This week we are watching a video series Francis Schaeffer completed in the early 1980's.
This is a quote from his book No Little People
-Chapter Four - The Lord's Work in the Lord's Way - Concluding three paragraphs-
"Humanism presses in upon us, constantly challenging our very life-style. So we must not fail to practice its opposite - the biblical position - representing a real, practical contrast in our day-to-day living. Is not the central problem of our generation that the world looks upon the church and sees it trying to do the Lord's work in the flesh? Let us ask ourselves the hard questions: do we really believe God exists, and do we really believe God?
"Often men have acted as though one has to choose between reformation and revival. Some call for reformation, others for revival, and they tend to look at each other with suspicion. But reformation and revival do not stand in contrast to one another; in fact, both words are related to the concept of restoration. Reformation speaks of a restoration to pure doctrine, revival of a restoration in the Christian's life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture, revival of a life brought into proper relationship to the Holy Spirit. The great moments in church history have come when these two restorations have occurred simultaneously. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation, and reformation is not complete without revival. May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival, so that this poor dark world in which we live may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned to both pure doctrine and a Spirit-filled life.
"As I see it, the Christian life must be comprised of three concentric circles, each of which must be kept in its proper place. In the outer circle must be the correct theological position, true biblical orthodoxy and the purity of the visible church. This is first, but if that is all there is, it is just one more seedbed for spiritual pride. In the second circle must be good intellectual training and comprehension of our own generation. But having only this leads to intellectualism and again provides a seedbed for pride. In the inner circle must be the humble heart- the love of God, the devotional attitude toward God. There must be the daily practice of the reality of the God whom we know is there. These three circles must be properly established, emphasized and related to each other. At the center must be kept a living relationship to the God we know exists. When each of these three circles is established in its proper place, there will be tongues of fire and the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, at the end of my life, when I look back over my work since I have been a Christian, I will see that I have not wasted my life. The Lord's work will be done in the Lord's way."
29 October, 2011
28 October, 2011
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Here is a film our class watched during SBFM's lecture week on Apologetics: (a defense - “To clear away the obstacles so that people get an unobstructed view of Christ.” –adapted from Ravi Zacharias)
It is a valid movie that I would recommend, however this is only a preview..
Read my entry from September to understand what educators are willing to take out of the curriculum (removing the Holocaust as to not offend Muslim students) and how I compared it with my experiences with evolution vs. a Christian student:
http://barefooted-yipsey.blogspot.com/2011/09/sphere-watch-september-26-2011.html
It is a valid movie that I would recommend, however this is only a preview..
Read my entry from September to understand what educators are willing to take out of the curriculum (removing the Holocaust as to not offend Muslim students) and how I compared it with my experiences with evolution vs. a Christian student:
http://barefooted-yipsey.blogspot.com/2011/09/sphere-watch-september-26-2011.html
15 October, 2011
Bamboo Forest Hike
Oh. My. Goodness!
After a crazy week of lectures and class work, some friends and I piled into the back of a pickup truck and a minivan. Driving a good twenty minutes brought us into a rainforest! (Paia is drier, and just a five minute walk from the north shore of Maui). I wish I could post pictures, because the sights were unbelievable, but it was an intense adventure- no one brought a camera...
The "Commando" Hike took us through a field, where I stopped to pet a baby cow, and alongside a trail with plenty of mud to get between your toes. Within two minutes of walking we came to a river. For about an hour, we climbed through knee length water- holding branches and leaning on rocks. Twice we climbed out of the water to skip through plants as tall as us, both times splashing back into the water to continue on. Sometimes the rocks being so slippery made me slide into the water, but it was all worth it. Eventually, we came to a small waterfall. Climbing up it, we hopped under, over and between fallen bamboo trees to the pool of water. Following the river, we climbed another small rock wall overflowing with water.
