MOVING! YAY!

So, I'm moving. It's kind of tough in the middle of the school year. But it's all good. I'm moving to a spiffy keen place in China Spring, TX; it's about a seven minute drive from the Waco throughfares.

I'm excited! Yay!

I won't have to replace the tires on my Jeeep a due to slashing (while parked in my own driveway), nor will I have to replace the front lights on my Jeep because they've been shot out. BUT the best part of all: NO ICE CREAM TRUCKS DRIVE OVER THERE! (I personally believe that ice cream trucks are from Hell, as I believe I have stated on this blog earlier.)

China Spring is a nice suburban community (NOT a "town," as the lady in the General Store pointed out to me tonight: "We are a community.").

Geez.

But it's all good. This whole moving and finding a place to move to and all has had me pretty stressed the past couple of weeks. But it's all good. Because no matter where I go, as long as there's a Bush's Chicken... it's all gravy (literally).

p.s. if you haven't experienced the essence of Bush's Chicken, just ask a Wacoan, they'll tell ya!

HERITAGE: PART 2

An old book lies in disrepair somewhere in my great-aunt's house. Tucked away in an old Zip-loc bag. No one in our family can read the what is written. Many museums and history people have tried to obtain it, but none have as of yet have been able to.

The book was written by Grandpa Eusabio. It is music. They are songs. But they are not written in the European/Western music notion or a common vernacular (such as Spanish or English) that we've all learned to read. They are in the language of the Tankawa, and the notation is quite unique.

My aunt is learning the language (though CD's in her auto) in hopes of dicifering the songs. It's ironic, I think, of how much of us and our gifts from the Creator are passed on their our genes. Scientists have studied this throughly: how much of a person is in his or her genetic makeup. Apparently this is from my family. We are a family of musicians: songwriters, church musicians, rock musicians, bar musicians, and even wanna-be musicians.

It's funny how other cultures (other than the mainstream American one in which I was raised) integrate their religion, their cultural heritage, their talents, and their sense of identity into one solid cohesive mix. My Native American heritage, therefore, cannot be seperated from my musical heritage; they are one. Learning to gain identity, not through a rigid "cultural" heritage, but through a cohesive heritage of one's family can teach and demonstrate that an awesome God really created us and loves us.

My view of my family heritage is summed up in David Huddle's Only the Little Bone: "I am my grandfather's grandson after all."

Click here to read the rest of Only the Little Bone. It's really quite good.

HERITAGE: PART 1

While many people consider heritage and culture to be foremost in person's life, I never have. I think it can be important, but if you live in a unique culture of your own, I think that that influence is naturally greater than one(s) of pervious generations. But it can be a good and healthy thing to know something about your family's past, it may reveal some interesting things about you. That is what happened to me.

Much of my heritage is Native American, from tribes mostly in Texas. The names in my family (on both sides) are Spanish. This came from the 'missionaries' from Spain who sought to 'Christianize' the natives. Part of the Spanish 'programs' at their missions would be to rename the natives, therefore eliminating part of their culture and distinction. They were renamed Spanish names.

Case in point: a grandfather on my mother's side, many generations back was a Tankawa Indian, part of the Karankawa Tribe. Our family has uncovered records from a Spanish mission in San Antonio that indicate his residence there. His 'Christian' name is Eusabio R. Garcia. Along with new names, the Spanish gave the Native Americans jobs and occuptions to hold within the mission. Most would require training, etc. for their respective jobs. Unless the person had a special talent or gift in a certain area, especially the men, they were given laborous tasks.

My great-great-grandfather's name and occupation is listed in those mission records. But unlike many of his commrades who harvested fields, the mission records list his occupation as simply: musician.

to be continued...

OVER THE HEDGE

This is absolutely one of my favorite animated films. It's hilarious. Steve Carell does a great job playing Hammy the squirrel.

MID-AFTERNOON RAMBLING: PEZ

I like PEZ. Or rather, I like PEZ Dispensers. They're really need. This is one I picked up today; it's Hammy the squirrel from the greatest of animated films Over the Hedge.

I used to have a PEZ Dispenser of Charlie Brown, Batman, and Wonder Woman. These darn Dispensers always have need stuff on top.

Now I'm not like some kind of crazy PEZ manic, but this particular PEZ Dispenser makes me quite happy. Yay.

PONDERING REALITY

When the Columbus's ships arrived in the New World, what they thought were the West Indies, they brought three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Three ships that really existed, or did they?

The Native Americans (Indians, the explorers' minds) did not see the ships. It wasn't until the Shaman stared for a long time into the sea that the ships appeared right in front of his eyes. Before, he had only noticed the ripples in the waters, but he did not know what caused them. He had to stare into the water to realize the ships were right in front of him.

His fellow tribesmen didn't not believe him at first because they could not see the ships either when the Shaman tried to show them what he'd seen. They only heeded his warning because they trusted him. And sure enough Columbus and his men came ashore.

Why did the Native Americans not see the ships, even though they were right in front of their eyes? Many scientists think it's because they had no frame of reference into which to put the ships, something they'd never before seen. Because they could not concieve of a ship like those of Columbus's fleet, they were visually blinded and did not see them.

This raises some interesting questions for us. What realities exist beyond our conprehension and therefore, beyond our visual acuity? And if we have an open mind enough for look for things out of the ordinary and use some imagination, will we be awakened to other realities? Or am I just crazy?

Only a portion of our brains are used in a way we can consider 'conscious.' True we use all of our brains, but not in a way in which we are fully aware. Take, for example, intuition. How are we aware of things that we 'feel.' There are others levels of existence and reality that we don't grasp or understand. Check into quantum physics if you're interested and want a big headache.

But what about all this? Do our perceptions determine reality? How can a ship that is right in front of you no register on a visiually functional palate? Just wondering...

EYES ON THE PRIZE

OK, so I've begun my senior year here at Baylor University. I've loaded up on classes and will graduate in August, as opposed to like a year and a half from now as I was fearing. So, I'll be able to start grad school in the fall. Yay.

It's funny because all that matters now is that really, really expensive piece of paper on my wall this time next year that says I'm educated. I am taking the classes I need to graduate and only the classes I need to graduate. My motivation for taking a class for reasons of pure enjoyment is long gone.

I've got one really cool class though, taught by Dr. Charles H. Talbert (aka: The Beast of a Scholar), it's the Parables in Matthew. But things have just been nuts this week, I should settle into my schedule and get back to blogging regularly these next couple of days.

I've got some topics I've been working on and mulling over. I'd like to get yall's imput.

-JC

Sic 'em BEARS!!!

*SCREAMS*

Doh!!! What are they thinking??!!

CLICK HERE to read this news article, and then come back and comment if you so desire.

JESUS COOKS BURGERS

Meet Ken and Janette Orr (sorry there's no pic). Ken and Janette love Jesus. Ken and Janette love people.

Ken and Janette joined our family at Western Heights several years back.

But when I look at Ken and Janette, I don't see two grandparents, I see Jesus. Now Ken will be the first to say, "I aint' perfect."

Janette will then add, "Yep, he ain't perfect."

But Ken and Janette are merciful, they are pure in heart, they hunger and thirst for righteousness, they love people. Ken and Janette try to be more like Jesus everyday - I know this because everytime I see them, I see more and more of the face of Christ.

When I look at the Orrs, I really do see Jesus. I see who Jesus is and how much he loves people.

They cooked us hamburgers tonight. Wow. Amazing. Probably the best burgers I've ever eaten. But the best thing about it was that they loved cooking them for us. Ken and Janette love to serve people and they despise any credit for it; they are humble.

It just astounds me how we can see a literal-in-the-flesh Jesus through the actions and love of His followers. And this is what I'm supposed to be showing as well.

THE FUTURE

Well school's about to start. It's my senior year here at Baylor. Afterwards, I'm doing grad school - either M.Div. or M.A. in Religion. That's the plan anyways.

We'll see what God has instore. It's been the most amazing blessing to go to such a great school. I've have honestly grown more spiritually, emotionally, and mentally in past four years than I grew in my formative years + high school, combined.

God is good to His children. He wants to bless them. We just don't always want to accept His blessings, because they come on His terms, not ours.

