Journal Entry: Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Scripture: Verse 13: All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

Observation: These are the heroes of the Bible. These heroes are the ones who died not yet having seen on earth the fulfillment of their hope. Why? How could they leave their lives on earth happily when they had not yet seen the fulfillment of what they'd spent their lives seeking based off of what God had promised? Because they knew that God's plan was bigger than what they could see at the present time. They understood that even if things were not deeply understandable, God had a higher purpose in what He was working out. And that was the confidence they had when they died not yet having seen the fulfillment of God's promises.

Application: When I cannot see the fulfillment of God's promises, and it seems like destruction is lying in wait outside my door; when the tears would be swallowed up inside me and my soul goes numb; the promises of God still exist, and He will never fail. Perhaps I will die someday without seeing the growth or development of seed I've spent my entire life sowing. It will still have been worth it, because there is more to God's plan than what is seen now.

It is easy to say this now, at a time in my life where I am blessed to see the fruit of my labors and watch prayers be answered before my very eyes. However, I would humbly hope that I can still say this with full confidence if ever I am physically  or otherwise suffering. That my eyes would be on the promises not yet fulfilled, but spoken of in God's word, as happening in the future.

Prayer: Father, thank you for this thing called faith that I do not fully understand. Thank you that I can have full assurance in something I have not even seen yet. Thank you that You are working out my salvation and that someday I will be with you in heaven. This is what is promised! The heroes of the Old Testament recorded in Hebrews 11 yielded their lives over to You, and worked tirelessly for You while they were on earth, because they knew that someday their efforts would be worth it. That "someday" would not be known to others until hundreds, in some cases thousands, of years after they had died. Dear Father, thank you that your plan is still perfect even when I do not fully understand it. In your precious Son's holy name, amen.

Just a Good Man? Or God in Man?

We had planned to go to IUPUI this week in Indianapolis, but with bad weather in the forecast, Tom decided to take advantage of one of the last warm days in Columbus to set up on the Oval again. It was a sunny, blustery day in the mid 60's. What a wonderful day! We all had some really awesome conversations. 

At one point, I told a girl who had just begun reading the banners to let me know if she had any questions. Acknowledging me, she continued reading the banners, then found me where I'd retreated a bit to the side. Beginning with questions wondering how we can combine the Old and New Testaments, she told me that she is Jewish. We sat and talked for at least an hour, discussing sacrifices for sins, and the fact that the New Testament says that the law in the Old Testament is no longer valid based off of the final, perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

Michal (Michelle) reminded me that as a Jew, she does not believe that Jesus is God. I discussed with her how the evidence points to Jesus either being a liar, a lunatic, or who He said He is. Evidence of this is seen when Jesus said, "Worship only God." If he was not God, then he could not have been a good man because he allowed himself to be worshipped (Luke 4:8) so, he was either lying about who he claimed to be, which wouldn't have made him a good prophet, or he was crazy. Or, he is who he said he was-the Lord God. 

One of Michal's questions about Jesus was, "Why would God have created another god?" Since the Jewish people do not believe Jesus is God, it was difficult for her to grasp the concept of God having more than one entity since one of the Ten Commandments says, "You shall have no other gods besides Me" (Exodus 20:3). I shared the analogy of Bill Gates living in the slums as a homeless man for a week-he's denying who he is, in order to experience another level of society. He is still Bill Gates; the fact that he still has the billions of dollars that he does, does not change the fact that he has altered his circumstances for that week. In much the same way, Jesus is God in the form of man coming down to spend 33 years on earth, experiencing the same things we experience without giving in to sin. He denied His rights to be honored and respected on earth in order to demonstrate His intimate love for us. He died on a cross that had once been a tree that He had created. This sacrifice is the most personal of all demonstrations of anyone that we have recorded in history. 

Michal asked if I believed that everyone has to accept Jesus in order to be forgiven by God and go to heaven. She was somewhat taken aback when I shared that the Bible says that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-that everyone must accept Jesus in order for the Father to forgive sins and allow us into heaven. We discussed how there has always been a mediator between man and God. In the Old Testament, that was always a prophet, and someone specifically chosen and anointed by God himself-such as Moses or Abraham. Never is there a part in the Old Testament where common man could communicate directly to God without first going thruogh the priest, who performed the ceremonial cleansing that God's law demanded. I shared with her how Jesus was the fulfillment of the law, not an entirely NEW law; Jesus, as a Jew, followed the ceremonial, civil, and moral laws from the Old Testament. However, he made a way for common man to communicate directly to God THROUGH him. One illustration of this is by the curtain in the temple being torn in half at the time of his death on the cross; (Matthew 27:51). God was essentially saying that Jesus is the final Mediator between God and man; that belief in sinless Jesus' death and resurrection created a line of communication directly to God as had never existed before. The curtain no longer separates us from the Holy of Holies, the inner chambers of the temple, when we seek God through Jesus Christ. 

At one point, Michal stated how God could have obliterated all of humanity if He had wanted to. Not only this, but if Jesus had been God, He should have been able to keep himself from being murdered on the cross. 

"So, why didn't he if he was God?" She asked.

 

"Well, the Bible says that Jesus could have called for thousands of angels to rescue him if he wanted them to" (Matt. 26:53). 

"Why didn't he?" 

"The reason he didn't? Well, it's because he loved us more than he loved himself. His love held him there, and allowed him to endure the terrible suffering that he did. His power never left him-he gave it up temporarily, refused to use what was his, in order for a greater purpose to be fulfilled-the ability of mankind to be saved through his death on the cross, if they will yield themselves over to him." 

Jesus allows both Jews and Gentiles to believe in Him and be saved, as evidenced in Romans 3:21-24 when it says, "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (NIV).  

Another concept we discussed involved goodness. Michal shared that Jews do not believe that everyone has to be Jewish in order to be saved, like Bible-believing Christians believe that only those who accept Jesus will be saved. She believes that Muslims, Jews, and Christians (e.g., any religion) can be saved if they practice goodness to the best of their ability inside of their religion.

The Bible's response to this widely accepted belief about goodness is that God's standard of goodness never changes. He is holy and just, and demands recompence for sins. He provided Jesus as the means; Jesus is the only means because He was perfect, and we are not. The New Testament book of Hebrews tells how it is impossible for ceremonial practices to take away sin: 

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Hebrews 10:1-4 NIV).