At this point we had reached a fifteen foot tube, maybe four feet in diameter? Water was shooting over the edge as we took turns shimmying up the tube and found ourselves at the base of a huge cave. Scaling the mouth of the cave, my arms and legs held me parallel to the water below me as I went deeper into the darkness. As my friends climbed up the biggest waterfall yet, their bodies were silhouettes as the light outside burst around them. We were a pretty good sized group; it took about 15 minutes for everyone to get up and inside what ended up being a 150 foot cave! This gave us time to paint our faces with red-clay-dirt. :) The most difficult part of the 'hike' was yet to come. In extremely dim lighting, we crawled up the side of the rock as the forceful river poured over its edge. One by one, everyone made it up! We exited out a small hole and continued the hike, swimming through a lake, marching through a field, and then descending down an extremely steep mountainside. It was CRAZY. Oh my goodness, considering how many people were hiking, it gave way to a trafficked trail. It was incredibly challenging, especially since we were holding onto roots and rocks that could -in an instant- pull away from the earth!
Once we made it to the edge of the mountain, we still had about 45 feet to continue down before landing on solid ground. A banyan tree has grown next to the mountain (which at this point was boulders and slates of rock); banyan trees are unique in that they send down roots towards the ground. This builds structure as the roots, over time, resemble branches quite similar to the tree trunk itself. As we had come out of the cave and swam through the lake, it had started to rain, so things went from funny (sliding down the steep mountain) to quite dangerous; the branches were wet, and we needed climb down it. Okay, it wasn't mandatory- some of the guys got impatient and walked down a trail covered with weeds and ferns. I love trees, so I couldn't resist monkeying around a bit.
To get on the tree, you had to approach the edge of the cliff, hold onto two bamboo poles and swing around so you faced the mountain. Sliding down the shaft of the bamboo, you could put your feet on a rock and turn towards the tree. From there it was just climbing over, under, and between the branches, and I ended up finding a sturdy branch to slide down the final fifteen feet, which more than satisfied my childhood dream of visiting a fire station... haha, we ended the trail by cliff jumping and swimming down the river, walking through some more fields, and running through bright green bamboo trees.
My Father is so creative.
Much love,
Kelsey, Warrior Princess.
After a crazy week of lectures and class work, some friends and I piled into the back of a pickup truck and a minivan. Driving a good twenty minutes brought us into a rainforest! (Paia is drier, and just a five minute walk from the north shore of Maui). I wish I could post pictures, because the sights were unbelievable, but it was an intense adventure- no one brought a camera...
The "Commando" Hike took us through a field, where I stopped to pet a baby cow, and alongside a trail with plenty of mud to get between your toes. Within two minutes of walking we came to a river. For about an hour, we climbed through knee length water- holding branches and leaning on rocks. Twice we climbed out of the water to skip through plants as tall as us, both times splashing back into the water to continue on. Sometimes the rocks being so slippery made me slide into the water, but it was all worth it. Eventually, we came to a small waterfall. Climbing up it, we hopped under, over and between fallen bamboo trees to the pool of water. Following the river, we climbed another small rock wall overflowing with water.
At this point we had reached a fifteen foot tube, maybe four feet in diameter? Water was shooting over the edge as we took turns shimmying up the tube and found ourselves at the base of a huge cave. Scaling the mouth of the cave, my arms and legs held me parallel to the water below me as I went deeper into the darkness. As my friends climbed up the biggest waterfall yet, their bodies were silhouettes as the light outside burst around them. We were a pretty good sized group; it took about 15 minutes for everyone to get up and inside what ended up being a 150 foot cave! This gave us time to paint our faces with red-clay-dirt. :) The most difficult part of the 'hike' was yet to come. In extremely dim lighting, we crawled up the side of the rock as the forceful river poured over its edge. One by one, everyone made it up! We exited out a small hole and continued the hike, swimming through a lake, marching through a field, and then descending down an extremely steep mountainside. It was CRAZY. Oh my goodness, considering how many people were hiking, it gave way to a trafficked trail. It was incredibly challenging, especially since we were holding onto roots and rocks that could -in an instant- pull away from the earth!
