Which Bathroom Do I Use?

CHAOS.

There is a lot of chaos in our world today.  This chaos is seen through all the transgender rights issues hitting the headlines and sprouting up on our social media.  North Carolina passes a law about what bathroom to use, Target issues a statement about bathroom use, the Eau Claire School Board District added “gender identity, or gender expression” clause to their nondiscriminatory policy, which will lead to policies regarding bathroom use.  The fact that gender dysphoria exists is a result of chaos in the world.  Chaos isn’t just the top story or the latest viral news.  Chaos can be an individual suffering depression.  Chaos can be a husband and wife who can’t stop fighting and on the brink of divorce.  Chaos can be the young woman suffering from addiction.  Chaos can be an elderly man going to yet another chemotherapy treatment.  

The creation account is an account of chaos into order.  The earth was formless and void and God gave order to the world through creation and put limits to the sky and sea.  God’s creative power demonstrated his ability to bring chaos into order.  Yet in Genesis 3, the personification of chaos, Satan, would introduce chaos once again into the garden, into the lives of Adam and Eve, and thus into the world.  

Every disease.  Every act of violence.  Every mental disorder.  Every addiction.  Every selfish act.  All of these stem from the broken world descending into chaos due to sin.  As Christians, how are we to respond to chaos?  

COMPASSION.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Matthew 9:36

Jesus constantly came face to face with chaos.  The lame, the sick, and the demon possessed all came to see Jesus.  And the very people that the religious elite of his day would turn their nose up to, Jesus saw them with compassion.  Jesus recognizes that they too need to hear the good news of the kingdom of God and gives a call to his disciples.  

CALL.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 9:37-38

Jesus realizes that all the chaos he sees in the world is really an awaiting harvest.  People in chaos seek order.  We are called to respond to the chaos in the world and in people’s lives with compassion.  We are called to minister, as Jesus did, to people’s immediate needs and teach the good news of the kingdom of God.  

Whenever we hear about all the chaos and confusion in the world we can become overwhelmed.  How can we help bring clarity to the confusion?  How can we help bring order to all the chaos?  How can we answer the call to be compassionate?  It all begins with one.  

Jesus saw the crowds and responded with compassion noting that they are “like sheep without a shepherd.”  There are many lost sheep but you can make a difference for the kingdom of God with one.  

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Luke 15:4

We can choose to get distracted by all the chaos in the world or we could focus on Christ’s call to respond in compassion to the one lost sheep in our field.  Who is your one?  Who can you help in your life, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, to find a bit of order in their chaos?  

ISIS is defeated.

ISIS continues to wreak havoc across the globe.   Just weeks ago they launched a coordinated attack in Paris, where 130 people have died and 368 people were injured.  Some of the injured were still in intensive care in critical condition at the time of this publishing.  Scores of people have been permanently affected due to the emotional trauma of the event.   We fear that ISIS or those who sympathize with their cause are already on our soil. We wonder, not if there will be an attack, but when.  When evil of this scale comes to the forefront, it seems that evil is winning.

The reality, however, is that ISIS is already defeated.  The script has already been written.  Evil will not win.  The victor has already been established.   Revelation depicts evil with images of a great dragon and two beasts, who do his bidding.  Evil seems to have unbridled power that cannot be challenged or diminished.   These same Scriptures describe a great battle beginning to clamor; yet when Christ arrives on the battlefield the war is over.   Jesus is the victor and all Heaven will break out in rejoicing. (Rev. 12-20)

The fate of evil was sealed when Christ defeated death and rose from the grave.  When we live with the end in mind we can persevere in the midst of suffering and great trials.  Paul writes the following to the church of Thessalonica:  

 “Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.”

2 Thessalonians 1:4-7

We know the future.  We know that when Christ comes, He will be victorious and us with Him.  But what do we do in the meantime?  What about the grief, suffering, and injustice that temporarily prevails?   

While patiently awaiting Christ’s blessed return we actively live and serve the victorious kingdom.  We do not allow angst to hold us back, but allow our light to penetrate the darkness.  We help people experience this kingdom by offering them comfort, relief, and rescue.  

The Jews awaited a Messiah to come and rescue them.  Scriptures promised and foretold his arrival.  Christmas is the season when we celebrate the arrival of this victorious King.   He is our Hope and in Him we have true joy.   Let not the news of the day dishearten or discourage us this Christmas season, for we know that Christ will come again and He will defeat all that stands opposed to us, once and for all. (Rev. 21:4)

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Is God Intolerant Or Gracious?

“We should be tolerant of everything except intolerance.”   This seems to the mantra of our American mindset.  This mindset is further fueled by hyper individualism and the disbelief in absolute truth.  Those who are labeled ‘intolerant’ are often belittled, silenced, and considered closed minded.  The tolerance of our society simply can’t tolerate intolerance.  

‘Tolerate’ is defined as “to endure without repugnance; put up with:”  In other words, tolerance seems to mean ‘to get along’.  To be tolerant or to tolerate thus seems like a good thing.  A recent Mcdonald’s television and internet advertisement entitled “Archenemies” features this type of tolerance.  We see once bitter enemies like Dorothy and the Wicked Witch, a Bears fan & a Packers fan, and even a democratic and a republican getting along and having love for one another.  A catchy and fun song plays in the background; its chorus proclaims, “love is endless.”  We tend to love this ad and embrace it.  In a world of division and hate, a message of love is welcome.  

