Melissa and I are engaged! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for and/or encouraging us over tha past few years. God has blessed us very much, and we are thrilled to work together for the greater glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (until death do us part)! The wedding will be December 2008 if everything goes more or less according to plan. I love my fiancee!
-Prince Cor
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Don't retreat; exegete!
The path of truth is a narrow one. Because it is so easy and natural for human beings to stray from God's truth, we must center our attention upon following the path before us, and not give too much focus to avoiding one particular misunderstanding. Truly, it is necessary that we hate heresy and lies, but running blindly in the opposite direction will certainly lead to extremist unbiblical views. In order for the Christian to stay on the path, one must diligently familiarize oneself with the Word of God, and not base our belief on the hatred of certain false beliefs.
Lately, I have found myself doubting that God really works in my life. It has seemed to me that there is not evidence of God's hand upon me. At times, I have been full of sadness and despair.
Charismatics, on the other hand, tend to misunderstand how God works in the universe. Many believe in modern prophets, present-day sign gifts, and other things. I believe this is a result of their misunderstanding God's Word. This is not the main point of my discussion.
The point is: I grew up in a mildly charismatic church. I will never go to another charismatic church. I tend to run so quickly from charismatic ideas, that I have started to doubt the means by which God actually works in the universe. I have (internally and subconsciously) scoffed at the idea of God changing lives, revealing Himself through His Word, and answering prayers, in various situations.
This irrational means of drawing conclusions about God's nature is the result of focusing primarily on running from something that I have decided is bad, and not focusing enough on gaining an accurate understanding of God's Word from God's Word. So, the point is a simple one: every Christian should seek to believe in God's Word more so than he/she disbelieves lies. Read your Bibles, remembering always to do so reverently, patiently, diligently, and carefully.
-Prince Cor
Lately, I have found myself doubting that God really works in my life. It has seemed to me that there is not evidence of God's hand upon me. At times, I have been full of sadness and despair.
Charismatics, on the other hand, tend to misunderstand how God works in the universe. Many believe in modern prophets, present-day sign gifts, and other things. I believe this is a result of their misunderstanding God's Word. This is not the main point of my discussion.
The point is: I grew up in a mildly charismatic church. I will never go to another charismatic church. I tend to run so quickly from charismatic ideas, that I have started to doubt the means by which God actually works in the universe. I have (internally and subconsciously) scoffed at the idea of God changing lives, revealing Himself through His Word, and answering prayers, in various situations.
This irrational means of drawing conclusions about God's nature is the result of focusing primarily on running from something that I have decided is bad, and not focusing enough on gaining an accurate understanding of God's Word from God's Word. So, the point is a simple one: every Christian should seek to believe in God's Word more so than he/she disbelieves lies. Read your Bibles, remembering always to do so reverently, patiently, diligently, and carefully.
-Prince Cor
Monday, September 10, 2007
Infrequent Posts
Hello friends! A brief update is in order, as much has changed since my last post.
I moved out of my parents' house and in with some of my band mates + Andy Winhold over the summer. We live in a house in Chandler. I bought a laptop, so I have computer access now! I am a full time Communications (not Music ED) major at ASU. I am in Physics and Statistics and 3 internet classes. I work full time as a teller at Tempe Schools Credit Union, about 1.5 miles South on Mill of ASU. Kyle, the middle brother, is engaged! Hurrah!
Sorry I have been posting so inconsistently, but now that I have a computer I should be on more regularly, though I am still quite busy with 37 hours at work and 15 at school.
Well my roommate is off to bed, so I ought to turn out the lights. Tchus!
-Prince Cor
I moved out of my parents' house and in with some of my band mates + Andy Winhold over the summer. We live in a house in Chandler. I bought a laptop, so I have computer access now! I am a full time Communications (not Music ED) major at ASU. I am in Physics and Statistics and 3 internet classes. I work full time as a teller at Tempe Schools Credit Union, about 1.5 miles South on Mill of ASU. Kyle, the middle brother, is engaged! Hurrah!
Sorry I have been posting so inconsistently, but now that I have a computer I should be on more regularly, though I am still quite busy with 37 hours at work and 15 at school.
Well my roommate is off to bed, so I ought to turn out the lights. Tchus!
-Prince Cor
Friday, April 20, 2007
Running.
So, I went running just now. I can just feel how good it is for my body, it's disgusting. I need to go eat Taco Bell or something.
No, just kidding! It really has been quite hard since I started, but the benefits are undeniable:
1) Helps me to be disciplined with other things (like reading the Bible, which I do immediately after running)
2) I feel good! I want to eat more good stuff and drink more water
3) I will be hotter for my hypothetical wife
4) It might make me live longer and be more physically capable
5) I get to wear shorts with high socks
On an entirely irrelevant note:
It always baffles me when I start asking myself the question, "Why do I do ___?" about just everything I do. Why do I eat so much candy? Why do I down two glasses of water every night before I go to bed even though I KNOW I am going to wake up in an hour or two to go to the bathroom? Why have I been staring at the compute for the past twenty minutes unsure what to write about?
Especially when I ask this about my sins, I find that I don't have any answer (or at least not an acceptable answer). Why did I lie? Why am I lazy? Why am I rude? Why do I say wrong things? Why do I speed?
I would like very much to figure out a couple of things before I do any action.
A) What are my reasons for this thing I am about to do?
B) Are these good reasons?
Aha! I have figured out how to stop sinning altogether! Tell your friends
-Prince Cor
No, just kidding! It really has been quite hard since I started, but the benefits are undeniable:
1) Helps me to be disciplined with other things (like reading the Bible, which I do immediately after running)
2) I feel good! I want to eat more good stuff and drink more water
3) I will be hotter for my hypothetical wife
4) It might make me live longer and be more physically capable
5) I get to wear shorts with high socks
On an entirely irrelevant note:
It always baffles me when I start asking myself the question, "Why do I do ___?" about just everything I do. Why do I eat so much candy? Why do I down two glasses of water every night before I go to bed even though I KNOW I am going to wake up in an hour or two to go to the bathroom? Why have I been staring at the compute for the past twenty minutes unsure what to write about?
Especially when I ask this about my sins, I find that I don't have any answer (or at least not an acceptable answer). Why did I lie? Why am I lazy? Why am I rude? Why do I say wrong things? Why do I speed?
I would like very much to figure out a couple of things before I do any action.
A) What are my reasons for this thing I am about to do?
B) Are these good reasons?
Aha! I have figured out how to stop sinning altogether! Tell your friends
-Prince Cor
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Road Trip! (the sequel)
Chaos by MuteMath
Complication's my claim to fame
and I can't believe there's another
Constantly just another
I can't avoid what I can't control
and I'm losing ground
Still I can't stand down
Yeah I know
I know you stay true when my world is false
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
I always see you when my sight is lost
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
It’s hard to trust anyone again
after all the let downs I’ve been through
haunted by what I’ve been through
Air’s still trapped, while I still can’t breathe
and I’m screaming out
give me help somehow
Yeah I know
I know you stay true when my world is false
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
Complication's my claim to fame
and I can't believe there's another
Constantly just another
I can't avoid what I can't control
and I'm losing ground
Still I can't stand down
Yeah I know
I know you stay true when my world is false
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
I always see you when my sight is lost
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
It’s hard to trust anyone again
after all the let downs I’ve been through
haunted by what I’ve been through
Air’s still trapped, while I still can’t breathe
and I’m screaming out
give me help somehow
Yeah I know
I know you stay true when my world is false
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
I always see you when my sight is lost
Everything around's breaking down to chaos
Hello everyone! I promised a big long post about the roadtrip....so I posted the roadtrip theme song above (to make this post a little bigger and longer).
Well, Monday morning we left at 0515 for FORT COLLINS, CO. I drove a few hundred miles, John drove the next few hundred miles, I drove the next few hundred miles..... then we arrived at our dear friend Zeke's place! The trip is about 900 miles, and we arrived at about 2230 MST (that's 1030PM AZ time, 1130 CO Daylight Savings). Now, do the math....0515 to 2230 is....ugg, it hurts my brain. basically, John and I listened to every song that's ever been written, read and memorized every English translation of the bible, talked about every topic conceivable to mankind, etc. Ok, 'twas not QUITE that long, but we talked much, exhausted the music in our combined iPods, read some Bible, you know.
John got pulled over in Utah going 74 in a 55....lol. We didn't get a ticket, because the highway patrolman was trying to bust us for something else...."So, this is YOUR truck?" he asked me. "When was the last time marijuana was smoked in this vehicle?" At first I had NO IDEA why he would assume I was a pothead, but then I remembered: AZ licence plate, cooler in the back, speeding, spring break, and I look like this:
Hello everyone! I promised a big long post about the roadtrip....so I posted the roadtrip theme song above (to make this post a little bigger and longer).