There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament. Psalm 22:16-18 says, "Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments" (NIV). This portion of scripture was written hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented. 

Jeremiah 23:5,6 says, "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'When I will raise up for David (OR, up from David's line) a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteous Savior'" (NIV). 

I could continue listing more of these astounding prophecies, but a simple Google search will easily get you a list of the many verses in the Old Testament with prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. Even if you are secure in your belief of who Jesus is, I would encourage anyone to spend even a short time in study over this area. It is flabbergasting to consider the fact that Jesus fulfilled so many of these Old Testament statements 700, 800, and 1000 years after they were written. 

Michal and I could have talked all day, but she had to leave. We exchanged information, and hopefully we will be able to continue our discussion in the future.  

Let me close with a verse from my quiet time yesterday. I journaled about Hebrews 10:8-10.  

 "First he said, 'sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire. Nor were you pleased with them'-though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, 'Here am I, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Vs. 18: "And where these, (sins and lawless acts) have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary." 

Journal Entry: Luke 23

This journal entry is entitled "The Humble Thief's Heart."

Scripture: Luke 23.
Key verses: 39-43. "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'Since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong" (NIV).

Observation: 'This man has done no wrong!' Oh criminal, thief, hung to die, gasping for one breath of oxygen! No greater truth have you ever spoken. The agony of human suffering you are experiencing at the moment of this utterance cannot have compared with the joy and freedom you felt upon the full realization that the Man on the cross next to you was truly the Savior of the world. While you and He shared the same human anguish on the cross, He was experiencing more than you ever would: He had the weight of the sin of mankind; He carried your sin. While you were destined to die in your sin, He was destined to carry it for you. While you suffered a just punishment for your evil acts on earth, He suffered as an innocent Man.

Application: Notice the difference between the hearts of these two men hanging between Jesus. One calloused, hating, and mocking the King Jesus as he died naked on a cross. The other, seeing life and death in front of him, realizing his soul's imminent need for deliverance. He looked past his overwhelmingly wretched situation on the cross to acknowledge that he was about to die and stand in judgement for his sins. And so, humbly, he asked the King to save him from an eternity from hell. Can you imagine! What better timing? What a unique salvation story this thief has to share for the rest of eternity in heaven. "I accepted Christ when I was hanging next to Him on a cross." And I guarantee that his name is not "Thief" now.

Prayer: Father, the difference between these two thieve's hearts still represent so many responses to the gospel today. Many people respond by mocking, scoffing and insulting the messenger as well as the message of Your gospel. And yet, many still respond to the simple yet vast love of God and humbly admit they are need of a Savior. Continue to use me to bring the message of Your love to others. Father, I ask you to increase my fear of You so that I do not fear the insults of those who do not know You.

"Fear of God makes heroes, fear of men makes cowards." -Sergeant Alvin C. York

A Short Post about Journaling

When we began traveling as a team in the beginning of September, Tom shared with us how he had begun the new practice of journaling this summer.

"I don't know why no one ever taught me how to journal before-they must have thought, 'he's Tom Short-of course he knows how to journal,'" Tom mused.

The system Tom taught us, which the five of us have been practicing daily, is called the "SOAP Method." Essentially, you need five things to begin:

A Bible reading plan, a Bible, a notebook, a pen, and a planner.

1) Plan out what you are going to read; typically, 1-3 chapters is a good place to start.

2) It is essential to bring your Bible along as well. If you are just beginning to read the Bible for yourself, find a translation that is easy to read and understand. I recommend the NIV, ESV, or NLT. Tom also says not to bring along an electronic Bible, because it is very easy just to copy and paste verses that way, and when instead you take the time to physically write down the scripture and your thoughts about it, you are forced to slow down and process things more deeply.

3) Get a nice journal that you will enjoy writing in-and 4) a nice pen as well. You can find both for fairly cheap.

5) The planner is to write down anything that comes to mind when you are journaling that you need to remember later. When you write it down, you won't have to worry about remembering it at the end of your quiet time and can remain undistracted to focus on what you're journaling about.

S: Scripture. Write down what passage you are reading, and write a verse or two down that stuck out to you. These verses will be what you will focus on in the journal entry.

O: Observation. What do you see happening in these verses? Write these thoughts down.

A: Application. What is something you can apply to your heart and/or to your life based off of the scripture?

P: Prayer. Write down a short prayer to God based off of what you read. Tom says that since most prayers are spontaneous, oftentimes it can seem strange to write prayers down. Once you begin doing it, however, it will seem more natural. Personally, in the past it was always difficult for me to write down prayers, but since I started the SOAP method, I've found it has become easier.

So, that's that! My next post will include an example of journaling with the SOAP method.

The Ohio State

It has been a great week on OH State campus!!! Anyone interested in hearing more details about it can email me, but here is just a little bit of a sneak peak: 

It was a tremendously beautiful fall day on Monday, October 14. With temps in the mid 70's, the sun bright and shining, and the oval freshly mowed, the green grass and blue sky blended creatively with the trees changing color. 

We were set up by 11:30am, and a steady crowd of about 40 stuck around for most of the nearly 7 hours we had the banners on display. Tom didn't start preaching for a while, as he instead talked to students who were reading the banners. It was early in the afternoon that I started talking to Tim, a student who approached the table where Megan and I were standing. As we started chatting a bit, Tim shared how he was an agnostic and had been raised by parents who were atheists.

Our conversation lasted for nearly the next two hours, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

One part of our talk included Tim asking me to be 99% sure of God's existence- couldn't I leave a 1% chance that God does not exist, since he was leaving a 1% chance that God does exist? My response to that, was that even the demons believe-and they are certainly not in agreement with God; so, one way to put it would be to say that I was 99% sure that God existed BEFORE I prayed to accept Jesus; my 100% came when I placed my faith in Him for salvation. the 100% also came about and was birthed by my actions that were produced as a result of my faith. 

