Green Will

"You are chosen..." 1 Peter 2:9

      Hal Jordan had never wanted the ring. In fact, he had never even heard of it or the Green Lantern Corps before Abin Sur crash-landed on Earth. In his dying breaths, the green ring (programed to choose the best organism in the sector to replace a deceased GL) passes from Abin's hand to Hal's. The ring had chosen him.

       Even though Hal couldn't understand what was going on. Beings from out of this world and beyond his comprehension had become active in his live. Even though Earthlings were looked down upon by the universe as weak and simple the ring chose one anyway. In a way the ring gave Hal purpose with it's calling, instead of being nothing to the universe he soon became something. Without Christ we too are worth nothing. But, we may rejoice because He redeemed us, through Him we are now worth something.

        In the same way that the ring chose Hal, a Christian is chosen as Christ's. Certainly we don't have the prerequisite of being able to "overcome great fear" (even though with God we can), but God chooses us for purposes even if we can't understand them. We have been called to step up to the plate and serve God, just as Hal grows in responsibility and serves the Corps.

      Many times it is hard. We may want to do immoral things, but God gives us the law as a curb. We know what we need to do and what we should do (love neighbors, worship God, follow his commandments), we just have to take up the responsibility to do it.

     The lanterns are powered by individuals with extremely powerful wills. Often times it seems to be God's will vs. our will. As God is good, perhaps his will is our will more often then we think. He leads us to green pastures to sit by still waters. He's a shepherd who knows how to care for his sheep (and actively does). Sometimes we feel like we've fallen off his path, like we're running away from his will. But, God can still use all things for good.

     This is one of my favorite verses: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

Free Will Contrasted to Divine Will

In the time of reformation, leaders arose. Ideas of Martin Luther, Erasmus, and the Jesuits seemed to be challenging everything about the Holy Roman Catholic Church. One of the biggest debates was over the identity of free will. By referring to mainly the Bible and contrasting philosophies I will attempt to share a solid philosophy on free will compared to God’s will. This view is different than any of the Sixteenth Century views, yet it possibly bares echoes of them all.

First, I must argue against the Jesuit philosophy. Even though alternate dimensions are an entertaining idea and add great aspects to science fiction TV series and books, they seem irrelevant for our world’s salvation. The Jesuits think that each possible decision that man makes through his free will must create a whole new dimension. Each decision leads to a new dimension. God infallibly watches all dimensions so that he may know man’s future.  With the premise that God has limitless knowledge, we should be able to assume that even if there was only one world God would know everything about it. God would not have to be dependent on the fact that there are multiple worlds to be able to know everything about one of them. Over all though, whether the other dimensions exist or not is another debate; much like the argument for extraterrestrial life. To disprove this philosophy, it is important to understand that God’s will is bigger than anything we could imagine. It is so vast that it does not require the need for other possible realities to exist to be able to have foreknowledge.

I seem to be a Compatibilist. I believe we both have God’s will and free will. It seems to be another Christian paradox, such as the ones discussed in G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. One fallacy that repeatedly sticks out in the Fatalistic arguments is the implication that God’s will is on the same level as man’s will. Though God can bring himself down to us (and he did as Christ Jesus), we can never bring ourselves up to him (body, mind, or soul). In faith, it is clear (as Luther believes) that it can only be God’s will that brings us to him but our will may still reject him.