Just remember next time you need God, really bad - He's there - just make sure you're in His will and not simply your own. I've learned that, many, many times.

Dio Ti Ama - God loves you (in Italian)

QUESTIONS

What is the greatest strength of the Church in today's world?

What is the greatest weakness of the Church in today's world?

I MISS COLLEGE MARCHING BAND

CLICK HERE to hear this.

PLEASE STAY HOME, MR. PRESIDENT

Dear Mr. President,

I live not far from you in Waco, TX. As I'm sure you're aware, Crawford is just outside of Waco, about a 10 minute drive (although you probably make it from our airport in 5 b/c of that snazzy copter of yours).

Anyways, I'm asking you to stay in Crawford for at least a few days - long enough for me to get some sleep. You see, Marine One has flown over my house at least eleventy billion times today, and it has a tendency to fly quite low. Also, the National Guard are constantly doing fly overs, clearing airspace and the like.

I know you've got many meetings and all that jazz to attend to, but this constant coming and going makes my house shake everytime you've got to be somewhere. It's got to stop, Mr. President. It's starting to affect my REM.

If you need any other advice Mr. President, I'd be happy to give it to you - all you have to do is ask.

Yours truly,
Jonathan Cruz

P.S. About all those protestors over here... well, they annoy us too.

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

(HT: CMS)

Imagine if you could create the church you wanted, any way you wanted.

Put together a worship service exactly the way YOU want: hymns, no hymns, drums, no drums. Are you from Wisconsin? Start Polka Mass! Start a building campaign, ask for donations. Be the next Joel Osteen!

More information can be found HERE and HERE.

SOME LIKE IT HOT

KEEPING WACO WACKO

Waco really is a fun place to live, especially in college. But one thing about Waco is that we have random 'icons' in our skies. Allow me to explain...

Over the Douthit Auto Sales center, there are random flamingos and alligators - no one knows why.

Just over Valley Mills Drive at Franklin, there is a tower with a guy on a Port-O-John atop of it. At night the inside, showing him on the toilet, lights up. AWKWARD!!!!

So, Waco is a fun place with our Port-O-Johns and all. Next time your in town, look for other things that make us wacko, 'cause believe me - you'll find some.

THE CENTER OF GOD'S WILL

I was in a meeting yesterday afternoon, when one of our secretaries walked in and said, "We've locked the doors [to the church office], we've received a threat on the telephone. Don't let anybody in."

Our church has recently lost several staff members, including our pastor. We're going through some rough times. We have problems that continue to manifest themselves on a daily basis. It's funny, but when I surrendered to the ministry, I really didn't understand that it could be so hard.

My dad pastored several churches during my growing-up days. And I remember the problems that he dealt with. I also remember one particular Wednesday night at a certain church that he had enough and resigned on the spot and left and never went back.

So I've understood that working at a church is not always a walk in the park. But I have also asked myself: Why?

Why do I work in a place where God is worshipped and we are receiving threats? Why don't certain people just stop hating each other so that we can worship the one God who made us all? Why don't people love their ministers instead of trying to find fault with anything and everything that we do?

As it turns out, the threat doesn't appear to be a dangerous one. But the idea that a church must lock its doors as a safety precaution is frankly quite disturbing. So the questions of 'why' plagued me.

And then I realized that Satan doesn't attack the People of God when they are far from Him. Satan attacks God's children when they are doing His work and are at the center of His will. Satan has no desire to go after those who are far from God and make their lives difficult. But if he picks on those who are doing right in the sight of God, then maybe they just might give in.

This is why we go through these difficult times - not because we're not where God wants us, but because we ARE where He wants us.

And because of this, we (I) should take joy when times get tough, because that just confirms that Satan is on the offensive because we are right where God wants us.

Amen and amen.

ANGELS & DEMONS

I got a call from a good friend of mine at 1am yesterday morning. She whispered into the phone that someone was wanting to get into her house. He rang the doorbell emphatically and was talking with another man on the outside of the door.

My friend and her roomate-for-the-night called the police but they had not come, so she called me. I threw on some clothes and drove to her house - about a 3 minute drive from my place. My friend had just moved into the house on Monday, but Wednesday night was her first night to sleep there. She's rooming with other girls, but they were not there that night, so she had another friend sleeping over so she wouldn't be alone. I drove over there with my Maglite torch and a whole lot of prayer.

The men had left by the time I got there. We waited for the police to come. When they arrived, they gave a lesson on street-smarts and safety. Mr. Policeman suggested that maybe the people that had come assumed that a previous tenant still lived there.

So, today I helped my friend cover some windows and move some things around, checked locks, etc. Before I arrived, however, she had asked the people working on the house about its history. Apparently the house was previously used as somewhat of a brothel (that's not the work they used to describe it). And the red front door means that "services" are offered. Now, it's completely remodeled and everything, but this still creeps both her and myself out. So we covered some more windows and the door is no longer red.

Simply moving is not a option financially at the moment, but she doesn't know what do to. She was first happy to get that place with all of her roomates. Young people in college are too broke to simply change living situations because of something like this. So we prayed together.

All that to ask you... do you think that demons and spirits can inhabit a place? As an Protestant evangelical (whatever that means) I tend to downplay anything spiritual but the Holy Ghost. But I know that Satan is a real spirit and he does have his angels, as does God. So what do you think? I'm not talking about hauntings, but rather: Can spirits of evil reside in places after the people who brought them in have left?

We prayed for the house and for the people in it now and before. I ask that you please pray for my friend to have some peace.

FUNNY MOVIE PARODIES

I've always loved the Muppets. Enjoy.

AN UNORTHODOX ORTHODOXY

I've been working on a book over the past year or so called Pardon Me, Your Heresy is Showing. I think that we as a Church hold some very 'orthodox' (meaning 'right belief') beliefs that are not very Biblical ones. We hold certain beliefs that are accepted by many Christians, but are not biblical at all. So, I'm preaching and teaching an unorthodox orthodoxy.

One of these beliefs involves Heaven and Hell. Christians have been taught to believe that when we die, we will go to either Heaven or Hell. This is not what the early Church believed or taught, and this is not what is reflected in the Bible. This idea was given sanction by a Papal Bull in 1336.

The apostolic tradition actually holds to the idea of an interim state - a state in the hereafter, but before the resurrection of the dead at the Second Coming. It is only after the resurrection that a Heaven and a Hell will be created.

So where do we go when we die, since the resurrecion has not yet occured? The Bible talks about two places where the departed from this earth go: Paradise (Lk 16.22, Rev. 6.9) and Hades. Paradise has no darkness because the presence of God is there. Those who believe in Jesus' Gospel will be in Paradise when we die (Lk. 23.43) - awaiting entry into the yet-to-be-created eternal Heaven of God.

Hades is the underworld where there is gloom and darkness. It is consistent with the Old Testament idea of Sheol. This is where people go when they die - everyone in the Hebrew tradition, non-Christians in the Apostalic tradition. But Hades is not Hell. Hell is not only a place of seperation from God, but also a place of eternal torment - the firey lake. Jesus used the metaphor of Gehenna to refer to Hell. Gehenna was the refuse outside of Jerusalem were the city burned it's trash. Jesus used the images of this fire to show the torment of Hell.

The Heaven as many Christians now know it, as a state of perfection and newness, will be created at the resurrection. This is what is refered to as the new heaven-earth in Revelation. The Hell as we know it is not Hades, but a furture place of punishment. Both the new-haven and hell are future realities. The near hereafter are Paradise or Hades. Those in Paradise await entry into Heaven and those in Hades await entry into Hell (upon their respective creations) at the time of the resurrection.

While this concept is not taught in many modern Christian traditions, it is a very Biblical one. The Bible does mention four distinct places: Paradise, Hades, Heaven and Hell. The Biblical idea of an interim state (the time before the resurrection) when we die is one that should again be preached. Because I didn't know about it either.

THE NECESSITY OF A GOD

We all need a god; there's just something inside of us that makes us want to have someone or something guiding us.

Partly, I think this is because gods give us purpose. Having gods gives are lives meaning and definition.

