So plan on attending tonight, just like you would on any Wednesday Night.

I do want to give a special reminder that students are eligible to come to Junior High night if they meet one of the following 2 conditions:

-The student is over the age of 12 by June 21st and less than 15 years old.

-The student attends public school and will be entering the 7th or 8th grade.

If your student (or you) are not in that category, there are many programs at Grace Vineyard where your student would be more comfortable.  Call us or email to find out what programs would be appropriate for your student (or you). 

Remember, tonight is the celebration of Robert Turney.  Come prepared to thank him, love him up good, and have any creative tributes ready!

See ya there!

ATF Packet

2010 Medical release form

During this time, we will plan, pray, seek the wisdom of the Lord for the year ahead.

Please pray for us, as we seek God in this time.

This is Leadership Community week.  Revolution will return to its regularly scheduled services next week.

T-Day is coming up...gobble...gobble.  After our last High School meeting, I want to piggy-back on that by reminding y'all to spend this Thanksgiving really being thankful.  I mean, be as thankful as you possibly can, and let the people around you know how thankful you are for them and what they do.

I've noticed that the people around me (sometimes including myself) who are focused on having everything around them be exactly according to their wishes always seem to be the people who are the least happy, and the least happy to be around.  But the people who are just thankful for what they have always seem to be the happiest.  It seems like it should be the opposite.  I would think the people who always demand things to be perfect would therefore be happy because things are going their way.  But what really ends up happening is that they are the most unhappy, because they are so focused on what isn't good.

This is not to say that we shouldn't always strive to be the best we possibly can, and to make the world around us as good as it can possibly be.  But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be happy with things the way they are.

I've been reminded about this as I have been settling with Peichi into our new home.  We were in the various rooms late last night talking.  In the kitchen, we can think of hundreds of things we want to do in order to make it perfect.  We will work on those things one at a time, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy my kitchen now.  If I focus on what isn't good about my kitchen I won't be able to enjoy it at all.  It is a great kitchen!  It isn't what it can be, but I will work on that in time.  I don't want to miss the opportunity to be thankful for the amazing kitchen I have.

Let us make sure that we don't go through life focusing on what we don't have, but being thankful for what we do.

-And please remember, there is NO YOUTH NEXT WEEK.  It is Thanksgiving.  I'll be thankful for the day off.

Extra Info - This is a half day mini-conference.  In the morning, teens will be going off campus to Mission Arlington for 2 hours as they explore how one Christian organization is making a big difference in the Metroplex.  During this time, parents will be exploring the issue of training their children in sexual self-control in a "parents only" seminar. 

At noon, the group will be eating lunch together. 

After lunch, we will discuss some of these issues with the teens.  Parents will have the opportunity to be a part of this in out parents area. 

There will be time to ask questions and discuss with our experts afterwards.

This half day may change you and your teens lives, and help you and your teens navigate the minefield that is the modern American teen landscape.

Please be aware - We strongly suggest that parents attend with their teens, and vice versa.  This event is not meant for teens or parents alone.  If you must send your teen along with another parent that you trust, you do need to download, print out, sign, and bring along our Medical Release Form

Check out the Positively Waiting website

We will proceed with our normal schedule next week.

2009 Fall Survey

***Some people have been confused about what to do after they have filled out the survey.  If you do not have a default computer mail client (also if you are using an internet mail, such as Yahoo mail), just follow the steps that the "submit by email" button.  You will save it to your hard drive (I suggest on the desktop) and mail it to youth@gvcf.org.  You will not be able to open the file and view it on your computer.  Just email it as an attachment.

In the meantime, enjoy this little video

We wish that we had control over the weather, and didn't have to postpone this event a second time, but God has not given us this ability as of yet.  Until he does, we must simply obey the weather, instead of the weather obeying us. 

The church schedule does not allow us to simply move this event to next weekend.  So, we will let you know when Water War 1 is rescheduled.  We are sorry again for the incovenience.

Because of this there will be neither Senior High group on Tuesday, or Junior High on Wednesday.  This is a regularly scheduled event each quarter.  We will resume regular programs next week.

Thanks

Due to these factors, we have decided to postpone this event to the following weekend. 

Please mark your calendars---Water War 1 will now be held on Saturday, August 1st at 11:00 AM

Instead of meeting at the church, our students will be meeting at Alley Cats at the same time planned (6:30 PM).  This will help us with transportation and with keeping our group on time. 

Alley Cats is located in South Arlington, at the intersection of the 20 and Cooper Street, just West of the McDonald's. 

View Larger Map

Parents, please pick up your students at Alley Cats at 8:30 PM. 

Thank you for being sensitive to this change. We'll see ya there.

Remember, you need closed-toed athletic shoes, and your Medical release form (just above this writing--on the "Downloads" tag) if you haven't done one yet, or for new guests.  You will also need $10.

Any guests (please bring them) who have not yet come to Revolution and who are Junior High students may attend for free.  We need you to call the office, or sign up here on the website, by clicking the event at the top of the page and RSVPing.  We need to know how many students to prepare rides for!

OK...definitely not kicking out.  We commission them into their own areas of ministry, and I am proud that we have an amazing percentage of students who graduate our program and go into some form of ministry.

But one of the fun parts of this time is our annual R.O.P.

Going from being a sixth grade kid to Junior High, where you are surrounded by teenagers, is no insignificat change.  It is a big deal...a huge deal...and we celebrate it.  But we are Revolution.  We don't celebrate the way that your average, everyday youth group would.  Oh no.  We do this in style.

ROP (pronounced like "rope" for those playing along at home) is a mixture of fun, challenge, and information.  No, we aren't going to have a church service where you have to recite a long passage of the Bible.  Instead, we are going to have an exciting day at Joe Pool lake.  You will get to do fun boating activities on the lake (our Lake Rocket Rodeo and more), the Super Geo-Caching Challenge, and a time of information and formation with our leaders.  This is a time you will remember, and then, you will be considdered full Junior High Members of Revolution. 

Here is the basic info.  Parents love this kind of stuff:

Where is it: Cedar Hill State Park, located a breathtaking 616 feet above sea level, and right off of F.M. 1382.  Directions and park information can be found here. 

Please bring $5 per person for park entrance fees. 

*Students whose parents are not attending the event are asked to drop their students off at the front gate at 11:00 exactly, and we will shuttle them to our location. 

Unfortunately, due to the reservation system the park uses, we are unable to tell you what exact space we will be in at this time.  We will update this site on Saturday morning with that exact information.  There will also be a note at the park with the site number.

When is it: Saturday, June 27th from 11:15 AM - 3:00 PM.

If you are dropping your student off at the front gate, please be no later than 11:00 AM.  Due to the number of students involved, our shuttles must leave the front shortly after that time.

Please be prompt in picking your students up no later than 3:00 PM

Who will be there: We will have both adult youth leaders, as well as student leaders from both our Junior High and High School groups.  Many parents are also attending with their children.  Several of our sixth grade and children's ministry leaders will also be involved.

Does my student need to bring something:  We are so glad you asked.  YES!  Students should bring all of the following:

-Appropriate swimwear.  Sorry guys-no speedos, please.  Parents, please note--in our experience, your students are smart and stylish, but are not the best judges of what "appropriate swimwear" is.

-Closed Toed shoes.  Your student will be doing a considderable amount of walking.  Flip flops are not appropriate for this. 

-A towel

-A water bottle with water inside.  We will have water and other drinks on site.  However, your students will need to bring their own water bottles.