Once we made it to the edge of the mountain, we still had about 45 feet to continue down before landing on solid ground. A banyan tree has grown next to the mountain (which at this point was boulders and slates of rock); banyan trees are unique in that they send down roots towards the ground. This builds structure as the roots, over time, resemble branches quite similar to the tree trunk itself. As we had come out of the cave and swam through the lake, it had started to rain, so things went from funny (sliding down the steep mountain) to quite dangerous; the branches were wet, and we needed climb down it. Okay, it wasn't mandatory- some of the guys got impatient and walked down a trail covered with weeds and ferns. I love trees, so I couldn't resist monkeying around a bit.
To get on the tree, you had to approach the edge of the cliff, hold onto two bamboo poles and swing around so you faced the mountain. Sliding down the shaft of the bamboo, you could put your feet on a rock and turn towards the tree. From there it was just climbing over, under, and between the branches, and I ended up finding a sturdy branch to slide down the final fifteen feet, which more than satisfied my childhood dream of visiting a fire station... haha, we ended the trail by cliff jumping and swimming down the river, walking through some more fields, and running through bright green bamboo trees.
My Father is so creative.
Much love,
Kelsey, Warrior Princess.
10 October, 2011
Defining and Defending Biblical Christianity
Here is an essay I wrote while reading Knowing God, by J.I. Packer.
In <3 Christ, Kelsey Tungseth
_______Myself, and over one hundred other students were enrolled in a three month program when I realized I had let society define Christianity. Designed to disciple believers as Jesus had trained His followers, the school was called Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission. Sitting in a large auditorium, students had been asked to anticipate a response towards someone you could meet, “skeptically interrogating ‘The Church’, Christianity, and religion.” Hesitant with questionable definitions, we dwelled on the message the speaker had brought to the table. “Tell me what a ‘Christian’ is, and I’ll tell you if I am one,” missionary Pam Arlund voiced her personal comeback. As the University of the Nations seminar advanced, we focused on how to live lives to mirror the ways of Christ, opposed to functioning robotically, culturally claiming a religion only honored once a week. Sadly, the title Christian has left many a stranger feeling rejected and worthless. A blatant reality has come upon us; professing Christians able to define and defend a Biblical Christian worldview are few and far between.
_______As generations continue succeeding one another, each is less informed of scripture than the generation prior; the threat is that we constantly lose reverence for Biblical Christian worldview. The stories we learn in church as children are repetitive and seemingly inapplicable, but it is vital to teach believers how to connect “Bible Times” with today. In Knowing God, J.I. Packer states, “We cannot see how the two worlds link up, and hence again and again we find ourselves feeling that the things we read about in the Bible can have no application for us.” Unfortunately, people process the adventures without learning the lessons. However, modern-day believers can relate to the wisdom revealed to us in God’s Word, they simply need to be advised on how to look for and apply the Biblical Christian values behind the stories themselves.
_______A question many Christians need to learn to answer is, “Why do you choose to believe what you believe, and how does it affect the way you live?” The answer will vary, as it comes down to where you build your foundation. Packer says, “True Christians are people who acknowledge and live under the Word of God.” (pg. 116 line 5) As believers gradually lose interest and, without fail, lack proper instruction on the practicality of Biblical principles, we succumb to calling ourselves Christians merely by association. For years, I lived with the mindset Jesus is love, so He will forgive all my sins, and I continued to sin. This is one example of a Biblical principle taken out of context; I lived according to my own rules and precepts, and in turn, perverted the Truth of the Lord. God describes to us how we are to live, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (ESV)
_______These intimate and precious practices have been replaced with the unrelenting ideology of secular humanism. Presuming Christianity is old fashioned, this overwhelming worldview states we have the right to be in control of our lives. Packer counters this, saying, “We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what he is doing, and what he is after, in his handling of our affairs.” (pg. 98 line 3) Biblical Christianity is that we believe and obey. We will have greater progress in defining and defending our faith as soon as we surrender to God’s statues, acknowledging that His ways are wiser than our own. “As such, [wisdom] is found in its fullness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariably wise.” (Packer pg. 90 line 5) The act of releasing from our minds unspoken limits and assumptions is vital, as it is written, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8 ESV)
_______Confronted more so today than ever before, we face a bold disregard for the Christian faith. Inevitably, most people limit God to our human capabilities, ruling out His command to seek His ways and thoughts above our own. In order to “be imitators of God,” (Ephesians 5:1 ESV) the focus of our lives needs to be re-directed to revolve around this Unchanging One and His Will and Purposes. The passage in Ephesians does not say, you be God; scripture is clear that we are to model our lives after Jehovah. As we implement these philosophies in the way we profess Christianity, we will see a greater number of believers capable of defining and defending their Biblical worldview.