These things being said, I take that stance that man does have free will in his daily life, even though God knows what man will choose. This is much like when God is depicted as a father. If a father knows his son well enough (just as God does for he made our bodies, minds, and souls and knew us even in our mother’s wombs Psalm 139:13) he should be able to guess what his son will do in any situation. A father will know by his son’s character whether he would choose to drink or not, whether he would drive safely or not, among other things he would even recognize whether his son had a habit (such as getting a cheeseburgers every time they go to the restaurant) and whether he would implement it or not. This isn’t a complete comparison because God is so much more than an earthly father. There is a chance that the father may be wrong, the son could give in to pressure or choose differently than expected, but God knows us so much better than anyone else could that he would also expect the rarities. Perhaps, by knowing the true person as God has formed them he has a clearer understanding of who we are than we ever could have. Besides knowing our every inner-working, God is outside of time. God, being alive and active in our lives is not like the father who spawns a child and then runs off never to know them again. He is the father who is there at the birth of his son and continues to be there for him. Due to the fact that God is also outside of time, he also knows us as we were formed, as we grew, as we matured, and as we grow old all simultaneously. We do not give God enough credit if we do not allow him the ability to know who we are and what we will chose. By being all-knowing, God does not need access to alternate possible dimensions. Even though he knows that we have already chosen a path (because he is outside of time), he would already know which path a person is going to take.

In Judges 7:9-15, God tells Gideon to arise in the middle of the night and take the enemy’s camp. God also says that if Gideon is afraid he should go down to the camp first, if he does go down to the camp he will hear what the enemy is discussing and he will become encouraged to overtake the camp. Gideon could choose whether or not to go down to the camp first before he attacked (God in his knowledge of Gideon must have known that he was scared and would need to go down to the camp for encouragement), and he did. As God foretold, Gideon overheard a soldier’s dream and became ready for battle. Still, if Gideon would have chosen to solely trust attack without going to the camp first God would have also understood Gideon and understood why.

There is another example in 2 Samuel 11:1-24. It is less direct, but still speaks truth. David sees Bathsheba and covets her. He finds a way to be with her and even though God punishes David by killing his firstborn, he also blesses him with his next heir, Solomon. Even though David and Bathsheba sinned, God knew that this would lead to one of the wisest men in the Old Testament. It was the couple’s choice to give in to pleasure above the command of God, but the birth of Solomon had always been God’s will. Perhaps if David hadn’t sinned, Bathsheba’s husband would have died all the same and they would have ended up together. In any case, God is able to have his will done through man whether they choose to directly follow his commands or not. Another thing to remember is that God is not limited by time itself. Even though he may work through time, he is not captive to it. He knows what has always been and what always will be much like a script writer watching his play come to life. Even more than the script writer, God knows the cast. He made each individual casting call and knows each member personally enough that he can tell when they are going to mess up their script or adlib. His will would have been done with any decision that David or Bathsheba had chosen. Was it not the Lord who protected Bathsheba through child-birth and created the baby Solomon? Just as in Genesis 50:20 where Joseph realizes that God had even worked through the actions of his brothers, God has worked through David and Bathsheba’s adulterous ways.

It would be a mistake to flatten God’s will to be on the same level as man’s. He is able to change everything with his will while man is only able to change the things around him in given circumstances. Man could never fully choose to fulfill all of God’s will, while God can choose to fulfill man’s will.

In the end, God’s will is done. Proverbs 19:21 states, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” God’s will works through situations that we find ourselves in and through other people. Usually, it is not as direct as we would want it to be. But, his ability to have foreknowledge and will does not mean that we cannot have free will. Have we not been created in his image, in the likeness of God? Perhaps like creativity we have will to an extent even though it is not as capable or vast as God’s.

Watchmen Blasphemy

For more of the original Watchmen GO HERE.

      As you may know, DC is going to be releasing a series of Watchmen prequel comics. Some people have asked my opinion on this. Even though I am not surprised, I am slightly appalled.

       Even though the Watchmen universe is a great universe and Rorschach is one of my all-time favorite superheroes; Watchmen was enough. It had a main running philosophy that argued against those who would lie (utilitarianistically) so that people may be united. It pushed for the sharing of the truth (in order that people may choose to make their own decisions). It was a great story. I really liked the reality behind the heroes (it ran parallel to comic strips like Kick Ass and Marvel Noir) in this dimension. Even though I would love to see a comic series in a similar dimension with similar characters, these characters were meant to tell this story. They did. Job well done. The only reason I believe that they're coming back with prequels is to get people more excited about comic books (good) but mainly to make money (should not be a main driving point).

