Pointing

So things are busier these days so I will again give you a link to check out.

Willems Antique

For me Willem Antique poses many questions.
Why would somebody be self sacrificial?
What is he trying to say with his actions?
Would I do the same thing?
Are we posed with the same dilemma, though not in the same way?
Or was should he have just thought about himself?

God bless us,
God lead us.

Interesting Clip

Here is an interesting audio clip. If you have time I recommend that you listen to it.

Patrick Dodson:Centrifugal-Creativity

Have a great week.

God bless us
God lead us

Humm ...

Recently I've been puzzled by how God works in our lives. I've been amazed. I guess as humans we expect the thunder and lightning of zeus. But many times we see the opposite. It's as if God is saying, that he is so powerful that he doesn't need the thunder and the lightning to do what he wants? Or is it because the thunder and lightning of zeus is ineffective? Do big guns and large forces actually lose the war? Is it maybe that a show of power shows weakness?

John 19:11 NKJV
"Jesus answered, 'You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.'"

"Czars, Soviets & Mennonites"

So I'm sorry for the delay in posting. I took a break in posting for the Christmas season. I figured since I had posted 80 posts this year that was plenty and a nice round number to end on.

So this Christmas season I read "Czars, Soviets & Mennonites. By John B. Toews" it is a historical book on Mennonites in Russia. Most of the book focuses on the years 1915+. My roots comes from Russia though both of my Grandparents families came from the migration to the new world in the late 18th century due to land issues. Regardless there where many interesting things that I found from the book.

The Russian Mennonites did not know their roots and hardly knew who Menno Simons was. Through slow additions from the few Mennonites who studied abroad, and inside influences the beliefs changed. Though this was not apparent to them.

The prosperous Mennonite culture and lifestyle was destroyed rather quickly. The weath was simply erased by the revolutionary period and then sealed by the communists.

There was problems with separation of church and state. Everyone that was born Mennonite was assumed a pacifist and a christian.

Faith pillars such as non-resistance and pacifism which had been in existence for nearly 100 years where turned down in the matter of a few years. This might tie into the fact that every one was assumed a pacifist.

For me this poses interesting questions about faith, culture, and education. I strongly disagree with assuming someone is a christian because he is born into a culture. It also shows that how prosperity can be quickly turned into famine by war. Also it shows how we are changed by lots of things even though we are not aware of it.

God Bless us
God Lead us

PS (This is my interpretation of the book)

Looking Towards the Future

Psalm 25:4-5 “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.”

God asks us to give everything to Him. More than just making room for God in our plans put Him at the center of our choices. God then promises to guide us.

Psalm 139:9-10 “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

God teach us to listen to you.
God teach us to put our hope in you.
God bless us.
God lead us.

Written by Angela and John

Pointing

John 5
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed waiting for the moving of the water
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk," 9 And immediately the mad was made well, took up his bed, and walk. And that day was the Sabbath.

Jesus healed one man out of the multitude of people that were there that were sick.

John 9:3-5
Jesus Answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

It's as if there is something bigger here than just making people physically well.

John 6:27
"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

It's as if these miracles are designed to point us to God. As if that is more important than being physically well, or physically feed.

Objectively Optimistic

Sorry I haven't been posting recently but things have been busy lately. I am printing a 3 ft by 4 ft poster tomorrow so I hope that goes well. Anyways ...

I find this is the hardest things to do. To be objectively optimistic. I guess first I should describe what I mean by that. This is a sort of frame of mind that you are optimistic that everything will work out. Optimistic that people are good people and that they will do the right thing, that I will do the right thing. But it is not a blind optimism, that if sufficient evidence is shown that things will not work out, or people are not who they should be, I will be objective about the situation, and but being optimistic(not unrealistic). Whether this is finding a solution, changing my attitudes, or asking God for help.

The question then becomes what is sufficient evidence?

Anyways that is my 2 cents, hope your week is going good!!

Matthew: Chapter 6

Matthew: Chapter 6
16 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? 17 Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 18 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, 19 and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

I used to think that I was the only one that struggled with the many issues that surround life. I then came to a point where I understood the world by saying we all struggle with the same things. I soon realized the fallacy of that statement. I am currently at the stage where I realize we all have our own unique set of struggles that are our own. They may overlap in areas but together they are unique.

The first statement leaves us all alone. The second statement believes that we can solve our problems together, which I believe has it's place, the last statement shows our need for God.

Silence or Speak

Ecclesiastes 3:7b (NKJV) "A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;"

This is a difficult balance to accomplish. If you haven't figured out one of my dreams is to learn how to find this balance. I find many times we are silent when we should speak. I find that many of our problems are rooted in our silence. Things like struggles, joy, and problems should be said because many people struggle and when we are silent we think we struggle alone. Many people are joyful but don't share it, God's goodness I think should be shared. Sometimes it is our misconceptions of other peoples words or actions that pull us apart, and other times I talk to much and don't listen to what people are trying to tell me. The problem is it is hard because I worry what other people think about me. I worry because I am not sure about the consequences of saying things (or silence), and this worry drains my energy. I believe that Satan many times revels in our silence. This is where I am learning to trust God, and say it is all yours anyways.

So God this is a prayer for myself and everyone,
that we would learn how to keep our silence when it is needed,
and learn to speak when we need to speak.
God bless us,
God lead us.

Galatians 6:2-3 (NKJV)
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

Trusting God

Chapter 13

1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Teacher, see what wonderful stones and buildings!
2 Jesus said to him, Do you see these great buildings? there shall not be one stone left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be fulfilled?
5 And Jesus said to them, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
6 For many will come in my name, saying, I am he; and shall deceive many.
7 And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be troubled: for such things must happen; but the end is not yet.
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in various places, and there shall be famines: these are the beginnings of birth pains.

I find many times people use these verses to convince people buy gold, stock pile food ... and the rest. To convince people that the world is going to end right away. The truth is that Jesus is saying that everything will fall apart. But the question becomes where do we put our trust. I find that sometimes we use this to envision a future where we forget all ties to the world and go live in the mountains, but look closely does Jesus draw that conclusion anywhere. If you think about it buying gold, ammunition, food, etc. really is the transferring this trust in the system to a trust in my ability to prepare myself. Is that what Jesus intended? I don't believe so. I believe that Jesus wants us to trust him. So what does that mean, what does trusting Jesus look like? And that I believe is the million dollar question.