Scatterbrains

There seems to be a theme lately on my part of having no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing. I really have no idea what I want, and this seems to be becoming a problem. God keeps telling me to decide what it is that I want and go for it. For those of you who don't know this, 11:11 is the "wish minute", which I normally avoid because I don't "wish" for anything. But for like the past week when I look at the clock, the ratio of me seeing 11:11 or 1:11 compared to any other time has been ridiculously high. Not a word of lie, when I thought about writing about that sentence, I looked down at the computer clock, it read 11:11! I didn't plan that, I swear, I didn't even know what exactly I was going to write when I sat down.
I digress....
So, whenever I saw 11:11 God was telling me to figure out what I want and go for it.
I love movies, i just do, not blockbusters, but ussually smaller or independant drama's. God likes to teach me through movies, and I love it because I get to do something I enjoy and get a revelation while I'm at it. All you have to do is listen to God's leading about which movie and watch. I decided to watch Spiderman 2(not my favourite trilogy) the other day and God's message to me was clear in that as well, decide what I'm going for and do it. And if that wasn't enough, I was flipping through the channels on TV today and I saw the movie "Taxi Driver". I watched for maybe 10 minutes and again God told me to "Get organized".
So I guess I should listen.
Note: I'm going to lay it all down right now so if you don't care about my issues, you should stop reading. I don't blame you, I care for few people's issues, very few... No really, I don't care.
I digress...
Anywho, figuring out what I want seems like it would be a very easy task, it's really not. I seem to be trapped in between the life of materials and the life of ministry. Part of my brain is telling me focus on a good job to buy a subaru and house, the other part is saying drive the saturn and live with the parents and focus on ministry. I know what the right answer is but choosing it is the hard part. But thats not it, thats just the big stuff, the problem seems to go down to my very core. (which is interesting because at church today I had a vision of an apple with all the insides scooped out and there was just the outer skin left, and right after the vision we started singing about God cleansing us from the inside out.
I digress...
Anywho, the problem of me not knowing what I want goes to my core because even when it comes to what I eat and how I live I have a problem. One day I'm eating salads and joggin, the next I am eating BigMacs and sleeping 12 hours. Or even for environment stuff, I talk about fixing the planet but I do nothing about it.
Matt is an inspiration to me(sorry Matt, haven't told you that before) because Matt decided that the way North America rapes the environment isn't good and that capitalism sucks, so he goes out and bikes to church and buys plain t-shirts where the clothes maker made more than 12cents for it.
I digress....
Another issue that rears its ugly head every 6 months or so is whether to actually start looking for a girlfriend/wife or to just wait and see what happens down the road or even to not have a wife at all.

After I think about these questions, I then wonder if I can have it all, and if I can, do I need to?

correction:

this goes back to my "breakthrough blessing". It turns out that I am not replacing the guy who has a hernia, therefore, no, God did not give this guy a hernia so I could do the thing i needed to do. I am on days for reasons i do not know.
Now I feel bad.....he's a nice guy..... I'm a jerk.

Signs, signs everywhere are signs. Do this, don't do that, can't you read the signs?

Seeing that I just got back from Boston and area I bet your all expecting some sort of blog reflecting my trip.
Well thats just too bad! Cause I have something else to write about. The trip, however, was awesome and I have some crazy stories that, if I know you, will share, or I may even post them soon.
Anywho, about what I was going to write about. So driving back today I had a very strong sense that God wanted me to go back to the Casino and do some interceding (actually, at the conference we were released into ministry and this I think has something to do with it). This isn't the first time I've done this. Basically, all I do is walk around the casino looking very suspicious and speaking in tongues (to intercede). I beleive God is loosing the soil in that place and that building will belong to the church in the few years, in Jesus name.
I really did not want to do it tonight, I was tired from the drive, it was late, and well, to be honest, it's hard to find purpose when you immediatly don't see results. But Jesus kept calling me to do it and He said "it'll be worth it", so I went.
It wasn't anything special, I just did my thing and left. But as I was driving home, I look up and see the Civic Centre sign, and it reads "PSYCHIC EXPO". What?!?! I knew God showed me that for a reason, I quickly veered my car into the parking lot and read the sign again. Underneath it said "April 20-22". I thought, "God, why did you reveal this to me, it's too late". His answer, "No it's not". He spoke to me that my prayers afterwards can have and effect on previous events. I know thats extremely hard to understand, but bear with me. In God's kingdom, there is no time. It's not that I will change the facts of history, but rather God will hear my prayers after the fact and use them in the moment.
there is more peices to the puzzle that God is revealing to me right now, but they are not something you publish on the web (i think i've confused some people enough already). So, if you're curious about just what they are, ask me, write me an email, whatever.