Well, Monday morning we left at 0515 for FORT COLLINS, CO. I drove a few hundred miles, John drove the next few hundred miles, I drove the next few hundred miles..... then we arrived at our dear friend Zeke's place! The trip is about 900 miles, and we arrived at about 2230 MST (that's 1030PM AZ time, 1130 CO Daylight Savings). Now, do the math....0515 to 2230 is....ugg, it hurts my brain. basically, John and I listened to every song that's ever been written, read and memorized every English translation of the bible, talked about every topic conceivable to mankind, etc. Ok, 'twas not QUITE that long, but we talked much, exhausted the music in our combined iPods, read some Bible, you know.
John got pulled over in Utah going 74 in a 55....lol. We didn't get a ticket, because the highway patrolman was trying to bust us for something else...."So, this is YOUR truck?" he asked me. "When was the last time marijuana was smoked in this vehicle?" At first I had NO IDEA why he would assume I was a pothead, but then I remembered: AZ licence plate, cooler in the back, speeding, spring break, and I look like this:
He searched the cooler in the back (I should have offered him a Powerade), glanced into my bag (where he saw NIV, NASB, The God Who Justifies, The Forgotten Trinity, The Brothers Karamazov). Anyway, he decided to let us off with a warning, praise God!
We hung out with Zeke and his mom and stepdad for a while, then went downstairs to crash. I didn't take any pictures of Zeke's BEAUTIFUL house because I forgot. Anywho, next morning we went for a walk/mini-hike down to the lake just outside the neighborhood and threw rocks onto the ice. John was being artistic and taking pictures of everything.
We hung out with Zeke and his mom and stepdad for a while, then went downstairs to crash. I didn't take any pictures of Zeke's BEAUTIFUL house because I forgot. Anywho, next morning we went for a walk/mini-hike down to the lake just outside the neighborhood and threw rocks onto the ice. John was being artistic and taking pictures of everything.
Then we climbed back up the hill and hung out at Colorado State University for a while at Zeke's dorm, and Zeke and I had a good jam while John climbed the wall of the lounge (I played piano, Zeke played djembe), then we went and walked around town, ate AMAZING 2$ organic tacos. And we took some pictures...
We borrowed a bible from the Danforth Chapel because none of us had one with us, and we needed one (when DON'T you need one?). Later we went back to Zeke's dorm and watched Braveheart, then went to sleep.
In the morning, Zeke went to work, so John and I made a short film about our quest to return the Bible to the chapel (which we had accidentally kept overnight). We spent a few hours filming it.....it is hilarious. Just wait until we edit it.........I mean, until John edits it and I watch him. It will be quite funny, and there is room for a sequel....
Then, Zeke met up with us, and we drove to Boulder to visit my uncle. We didn't actually get to see him, but we got to look around town a bit and have some quality dinner and hanging out. Also, it got us an hour closer to home. After this we dropped Zeke at his friend's house where he was staying, and John and I slept in the back of my truck, talking (and laughing) together late into the night. We got about 4 hours of sleep, woke up at 0300 (0200AZ) and drove home, arriving at about 1700. I almost forgot....in Utah, I got pulled over for speeding significantly in town (Main Street is also a highway, so I was accelerating early.....and not paying attention). Again, the cop let us off with a warning......that's two warnings within 100 miles of one another. Altogether, we drove about 1900 miles, 34 hours, 7-ish tanks of gas, 9 powerades, 12 capri-suns, 3 states, got pulled over twice. Praise God for protecting us (and showing us mercy)!
Anyways, it was just great to be able to see Zeke, encourage and have fun with one another, take a break from everything, listen to lots of music, read lots of Scripture, and everything else. But I am CERTAINLY glad to be back now!
Anyway, either John or I will post more pictures later....I didn't take many because his camera "pwns Cory's camera in the face", and John is the artistic photographer man. Thanks to those who prayed for us!
Next time you see me or John, ask us about the video if you want to see it.
Thanks for coming with me John. It was fun, and I learned much!
-Prince Cor
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Road Trip!
I already lost the game, so don't even try it.