-Sunscreen, applied.  More sunscreen to apply.  Teenagers think a sunburn is cool.  They are wrong.

Does my student need to NOT bring something:  We are even happier that you asked this question.  YES.  Please do not let them bring the following.

-Personal electronic devices of any kind.  We do understand bringing a cell phone, although we will have phones on site that you will have access to, so this is not necessary.  A basic rule to use: if it uses electricity, it is not needed.  We are sure that your student can go 4 hours without her ipod or his Pokemon Gold.  This is very important to our program.  Please respect this rule.

-Anything that may be used as a weapon.

-Anything that produces fire.

-Anything that is illegal.

-We love friends.  Please do not bring them unless you have talked to us about it before Friday.  We have to plan for the number of people expected. 

Why are we doing this:  The transition into Junior High is incredibly important, and sometimes scary.  Our job is to work with families as their students learn to plug into God, the Church, and their peers.  We get 936 hours of a student's time (if the student attends ever possible event).  That seems like a lot.  However, it is .1 % of that student's life.  That is very little.  Our job is to work with you, the parents, to help these students own their own relationship with God.  We have to make each minute count.  That is a huge responsibility, not something we take lightly.  We know you don't take it lightly either.  It is important to start this journey together very well prepared.  This time is important in order to:

1- Establish communication with families so we can partner together.
2- Help the students to plug into their connection with God and the Church.
3- Establish important Christian relationships with other Christian students. 

We'll see you on Saturday!

On the up side, more people will be able to attend the events on these new dates, and this will be after our grade promotion time, so new students will be able to attend these events too.  It will be a great way to welcome them to our group!

Please remember that there is no Tuesday night or Wednesday night Revolution this week.  Our mid-week activities have been postponed due to our church's Vacation Bible School for children. 

We know that many of you are helping out with that already.  The rest of you are still invited to attend on Tursday night at 7 as Revolution leads the games!

First, a word about our outside plans:
It looks like it is going to be perfect weather for tomorrow night's Lock-Out.  It is supposed to be warm and a little humid with a very low chance of rain.  If this hold, we will continue our plans outside.  If there are any changes closer to Famine time, we will revise that as needed.

Here are important details as you are preparing to show up.  Please read them all, and prepare accordingly:

-Remember to bring a signed and filled out Medical Release Form. We legally have to have this in order for you to attend.

-Plan on arriving between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM on Friday (tomorrow) night.  Please do not come before that time without verbal permission from the Youth Team.

-It is very important that all students enter through the main sanctuary doors, which are the doors immediately adjacent to the front parking lot.  No students will be allowed in through any other doors at that time. 

-You must bring a sleeping bag (or other bedding) and a pillow.  If you do not have these, you will need to go back home and get them. 

-Please do not bring anything illegal, or dangerous.  If you do, you will be sent home.

-Please do not bring any electronic devices other than your cell phone and/or an ipod.  This is a saftey and a theft issue more than anything.  If you do bring a cell phone or ipod, you must keep it with you at all times.

-If you have a water bottle or a Nalgene-type bottle, it would be a great idea to bring it. 

-Bring a change of clothes and toiletries.  Ask your parents what "toiletries" are if you don't know.

-Remember to bring anything you need to decorate your structures with.  Extra cardboard is a great idea too.  We have a lot, but we can't make any guarantees.

-Your parents will need to pick you up at 7:30 on Saturday.

Please check back here for any updates---and remember, the Famine starts tomorrow after your lunch!

It seems strange to be talking about summer, but it is right around the corner.  Our summer is going to kick off with some big events even in May.  In May we will be:

 -Having a big All Parents Meeting on April 29th (OK---so it isn't May, but it is close.)
 -Taking part in this year's 30 Hour Famine. 
 -Leading worship in the main service on Sunday
 -Having a youth worship night and coffee house
 -Making some really cool changes to our mid-week program.

These changes to our midweek program are something that is going to take some adjusting to.  I have already heard a lot of comments.  Some were really positive, like "My friend wouldn't come before because the group was mixed." Others were less positive.  We value your input.  We aren't going to make big changes that will be bad for the group. 

I want you to know that there are a couple guiding principles that are most important to us.

1-We will do everything we can to preserve relationships within the whole of the group.  We do not want to split up into smaller and smaller segments that are specialized. We value the affect that High Schoolers have as an example to Junior Highers, and the life that Junior Highers bring to the group.  We will protect that.  We will still have many events that seek to keep these groups together in fellowship. That will not go away

2-We will not throw families into chaos by making them drirve their students to church twice in one week.  We know that life is busy.  We value your time.  We will be building a ride-sharing network for families tht have students in both groups.  We are sensitive to work toward whatever needs to be done to make this doable for your family.

3-Our youth group exists to Reach up to God in passionate worship, Reach in to each other in devoted service, and Reach out to the world in sacrificial love.  Sound familiar?  Everything we do should relate to those 3 things, and our measure of success is defined by those.  Lets look at them briefly:

-Reaching up to God: Our worship has been something that we've really developed over the last few years, but we are at a point where all of the students who want to be involved in worship cannot, because there are too many students who want to be involved, and not enough space/time.  We have very little opportunity to continue to grow in this area as things are now.

-Reaching in to each other: We have done a pretty good job of building relationships and not being cliquish.  But, there are real issues to address in this area.  Our High Schoolers are more often influenced toward decreased maturity than the Junior Highers toward maturity.  There are more Junior Highers than High Schoolers.  Many High Schoolers have expressed a desire for deeper discipleship midweek, which is difficult to do with the group integrated.  It is not just a matter of having a separated teaching time.  It is about having intentional relationships that are bringing each other closer to God.  This is not happening as things are now.  This is one of the most important areas for us to grow in for the year ahead.

-Reaching out to the world: This is something we could do more in.  This includes both evangelism and Christian service.  In terms of evangelsim, this happens with most people by inviting them to church.  Many High Schoolers are not doing this, because of the large amount of Junior Highers.  High Schoolers have left our group because of perceived immaturity in this regard.  Thus, our group (although growing) actually is at a net loss of students in High School.  Our evangelistic efforts are hindered, therefore.  Service projects can happen in increasing fashion when there are two groups to do these, as well.

When I first went to college, I immediately joined Intervarsity, a Christian club.  Although I loved that group, I was frustrated.  Their worship wasn't right.  It was different with what I was used to.  I didn't like their teaching.  They did it differently.  When I moved to a different university, I found myself really deeply missing Intervarsity.  As I thought about it, I realized that their worship wasn't wrong, it was different...but it was good!  The teaching was the same.

Humans have a tendancy to resist change.  We like things to stay the way we are comfortable with.  As your leaders, we have spent well over a year thinking and praying, discussing and strategising over this.  We believe that this is a good and very needed step.  Could it end up not being wonderful?  Yes, it could.  But we might be missing out on God's best for our group if we don't give it a chance.  Trust that your leaders have really prayed and prepared, and might know what is best for our group.  Pray for us during this time.

---That in the time has just taken you to read this sentence, one child has died somewhere in the world from hunger-related illness?
---That the biggest cause of death around the world is not cancer, or car accidents, but dehydration caused by no access to clean water? 
---That 25% of the children in the world are under-weight because they don't get enough food to eat, while over 50% of American children are considdered overweight? 
---That there is enough food and money in the world right now to make sure that no one ever starves to death, or dies from not having clean water again? 
---That God talks more in the Bible about helping the poor and needy than almost any other topic (including Heaven, Hell, and angels), and that one of the ways we can measure our commitment to God is by our willingness to help those people?
---That you can do something about all of this, right now, and have a lot of fun while doing it?