Breakthrough Blessing

Last summer I worked at a warehouse that ships housing siding throughout the world, and I was hoping that they would hire me back this year. But, they laid off many, many people this year so it wasn't looking to good. I get a letter in the mail that, at the time, i though was just some sort of tax thing so i just put it with the rest of my forms. but actually the letter was saying that I wasn't going to get hired back. So, not knowing what the letter actually said, i went to the warehouse and talked with the foreman and he actuallt said that they would hire me! (even though there is a whole bunch of people that really should have the job before me)! but he wasn't sure when they would be busy enough for me.
Monday morning i received a phone call from this job, and they had asked me to come in for the rest of the summer on the afternoon shift, starting that afternoon, and i said yes. I knew that i would probably have to work the afternoon shift cause i am low in seniority, but that would mean that I would have to cancel revolution and all other afternoon things. But last tuesday,God told me he wanted me to do something at revolution through a dream. So I was worried that i would have to wait like 4 months before I could actually do it. I was hoping that I could work the night shift so that I could still do all of the things i normally do in the afternoon, but no, i had to work the afternoon shift. But here's the thing, not even 10 minutes after I get to work on monday afternoon, I get asked to work day shift! I'm not even supposed to work days cause my bro-in-law works days and theres some rule that family can't work on the same shift or something, but they just overlooked it. The day shift for me is just temporary for now, though, because i am filling in for a guy who is off due to a hernia.
So here's a question... did God give this guy a hernia so that I could take his place and do what He asked me to do at Revolution?

So here's just a few of the huge blessings that all pretty much came together on monday.
1. I have a job
2. I got this job in front of many other people that have worked there longer than I have.
3. I have a shift that I'm really not supposed to have, which allows me to do the things that I want.
4. I got a raise on top of the ridiculously good wage that I already had last year
5. Apparently, there will be lots of overtime because of all the lay-offs.
6. this job is great for witnessing cause your pretty much stuck with the same guy for 8 hours, and he has to listen to you even if he doesn't want to

Wasting time, enjoying these poll dealies...

You Are 78% Tortured Genius

You are smart. Brilliant in fact. And while it's a blessing, it's also a curse. Your head is filled with everything - grand ideas, insufferable worries, and a good deal of angst.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

You Are an Okay Student

You know how to get by school, but your heart isn't always in it. Motivation is a problem for you. Maybe you need to study something more exciting!

Are You a Good Student?

You Are 73% Non Conformist

You are a pretty serious non conformist. You live a life hardly anyone understands. And while some may call you a freak, you're happy with who you are.

Are You a Nonconformist?

You're Totally Sarcastic

You sarcastic? Never! You're as sweet as a baby bunny. Seriously, though, you have a sharp tongue - and you aren't afraid to use it. And if people are too wimpy to deal with your attitutde, then too bad. So sad.

How Sarcastic Are You?

These polls have pinned me down to a tee!

Talk about being on the fence....

Now you may see the predecament I find myself in everyday, I'm torn between two worlds.

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 40% Conservative, 60% Liberal Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

O ya, last election I voted conservative, despite the slight liberal lean.
Note: this is an American poll, so something liberal may actually be conservative in Canada.

freedom

i found this on youtube, it pushes the idea war in order for freedom, but I like it for MLK's speeches, which were never meant for war, but rather laying down your life for peace and the gospel.

Jack Handey

If you remeber, jack handey had his "Deep Thoughts" as a filler on SNL in the 90's. Here are some of his quotes.

• I think someone should have had the decency to tell me the luncheon was free. To make someone run out with potato salad in his hand, pretending he's throwing up, is not what I call hospitality.
• If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
• If you saw two guys named Hambone and Flippy, which one would you think liked dolphins the most? I'd say Flippy, wouldn't you? You'd be wrong, though. It's Hambone.
• Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That way he develops a good, lucky feeling.
• Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead. No, wait, not me, you.
• Even though I was their captive, the Indians allowed me quite a bit of freedom. I could walk freely, make my own meals, and even hurl large rocks at their heads. It was only later that I discovered that they were not Indians at all but only dirty-clothes hampers.

And my personal favourute:

I remember that one fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew what was coming. "You don't have to tell me," I said. "I'm off the team, aren't I?" "Well," said Coach, "you never were really ON the team. You made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people at inappropriate times." It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I thought something is brewing inside the head of this Coach. He sees something in me, some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's when I felt the handcuffs go on.

Both sides of the gun

So I bought Ben Harpers album, Both Sides of the Gun, about a year ago, but it hasn't been until recently that I have begun discover how brilliant the album actually is.