True faith without actions is not true faith. I want it to be clear that the existence of God does not change based off of the percentage of belief I place in His existence; He is real even if tomorrow I decide not to believe in Him anymore. Tim compared the concept of God's existence being related to a campaign manager being confident that his candidate will win, while at the same time there being just as much of a chance as the other candidate winning. While I understood what Tim was implying by this, I had to say that I considered it to be a poor analogy because God's existence isn't based on whether we choose He exists or not. God has already "won." His existence isn't going to suddenly not be true anymore by the atheist winning the majority vote. Let's not vote on whether God exists or not. 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11 NIV

West Virginia University: The High Cost of Sin

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away...Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God's commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help...Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. Psalm 107:4-17. 

These verses I've taken from this Psalm speak about the affliction of those who rebel against God. It isn't pretty. Nor would I find many people on the street today who would willingly accept a wasteland or prisoner-like lifestyle. West Virginia University exhibited several people who, sadly, are experiencing a wasteland type of life, and in their rebellion claim to be incredibly happy.

In the Old Testament, the book of Ezekiel tells of how the aforementioned prophet was called by God: 

He said: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says.'  And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious people-they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious (Ezekiel 2:3-7NIV). 

I have one question. 

Why?

Why did God send prophets to wicked and rebellious people. He knew they only wanted their own ways, and that they had full knowledge of the sin they were committing. Why then did He send prophets as His messengers to suffer at the hands of the ridiculing and mocking rebels? 

I have never seen such immaturity within a short amount of time as was displayed on Thursday. Two students, a guy and a girl, snuck up behind Tom and began ripping the pictures he uses to illustrate certain points. After that, I expected them to stay away out of embarrassment that they'd destroyed someone else's property. I was wrong. Both returned unapologetically, and, with roving eyes, sought a means to destroy more. An atheist student who had been listening respectfully to Tom hurried to stand between the angry student and Tom's pictures. Refusing to budge, he did not allow Angry Student to reach for the pictures. After a few seconds, Angry Student gave up and walked away. 

Another girl with dark eyes and long dark hair came slowly walking up to Tom, her eyes fixed on his face, staring in silence. Sticking her tongue out, she waggled her fingers by her ears. Then, when he turned to face another student, she took a giant bunny hop to land right in front of him again. This behavior continued for a while, when she left and soon returned with a piece of paper. She proceeded to hold the paper, which said "you're wrong" on it, in front of Tom for at least an hour while he preached. The next day she was back, this time with a guitar. it didn't even appear that she could play it but she sat and strummed it in front of Tom, at times strumming louder if he happened to say something that she particularly didn't like. I don't even know this girl's name, but my heart broke for her as she finally left for good, carrying her guitar, on the second day. Her face betrayed intense hatred for the message of the gospel, and her entire countenance was wrought with hatred for it. As glad as I was to see her leave and stop trying to distract people from hearing the message of the Bible from Tom, I found tears in my eyes as I watched her walk away in the drizzling rain that had begun to fall. I don't even know this girl's name, but Jesus does. And He loves her with the same love He loves me with. He died on the cross for her in the same way He died for me. And it breaks His heart that she refuses to acknowledge Him as Lord. Even as I rejoiced to see her leave, I found myself uttering a prayer that she would find salvation and hope and peace and love through Jesus Christ. 

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

And there is the answer to the question I asked earlier: Why does God even care for the rebellious? Because He is patient. Because He created us in His image, and he does not wish for anyone to perish and suffer. Because God loves the people He created. Because God is love itself. 

A lesbian student loudly and proudly proclaimed her homosexuality, at the same time also claiming to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. She declared that the Biblical laws against homosexuality did not apply in today's culture because she had been born with an attraction towards females and it was not something she could help. Sadly, this is a very twisted view on Scripture. When we repent of our sin and come to Christ, He accepts us as we are-in the filth of sin and disgrace we are covered in, and He loves us. But He does not leave us where we are. He cleans our hearts. He changes our desires to be like His-a desire for holiness. And so, this is why Paul tells the church in Corinth what he does: 

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" 1 Cor. 6:9-11 NIV (Emphasis added). 

Jesus requires us to change. It is all a part of a process of becoming holy, which is called sanctification. He does not leave us in the sin we were in. Otherwise, what need do we have of Him? Sure, there is always the hope of heaven-but if someone has prayed for salvation only to avoid the horror of hell, they do not understand the whole goal of salvation. God does not simply write your name down upon salvation, and then forget about you until you die. No, indeed. The step of asking Him to forgive your sins and accepting Jesus into your heart and life opens up a whole new life in which to walk. You start to desire to please God above pleasing yourself. You understand how sin in your life is not compatible with Jesus in your life. The choices you make now are different than the choices you used to make. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 NIV

Purdue: Continued

The following days on campus at Purdue involved some scattered rain showers, which had us scrambling to hide books and papers from the torrential deluge of water from the skies.  We waited inside until the worst had passed, which was only 10 or 15 minutes long. Since it continued sprinkling, I walked the 15 minutes to the van to retrieve the umbrella. The entire walk, I got wetter and wetter from the huge drops of sprinkles. As soon as I reached the van, what should happen but the sprinkles stopped and the sun popped out for the rest of the day! Oh fall weather in the Midwest, how I love thee.

The next morning, I drove to campus and jumped out of the van only to be greeted by a sight I was not expecting: the entire bottom half of the side of the van from front to back was bright yellow with dried road paint. We unloaded quickly, and Tom Biang went with me to find the possible areas of road where we might have picked up our unwelcome addition on the van. When we found it, it was clear that there were no signs warning of wet paint on the road. We went back to Tom's house, grabbed a few scrub brushes, dish scrapers, and soapy water, and proceeded to scrub nearly every speck of paint off: out of the wheel wells, off the windows, and even the thickest parts that had dried. A little elbow grease, a lot of belabored breathing, and a garden hose resulted in the van sparkling silver once again, albeit one of the tires still shone bright yellow (It has since faded slightly).

At the end of our week in Purdue, we traveled 20 minutes east to a camp where we would have our annual fall college conference. Several people from my church in Dubuque, including my sister and two of my brothers came. It was wonderful to see them again! Among other things over the weekend, a few of us, who were either very wise or very foolish, played frisbee in a torrential downpour of a thunderstorm. I forgot that my phone was in my pocket, and upon discovery it appeared that it would never be revived again;  however, old faithful finally revived again and has only been a little groggy since that experience. We spent some quality time on the slip 'n slides as well. Waiting at the bottom of the hill was a pool of muddy rainwater which sprayed our entire faces upon impact, coating us in layers  of grime. I dare say that it was a well-spent afternoon by all.

