A Good Idea

Humans are Born of a Sinful Nature?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:08:00 -0700

When our super-great ancestors, Adam and Eve, sinned for the first time the world became tainted. Many people believe in something called “origin sin,” which states that humans are born with a sinful nature. But is that true? Are we born sinful?

Ephesians 2:1-3 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

People use this scripture to back up the fact that we are all born sinful. The reason for this is that Paul says that “by nature” we were sinful and deserving of God’s wrath. However, there are two main definitions of the word “nature” that apply here. The first defines how a person is involuntarily, because of his birth. The second is used to describe how a person’s characteristics, or their voluntary choices separate from birth. Paul is obviously using the word “nature” in the latter sense. This is made clear by observing that, in context, he does not have his eyes set on how these people were born. Rather, he sees how they have chosen to act, and therefore that their nature is sinful.

To say that this verse teaches origin sin is a perversion of doctrine, for Paul himself says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” and that God made man upright, but that they “sought out many schemes.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29) If from birth, people were broken, then how can they fall? They cannot have already fallen. Furthermore, Genesis 1:26-27 states that God makes us in His image. If you say that we are created sinful, what are you saying about God? Your beliefs would not coincide with the Bible, for James 1:17 says that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” And children are, indeed, a gift from above.
A good and perfect one.

Praise be to God that when these baby’s grow and learn how to behave from their sinful environment, they can cling to Jesus and will become a new creation!

2 Corinthians 6:2-10

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:58:53 -0600

“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

(via pikechronicle)

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:30:43 -0600

(via pikechronicle)

I Am - Nichole Nordeman

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:44:00 -0600

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn’t always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed.
You watched my team win, and watched my team lose
Watches when my bicycle went down again.

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call you by name
And I said Elbow Healer, Super Hero, come if you can.
You said, I am.

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew’s at 10 pm?
You saw my mistakes and watched my heart break
Hears when I said I’d never love again

When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call you by name
And I said Heartache Healer, Secret keeper, be my best Friend
You said, I am.

You saw my wear white by pale candle light
I said ‘forever’ to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is at 2 am.

When I am weak, unable to speak still I will call you by name
Oh, Shepard, Savior, Pasture Maker, Hold on to my hand.
You say, I am.

The winds of change and circumstance
Blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that’s familiar.
And bless the moments that we feel you nearer.

When life had begun, I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne.
Who can say when, but they’ll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak
Still I will call you by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and End
I am. I am.

————-

A girl sang this song in church and it made me cry! haha XD Seriously, I love it ^^

Words of Life

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:50:00 -0600

The tongue is a powerful thing, as we are taught in James 3:7-8 where it says, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

We use our tongue to do terrible things. We use it to blame God for our problems and break His commandments. We use it to discourage people. We use it to tell mean or sarcastic jokes.¹ We use it for slander and deceit, to lie and to judge, to boast - the list goes on.

So what does the Bible say about how to use our tongues?

1. It says that we will live long and prosper, so to speak, if we keep it from evil² It also says that it is wiser to hold our tongue rather than speaking many words, yet if we are righteous the words that we do speak will be wise.³
2. The Bible clearly outlines in Proverbs 6:16-17 and 15:4 that our tongues should not utter lies. (For those who would argue that white lies are okay, a white lie is still a lie.) It teaches that “a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit”. That alone should make you want to stay away from lying, but in case it doesn’t, the author of Proverbs also notes that there are seven things that are detestable to the Lord, and one of these things is lying!
3. “Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ ”⁴ (Jeremiah 23:31) In this verse, God is dealing with the issue of false prophets claiming their dreams and such are the oracles of God. If God hates lies, then He’s clearly even more opposed to lies that pertain to Him!

Proverbs 18:21 teaches us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” So which will you choose? To speak life to people by encouraging them in Christ, or to send them to their grave with your words?

——————————————
¹ However, even good jokes when taken too far can end up hurting people, even if one doesn’t notice that’s the reason why they’re hurt. “Humor so sharp you don’t even know you’re bleeding.”
² Psalm 34:12-13 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”
³ Proverbs 10:19 and Psalm 37:30
⁴The Hebrew word for “declares” in the phrase “the Lord declares” is used only in the Hebrew language to communicate something that comes straight from God Himself. This is the only verse in the entire Bible that uses the Hebrew term with someone other than God.

"Victorious is that person who knows how to make stepping stones out of stumbling stones"

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:26:28 -0600

“Victorious is that person who knows how to make stepping stones out of stumbling stones”

- John Maxwell

pikechronicle: Pollination fascinates me, especially with my...

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:27:51 -0600

pikechronicle:

Pollination fascinates me, especially with my experience in the garden center. Also, the roses were especially beautiful today!

pikechronicle: Robin update 3: there are now 2 eggs! We moved...

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:55:43 -0600

pikechronicle:

Robin update 3: there are now 2 eggs! We moved the nest into trees today; I hope no other animal finds them! Go robin go!

pikechronicle: Remember that nest from the other day? The robin...

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:11:12 -0600

pikechronicle:

Remember that nest from the other day? The robin layed an egg!