So, have we invented a god? Have Christians invented a god that matches our ideals, our values, our beliefs? It's a claim I've heard often from many Atheists: Christians simply have invented a god because we - as humans - have this desire to have god(s). And it makes sense for the most part. While others cling onto things such as money, popularity, and significant others, Christians have invented a god of their own to fill this gap.

I would never deny that we need a god. I would never deny that YHWH (the Christian - and Jewish God) fills this whole in our lives. However, I'm not so sure that the Christian God is an ideal one in the human mind to fill the gap of a god.

One thing we must remember about gods is that we want them on our terms. With regard to money, we see it as something we deserve (by virtue of our labor or inheritance). These are terms bestowed on this god by us. This is why money is such a popular god - because we feel we can control it, or at least set it's level of power in our lives. And this is also the reason we have so many problems when we make things our gods that depend on others. Making a lover our god is not possible on our terms alone, neither is popularity. We must depend on the terms of others as well in these situations. This is why these gods never work out.

Because our inclination is to desire gods on our terms, the Christian god is not an ideal one. YHWH demands worship from his servants, in good times and bad. Jesus demands us to be merciful and peacemakers. These are not our terms, these are His. And this is why so many of us Christians are not the people He has called us to be - because we are still demanding we make YHWH god on our terms. The Christian God is not a god that ideally fits our values or beliefs either. This is why the Sermon on the Mount is so bizzare; it runs counter to things even our 'good nature' tells us to do. And this is why Jesus was executed. He does not fit our ideals, but instead commands us to conform to His.

But more importantly, just because YHWH can fill the need for a god in our lives, does it make him one of our own inventing? No, I don't believe so. If I were to invent a god, I certainly wouldn't invent someone who demands complete control over my life. Just because we fill our lives with a God (YHWH), it doesn't negate his reality. True, we do have an innate desire to worship something. But that doesn't mean that what we worship must be of our design, although for many people it is.

A god is necessary for us to live as humans. It's natural, it's innate. Our lives would feel incomplete without worship. So, we worship the sand castles we make with our hands. But it is still never enough. Because we can only experience TRUE worship, when we have a TRUE God. And only then do we find that the necessity of a god is a real one, that can actually be filled by a real GOD.

RADIO INTERVIEW TONIGHT

I'm supposed to be interviewed on air tonight at 89.9Fm in Waco. I'm going to be in the studio at about 8:00pm, I don't know what time the interview will take place, so tune in if you're in the Waco area. I'd mucho appreciate it.

I also wrote and recorded a new song, and yes it's a love song. It'll be on MySpace stortly.

Again the number to the radio station is 254-772-1900. THANKS SO MUCH for all yalls support!

-JC

LET'S GET CAMPY: PART 2

OK, so I just spent the past three days in the wilderness outside of New Brunsfels, TX. We were there to tube and have fun. I chose to do the latter. And not on purpose. The first day, I went swimming in the Guadalupe River and slipped off a rock on bottom, and the rock caught my big toe nail (STOP READING IF YOU'RE SQUIMISH) and bent it backward all the way. It hurts to write this. I promptly bent it back forward in the right direction, and after much grumbling of the word, "curses!!!" put some antiboitic and got on with life with a toe wrapped in gauze.

Our time on the river was made more lively when the girls, who were in the cabin between the two guys' cabins, heard some footsteps and running around outside. We were in our cabin having a shin-dig, and the other guys' cabin was fast asleep. We don't condone or encourage pranks of any kind. So, the girls knew it wasn't the guys. So when they could reach me or Marc (who was in the other cabin), they called 911.

Completely oblivious to the whole situation, I heard a pounding on our door and voice yell, "SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT! OPEN UP!!" Earlier we had heard someone running around outside, and they even knocked on our door twice. But each time, they only knocked once. And I figured if who ever it was really wanted us, they'd knock twice. So, I just ignored it. But this time it was the Sheriff.

I opened the door, and he asked to see whoever was in charge. When I told him I was one of the youth pastors, he told me what happened about the girls calling 911 and them hearing people stomping on their porch. So I got Marc and we check the bus, etc. for vandalism. All was well.

But when I went back to the cabin, the guys I was staying with asked what happened. When I told them, they became frightened. So three teen-aged guys slept in one twin sized bed that night. And the night was only allowed to be off about 2 hours that night.

It was quite fun. I just bathed. YAY!!! Now that I'm back to civilization, I'm going to go eat something fried.

$38.16

That's what the soccer mom in front of me payed for a video game for the 11ish-year-old kid at her side. She slid her credit card through the slot, signed the pad, and went on with the rest of her life.

I have nothing against soccer moms (who drive SUV's and have 2.5 kids). But I do have something against a culture that is so consumer oriented that it takes more than a day's pay (@ minimum wage) to buy a game that will be played for the next two weeks, until a new one comes out.

Now, I don't know the people in front of me, and this description may not apply to them, but it applied to me a few years ago. As Christians, where are our resources devoted?

At Compassion International (see add on my sidebar), it costs $32.00/mo. to pay for the education and training of a child in a third-world country. Yes, this is cheaper than a new video game.

But see, Christians in America been taught to believe that what we work for is our own, and the money we make is ours to do with what we please. But there is a problem with this. Since we are not our own, the fruits of our labor are not either.

What if every member of the Church in America stopped buying video games, television sets, movie tickets, DVD's, and (yes, I'll say it) CD's for a month? Not as a boycott, but to dedicate those monies to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Imagine how the world would change.

Just think about it.

RADIO DEBUT TONIGHT

Call in with comments (to the same phone number) afterwards, it'll ensure future airplay. Thanks so much for all yalls support.

-JC

FOOT WASHING

When I think of the disciples I most relate to, for some reason, I usually think of Judas. I think Judas has been labelled as some kind of Satan-possessed traitor who sold Jesus out because he (Judas) was evil. In reality, I think Judas was human.

And I think Jesus recognized this.

Let's go back to John 13. Here, we have Jesus washing the feet of disciples. He washed every one of his disciples' feet, and Judas was among them (cf. John 13.10-11).

So, why did Jesus wash Judas feet? Footwashing was a sign of humility. In a Jewish home, not even the Jewish slaves were allowed to wash feet. The task was so degrading, it was left to the gentile slaves. Jesus took a humiliating poston a himself to serve others.

Jesus humbled himself to even the one who would betray him, the one who would chicken out at the last moment and serve his own interests.

If Jesus humbled himself to Judas to wash his feet, we should do the same. We should humble ourselves to serve even those who hurt us, because that's what Jesus did in John 13.

As I said earlier, sometimes I relate best to Judas because it seems to me that I although I mess it up eveytime, Jesus still takes a servant approach towards me and offers me undeserved forgiveness.

So, be a servant to those who betray you and turn their backs on you. Jesus did it for Judas, and he did it for you.

MORE PRIORITIES

OK, so I got a call yesterday from the local radio station whose network (or whatever) is going to play my music. It'll be on Saturday sometime between 7-10pm; exact time I don't know yet.

But anyways, they actually called me to see about me performing a concert thingy. OK, I mean I had people tell me that I'd probably do concerts and stuff, but this is something I really did not expect. I generally don't like playing in front of audiences. I mean ensemble stuff was good, but I had 50-200 other people playing with me at the same time. I could burry my sound in that of the rest. But anyways, I'm excited ( I've worked my way up to this), but still scared.

Besides scared of performances, I'm a little worried that my music will once again take priority over my reason: God. This happenned to a large degree earlier in my life. It was when I realized this, that I completely gave my music over to God. If He wanted to do something with it, then it was He who was going to make it happen. And then a few years latter, this.

So, what I do is God's and God's alone. It I ever BEGIN to forget that, someone please remind me!!!!!

Anyways, the music will be on 89.9FM KBDE radio, part of American Family Radio network, on Saturday night. Song request line is (254) 772-1900.

GETTING PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

(HT:FT)


This picture is of an American flag, a Texas flag, and a Christian flag - and not in that order. As resident aliens, this is how I see we should line up our priorities: God before all else.

RESIDENT ALIEN THEOLOGY

I am a baptist (small 'b'), with anabaptist tendencies. The foundations of many of my beliefs are from what I call, Resident Alien Theology.