However, tolerance is often meant something more than just love one another.  Have you seen the COEXIST bumper sticker?  This bumper sticker features symbols of major world religions portrayed in such a way to spell out "COEXIST." But what does that mean?  Obviously, the general meaning is a message of tolerance.  However, some believe that it's saying that all religions are equally valid and true.  Some view the only way to be truly tolerant is to allow everyone to have their own truths and morality.   The lawsuits that exist over the usage of the “COEXIST” trademark, however, demonstrates even they don't accept this view of tolerance.    

God does not fit within this view of tolerance either.  God hates sin.  God does not tolerate false teaching.  There are various passages that list specific sins that God hates.  (ex. Deut. 12:31; Prov. 6:16-19; Isa. 61:8)  The Psalmist will describe God by saying,

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness;”

Psalm 45:7a

God is gracious.  God loves people.  God is patient and merciful with us in our sin.  In fact one of the most common descriptions of God in Scripture is as follows,

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love. “

Psalm 103:8

God does not put up with our sins; instead He paid for them.  The cross is the quintessential example of God’s intolerance and grace.  God is graciously intolerant.  

God’s wrath against sin has been poured out on the cross.  All those who have faith can avert God’s wrath, having their sins paid for through Christ’s death.  God’s pardon for our sins is a gift we do not deserve.  This is grace.  (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-21)

God was so intolerant of sin, He did not only pay for our sins. He also has redeemed us from the power of sin.  God raised Jesus from death into a new life.  We too, can have a new life through God’s resurrection power.  We are no longer bound or destined to a life of sin, but we can live a life according to the Holy Spirit.  We are free from sin.  (Romans 6:1-23)  

We are called to be “imitators of God." (Eph 5:1)  Therefore, how can we be graciously intolerant?   Jesus came “full of grace and truth” and demonstrated this in his encounter with the woman caught in adultery. (John 1:14)  Jesus does not condemn her and he calls her to live righteously. (John 8:1-11)  How can we not compromise truth while being full of grace?  We are to love people just the way they are; we are to love them so much, we don’t want them to stay that way.  How do we demonstrate intolerance of sin in our own lives and lead others to have the same conviction of their sins?

God is graciously intolerant.  May His Spirit give us the same steadfast conviction for truth and may His Spirit give us the same relentless, compassionate, grace for people. And may His Spirit give us the wisdom to live it out.  

Could watching or sharing a video on Facebook be immoral?

If you are watching a video that could be mistaken for the latest installment of Girls Gone Wild, then you probably already know the obvious answer.  However, that adorable video of that bunny eating raspberries that you just watched or shared on Facebook could be stolen and you didn't even know it.

I've seen this trend on Facebook and today I learned the proper term for it is "Facebook Freebooting".  I've had an issue with this for a long time but haven't posted about it until now.

If you have ever watched a video on Facebook that was shared a ton of times and it wasn't linked to YouTube it was likely stolen.   When a person posts a video on YouTube, they have the possibility of getting revenue from that video through advertising.  A person wanting to boost traffic to their page  will sometimes download a popular YouTube video that is not their own, upload it to Facebook and share it publicly.  They will do so without linking to the original YouTube creator or video and most of the time without permission.  This is called piracy.  Piracy is immoral.  If you're a follower of the Bible, it even made it into the top ten. (Exd 20:15)

Once the video goes viral on Facebook, instead of the original creator gaining revenue through advertising now, Facebook gleans the rewards.  Facebook is also culpable in this crime by not taking simple measures to police this practice nor reimburse the victims.

YouTuber, SmarterEveryDay has a video that explains this in a clearer and more entertaining way:

This form of piracy via social media is illegal and immoral.  If you share a pirated video, you are only perpetuating crime and robbing the victim even further.   Facebook now auto plays videos so it might be hard not to watch said video, but at least go to YouTube and watch it.  If you suspect or know that a video on Facebook has been pirated, here are three things you can do:

For a further and much better post about this subject read this blog by YouTube creator It's Okay To Be Smart.

Romans 13:7-9 (NLT) says

"Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.  For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”  These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Carter's Corner: Habits of Contentment

*Carter's Corner posts are articles I wrote for our Monthly Church Newsletter.  

Are you content with your material possessions?  How about your paycheck? Marriage? Health? Relationships? Job? Retirement? Politics?  We all tend to be discontent from time to time and that can lead to complaining.  We complain because we simply are not happy.  Be honest with yourself. What area in your life do you tend to be the most discontent?   
I have an obsession with gadgets and as of late, specifically cell phones.  There is a phone that hasn't even been officially introduced, nor will it likely be available on my carrier but I’ve been keeping up with the rumor mill on this phone since April.  My habitual checking on this phone slowly breeds discontentment.
 What habits do you have that breed discontentment in your life?  Habits of discontentment can be focusing on the past, making comparisons, or focusing too much on self. Just as certain habits or actions can breed discontentment in our lives we can replace bad habits with actions that will lead us to contentment .  