P.S. There's a whole different writer and everything, so the main plot/themes are probably scratched.

Concerning the Covers: Rorschach's cover is ok, this new guy looks dumb (and shouldn't be involved if not in the main Watchmen comic [they should have done Hooded Justice or Mothman]), Nite Owl would never be that lazy (he'd have more of a ready stance), the Comedian looks like the Comedian, Ozy's cover's probably the best, Silk Specter looks alright, the minutemen should have shown all of the members of the Minutemen (there are some cool ones including Mothman), Dr. Manhattan's cover looks inappropriate:

http://www.facebook.com/watchmen

Nightcrawler: Priest, Prophet, Mutant

"Nightcrawler-- Priest, Prophet, Mutant

            Introduced in 1975, one of the most popular characters from the X-Men comics is a German circus acrobat named Kurt Wagner (a.k.a. Nightcrawler). Blessed with extreme agility and the ability to vanish in a puff of smoke and teleport miles away, Nightcrawler also has one of the most distinctive appearances of any of the X-Men characters, sporting blue skin and fur, yellow eyes, pointed ears, fangs, a prehensile tail, and three-fingered hands and feet. His appearance is very much demonic, making Nightcrawler’s devout Catholicism all the more fascinating. Though Nightcrawler’s freakish appearance is very much accepted during his upbringing in the Bavarian circus, he often finds himself at the mercy of angry mobs whenever straying from his circus peers, and it was after being rescued from one such mob that he joined Professor Xavier’s X-Men and came to America. Called a demon and a monster, Nightcrawler might have the most in-depth understanding of the persecution that mutants face, and yet, he will not allow his will or his faith to be crushed. Despite opposition from many in the religious community, he serves as an ordained Catholic priest, even though he finds it difficult to attend or preside over mass due to the terror his appearance often insights. Still, Nightcrawler remains an effective counselor, preaching the love of God for those born different, encouraging humans to love mutants and encouraging mutants like Magneto to be patient with the humans.

(X-Men 2)

              Perhaps what makes Nightcrawler so endearing is how utterly complex a character he is. A fan of classic films, Nightcrawler fancies himself a bit of a swashbuckler, often imitating his hero, Errol Flynn, when he goes into combat with the X-Men. Of course, while his beliefs make him pacifistic at his core, he must reconcile fighting alongside the X-Men as a service to the greater good, seeking to protect humans and mutants from whatever threats might arise from those seeking to oppress and conquer. Additionally, while many of the mutants are capable of passing for human, Nightcrawler’s appearance is a constant source of turmoil for him, but he continually finds affirmation in his religion, recognizing that, through his mutation, God has granted him special abilities and unique insights into the ordering of the world. He has every right to hate the people around him, yet he sees all people as children of God and preaches that same love and tolerance to his fellow X-Men when they grow tired of fighting the good fight. His religious rhetoric and comments about God’s love are a welcome antidote to the hate that the X-Men sometimes receive from religious groups like the Purifiers and the Church of Humanity. In fact, his uncrushable faith might be Nightcrawler’s most impressive ability, and it is evidence of just how much comfort people can find in God when the majority tells them that they are misfits or abominations. While religious people have an unfortunate history of being just as hateful as any other group, God loves the oppressed and the oppressor alike, going so far as to live among us as Jesus Christ and die a humiliating death to reconcile humanity to God. Nightcrawler might embody that spirit more than any other X-Men character. In his own words,

Looks like someone's been reading their Peter Abelard."

Original source: http://8000milestoordination.blogspot.com/2011/06/day-54-x-men-and-civil-rights.html

Another article on Nightcrawler's faith and origin story: http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/Nightcrawler.html

For a facebook group all about comic books and the Bible click here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/superinc/

Conservative Vs. Non-Conservative Christianity

There has been division among many churches in an argument based on how they should worship.

The Conservative View: The Church itself is pure and holy, instituted by God (true). We should preserve tradition (such as liturgy and the way services are organized) in order to maintain Christian continuity throughout the ages (making it so that we do the same things that our ancestors have done before us).