This theology holds that as resident aliens in a foreign land (this world), Christians' relationships with Christ are still foremost and our actions are guided by HIS commands alone, the demands of this world notwithstanding.

"Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from sinful desires which war against your souls." - 1 Peter 2:11

Paul tells the Church at Philipi that his citizenship is in Heaven, as opposed to the Roman Empire (a citizenship that carried clout in Rome).

But because we belong to God and God alone, we have a different calling from a world who does not know Jesus. We are to follow the commands of Christ alone, because we have nothing here on this earth to hold onto (cf. Matthew 5:3). Jesus said himself, that his kingdom is not of this world. So why are we so worried about the stuff in this world, instead of the souls in it?

As a resident alien, my actions are guided by Christ, not by what a temporary world throws at me (I'm still working on this one actually). I do not see war and peace in a political manner, but rather as a spiritual one and an eternal one.

War does not in anyway help a situation. If you win in, I helps you. If you loose it, it helps the other guy. But it has never helped a situation. Wars only lead to more wars, and more deaths.

Because of this, there is no political purpose of a temporary world that I can see that would justify a Christian taking another person's life. When we weigh what is eternal (souls) and what is not (politics), how can we even begin to justfy what I see as breaking a command of Christ? However, I also make a big distinction on the call of Christians and the ideals of a secular nation-state. I understand the need for a nation to protect itself. I understand that war maybe the only alternative for a nation to ensure its survival. But we are not called to ensure the survival of a secular nation state. We are called be Christ followers, at any and all cost. I understand a nation's need to strike back at terrorists, per se, but I cannot justify a CHRISTIAN doing so. Christians serve God, who calls us to peace. Our calling from God takes precedence, over a calling from a nation we are only making our temporary home. We are resident aliens after all.

Christians should NEVER advocate for war. Whether you are a pacifist, or you see war as a last resort, Christians should never be the ones pulling for people to go to war. Christians in America are confusing Americanism with Christianity. We pursue wealth and prosperity, while trying to follow a man called Jesus who says "if you want to follow me, give everything you have to the poor and come." And it just doesn't work. We pursue money, popularity, ideals like freedom, and YAHWEH. And it doesn't work. That's the problem John is addressing in Revelation. The churches of the Roman Empire are assimilating into the pagan culture, because it's just too hard to make it by being faithful to Christ alone.

I am obligated to obey the commands of my Lord, and when they include turning the other cheek and offering mercy, I must do that - despite how bad or hard this temporary world makes it. I must turn my left cheek if I'm hit on the right one, end of story. I can not judge any situation or war differently from another (for political or Just War reasons), I am called to make peace and offer mercy. (period) This is what I'm commanded to do.

I also make a big distinction between dying for and killing for. I would die to protect those I love, but I would not kill to do so. I am called to nonviolence, and that's all I can do.


So, basically put, Resident Alien Theology holds that because I do not belong to this world, but rather to Jesus, I am supposed to follow ONLY him. Therefore, his commands take priority. I cannot judge or weigh them (for practicality, etc.) against a world I cannot claim. They simply are, and so must I be.

MUSIC POSTED

Finished recording at 4:30am this morning. This is the song slated for radio airplay.

Click HERE to listen. And spread the word about the Invisible Children.

A CHRISTIAN'S CALL FOR NONVIOLENCE

Christians calling for nonviolence among each other, and encouraging nonviolence among others has become practically nonexistent in the United States. Christians in America have been the first to encourage defense over pacifism, and because of that more wars have broken out.

I realize, as I have said before, that countries have the right to defend themselves. I just believe that Christians' callings are those of peace. Yet, it is Conservative-Christians here in America that have advocated to Israel's defense of herself via attacking Beruit. My Republican upbringing notwithstanding, I do not see how Israel's actions have worked to solve this problem or bring peace

Lebanon is equally at fault, if not moreso because it was Lebanon's Hezbola that started this incident. But that does not justify or excuse the actions of Israel as methods that will bring about peace. In fact, the Peace Process has been declared dead.

So, why are Christians in a "go-bomb-'em" attitude about this situation? I can't think of a reason that coincides with the Bible in any way, shape, or form. But I have an idea: many Conservative-Christians believe that Israel is God's people and land. And therefore, anything Israel does has this kind of divine stamp of approval on it. (Even if Israel is making the situation worse by its response). It's funny, when we're in school and we get in a fight, usually the one who HIT BACK gets into more trouble than the one who threw the first blow. Why? Because it wasn't a fight until the second party joined in. Much is the same with the current situation in the Middle East. Yes, it was bad, but was made worse when it became a fight, when a second party joined in.

But sorry, back to Israel. Conservative Christians still see Israel as God's chosen people, which has been the current line of theology since the mid-20th Century. It has been popularized by end-times fiction and dispensational theology, which holds that God as two plans: one for Christians and one for Israel (but not necessarily in that order).

So, if Israel is God's chosen people, then what they do must have the stamp or approval of God.

I do not agree with this. Christians are the new chosen people of God (according to my Bible). And we are called to be people of peace - people who work to make peace, not just love it.

The appropriate Christian stance is to work to end violence and bring about peace, not encourage people to go to war, bombing and killing each other. This is how a dark world thinks is the way to peace. God has a different one, and it was displayed when Jesus when to the cross.

SWEET ANTICIPATION

IN THE "STUDIO"

OK, so I'm trying to get everything in and recording for my radio debut thingy coming up here soon. I'm playing with loops and stuff in the music.

The song I'm cutting right now is called "Why" - it's about the Invisible Children in Uganda, trying to get the word out on what's going on there. Click HERE and be sure to tell people about what's going on and encourage them to get involved. Word of mouth is one of our most powerful tools.

I'll be on AFR in the evenings within a few weeks, I'm guessing - so call in to your local station and request the song - not for me, but to help get out the word on the Invisible Children. Let's be loud AGAIN.

But this whole recording thing is really a pain. You have to record with this "ticker" in your ear - a metronome that's steadier and more predictable than the new Superman movie.

But it's all good. The picture above was actually my Halloween costume; I didn't get my monk robe in on time so I wore this (don't ask).

I'll keep yall posted on exactly when we'll get airplay.

-JC

SERMON IN PROGRESS

OK, so I've been asked by the comittee selecting the preachers for the next several Sundays, until the Interim Pastor arrives, to begin writing a sermon. So, I've read through several passages, and one that continues to nag me is Isaiah 58:9b-14.

The Book of Isaiah can be broken up into three parts, according to the time of their writing. First Isaiah (Ch. 1-39) was written during the Assyrian control of Israel, Second Isaiah (Ch. 40-55) was written during the Babylonian control of Israel, and Third Isaiah (Ch. 56-66) was written during the Persian control of Israel. (I believe that) The Book of Isaiah, as we know it, was compiled from writings out of these three periods during the Persian reign (ca. 525-515BCE).

The Persians were encouraging the Israelites to rebuild the temple and resume temple worship, because whatever revenues were brought into the temple under Persian law, belonged to the emperor. The upper classes and the social elite were strongly encouraged to support the rebuilding of the temple.

The author of Isaiah complied the Book to show that God is against the rebuilding of the temple. Because it is not out of glory for the LORD that these actions are being undertaken, but rather out of selfishness. The Israelite elite were treated well by Cyrus and the Persians, and their supporting of the rebuilding would further assure this continued treatment.

God is saying that rebuilding the temple out of desire of the Persians for the monies incurred, not only is wrong, but it also oppresses the underclasses of the Israelites, who must pay the temple tax to worship.

So, why do we build our temple? Is it a place truly devoted to God? Or is it so that we can have plenty of money in the bank? Are we part of a temple that oppresses people, because we are building a temple for monetary reasons, as opposed to a temple that truly worships God? If we are in this for power, control, or to horde money, then we are no different from the Israelites of the Persian era. And God does NOT want our temple built any further!!!!

I can't help but read this passage and think that this is what I need to preach on.

This is by no means the whole sermon, just the thought-lines of one.

Your thoughts...

NINJAS OF THE CARIBBEAN

While I think there's some prejudice on the part of the Ninjas against Pirates that influences this movie review - I still think it's hilarious.