This is aways one of people's favorite events every year.  Each year we add new things and do more outrageous activities as part of this incredible program by World Vision.  For those of you who do not yet know what the 30 Hour Famine is, here is a brief summary:

---First check out the 30 Hour Famine website, but realize that we are doing a few things a little different (like doing it on a different date).

---We get people to sponsor us (like a walk-a-thon, or a charity run) to help world vision bring food and dig water wells in places in the world where people are literally dying of thirst and hunger.

---We start our fast (going without food) on Friday, May 15th, after lunch.

---At 6:00 PM on Friday, we come to the church, where we have a big lock-in with games, prizes, and all you can drink.

---On Saturday, we wake up, and go out to do service in the city of Arlington.

---That evening at around 6:00 PM, we have a big feast together, where we break our famine and party like crazy!

---There are all kinds of prizes from both World Vision and our church for raising money.

There is a game we play the whole weekend, called Tribe.  Tribe includes lots of competitions and strategy, while we are also learning about the people we are helping

This year, there are a few things that we are doing differently:

---Tribe

---Tribe this year is focused on 5 countries in South America (Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia).
---Each person doing the Famine will be separated into one of these tribes, but instead of being put in a tribe on the day of the Famine, you will be a part of your tribe from now until the Famine is over.
---Your tribes will be in competition with each other from now until the Famine is over.  There will be prizes given out after the Famine for things like, the most money raised per tribe, the biggest tribe, the tribe who wins the games during the famine weekend, the tribe with the most creative money raising ideas, and the Spirit Award (given to the tribe that shows the most spirit and solidarity).
---You can do just about anything you can imagine with your tribe between now and the Famine.  Make your own Tshirts, come up with fund-raisers, recruit more tribe members, get on the evening news.  Remember, you are just like a country.  Find ways to grow, ways to raise money, ways to make yourself stronger.  Remember, you are doing this to literally help the people of the country you represent.
---On the Famine night, you will even be building your own village.
---If you aren't already in a tribe, you will be recruited, I have no doubt.

---Famine weekend

---We will be having a lock-out this year instead of a lock-in.  We will be turning the area behind the church into South American villages.  You will be sleeping outside.
---There will be constant security, and guys and girls will not be sleeping anywhere near each other.

There will be more and more info as time progresses.  Stay tuned to this website for further info.  In fact, we will even have separate pages for tribe members as well.

This should be a walk in the park, it should be costly to us.  Leave a comment if you like on what you are going through, and what is God doing in you as you lent.

Hey guys!  Remember that tonight is Guy's Night.  I do want to remind you of a few important things.  Every time we do one of these things we have some guy show up in a pair of dolphin shorts and a tank top with no supplies saying "I don't need anything to sleep on.  I'll use a Bible for a pillow."  I was a teenaged guy once.  I know how it goes.  You want to be manly, macho men.  When you don't have what you need, it is not manly.  You are unprepared.  Also, it is not manly when you wake me up at 2 AM saying you can't sleep cause you are cold, or we wake up at 9 and you haven't slept and look like the crazy cat lady from down the street. 

With that in mind, read the list.  Know the list.  Follow the list.  Love the list.  It is a great list.  The Chicago Sun Times says, "I read the list.  It was incredible.  I laughed.  I cried.  It became a part of me."

*We will be meeting at the church tonight at 6:30 PM

*There are a few things that you will need to bring:

--A sleeping bag
--A pillow
--A change of clothes
--A light jacket
--Mr Scruffington (if you can't go a night without your teddy bear)
--Your toothbrush (your breath stinks in the morning without it)
--Deodorant (teenaged guys stink without it...I do have a stick of Secret deodorant for those who forget---it is good stuff: strong enough for a man, but made for a woman)

*There are a few things that you will not bring:

--Anything that could be used as a weapon
--Video games ---We won't have time for them this time
--Pot, yellow jackets, snoozers, monkey dust, polish cat blankets, cheese, cheese whiz, Nuprin, or whatever you are calling any street drugs nowadays
--Your best friends that didn't sign up online, or I haven't previously approved

*If you don't bring the things above that you are supposed to bring, or if you do bring the stuff that you aren't supposed to bring, your parents will have to come pick you up until you can fix that problem!

Important Note: In the morning, the women are having a Pink Party.  We will not be a part of it.  We will ask your parents to pick you up by 10:30 (and no later, please!) on the other side of the church, by the GKI entrance (The South side of the church).

Thanks---I can't wait to have fun tonight!

The extended answer is this: We will generally have youth unless our leaders determine that it will be of significant danger for people to travel here, or to be here.  This will be a very rare occurance.  Through many years of experience we have learned that cancelling youth night is generally a bad idea for a whole host of reasons. 

In the case that youth is cancelled, you will see a note here on the website.  No note, means no cancellation.  In the event that something unexpected happens, we may also send out a mass automated phone call. 

The best place to call if you are unsure is the church office, at 817-640-4588.  Debbie loves to say, "No, youth is not cancelled," and every opportunity to do that thrills her to death.

Parents, please read this.  It makes us know that we aren't wasting our time. Thanks.

Ryan

If you want directions, click on the event in the calendar section of this page.  If you need a ride, contact us through the website, or contact Robert Turney.  Everyone is invited.

Shelby (AKA The Flachinator)

Excellent job Shelby!  We are really proud of your work. 

You will have to go to her gallery to see her picture for now.  We hope to have it up on this page in a couple days.

2 other things that I'd like to draw to your attention:

1. I have had several students ask to have a costume party night.  I always hesitate to do this at Halloween time.  Parents will be upset.  Halloween has a history that Christian students should be aware of.  It has a very evil past.  However, I am willing to make plans to have a costume party on an upcoming Wednesday, and we will announce details about that tomorrow night.  Just know that some parents will be upset, and I will have to deal with that.  But it is your youth group!

2. We have had quite a few contests here and it is high time for another one.  So here you go:

Worship Art/Photoshop contest--Your job is to present the idea of worship in any of its forms, be it worship of God, or the worship of an idol in a visually artistic way.  You may use MS Paint, Adobe Illustrator, Flash, Photoshop, scan in your own drawing, or use any other visual art method that ends up with a digital image in your own MePage gallery.  Contest will close on October 31st, and will be judged by the Grace Vineyard pastoral staff.  Prize will be 2 free movie tickets.  Once you have put the image up, you must notify Pastor Ryan with a message on his MePage. 

Images will be disqualified if they contain the following (just because): Pokemon or any other known copywrited character; any image depicting violence, obscenity, or anything illegal; anything that is otherwise deemed offensive; 

Points will be awarded for artistic quality, thoughtfulness, and originality.  Have fun!

"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding." Prov 3:13 NIV

But then, there is also another group of passages about wisdom, that is mentioned many times in the Bible, particularly in the writings of Paul in the New Testament, but also in other parts of the Bible too.  A good example was what I read this morning in 1 Corinthians

"For wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, "He catchers the wise in their own craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 1 Cor 3:19-20 NKJV

I have spent time thinking about how one part of the Bible condones wisdom as being good, and the other seems to say that God tricks the "wise."  It isn't really a contradiction.  God is speaking of two different types of wisdom, one comes from ourselves.  We try to come up with our own plans in our own strength.  That kind of wisdom is what God is against, and what He is speaking of in Corinthians.  It is the kind of wisdom that says, "God, I have this all planned out for myself."  Read the story Jesus tells in Luke 12:13-21.  In that passage Jesus is speaking against greed, but part of that is the singular focus on himself and his own wisdom that is part of what makes the farmer greedy. 