Now, on to more serious things...

Tom taught on several things that stuck out to me over the weekend. One thought: The most important question one can ever ask in life; "Who is Jesus to me?" Not only is this most important question you can ever ask, but also it is the most important question that you can answer in your lifetime. The person of Jesus Christ has been proven in historical records to have existed. Eyewitness accounts give us proof about what He said, and who He claimed to be, while on earth.

"Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asked his disciples. Matthew 16:16 tells us, "Simon Peter answered, 'you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'" Jesus' response to this answer?

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven" (Matt. 16:17, NIV)

What, then, are we going to do with the truth of Jesus Christ being God, if indeed we have reached this conclusion? Tom pointed out one of the first things to know when you're running a race: Winners know where the finish line is. We are not running aimlessly; we are not fighting like a boxer thoughtlessly beating the air (Paraphrased; 1 Cor. 9:26).

In this race, it is important to know firstly who we are as a redeemed child of God. Tom shared with us Romans 8:28 as well as Ephesians 2:1-10, paying special attention to the last verse: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Tom pointed out that in the Greek, the word 'handiwork' is 'poema.' We are God's poem, His artwork; we are His trophy. You say, 'Wow. I'm not much to look at. I'm a failure. I sin everyday and don't ever see myself overcoming these temptations constantly invading my life. God must look at me and regret that He saved me. My representation of Him sucks. I only read the Bible for five minutes every day, when everyone else I know reads for 30 minutes.'

Tom pointed out something that is crucial to understand: Many people, upon accepting Christ, begin to feel very discouraged because of their failures to follow the commandments of scripture. They can even feel as if they were better people BEFORE they came to Christ. However, did you read your Bible before you were saved? Probably not. That fact alone, regardless of the time spent on it, means that you are being changed to become like Christ. The more of a habit you make it, the easier it will be!

Tom's talk went further into explaining the way we are changed when we are saved. The devil's strategy flips 100% when we accept Christ. Before, he tried to convince you that you're a good enough person that you don't need any help saving yourself. After you realize your need for Christ, and ask forgiveness of your sins, the devil tries to convince you that you're the worst of all sinners so that you don't live in the grace and joy of God's forgiveness! he's such a bozo. No matter whether you are living up to your own standards of what you think a Christian ought to be, the most important thing to do is surrender your life to the Lord and allow Him to work in your heart. When you cannot see Him working in your life, don't stop trusting that He is continuing to transform you into an image of Himself.

Something that encourages me more than anything is that someday, the devil will not have power to speak lies to us anymore!!!

Revelation 12:10, 11 says, Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (NIV).

This is our hope; the assurance we have in God that what we experience here on earth will one day be worth it; to know that we will one day be with Jesus, that all sin and evil and sorrow, every painful tear-it will be done away with! What gladness, what joy must spring from our souls when we realize this truth!

Purdue: Boiling up Controversy

Tuesday, October 1 was our first day on campus at Purdue University. It was great to see many of my friends from the church there who I have gotten to know over the years from summer leadership trainings and church conferences we've attended together. Because the area on campus where Tom always preached in the past was already reserved by a different group that week, we set up shop in front of what turned out to be the biology building. Incidentally, our displays for day 1 are about creation/evolution and attract many science majors who have questions about proof for a God through science. This day was no different, and by the afternoon a crowd had gathered around Tom as he preached and shared what the Bible has to say about an Intelligent Creator. One of the banners discusses the similarities between Hitler's Holocaust and the genocide of aborted babies taking place now in the U.S.

One student, who I'll call John, insisted that as long as 'the fetus' stays in the mother's body, the mother can decide whatever she wants to do with 'it;' that it is a part of her own body, and not a human until it leaves the mother's body. The fact that a baby inside it's mothers womb has it's own heartbeat by the time the mother typically even realizes she is pregnant, did not make John budge. The fact that the baby has it's own unique DNA, separate from the mother's, did not stop him from arguing that the fetus does not become a person with the right to life until after it had been born into the world. Sadly, John's view is predominantly wide-held on college campuses all over the US as well as around the world. This belief being so widespread does not stop it from being wrong. Exodus 20:13 still says, "Do not murder." This is a moral law that does not ever change, regardless of the whims of a society at any given time. Murder is evil. Murder is a sin, and those who commit it will be punished by a God who demands justice. Unfortunately, many people, young and old, are in for a rude awakening not far off in the future. Either God is dead, or He is very much alive.

Omaha to Ohio: Travels Through Time

Friday, September 27, 2013: After a fun night of hanging out with our roommates, who took us to a friend's apartment in the International student dorms, eating real Chinese food (100% with chopsticks! How proud of me I am) drinking Austrian coffee, and myself staying up until 1am reading The Book Thief, we departed bright and early at 6:30am. We drove from Omaha to Ohio, which ended up being a total of 16 hours on the road, including the infrequent stops we made.

Duncan and I switched off driving, but it wasn't until the latter part of the drive that something terribly abnormal began which would last the entire rest of the trip. We'd stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in the middle of the vast state of Indiana for a much-needed break, and when we were once again in the van and driving, I accelerated in order to merge onto the highway again. The van responded by shaking like a massage chair out of control, rattling harder and harder as the speed climbed. I would go on to describe the next four hours, how my nerves slowly wore down to nothing, how my bones felt the shaking long after the van had come to a standstill; however, I must turn over the reins to my fellow intern, Sir Duncan Ferguson, who so poignantly describes the dilemma:

(Copy and paste the below link to be taken to his blog)

http://tdferg3654.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-to-do-in-purdue.html

Omaha and The Reality of God

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

A simple sentence. A sentence explaining how the world, the universe, every constellation and distant moon came into existence. A sentence declaring the greatness of God. A sentence that reveals humanity to it's very core. In every human being, there is a desire to know God. Romans 1 declares that God has revealed Himself to us through creation, and therefore we have no excuse for rejecting Him. Romans 2: the conscience. And finally, Romans 3: Christ Himself, God in human form, laying down His life for the scum of the earth, the dirt-bags, the liars, the cheats, and fornicators. For humanity. Individuals. Hearts that did not yet exist, but God had a dream about each and every one. A dream of connecting with each heart that he would create in perfect unity, of a love so pure it shone brighter than the sun. A dream of creating males and females and giving them a beautiful world to live in, unlike any other, a world of perfection where they would walk hand in hand with their Maker. And so, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The looks of hatred and derision would do more than kill if they could. They would shred into finest minced pieces the pages of the Bible and the message it carries. The looks of sickened disgust would bury the Creation Story six feet under and leave an unmarked grave to be trodden upon by a socialist society. And finally, the raging anger buried deep inside would mince the person of Jesus Christ into absolute chard until He was nothing more than ash to be scattered by the wind.  But oh, wait. They already have. I speak not of government officials nor any powers of command who make eloquent speeches for the masses. I speak of the common individual that you or I pass on the street every day.