Mark and Matthew's Bedtime Story

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:15:16 -0600

Tonight I told Matthew and Mark a bedtime story. They really enjoyed it, so here it is =P

“Once upon a time there were two boys, Matthias and Markias. They were walking through a forest when they found out about a mystery monster! All over the place there were people and dinosaurs and animal friends hurt!
‘What happened to you guys?’ Matthias asked. The reply was that a monster was hurting them, but no one knew what it looked like! The only trail it left behind was a trail of poop.
Matthias and Markias gave their friends medicine and helped heal their wounds, then followed the trail of poop, hoping to find and defeat the monster. They followed it for a very long time, and came to a stop when they left the forest and walked into a huge field. And in the middle of the field was a big, black monster sleeping!
Matthias and Markias ran towards the monster but when they got closer they fell to the ground laughing! It wasn’t a monster after all. It was a big pile of poop!
While the two of them were still laughing about it, the pile of poop got up and roared! The mystery monster was a poop monster! They screamed and were scared, but then had a good idea. Markias turned to Matthias and said, ‘Toilets lead to the lake! Lets make him follow us to the lake!’
They ran away from the monster and on the outside they looked afraid, but on the inside they were brave warriors. They ran for miles and miles and finally got to the lake. The jumped in a started swimming. Sure enough, the poop monster followed them in yelling, ‘FEE, FYE, FOE, FUM! I COME FROM A GIANT BUM!’ He ran into the lake and realized that the two boys had defeated him, good poop monster police came and took him to their underwater jail (where it smelled really bad) and locked that mean monster up for good!”

pikechronicle: This poor bird built his/her nest in the...

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:02:10 -0600

pikechronicle:

This poor bird built his/her nest in the portulaca. I really hope no one buys it!

pikechronicle: I picked these for my Holly.

Sun, 31 May 2009 22:42:44 -0600

pikechronicle:

I picked these for my Holly.

Dating Myself - Poetri

Sun, 31 May 2009 11:46:09 -0600

Everywhere I go, I see cute people with ugly people
And I can’t help but to ask myself, “what does she see in that guy?”
Inner beauty? Well I have a whole lot of that.
I see these happy couples and I used to think, “what do I have to do to get a girl like that?”
And then that evolved into, “what do I have to do to get a girl?”
Now I’m exhausted from thinking
Fatigued from trying to convince myself that I’m worthy of another being
Tired of looking but not really looking so it doesn’t appear that I’m desperate
Weary of being afraid to tell someone that I’m interested
In fear that they will avoid me
Consumed from being alone
No longer will I be at the mercy of women to like me
No longer will I try to look my best for women that don’t know that I’m in love with them
No, all that is finished. Finito. Complete-o, no more-o
From now on, I’m dating myself
I mean I’ve already talked to myself so I know my conversations will be good
I’ve always said I wanted to be with someone that’s just like me
Well, there’s no one more like me than me
It’s not like I’m dating my cousin or nothing
I looked it up. There’s nothing in the law books that say a man can’t date himself
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before
I amaze myself sometimes
I laugh and joke with myself on a lonely day
Praying hard for better days
Now we can get through the rough times together
No one to impress but myself
I mean I’ll probably still play games with myself
Cry to myself, lie to myself ‘cause I hate to hurt myself’s feelings
I’ll only be looking out for myself though
But you know how women are
Once they see you with someone, all sudden, now they wanna get with ya
All sudden I’m that cute guy that is dating someone now
Well I assure you I’m not doing this to make other women jealous
I am completely happy with myself
I like myself. I think I’m attractive.
Plan to be with myself ‘til the very end
Or until someone better comes along

YC Alberta 2009: Live it Loud

Thu, 28 May 2009 11:10:00 -0600

I’m sure that most of the people reading my blog right now know that I am totally obsessed with YC. I never want it to end, and when it does I immediately look forward to next year’s!

YC is a Christian youth conference run by Extreme Dream Ministries where “our denominational differences are set aside as we become one in Christ”¹. The conference lasts three days and even though the event started back in 1994 with 500 people, Extreme Dream now ministers to approximately 16,000 young people annually! This year the event preached that if we want to follow Christ, we need to start “living it loud” so that our relationship with our Saviour can expand.

So how exactly does one “live it loud” in our society? How do we pull away from everything our society tells us to be and live how Christ wants us to live? Though there are many answers to this question, the main sessions focused more on understanding grace and forgiveness properly so that we can allow God to transform us, as well as overcoming lustful desires. Side sessions focused on how to spread the gospel efficiently, overcoming issues with self esteem and self mutilation, and getting away from things in our culture that are against what God teaches us in His word.²

So now that you know about YC Alberta 2009 and it’s main focus, I can introduce to you the day of Friday, May 22 2009!

After a spectacular display of fireworks and break dancers (A.K.A. the YC kick-off), the David Crowder Band walked on stage in front of their grand audience. This would come as no shock to those who do not know what YC is all about. They would probably tell you how Rexall Place, the home of YC Alberta, was created for the soul purpose of entertainment (eg. hockey, concerts, etc). But the David Crowder Band was not on stage for a concert appearance but to lead worship. As prayer and praise songs erupted from 16,000 mouths, Rexall Place lost it’s reputation as a building dedicated to entertainment and became a church.