In <3 Christ, Kelsey Tungseth
_______Myself, and over one hundred other students were enrolled in a three month program when I realized I had let society define Christianity. Designed to disciple believers as Jesus had trained His followers, the school was called Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission. Sitting in a large auditorium, students had been asked to anticipate a response towards someone you could meet, “skeptically interrogating ‘The Church’, Christianity, and religion.” Hesitant with questionable definitions, we dwelled on the message the speaker had brought to the table. “Tell me what a ‘Christian’ is, and I’ll tell you if I am one,” missionary Pam Arlund voiced her personal comeback. As the University of the Nations seminar advanced, we focused on how to live lives to mirror the ways of Christ, opposed to functioning robotically, culturally claiming a religion only honored once a week. Sadly, the title Christian has left many a stranger feeling rejected and worthless. A blatant reality has come upon us; professing Christians able to define and defend a Biblical Christian worldview are few and far between.
_______As generations continue succeeding one another, each is less informed of scripture than the generation prior; the threat is that we constantly lose reverence for Biblical Christian worldview. The stories we learn in church as children are repetitive and seemingly inapplicable, but it is vital to teach believers how to connect “Bible Times” with today. In Knowing God, J.I. Packer states, “We cannot see how the two worlds link up, and hence again and again we find ourselves feeling that the things we read about in the Bible can have no application for us.” Unfortunately, people process the adventures without learning the lessons. However, modern-day believers can relate to the wisdom revealed to us in God’s Word, they simply need to be advised on how to look for and apply the Biblical Christian values behind the stories themselves.
_______A question many Christians need to learn to answer is, “Why do you choose to believe what you believe, and how does it affect the way you live?” The answer will vary, as it comes down to where you build your foundation. Packer says, “True Christians are people who acknowledge and live under the Word of God.” (pg. 116 line 5) As believers gradually lose interest and, without fail, lack proper instruction on the practicality of Biblical principles, we succumb to calling ourselves Christians merely by association. For years, I lived with the mindset Jesus is love, so He will forgive all my sins, and I continued to sin. This is one example of a Biblical principle taken out of context; I lived according to my own rules and precepts, and in turn, perverted the Truth of the Lord. God describes to us how we are to live, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (ESV)
_______These intimate and precious practices have been replaced with the unrelenting ideology of secular humanism. Presuming Christianity is old fashioned, this overwhelming worldview states we have the right to be in control of our lives. Packer counters this, saying, “We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what he is doing, and what he is after, in his handling of our affairs.” (pg. 98 line 3) Biblical Christianity is that we believe and obey. We will have greater progress in defining and defending our faith as soon as we surrender to God’s statues, acknowledging that His ways are wiser than our own. “As such, [wisdom] is found in its fullness only in God. He alone is naturally and entirely and invariably wise.” (Packer pg. 90 line 5) The act of releasing from our minds unspoken limits and assumptions is vital, as it is written, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8 ESV)
_______Confronted more so today than ever before, we face a bold disregard for the Christian faith. Inevitably, most people limit God to our human capabilities, ruling out His command to seek His ways and thoughts above our own. In order to “be imitators of God,” (Ephesians 5:1 ESV) the focus of our lives needs to be re-directed to revolve around this Unchanging One and His Will and Purposes. The passage in Ephesians does not say, you be God; scripture is clear that we are to model our lives after Jehovah. As we implement these philosophies in the way we profess Christianity, we will see a greater number of believers capable of defining and defending their Biblical worldview.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)