The other wisdom comes from God.  That is the kind that He is really jazzed about.  Proverbs says that the fear (reverent respect and realizing that God is so much greater than us) is the beginning of wisdom, and that it is the Lord that gives real wisdom (Prov 11:10, 1:7, and 2:6). 

Really, I sometimes struggle with becoming wise in my own eyes.  It is all too often that I spend more time reading the news of the day and blogs about current events, than I spend just reading God's word.  When it comes right down to it, worldly wisdom is all about arrogance.  I want to be humble and to understand my rightful place as a servant in the household of God, but all too often I try to claim by force my imagined place as head of the household.  Father, help me to be a servant.  Help me to not think of myself as more highly than I ought to.  Help me to learn that fear of you is the beginning of true wisdom.

I just want to remind you again that there is no Revolution this Wednesday night.  Please do not come to the church on Wednesday.  It is Leadership Community night.  This happens about once every 3 months, and is an important time for our leaders.  To find out more information, please check out the calendar item at the top of this page. 

--This is not a Revolution/church activity. It is just a few people who want to hang out at Six Flags. If you/your students are planning to go, please be advised that we aren't planning to supervise them the way we would if this were a church activity. It is basically just some people hanging out.

--We ask you to please arrange your own transportation, tickets, and food. Please remember that it is supposed to be 247 degrees this evening. Bringing anything less than 50 gallons of water with you might subject you to becoming a shriveled raisin of a person.

--Ryan will not be there. He is terrified of rolling vehicles of death. Just kidding. He is actually just averse to being in oven-like conditions, and will spend the evening under his A/C vent.

--There is supposed to be a rock concert there tonight by the Jonas Brothers (OK, maybe it is some other band, but they all look/sound the same to me). It will be really crowded.

--I am sorry that many people are confused about the details of this. I just was told that they (Naty and Turneys) wanted to invite anyone who wanted to come just to hang out.

--We didn't anticipate that so many people would get so excited. We told the students multiple times that this was NOT a Revolution event. Sometimes youth don't hear particularly well. It has something to do with their eardrums, I think.

Check out the link at the top left of the page (in the link list) where you can do a daily online devotion.  It won't take a lot of your time each day, but it will have a big impact on your life.  Check it out, today!

Wear Red, white, blue, yellow, or black.  A prize goes to the best dressed according to the theme.

Please see the top of the page for all information regarding Saturday's ROP at the lake!

Fill it up with events!!

Seriously, there's so much going on with Revolution right now. We've got new counselors coming in, new youth, new events, new fun.

Kepp checking here for updates.

So this summer, keep cool with our awesome going-ons. :]

Peace.

Jenny 

The Website: The Rebelution

The Book: Do Hard Things

Entry #3

The sound of sandal clad feet pounding the packed dirt ground was followed by a cloud of dust, and a quickly receeding figure. Kerusso sucked in air like it was gaseous gold. He had been running for miles upon miles to bring his dire news to the Israelite camp. The sun baked his already dark skin to an unnatural brown, the flaking skin on his neck was a non-issue, the only thing that mattered to him was warning his friends and family about the impending danger. He ran hard, his feet had been bloodied and battered long before now, so he no longer felt the sharp pain when a stray rock found its way into an already oozing gash. He just ran.
Finally he crested a hill, and was rewarded with the sight of the myriad of tents that made the Israelite camp. Unfortunately this meant he now had to search the camp for the man he needed to speak to, which involved slowing down, and allowing the pain to catch up with his feet. But his mission was paramount, and the thought never crossed his mind again. He entered the camp, and for the first few minutes he was greeted by stares and hushed whispers, but after he was past the group that had seen his dramatic entrance to the camp, no one offered him more than a second glance. He walked slowly, taking time to peer methodically into every tent. Finally, after hours of searching, he found the man he had been searching for.
"Shamath! I have dire news my brother!"
"Kerusso! It is good to see you! Come, let me enjoy your company before you ruin my good mood with your news!"
"No Shamath! There is no time! We must act now!"
"What is wrong my brother? What is it that has you so agitated?"
Kerusso glanced quickly to either side, as if expecting all eyes to be on him,
"Not here, I do not wish to cause a panic. Meet me in your tent in half an hour. I must find rest and water before I collapse."
Shamath looked at him, the concern practically dripping from his eyes,
"Ok my brother, you have me worried now. Go rest your weary legs, then we will talk."
They clasped arms, communicated more than words could with their eyes in the brief seconds that passed, and then split, each marching purposefully in their respective direction.
Kerusso ducked under the low tent as he brushed flap out of his way, and then stretched to his full height once inside. His wife ran to him, stricken eyes glued to his feet.
"Oh my dear Kerusso! What have you done to yourself!? Your feet are a mess! How are you even standing!?"
"It only looks bad my love, the damage is merely superficial, no real harm. I will be fine with a few days rest."
"Oh no! These wounds require proper care!" She called to a servant to bring a bowl of water, along with balms.
"But Shaka!" he started, but one glare from his wife hushed him instantly. He sat quietly as crusted blood and caked mud dirtied the once pure water of the bowl. The cuts began to bleed again, with their plugs so carefully removed. Shaka gently applied the balms, whose herbs numbed the pain. After holding them in place for a moment, she used strips of fabric to tie them tightly in place. Kerusso looked tenderly into his wifes eyes, words never were his strong suit, but she knew this, and saw everything he meant to say in those coal black eyes. She returned the sentiment with a gentle touch of his cheek, and a kiss on the forehead as she stood. He watched her as she walked into the next room to get a wineskin for her husband.
"FATHER!" the shriek pierced the calm as two small boys burst into the tent.
" Father! You are home!"
"Yes Father! How was your trip!?"
Kerusso's eyes shone with a new light at the sight of his sons.
"Ahhh my boys! Come give me a hug!"
As they stood there embracing their father, Shaka appeared at the entrance, and smiled at the sight of her sons and their father.
"Tell us of your trip Father! Every detail! Why are your feet so damaged? What happened? Did you have to fight off an army of Egyptians?" inquired the youngest, Ishman
"Haha! No my son, I'm afraid my story is nowhere near as glorious as that, i will tell you all, but first i must speak with Shamath about my discoveries."
Shaka interjected at this point, "Must you be off again so soon? You have just returned! Can't you stay and rest with your family for a day or so?"
"No my dear, my news can not wait, it is of utmost importance."
Shaka sighed, but knew by the glimmer in Kerusso's eyes that arguing was pointless.
Kerusso looked at the faces of his sons, and his wife, and let a tear run down his cheek, unashamed. He stood, gathered them all in a massive hug, and held them close to himself before slowly walking out of the tent. As he walked through the camp, he could not help but imagine what would happen to his beloved family if he did not manage to somehow stop the impending threat.

Kerusso approached Shamath's tent, took a deep breath, and pushed past the flap. His friend was sitting on a pile of large pillows, laughing loudly with a group of men sitting around him. The laughter in his eyes was quickly replaced with concern when he saw Kerusso standing at the entrance, staring blankly at the far wall of the tent.
"Please, leave us." Shamath waved his company out of the tent. They weaved around Kerusso as he stepped forward and joined his friend on the pillows.
"What is this news that has stolen all joy from you my friend?" asked Shamath, his hand resting gently on Kerusso's shoulder.
"Its the Egyptian army... They are near. And they have come in force."
Shamath was taken aback, and stared at Kerusso for a minute or so before asking,
"You are certain of this?"
"Yes, i was at the edge of their camp myself! I ran two days to tell you!"
"Ok, Ok, I believe you, there is no need for yelling."
"I'm sorry Shamath. It's just... well i'm scared."
Shamath nodded, "How many were there?"
"They numbered at least a hundred thousand, if not more."
"A hundred thousand!? How could they have gathered such an army in so little time!?"
"i dont know, but they are out there, and they are heading toward us. We have only two choices, we can either run, or we can fight."
"It seems to me that fighting would be of little help, we have little in the way of an army, much less weapons or armor. The Egyptians are well equipped, the finest iron spears and swords, with grand chariots pulled by the fastest horses in all of Egypt."
Kerusso nodded his agreement,
"But, running will be of equally little use. We have the belongings of a nation to carry, not to mention small children and elderly who could not possibly out run a chariot."
"Then we have but one choice."
"Yes, i believe we are thinking the same thing."
"Shall we pray?"
"Yes."
Kerusso and Shamath instantly fell to their faces, wailing and crying out in strange tounges to the God who had delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. For hours they lay there, pleading with the Lord to intercede on their behalf, to show them a way to save their people and familys from certain, and gruesome slaughter.
Suddenly, they were still. One could not tell, but God was giving them a vision. A vision of how to defeat the Egyptians, and save their families. When they came to, several hours later, they took one look at each other, and knew they had seen the same thing.
"We must begin preparing immediatly!" exclaimed Shamath.
"Yes, we must gather what soldiers we have, along with all the priests and prophets."
"And don't forget the children! All the children, not a single one can be left behind!"
And so they ran off to gather the people needed to destroy the Egyptians, very few of whom were actual soldiers.

Kerusso stood at the top of a dune on the outskirts of the camp, and watched as a multitude of people flowed around tents toward him. Never had he seen so unified a movement, not even among trained soldiers. A smile spread across his face as he recalled the vision he had seen. Suddenly a small group of men emerged from the crowd, yelling and shaking their fists as the quickly approached Kerusso. He felt his heart rise into his throat as he slowly realized their intentions.
"How dare you send children into battle against the most highly trained fighting force in Africa!?" Men shook fists, and swords at Kerusso.
"Please, Please, friends! Calm down, the Lord knows what He is doing, there is no need to worry about the children, they will be fine!"
"And how can you know that, oh godly one!? Who made you ambassador to God!?"
"The Lord sent me a vision, which indicated that He needed the children to play a vital role in defeating the Egyptians!"
"I won't allow you to send my sons to the slaughter at the hands of those barbarians!" the man swung his sword at Kerusso's neck. Time slowed as the blade sliced through the air between it's blood thirsty edge, and Kerusso's exposed neck. But at the point when the blade should have made contact, and stained the sand red, nothing happened. It passed right through the flesh, not leaving so much as a mark. Kerusso stepped toward the man, and asked him, "Now do you believe?"

Congrats, Michael. Good job to everyone who played. Your stories will be put back on your own pages very soon.

The first 5 people who messge Ryan with the correct answers to the following win a candy bar

- How many egg pictures are currently shown throughout our website?

- What kind of bird was Ryan talking about?

- How many people haven't figured out how to make their profiles not "private?"

- What is one of Pastor Bob Oliver's favorite activities?

- How many people have videos inserted into their mePages?

- How many people have music players embedded?

- Who has the best profile picture?

- What is the most apetizing looking thing that Peichi has eaten?

- Who is in the middle of the paintball picture?

- What is the name of themain character of Ben Blinn's contest blog story?

- Who has the most blog posts (not counting the main page)?

- Who has 50 pictures in their gallery? Is it just 1 person?

- What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Good luck, and good hunting!

I have read the entries, and have come to a conclusion. I will not be the one to judge the entries alone. I am going to post each of them on a seperate page, linked to the left as the last navigation item ("Contest Blog Entries"). I want as many people to read them as possible, and then message me (Ryan) with whom they think should be declared the winner.

I will post the winner to this on the website by next Wednesday.

rY

DYING TO SELF
When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God.
THAT IS DYING TO SELF
When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown.
THAT IS DYING TO SELF
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances.
THAT IS DYING TO SELF
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.
THAT IS DYING TO SELF
Are you dead yet? In these last days, the Spirit would bring us to the cross.

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Phil.3:10

 1-3 Doom to those who go off to Egypt thinking that horses can help them,
Impressed by military mathematics,
   awed by sheer numbers of chariots and riders-
And to The Holy of Israel, not even a glance,
   not so much as a prayer to God.
Still, he must be reckoned with,
   a most wise God who knows what he's doing.
He can call down catastrophe.
   He's a God who does what he says.
He intervenes in the work of those who do wrong,
   stands up against interfering evildoers.
Egyptians are mortal, not God,
   and their horses are flesh, not Spirit.
When God gives the signal, helpers and helped alike
   will fall in a heap and share the same dirt grave.

Here is your challenge: I want you to do some creative writing, and put the main idea of this into a short story.  Write this story in any format you want.  You don't have to quote the passage, or explain it at all.  Put the meaning of it, or at least the best that you understand it, in a way that is interesting and explainable.

The most creative and well written one will be a featured article on this website and will be submitted on the internet on a network where more people will see it.  Please submit it as a blog on your MePage or send it to Youth@gvcf.org, and send Ryan a message on his MePage.

This contest will end in 1 week, on May 14th!

Today is day 126 of 2008. It is kinda shocking to me how much of the year has gone by.

In Isaiah 27 Isaiah tells how God will someday slay the leviathan (basically a dragon-like creature), and then He will create a garden that He will tend. The good vine will cling to Him, and He will nurture it.

The whole thing is a metaphor for how God deals with sin and righteousness. I pray that God will look at me more as a tender gardener than He does a dragon-slayer.

 This doesn't mean that everything is perfect. We are working out a couple kinks, but this is one of the most exciting things in ministry that I can remember in over a decade of working with youth.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I am most excited when I see teens come to Jesus for the first time, when students jump out into leadership and ministry, and when I get to shoot at teenagers with paintballs.  But this website is going to be an awesome tool to reach more and more people.

Imagine if someone told you, "Hey, you can have an influence on the whole world."  Would you do it?  Or if someone said, "Would you like to take a mission trip this year to Mexico, Russia, Nepal, England, Canada, Iraq, and Haiti?"  Would you say yes?  Well, we can do all of this at once through this new website.  This truly gives us a world-changing platform.  At the same time, it is going to be a whole lot of fun.  Dig in, get involved, and let's change the world!

rY 

I'm sitting here at the fire. We built one tonight. Outside it's gotten cold again. Why is it that if someone drops a cigarette in a rain-drenched forest, hundreds of acres burn, yet I can't get 3 perfectly good logs to burn with a pile of newspapers and a whole book of matches? After much work it did catch.

While my wife has fallen asleep on the couch a few feet away in our tiny apartment, here I sit writing at the fire-side. I love fires. I always have. I know I'm not alone. Sitting and writing by the fire always makes me feel a bit like C.S. Lewis...well, without all the brilliance and eloquence. To me a fire is somehow sacred, almost mystical. At fireside I recall camping trips of youth and my grandfather's house in winter. The smell of the wood and cracking, popping, intense heat always inspire me.