In this way, the church itself has been placed on a pedestal. It seems the focus has been moved from who we are worshiping to being more concerned with how we are worshiping. Unlike many Eastern religions that focus on what we do instead of what we believe, Christianity has always been meant to focus on our belief in Jesus Christ as part of the holy Triune God our actions are meant to stem from our beliefs (James 2:14-26 and Titus 3:1-11).

Instead of loving and caring for the church. Much like this picture of Snow White in a glass coffin, we have set the church up to preserve and worship her. Instead of helping her grow and flourish, we have been concerned with keeping her same, pure, and mint. This makes the "private practice of that religion a quite intolerable burden" (C. S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy Chapter IV). Now matter how hard we try as man to worship perfectly, it remains impossible. Only by grace are we able to worship to God in a way that is pleasing to Him.

I can see how many people are more comfortable this way. Keeping the church like an old friend, the same way she ever was and ever will be. Yet, in that way the church becomes more of the idea of your old friend than the actual friend (see C. S. Lewis' A Grief Observed Chapter Two). It's more healthy to be a part of your friend's daily life, learning and growing with them instead of hoping to keep them the same.

The Non-Conservative View: The Church itself is pure and holy, instituted by God (true). We are also to reach into the world to grow. Our main focus is to save peoples' souls here on Earth. The church may be able to change in some ways to do this.

This view focuses more on Christian outreach. They are the super-heroes and the world is the damsel in distress, the only way to save her is to help her believe. To do this they become self-sacrificing. The focus has seemed to move from focusing on worshiping God to focusing on saving others. This comes with a cost. The self-sacrifice may include accepting unrighteous beliefs like allowing homosexuality or adultery, the church may accidently lose itself in order to appease the world. This goes against Romans 12:2 where we are taught not to conform to this world, but be transformed by Christ (just as this world must be transformed by Christ in order to be saved, not by our own doings as Evangelists but through the power of the Holy Spirit.)

Like the chameleon in this picture, the church is willing to do almost anything in order to win over the world's hearts for God. It is true that we are called to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." Matthew 28:19. But we cannot have that take priority over caring for the Church itself. We cannot love the idea of saving the world more than we love God himself (1 John 2:15). As the Church attempts to reach into the world she cannot lose her own identity. Then she may end up just being another part of the world instead of a part of God.

The Paradox: The Church itself is pure and holy, instituted by God (true). We are both to reach into the world and stay apart from the world. Just as Moses named his son Gershom because he was a sojourner in a strange land (Exodus 2:22), we are also sojourners to this world. At the same time we are called to "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15.

In many instances, the church is a paradox. We are sinners but God makes us saints. We deserved to be damned but God brings salvation (for more on the Christian Paradox check out G. K. Chesterton's book: Orthodoxy). In this same way the church is both to stay the same and continue to change. Here are two constants in life: God and Change. God gives change, who are we to say that He cannot work with it?

Instead of preserving the church like some precious doll and instead of chasing after the world like a girl who stole your heart. We should live with the church in a good relationship. That's what the Song of Solomon's all about. This is supposed to be a healthy, living relationship. It's not dead like Snow White and it's not something we chase after like the world, the church is a relationship we have right now. We are to care for her and look after her, at the same time she is such a wonderful bride that we also want everyone else to meet her. Like an admirable person, we know the church is (at least meant to be) loving and caring, she has good advice and direction, we would want all of our other friend to be able to meet her and come to her when they need her too instead of solely keeping her to ourselves like some sort of Stockholm victim.

Concerning the continuity of the church through-out the ages: The church, like a person, can never stay the same. As with everything that is alive (except perhaps the Word of God), the church changes. The church had met in homes at first under heavy persecution, for a long time the church worshiped the pope, the church reformed, the church moved geographically, and perhaps most importantly the church grew. The church is healthy and alive, she is active. Yet, we can still say that by the grace of God we do still have continuity with all believers. It is not continuity through liturgy or certain prayers or location or order of service, it is continuity through Christ. Jesus is the only means that we can be saved and united, there are no ways that man can unite us on his own. No matter how the service is formed, Conservative or Non-Conservative, as long as the church is alive and healthy worshiping her husband, Jesus Christ, then we are safe. It does not matter so much how we worship as to who we worship and if by grace we worship God then He will know us. "I know my own and my own know me." John 10:14

Lloyd John Ogilvie

“Sometimes the Lord rides out the storm with us and other times He calms the restless sea around us. Most of all, He calms the storm inside us in our deepest inner soul.”

Lloyd John Ogilvie was once a Presbyterian Chaplain to the United States Senate. I didn't know that this position existed until recently. It seems like a great idea, but one of the requirements is the ability to be open to different religions' clergy hosting once in a while. Even though I'm proud this position exists, it's too political for me personally and it's a shame that there has been only one Lutheran in the position (though, I can see why most Lutheran Pastors would probably turn down the job).

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplain_of_the_United_States_Senate

Prepare Your Knees for the Coming Battles

In Kneeling We Surrender, In Prayer We Conquer

There are events like Easter and Christmas and hopefully every Sunday, when we worship and praise the Lord in our churches, in large evangelistic crusades, or even in citywide marches. When a small number or a multitude of Christians congregate in prayer, they give voice and allegiance to the God of the universe. Those are the times when the enemy shudders. The people of God do more damage to the domain of the enemy, not standing in defiance, but kneeling in obedience. It was once said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his or her knees.”

Therefore, let’s do everything we can to become a threat to the enemy. It seems that in the worship experience, it’s not simply a group of people saying and singing some nice sounding things. We are, in reality, making a corporate statement to the universe concerning whose side we’re on. The communication of our loyalty is not only among us and to God alone, but it is broadcasted to Beelzebul as well. When the scriptures indicate that angels long to look at what has been revealed to the saints, it not only refers to God’s angels but also to the fallen angels. They too wonder when things are going to break. They don’t know the future because they’re not omniscient. They don’t know when God will finally make all things right. They don’t know when their end will come or when Jesus Christ will return. So their dark days are doomed from the start and this gets the demonic forces very shaky.

The satanic kingdom has got to be the most frustrated kingdom in all history. It could never win. They may steal a fleeting victory here and there, but they could never conquer us. Every time a soul is saved, they lose. Every time a demon gets cast out, they lose. Every time God is praised, they lose. Let’s make sure they lose more often. Every time we pray over our home and church and exult the Lord, pray over our children and church members, dedicate our children or baptize new believers, they lose. The more they lose the better it is for all of us.

There was a specific season, early in our Christian lives, when my two brothers and I needed to seek the Father's face for the future direction in our lives. We decided to fast for three days. So we hired a boat that dropped us off on a small deserted island. There we pitched our tents, read our bibles, and got down on our knees to pray together. When the boatman returned on day three, we were a sight to see. We may have lost a few pounds feeling weak in the knees, but our spiritual senses about us was sharper than ever.

Within a span of fifteen years, my youngest brother discovered his gift of leadership and answered the call of God upon his life to be a pastor in one of the fastest growing churches in the country. My oldest brother exercised his gift of evangelism and has become a powerful instrument in God’s hands as he preaches the good news of Jesus Christ. I answered God’s call to preach and teach by going abroad for seminary training and serving the migrant Filipino churches throughout Southern California.

We didn’t get the answers to our prayers overnight. It took awhile for us to realize how God would unpack his plan for three brothers to purposely participate in the outworking of his kingdom. Our prayers didn’t stop when we left that small deserted island. We prioritized and persevered in prayer seeking first God’s kingdom. Let’s keep the demonic forces frustrated. Let’s throw our undivided allegiance in service to our Lord and Savior. Let’s continue to advance the kingdom of God upon our knees!


(Please, click the image for the original source.)