PRESENT TENSE

We preach about Jesus. I have taught that Jesus was a man who lived, who was God, who payed with his life to forgive our sins, who came back to life because he loved us.

I was wrong. And now I realize I must now preach it correctly.

Jesus is a man who lives, who is God, who pays with his life to forgive our sins, who comes to life because he is alive, and he is just as real and alive today as he was 2000 years ago.

I must preach and live in the present tense, because Jesus does.

GOD'S LIVING WORD

I learned something this week: God's Word is living and can impact spirits in a mighty, awesome way.

The Holy Bible really is the Word of God, and it is powerful because it is endowed by God.

As a Bible academic, sometimes I tend to forget this. While I do not believe that the Bible is a facsimile written by God in Heaven and send down to us via the USPS, sometimes in this I forget that the Word of God is alive.

I get so caught up in what the author is trying to address, and how the text came to us as we now know it. I realize it is a book written by humans, and that it is a record of peoples' journies with God. But in that I sometimes forget about the unexplainable power of the Holy Bible.

Those of you intrested in Biblical scholarship, it is awesome, but never let it take away from the spiritual power of the scriptures. Because they truly are the LIVING, BREATHING words of God. And they have a specific message for us - that God wants us to hear.

AN ENCOUNTER

"When we have an encounter God, we never walk away the same."

This past week has been an encounter with God. Tonight was a culmination of being on a mountain top conversing with God.

Moses met God on Mt. Sinai. He communed with God; He intimately knew God. And God gave him a message to take back to his people. God did the same thing with our youth group tonight. We went up to the mountain and communed with God. We had an encounter. And our youth group came back with a message for our church.

Marc brought it home tonight with his sermon (Nice going bro!). We were reminded that we are called to be the People of God, the Church, the Body of Christ - not a social club, not a group of people that fight for power or control, not a group to just fellowship. We are called to worship the God of the universe! And it is a privelage.

Rustin, GREAT JOB! with your comment about God not getting from us what Jesus paid for.

And tonight, our church worshipped, truly worshipped God! And people walked away happy. Because when we truly encounter God, we never walk away the same.

HELD CAPTIVE

I have a week's worth of thoughts to unload on you all... so bear with me. I spent the past week at Youth Camp with my students.

And God met us there.

The speaker was James Darby and the praise & worship was led by the Justin Cofield Band. The theme for this week was CAPTIVE - out of the text of Jeremiah 24.

In this text, God affirms that those who are his people are the ones that are going through hard times. And those who are ridiculing those going through hard times are not the people of God, instead they are arrogant.

The idea of CAPTIVE was first applied to this text as the priests and other leaders taken to Babylon after their invasion of Israel in 597BCE. Revelation 13.10 also reflects this sentiment that God's people are often to stuggle through hard times, but these times are trials we will endure. Further, those who endure the trials are the ones God is making stronger.

This idea was novel in contrast to the traditional Hebrew idea of punishment through captivity. But there and in many other prophetic books including Isaiah, captivity is God's way of strengthening, not just correcting.

Those held captive by the Chaldeans (in Jer. 24) were about to endure some of the hardest times imaginable, it would cost the very lives they'd known. But God wasn't through. In about 60 years, these people would be restored to their homes following the Persian overthrow of Babylon.

God is good to his people. He loves us. He captures us. And through our earthly captivity of hardships and trials, if we allow God's love and plan to guide us, we find that it is His love and grace that indeed have captured and captivated us.

God arrested me this week. More to come.

SECURITY ALERT

The Cruz-Control has been attacked by spammers. The comments sections for past posts have been invaded by the bodysnatchers, actually by random people trying to get me and others to hit their websites.

So, my current solution, as I can find no other, would be to turn on the Word Verification feature under comments.

In other words, you'd have to type in a few letters in an extra box to post a comment. However, I will only do this if yall will continue to comment on posts. If turning this feature on will jepordize comments being posted, I guess I'll just live with the spam.

However, it would be great to tackle this bug once and for all. So, let me know if you'll stop commenting if you have to go through the trouble of typing in a few extra letters.

thanks
-JC

CELEBRATING FREEDOM

I went to Celebrate Freedom '06 yesterday at the Southfork Ranch in Dallas. There were well over 200, 000 crazy Texan Christians there. It was a blast. I heard great music and we all worshipped God, led by Chris Tomlin.

Here is a picture of me with a giant Chick-fil-a cow at the Chick-fil-a tent. (Enjoy!)

I am grateful for my freedom to worship YHWH, the God all things. I am grateful for freedom to worship in hundreds of thousands without being being stalked like a hunted deer by soldiers or emperors. But I am grateful God, and to God alone. I see myself as a member of the body of Christ in a long history of Christians, whose blood was bartered for politics and fears.

God has blessed me with the opportunity to worship Him. And I am grateful for my circumstances. But I thank God for this blessing. He could just as easily change things; so I thank Him for what He's provided to this Christian in a long line of little-Christs.

Remember to thank God for the freedoms we enjoy, not as Americans - but as Christians.

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so


Sometimes, it's great to be reminded that the most basic truths are still the most profound ones.

SOFT ROCKIN' ON THE AIR?

I love writing music. It's how I unwind, ponder, question, and muse. I didn't imagine or dream of anything outside of playing for those I love in an upstairs room of a church or a coffe house. I sang this morning at my church, here in Waco. My song was about where God is in the suffering of people throughout the world, especially the children in Northern Uganda. I didn't try to answer the question, but pose it.

I plugged Invisible Children before singing, just to get the message out - the children were my reason for singing this morning. So, I plugged in my Yamaha, and let it go.

My voice was scratchy; I've had sinus problems since Thursday. I don't much care for my voice in the first place. While it's gotten better, I still don't think it sounds all that good. My singing voice has been known in the past to scare puppies and small children.

But I sang. And after the service I was approached by a good friend of mine. She works as a radio DJ and her bosslady person was also there in the service this morning. Somehow (only God it could have been) I was asked if I would be interested in having my music played on air at KBDE. The people that make those descisions are aparently the ones who made this decision. Aparently they like my music, and they really will play my stuff on the air if I get them recordings. The station is part of the American Family Radio Network, and it's a local branch, but apprently have some influence/control with other stations. It would be played in the evenings, and then eventually thoughout the day on several stations throughout the country, as I understand it.

Honestly, this scares the mess out of me! I'm confortable with the Common Grounds (you Waco folk know what I'm talking about) arenas. I like small intimate atmospheres. I'm guess just not really confortable with large audiences - of course I've never had experience with really large audiences before to get used to the idea. But oh well, God doesn't call us to comfort, right? He calls us to make his glory, name, and grace known to everyone we come into contact with.

And if this is a way to make God known and praised, then it's worth a leap of faith. It just kinda weird, different, and cool at all the same time. (Sort of like AskaNinja.com)

It's really hard for any idie artist to get airplay on any radio stations, even local ones - let alone regional or national stations. Indie CD's that are delivered to stations are usually filed in the trash can upon arrival. I'll walk through this door (although my foot is shaking as I write this), but I'll need some prayer. This really was not the direction I thought God (actually I) wanted my music to take. But still, here I am - with this opportunity.

I think I'm just expecting to wake up with my Snoopy alarm going off and the whole 'it's a dream' thing to set in. I'll keep yall posted on what goes down. I'd appreciate your prayers as well.

-JC

PRAYERS ANSWERED: PART 2

This weekend, I attended a Youth Evangelism Conference in Dallas. It was exactly what I needed. God showed me not only the reward of being a youth pastor, but also he provided encouragement. God knows our strengths and our weaknesses and he used both to further his kingdom.

Saturday morning, the speakers talked about the importance of youth pastors. I felt so frustrated last weekend. But God used this conference to renew my energy and show my a little more of why he brought me here. My mission is not completed. God has brought me to this point in my life (as he will other points throughout my life) so that HE alone can be glorified.

God is bigger and any one person, or any many persons. God is bigger than anything I can hope for, dream for, or imagine up. God is God, and I am not.

I just needed to be reminded of that.