In today's world, the average Joe has no clue who the person of Jesus Christ is. Sure, they have heard of Him in Sunday school and can recount the stories of Jonah and the Whale, Noah and the Ark. But most have not had an intimate, deep encounter with the savior of the universe for which Christ died in the first place. I have been traveling with Tom and Team for four weeks now. We have gone to five different campuses: IA state, Colorado State, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Omaha. In all of my discussions with students on campus in this past month, I have come to understand some things about the basics viewpoints of someone who has not accepted Jesus as their savior: first off, they hold strongly to the theory of evolution. This is because most have been taught this way of belief since kindergarten, and simply dropping the entire theory behind their reason for existence in one day isn't going to happen. Secondly, most people enjoy sinning. In their pride, they lay claim to the fame of being a good person. This is their hope of getting into heaven, for those who believe in an afterlife. Another big reason for why people have not accepted Jesus is because they have adopted for themselves a 'cafeteria' religion, a term borrowed from Tom Short: "A little bit of that…some of that…ugh! Not that!...um, a whole lot of that!...and a little bit of that!" Cafeteria religion leaves no room for Jesus being needed to remove sins. This is because when you get enough of it, you've built yourself a pillar into the sky. That is, hopefully a pillar reaching all the way to heaven based on how well your mind constructs it based off of your own desires and how you rate certain sins.

Unfortunately, most young people are floating around campuses (ok, not literally...but I like the imagery) all over America who don't have a clue what they believe in. Laying claim to Atheism, Agnosticism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Non-denominationalism, and Roman Catholicism, these individuals have created pathways to heaven that only exist in their own creative minds. Unfortunately, most have never read the Bible. Many claim to have had it forced upon them growing up. Even more unfortunate is the large number of people who had the bible forced upon them in the same meaning that they were forced to eat their vegetables or brush their teeth. Interestingly enough, I've never met an adult who claims they've decided never to brush their teeth again as an adult because they were forced to brush them as a child.

On Thursday, on campus in Omaha, an incredibly angry student lashed out at Tom. "The bible commands us to be respectful of all religions!" He shrieked, practically spitting in the faces of all standing around him. Jumping into the small open space that still existed between Tom and at least 40 people listening in, Jose began spewing profanity as he claimed to be a Roman Catholic Christian who knew what he was talking about. Tom gave no response, waiting for him to calm down. Jose continued listing reasons "from the Bible," he claimed, for why everyone on earth should be respectful of everyone else's religious beliefs. Tom only interjected once to object calmly, "No, it doesn't say that." "YES, IT DOES!!!" Jose was seething by this point. I was waiting for foam to start dripping, but all of a sudden I think he must have started loosing his voice because he began coughing and backed into the crowd again. Happening to be standing right next to him, I tapped his shoulder and quietly asked the same question Tom had asked him a few seconds earlier: "Where is the reference for the verse you're talking about?"

 "I'm not sure, but I know it's in there!"

"Really? Because I've never read it in my bible," as I explained what version I read and how it was similar to the Catholic bible.

"Well, I know I've read it in there. I know it's in there. I think it's one of the Ten Commandments!"

"Oh really? Which one?" I asked, doing everything to hold a smile back. "Are you sure you're not thinking of 'You shall have no other gods before Me,' or maybe 'Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain?'

"uh, I don't know!..." Jose paused as a confused look came over his face.

"You should look up the ten commandments, because 'respecting all religions' has never been one of them," I told him in a serious tone. A few minutes later, he left the circle.

Not five minutes later, a fiery, dynamic young lady, Ashley, was passing by and pushed herself into the center of the circle surrounding Tom. Without taking time to figure out what he was talking about, she immediately began accusing him of being narrow minded and refusing to accept every single life style as acceptable before God. As she grew more and more adamant in what she was saying, Tom as well as a few others in the crowd calmly encouraged her to calm down. This only enraged her more as she raised her voice and declared, "I am NOT BEING EMOTIONAL!!! I've been like this since I was five years old, and it's the way God made me!!!" this lasted for at least an hour. No matter whether Ashley received answers to her questions or not, she continued to barrage Tom.

By the end, the crowd was in an uproar. Some were discussing things as groups of two or three individuals, but Ashley was still screaming; the atheist club members, complete with their signs of Bible verses taken out of context and brochures declaring they did not need fixing by God because they were not broken, continued interjecting themselves into every sentence Tom tried to speak. Tom invited those in the crowd who loved Jesus to come over closer to the banners, where we all held hands and formed a large circle of about twenty people. The rest of the crowd stood on the outside, a few standing just outside our circle and quietly listening with looks on their faces that mixed between 'awe' and 'confusion.' Members of the atheist group began reciting another Bible verse taken out of the context, chanting loudly and waving more signs in the air. Tom declared, "We're going to sing, and then pray. Now when we start, you need to realize that they are going to be doing everything they can to drown us out and silence us. They might be yelling right in our ears. Don't let that stop you! We're on the Lord's team!" With other encouraging Battle-speech worthy words, Tom led us in 'Amazing Grace' and 'Praise God,' and then closed in prayer. 

Experiencing this for myself made it more evident how grossly perverted humanity is to the idea of repenting before an All-mighty God and asking salvation. Admitting you cannot accomplish something on your own is not what students go to college to practice doing. Those are typically called "drop-outs." I am praying for continued love and further understanding of people's hearts so that I can become more effective at sharing the gospel. Ultimately, I can read and become learned on many different topics which will help to advance the gospel, but it is still only God who moves the heart. He is ultimately in charge of nudging that empty hole in every human's heart that desires its Creator. Ultimately, God is in charge whether people like it or not. And that is because, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

UNO: The Truth Shall Prevail

This account of Omaha may be a little scattered, but it is well worth reading if I do say so myself! I have another post with a different perspective about what happened on this same day coming soon. 