Well, John Roberts and I are taking a somewhat spontaneous roadtrip! We are leaving on a mission early Monday morning for FORT COLLINS, COLORADO in my truck. We are going to visit ZEKE, a dear brother at Colorado State University. Anyway, right now the plan is: We leave early Monday morning, arrive late Monday evening, crash at Zeke's mom's place, wake up Tuesday and do whatever all day, crash that night at Zeke's dorm, wake up Wednesday and do whatever al day, crash that night at Zeke's dorm, drive home safely Thursday morning, arrive late Thursday evening. I will take lots of pictures, I will drvie safely, I will pack long underwear, I will make sure John does all those things. Love you all! Pray for us! Expect a big long blog post when I get back!
Love, Cory Shane Ryan
Well, John Roberts and I are taking a somewhat spontaneous roadtrip! We are leaving on a mission early Monday morning for FORT COLLINS, COLORADO in my truck. We are going to visit ZEKE, a dear brother at Colorado State University. Anyway, right now the plan is: We leave early Monday morning, arrive late Monday evening, crash at Zeke's mom's place, wake up Tuesday and do whatever all day, crash that night at Zeke's dorm, wake up Wednesday and do whatever al day, crash that night at Zeke's dorm, drive home safely Thursday morning, arrive late Thursday evening. I will take lots of pictures, I will drvie safely, I will pack long underwear, I will make sure John does all those things. Love you all! Pray for us! Expect a big long blog post when I get back!
Love, Cory Shane Ryan
Thursday, March 8, 2007
I've been tagged.
Well, I have been tagged by Rusty. I guess that means I need to answer these questions and tag three more people. I choose John and Hannah and Tia. You three are my "elect", you might say. Well I accidentally lost this post when I was about half way through so I am going to try this again (for some reason).
1. What is your occupation? Product Specialist for Blue Buffalo. Basically, I set up a table in pet stores and tell people why my dog food is better than theirs. Then they buy it.
2. What color are your socks right now? White with gray toes and a thin red line separating the two colors.
3. What are you listening to right now? Doing Time by Sublime.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A Wendy's burger with fries and frosty, mmmm.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Probably not very effectively...
6. When is your birthday, and how old will you be on that day, this year? June 23, I will be 19.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Rob something, one of the bassists in my studio.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I did until he sent this to me LOL
9. How many states have you lived in? Two, maybe? AZ and CA. Ask Rusty if I was alive when our family lived in CA, cuz I don't remember.
10. Favorite Drink? Rooster Booster (only at QuikTrip!)
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Webster defines "favorite" as "one regarded with special liking", meaning that I have to LIKE watching a sport in order for it to be my favorite. In other words, I don't have a favorite.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? No.
13. Pets? I live with two dog things and a brother. They are Boston Terriers named Toby and Tess. The brother is named Kyle.
14. Favorite Food? Chicken Shawarma, breaded chicken w/hot sauce, steak & shrimp (together, not separate), Taco's Pepe (R.I.P.). Basically, I love food.
15. What was the last movie you watched? The Departed (excellent yet disturbing), and I'm in the middle of 1776.
16. Favorite day of the year? Not sure.
17. What do you do to vent anger? Play Upright Bass. And pray.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Jenga pieces and Green Army Men; I would make Jenga FORTRESSES and set up the green army men.
19. What is your favorite season? Summertime; livin's easy. (See Question 3 if you don't get it).
20. Hugs or kisses? Both! Depending, of course, on the context.
21. Cherries or blueberries? Cherry Pie. Blueberry Pancakes.
22. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yeah, it's always nice to get emails from folks besides "AWE$omeREPLICA$$" about "R0lexxxxxx"
23. Who is most likely to respond? Tia Carley!
24. Who is least likely to respond? John Roberts! (He is quite busy)
25. Living arrangements? I live in my parent's house. Just go in the front door, hang a right down the hall, and the first door on the right is probably where I am.... playing bass or doing homework or on the internet.....or watching anime on cartoon network.
26. When was the last time you cried? February 28th.
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Carpet.
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Tia Carley!
29. What did you do last night? Well it is now 12:13AM, so I can say last night I worked and got off early, went to my student's orchestra concert, went home and killed time on the internet with this stupid survey and read THE GOD WHO JUSTIFIES by James White.
30. Favorite smells? My new shampoo!
31. What inspires you? Seeing God's promises fulfilled. People doing things I want to do: playing great music, speaking truth boldly.