PRAYERS ANSWERED

God answered my prayer/song I posted in the previous post in a huge, awesome way this weekend. More details to come.

BROKEN

I wrote this song tonight. I've tried to upload a rough recording to MySpace or Tagworld, but I have been unsuccessful. Here are the lyrics:

It’s only You I follow
It’s only You I need
If I tell myself that enough
Would I finally believe it?

It’s only You I long for
It’s only You I crave
Cause You’re my only master
My God, my everything

It’s only You

Life me up out of this place
Let me see You’re smiling face
My cup is empty
And my well’s run dry
Though I’ve followed You in everything
Seen Your footprints right beside of me
Won’t You pick me up and mend me now
There’s only You

It’s only You I cling to
It’s only You I need
Though my world may fall around me
Still You’re my only thing

There’s only You
It’s only You

Can't Think of a Good Title

We've had a busy past couple of days. Went to a Texas Rangers game last night. We had a blast - it was a church-wide thing with folks from all ages, so it was pretty neat. The Rangers played the San Diego Padres. They lost by a point (6-5), but oh well, we had a blast.

Today we began our summer service project with our youth group. After we finished that, we went to the theater to watch Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (not worthy enough to attach a link to). It was an experience. I actually loved the first Ice Age, it's one of my favorite animated movies, but this one, well, let's just say that I spent two hours of my life I will never get back. It's really made for children; while the first was appealing to people of all ages. But we did have fun at the theater! (You always do with youth groups)!

Please continue to pray for Western Heights Baptist Church, I think God is starting to work some great things, but this transition time will be tough. Pray that we allow God to do His will on His timetable.

Thanks for prayin'
- cruz-control


P.S. the quote at the top is from a King of the Hill episode; I just couldn't get it out of my head.

FEAR OF HELL & 18-WHEELERS

I was saved when I was 6 - as saved as a six-year-old could be. I didn't understand all the theologies, the trinity, etc. (I'm still not sure I do). But I knew I loved Jesus because Jesus loved me enough to take my punishment for me being a bad boy. I was saved and I knew I loved Jesus. Over the next several years, I grew to understand better what Jesus had done for me and what being saved meant.

Then, I went to a youth conference in San Antonio, TX. The speaker was Ken Freeman. The conference began with a Praise & Worship band. All was well; then Ken got up to speak. "Do you know that when you die you will go to Hell!!!" he shouted. "...if you're not sure of your salvation!!!!" he continued. What??? I was trying to process everything he was saying. Hell had always been a real, literal concept to me. But that had nothing to do with the reason of my salvation. I chose Jesus because Jesus love me - I thought. I wasn't saved to get out of Hell. But now that he mentioned it, I sure didn't want to end up in Hell. And if I'm not sure of my 'salvation,' I could go to Hell?? Well, then.

"If you walk out of here tonight and get hit by an 18-wheeler," he shouted as he pointed to the exit not far from where I was, "you will go to Hell, unless you're sure you're saved by Jesus. And if you go to Hell, you will burn forever in fire you can't ever escape from!"

I freaked. There's no other way to put it. I was overwhelmed by a fear of Hell and 18-wheelers. I didn't know anymore whether or not Jesus had actually saved me. The idea of being 'sure' had never really crossed my mind - and now I'm told that my salvation is condition upon it. And at the same time I was kicking myself for doubting. I can still remember, "If you walk out of here tonight..." being shouted by a man with More Precious Than Silver playing on the keyboards. I walked out of the church afterwards with everyone else. But I wrestled with all this through the night until daybreak. I didn't know what to believe, or why. Inside, I began to have a new relationship with God - one centered around my getting out of hell instead of knowning my Creator.

That night in San Antonio was the first time I had ever left a church doubting my salvation.

SALVATION: PART 2

"If you had asked the apostle Paul, 'If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain that you would be with God in heaven?' I'm certain Paul would have said yes. But he probably would have given you a funny look and wondered why you were asking this question, because to him it missed the point."

- from Adventures in Missing the Point by Brian McLaren.


Y'all hit the nail on the head in your comments, last time. I'm just not sure what we consider salvation to be is what we present it as. More discussion to come.

THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE: PART 2

This morning our pastor resigned - one week to the day our Education Minister resigned. Please pray for the Western Heights Baptist Church in Waco, TX.

SALVATION: PART 1

When Christians say salvation, what does that mean to you?

Leave responses under 'comments.'
(Remember, you don't have to have a blogger ID to comment.)

Random Funny

The reason I need a new-to-me automobile:

These are the prices at a gas station in the Houston area. The couple that owns the station thought the sign was appropriate. (As do I.)


Quotes: Albert Einstein
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax"

"If one studies too zealously, one easily loses his pants."

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."

"So long as they don't get violent, I want to let everyone say what they wish, for I myself have always said exactly what pleased me."

"God doesn't play dice."

Einstein was amazing - many of his quotes even moreso and profound. CLICK HERE for more.

THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE

I don't like change. I guess it's part of who I am. I naturally have an aversion to doing things and having things different than before. Actually I tend to think of it as a human thing, as we all kinda feel this way (at least I hope so).

Anyways, our church is about to go through a transition, which will no doubt affect our entire family. I remember leaving several churches throughout my growing-up days; my dad pastored a number of churches and I can recall the last day we spent at each of them.

We are also looking for ways to revamp many things in our student ministry - change some stuff up and to make the ministry more effective. One of which can be seen HERE. But nonetheless change, even changes we want to make (like the new stuff for the youth ministry) doesn't come easy.

Please pray for the Western Heights Baptist Church in Waco, TX next time you talk to God. We'd really appreciate it.

Shotgun Rules

(According to Austin Family Magazine)
1. The first person who calls "shotgun" gets to ride in the front seat next to the window.

2. "Shotgun" must be spoken loudly enough to be heard by at least one witness.

3. A person may only call "shotgun" for one way of a trip.

4. "Shotgun" must be called while outside of the vehicle. (No arguments or calls inside the car).

5. The owner of the vehicle may make up his/her own rules for "shotgun" and is the final judge.

6. If a passenger in the "shotgun" seat leaves the car for a break, the break can not last more than five minutes or that passenger will lose the "shotgun" position. Long lines at the restroom are part of the five minutes.

7. Crossing any country's border changes the "shotgun" claims. So going into Mexico or Canada would change who owns "shotgun," but going into Oklahoma does not (go figure).

8. The "shotgun" passenger has responsibilities such as: pumping the gas, spotting speed zone signs for the driver, spotting radar on the side of the road and spotting law enforcement officers for the driver.

9. All ties for "shotgun" shall be decided by one round of "rock, paper, scissors."

10. To avoid arguments inside of the restaurant, all calls for "shotgun" must be made in full view of the vehicle by the passengers.

The full set of Official Rules & The Website of Shotgun can be found HERE.

CHECK 'EM OUT

Here are two great organizations dedicated to helping children around the world in Christ's name. Both are trustworthy. The first is called Invisible Children. They are dedicated to helping the children in Northern Uganda in the midst of the Sudan conflict. The second is Compassion International. It is a program that links up children with sponsors. For $32/mo a sponsor pays for a child's education, which includes God, and provides clothes and other necessities these children need.

Please pray for these organizations and help them out if you can. CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ACCESS WEBSITES

Insomnia

Any one know any cures for insomnia?

THIS WEEK AT FUEL: 6.11.06

Continuing our series through the Beatitudes, tonight we will talk about Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

Each beatitude is meant to be radical and life-changing. Purity is consistant throughout the Bible as a condition for looking upon the face of God. The Jewish temple was setup in levels of sorts, to keep all but the holiest priests from getting anywhere near the Holy of Holies.

The New Testament also urges us to be pure. Paul tells us to seek what is pure, admirable, lovely, and right (Phil. 4.8). Having true, pure honest hearts is not something that comes naturally to us. It requires us being single-minded for God alone.

It is also not something the world looks at favorably. Having pure hearts to the point that we place oursevles in danger of being used is not something that this world commends.

Purity of heart involves innocence and honesty because our hearts are "unmixed," whatever the cost may be. If you're in the Waco area, join us tonight at 5:30. We meet at 6301 Bosque Blvd, in Room 208. See you tonight.