In my opinion it is the best double-album since Pink Floyds, The Wall, and the most spiritually moving mainstream album since U2's, All That You Can't Leave Behind. But thats just my opinion.





Not only does Harper show his unique style, but he also shows his wide range of style. The album seems to characterize a struggle within us all to become our true selves or false selves(meaning to follow the truth, Jesus Christ, or evil), "some days i'm the lord's servant some days i'm satan's pawn, some days i just wish the voices in my head were gone ".





The first CD(white) of the album has a softer, folk-rock type feel, and he is singing about his heart for God and individuals. The second CD(black) he speaks out about his heart for the people and criticizes the church and governement that leave them out to dry.





Some of the lyrics from the white album include;


"like a summer rose, i' m a victim of the fall but i' m soon returning your love' s the warmest place the sun ever shines my morning yearning"


"You can kill a lot of time if you really put your mind to it or leave it all behind and never ever go through it I' ve been hoping for you. Keep hoping for you. What else can I do but keep hoping for you?"


"Now you can sell your soul but you can't buy it back. I've spent my whole life working to give you everything you lack"





The black album says things like;


"What good is a man Who won't take a stand? What good is a cynic With no better plan? I beleive in a better way"


"Living these days is making me nervous, archaic doctrine no longer serves us, now we're left as silent witnesses we don't know quite what this is other than a war that can't be won. i feel like i'm crowded, i can't get out, world keeps on filling me up with doubt. when you're trapped you got no voice where you're born you got no choice other than to go and take you some. one dimensional fool in a three dimensional world. politics, it's a drag they put one foot in the grave and the other on the flag. systems rotten to the core young and old deserve much more than struggling every day until you're done"


"You left them swimming for their lives Down in new orleans. Can't afford a gallon of gasoline. With your useless degrees and contrary statistics, This government business is straight up sadistic. Now you don't fight for us But expect us to die for you You have no sympathy for us But still i cry for you Now you may kill the revolutionary But the revolution you can never bury"


"you walk into the temple and call it a church. i try to keep things simple but you always need the works, your life is marked by numbers and symbols, excessive drinking from out of golden thimbles, just a moment of silence i'm needing"


"Battles over which direction to kneel people reaching out to touch but forgetting to feel daily breath shouldn't be a daily penance is that what you believe or just a life sentence"


Harper may have a different reasoning for naming the album both sides of the gun, but when I think about, I think the title is called this because of the struggle of trying to follow Christ while still having to criticise the church, well, at least that is what it speaks to me about. (i think there may be something about harper being black in this society, but I'm not black so I couldn't pretend to know what he's talking about).

mmmm.....

I found myself having a craving for cheesecake, so at 9pm, guess what I did. I made cheesecake. If thats not freedom I don't know what is.

That's right fella's, I can cook/bake and I don't care who know's it!

All I know is that in a couple hours, when my cream cheese has hardened I will be enjoying cheesecake and you will be sitting back in your couches at home wishing for what coud have been. I guess that's just to bad for you.

No TV and no sleep make Will something, something......

go crazy............... Yes.

Here's a question for you:
Is it generally a good sign of health when your left eye has been twitching on and off for about 8 or 9 days?

BTW: Green eyes are by far the best colour for eyes. Blue has been getting all the glory for years... you blue eyers think your so special don't ya. Well i've got a news flash for ya Walter Cronkite, you aren't.

This video humours me

My brother Fyodor

So I've been thinking about things, I think about a lot actually, too much. I've noticed that my schooling gets in the way of my thinking, I think I would be a smarter guy if I dropped a couple of my useless classes.

Sometimes i confuse what God speaks to me about and what I am just thinking, my thoughts being disputable and changeable, God's words being unchanging and absolute. Well anyways, one thing I've been thinking about is the idea of socialism. I had come to the conclusion that socialism is the best option for human existence, but the only way that it can be implemented is through time. Before the political system could be established, people would have to embrace the idea of sharing and simply just give where they see a need. Socialism cannot be implemented by choice, it cannot be voted on in the house of parliament. Socialism has to come through a rebellion of the people because they see a better way of doing things. But in no way can it happen yet, it would only result in failure. We aren't ready for it, our society is way to attached to money. Our society does not have the unity necessary either.

For one of my classes (the one that doesn't hinder my thinking), we are reading part of my brother Fyodor's book, The brothers Karamazov. We just discussed the chapter, the russian monk, and my ideas of socialism and reform were confirmed. Dostoevsky will tell you that the only way a social revolution can happen is if we are all united in Christ.

