The One Step Times

Student debt largest ever - Features - Technician - North Carolina State University

2011-07-06T12:36:00.000-04:00

Student debt largest ever - Features - Technician - North Carolina State University

Trying my hand at a review: the BBC series Doctor Who

2009-02-21T12:41:00.009-05:00

Trying my hand at a review: the BBC series Doctor Who

“…So I’m going to go upstairs and blow it up…and I might well die in the process. But don’t worry about me, no. You go on…go on! Go have your lovely beans on toast. Don’t tell anyone about this because if you do you’ll get them killed. I’m the Doctor by the way. What’s your name?”

“Rose.”

“Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!”

So it goes with the Doctor, an alien by that simple name who travels the galaxies and universes in the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), his time machine disguised as a ‘50s police box that is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. The last of his race, the Time Lords, the Doctor finds human friends to carry on his world and universe saving escapades but always seems to end up alone.

Doctor Who is bigger in the UK than Lost ever has been in the United States—and for much longer too. The Doctor and some of his nemeses such as the Daleks, pepper shaker shaped ruthless creatures with their signature “Exterminate!” battle cry, are household names, engrained in the UK’s pop culture.

The sci-fi show started in the early 1960s in black and white and quickly caught on, lasting almost 30 years (the Doctor can regenerate when he is mortally wounded, allowing for new Doctors) before being canceled. While the saga continued in merchandise and other such memorabilia, the region eagerly awaited the day when Doctor Who would come back to its Saturday nights. The show was taken up again in 2005 with the 9th Doctor (now number 10) to the glee of Who fans.

The lonely Doctor and his human friends in the TARDIS encounter various crises with the likes of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other future figures we have yet to meet. The show has an entertaining blend of comedy, suspense, and tragedy—with great special effects.

However, being so much a part of pop culture has a reverse effect—the culture is also part of you. The godless culture of the UK most definitely shows through in the show. Random homosexual characters are not uncommon while religion and Christianity are often treated satirically.

In addition, a show about time travel in a culture dominated by minds such as Richard Dawkins inevitably leads to some interesting episodes. The script writer gets to imagine the beginning of the universe and its end—gets to dream about the potential of the human race and everything that it could become. All of this is obviously not from a Biblical standpoint.

However, apart from these flaws, the show gives plenty of food for thought for critical thinkers out there. The writers weave many interesting story lines and moral decisions into the script. In one disturbing episode, the Doctor meets the Satan and the Beast (imprisoned at the core of a planet that is anchored at the mouth of a black hole…), challenging everything that he has ever believed. A popular nemesis, the robot Cybermen, believe themselves perfected (they’ve eliminated emotions) and attempt to force “conversion” on humanity, “deleting” those who do not comply. In addition, the Doctor often has to make risky decisions that can affect the future or make decisions between one life and another.

As the viewer gets pulled by the decision along with the Doctor, the Christian can give an added dimension. He can look at the decision from our Great “Doctor” (i.e. Physician), Jesus Christ, through a Biblical lens (to a point since the destruction of alien races and parallel universes doesn’t come up often in the Bible). He can also raise the old question of whether there can be right and wrong in a naturalistic universe.

Despite obvious flaws, traveling with the Doctor is always an interesting experience filled with laughter and often sadness. The Doctor, his partners, and his enemies will very likely find fans among sci-fi fanatics and even casual viewers. In addition, those critical thinkers who enjoy analyzing what they watch will also be gratified as they encounter morality, the meaning and purpose of life, and other such questions from a naturalistic viewpoint.

A Lesson from George Street for Wall Street and Main Street

2009-02-21T12:30:00.005-05:00

I wrote this a couple of months ago. I think I got a bit wordy, but I hope you like it.

A Lesson from George Street for Wall Street and Main Street

In October, I got the enormous privilege of going out to the North Carolina State Fair and sharing the Gospel. I got to use the wordless book and share my faith with more people than I ever had in my life combined. Through this and a variety of other factors, I have been given a major burden for the lost in America. Our country needs Jesus and the souls of Americans have never been more important to me. I would like to provide some exhortation and encouragement about evangelism from “the man from George Street.”

Some years ago in London, England, at a Baptist church, a service was ending. As the pastor finished his sermon, a man raised his hand in the back and asked if he could tell his testimony. He said that he used to live in Sydney, Australia, and was visiting some relatives there just a few months before this time. He was walking down George Street (apparently main gathering place of the city) when “a strange little white haired man stepped out from a shop doorway, put a pamphlet in my hand and said: ‘Excuse me sir, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to heaven?’” He was bothered by this question all the way home from Sydney to London and was led to Christ by a pastor there. Everyone in the church applauded this great story.

A couple of weeks later, the pastor of that church was in Australia to do some meetings there. A woman came up to him after one of the meetings and asked for counseling. Wanting to establish her spiritual standing, he asked if she was saved. It turns out, she had a very similar testimony: meeting a little white haired man on George Street in Sydney and being greatly affected by the simple question, “If you die tonight are you going to heaven?”

Over the next three years of the pastor’s worldwide travels, the pastor heard several other stories of this little man. In England, at one event he found four pastors who had met the man around 30 years before on George Street and been saved. In the Caribbean, the pastor met three more who had come to Christ because of the same man and the same question. In Atlanta, he met a military chaplain who had been in the navy, stopped in Sydney, gotten drunk, gotten on the wrong bus, landed on George Street, came to Christ, and was now in charge of 1000 chaplains who were actively leading people to Christ. In India, he met a former Hindu who had been in Sydney and met the man and was now part of an organization that was seeing hundreds of thousands of people coming to Christ in India.

The pastor then went to Sydney himself and inquired of a little white haired man who used to hand out pamphlets on George Street and a pastor there gave him the man’s address. Mr. Jenner, the little white haired man, was now very frail. Mr. Jenner cried as he heard the stories of those who had come to know Christ through his ministry and were now being used of God (as later calculated, it was suspected that Mr. Jenner had directly or indirectly affected over 145,000 people for Christ).

Before Christ, our pastor was told, Mr. Jenner had led a horrible life. He was led to Christ by a superior while on an Australian warship and had purposed to God to tell 10 people every day of the good news of Christ. For 40 years, Mr. Jenner did this. He had never heard of one person coming to Christ before this day. Mr. Jenner died two weeks later (Smethurst).

As I have grown older and become more informed, I have taken notice of the moral state of America. The recent election even more has shown me the enormous severity of this state. America is a sinking ship morally. Christians are asleep and sinking with the ship. We are in a battle of ideas. Apologist Josh McDowell noted a study that said that “In 2002, 91 percent of our born again church kids said there is no absolute truth” (qtd en. Pounds). If we don’t wake up, we and the rest of the country will go down with the ship.

As the election was going on, I found myself convicted that I was caring more about how a person voted than what their eternal destiny was. Only Jesus can change America. Only Jesus can change people’s hearts and bring the country back to God.

What can we learn from the man on George Street? God used Mr. Jenner in a mighty way. All he did was go out on a street and ask 10 people a simple question every day. We are commanded to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. It is a commandment to spread the good news and it is our reasonable service. The point here is that we must do something, especially in this day and age.

Yes, it is nerve wracking. It must also be taken note of that many of us aren’t ready in season and out of season to give an answer for the hope within. However, we can and must start somewhere. It starts with prayer. Pray for the country. Pray for your city. Pray for your family and friends—and name them by name. We read that “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

As evangelistic babies, while learning to talk (pray), we can begin to crawl, then walk, then run. Continuing in prayer, we can start by telling our friends—or strangers if you are more comfortable. Mr. Jenner’s message wasn’t anything special, but it was used by God. If we don’t push our limits, we can’t grow. Going back to the baby analogy, if a baby doesn’t begin to do those things, something is wrong. It is the same with us.

Take heart, laborers. We can also be encouraged by Mr. Jenner. Isaiah 55:11 says that the word of God will not return void. Mr. Jenner told the Gospel for 40 years and never heard of any fruit from his labor until two weeks before his death. The rest of that verse says, “But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

If you are reading this, chances are that you are in America. Perhaps this is the generation that was placed here “for such a time as this.” The laborers are indeed few. The one thing we all can do is pray. Where has God placed you in your city or town? What could be your area of influence? God help us all to be as dedicated as the man from George Street. America needs Jesus now more than ever. If we simply obey Him, you never know what He will do.

Works Cited

Pounds, Wil. “Absolute Truth.” AbideinChrist.com. 2006. Abide in Christ. 10 November 2008 .

Smethurst, Dave. “The Man from George Street.” Itisbygrace2.com. 10 November 2008 .

The Importance of the Gospel: a Preview

2008-11-06T20:36:00.003-05:00

Take a few minutes to listen to this: http://itisbygrace2.com/themanfromgeorgestreet.html

Was that not awesome?! It moved me to tears. Be thinking about this as you await my next post. The Gospel was just as important before the election, but the election has definitely opened my eyes to the need for real "change." I hope you learn as much from it as me.

A Pilgrim at Peace

2008-10-31T13:03:00.003-04:00

Long time not see! It's been a couple of months since my last post! I haven't had much time. Well, the election has been weighing on my mind. This post is based on an article I wrote for Regenerated Magazine (link to side) that will be posted on November 10. Enjoy and I hope you are challenged as much as I have been.

A Pilgrim at Peace

Ok. I confess. I’m an addict. I am addicted to politics. Every day, I often do school until noon and then take my lunch break listening to Rush Limbaugh. After lunch, I finish my school in time to listen to Shawn Hannity and Mark Levin. My mind is dominated by politics—and the constant immersion in the mud pit that is Election 2008 has left me drowning.

I am constantly daydreaming about what I would say to that House Speaker, that presidential candidate, that party, or that Congress if I ever had the chance to give them a piece of my mind. The state of the union has not just been dominating my mind, however. It’s been weighing it down.

As a Christian, I fear the direction that the country is going—and not just in the paranoid, doomsday socialism/loss of freedom light. America is rapidly turning into a modern day manifestation of the Pilgrim’s Progress city Vanity Fair. No one need look farther than the political scene to see this. However, on the possibly more alarming ideological note, Christianity is rapidly losing favor in the eyes of the populous, some radicals in academia terming it “intellectual terrorism” (courtesy of a scientist interviewed in Ben Stein’s Expelled, in reference to teaching Christianity to children).

I am addicted—and there needs to be an intervention. I need—perhaps we all need—a change in perspective.

In the tribute to faith section of the epistle to the Hebrews, we read, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). How can we do that when so much in America is looking bad for the Christian? Two chapters before, we read that “the just shall live by faith” ( Hebrews 10:38).

By faith, Abraham left the great and prosperous America of his day and set out on a journey, not knowing where he was going, but trusting God (Hebrews 11:8). He confessed that he was but a stranger and pilgrim on the earth (11:13). Can we learn from his example? Certainly.

The times are truly dark. To me, the American dream hangs by a thread. All the freedoms that our Founding Fathers fought for—and we take for granted—are on a shifting and unsound foundation. I worry for my grandchildren. However, Abraham teaches us this: this world was not his home. Neither is it ours. Here are some things that we too often forget.

Firstly, as just said, this world is not our home. Abraham looked “for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). So should we. Abraham, as Paul in Philippians 3, recognized this and gave up all for God and Christ. Abraham even more, did not receive the promise in his lifetime.

Secondly, although I love this country and hate to see its downturn, we are commanded, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (I John 2:15). Abraham did not esteem his country over God’s and trusted God to fulfill his promise. America is temporary, not eternal. “The world is passing away” (I John 2:17).

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly: God is in control. We often forget that we are still blessed more than anyone ever has been in history—and everything we do have is a gift from God in the first place. No matter where we fear things are going, however, we read that God raises up leaders and brings them down (various passages). We read that all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28). We read that God will supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). Abraham, Paul, and all our “great cloud of witnesses” recognized this. So should we.

Don’t misunderstand. This by no means authorizes us to be Corinthian Christians: to quit our jobs and do nothing but wait for Jesus. We can love our country and care about it. We can stand up for what is right, as our responsibility is in being salt and light—aided greatly by the voice we have in a free country. We are also instructed to be preaching the Gospel and living and serving—not sitting or, in my case, sulking—for the glory of God.

Let none of us forget, however, that God is sovereign and everything is in His hands. Let none of us forget that America won’t last forever and that what happens to America has no bearing on eternity. Let us also not forget that we are looking forward to something much better.

This world is not our home. We are “just passing through.” Let it be said of us as it was said of Abraham and his family: “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16).

What the Olympics Have Overshadowed: Prayer and Praise for China's Christians

2008-08-07T18:08:00.018-04:00

Young and old around the world have gained lifelong memories from these Olympics as the events in Beijing draw to a close. China put on the most extravagant show in Olympic history at the opening ceremonies in the midst of an Olympic complex that is architecturally one of a kind. History has been made in Michael Phelps feat of eight gold medals, beating Mark Spitz's record. The Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has also captured the world's attention with his current three golds and three world records.

However, all of the Olympic flair has overshadowed the more sinister events that have been going on behind the scenes. Little is said now of the thousands who were forced from their homes to make way for Olympic complex. Other incidences that point to the same old communist China have also come to light even as the Olympics have begun. the faked fireworks and lip-syncing in the opening ceremonies and the alleged underage gold medal gymnastics team are just a couple of the examples.

China had to make several promises in order to gain the right to host the Olympics -- most if not all of which have not been kept. Thick smog still floats over the city, restrictions are in place on the press, and, more importantly, the human rights situation has not improved. [1]

Previously on the blog I posted my term paper on the persecution of Christians in China. This is a follow-up post detailing many of the problems that have been overlooked because of the Olympics. I would have posted before the Olympics, but I got lazy.

On August 6th, two days before the Olympics, President Bush addressed China from Thailand, condemning their human rights record and urging them to allow freedom in its country. [2] China, however, did not take kindly to his blunt remarks, diplomatically telling him to shut up and stating that "Chinese citizens have freedom of religion. These are indisputable facts." [3]

Many of China's Christians and various other groups in China would dispute this fact, and rightfully so. Bob Fu, a former prisoner for having church services at his house and now founder of the China Aid Association, testified of this on the national radio talk show with "Mancow" Muller. Every indication, he said, points to the fact that China is using the Olympics as a political show with Mr. Muller later pointing to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. Over two million people still live in the labor camps, Fu says. [4]

Despite attempted Chinese cover ups, the evidence does point to the fact that the situation has in fact worsened instead of improved. Bridget Johnson, journalistic blogger for About.com, noted that the IOC gave the Chinese a job, to organize "a secure Olympics." The way the Communist government defines and does things, they did exactly what they were told to do. Over the months leading up to these Olympics, we find numerous examples of this. [5]

According to Voice of the Martyrs, on July 2nd in Beijing, house church leader Hua Huiqi and his family were evicted from their apartment. The police broke down the door with a 10 pound hammer, beat Hua's brother who was there, and left the family, including Hua's 90-year-old father, on the street with their furniture. Although another Christian family took them in, VOTM reported that the authorities had considered detaining him until the end of September to keep him and other "troublemakers" (i.e., religious "activists") off the streets during the games. [6]

On July 4th, a pastor in the Shangdong province was sentenced to two years of Re-education Through Labor (the labor camps) for his extensive and God honoring ministry in a "cult." [6]

On August 6th, the day of President Bush's afore mentioned speech and a week after President Bush himself met with Bob Fu of the China Aid Association on the Tuesday prior and accepted one of the Voice of the Martyrs "Pray for China" prayer bands from him, the inspiration for those prayer bands was arrested in China. Pastor Zhang “Bike” Mingxuan was arrested while trying to deliver medicine to his ailing wife. His wife and another pastor were also arrested. Pastor "Bike" has driven over 10,000 miles on his bike preaching the gospel in 24 different provinces. China is opening an investigation on the prayer bands that were distributed in house churches in China. [6]

Underneath the extravaganza of the events and architectural wonders of the Olympics in Beijing, there lies dark truths. However, amid the hidden atrocities in Beijing (which includes several that haven't been mentioned here such as restrictions on Bible usage for Christian athletes), God has been at work. Read on to rejoice in a true miracle of God's grace and goodness.

In the first week of June, Operation Mobilization China, received an unexpected letter. The earthquake relief team that was started by a small group of believers a month earlier with the help the international Christian organization Operation Mobilization, received an official letter stamped by the Chinese government requesting them to build a temporary school in Meishan city for 420 middle school students. Praise God! [7]

They were excited, but they didn't know what to do. There was somewhat of a catch, you see. They had less than 30 days to raise an estimated $73,500, gather the materials, and complete the building. They decided to take the matter to the Lord. God confirmed to them that they were to trust him. As Lawrence Tong, one of the members of Operation Mobilization with the relief group there in China, said, "Unless the LORD intervenes, we are bound to fail." [7] They trusted the Lord, however, and what happened next could only be described as a miracle.

Mr. Tong wrote this in a July 3rd update of the relief work:

Praise God. Within a short two weeks 83% of the total building project fund was received from friends in the US, Singapore and a third came from the brothers and sisters in China. A contract was signed with the building materials supplier who gave us a 20%-discount despite rising prices (due to high demand and teir receiving many huge government contracts). Next, the LORD led us to a professional construction who volunteered to manage the entire project for us from beginning to end - FREE of charge! [7]

They started with nothing. No know-how in construction, no money--nothing but a simple permit from the government. "With God all things are possible." —Matthew 19:26 Construction began on July 1st -- one week before their deadline -- and everyone worked very hard. By the end of the first day, one of the classroom buildings was completed.

The rest of needed money came in because the Lord is good and the city officials took note of their work. Mr. Tong wrote, "As one official publicly acknowledged the 'good work from the Christians', he also mentioned that the Christians have come to defend the needy . . . in their distress. Little did he realize that he was quoting Scripture." [7]

What a miracle! Focusing on the Chinese government and how they do business, how they deceive the world, and how they persecute our brothers and sisters in Christ, can really get one down. I know it did me. However, just writing this article and reviewing this awesome story just shared, I am reminded to look at the world through God's eyes. God is in complete control! He cares about China and He is at work there in mighty ways! What a blessing to know that He has a plan. "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" ~Mark 9:24

Pray for those who are being persecuted and pray for those who actually made it to Beijing and passed out literature. Pray also for those who read the literature.

Bibliography
[1] http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/12/china-falls-short-on-olympic-promises-critics-say/
[2] http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5522893
[3] http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5530473
[4]http://chinaaid.org/2008/08/04/caa-president-bob-fu%e2%80%99s-interview-with-moody-broadcasting%e2%80%99s-prime-time-america/
[5] http://journalism.about.com/b/2007/06/30/china-doesnt-follow-through-on-olympic-vows.htm
[6] Various Voice of the Martyrs e-mail updates since the beginning of July.
[7] The mentioned earthquake relief update from Lawrence Tong.

The Creation Museum: The Truth About History

2008-07-17T19:22:00.020-04:00

It was 7:45 on Thursday morning July 10 when we left for our trip -- a 10 hour drive from Raleigh, North Carolina to Cincinnati, Ohio (technically Kentucky, but Cincinnati is a border city). You might say, "Wow! I bet that was boring." However, when you have 11 other people in the van with you, it isn't bad at all. As we drove through the mountains and up into West Virginia and Ohio, beautiful sights grabbed our attention -- but we had a much more important reason for driving 10 hours than to see the scenery. We were going to the Creation Museum -- and it was amazing. After we arrived in Cincinnati around 7:00 P.M. Thursday evening and got a good nights rest, we embarked on our educational adventure. We spent approximately nine hours there -- we stayed from the 10:00 opening until almost 7:00. Here are a few highlights of the museum.

A full recap of my trip can be found on my personal blog (link on side). There are pictures as well and more will be coming.

The Creation Museum: The Truth About History

Off on a rather obscure part of the wooded Kentucky landscape -- not far from the bustling hub of Cincinnati -- sit two dinosaurs on either side of a large gated entrance. Making one's way through the entrance soon reveals the reason behind this rather intriguing welcome: The Creation Museum. In Petersburg, Kentucky, the Christian apologetics group Answers in Genesis has created a masterpiece museum to portray the truth of history from the Biblical perspective.

A Brief History

Fraught with protest from every side, Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis finally realized their dream in May of 2007. After choosing Kentucky because of its relatively close proximity to two-thirds of America's population, the museum took seven years -- and $25 million dollars of private money -- to build after the imaginations of Ken Ham and so many others were finally put in concrete form. As Ham told a local radio show host, he wanted "something using
cutting-edge technology, something as good as what the secular world could do, so Christians could have something first class and professional that helps people understand that science actually confirms the Bible's history." [1]

On May 28, 2007, the museum was opened debt-free to more than 4,000 people on opening day. Not without protest, however,

Numerous protests were held involving the museum over the course of its construction. The media especially was harsh leading up to the opening, practically ridiculing the museum in many of its articles. Whether the protests were on site, in the media, or by other mediums (such as the banner that was flown overhead on opening day reading, "Defcon says, 'Thou shalt not lie.'"), Ken Ham and AiG never ceased to fight on for what they believed in. Even amidst the ridicule and the sound of honking horns from approving motorists of the protests outside, the truth won the day. [1]

Did Ken Ham accomplish his dream? Did it live up to the hype? Was it worth a 10 hour drive to see it? It most certainly was.

Highlights of the Museum

The adventure for the museum goer starts right as soon as one walks in the door, with the long lines to sign in and buy tickets for certain events scheduled for the day. After that obstacle is hurdled, however, one embarks on an awe inspiring journey into another world, starting right after a green screen picture (see the two to the right. I'm in the back row/middle wearing the red Rebelution shirt).

This new world contains many different things to see and do whether it be the recline-and-watch Stargazers Planetarium, the special effects theater (complete with water squirting devices in the seat backs in front of you), or outside in the botannical gardens and petting zoo surrounded by waterfalls, exotic plants, and rope bridges. Once one does all this -- gathers loads of information from shows, displays of fossils, and other treasures; takes a leisurely stroll through the gardens; and/or takes a break with a snack by the lake -- one can just about think he has done all he can do.

Oh, but that's not the half of it! There is still hours of exhibits to go through. That's the best part!

The pièce de résistance of the museum's exhibits, is the Walk Through Biblical History. Knowledge seekers are taken on a journey through the Seven C's of History: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation. Tourists are first introduced to the two points of view: creation and evolution. Then important questions are raised in sections about human suffering and corruption, pictures crossing the line to graphic at times. The museum goer is then taken through section after section of Biblical history and ultimately how it answers those questions that we as human beings have: "Where did I come from?" "Is there meaning to it all?" "Where did suffering come from?" "How can it be fixed?" Patrons get a view of the Garden of Eden, a life-sized replica of a portion of Noah's ark, and many other things along the way (including a rather creepy animatronic Methuselah that talks).

The wonders of God's creation are at the fingertips of patrons in the museum in the Walk Through Biblical History, various theaters, and other exhibits scattered around the museum grounds such as the Dinosaur Den, an exhibit devoted solely to dinosaurs -- and not from "millions of years."

The sights were really too many describe. However, starting in the lobby and the huge welcome room dotted with animatronic dinosaurs playing alongside children (we were both created on the sixth day you know), there is one thing that stands out above all the rest: Scripture. Even after being taken hundreds of light years away in the planetarium and experiencing a show in the special effects theater (I never got used to getting water sprayed in my face in the scenes from the Flood), one of the biggest things that stood out is the Scripture at every turn.

The Importance of It All

Yes. Scripture is everywhere. It's on the walls, it's on the bags for the book store, it's in the exhibits, and even on the water bottles for sale. Scientists have vilified the museum for participating in religious indoctrination, for deliberately misinforming children, and a for being a complete joke as a scientific museum. I would argue differently. This museum is about science. It's about history. However, the first few chapters of Genesis, let alone the rest of Biblical history, make no sense without the Gospel. All of history centers around Christ -- and so does the museum, ultimately.

I was greatly encouraged by the enormous importance the museum gave to giving the whole picture. They held nothing back, knowing the criticism that would come from it. The museum portrays a pure, unwatered down view of Biblical history. The final section of the walk through is The Last Adam Theater, showing a powerful presentation of the last three C's: Christ, Cross, and Consummation. It was the most uplifting thing about the whole museum. They were unafraid to give the Gospel in its full truth and potency.

This is extremely important for unbelievers and will undoubtedly be used by Holy Spirit in the coming years. However, it is also important for believers. To sit in the planetarium and be transported light years through the galaxies and see the huge scope of it all -- and then to walk through and see God at work through history and see His love for His creation: "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:4). To see the vast scope of it all has put a new perspective to virtually every time I look around and look up at the stars at night.

Conclusion

Yes, the Creation Museum has undergone all kinds of ridicule, criticism, and all out attack over the years. The Cincinnati Post made it known that they are afraid the museum will hurt Cincinnati's marketability to businesses, others implying that the museum would hurt the city's hard earned reputation as an educated community. However, the museum has also been a great blessing. The press hasn't been all bad, even in the liberal media (the New York Times article is actually pretty good, given the author's worldview). The museum is an uplifting place for Christians in an age where Christ is scoffed.

In short, the Creation Museum for Christians is a place to strengthen one's faith and exercise one's mind. And for non-Christians, it is perhaps a place to ask questions and explore new ways of thinking.

Yes. Ken Ham accomplished his dream -- and he pulled it off on a grand, God-honoring scale.

Sources cited and read while writing:

[1] http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A139674
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/arts/24crea.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14122311/

World Going Haywire

2008-06-28T22:21:00.008-04:00

Court overturns father's grounding of 12-year-old

Module body

Wed Jun 18, 2:08 PM

OTTAWA (AFP) - A Canadian court has lifted a 12-year-old girl's grounding, overturning her father's punishment for disobeying his orders to stay off the Internet, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The girl had taken her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on websites he tried to block, and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer.

The father's lawyer Kim Beaudoin said the disciplinary measures were for the girl's "own protection" and is appealing the ruling.

"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parents to set boundaries."

"I started an appeal of the decision today to reestablish parental authority, and to ensure that this case doesn't set a precedent," she said. Otherwise, said Beaudoin, "parents are going to be walking on egg shells from now on."

"I think most children respect their parents and would never go so far as to take them to court, but it's clear that some would and we have to ask ourselves how far this will go."

According to court documents, the girl's Internet transgression was just the latest in a string of broken house rules. Even so, Justice Suzanne Tessier found her punishment too severe.

Beaudoin noted the girl used a court-appointed lawyer in her parents' 10-year custody dispute to launch her landmark case against dear old dad.

Take a look at the world for a moment. What bothers you about it?

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6,7

God is in control of this messed up world.

A WALL-E Must Read

2008-06-27T20:06:00.005-04:00

Before you go see WALL-E, I highly suggest reading this article in World Magazine. It really helps you think critically about the movie and gives you a different perspective you might not otherwise notice.

P.S. By the way ... WALL-E is HILARIOUS!! Not to mention those awesome Pixar shorts. I've seen it twice now. :D

P.S. II. I feel sorry for you guys ... but keep telling yourself that the trailer for Beverly Hills Chihuahua only lasts a couple of minutes. If you do that, you'll be just fine. :-)

WALL•E world

Filmmaker Andrew Stanton says his latest film isn't about the environment or obesity. It's about relationships | Megan Basham

With its first feature-length film in 1995, Toy Story, Pixar changed the face of children's entertainment in Hollywood. Its innovative 3-D computer animation not only looked different, it told stories with a depth and humor that appealed to adults almost as much as kids.

As the second animator hired by the studio, Andrew Stanton has been a constant force in shaping the creative direction of the studio's productions. He has done so to amazing success. Finding Nemo, which Stanton wrote and directed, stands as the highest-grossing G-rated film of all time. Of the top 10 films in that category, Stanton, now vice-president of Pixar's creative division, was writer, director, or producer on five.

With his latest film, WALL•E, about to hit theaters, the Christian filmmaker sat down with WORLD.

WORLD: Pixar has built a reputation not only for innovative visuals but for original storytelling with Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and others. How have you managed to maintain your integrity in a field that is famous for making lazy grabs at parents' wallets?

STANTON: When Toy Story came out the media was making such a big deal about the technology, but what we were really interested in was the story. At the time everybody thought that the only way you could do an animated movie was to make it a musical fairy tale. We set out to prove that animation is not a genre, it's a medium that can be anything it wants to be like any other movie.

And we've worked very hard to keep Pixar a director-driven studio where each of our films is conceived, inspired, and executed by a singular vision. I think that ensures it will be art first and a product second. It's a lot harder to make a good movie when you try to make a product first with a little bit of art in it.

WORLD: How does WALL•E represent your singular vision?

STANTON: Well, what really interested me was the idea of the most human thing in the universe being a machine because it has more interest in finding out what the point of living is than actual people. The greatest commandment Christ gives us is to love, but that's not always our priority. So I came up with this premise that could demonstrate what I was trying to say—that irrational love defeats the world's programming. You've got these two robots that are trying to go above their basest directives, literally their programming, to experience love.

With the human characters I wanted to show that our programming is the routines and habits that distract us to the point that we're not really making connections to the people next to us. We're not engaging in relationships, which are the point of living—relationship with God and relationship with other people.

WORLD: The depiction of humanity is pretty stark in this movie.

STANTON: Well, when I started outlining humanity in the story, I asked myself: What if everything you needed to survive—health care, food—was taken care of and you had nothing but a perpetual vacation to fill your time? What if the result of all that convenience was that all your relationships became indirect—nobody's reaching out to each other? A lot of people have suggested that I was making a comment on obesity. But that wasn't it, I was trying to make humanity big babies because there was no reason for them to grow up anymore.

WORLD: Now that you mention people misconstruing your intentions, how do you feel about reports that WALL•E is an environmental movie?

STANTON: People made this connection that I never saw coming with the environmental movement, and that's not what I was trying to do. I was just using the circumstances of people abandoning the Earth because it's filled with garbage as a way to tell my story.

I always knew that I wanted WALL•E to be digging through trash for two reasons: One, I wanted him to be the lowest on the totem pole. It's a janitorial job; it's the saddest, lowest status amongst his kind; and it just makes him that much more of a lonely guy. Two, trash is really visual. Even the littlest kid understands when there's stuff in the way and it needs to be picked up, so I didn't need to spend time explaining his job. And then I just reverse-engineered from there, "OK, if there's trash everywhere, how did it get there?"

WORLD: As someone who is completely freaked out by rats, I was amazed that in Ratatouille you managed to make rats lovable. Now, in WALL•E, you've done something even more amazing—you've made cockroaches loveable!

STANTON: [Laughing] Yeah, we [the animators] took that as a personal challenge. We said, let's not even design it cute—we'll make it look like a real cockroach and we'll still make it cute! I'm glad you think we succeeded.

[Separate Sidebar]

Living to serve, learning to love

You have to hand it to Pixar. Since Woody and Buzz Lightyear first charmed audiences in Toy Story, the studio has consistently managed to create characters that are imaginative, intelligent, and hugely popular. Despite the vast sums its movies gross, Pixar has yet to give in to the temptation to churn out a quick copy of a past hit to turn an even quicker buck. Instead, from The Incredibles to Ratatouille, each of its productions feels like a carefully considered original. WALL•E, which hits theaters on June 27, is no exception.

In the last few years, animated movies have been characterized by a kind of hyper-wordplay with the most frenetic comedic actors filling the main roles (think Shrek, Happy Feet, or, most recently, Kung-Fu Panda). Director and screenwriter Andrew Stanton takes WALL•E in a completely different direction. Throughout the film, the last little robot on an abandoned Earth says no more than a handful of words (though he says those few many, many times). Instead, as a near-genius score plays in the background, WALL•E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) communicates almost entirely with facial expressions and movement.

Even when he meets EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), and leaves Earth to follow her to a densely populated cruise ship in space, the film's reliance on physicality rather than on words doesn't change. At times, as the little trash compactor interacts with a delightful array of robots—each manifesting its own unique personality with whirrs and tilts—WALL•E plays like a new breed of silent film.

Another quintessential Pixar quality is how complex its themes tend to be compared to most kids' entertainment. Not many animated movies are told from the perspective of the parent, like Finding Nemo, rather than child. Nor have many championed achievement rather than fairness, like The Incredibles. And though on the surface WALL•E looks like it's selling the easiest, trendiest message going today—environmentalism—it's too smart for that.

True, the foundation for the story is that humanity has left the planet heaped in garbage. But far weightier themes—like how technology distances us from the wonder of creation and how that distance cripples us spiritually—play a bigger role. In fact, if Stanton criticizes people for anything, it's for worship of leisure. Because they live to be cared for rather than to care, the few human beings WALL•E meets have become, to use Stanton's words, giant babies—literally feeding on milk rather than solid food. In contrast, WALL•E, the meek little trash collector, accepts stewardship in a way that people have rejected. And because love springs from service, he comes to love the creatures that inhabit Earth. That's not an environmental message, it's a biblical one. —

Copyright © 2008 WORLD Magazine
June 28, 2008, Vol. 23, No. 13

The Heart of the Homeschool Issue: A Fascinating News Article

2008-06-18T14:16:00.007-04:00

I may not be able to write posts for the time being due to lack of time, but I can post articles that I find -- especially ones that are this fascinating. I have never really heard it put this way before, but I think the author of this article, with amazing honesty, gets to the root of the issue for many anti-homeschooling people. The link to the article is found here. Being homeschooled myself since the beginning (only one more year), this article is of special interest to me.

Home-schoolers threaten our cultural comfort
by Sonny Scott

6/8/2008 9:39:01 AM
Daily Journal

You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today’s standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children’s safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state’s bureaucrats on these “trouble makers.” Their implicit rejection of America’s most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. “Individualism”) spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter’s wedding, it does.) And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim “our right” to pursue a career for our own
"self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k’s. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising hell again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work … and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn’t you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

Man vs. God: The Story of China’s Persecuted Christians

2008-06-07T14:14:00.002-04:00

We tend to read about persecuted Christians around the world and feel sorry for them and pity them. Think about it though. If we really are all part of the body of Christ, these people are more our brothers and sisters than our own family.

[Please excuse the grammar problems if there are any. The copying and pasting was a trip. This is my research paper for my English class. I was very touched by it.]

Introduction

Christianity is growing in the world. Despite what it may seem to many in the Western world, Christianity may very well be undergoing its biggest growth in history (Marshall 8). China is no stranger to this growth. In fact, as Paul Marshall stated in Their Blood Cries Out, “More people take part in Christian worship in China than do people in the entirety of Western Europe" (Marshall 8). This statement is 10 years and millions of new believers old. Many reports tell of thousands coming to know Christ every day. Some reports, although a little far fetched, estimate that number to be as many as 35,000 people daily (The Underground Church).

China, however, is a communist country. Since the communist party came to power in 1949, millions of Christians have been arrested, beaten, or brutally tortured for Christ. Paul Marshall wrote that “During one particular beating, the board being used by the security police was reduced to splinters” (Marshall 78). Chinese believers still suffer today. Why does China persecute believers? What effects does the persecution have on them? The still unfinished story of the persecution of Chinese believers shows that when man goes against God, there can only be one Victor.

I. Background

Although there were Catholics in China for centuries, the story really began in 1807 when the first protestant missionary arrived from Britain (History of Persecution in China). The church grew over the next century but missionaries’ cultural imperialism hindered the growth of the church and caused tensions to build. The leaders of the Chinese church could see the problems and tension caused by the West’s influence and they emphasized the need of Chinese churches to lead themselves. Their foresight of the Boxer Rebellion, which saw the deaths of well over 20,000 Christians and the flight of most missionaries, was invaluable. Over the years, the torch was passed to China and Christianity was made relevant to the culture. