Security and Design

Security vs. Anxiety

Security is structuring my life around that which is eternal and cannot be destroyed or taken away.

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” –John 10:28-29

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation read to be revealed in the last time.” –I Peter 1:3-5

Design- Understanding the specific purposes for which God created each person, object, and relationship in my life and living in harmony with them. Thanking God for my design brings Self-Acceptance.

                Design certainly has the potential to bring security if one thinks about it in the right way.  Knowing that we are designed, rather than haphazardly compiled by random chance, is very comforting to Christians who believe in a loving God.  The very word ‘design’ implies careful effort and a plan.  If someone is going to go to all the trouble of designing something, that person will also make an effort to protect the thing he or she has designed.  If I were to design a new machine, or plans for a house, or a story idea for a book, I would make an effort to make sure it was safe and make any alterations necessary to make my designed product the best it could be.  This is even truer concerning God.  Since the God of the Bible is a brilliant Creator, and also a loving Father, we can have the utmost confidence that even in our sufferings and hardships, if we follow our Designer’s plan, we will be protected and safe.  In the Designer’s hands, we are safe.  No one can pluck us out, once we are there.  In fact, the only way we can lose our security, is if we walk away from that security.  The concept is similar to if we have the best designed security system in our house that can detect and eliminate any threat, and we decide to turn it off.  Or perhaps a better analogy is if we have a security team, who is looking after us, and caring for us, and truly has our best interests in mind, and has simple instructions for how we are to live to be protected from our enemies, and we ignore those instructions.  I was reading Isaiah 30:15-16 this week, which says, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.  (16) But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.”  Our rest is in returning to God, and resting in Him, and in quietness and confidence in Him is our strength.  He knows what He is doing.  But if we persist in choosing our own way, making our own plans, and relying on our own strength, we will have no rest, because we have to make all the plans.  Our security rests solely in trusting the Designer’s plans, rather than making our own.

Being Born Again and Design

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” –John 3:5-8


The meditation commentaries have followed a very nice theme so far that all weaves together to form a whole picture, each concept building on the last.  We understand that God designed us according to Scripture a certain way, and wants us to operate within a certain paradigm so that we can function best.  However, we have been born into this dying race which constantly does things against God’s commands.  Even worse, we have a natural inclination to do those things that rebel against Him, His design, and His commands!
But, just as God originally designed us to function a certain way, and Adam messed it up, He also designed a plan of redemption—a beautiful plan of redemption!   Since we have been born into Adam’s race of sinful creatures, we have an inclination to sin and are subject to the law of sin and death.  In order to return to God’s original design, we must be born again, back into His plan, and into His family.  When we are born again, He adopts us as sons and daughters, and leads us into new life!
 God has very clear instructions about how to do this according to the Scriptures.  As we see in the Scriptures above, Jesus told Nicodemus that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Until a person is born again, he or she cannot even see or comprehend or understand or grasp the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus naturally asks the question, “How is this possible?”  The wonderful thing is that Jesus has the answer, because God already had a design in mind for how this would happen.  Therefore, Jesus clarifies that except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  The process is not abstract, confusing,  or unclear, yet it always astonishes me that people want to come up with a design other than what God laid out.  Throughout the book of Acts, in the birth of the church, we see example after example of people being born again, and they are always born of the water and of the spirit—that is, they are always baptized with water in the name of Jesus, and are filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
When we talk about the concept of design and the command to be born again and how it relates to God’s design, it is important to remember that we not only need to be born again to fit into God’s design, but we also need to follow God’s design for how to be born again.  Nicodemus was a master of Israel and did not understand these things, but it is easy to find out.  Search the Scriptures, for they contain the plan that God designed for being born into His kingdom...in them you find eternal life.  (John 5:39)  It must be by water and of the spirit, or part of the process has been lost.

Humility and Design

Humility is recognizing and acknowledging my total dependence upon the Lord and seeking His will for every decision.

•““A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

—Proverbs 29:23

•“For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”—Isaiah 57:15

There is an order to God’s kingdom and way of doing things that the above verses bring out.  Humility is one of the attitudes and character qualities God designed with certain consequences and ramifications that come with applying it or not applying it to our lives.  If there were no designer, humility would not be an issue.  If we somehow created ourselves, and worked by our own design and genius and intelligence, then we may have a right to be proud, and do things the way we want to do them, and put a lot of stock in our own opinions.  But the very fact that we are designed demands humility.  We have to realize that God knows what’s best since we are His creations.  The Bible shows the irony of this in Isaiah 45:9: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?”  Since God made us, it makes sense to humble ourselves before our Creator and figure out what He thinks is the best way for us to live our lives.  There will be no peace or harmony unless we exercise this humility.  It reminds me of something like the story of Frankenstein, in which the designed creation begins doing its own thing against the intent of the designer.  Everything ends up falling apart.  Another example is in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes when he lets his imagination run away with him.  In one plot line, he ‘makes’ replicas of himself, which end up doing their own thing, and it causes disaster for them.  A car that decides it wants to fly will end up crashing.  The same thing will happen to us, if we become prideful and think we do not need our Designer.  But if we humble ourselves before the only High and Lofty One—the One who lives in eternity, and knows quite a bit more than we do—we will dwell with Him, because then He is able to use us in the way we were designed to be used.  It is important, even for our own well-being, to keep this verse in mind, in closing: Psalm 100:3 “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”  The LORD is God.  We are not.  We have nothing to be prideful about, and every reason to show humility.

What's a MedComm Anyway? (Repentance and Design)

While I was a college, I had to write what they called a 'meditation commentary' every week.  The college staff chose a general theme for the whole semester, and then each week would give us a character quality or one of the commands of Christ and ask us to relate that concept to the the theme of the semester in a 300-word essay.  I wrote about 9, and while some are better than others, (or maybe I should say some are worse than others), I thought I would do a short 9-day series on my blog and share one each day.  These are a little more formal than my usual posts, because they were written for assignments, but hopefully, y'all will be able to get something out of them!

The theme for the term was 'design'.  Sometimes I try to relate the message in my blog post to some current event or the season we are in...this time, I got nothing.  I'm just being lazy and posting things I've already written.  Any rate, here it is.

Design

Understanding the specific purposes for which God created each person, object, and relationship in my life and living in harmony with them. Thanking God for my design brings Self-Acceptance.

Repentance Meditation Commentary

“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” —Matthew 4:17

“And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47

Design is an interesting concept in the Bible, particularly in relation to repentance.  On the one hand, there is the implication that since God created us, we should be content with how we are.  However, the way God designed us was to live according to His laws and commandments.  Our bodies function best when we follow His rules.  God set up certain guidelines and boundaries, whether it is in regard to food, clothing, lifestyle, sex, etc., and within those boundaries, we thrive.  Sin is the very opposite of that.  Sin is stepping outside those boundaries, and working against the way we were designed.  That is why repentance is the first crucial step in understanding design, and why it is the first thing that Jesus preached, and told His apostles to preach.  Following God's Word is in our best interests, because when we begin doing things His way, we are working in accordance with the way we were designed to work in the first place.  Repentance is the act of changing our thinking about the way we are supposed to live, and bringing us in accordance with God's thinking, which is what will give us long life, and bring us into step with His Design.  It is the same concept as restoring a building that has been run down and full of rats, pigeons, gangs, etc., to the thing it was originally designed to be. Perhaps the original design of the building was as a church in which to glorify God, or as a hotel.  But because the building ceased to be used for its intended purpose, it began to be used for other purposes.  Maybe gangs used it as a place to exchange drugs, or to hide illegal contraband.  Perhaps the wall was used for target practice, or pieces of wood were ripped out of the floor to be used elsewhere.  Spiders could have used it to build their webs, and small animals could have used it for shelter.  But that is not what the building was designed for, and unless it is returned to its original purpose, it will be condemned.  The idea that everybody should be able to stay exactly how they are, and accept themselves for who they are once they have been saved, is ludicrous in light of God's Word.  What did He come to save us from, if not sin? To be clear, it is very Biblical to accept things about the way God made you that you cannot change.  However, there should be no self-acceptance of sin.  Acceptance and self-esteem are good things, but only if the acceptance is of an attribute of God’s design.  The concepts of repentance and design go hand in hand, and repentance is necessarily the first step in accepting God's design.

Tips on How to be Fashionable

Okay...now that you're done laughing out loud, I'll admit it may seem strange that I, of all people, would be giving advice on how to be 'fashionable.'  As you may have noticed from my choice of thrift store clothes, keeping up with the latest fashions is not high on my list of priorities.
But let's think about the word fashionable for a minute.  I was pondering this word once while I was walking through a clothing store (if you count Wal-Mart as a clothing store ha!).
As a verb, according to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fashion, the word 'fashion' means:

tr.v. fash·ioned, fash·ion·ing, fash·ions

1. To give shape or form to; make: fashioned a table from a redwood burl.

2. To train or influence into a particular state or character.

3. To adapt, as to a purpose or an occasion; accommodate.

So logically, it follows that if you are fashionable, that means you are able to be fashioned by something, right?  In the way we use the word, it means you are able to be defined by what the culture considers to be trendy or attractive when it comes to clothing.  You are able to be fashioned by celebrities, fashion designers, friends, Hollister and American Eagle.  (If those are even fashionable anymore...I don't know.)
Am I taking the word a little out of context?  Maybe.  But bear with me.
Thinking of the word in this way, I thought, do I really want to be fashionable?  Do I want to be able to be fashioned by the fashion industry or anyone else?  The answer is no and yes, actually.  I do NOT want to be able to be fashioned by culture, retail stores, magazines, or TV stars...but there is Someone I want to be able to be fashioned by.
As I have been at college, I have done a lot of self-evaluating and had to consider who I really am when you strip away all the external things that I DO.  What manifests itself that's in my heart?  How do people see me who do not already have preconceived notions about me based on the things I've done?
I realized that at home, I was starting to become defined by the things I was doing like Bible studies, teaching at church, youth group or Sunday school, acting in drama groups, working on radio dramas, writing, Bible Quizzing, etc.  I derived value from the way my friends, family, and people at my church saw me.  But put me in a situation where I don't really know anybody, and more importantly, where nobody knows me, and what comes out?
What I've come to realize through this self-evaluation is that I have so much room for growth.  I know the Bible says those that compare themselves among themselves are not wise, but sometimes, it's helpful to evaluate yourself based on where other people are at.  I have imagined myself in different situations in the future, like in a career, marriage, living on my own, settling down with a family, teaching, or working creatively, and in each setting I imagine myself, I keep seeing over and over that I fall way short right now of what I could be in each of these situations.  "But Michael," you say, "you aren't in those situations!  You don't have to measure up to what you're supposed to be in those environments right now."  That's true.  But I want to be workable so that God can mold me into the person He wants me to be right now, so I'll be prepared for those situations.  I see need for growth, and my constant prayer is that God will 'fashion' me into the person He wants me to be.  (Were you wondering when the 'fashioning' part of this blog was going to come back into play?)
Looking at how the word fashion is used in Scripture is an interesting study.  I thought of a few headings for these verses to help us gain an understanding of what it means to be fashioned by God.
He already created and fashioned us with an intent in mind...to bring glory to Him.
Job_31:15  Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
Psa_33:15  He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Isa_29:16  Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? 

Isa_45:9  Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 

Isa_64:8  But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 

Jer_18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 

We were created with an intent in mind, but because of sin, we fall short of that, yet God gives us instructions on how to return to His idea for how we should be fashioned.  Check out these verses about fashioning:

Gen_6:15  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 

Exo_26:30  And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount. 

Exo_37:19  Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick. 

1Ki_6:38  And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. 

Psa_119:73  JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. 

Eze_42:11  And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 

All these verses talk about specific plans God gave to people so that they would fashion things according to His plan.  Of course there are also examples of people fashioning things according to their own plans, or according to the ideas of the world.

Exo_32:4  And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 

2Ki_16:10  And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

Isa_22:11  Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. 

Isa_44:12  The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 

We also have warnings of how quickly those things pass away...

1Co_7:31  And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 

Jas_1:11  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 

I may talk more about design in future posts.  At college, I had to write what they called a 'meditation commentary' every week on a different subject and how it related to a design, so I thought about publishing those short essays on the blog every day for about 9 days in the near future.

But back to the topic at hand...
My point with all this is that there are many things we can be fashioned by.  Scripture warns that the companion of fools will be destroyed and that evil company corrupts good character, and I don't want any part of that.  But the greatest fear for me is that I will become so hard-hearted and stuck in my ways that God can't work with me.  I never want to become hardened clay like that.  I always want to be fashion-able by God.
Some of my favorite verses in psalms talk about God changing our heart, like Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."  Another is  Psalm 139:23-24  "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  (24)  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  I used to think of these verses differently, but now when I pray them I cannot say it with any self-righteousness or pride by saying, "Go ahead, God!  Look and see how clean my heart is!  You got nuthin' on me, devil!"  That's not what the psalmist was trying to get across at all.  These verses are quoted right after an entire psalm about how intricately God created and knows us, and thus, it is fitting to end the psalm by asking God to continue to fashion according to His will.  I want Him to search my heart and know my thoughts, and see if there is even the slightest impurity that conflicts with His plan, and if there is, I want Him to purge it out, and continually lead me in the way everlasting.

So am I saying that it is wrong to appear in a way that is nice, and trendy, and acceptable to society?  Not at all.  I just wanted to use that term to segue into my main point.  What then ARE my tips on how to be fashionable in the right way?

1. Be humble, and recognize that you are not everything that you are supposed to be yet.

2. Search the Scriptures and find out what the model is for how we are to be fashioned.  (Jesus is the standard, by the way, in case you need a helpful hint to getcha going.)

3. Spend time with God and make sure you have a mold-able, usable, fashionable spirit that He can work with.  (which is really a sub point of being humble.)

4. Look to God for who you should be, not references in the world and among people.

5. Be content with the unchangeable things about the way God made you, and look to Him to change the rest!

Especially at the time of year when we are supposed to be giving thanks for what we have, and attempting not to become overcome by the commercialism so present the very day after, as we try not to get trampled trying to get the most fashionable stuff (ironic, isn't it?), I thought this would be a good thought to throw out there.  It has certainly been something I've been thinking about.  I want to be fashion-able by God.  My heart's prayer, as I hope yours is "That I may know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death."  God bless you all!

Philippians 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

1Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  (15)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16)  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Just Emotion?

Just to clarify, with elections coming up, this has nothing to do with politics.  Just thought I'd get that out there to begin with.
It does have to do with our response to the King of kings though!

Lately, it seems like I've been having a lot of conversations concerning the subject of music and how it is used to glorify God.  The reason it's been coming up has to do with another thing I should get out there right now: I'm an Apostolic Pentecostal.  Wait, wait, wait!  Before you tune me out, evaluate---oh man.  You already stopped reading, didn't you?  Oh well.

For those of you still with me, an argument I've heard several times through my short life, from both Pentecostals and non-Pentecostals, is that Pentecostal worship is "just emotion."  In fact, I had a similar thought at one point in my life where things weren't going well for me spiritually...

I wasn't feeling the presence of God and couldn't figure out why.  It seemed like everything was going fine...I felt so close to God; I was walking with Him.  He was speaking to me, and I was communicating with Him.  Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it all dried up.  God simply wasn't speaking to me.  The worst part was I didn't know why.  I repented of every sin I thought I could have possibly committed, and even sins I had never committed.  I prayed, wept, cried out to God, but nothing had an effect.

During this time, I felt hypocritical for worshipping.  That's the word I used: hypocritical.  My mindset was that if I wasn't feeling the presence of God while worshipping, I shouldn't be worshipping at all, because it wasn't in spirit and in truth.  (Nor is this an isolated case--I have heard those same words from other young people who are struggling.)  Also, because of hearing critical people and disgruntled saints, I became very sensitive about whether whenever I was worshipping I was just psyching myself up with emotion, or if I was really feeling the presence of God, so I tended to try to squelch any emotion so that God could move.

However, now I believe I had the wrong perspective.  (And there's definitely more to that story, but I want to focus on the aspect of worship, so you'll have to hear that story from me some other time :) Maybe I'll post about it later.)  In fact, I think the belief is kind of ludicrous now...not to be too harsh about it, but I do, and I'll explain what I mean.

First of all, I had an improper understanding of what being hypocritical meant.  A hypocrite is one who pretends to be one thing, but whose life is very different from what he/she is portraying to people.  In the New Testament, the word for hypocrite comes from the Greek word meaning 'actor.'  It's someone who acts one way, but really lives another.  There are times when people refuse to worship or praise and try to separate themselves from any emotional response in a church service because they don't want to be 'hypocrites' or say, 'that's not God--that's just emotion.'

I agree that it's not good to be hypocritical.  But expressing enthusiasm or feeling emotional when a song plays is not hypocritical unless your life doesn't match up with what your praise communicates about you.  Several verses bring this out very clearly.

Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

The first chapter of Isaiah also communicates something similar.  God isn't interested in 'lip-service' and people whose hearts are far from Him.  By no means should expressions of prayer or worship become solely ritualistic or activities that don't have any affect on a person's life.  I've seen this too, and it is very displeasing to God.  Coming to church and offering up expressions of praise to God, but not actually submitting to Him in the rest of our lives isn't worship.  It's an abomination to God and He hates it.  This isn't some social club or tradition!  It's a relationship with an Almighty God, who deserves honor.  Even the blind man who was healed by Jesus, who wasn't educated in the law, understood this, and equated worship with doing God's will in John chapter 9.

John 9:31Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

One of my favorite verses dealing with this topic though comes from the book of Psalms.

Psalm 33:1Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Praise is comely for the upright.  That means it looks good on the upright.  It is beautifying to those who have integrity.  This is so true.  (Well, obviously, because it's in the Bible, but I mean I've seen evidence of it over and over...which makes sense because that's what you'd expect from truth in the Bible but I mean...oh never mind.)  Whenever I see someone I know is righteous, and is living for God, offering enthusiastic praise to God...when I see them lifting their hands to heaven, and tears stream down their face...when I see them leap for joy in His presence...there's something special about that.  It's comely.  It's beautiful.  Note that it isn't true for those whose lives aren't right.  It is not a beautiful thing when someone you know isn't living right is dancing around 'in honor of God' clapping their hands and shouting praises.  That makes for an uncomfortable situation, because you know it's not genuine.   But praise is comely for the upright.

So I agree with the negative feelings toward emotion in this sense only: that there shouldn't be fleeting emotional appeals that last only for a night before that person returns to a life that dishonors God.  Pure emotion without an effect on a person's life serves absolutely no purpose.  However, I strongly disagree with the assertion that emotion should play no part in praise or in worship.  That doesn't even make sense.  When a person experiences the presence of something awesome, there will always be emotion involved.  If I'm walking through the woods, and run right into a grizzly bear, I will automatically experience certain emotions.  Fear and panic, to name a few.  When a father comes home from a long absence, a child will automatically feel certain emotions when that father walks in the door, as the child runs and jumps into his arms.  Can you imagine a child whose father has been in another country serving in the army perhaps, when that father comes home, the child stands back aloof and says, "I don't want to express any emotion, because I want to make sure my relationship with you is genuine."  Whaaat???  On the contrary, don't deep emotions indicate a deeper relationship?  Yet, I've heard people say things like this when speaking about God.  They don't want certain songs to be played because it might stimulate emotion and they don't want to rely on emotion when worshipping God.  But, as my pastor once said, "God gave us emotions...what else are we going to worship Him with?"

People go to football games, the openings of Apple stores, weddings, Star Wars conventions, birthday parties, etc., and express great enthusiasm and excitement.  Yet in our relationship with God, we believe that we need to be completely devoid of emotion in the name of reverence?  Even in the Old Testament, when the Holy Ghost was not accessible to every individual, instances like 2 Chronicles 20, the book of Ezra, the book of Psalms, the time when David danced before the ark of the Lord, when Solomon dedicated the temple, when Elijah prayed before God...all of these times express great emotion and enthusiasm and physical expressions of praise and worship.  How much more with an understanding of what Jesus has done for us, should we praise and worship God with enthusiasm?

When I was in Israel, we visited Golgotha and the Garden Tomb, and as the English tour guide was recounting the story of the crucifixion in a very factual way, I glanced over and noticed one of the preachers in the group, sitting there listening, with tears streaming down his face.  My eyes were dry.  I was soaking up what the tour guide was saying for its educational value, but when I saw him crying because of what his Savior went through for him, it touched me.  The better you understand what Jesus did for you, the more it should impact you.  The closer you are to Him, the more you will be overwhelmed with emotion, realizing His incredible mercy and love!

Should we be emotional when praising and worshipping God?  Absolutely.   Everything God has done for us absolutely warrants gratefulness, love, and enthusiasm.  God bless you as you praise the One who died for you.

Audio Drama Benefits Over TV

Once I heard on a Focus on the Family broadcast of a kid who was asked whether he preferred the radio dramas or television shows produced.  He promptly answered, "the radio shows!" which surprised the asker a bit.  When asked why, he answered, "Because the picture is better!"
I love that.  That's a kid whose imagination was working!  His short answer also encapsulates one of the reasons I love audio dramas.  There are other reasons though.  Don't worry--I'm not going to talking about the morality or even the health and neurological benefits, although there's significant research, to be found in other places, that audio drama is superior to TV in that respect too.  But in this little blog post, I'll explain some benefits to audio drama solely for entertainment purposes, mostly dealing with time.
Television is the most commonly used mode of entertainment.  TV captures people because it employs sight and sound, and it is addicting.  Even the worst story lines somehow capture our attention because it fixates our sight on a screen where things are happening every 2-4 seconds.  But there are times, when we simply can't look at the screen, because we're doing something else that we have to use our eyes for, and yet those things may be very mundane tasks, and we still want to be entertained.  In fact, people try to employ TV in some of these situations, and it can be dangerous...like in the car for example.  So I thought of three times when listening to audio drama is a better source of entertainment than watching TV.

1. While going to sleep.

I know people watch movies as they go to sleep.  But there are problems with this.  The chief problem involves these two facts: a) watching TV requires open eyes; b) sleeping requires closed eyes.  See the problem?  Audio dramas communicate the entire story through sound so you won't even miss anything while your eyes are closed!  Until you fall asleep, of course.

2. While driving.

Please don't watch TV while driving.  Please keep your eyes on the road!  This is for your safety and all those around you.  Of course, we all know that when you are commuting 30 minutes to an hour, things tend to get boring real quick.  Make good use of the time.  Audio dramas are also PERFECT for long road trips! Don't want to spend the money on one of those fancy little screen deals that fastens to the back of the seat?  Just pop in an adventure audio CD!  Endless entertainment.

3. While working.

Naturally, this is only for those times when you are doing completely brainless and menial tasks that require no mind power.  When I have to clean the house, I often listen to a radio drama.  When you're working outside or on the assembly line of a factory, just plug in some ear buds and let your imagination soar.

I'll provide some great links to awesome audio dramas below:

http://store.lamplighter.net/affiliates/default.aspx?Affiliate=55&Target=Store

http://store.lamplighter.net/affiliates/default.aspx?Affiliate=55&Target=Home

www.whitsend.org

www.cbhministries.org

www.radiotheater.org


Audio dramas are apparently more popular in Europe than in America, but I think they should make a comeback here, people.  There are so many advantages!  Now go practice your multitasking by listening to some audio dramas.