32. What are you afraid of? Hilary Clinton being president. And Southern Baptists.
33. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? All of the above
34. Favorite dog breed? Belgian Malinois
35. Number? 4
36. How many years at your current job? 1
37. Favorite day of the week? Thursday
38. Where would you like to retire? Doesn't matter
39. Favorite Movie? Good Will Hunting
40. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? The WAV at PetSmart
41. What are your plans for today? go to bed, prepare for trumpet final
42. Are you actually going to answer all these and send them back to the person who sent them to you? Yes, unfortunately
1. What is your occupation? Product Specialist for Blue Buffalo. Basically, I set up a table in pet stores and tell people why my dog food is better than theirs. Then they buy it.
2. What color are your socks right now? White with gray toes and a thin red line separating the two colors.
3. What are you listening to right now? Doing Time by Sublime.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A Wendy's burger with fries and frosty, mmmm.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Probably not very effectively...
6. When is your birthday, and how old will you be on that day, this year? June 23, I will be 19.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Rob something, one of the bassists in my studio.
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I did until he sent this to me LOL
9. How many states have you lived in? Two, maybe? AZ and CA. Ask Rusty if I was alive when our family lived in CA, cuz I don't remember.
10. Favorite Drink? Rooster Booster (only at QuikTrip!)
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Webster defines "favorite" as "one regarded with special liking", meaning that I have to LIKE watching a sport in order for it to be my favorite. In other words, I don't have a favorite.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? No.
13. Pets? I live with two dog things and a brother. They are Boston Terriers named Toby and Tess. The brother is named Kyle.
14. Favorite Food? Chicken Shawarma, breaded chicken w/hot sauce, steak & shrimp (together, not separate), Taco's Pepe (R.I.P.). Basically, I love food.
15. What was the last movie you watched? The Departed (excellent yet disturbing), and I'm in the middle of 1776.
16. Favorite day of the year? Not sure.
17. What do you do to vent anger? Play Upright Bass. And pray.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Jenga pieces and Green Army Men; I would make Jenga FORTRESSES and set up the green army men.
19. What is your favorite season? Summertime; livin's easy. (See Question 3 if you don't get it).
20. Hugs or kisses? Both! Depending, of course, on the context.
21. Cherries or blueberries? Cherry Pie. Blueberry Pancakes.
22. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? yeah, it's always nice to get emails from folks besides "AWE$omeREPLICA$$" about "R0lexxxxxx"
23. Who is most likely to respond? Tia Carley!
24. Who is least likely to respond? John Roberts! (He is quite busy)
25. Living arrangements? I live in my parent's house. Just go in the front door, hang a right down the hall, and the first door on the right is probably where I am.... playing bass or doing homework or on the internet.....or watching anime on cartoon network.
26. When was the last time you cried? February 28th.
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Carpet.
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Tia Carley!
29. What did you do last night? Well it is now 12:13AM, so I can say last night I worked and got off early, went to my student's orchestra concert, went home and killed time on the internet with this stupid survey and read THE GOD WHO JUSTIFIES by James White.
30. Favorite smells? My new shampoo!
31. What inspires you? Seeing God's promises fulfilled. People doing things I want to do: playing great music, speaking truth boldly.
32. What are you afraid of? Hilary Clinton being president. And Southern Baptists.
33. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? All of the above
34. Favorite dog breed? Belgian Malinois
35. Number? 4
36. How many years at your current job? 1
37. Favorite day of the week? Thursday
38. Where would you like to retire? Doesn't matter
39. Favorite Movie? Good Will Hunting
40. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? The WAV at PetSmart
41. What are your plans for today? go to bed, prepare for trumpet final
42. Are you actually going to answer all these and send them back to the person who sent them to you? Yes, unfortunately
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
The essence of Christian love is the gospel, but the essence of the gospel is faith and repentance.
A few brief and scattered thoughts on the following article:
http://idsblog.org/?p=293#more-293
I agree with the main idea of this article, that "the essence of Christian love is the Gospel". It is true that we should love all people, and the preaching the Gospel is the very center of that love. However, I must offer my critique of his "critique" sections.
From critique 1: "I am not a border patrol agent or a policeman."
(Smell like a fallacy to anyone else?) He explains that it is not his responsibility to turn people in to the authorities. I happen to agree with this statement, it is not his responsibility, BUT...
"if we argue that it is our job to uphold God’s righteousness by stopping illegal aliens from sinning, then we need to be consistent and uphold God’s righteousness by stopping people from cursing or saying anything that is not encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). Our job as ambassadors for Christ is to tell people how to get right with God, not to stop people from sinning."