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

I read two books about a year and a half ago, Resident Aliens and The Cost of Discipelship. They challenged eveything I believed and had been taught. When I went back to Matthew 5-7 and read it in a new light, many of my long held beliefs about Christianity, and Christianity in America changed.

One such belief had to do with Matthew 5:7. I always believed 'mercy' to mean forgiveness. And that's great to forgive people, but it actually goes further than that. Mercy is grace. Mercy is not only forgiveness but compassion as well. It is giving to those who do not deserve it. Much like Christ showed us mercy at the cross, he gave us something we did not deserve.

Growing up in conservative America, I often held to the notion that homeless people, for instance, were homeless because of the 'drunken' lifestyle they'd chosen. Then I worked at a homeless shelter for a week when I came to college. I got know guys like Ron who told me his story. I got to see the honest, hard working men who were just trying to get by. I stayed that the shelter that week - not in a hotel or church. And because of that, I learned something about the face of God: he is merciful, and we are called to be merciful too.

Justice is not a Christian concept; it is an American one. Justice demands fairness. The score is settled; the wrongs avenged.
But Jesus teaches his followers to be merciful. Give what is undeserved to those we are taught are undeserving. Christians are not to demand justice; they are to offer grace.

True, justice is in the Bible, especially in the OT. But the OT is a Jewish work, justice is a large component of their beliefs. The very nature of sacrifices is to fulfill justice; to atone for wrongdoings. But Jesus strengthened the demands of the OT in the Sermon on the Mount. Instead of fulfilling the demands of justice, we are to go further and offer grace.

Every time the word justice is mentioned in the NT, it refers to Jesus as diety. God alone is to exact justice, because it's no longer our perogative; it is God's alone. As followers of Christ, we are to offer grace, as we were offered grace.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. We are to offer grace, not justice. Justice demands fairness. But grace demands love.

THE FACE OF LOVE

The Face of Love is not a pretty one. It is covered with scares and bruises, from repeated blows it did not strike back from.

It is not adorned by the latest fashions, because it gave clothes to those who had none.

The Face of Love is pale from growing hungry, because it gave others its food.

The Face of Love is strong, its eyes are scary - displaying strength unimaginable. Its smile is mysterious.

The Face of Love is gorry. Blood flows down from it, from an execution it did not deserve. It forgives and shows compassion, but it is not a pretty one as we like to think. It is the face of Christ.

TO BE HONEST

I don't often talk much about myself. But I've noticed that I've wanted to hear more about who the people are that I offen correspond with via the blogs. So, I'm practicing what I'm preaching. Here's some stuff about me and who I am. (If this bores you, CLICK HERE).

First off, I am the person you see. My online life is not any different from my regular life, except for the fact that I live in the real world and not on a blog, so you don't see all of who I am. But I am not a different person online than I am in real life. I am still the same mildly-humorous (at least I try to be) nerd who aspires to be a soft rock star. =-)

But seriously, I am the same person you would talk to in real life. I don't pretend like I'm someone else online. I like talking about God, music (anything but rap), and the Loch Ness Monster. I am not dating anyone as of now, I haven't in quite some time actually (hence, all the time I have to blog). I write music - mostly songs, but the Music Composition school here at Baylor requires symphonies and the like - so I write those as well. I actually was able to write one love song, with a friend. I took us hours trying to chisel out a lyric that's romantic (for 2 guys this is a tough chore). But I haven't got to sing it to anyone yet, a girl that is, because they usually run off before I can start. (jk)

But that's OK, I'm comfortable where I'm at in life right now. God's plans are best, I really shouldn't interfere.

My favorite places to eat include: Chick-fila and Backyard Burgers. I work at a church, but I seriously have the best job in the world. I'm a youth pastor. So, my job includes a lot of chillin' with high school students.

I really like old movies, like Black & White stuff. Tonight was a double feature on my TiVo, I saw 12 Angry Men and Strangers on a Train (an excellent Hitchcock picture). Reeses and Dr. Pepper rock my face off. I don't care much for video games. Favorite NFL team is the Tennessee Titans. And of course, with respect to college ball - Baylor Bears have my loyalty.

And as far as personality, let's just say that I'm a musician. That usually has a bad connoation, but I don't mean it to. I'm just introspective and 'artsy.' Large numbers in any form scare me. I guess I can just say I think alot, about life, people, meaning, and God.

This is who I am. I am really the person who writes this blog - I don't assume some kind of fake persona. This actually bothers me when people do that actually - I mean, what's the point? I've noticed a lot of MySpaces that have quite some disturbing things on them from people I know well in real life. Why I ask them about it, they just say, "It just online, everyone knows that's not who I am." Really??? Could've fooled me. So, I just want to reassure you that I am honest on this blog (and hopefully let you know a little more about myself)... and I hope you are honest too.

If You're Late to the Party...

So in case you haven't visted in the Cruz-Control in a while, or didn't feel like reading these posts when I wrote them, here are all the entries I wrote about the "End Times" and the Book of Revelation. Read them at your leisure. Feel free to print them out and go through each post with your Bible. I've tried to be as concise as possible, yet pithy at the same time. It would probably be most effective, if you read them in this order. If you have any questions at all feel free to comment or e-mail me.

THE NATURE OF PROPHECY
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 1
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 2
REVELATION 13: ANTICHRIST
666 & THE MARK OF THE BEAST

Church Sign Fun

Here are some signs churches have posted on their marques that I thought are worth a chuckle or ten. The first one is very similar to one at a church here in Waco after a Hooter's opened earlier this year. Hope you enjoy.

666 & THE MARK OF THE BEAST

Many people assume that the number 666 is a literal mark of the beast. However a close reading of Revelation 13 shows us something quite different.

First, we must remember that we are reading an apocalyptic work - its numbers are symbolic, as is nearly everything else. 7 = perfection. 6 = imperfection. The number 6 three times (666) means Ultimate Imperfection in the apocalyptic tradition. The beast is imperfect to the ultimate degree; this would jive with John's view that Roman Imperial Power (specifically, the Emperor) was antichrist.

However, Revelation is full of double-entendres. John writes symbolically in the apocalyptic tradition, but he also means for his audience to draw a person's name from the numbers (Rev. 13.18). People have tried to match 666 with different people throughout history, including tapping Ronald Reagan as the Antichrist. However, to understand what John wanted his audience to understand, we again have to turn to the ancient traditions.

Letters in greek and hebrew are also numbers. While 666 doesn't come out to much in greek, in hebrew 666 spells the name Neron Kaisar (Nero Caesar). Drop the "n" at the end of "Neron" to spell "Nero," and you get the number 616 - which is a popular replacement for 666 in ancient manuscripts for Revelation 13.18 (check the footnote in your Bible to see). Some argue that John was writing in greek and therefore to make the switch to hebrew is ludicrous. However, John seems to have a keen interest in Hebrew words for things throughout Revelation (for example 9.11, 16.16). Also some of his readers would have come from Jewish backgrounds, so this practice would not seem strange to them. John does, after all, say that it requires wisdom to calculate the number. "Wisdom," once again reveals yet another double-entendre: (1) one who can understand the calculation of the Beast's number/name, and (2) one who can discern who is antichrist (those who oppose God).

We must remember that we have two beasts: Roman Imperial Power (esp. the Emperor Nero) and The Roman Imperial Cult. The second beast forces worship of the first. Rev. 13.16 says that is causes all to be marked with the mark of the first beast (who is represented by 666).

However, the mark is not a literal mark. Is it a seal of ownership - much like God puts a seal on his people in Rev. 7.3, 9.4. (This is also reminicent of the seal God placed on Cain after he killed Abel - a seal of ownership and, therefore, protection). The greek word used for "mark" is charagma. Charagma is the technical term used for the imperial stamp on official documents and coins. Basically, this mark showed ownership. Placing a seal on the forehead or right hand made this ownership public (as with slaves). John is not talking about a literal mark; he simply means anything that makes this ownership public. Taking the mark of the beast is not a literal bio-implant computer chip; it is anything that publically shows to whom you belong (in this case: the Beast). Worshipping the Emperor as god, therefore, obviously is "taking the mark of the beast." It shows everyone that you belong to the Emperor (as opposed to God). John also writes that one cannot buy or sell without this mark. This was true. It would hurt Christians financially if they did not accept the "mark" by participating in Emperor worship.