But I can hear some of you already..... "this is blasphemy, socialists don't believe in religion or God".... well, that just depends on how you define socialism. Dostoevsky will tell you that, although, socialism is a majorly atheist idea, it is impossible for a society without God. These people care only for feeding people with bread/materials, and not feeding their soul. When you only focus on materials, there is an enevitable collision between people since our materials is limited, and we always want what someone else has. I call Fyodor Dostoevsky my brother, because he too wanted to see heaven on earth.

There is more I have to say, but I dont think I'll be able to fit it all on this post, so keeping watching for future posts.

Dear Anonymous

I have to be completely honest with you here, Anonymous. You almost had me feeling bad about what I write, you almost had me to believe that my desire to see the church healed of its problems and sickness was a bad thing. You almost had me to believe that the church is fine the way it is and does not need to be changed….in short, you almost had me. But then I asked Jesus to heal my mind and give me clarity. I opened scripture with no specific book in mind, and started reading acts. And then I remembered……. I remembered that the church today is nothing like the church in acts. I remembered that men and women were healed in the name of Jesus by the spirit, or this “mystical power”. I remembered how Jesus said we would do things greater than He by this “mystical power”. I remembered how the believers of the Way were held accountable by other believers for their actions. I remembered how Jesus, being a Jew, turned over the tables in His Fathers house. In short, I remembered the truth.

Words will always retain there power, words are for the means to meaning, and for those who listen, the enunciation of truth.
-V

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
-Mohandas Gandhi

The Many Sides of Will

I have been thinking about future careers, and I have finally come to a decision. I shall be..........
AN ACTOR!




Here is my portfolio........


up close happy


hmmmm, sad

profile happy

really happy


puzzled

surprised!

booorrrreeeddd.....



sleepy

Insightful


grrrr, upset

The moral of this story is: kids, say no to drugs! and don't take pictures of yourself when your supposed to be doing your homework

I am from Holland. Isn't that weird?

Ok, I realize that this will be my 3rd post in 2 days(meanwhile I have lots of essays to do), but I feel that I have to blog this. Just a few minutes ago, I was reading the CRC publication "THe Banner", and there is a article called "A modest Proposal". Here is a quote that is getting me excited.

"Times have changed, and the grand ship we call the CRCNA slowly sinks into a see of postmodernity. While it has enough resources to support itself for some time, the END IS IN SIGHT. Denominational loyalty wanes as one generation dies and a younger one REBELS. Congregational financial support for the denomination, while stable, falls behind expectation. Congregations now shop for services that may or may not be provided by the CRCNA. Church members have been EXITING CHRISTIAN REFORMED CONGREGATIONS AT ALARMING RATES. CRCNA agencies struggle to generate support for their programs and initiatives. In short, THE CRCNA, AS WE KNOW IT, IS DYING."

Okay, I know what your thinking, I am a horrible person for getting excited about a church dying. I know, it's not a good thing when you hear about dying churches, but hear me out for why I'm excited. THis small little quote already tells me 2 things. The first being that reformers are no longer attached to the CRC denomination and are realizing that perhaps sticking to denominations (or sticking to any denominations for that matter) may not be a good thing. The second thing this tells me is that the Dutch revolution is not just in brantford, or even southern ontario for that matter, it's all across North America!

oh, what fun we've had

(me)

+

(Saturn)

+










(icy, snowy, and slushy road)





=




My car in a 6 foot ditch...... yep, good job Will.



Thats what happens around March, I get really sick of winter, and so, I drive as if it is the middle of the summer. But now I have a new found respect for saturns (and winter). I mean I did a complete 180, and then went into the ditch sideways. When i was looking at the ditch afterwards, it seemed to be a miracle that I didn't role over. All that I really need to do to it is get a alignment, and as a bonus I shaved off some unneeded weight.

Everything I write on this blog has something to do with Jesus, so why stop now. As funny as it may sound, He anwsered 2 prayers through this incident. The first one is I asked Him to make me humble, and I tend to think of myself as a pretty darn good driver and I don't need to follow simple logic when it comes to winter driving, but now I don't think that anymore. The second prayer was for God to either provide me a different car or take away the feeling of needing a new car. He did the latter of the two. I realized that I could waste some money and buy a sports car, but if this stuff happened I would flip out and spend more money fixing it, and constantly worrying about it and babying it. But with this car, I really don't care, the thing is a pretty purple tank. It's taken everyhting I've thrown at it, PLASTIC CARS RULE!