What gets me the most about fires, though, is the art of the whole thing. Fires are definitely more art than science. My lamp is simple. It is science. I flip the switch, which connects the circuit. The electrons flow. I get a light that is steady and clean. Fires aren't like that. Fires dance. Fires hiss. Fires below smoke and are anything but clean. As I write this the flames tease me as they flicker on the page. Sometimes they die down, only to pop back up again when I least expect it.

My wife and I read the beginning of Exodus tonight in our One Year Bible, by firelight. We are a couple of days behind. In this passage, God talks to Moses from the burning bush. Honestly, we really didn't plan it this way. In fact, I didn't even catch the connection of our fireside reading and the content of the passage itself until later. Thinking on it now, there is something powerful in that, I think. I mean, I see it all a little different now. I always pictured it with Moses walking around in the afternoon and seeing the whole thing. Maybe I just automatically envision the whole thing consistent with Charlton Heston's portrayal.

Maybe it wasn't afternoon, though. Maybe it was actually evening. Moses sees this bush a little ways off, and he's drawn in. Then God speaks. That must've hit ol' Mo pretty hard, you have to assume. He's spent some years now out of Egypt. He had his family. He must have thought he had it all worked out. Everything about his life seemed neat and clean: science. Then God shows up-in the fire. He changes everything. Moses makes it clear that he doesn't think God is making sense as He calls Moses to go and rescue His people from slavery. He's not the right guy for the job. He's no leader. He doesn't want to do it. It says, "God's anger burned at Moses." Why would God be angry? He's the one throwing the wrench into Moses' nice little machine.

It doesn't seem to make logical, scientific sense. I would think that God would have done some research. He would've examined resumes and very thoroughly, scientifically determined His great leader. But in that sense, God is more art than science. He looked at Moses and saw what He would make him become.

I think God is much more like a fire than my lamp. He dances. He's unpredictable, uncontrollable, and a little dangerous. We try and clean Him up. We try and make Him predictable. He just isn't so. I'm not saying He's capricious or mischievous, just not so tidy. We put Him into three point, bite sized, 45 minute, pre-packaged slices. I don't think He likes that. The worst part for me is that I do it just as much as anyone. If the sermon goes long, I look at my watch. I want Him to be clear and I want Him to speak to me when I want it, which is generally between the hours of 10 and 11:30 on Sundays. Just flip the switch, and it's God. He just won't work that way.

It sounds really silly saying it that way, but I really struggle with this. In church today, we heard about how God had recently healed a woman of brain cancer. It was a miracle. I mean healed-not chemotherapy and healed, not surgery and healed, just medically verified (both before and after) totally healed! Wow! I had prayed for her. I had asked for this. God had answered. But at the same time, I told God I was going to keep bugging Him until one of my fellow staff members is healed of something that hurts him deeply. I've prayed for him a hundred times at least. I've asked God during my quiet times. I've talked to Him in the middle of the night about it. I'm tired of it. I'm going to keep paying, but I'd like an answer. I've waited in line. I'd like the healing now. I don't know why he hasn't been healed.

There is no "why." In fact, I think that anyone who says they know the answer to that is either making it up or being dishonest. God has His reasons, and He doesn't always make them clear to me. I don't like that, but I can respect it. It is the same God who spoke to Moses from the fire. God is just fiery.

My wife and I see a lot of new homes that we hope to buy someday with these ceramic logs and glow-y metal filings. "It is so simple," they say. "You just turn the gas key, and viola...instant fire magic with none of the mess." We were talking about those tonight, and we don't want that. We don't want to turn a key and "viola." We want messy ashes and wood that won't light. That's a deal-breaker for me at least. No "viola."

I just can't see things as being that simple. I can't imagine God really does either. I don't think things were meant to be so clean and easy. That gives us such a false sense of control, and it hinders us from those burning-bush moments where God says, "I don't really want you to be so comfortable. I think He wants us to wrestle with big questions: the kind that doesn't have easy answers. I don't think I could do that in front of a ceramic log. Like Moses, tonight I met Him in the fire. He wasn't simple, or tidy. He wasn't clean, or safe. He wasn't science. But, I think I'm OK with that.

    One of my favorite parts of working in ministry with teens is seeing them involved in the actual work of running the ministry.  They particularly gravitate toward this whenever the work seems especially fun, dangerous, or requiring great power.  When teens show up hours before our Wednesday night program and come in on the days after in order to help it really makes me proud to be their pastor. They often do this out of duty, but I try hard to make it more than just monotonous labor.  Recently, when some students showed up on Wednesday afternoon to help, we started to play a game.  Pastor Bob Oliver even joined us.  Now, to some it might have appeared as if we were just goofing off when we could have been working.  But it was actually a spiritually significant time: a time of bonding that was deeply valuable. 

  In church ministry we have a tendency to want to make everything very serious.  When we see the world as only a matter of fighting a dark evil with the holy we  lose the ability see the lighter side of life.  We so often fail to sit and enjoy, smile, and laugh.  The world looks in and sees us as staunch and protectionist against all that we feel as wrong with the world. We are too frequently defined by what we stand opposed to more than by what we stand for.

  Of course, there are two sides to every coin.  We do live in a world where many seem to have forgotten that the goal of childhood and adolescence is to actually grow up. 

Some have criticized our society of being full of Peter Pans who never seem to accept that adults do have to grow up, and who refuse to see life as anything other than an insatiable quest for enjoyment.  We have lost our way when we turn matters of great importance into simple fun and games (i.e. the way our culture looks at sex).  That criticism has great validity, and our culture seems to be indulging this in our younger generations rather than confronting it.  But this is the opposite of the picture in matters of faith where seriousness is law, and I don't think that is how God intended it.

  Jesus told his followers in Matthew 18:3 that we need to become like little children.  Jesus' point is exactly the opposite of the eternal Peter Pan, and the over-serious.  Little children feel joy and excitement in even the smallest things, and amazement at the greatness of the complex.  It is the religious adults that Jesus had the problems with, and his beef was frequently that they took matters of "religion" too seriously, removed the joy and wonder, and thereby missed the spirit of the matter (Matthew 23:24).

Dear X

             I've spent a whole lot of time lately thinking and praying about our running conversation.  If I understand you correctly, there are two main areas of faith in Jesus that you are having difficulty with, one leading to the other, in a way.  The first is a question of process in theology: those age-old questions of why a good God would consign people to hell, why would we be called to the radical forgiveness that Jesus called us to, and why would God set up the entire system he set up in order to change it all with Jesus.  Maybe there are more, but I've tried to mention those we've talked about.  The second follows that if those questions persist, then maybe Jesus wasn't the promised one of the Jews.  Maybe we are still waiting for the Messiah.  I will do my best to answer these in an orderly fashion.  Please bear in mind that I don't have all the answers.  There are many questions I just don't know the answer to, not a lot, but there are some.  I will try to be intellectually honest about that.

            I think a conversation like this is best answered in letter form.  It seems that more progress can actually be made this way in the conversation as opposed to the rambling, stream of consciousness that talking face to face often creates.  Please keep in mind that my theological credentials are enough to give me credence, but would never get me in a university debate team alongside Lewis, Augustine, and Osteen (OK, that was a joke).  Consider this more arm-chair.  I will try to address the main points in "chapters" because to do so all at once would be overwhelming both to me and you, to foster better dialogue on the issues, and to increase the likelihood that this will actually be read in the first place.