¹ Taken from the YC Alberta website in the “About YC” section
² I did not attend any of the side sessions, so I won’t be talking about them in my blog. I’ve heard that they were really good though!

A Story About Two Men on a Bridge

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:22:05 -0600

I was walking across a bridge recently. I spied this guy who looked
like he was ready to jump off. So, I thought I’d try to stall him
until the authorities showed up (or at least until I had time to put
film in my camera).

“Don’t jump!” I said.

“Why not?” he said. “Nobody loves me.”

“God loves you,” I said. “You believe in God, don’t you?”

“Yes, I believe in God,” he said.

“Good,” I said. “Are you Christian or Jewish?”

“Christian,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “Protestant or Catholic?”

“Protestant,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “What kind of Protestant?”

“Baptist,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “Independent Baptist or Southern Baptist?”

“Independent Baptist,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “New Evangelical/Moderate Independent Baptist or
Conservative Independent Baptist?”

“Conservative Independent Baptist,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist or
Lose-Your-Salvation Arminian Conservative Independent Baptist?”

“Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist,” he said.

“Me, too!” I said. “Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic
Conservative Independent Baptist OR Historical Premillennial
Calvinistic Conservative Independent Baptist?”

“Dispensational Premillennial Calvinistic Conservative Independent
Baptist,” he said.

“Auugghh!!! You heretic!” I said. And I pushed him over.

PS --

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:59:58 -0600

So I can’t find my book “YOU!” so that’s why I can’t write about it. Hence there’s only day one, and it’s obviously been more than one day. Sorry to say, but my mom probably ate it* and I think it may take a while to find!

With that said, YC Alberta 2009 - Live it Loud is tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday! So I’ll be writting blogs about that on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Stay tuned!

Steve Dared Me!

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:42:13 -0600

Steve Dared Me!:

Steve and Steve have a dare you for! Why don’t you go check it out :P

Up Until Now

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:47:00 -0600

Hello!

Welcome to Holly’s new blog. Hollyannabar got old and kinda pointless. Everything before this post are things from my old blog that I wanted to keep, and so I re-blogged them. Everything after and including this post is new. My blog will now be more God-focused, but still with some non-God stuff (like the quote you may have seen about sqirrals).

I got the idea for this blog from the book I’m reading: YOU! God’s Brand-New Idea.

Thanks for reading and all that jazz. *thumbs up*

— Holly Kwasek

YOU! God's Brand-New Idea

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:37:17 -0600

hollyannabar:

I’ve been blessed recently through this book and would like to bring this blessing to you! I’ll post what I read every day (or at least try to), and we’ll see if it gets your gears going.

Day One: Made in God’s Image

Then God Said, “Let Us make man in Our image.”
—Genesis 1:26

“Imagine God’s creativity. Of all we don’t know about the creation, there is one thing we do know — he did it with a smile. He must’ve had a blast. Painting the stripes on the zebra, hanging the stars in the sky, putting the gold in the sunset. What creativity! Stretching the neck of the giraffe, putting the flutter in the mockingbird’s wings, planting the giggle in the hyena.

What a time he had. Like a whistling carpenter in his workshop, he loved every bit. He poured himself into the work. So intent was his creativity that he took a day off at the end of the week just to rest.

And then, as a finale to a brilliant performance, he made man. With his typical creative flair, he began with a useless mound of dirt and ended up with an invaluable species called a human. A human who had the unique honor to bear the stamp, ‘In this Image.’”

When I read this it really brought to light how much thought God put into His creation. Not just us - but everything. Some people say, “God breathes out stars.” They say this to emphasise how easy it is for Him to create even the most marvelous things - mountains, sunsets, stars, galaxies.

Just as easily as we exhale, God creates. However, while it was easy for God to create everything on this world and around it, when we hear so many times, “God breathes out stars,” we may begin to forget the complexity of God’s creating. Breathing: inhaling and exhaling; an involuntary action. Involuntary: not subject to the control of one’s will. When people say that God breathes out stars, it makes it sound so easy for God - and so thoughtless.

We must take a look at how God did not just thoughtlessly manufacture us (or breathe us out), and I think Max Lucado did an excellent job at that. God put so much thought into all that he made. For example, He probably thought of me and you while he was creating the earth. He probably thought, “I’m going to take this dirt and shape it into a beautiful being. Then I’ll take one of his bones, and turn it into another beautiful being. Male and female, they will be in Our image. The two shall be one with each other and with Us. And they will bring these wonderful people into the world:…” And I’ll bet He thought of every person that would ever come into existance, right then. He thought of what they would be like; if they would be funny, or smart, or intreverted or not. What they would be like if they chose Him, what they would be like if they didn’t. He thought of them. And loved them.

My Prayer

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:36:52 -0600

hollyannabar:

This is my prayer: that all I say, all I do, all I write, all I love, all I think, and all I want be a song of praise to my King.