The Thing about Knowledge

Lately I’ve really been thinking about what exactly true knowledge and wisdom is, it’s a difficult question and with the help of some philosophers and scriptures, this is what I’ve come up with.
“When it comes to the things of this world, true knowledge is knowing that you really ‘know’ nothing at all, wisdom is embracing that.”
- Will Groenewegen

Pretty insightful, eh? You can quote me on that. I say that ‘knowing’ that I can be fairly easily rebutted on that that, after all, you can know what someone’s opinion might be or that you can know how to fix a car. But there are different forms of knowledge, there is aquantance(who/where) , competence(how), experience, and prepositional (knowing that/”fact”). I am speaking only of propositional.
It is when we realize that our propositional knowledge is in fact useless, that our world becomes changeable, we can bend or break the rules of this world, that is what the freedom that Jesus promised is really about (not to be bound by this world, that is). I believe that this is a message in the Bible that no one seems to realize. And I’ve got scripture to back that up…. A lot of scripture.

To believe in something is to know it to be true despite what worldly knowledge claims, in 1 Corinthians 1:19-20 it says, “For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate’. Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Matthew 17:20, 21:21-22, Mark 11:22-25, and Luke 17:5-10 all tell us that if we believe (know) and have faith as small as small as a mustard seed we will do what we ask for in prayer, it does not say that God will do it for us, but WE WILL DO IT. It is not just metaphorical! In Matthew 21 it tells the story of Jesus cursing a fig tree (which immediately withered) because it did not bear fruit, and when later asked about it, He says that we will do what was done to that fig tree. And in John 14:12, Jesus tells us that we will do even greater things than what He did.

This is what seeing God’s “kingdom come and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is all about. Many Christians today believe that before the fall, Adam and Eve had supernatural giftings, or they were “superhuman” if you will. It is believed that in order for them to be able to take care of the whole garden of eden, they needed gifts like astral travel (traveling from one place to the next without moving, ie. Like Philip and the Etheopian in Acts 8, or like Star Trek), and they needed a powerful mind to know and name all the plants and animals (and honestly, what’s the deal with us using like 10% percent of our brain anyways). And today the links in the chain of this idea of knowledge started to come together.
A question I have also been recently wondering about is when I wear a jacket, is it the actual jacket that is keeping me warm, or is it the knowledge of me wearing that jacket what keeps me warm, and ifso, do I really need a jacket. And today I was thinking about after the fall, how Adam and Eve were naked before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, but suddenly needed clothing. Is this because they were ashamed, or because they had never before known what cold was, or both? Genesis 3:22 says that Adam and Eve now knew what good and evil was, and verse 17 says that they now had to work the ground, and so their giftings were gone. So what I come to understand from the fall and eating of the tree of knowledge is that our worldly ‘knowledge’ will cause us to suffer and live outside God’s will. So I will restate my original idea of what true knowledge and wisdom is, and hopefully it will make more sense this time.
“When it comes to the things of this world, true knowledge is knowing that you really ‘know’ nothing at all, wisdom is embracing that.”
- Will Groenewegen


“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” –Colossians 2:2-3

If you need some more scripture on knowledge and wisdom, read the first four chapters of Proverbs. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”.

“It is Written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.” -2 Corinthians 4:13-14

Another personal revelation proving my immaturity

I really need to be writing my essay right now, but this is a confession that I need to make. When i was applying for my security job i was asked what makes me a good employee, I said I like to impress people. I never really realized how true that is, it is even true when it comes to my faith. It shouldn't matter to me if Joe and Bobby sue don't care for me or the way I do things. At the end of the day, the only one I have to impress is my Father. So from now on, love me, hate me, feel nothing for me, it doesn't matter because I'm gona try to be as real as I can. My intentions should be to please God and it ussually is, but sometimes my hand is raised in worship because I wonder what others will think if they see me with my hands in my pockets instead. I can still be a fake, I spent the first 18 years of life being one, and going back to that is the last thing I want.

One of the most powerful songs I know

Leonard Cohen - Suzanne


Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

If you don't know Leonard Cohen's music, shame on you, you should. Other good songs of his are 'Hallelujah' and 'the guests'.

Credentials

When is it that a church 'congregation' decides that someone is qualified enough and is willing to listen to what someone has to say about scripture? In many of today's church's it's based solely on credentials, where did he/she go to school, how long did they study?