            In looking at questions of "why would God..." it is important to realize an important balance that is often razor thin.  It goes like this:  Obviously, there is no way that we can get in the mind of God.  If we could, then we would be essentially equal to Him.  Because of this, there is no way that we could really understand Him[1].  On the other side, what kind of God would say, "I want you to trust me, but I am going to make myself so utterly incomprehensible that you won't be able be able to really have any logical way to trust me."  God is a God of reason and order.  He delights in bringing order out of chaos[2] and has gone quite out of His way to make Himself as understandable as He can to inspire a logical faith[3].  Having laid that out, there are parts to this discussion that can not be solved with mere logic.  Understanding God, His means, and methods all require the same leap of faith that simply believing in Him initially takes.  I will do my best to reveal the logical and spiritual answers to this, but it all requires faith.

Hell

            Your question of hell is an age old one that people of greater prowess than me have tackled.  C.S. Lewis, Augustine, Origen, McLaren, Bell, Willard, et al. have all covered the topic, and you have probably read much of their work.  I will let them stand on their own.  Perhaps I can stand on their shoulders as I am sure they don't need mine.  First, we need to understand that man was not made for hell-fire.  You are aware of the object lesson Jesus used of Gehenna[4]in reference to the valley of Hinnon, which was originally a place where idolaters would sacrifice their children to Molech in the fire.  In Jesus day it was used as a trash heap with a burning fire that never went out. 

Unfortunately, our understanding of Hell has been colored horribly by works of fiction and countless Halloween Hell-houses.  An important point to start with is that Gehenna was a place of destruction that was brought about by people's total depravity and negative self-sacrifice, and later by the waste of their lives.  I firmly believe Jesus point was less about the place God would excitedly send them too, and more about natural and spiritual consequences. 

            Therein lies an important concept that needs to be understood.  YHWH (God's proper name[5] does not stoke the fires of Hell for the ones He desires to punish (sorry to tell the Calvinists, whom I occasionally go on a rant against when I can't help myself).  His clear desire is for no one to end up there[6].  This stands completely different than other gods, Allah for instance, who says that Hell is prepared specifically for those who earn his wrath[7]. 

            God created all to come to repentance and enter into eternity 8] and eternal destruction apart from Him was reserved only for the Devil himself, and his angels.  The problem really starts there, and I will try to illustrate it with an imperfect, but hopefully useful illustration:

Suppose I decide to get really drunk and then go out racing my car in the middle of the night.  While this is unadvisable of course, people have done it.  In my drunken, speedy state, what if I happen to drive over a bridge and crash headlong into a lake, sinking my car, and drowning in the process?  I would be dead.  It is unfortunate for me, but I have no one to blame but myself.

In my illustration, I end up in the lake, and in a state (dead) that I was not intended to be in.  The alcohol was not meant for drinking in excess, though I did it anyway.  The car was not made for racing down the streets drunk, yet I also did that.  The bridge was not made for jumping, also a mistake I made.  The car was not meant to be in the lake, and my body was not meant to stay submerged.  While you might say that it is not fair that I was dead (I would agree) it was brought about by my own actions and if someone stood up at my funeral and screamed at God for taking my life, you would wrinkle your brow at the absurdity of the statement.

            But in the case of hell, a place that is not intended for us, we shake our fists at God when we think that someone might end up in a place He never wanted us to end up in at all.  If this logic causes difficulty, then it certainly couldn't be confined to the New Testament.  There are many places in the Old Testament where people end up being punished by God (in these cases in more mortal ways) for sins that were committed by their tribe, family, etc[9].  One can try to explain these away on a case by case basis, but it ends up in enormous logical gerrymandering that makes one feel foolish just listening to.  The only logical conclusion one can really come to is that God's hand was forced in a way, and consequences had to be followed through on.  Any other reading just ends up showing a god who actually delights in evil.  And since one of the characteristics of God is that He cannot, by nature, contradict Himself, one must conclude that the first understanding mentioned is the correct one.

            This leads to another point which is probably the most salient.  God is good.  Love is good, but so is justice.  I don't wish to spend eternity with a god who really cares little about me, and neither would I wish to do so with a one who would refuse to punish a Hitler, Stalin, or Pol-Pot.  This brings about an interesting conundrum: Does God reward everyone (great on the love, poor on the justice), or does He punish according to what is fair (goodnight everybody)?  If He is infinitely righteous, then one act of unrighteousness on our part creates an infinite divide.  So does He punish just the one sin?  Does he wait for 2, or 10, or 20?  Where does He draw the line?

In Genesis God tells Adam to "not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." [10]  God makes it clear to Adam that one action, an act that we today would have to admit was a "private sin," had fatal consequences.  If Adam were around today he would be on a talk show where guests would stand up and rail against God telling Him that it is Adam's body and that Adam could do what he wants with it.  Another would point out that Adam eats the apples in the privacy of his own home.  A lady in the back would mention that Adam only ate one apple and God should just get over it and forgive him.  Someone would challenge God to a fight.  In reality, we do wonder why God would be so calloused as to equate a single decision with the most serious consequence, a spiritual death as well as a physical one.

Jesus backs up that same concept when he says that we should not fear people who can only kill the body, but fear God who has the power to condemn us to hell.[11] However, it is important to note that that particular passage mainly points out that we should not fear, because God greatly loves us and is watching over us, though He is not blind to sin.  This is not a New Testament invention of Jesus.  Judaism was steeped in this in the Midrash, and it is found significantly in inter-testamental Jewish literature: "Let us not fear him who thinks he kills; for a great struggle and peril of the soul awaits in eternal torment those who transgress the ordinance of God." [12]

If we are commanded to "be holy, as I am holy,"[13] that is not to be taken lightly.  God cannot tolerate sin.  If He is just[14] then He must punish sin, which is a rebellion against His rule and reign.  Since we have already established that even one sin creates an infinite chasm, then a million sins would therefore make one just as unholy as one sin.  The difference is not a comparison from Hitler to Gandhi or Mother Thereasa, but from any of those people to God, Himself.  God must punish sin, or He is no longer just.  He is not a softy.  He is jealous, judicious, and holy.[15]  He chooses to love us, not because He is required to, but because He chooses so.  The burden is on us, not on Him, except when He chooses to take it on.

            One concept that is pretty amazing to understand is that we have a surprisingly large amount of spiritual authority in our own lives.  It is amazing that God actually says to his people that they have a say in their own eternal destiny.   He obviously did that in the Garden of Eden, and He held His people accountable for their choices throughout the Old Testament.  It would therefore, be a natural conclusion to see that He would do the same today. 

            In the Old Testament, the primary belief was that much of God's punishment would take place on earth.  That failure to heed God's Law would end in famine, war, and even national destruction.  This was correct.  God did use events like these to get His point across.  It is much better to learn your lesson while you can, I assume.  The New Testament brings fresh understanding to a situation that is obvious to the observant when is says, "[God] sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."[16]

            This is not new for anyone who is paying attention.  Some evil doers who care little for anything other than their own best interests live lives of complete luxury, free of fear, want, or even un-fulfillment. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world there are innocent children that starve to death before their first birthday.  If God is doling out His justice here on earth there can be no good conclusion other than that He is doing an extremely poor job of it.  He has either forgone His justice altogether and lapsed into enormity, or He is staying His hand temporarily awaiting a more final judgment.  There seems to be only 2 possible reasons for this: The first, is that for some reason He has ceased caring about temporal judgment of these unrighteous (He is disgusted, tired, or some other related notion).  The second, and more plausible in my opinion, is that He is using a different strategy in order to work out His plan, which we have already established is one intended for our benefit as well.  If there is no judgment by God apart from the tangible, temporal world then there is simply no justice by God at all.  There must be more.

