factor, I would not send any kids I know to that camp.  It is great to get kids to be on fire!  But that needs to last and not fade away like it does a lot.  I agree that this generation is probably the key to bringing Jesus back.  She said that God doesn't like to go to "dead churches."  But what makes them dead and how do you know they are dead?  I don't agree and think that if there is even one person at a church like that who is living for God and really worshipping Him, then He would definitely be there.  I don't agree that Levi should use his "cute, little kid thing and become popular so people will listen and then learn how to use good content to preach."  So this is what I got out of and felt about the film on "Jesus Camp."

Don't Waste Your Life: Chapter 3

1.  Reflect again on Galatians 6:14.  Where does boasting only in the cross happen?  What does this mean practically in your life right now?
Boasting in the cross can happen anywhere.  It can mean whenever something good happens in school, sports, at home, or in relationships, we should be thankful for it and remember it all happened because of the sacrifice that took place on the cross.  Also, whenever we are faced with rough times in these areas, we need to remember we don't deserve anything at all and that the bad times are used for good, through and by the cross.  Because of the cross, we have new life and are a new creation.  Everything we do, we need to remember we are able to do it because of the cross and be thankful for it and sacrifice things to live for Him.

2.  Study the following passage:
I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.
-Galatians 2:20

How does it make sense to say that "I" died and yet "I" live?  What key words can you find in these verses that explain the difference between the "I" who died and the "I" who lives?

The "I" who died was the person I was before I had Christ.  When I got saved and had Christ, my original life, or "I" died and the "I" that lives is the new life with Christ.  The key words is, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."  Also, the life we live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God, who gave Himself for us.

3.  What areas of your life right now are you living by faith?  What areas are you NOT living by faith?

I am living by faith in my relationships, school, and sports, trusting that He will take care of me and help me.  I can't do anything alone, but with His help, I can accomplish many things.  A lot of times I do NOT live in faith whenever I am faced with a very difficult task or a hardship.  I will lose sight of Him and not focus on Him.  Eventually, I will remember Him and then try to act upon how He would have me, but I do not go to Him right away like I should.