Education for leaders is good, but it is not necessary, and having credentials for leadership doesn’t create the personality/gifts built for leadership. Why do we feel it's necessary for leaders with years of schooling, we all have Bibles and can read and we all can think for ourselves. We could get in an arguement over this and you could bring up the point that a charismatic leader without a theology education could lead his 'congreagation' astray. Well, then my rebutle would be that if the 'congregation' wasn't paying enough attention or doing there own research on the topic, well, then it's there own fault. Somewhere along the lines, today's church decided that they dont have to do biblical research and they could just listen to whatever the minister had to say and be done with it. Often in denominations, they will break down just exactly what education you need. For instance, in a particular denomination I'm familiar with, you either have to attend Calvin Seminary or face a board at the Calvin Seminary to be a minister. Forgive me for being an antagonist, but does this not lead to sermons that are based on what the congregation wants to hear rather then what God wants them to know. And does making all your ministers have the same education assume at everything you 'know' about scripture as fact. There is no church that has everything right, I can guarantee that. But here's the big question, doesn't making all the ministers go through calvin basically make a dictatorship? By that I mean a few professors are basically deciding what the entire denomination is going to believe.

To say that having no education is better than having an education in leader is a fools arguement, I'm just trying to question why today's church views it as so important. If you look through the Bible you'll find that no apostle, disciple, or prophet had a formal scripture education(luke was a doctor but that has nothing to do with being a leader).In fact, the people of Jesus' day with a OT education were generally pharisees, and I think we all know what Jesus thought of those folk. Dare I say that some of the prominant false prophets of today are very well educated. Well, I know what your going to say now, that the disciples and apostles didn't need an education, they had Jesus. Well actually, not all the apostles and disciples 'met' Jesus, in fact, Paul never met Jesus in a physical way, and how much of the new testament are his letters. Paul was a highly educated man, but all of his education was the exact opposite of what his letters spoke about. Well, now your going to say that God spoke to Paul to tell him what was right. Well, guess what, He'll speak to you too if you let Him, but that is a blog for another day.

So come on churches of today, let's put aside the necessity of a scripturaly based education and listen to what people have to say regardless of how many years of theology they took and if it doesn't follow scripture, ignore it. Let's stop accepting what some people have to say solely on the fact that they went to school for it.

3 Signs

I didn't want to write the last post, but I felt I had too, there are things that I can't ignore. I was questioning whether I should have written that post or not, and whether I had that kind of authority to write that post. And I know others felt that way too. Well, I know that some of you reading this will see these as coincidences(despite there being no such thing as a coincidence), but God gave me signs afterwards to show me that what I said was His will, and I did have authority to say them.

SIGN #1 In my next class while discussing St. Augustines writings, my prof pointed out that it is not money, but the love of money that is evil, which we have never talked about before, and I was trying to get that point across in my post.

SIGN #2 When I got home I read a Christian teaching calander thingy, which the day hadn't been changed since saturday, and the saturday teaching said that wealth is a test, and that if he can't trust us with riches on earth, how can he trust us with riches in heaven.

SIGN #3 I had read up to James in the Bible and last night I read James(which I've never read before), and it verified what I was saying in chapter 5 it says,
"1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."

If you haven't read James, I would encourage you to do so, its a very good book.


So if you still don't believe me, don't worry, I won't bother you anymore because there is nothing more I can say.

Sobering look at western society

On the last post I had more to say, I had it all prepared nicely on my laptop last night, but..... well, here is what I was going to say.

........
I like to look down at traditional churches because I see things that I believe they do wrong or because they could be doing things much better. Well, how is that any of my business how someone else chooses to serve God? I look at Paul’s letters and see him criticizing and condemning churches for what they do and think that I have the authority to do the same…… I don’t. What I need to remember is that the early church never had the New Testament to turn to for answers. They couldn’t open up a Bible and say “this is what Jesus said” or “well, in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he said this”. Paul was given direct authority from God to guide these churches, and we have the New Testament, so if a church is doing something wrong, it’s not my business to tell them otherwise. Romans 14 speaks about differences in views and in the church and in verse 13 it says, “Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brothers way”.
.......

But I feel that I have to say something about a view I heard this morning, and I know I'm going to anger people, but it needs to be said so I'm going to say it with boldness and pray that what I'm saying will be according to God's will. I feel I can speak about this because if you read Romans 14, it speaks about differences in views and doctrines, irrelevant things that shouldn't be argued over. This issue is hardly irrelevant. This is not an attack on any specific church or denomination because they're is many Christians from every denomination who do more good than I can ever imagine myself to do , but this is speaking to individual 'christians' who use God as an excuse to hoard over wealth and power. I once again have to ask who you serve, God or the wealth that He can bring. And if it is the wealth that He can bring, well, than that wealth is not from Him at all. Some say they can have and keep all the possesions and wealth they want as long as they give a little back. Again, I'm not going to say that wealth and possesions are necessarily a bad thing, but at who's expense is this wealth coming from? It is not enough to love your family and want the best for them, but we need to have love for the entire world. The Hamilton Spectator today has the headline "Draining mother Earth", which fits perfectly with what I am saying. Us westerners, christians and unchristians alike, believe we have the right to whatever we want as long as we can afford it. We don't. It's because of this belief that the world is being destroyed and the poor are getting poorer. In 2 Samuel 12:3-5 its says,
"but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!"