I admit, he is consistent in condemning the straw man he created in the "Viewpoint #1" section. However, most Christians actually argue viewpoint #1 NOT by saying "I have a moral obligation to STOP ALL SIN!" but rather "I have a moral obligation to CONDEMN sin". The manner in which a person should do so is where I differ (only slightly) from these folks. My question to the writer is this: If it is not your moral responsibility to stop people from cursing or saying non-encouraging things, then what IS your responsibility regarding those things? You will not find the answer in Ephesians 4:29 (which is taken VIOLENTLY out of context, since Paul is specifically addressing believers), but rather in the gospels. Matt 3:2, 4:17, Mark 6:12, 16:15 (to name a few) all make it quite clear that we are to preach a gospel of repentance. This means ADDRESSING sins! Condemning sin and calling folks to repent is CENTRAL to preaching the gospel. Our job is not merely to "tell people how to get right with God" but to preach "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." This can not be done without addressing very real sins immediately, rather than taking the "Let's be friends, then I'll PERMISSION EVANGELIZE you, then you'll believe in Jesus without hearing that the Law of God condemns you, and THEN we will talk about your sins, and MAYBE you will ACTUALLY repent of your sins" approach which is so popular among some Evangelicals. Instead, REPENTANCE and FAITH are gifts from God that come together as a result of the Holy Spirit bringing light to the true gospel within the heart of man.
This is exactly what should NOT happen: "This means that as I am meeting with my friend who is an illegal alien and I have cared for him and shared the gospel with him and God has changed his heart, there will be a point at which I will have to challenge him that he is currently in sin."
Repentance and faith come TOGETHER. Conviction of sin and belief in the God of the Bible come TOGETHER. Not separately. Period. Exclamation Point! These are the listed events: Share the gospel, God changes his heart, Challenge him that he is in sin. Ummmmm..... If you didn't already challenge him that he is in sin, then what exactly did he repent of? In fact, why does he believe that he needs a savior if you haven't already pointed out that things he is doing are sins? There's simply no way around it. It is true that we need to love illegal immigrants, and to preach the gospel, but we must not compromise on what it MEANS to preach the gospel.
http://idsblog.org/?p=293#more-293
I agree with the main idea of this article, that "the essence of Christian love is the Gospel". It is true that we should love all people, and the preaching the Gospel is the very center of that love. However, I must offer my critique of his "critique" sections.
From critique 1: "I am not a border patrol agent or a policeman."
(Smell like a fallacy to anyone else?) He explains that it is not his responsibility to turn people in to the authorities. I happen to agree with this statement, it is not his responsibility, BUT...
"if we argue that it is our job to uphold God’s righteousness by stopping illegal aliens from sinning, then we need to be consistent and uphold God’s righteousness by stopping people from cursing or saying anything that is not encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). Our job as ambassadors for Christ is to tell people how to get right with God, not to stop people from sinning."
I admit, he is consistent in condemning the straw man he created in the "Viewpoint #1" section. However, most Christians actually argue viewpoint #1 NOT by saying "I have a moral obligation to STOP ALL SIN!" but rather "I have a moral obligation to CONDEMN sin". The manner in which a person should do so is where I differ (only slightly) from these folks. My question to the writer is this: If it is not your moral responsibility to stop people from cursing or saying non-encouraging things, then what IS your responsibility regarding those things? You will not find the answer in Ephesians 4:29 (which is taken VIOLENTLY out of context, since Paul is specifically addressing believers), but rather in the gospels. Matt 3:2, 4:17, Mark 6:12, 16:15 (to name a few) all make it quite clear that we are to preach a gospel of repentance. This means ADDRESSING sins! Condemning sin and calling folks to repent is CENTRAL to preaching the gospel. Our job is not merely to "tell people how to get right with God" but to preach "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." This can not be done without addressing very real sins immediately, rather than taking the "Let's be friends, then I'll PERMISSION EVANGELIZE you, then you'll believe in Jesus without hearing that the Law of God condemns you, and THEN we will talk about your sins, and MAYBE you will ACTUALLY repent of your sins" approach which is so popular among some Evangelicals. Instead, REPENTANCE and FAITH are gifts from God that come together as a result of the Holy Spirit bringing light to the true gospel within the heart of man.
This is exactly what should NOT happen: "This means that as I am meeting with my friend who is an illegal alien and I have cared for him and shared the gospel with him and God has changed his heart, there will be a point at which I will have to challenge him that he is currently in sin."