We set up the banners in an even more public area on our second day at Omaha; right outside the student Union, which had been reserved by another group the day before. We set up in an "L" shape, but the wind was even stronger than it had been yesterday. After the banners blew over, we realized we needed more than just a few boxes on the metal plates holding everything down. Duncan and David started pulling all the rope out of the toolbox, and in a few minutes the area behind the banners looked a little like Shelob's lair from Lord of the Rings. The banners stayed strong and upright for the remainder of the day, even with high winds and gusts up to 30mph. 

If we had thought the audience from yesterday was intense, today was even more so. The atheist club set up their booth about ten yards away from Tom, inviting students in with candy and "ask an atheist" signs. A large crowd of over 50 people had soon gathered as questions were launched through the open air, flying like missiles towards Tom. Signs promoting homosexuality floated above a few student's heads who had agreed to hold them for the day. One atheist tried to out-preach Tom by getting above the crowd on the steps behind us and shouting about the flying spaghetti monsters. Even though he made two valiant efforts, nobody paid attention either time. One girl who claimed to be a christian spouted profanity as she shouted at him to answer her question-which he'd just answered only three times before. 

The anger that so many individuals displayed today was incredible. If the Bible does not matter; If there is no God; If we came about by random chance; If Jesus was only a good man and nothing more; if we create our own morality-why does it cause such fits of rage as was seen on campus today? Why can people not just calmly walk away when they disagree with something that is being said? Ashley, the lady who claimed to be a christian, was growing incredibly angry as time wore on. The best part was when she insisted, with the emotion of anger masking her face and her words, "I am NOT getting emotional!!!" I ducked behind David, who was faithfully videotaping the action, to laugh out loud. That was just too funny to ignore.

Tom took every comment and sentence of hatred from people calmly. Anyone who began spouting off in anger was given silence until he or she was finished. Quietly asking, "Are you done?" Tom would then address the question or correct a lie that had been told about himself, God, or the Bible. Most people in the audience looked with disgust upon whoever was vehemently declaring something, and a student even tried to step in as mediator of the discussions in an effort to control debate.

By 4pm, the crowd had still not settled down. Groups of two's and three's debated amongst themselves, Ashley was still screaming, and the crowd in general was in an uproar. Knowing it was mostly futile to continue at this point, Tom ended by inviting anyone who loved Jesus to join him over next to the banners. About a third of the group followed us over, and we all formed a circle and joined hands to pray in the midst of shouting from the outside. Tom led us in singing "Amazing Grace" and "Praise God," ending with a prayer for the Christian students in the group to remain strong and not be led astray by the world. I noticed several people had followed us over, standing on the outside, and were not shouting but listening quietly to what Tom was saying. I cannot imagine what was going through their minds, but I know what would have been going through mine had I been one of them: Regret that it was too late to join up, that the circle had already been closed, that they had followed too far behind and were regretting their unwillingness to forsake a good name for the sake of Christ. I do not claim to know their hearts; but I cannot help but think of the illustration between the sheep and the goats that Jesus uses in Matthew 25. As we began taking the banner down for the day, a few atheists came over to apologize and explain how the angry mob did not represent all atheists. Someone had left a note saying the same thing.


We have a very long trip ahead of us tomorrow-we're leaving at 6am from Omaha to Columbus. I should be sleeping but had a cup of legit Austrian coffee tonight after dinner (the International students fed us a real Chinese dinner, and one of their roommates from Austria made me a cup of real Austrian coffee, which incidentally is one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had) His name is Steffan and as we began talking, I shared a bit of the gospel with him. Steffan's point of view is that everyone should be able to believe in God and not have to obey the Bible; his example was about sex (what a shocker!!!) and not waiting for marriage because it should be enjoyed now. When I countered that you give a bit of your heart away every time to a different person, and end up married to someone but thinking of someone or multiple someones on your wedding night, he agreed but insisted that, "Well what if you never get married?-I think you should be able to still enjoy such a wonderful thing."  Our discussion ended right before i could share about Jesus never having had sex but being the most fulfilled human being who ever lived. This was because he had to run downstairs  help someone and by the time he came back, conversation had changed and i was talking to someone else. I hope what I said made an impact on him as well.

Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (NIV)

University of Omaha: Truth on Trial

"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so thier fathers did to the prophets." Luke 6:22,23 ESV

Early Wednesday morning, we drove the hour from Lincoln to Omaha. The atheist club on campus came out in strong forces, including Alumni of the club, to oppose Tom. As he preached and answered questions, they interjected arguments into nearly all that he was saying in an effort to keep people from listening to him. Instead, this drew a bigger crowd of people who stopped to listen. 

A large group from the Rock, the church's college group on campus, was able to come out and work the table so that we were more able to talk to students or listen as Tom preached throughout the day. Many students stopped by to grab Inspired Evidence and many had questions about the Rock group and how to get involved. At one point when I was manning the table, a girl was passing by and I asked if she wanted a book when she glanced at the table. She hesitated, and I told her it was free. Still hesitating, she told me she was a nondenominational Christian. Well, that's great! Take a book? 

I ended up talking to Irena, an English major, for the next hour and a half. Irena epitomizes the general population of young people in America: While calling herself a Christian, she has never read the Bible and accepts whatever the general public has to say about it. This is because, to quote her, "People take it and change it and make it say things it doesn't." I discussed the importance of reading the Bible for oneself in order to know what it really means. I told her that no matter who you are, it is absolutely necessary to know what the Bible says so that when you hear something false about it, you won't be led astray. Then, no matter what others say about it, you will know when they 'make it say things it doesn't!'

I talked about the validity of Jesus Christ and the importance of His miracles, His acceptance of worship, and His resurrection from the dead as all being proof for Him being who He claimed to be: God in human form. When I thought my explaination about Jesus being God was pretty clear, I asked what she would say if she were to stand before God and He were to ask, "Why should I allow you into my heaven?" She paused and stared off into space. "Wow, that's actually a really good question..." her voice trailed off. In the next few seconds, Irena summarized the answer I've heard nearly everyone say who is not 100% certain of salvation say: "I'd like to think that what I've done has all added up to being good enough. I mean, I've been a very selfless person all my life and I've given people the benefit of the doubt, which has made me get really screwed over at times. So, I think God would let me in because of that," she concluded. 