            Finally, I think it is of the greatest importance to look at what the Bible (particularly the New Testament) does not say about judgment.  In the teaching of Jesus, there is pointed out that the unrighteous will somehow be in a place of extreme discomfort post-death.  This is mentioned in only one place, Luke 16:19-31, where Jesus tells the story of a certain "rich man" and a beggar named Lazarus.  Scholars hotly debate this passage.  Some claim that it is a parable and should not be used to guide specific theology because that would be reaching beyond its intended purpose.  Others point out the fact that this story is vastly different from Jesus parables in almost every respect, and therefore should not be treated as such.  This second group also points out that while parables are not usually intended to instruct in the finer points of theology, it would not make sense (and be inconsistent) for Jesus to use heretical theology to teach a broader spiritual point.

            In this story, the rich man is sent to Hades (a different world than Jesus usually uses to speak of hell) where he is tormented.  Lazarus is sent to Abraham's Bosom.  A few main extrapolations can be made from the theology of this passage.  First, it would seem that both are in a possible middle place and have not faced a final judgment.  The description does not seem consistent with the Bible's description of Heaven, and is not referred to as Heaven anyway.  Second, because of this, we cannot use this passage for a reliable understanding of a final judgment by God.  What it does do is point out that there will be a difference after death between those who are deemed righteous and unrighteous, and secondly (what might seem to be often completely overlooked) that it is a foreshadowing of how many would miss the resurrection of Christ as a final statement by God concerning the seriousness of sin. 

            Having seen this, the Bible does not give a description of hell in the final judgment clearly, except to say that in the end the Devil and his followers will be tormented in a fire meant specifically to destroy inequity.[17]  The Bible does point out at the end of the passage that while the Devil will be eternally punished, the unrighteous will face the "second death."  This seems to favor strongly the "annihilationists" such as Stott.  The Bible does not seem to mention an eternal punishment by demons for eternity.  That very well could be the case, but if it is, it is extra-biblical and is mostly seen in Middle Ages literature, not the New Testament.  However, it is also unbiblical, and anti-justice to believe that God would refuse to deal with those who have actively rebelled against Him, have refused His forgiveness, and have trusted in themselves.  During life we have a choice to say, "Thy will be done," or "My will be done."  He gives us that freedom, it is obvious.  There is no reason to believe that then after life is done, God would not say to us, "Thy will be done," meaning that we who have trusted in ourselves and willfully rebelled against God and will face the natural consequences of that, or "My will be done." In which case He will follow through with the plan and purpose in eternity that He has always willed for us.

[1] Isaiah 55:9

[2] Genesis 1:2

[3]1 Peter 3:15

[4] Matthew 5

[5] Exodus 3:14

[6]2 Peter 3:8 -a great passage that illustrates God's purpose in all of this question

[7] Koran 4:93

[8] 2 Peter 3:8

[9]I am not going to cite them here.  That would take too many pages.

[10] Genesis 2:17

[11]Luke 12:5

[12]4 Maccabees 13:14-15  It is important to note that there was a substantial amount of disagreement in Jewish thought over the concept of Hell.  In Jesus' day Sadducees completely disavowed any eternality of the soul either in Heaven or Hell.  Pharisees believed in only resurrection for the righteous.  Essenes believed in resurrection to Heaven for the righteous and Hell for the unrighteous.

[13]Leviticus 11:44; phrase used throughout Leviticus

[14]one of the main themes of both the books of Amos and Isaiah

[15] Exodus20:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:6, Leviticus 11:44

[16] Matthew 5:45

[17] Revelation 20:10-14

    I think that tradition is quickly becoming something that we are moving perilously to the back-burner of our collective consciousness.  Few people under 25 remember the days when "Wizard of Oz" was played yearly on TV---and everyone had to watch it.  Few people hold to some of those old traditions that we sometimes don't even understand, and I don't think that it is often a good thing.  In fact, I think it can be pretty dangerous. 

    The Bible set up important feast days and celebrations that were sacremental for the Jews.  The reason: to communicate the story and the purposes behind history through the generations.  We have stopped these things in modern America, party because we've decided we are too busy, partly because we have forgotten the importance.

    Do you doubt me?  You might be saying, "not me."  I'll give you a test, ready?

    What did you do last Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Pearl Harbor Day? 

    You don't remember, do you?  Maybe if you think back, you travelled somewhere, or went to a theme park, or something.  Did you go to a cemetary with the family, or a war memorial, or discuss what happened on December 7th, 1941, "A day which will live in infamy?"  I didn't. 

    Nope, we moved those days all to 3 day weekends (they weren't originally like that).  Veteran's Day was celebrated on November 11th to commemorate the armistice of 1918 ending the first World War, and only celebrated as a 3-day weekend starting in 1971.  When initially instituted all business stopped for the day at 11 AM every November 11th.  There were parades and people told their children stories of the War (later WW2 was commemorated by this date also).
    E.J. Dionne has  written about how this "rise of the 3-day weekend" has hurt our country" in the failure to mix the socio-economic strata, which increases social mobility.  But, that isn't interesting to most people.  What is, though, is a complete loss of what it means to be Christian, American, and the other things that we lost our identity with when we forget our rich history.  It seems this is a conituation of the cultural devastation brought about by the zeitgiest of the 1960's, which there is very little doubt was one of the most damaging times culturally in our history. 

    We need to get back to our history, lest we repeat it.  If we don't teach about the sacrifice of good men that it took to end the tyranny of the Axis powers in WW2 (for instance) we will see the rise of another Hitler in our time.  We don't just need to keep the traditions, we need to understand them. 

    Let's start with a little one, ok?  Each year there is one song that is traditionally sung in much of the Western World at 12:00 AM New Year's Day.  Do you remember what it is? 
    "Auld Lang Syne" is a song that reaches into Scottish Antiquity.  The Lyrics to the part that we traditionally sing are as follows:

I do a lot here on MySpace and have had a lot of fun connecting with all of you and seeing what it is that interests you. I've gotten a chance to see a cool little window into your lives. Any time that you get to see deeper into someone's world you like some of what you see, and other things bother you.

The interesting thing about the internet is that we have this sense of annonymity. That is, we kind of feel indestructable and invisible at the same time that we are interacting with each other. But the difficult part of that is that sometimes we re-post, forward, or write the kind of thing that we would never say out loud in real life.

I know that there is a possibility of a very diverse group of people actually reading this and we are all in different places in life. But those of us who call ourselves Christians and try to live and act according to what Christ would want for us and our lives, have to represent that here on MySpace as well.

We go around wearing WWJD bracelets and have fish on the back of our cars, but we say things here that don't represent our beliefs at all. It is almost like we lead double lives sometimes: Our life online, and our real life.

I just want to encourage you. Next time you are writing a post, or forwarding an email, or writing one yourself...think about this and ask yourself

W.W.J.P. "What Would Jesus Post"

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things." Phillipians 4:8 NIV

"Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift." Ephesians 4:29 The Message

This is so exciting to me.  It has been over a year in planning and development and it is finally here.  I hope you guys get really into it and jump in adding your own content as quickly as possible.  The more you add and get involved with it, the more exciting it will be.  Bring your friends to Revolution at our midweek, have them go to our 5 minute meeting afterward, and they will get their own login to become part of our site too.  It is that simple.

Enjoy!  :D

rY