Repentance and faith come TOGETHER. Conviction of sin and belief in the God of the Bible come TOGETHER. Not separately. Period. Exclamation Point! These are the listed events: Share the gospel, God changes his heart, Challenge him that he is in sin. Ummmmm..... If you didn't already challenge him that he is in sin, then what exactly did he repent of? In fact, why does he believe that he needs a savior if you haven't already pointed out that things he is doing are sins? There's simply no way around it. It is true that we need to love illegal immigrants, and to preach the gospel, but we must not compromise on what it MEANS to preach the gospel.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Cause and Affection
Hey guys! Well, John Roberts and I had an enjoyable time this evening eating Hot Tamales and watching "Walk The Line" (which would have been HORRIBLY depressing if John and I had not been laughing together the whole way through). Anyway, that's my excuse for being up late even though I'm getting up early... HAPPY DAY AFTER YOUR BIRTHDAY JOHN! WOOOOO! Thanks for being such an encouragement to me and a source of wisdom. Press on in your faith, man.
On a different note, I wrote this poem about my struggle with waiting patiently for God to answer prayer.
Cause and Affection
I thought it over
I made my design
Waiting for the right time
I thought it was over
It seems I was wrong
The waiting goes on
My plans are laid bare
And the need is still there
I simply want to reply
Ideas I have to deny
Your gifts are lovely, but they are not You
They’re only beautiful because they’re from You
And I cannot take what’s not mine
So I kiss all my dreams goodnight
They’re sleeping but will they survive?
On a different note, I wrote this poem about my struggle with waiting patiently for God to answer prayer.
Cause and Affection
I thought it over
I made my design
Waiting for the right time
I thought it was over
It seems I was wrong
The waiting goes on
My plans are laid bare
And the need is still there
I simply want to reply
Ideas I have to deny
Your gifts are lovely, but they are not You
They’re only beautiful because they’re from You
And I cannot take what’s not mine
So I kiss all my dreams goodnight
They’re sleeping but will they survive?
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
New Song
It SNOWED on Sunday evening in Mesa, Arizona, while I was driving to church! (Scott, like myself, concluded that the apocalypse was imminent upon observing said precipitation.) Well, I was waiting in line to get on US 60 West when I noticed a number of beautiful things: the snow, the oil spectrum from the wet pavement, the fog from car exhaust, the streetlights (they look cool through foggy windows), the heat waves behind a Hummer, the sunset, the snow clouds...
So I started thinking...What if I had never seen snow, or cars, or streetlights? How would I be able to tell the difference between what is natural and what is man-made?
This song is about weeding out false prophets/waiting for the Glorious Return of Christ. I think I will call it "Artificial". It is a work in progress, so be gentle on my grammar and rhyming and stuff, but the song sounds really cool so far...
Artificial
The sun is setting and the sky is darkened
The road is wet from the snow
but the oil makes it beautiful
Hot and cold are intersecting
My engine breathes into the night
I'd love to stay here but I've got to go
And I am wondering:
How am I supposed to know?
If I've never seen the snow
by what standard can I weigh
the things that I don't know?
Is there any way?
If I've never seen the Lord
how will I know Him when He comes
apart from artifical men?
Oh God, this desert is so melancholy
There's no place for me to go
to escape from my iniquities
And I am wondering:
Where am I supposed to go?
If I've never seen the snow
by what standard can I weigh
the things that I don't know?
Is there any way?
If I've never seen the Lord
how will I know Him when He comes
apart from artifical men?
I so often mistake myself for You
So I started thinking...What if I had never seen snow, or cars, or streetlights? How would I be able to tell the difference between what is natural and what is man-made?
This song is about weeding out false prophets/waiting for the Glorious Return of Christ. I think I will call it "Artificial". It is a work in progress, so be gentle on my grammar and rhyming and stuff, but the song sounds really cool so far...
Artificial
The sun is setting and the sky is darkened
The road is wet from the snow
but the oil makes it beautiful
Hot and cold are intersecting
My engine breathes into the night
I'd love to stay here but I've got to go
And I am wondering:
How am I supposed to know?
If I've never seen the snow
by what standard can I weigh
the things that I don't know?
Is there any way?
If I've never seen the Lord
how will I know Him when He comes
apart from artifical men?
Oh God, this desert is so melancholy
There's no place for me to go
to escape from my iniquities
And I am wondering:
Where am I supposed to go?