Note, this response was right after discussing how Jesus' claim to be God meant He was either a liar, a crazy man, or actually the God he claimed to be. I silently begged God for wisdom so that I would be able to clearly explain not only the validity of the Bible, but also the claims of Jesus to Irena. Turning to Ephesians 2:8,9, I read to her, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." 

A little earlier in that same chapter, verse four declares, "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." 

I also shared 1 John 4:9,10 with her: "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (NIV)

Irena's eyes brightened after hearing these verses, and she declared them to be incredibly intriguing. At one point in the discussion, she brought up the new Catholic Pope, exclaiming how excited she was about his declaration that atheists can go to heaven if they are good enough. Here I was able to raise some questions: 1)The Bible declares that God does not change (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17) 2)We have no proof that manuscripts of the bible were ever changed or corrupted; 3)Based off of these two factors, I asked, why is it okay for this pope, who claims to know God, to choose to change what God has said? Is God simply a figment of the church's imagination, that we can change him according to our liking when culture changes? 

It was clear that Irena didn't like accepting a relativistic ideal concerning this case, because she frowned and got a very thoughtful look on her face after this question. After she did not answer, I gently explained that the evidence for God's existence and the validity of the Bible is enough that I wanted to challenge her not to ignore it. I commended her (phenomenal!) reading skills and memory as an English major, and encouraged her to figure out for herself who Jesus is, and if what the bible says about him is true. By this time, the crew had begun tearing down for the day, and I needed to go find the van so we could load up. I gave her a tract as we parted and challenged her to never stop seeking the answer of who Jesus is, until she has found Him. Oh Lord, I pray for Irena. I pray that she would find you, and that she would get her own Bible and read it as she promised me she would. Speak Your truth into her heart! May I see her in heaven somday. To You be the glory! Amen. 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

We left Kansas City around 2pm on Friday Sept. 20, arriving in Lincoln around 6pm. Meeting up with Rebecca Whitney and her roommate Megan Smith, we got a quick supper before heading to their weekly game night in one of the dorms. It wasn't too long, however, before we were all feeling tired from our travels (Nothing compared to our 15 hours drives, however) and headed back to the apartments for bed. The next day included a whole lot of nothing. We blogged for a while, watched TV, and visited a Walmart. We all agreed after that day, that we needed to have plans to keep ourselves from dying of boredom on weekends. Most of the time, we do laundry, study, and catch up on sleep. It's nice to have a free day once in a while, but I think we could all agree that we'd had a little too much free time and too little to do.

On the campus of UNL Monday morning. I started off by talking to a Muslim girl who tried to make everything she believed fit with everything I believed; however, she contradicted herself a few times. She maintained that the Muslims who stick to certain rules of Islam more than others do, are more holy than those who do not; however, she then said that it doesn't matter what they do as long as praying five times a day is included. I encouraged her to look into the person of Jesus, and she responded by saying that it had been an interesting conversation. I can only pray that what I shared actually made it into her memory and she does consider what I said and looks into it further. 

The longest conversation I ended up having yesterday was with Shane, another one who came up to the table under the trees. Shane said that he believed in God and was searching for a religion that did not require the stiff practices such as he'd been raised with as a Catholic since he was six years old. I answered his heartfelt, meaningful questions as best I could, explaining the evidence for Jesus being God and reasons why we can believe what the Bible has to say and how there is no evidence for it having been corrupted or changed over the years. Shane had been told not to read the Bible by his catholic leaders. He was hearing a short portion of it once a week read to him in church, and a homily based off of the scripture from a Priest. I explained to him the importance of reading it in context and how people often take it out of context when they don't understand what the whole message of the Bible is saying altogether. 

After talking for at least 45 minutes, I asked if I could pray for him aloud right there. I simply asked God to reveal Himself to Shane in a personal way, and to help him fully understand who Jesus is and why He came to die. Shane thanked me sincerely and walked away as my heart began to break. Shane's intense desire for truth was ringing clearly in every question he had asked. In my heart, I begged the Lord to clearly reveal Himself to Shane. It is not a light thing to see someone's raw heart in front of me, asking me to guide them to the Father, the Savior of the universe. While i wouldn't say that it is not intimidating, it is also heart-wrenching because I am looking at someone without hope, and sharing with them the truest form of hope they can ever experience. What is heart wrenching is to watch them walk away without having accepted it yet, begging the Lord to further work in their heart even though I will probably never see them again or know what decision they made. All I can do is continue praying for that person and trust God to take His truth that I spoke and continue moving it in the person's heart and soul to the point of salvation. That is what I must continue to do until I die.

It would be ideal to have a perfect speal-to have people fall on their knees in repentance and beg God's forgiveness. But it is not what is the case, and so, until it is, until people either fall to their knees in absolute surrender to the Lord of the universe, or fall to their knees with broken knee caps because they continue to refuse to admit the superiority of God, I will continue doing what I'm doing. Because people must hear it, whether they refuse to believe it or not. Because someday, to paraphrase Paul Washer, it will be declared to every ear on earth: Both good and bad news, depending on what each heart has chosen; the good news is, God is here. The bad news is, God is here.

Kansas City: The Rest of the Story

Tom preached for a while on both Tuesday and Wednesday, drawing a crowd of about 20 at times. At the end of Tuesday afternoon, a girl asked to talk to him privately. They ended up talking for almost an hour, as Tom answered her questions about dealing with pain based off of the idea of God being loving. At the end of their talk, Alexia ended up praying to receive Christ into her heart. Realizing that sin had caused the pain in her life which she was blaming God for, she was able to understand the incredible love that had caused God to send His beloved innocent Son to take her place on the cross.

I was able to talk to another girl who had been raised Catholic but had a lot of questions about the Bible. While she professed faith in Jesus as the only means to heaven, I helped her to understand what it meant to grow in a relationship with Christ while on the earth and how to allow Him to direct her life. She was excited and eager to listen to Tom as well as come back the next day, where she ended up staying for nearly the entire time, talking to me and other members of the church group, and listening to Tom preach.

