I Need a Voice That's Louder than Mine...

Currently Hearing: Phil Wickham
Currently Reading: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper
Currently Awaiting: Thanksgiving in Tokyo by the Merciful Hand of God

I just recently finished a book by John Piper known as Spectacular Sins and their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ. It was absolutely amazing. I have just finished the first chapter of another book in which Piper made a contribution that is closely related to this topic (see above for title). The idea of God's sovereignty has been an issue of much contemplation and study lately, and, to be honest, has really revolutionized my view of God. Understanding God's sovereignty in a fuller extent has done so much to deepen my sense of awe and humility when I approach God. The best part about this is, you too can benefit from the amazing resources of Piper by merely clicking here!

In his book Spectacular Sins, he discusses the role of God and God's sovereignty in such sinful acts as the Tower of Babel's construction, the Fall, the selling of Joseph into slavery, and the death of Christ. All of these events, as Piper argues, bring about the glory of Christ.

You seriously need to check out some of this stuff.
This pastor does amazing theology that is bound to Scriptural truth (as if there is really any other way), always pointing to Christ, and is aimed at empowering the believer to a fuller reliance in the Supreme God.
Absolutely incredible.

May You Grow in the Love of Knowledge of Christ,
Brandon

Korean Grammar for International Learners...

Currently Hearing: For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
Currently Looking Forward To: My Trip to Tokyo by Thanksgiving Break
Currently Confused About: How I Got This Huge Jelly Stain On My Pants by The Part of Me That Doesn't Want to Pay for Dry Cleaning

Question:
Does anyone else CONSTANTLY receive the same Spam in their e-mail?

I am not sure how I deserve this, but some guy named Michael Vincent is really looking out for me...
He keeps e-mailing me every couple of days or so...
I guess he is working really hard for me, because I keep getting e-mails with the same subject title - "I found a new job for you"

So, I am not sure about who you are or why you are so dilligent about finding me new jobs, Michael Vincent...
But, thank you, you virus-bearing Spam cyborg...

Happy Pepero Day!

Currently Hearing: No Good for No One Now by Owen
Currently Loving: Facebook Chat by the Internet Version of Nicotine

First of all, as suggested by the title, today is Pepero Day in Korea!
Apparently, if you find a box of these little devils made out of white chocolate, you get 1,000 bucks - so, the nationwide search is on...

Anyways, the question for the day is:

When can you know the difference between imposing your idea of how people should act on others and challenging them to stretch their personality?
In other words, who is to say your form of action is right for them?

What do you think?

Calling All Mutants...

Currently Hearing: Singalong by Phil Wickham
Currently Reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Currently Delaying: The Blatant Fact That I Really Need to Pee by My Body

So, I came to a stunning realization yesterday...
Some call them spiritual gifts, some call them super powers...
Others might just label it sheer coincidence...
I say - call it what you may...
The fact still remains...

Girls!
If you want to meet your husband, then you should date me and/or we should become somewhat romantically involved...
Now - if we end up getting married, then your problem is solved...
However, if that doesn't happen, then it is virtually a scientific fact that the next male that you encounter will, in fact, be your groom...
In doing some valuable self-reflection, this stirring realization slapped me in the face...
The last 3 girls I have been romantically involved with have all married their next "dudes"...

So, calling all wedding ring-hungry females...
If you need a husband, call me - I will gladly be your springboard into happiness...

Half-Days: God's Gift to the Teacher

Currently Hearing: Peregrine by The Appleseed Cast
Currently Reading: Deuteronomy
Currently Thinking: I Want to Wash My Sheets by The Sanitary Side of Me
Currently Knowing: Once I Wash Them, I Won't Want to Put Them Back On My Bed by the Lazy Side of Me


Well...
I was talking with someone today about free will, God's Sovereignty, predestination, and all that jazz...
I have a few things to say about it:
1.) It was great to talk about it with someone I love
2.) It was great to be open and honest without demeaning one another
3.) It was great to discuss and work on articulating my views by looking at contrary arguments/lines of thought
4.) It made me think of something...

Basically, the person I was discussing this idea with said something that really made me consider something - because, like most things about my faith (and I think this is the case for most people in general), I had just sort of accepted their position for most of my life without much critical thought or study (both biblical and extrabiblical in nature)...