If I've never seen the snow
by what standard can I weigh
the things that I don't know?
Is there any way?
If I've never seen the Lord
how will I know Him when He comes
apart from artifical men?
I so often mistake myself for You
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Hungry Elephants Ravenously Eating Synthetic Yogurts
A long time ago, I heard mention of a distant, mythical evil. It had been mentioned in my history books. Perhaps it was murmured from the pulpit, a whisper alluding to a taboo terror that had LONG since passed from the world of men....
HERESY!
This is a silly description, but it accurately reflects my previous attitude concerning heresy. I regarded it as something of the past, from a less enlightened phase of the church. I read about the Roman Catholic Church before the Reformation and thought, "It's a good thing Martin Luther eradicated false teachings and unbiblical practices from Christianity forever!" Even in more recent years, I have heard heresy discussed and debated, I have read articles... Still, in my mind, I identified heresy as something that existed only in the world of those argumentative self-proclaimed "intellectuals".
How naive I am! In the past few months, God has been showing me the evils that infiltrate so-called "Christianity". I have been exposed to the Arminian gospel that is so widely preached, and is so often accompanied by its man-worshipping counterpart, "seeker-sensitivity". I have heard the horribly ironic teachings of men who claim to submit to no teachings of men, challenging me to embrace NEW doctrines as my sinful nature and fallible reasoning conjure them out of scripture. Not only are such heresies found among the apologists and theologians, but among REAL PEOPLE! There are those among my beloved friends who will abuse any out-of-context passage from scripture in order to justify their sins to themselves. I have found myself in a few situations recently where I have challenged a fellow believer on their sin, and what has been the typical response? "Cory, you can't fuss about EVERY little sin. There are much bigger things to worry about. We're not doing anything THAT wrong" or "It really comes down to what YOU BELIEVE is wrong. Your conscience determines your standing before God." or even "Judge not, lest ye be judged! You sin too, Cory!"
It seems to me that most people will embrace any argument without examining it, as long as it allows them to remain comfortable in their sin.
So here are where the questions come in: Where can I find the strength to argue on behalf of the gospel, when so many of my friends are so eager to spout nonsensical fallacious arguments reflecting worldly philosophies? How am I to address people with the authority of scripture, yet with patience and gentleness? What hope is there for God's church if such blatant heresies seem more common than sound teachings?
Praise to our gracious God, whose people have strength by the Holy Spirit, and whose promises declare that the work He has started, He will also finish!
HERESY!
This is a silly description, but it accurately reflects my previous attitude concerning heresy. I regarded it as something of the past, from a less enlightened phase of the church. I read about the Roman Catholic Church before the Reformation and thought, "It's a good thing Martin Luther eradicated false teachings and unbiblical practices from Christianity forever!" Even in more recent years, I have heard heresy discussed and debated, I have read articles... Still, in my mind, I identified heresy as something that existed only in the world of those argumentative self-proclaimed "intellectuals".
How naive I am! In the past few months, God has been showing me the evils that infiltrate so-called "Christianity". I have been exposed to the Arminian gospel that is so widely preached, and is so often accompanied by its man-worshipping counterpart, "seeker-sensitivity". I have heard the horribly ironic teachings of men who claim to submit to no teachings of men, challenging me to embrace NEW doctrines as my sinful nature and fallible reasoning conjure them out of scripture. Not only are such heresies found among the apologists and theologians, but among REAL PEOPLE! There are those among my beloved friends who will abuse any out-of-context passage from scripture in order to justify their sins to themselves. I have found myself in a few situations recently where I have challenged a fellow believer on their sin, and what has been the typical response? "Cory, you can't fuss about EVERY little sin. There are much bigger things to worry about. We're not doing anything THAT wrong" or "It really comes down to what YOU BELIEVE is wrong. Your conscience determines your standing before God." or even "Judge not, lest ye be judged! You sin too, Cory!"
It seems to me that most people will embrace any argument without examining it, as long as it allows them to remain comfortable in their sin.
So here are where the questions come in: Where can I find the strength to argue on behalf of the gospel, when so many of my friends are so eager to spout nonsensical fallacious arguments reflecting worldly philosophies? How am I to address people with the authority of scripture, yet with patience and gentleness? What hope is there for God's church if such blatant heresies seem more common than sound teachings?
Praise to our gracious God, whose people have strength by the Holy Spirit, and whose promises declare that the work He has started, He will also finish!
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