The seal is not a literal one, but it is a real one. By accepting a role in Emperor Worship, a person would violate the first commandment of God. We need not worry about the government instituting a mark of 666 via bio-implants, barcodes or social security numbers. We need to worry about accepting the mark of the beast John talked about: displaying ownership of our lives by someone other than God, by worshipping someone (or something) other than God.


Also in this series:
REVELATION 13: ANTICHRIST
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 2
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 1
THE NATURE OF PROPHECY

REVELATION 13: ANTICHRIST

Modern theologians who subscribe to the theology set forth in the Left Behind novels, believe that there will be a Devil incarnate - a man who will be Satan in the flesh. In the Left Behind novels, his name is Nicolae Carpathia. To get this idea of a single Mr. Diabolical, a way of reading the Bible called Dispensationalism is necessary.

Dispensationalism divides history (and the Bible) into, what else?, dispensations. Basically put, this interpretation says that God has dealt with humanity in different ways, at different times. There are seven dispensations, but they are not chronological. Sometimes one dispensation is suspended while another begins and is picked up again later. Some of these dispensations include the Dispensation of Law, of Conscience, of Innocence, and of Government. This idea has never been supported by scholars or those who know how the Bible came into existence. It was invented by a man named James Darby in the 1800's. The rapture idea followed because it was impossible to see how God's people who had received grace to experience a time of tribulation, spoken of by Jesus and written about by Paul.

In order to fit the Bible into these dispensations, you have to string texts together that had nothing to do with one another originally. Because of this, the apocalypse in Daniel (ch. 7-12) and the Book of Revelation then can be read as a single work.

This is where modern theologians get their notions about the Antichrist - by stringing together texts in the Bible that orginally had nothing to do with one another. Drawing on references to Antiochus Epiphanes IV and the Beasts in Revelation 13 - one can sculpt a disturbing mold of a future Mr. Dictator. However, this is not supported by a reading of Revelation that takes into account it's historical or literary context. Each author of a Biblcal book wrote for a specific purpose to a specific group of people. The canon as we know it did not exist - the authors did not base their works on what we now know as the Christian canon, but on what they believed about Jesus and God.

John wrote to an audience that understood what he meant, and his writing of Revelation had importance in their eyes - after all, they preserved his letter. First, John writes about two beasts. The first beast is Roman Imperial Power, and specifically (I believe) Nero. This is made obvious by the 'mortal wound' comment in Rev. 13.3. It is in line with a Nero tradition that his death was a ploy to further persecute those who didn't support him. The second beast (v. 11), is the Emperor Cult, who would force worship of the first beast. The first is out of the water... the second is out of the earth. This is consistent with the water evoking thoughts of terror, and the earth meaning the place from which things come. The Emperors were elevated to "god" status by the cult, which forced worship of them from all.

The problem obviously presents itself for Christians, who are supposed to worship only God. This is the point of John's writing. Christians were being coerced into worshipping the Emperor, but John is telling them not to assimilate into Roman Imperial Culture. He knows that it will hurt them financially if they do not participate (v. 17), so many are compromising their faith and worshipping the Emperor. He is writing to discourage this.

Further, the Bible does talk about Antichrist, but there are many not one. Antichrist figures are also common in apocalyptic literature, especially preceding the eschaton. 1 John speaks of many, Matthew 24 speaks of many, there is not one Mr. Diabolical at the end of time, but many will precede the end. I do believe that John saw Roman Imperial Power as being endowed by Satan (v. 2), and that he saw Nero as Satan's pawn. But John did not limit the role of Antichrist to Nero, he simply pointed out that he was one of many.


Also in this series:
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 2
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 1
THE NATURE OF PROPHECY

Every Minister Has Felt This Way

CLICK HERE to read Los' entry on Ragamuffin Soul.

They're at it again...

Read this... CLICK HERE.

P.S. It's a pet-peeve of mine when someone calls the Book of Revelation the Book of Revelations. It's the Book of Revelation (singular). The NEWS people should doublecheck the title of the book.

Lock-Ins, Ice Cream Trucks, & Ninjas

This weekend we had our summer kick-off lock-in for our youth group. T'was uber-fun. Except for the fact that I got zero sleep last night. But we played sardines and Underground Church - two excellent games. And at the church, it's actually kinda spooky at night with all the lights out. There are a lot of rooms, crevices and closets to hide in - Yay!

So I got home about 9 am this morning. I showered, put on Phantom of the Opera on my computer and fell asleep... only to be awoken by an Ice Cream Truck playing Christmas Carols on its loudspeaker. Yes... Christmas Carols in June!!! It is now that I firmly believe that ICE CREAM TRUCKS ARE FROM HELL!!!! They drove by all afternoon tearing my body away from the sleep it craved. I left the lock-in quite inebriated from my lack of sleep. I finally slept until 6:45 this evening. Now I'm wide awake and it's all night time and stuff.

But to give you some enjoyment, SHLOG.COM pointed me in the direction of askaninja.com and the comic hilarity found there. I'm becoming surprisingly addicted. Here's two of my favorites, quite funny... enjoy:

THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 2

Because Revelation is Apocalyptic Literature, it uses the setting of the end times, the Shift of the Ages, to get it's point across. Therefore, Revelation's goal is to provide an antidote to Christians assimilating into the Roman Imperial Culture, mailnly emperor worship. It is not predicting a literal future, it simply uses the Shift of the Ages as a backdrop to remind Christians that one day, it will all end, and God will prevail. This is an essenatial component of most apocalyptic works. Also, Revelation is prophecy, which means it's goal is to tell forth God's truth, not foretell the future.

Revelation is ingeniously written. Bascially speaking, Revelation is broken up into Seven Letters to the Seven Churches of Asian Minor, and Seven Visions of the Shift of the Ages ("The End Times"). Each of the seven visions is a cycle that recaps the eschaton (the end). John uses recapitulation in each of these cycles. In other words, he tells of one Shift of the Ages, but in a different way each time, each with a different focus. The first group of three visions focuses on a tribulation experienced by Christians before the end, a common belief in Apocalyptic writings. The second group of three visions focuses on the impending judgment on Rome because of idolatry and it's role in persecution of Christians. The seventh cycle, is a picture of the consummation of all things.

Here's how it breaks down:

1:1-8 Letter introduction
1:9-3:22 Call of the prophet, and SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

4:1-22:5 SEVEN VISIONS OF THE SHIFT OF THE AGES
4:1-8:1 CYCLE ONE: The Seven Seals
8:2-11:18 CYCLE TWO: The Seven Trumpets
11:19-13:18 CYCLE THREE: The Role of Rome (in the suffering of Christians)
14:1-20 CYCLE FOUR: Seven Angels of Judgment
15:1-16:21 CYCLE FIVE: Seven Bowls of Wrath
17:1-19:5 CYCLE SIX: The Results of Rome's Role (in the suffering of Christians)
19:6-22:5 CYCLE SEVEN: Seven Scenes of the Consummation

22:6-21 Epilogue


All seven cycles begin with an opening scene in heaven (4:1-5:14, 8:2-6, 11:19, 14:1-5, 15:1-16:1, 17:1-2, 19:6-10), a common element in apocalyptic writings. The seven cycles also have many other common elements, both among each other and apocalyptic writings as a whole.

Revelation cannot be read chronologically because John is describing one event from different angles. John uses the Shift of the Ages to get his point accross that one day God will destroy Rome and will prevail - therefore, there is no need to succomb to the demands of Emperor worship.

The author of Revelation relies on extra-Biblcial works for symbols and themes, and when read in context of other apocalyptic literature, Revelation makes sense. John wrote to an audience that understood his patterns and meanings.

To buy the book The Apocalypse by Charles H. Talbert - an excellent book that breaks down all this and explains it futher, CLICK HERE.


Also in this series:
THE BOOK OF REVELATION: PART 1
THE NATURE OF PROPHECY