Focusing on God

“There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”  (1 Samuel 2:2, NASB)

When we realize who God is and what he has done for us, what else could we possibly desire or want?  When we focus on God we also desire for His will to be done and not our own selfish will.  We submit willingly to His will.  We understand that God’s way is best.  One of the best ways to focus on God is to laud and magnify His name.  You can do this in prayer, song, or conversation.  

Serving Others

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4, NASB)

A root cause of discontentment is a focus on self.  We spend a lot of time on our “own personal interests.”  We eat, sleep, and work all as a part of serving our own personal interests.   We need to use our time and resources to serve other people.  You can’t successfully serve someone else, unless you stop thinking about yourself and look to meet the needs of others.  

Counting Your Blessings

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. (Psalm 108:3, NASB)

No matter what you your lot in life, you are blessed.  We are blessed by simply being introduced to the gospel of Christ Jesus.   Just consider the blessings we have in one chapter of the Bible. In Romans 8, we are told that we are free from sin (1).  We have the spirit of God living in us (2). We are co-heirs with Christ and our future glory does not compare with our present shortcomings (17-18).  God is working all things for our good (28). The Almighty King of the Universe is on our side (31) and that nothing can separate us from the love of God (39).

When life gets rough and discontentment rears it’s ugly head, may we focus on the blessings we have in Christ and beyond.  May we see clearly those things that we often take for granted that God has already given us.  May we identify habits of discontentment, repent and replace them with habits that will lead to contentment in Christ.   

What the debt ceiling debacle reminded me about my diet

Well the government shutdown is over and the debt ceiling has been lifted.  While our Congress continues to be rather incompetent on both sides of the aisle, I think we can reflect on this latest debacle to think about our diet.  

    Republican, Democrat, Progressive, or Libertarian all agree that the enormous amount of debt our country has is not a good thing.  There is one reason we have to raise the debt ceiling, deficit spending.  Every year the government spends more money than it ever could receive in revenue. 

   This parallels America's obesity epidemic.  We are consuming too many calories than our bodies could ever use.  I had a very clear head about this when I started on MFP (MyFitnessPal) back in February 2011.  I hit my goal weight by December of that year and was regularly exercising.  After hitting my goal weight I stopped logging regularly, yet I kept losing weight.  In June of 2012 I had nerve damage in my leg and was told it might take a year for the damage to be repaired.  Since I couldn't run I didn't do any exercise.  I got even more lackadaisical in my calorie tracking and eating habits and the weight went up.  As of today I am 24.4lbs up from my lowest weight.  

     Don't exercise to lose weight.  This is the principle I forgot.  When we are eating so many calories exercise alone won't make the difference.   People used to ask me, how did you lose the weight?  I would always answer, calorie tracking.  I wouldn't even mention exercise because I was clear headed about what made the difference.  However, as time has passed I have forgotten.  


    I have run the past 6 weeks and gained 2lbs.  How is this possible?  I didn't track my calories.  Exercise is vitally important and is essential for achieving our fitness and wellness goals.  However, do not rely on exercise alone to get the pounds off.  Just as America is spending more money than they could ever bring in, Americans (including myself) are consuming way more calories than they could ever burn off.   

Why a Google fan boy bought an iPad

I love Google. I was not, however, an early adopter. In the late 90s people were beginning to allaud the wonders of google search, but I was using Dogpile. Dogpile is a still active search engine which complies the results of various other search engines. The first regular email account I had was with Hotmail which I used faithfully until 2010.

In late Spring of 2010 I was in the market for a second job and thanks to my best friend Michael White I was able to land a job working as at a Verizon Wireless retail location. The company's policy stated that you had to have a Gmail account. After a bit of research I officially made the switch. Soon after working at Verizon I made the switch to an Android smartphone and a Google fan boy was born.

Today I use Google for just about anything online: email, search, web browser, cloud storage, rss feeder, blogging, videos, music, maps, calendar, photos, e-books, and more. I love Google. I enjoy how my experience is synced to any web connected device and that is one reason I bought an iPad.

I once read that Google has a commitment to bring you all their services to all your devices. Along with Google other companies can use their syncing capabilities to bring you your Google content with their vey own user interface. Therefore, though Google doesn't have their Reader or Calendar apps available on iPad I have found two great apps that user my Google account information to bring me that content. Google already offers great iPad apps for search, email, blogging, and more.

Tablet specific apps, however, are the main reason I chose the iPad. Apple offers 275,000 iPad specific apps. Google doesn't release their number. When you search for an app on an Android tablet they don't even separate your results by phone and tablet apps. Also, it made news recently when Google was asking developers to develop more tablet apps. The reason that they don't have tablet apps is two fold: 1. Apple continues to be a more profitable platform for developers. 2. They haven't had a very significant Marketshare of the tablet market.

I believe the second of these is going to change with the recent release of the Nexus devices. I imagine Google will have a comparable tablet app experience in as a little as 18 months. But until then when it comes to a great tablet experience, iPad reigns supreme.