Let's think about this concept - and I sincerely want help and/or comments on this idea...
Before one of my Bible classes was to discuss the idea of sin, I had 60-something 11th grade students write me a brief essay on whether or not humans can choose God on their own, or if God chooses us...
Roughly half of the kids said that God chooses us, and the other half said that we had free will to either choose or reject salvation...
Several of the students that claimed the free will argument made comments that sound something like this:
God gave us free will to choose on our own because He loves us and wouldn't force us to love Him.
In a similar vein, the person I was discussing these ideas with made the comment - Would you want to marry a bride that didn't choose to love you?

My question is, where does this idea/common argument for the role of human volition in God's salvific work come from? Does it have any Scriptural merit? It is a great and very comforting sort of idea sometimes saying that we have such freedom, but it really made me think about the importance of having an incredibly Scripturally-grounded theology...

I want everything I believe about my faith to be carefully weighed against Scripture, and if something that even is more appealing to me seems to contradict what I find to be true from a sound reading of the Word of God, I have to understand that I cannot merely choose to accept something that is easier for me to swallow...

So, what do you guys think?
Does God let us choose whether or not to be saved so He gets the cream of the crop?
Does the idea of predestination seem like a contradiction to your idea of God?
Does election seem unfair?
Do you think most Christians responsibly study and think about the things they believe and why they believe them?
Feel free to weigh in on anything that seems relevant to the discussion...
I would love to see some new comments...

One Member of the Body,
Brandon

A Friendly Reminder

Currently Hearing: Blank-Wave Arcade by the Faint
Currently Wishing: I Lived in a Fun Town by The Part of Me That Wants to Walk Around and Enjoy the Weather
Currently Aware of: The Fact That I Need to Do Laundry by The Blatant Need of Clean Clothes in My Life
Currently Fearing: The Possibility of a Hernia by The Isolated Pain in My Lower Abdominal Region When I Press It

Sometimes we just need a little nudge back in the right direction...

"Direct Orders" by Anis Mojgani

Don't Break Contract...

Currently Hearing: I'll Believe in Anything by Wolf Parade
Currently Reading: Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards
Currently Drinking: Coffee out of a Boring Mug by the Cafeteria
Currently Wishing: There was a Hayride Tonight by My Sentimental Mind

Today is a melancholy day...
Nothing really happened to me to make me feel like it was going to be a quasi-crappy day - in fact, when I got to school, everything felt like it was going to be a good day...
However, that quickly changed out of the blue...
Everyone sort of seems to be walking around like zombies today...
So, I guess my brain and emotions figured they should feel the same way...
Last class, my kids were asking me what was wrong, and when I took prayer requests, one of the prayer requests was for me...
Haha...
I guess I am not acting that chipper today...

I kind of had a realization that I constantly think about only a handful of things...
Like, there are only 2 or 3 BIG ideas that consume my thoughts at a time, and I tend to devote my time and attention to them - I guess that is the curse of being an extreme person with an obsessive personality...

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have waves of extreme contemplation/introspection (normally related to God and spirituality), and when I hit these moments, I just sort of feel introverted and like I want to be alone...
I am sure that has a lot to do with my mood today (being coupled with Fall is a double whammy)...

Anyways, on a more upbeat note, there is a volleyball game after school today, which should be fun to watch, and I will probably feel better after I work out tonight...
So, I will ride that natural high for as long as I can...

Here is a quote to jumpstart you brains - I read it in a Jewish rabbi's response to a letter written to him by an evangelical Christian...
Tell me what you think...
I don't even know what I think about it - well, at least not totally...
When I weigh in all the ideas about God's Sovereignty, it definitely makes me look at it from a totally different angle than I did a month ago when I wrote it down on a Post-It note and stuck it on my desk...

"The state of the world must prove that the Messiah has come; not a tract."
- Rabbi Richman

Yes, there is pain...
Yes, there is suffering...
Yes, there is extreme evil...
However, when we say that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, is it wrong to say that God is guiding history in such a way that ultimately brings glory to God's name?
Look at Scripture:

Psalm 135:6
Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

I can't deny that - if I do, I have elevated creation above the Creator, the clay above the Potter.

"Almighty God and Merciful Father, we praise you for your everlasting happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity; that you are an infinitely exuberant God; satisfied with the panorama of your own perfections reflected in the radiance of your Son. And we praise you that you are free and sovereign in your own self-sufficiency and cannot be bribed or coerced because of some deficiency or craving in your heart. We praise you that your plan and counsel is governed not by our will but by your good pleasure."
- John Piper