Someone had told me that a church elder had said this person should persue wealth and there is nothing wrong with it, well, when you persue money over God, there is something wrong with it. I don't know this elder, so I can't say anything bad about him, but is this the kind of leadership the church needs? When you persue money, and have God as an afterthought, it is not His gift. What makes us think that we are deserving of this gift if we have done nothing but persued our own goals? So now I'm going to quote Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money". If you disagree with all I've been saying and think you deserve to great wealth, maybe you should read the next verse of Luke 16, that is, verse 14, and see what that says, so that it is not me who accuses you, but the word.

Please leave comments whether you agree or disagree becasue with discussion comes truth.

Shameless Self-Demotion

I have these recurring thoughts that I don’t need Jesus as much as the next guy. Sure, I need Jesus, but you know that guy on the street probably needs him more. I COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG. It disgusts me to think that I have these thoughts sometimes, but I do nonetheless. I am guilty of having the same holier-than-thou attitude that gets me angry when I see it in others. I judge myself on earthly standards rather than Godly standards. I am no better than the murderer or the thief because as far as God is concerned I am just as guilty as them for thinking about it. Romans 2 verse 1 says this, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things”.

When I read about Paul’s ministry, I can’t help but be fascinated. Not only for his life of service, but because he always made sure that it was clear that he was the greatest of all sinners. He didn’t get caught up in the power of his influence, he was as humble as they come. The disciples argued about who of them was the greatest, but Paul says in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst.”

When Did I become a Activist Hippie?

I was recently asked what my political views were, I said I was conservative, but the more that I think about it, I align myself with neither a political party or theory. I have always said I was a conservative but that was only because the conservative party has more of a Christian root than any other party. The traditional conservative generally has a Realist view of the world, which, in a nutshell, means they see peace and cooperation as unattainable and the world power can do whatever it wants (George Bush as you might guess is a serious realist). I don’t see how a generally “Christian” party could have a view of the world like that, it doesn’t make sense. Now, I don’t want to generalize, but it seems that realists are only looking out for themselves and the good of their own country. The liberal perspective (not the liberal party, liberal perspective is a theory) view’s the world as a world that can have peace and cooperation as long as every state/nation is a liberal democracy. They say that if everyone is a liberal democracy and everyone trades with each other they won’t go to war because they depend on each other, which makes sense. But there is a couple problems; a) not everyone wants to be a liberal democracy and they would have to use force to make them into one, and b) they base the whole system on materialism and the acquisition of possessions.

Now there is nothing wrong about having an iPod or a BMW, but what good are they in the long run? What good has the ‘American dream’ done? Wealth is not a bad thing, it is often a blessing from God, but when you work day and night to pay off your $80,000 car so you can look better than the Jones’s, you should really call into question who you serve.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal………No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You CANNOT serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:19-24

So now I’m just gona go ahead and say it, maybe capitalism isn’t as great as we westerners seem to believe… Dare I say we should give socialism a look?

Best of You?

I’ve got another confession my friend, I’m no fool, everyone’s got their chains to break, I’m getting tired of starting again somewhere new (quote from Fu Fighters song for those of you out of the pop culture loop). Has someone/something gotten in your best? I’m sitting here watching the Habs destroy the Avalanche despite my promise not to watch ‘secular’ TV for 40 days, and I’ve justified watching this because there is no opinions being conveyed (despite the propaganda plastered all over the arena, and the constant commercials for GM and whatnot).
But the issue of whether this is secular or not is irrelevant. TV makes me lazy. I stayed home tonight so I could study and work out. So far, I have read maybe 5 pages and I haven’t even touched my weights. TV makes me want things I don’t need, like a different vehicle I want (it changes almost every week, this week it’s a 4runner), I don’t know why, but my purple Saturn sedan just doesn’t satisfy me (notice sarcasm). TV gives false perceptions of reality, like how happy you could be with certain possesions. TV also takes up time that I could be making much better use of. But with all that said, Seinfeld….so good.


But there are some things good about TV, like how through TV we can watch the Leafs loose (just like now by the skilful hand of Brendan Shanahan).

My Trademark Move

At Freedomhouse Sunday night, I once again asked God what He wanted me to do with my life. God revealed something to me, not instantly but eventually. I have a tendency to make future plans about what God wants me to do, but never about what He wants for me right now. I always make future plans, and when the future comes along I justify not doing it, or I feel God is telling me something else. So because of this, I end up doing nothing at all. I make promises I can’t keep, and when I break these promises I make myself look like a fool, and nobody trusts a fool. So here’s the truth; I don’t know if I’ll ever be a police officer, I don’t know if I’ll transfer to Laurier next year for criminology, I don’t know if I’ll go on a mission trip this summer, I don’t know if I’ll be involved in certain clubs at school, I don’t even know what I’ll be doing next week.

My plans are selfish, and I try to put God in those plans. GOD DOESN’T MAKE HIS PLANS AROUND MINE OR ANYONE ELSE’S. I say that I should transfer to Laurier because I can lead students to Freedom house, Yes church, and revolution, but I’m really thinking about getting a criminology degree to become a good cop. I say I should go on a mission trip this summer, but I’m not really thinking about helping people but rather I want to go so I can say that I’ve done cross-cultural missions.

God doesn’t reveal His plans for you until it is necessary. So from now on, I’m going to try to live day to day, and if God tells me to do something, I hope I do it. And if it is something in the future, I’m going to keep it to myself until that moment comes.


I’m smart enough to know that I know nothing at all.
-Socrates, I think(no pun intended, I'm really not sure)

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes for His heart through all generations.
-Psalm 33:10-11

Cleanse me of the motives that come in such a clever disguise, ruin my agenda, hold me as if it never was. It’s all from your hand, there is nothing that is mine.
-Mainstay

What Would You Give it All For?

Last class my Political theory professor left us with a question relating to Plato’s book Gorgias. The question was, “Is there anything in your life worth dying for, and if not, is there anything in your life really worth living for?”. I gave this question to a friend at work, he said it was a dumb question because we all would willingly die for the ones we love, even for the person we don’t know that’s about to be hit by oncoming traffic. But would we? Has humanity come so far that we will die for someone we have no relationship with? I hate to be a sceptic, but I don’t think we have, at least not yet. I like to think I would risk my life in that situation, but I don’t know, I have a tendency of sitting back and watching and realizing later that I should have done something. That sucks, I know, but I’m only being honest. I’m sure most of us would be willing to die for the ones we love, but relationships change, people change. But lets go beyond the relationships with others, what about something that only you have, your passion. What is it and is that worth dying for? So now I’ll pose this question to you, “Is there anything in your life worth dying for, and if not, is there anything in your life really worth living for?”

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
Mark 8:35

What could I say, what could I do, but offer this heart, oh God, completely to you?
I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, give all to the one who gave it all.
-Hillsong United

You are a Golden Child

Last week I had another one of those days, one of those days that we all have, where there were lies and problems flowing throughout my mind, it was just a plain bad day. In revolution (Tuesday, 8:00pm, 178 market st., Brantford) we have been talking about letting go of the shit in our life that holds us back Nothing had changed in my life, it was just one of those days where school, and all the things God was telling me to get rid of were just getting to me. But even in the worst of days, I could still feel the love of God in my life. I was listening to my mp3 player before my classes, while walking through campus, while I was in the gym, and the same song kept playing over and over. It felt like one of every five songs that played was the song ‘Golden’ by Switchfoot. The song is about how you sometimes feel that the world is telling you you’re just another “so and so” and how you feel like letting go, but really, you are golden and beautiful in the eye’s of God, you have purpose. I don’t/can’t believe that it was a coincidence that the song kept on playing, nor do I believe in ‘coincidences’ at all.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by it’s own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God”
Romans 8:20-21

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”
Romans 8:28

TDG

Why the 'Tall, Dutch Guy' you ask?

In my past experiences when meeting people, there is always two things about me that come up. The first, how tall I am, as if I had never realized it before and I need that person to reveal this to me, second, that I am dutch. So I guess these are the things that define me, why fight it, thus, the name 'Tall, Dutch Guy' (I've also always wanted a alternate persona, like Batman and Bruce Wayne).Another question you may be asking yourself, why, tall, dutch guy, oh why do you feel the need to blog? Well to answer that question, we must first look at my personality and gifts. I can't sing despite all my best efforts, so that cancels out the option of singing and songwriting. I can't speak in front of groups, in fact, i can barely talk at all, I'm pretty sure that I need speech therapy, but I refuse. Imagine that, a bunch of grade 3 kids and me all sitting in a circle, while they work on there lisp, I'm sitting there cross-legged being taught by some lady about pronunciation, I don't think so. So what's left? We have writing and interpretive dance...... I choose to write. Alas, why the blog is necessary. Watch out for my upcoming blogs about life, love, God, and things that just piss me off.

TDG