Another person who eagerly came out on Wednesday was Emily, our friend from Monday who had so opposed our message on the banners. This time, she had little flyers she began passing out to everyone. In the flyer, she made it clear that science should not try to answer questions about God, and religion should not try to answer questions about the physical world. What she failed to mention is that there are many Christian scientists who use verifiable scientific studies to make sense of Creationism. The fact that, in 1987, the Supreme Court ruled that teaching creationism was unconstitutional based off of the fact that it is a religious belief, does not mean that it should be completely ignored. Anyone can benefit from more than one scientific theory being taught, because that is just what it is-a theory. Nowhere are there fossils proving evolution to be true. Unfortunately, because of the Supreme Court ruling, millions in America are being taught to accept the theory of evolution without batting an eye or raising questions as to the validity of it. Because this is the educational foundation for anyone who was brought up in public school, they will fight for the truth of evolution because any need for questioning would shake their faith in the education they received.

That night, we enjoyed a bbq in the park with the church group. Ultimate Frisbee was the game of choice, and I was convinced to play even though I'd gotten heat stroke that day on campus. Taking an aspirin, eating real food, and playing ultimate (one of my favorite sports) all combined to help me feel much better that night!

 Megan and I with Bethany. Duncan worked very hard to sneak into the background at the perfect time.

 We incidentally all wore blue that day. Both guys incidentally refused to smile for this picture.

 David performs his famous "make the dime disappear" trick. The girls figured it out in no time.

Kansas City: The Opinions of Many

Waking up early on Friday, we planned to drop Tom off at the airport and then drive all day to Kansas City. The rain had continued throughout the night, and, as the news has reported since then, major flooding had begun to take place. We literally drove in all directions before we could find a road that had not yet been closed down so that we could get out of Loveland. Finally arriving at an exit point in the interstate that was still open, we arrived at the airport in just enough time for Tom to catch his flight. 

David was likewise traveling to a friend's wedding that weekend, so Duncan, Megan and I set out across the great and vast Midwest, traveling east towards Kansas City. As rain continued for the next few hours, strange grey clouds contorted in the heavens above us. The misty mountains disappeared in the background of fog retreating behind us, and eventually sunshine poked its way through the atmosphere. I found the eastern half of Kansas very beautiful. The huge fields of bright yellow sunflowers contrasted pleasantly with the deep blue sky. Large rolling hills soon appeared, adding green grass and trees to the vivid color scheme we were driving through.

After driving over 15 hours, we arrived in Kansas City and were able to meet a few of the church college group members. We were finally settled in our temporary homes, and Megan and I were ecstatic at the blessing of being able to sleep in an actual bed for the first time in two weeks! We are always thankful for any place to sleep at the end of a long busy day, so a bed is an added blessing. We spent our weekend relaxing. Visited an art museum and then a park that included a beautiful rose garden in the middle of it. Throughout the day on Saturday, we counted a total of at least eight weddings taking place throughout the city. It was a gorgeous fall day that clung to the warmth of summer, seeming to sense that it would not last for much longer.

Bright and early Monday morning, we all gathered at the guy's campus house and travelled to the campus to set up. It was cold and windy with threats of rain in the forecast, and most people hurried on by the display without a second glance. After about an hour, the police arrived with a complaint that someone had felt harassed by us. This was interesting because we had barely talked to anyone yet that day. The police decided we needed to be on the sidewalk because that was public property; instead of behind the stone wall, which was school property but yet did not cause an obstruction in the walkway. However, we were glad to move the five feet in order to be closer to students walking by. Shortly after, the Dean of Students came walking by and chatted for a few minutes, nodding in approval at us.

As we finished setting up the banners on the sidewalk, a slim girl dressed in business khakis and a short, trim orange sweater covering her white button down blouse came walking briskly up to Tom and I. "Oh, are you taking this down?" She inquired with a critical sneer on her trim features. At our response that we were just finished setting up, she held up a clipboard and declared she was starting a petition to get the banners taken down because, "It is offensive to people for you to proselytize on this beautiful campus that I love." Emily then went on to declare that the three main cores of the University are equality, inclusion and diversity. Tom found it interesting that she did not include 'education' as one of the core values. Later that day, I found the entire list of core values of the school framed in a hallway. A few more of the values that Emily had failed to mention included this: "We encourage free, honest and candid conversation. We foster academic and intellectual freedom. We are sensitive to differences in learning styles, ideas and beliefs." To me, this implies that the school would welcome diverse opinions on the nature of the relationships between the theories of evolution and creation; the idea of an Intelligent Creator existing; and the all-important discussion of answering the question, "Who is Jesus?"

For at least the next two hours, Emily, a French major, commenced to run after people passing by and declare that she had a petition against the display because it promoted a very narrow mindset. Not only did she declare this, but she practically begged people to sign it, laughing in triumph every time someone did. We attempted to help people think (and read the displays) before they signed the petition. Time and again, she repeated statements that contradicted herself as she declared that the content on the display was narrow minded. She refused to read the banners, acknowledging all that she had seen was the heading of the poster entitled, "Questions for the Evolutionist."

"This is not about diversity-this is only a very narrow mindset that doesn't include everyone," she emphatically declared to people she had stopped. Many students who stopped and realized what it really was about, would declare that they were either on our side, and were Christians, or that they didn't agree with the petition even though they did not agree with our signs, but believed we should be able to be there because of the freedom of speech. Emily stuck around for about three hours. She actually got more people to stop and read the banners than would have stopped otherwise! 

While I did not end up having what I would call 'fruitful' conversations with anyone, or sharing the gospel at length, this day on campus opened my eyes up to the blindness that people can fall into when they accept all religions as equal and seek to welcome sin into the culture and declare it normal. Emily was very upset because of the content on the banners, yet she was not willing to engage us in conversation or consider any of the arguments for free speech or diversity of opinion (the same words she had used earlier, only with a much different meaning!) On campuses today, the predominant definition of both tolerance and diversity is acceptance of any lifestyle as long as it makes someone happy. Any argument or disagreement towards a certain lifestyle or relativistic belief is considered to be narrow minded and bigoted. However, it ultimately comes down to the fact that not all beliefs can be right because of the incredible contradictions between so many. This world is not going to last forever. I pray that many people realize the error of their relativistic thinking before it is too late.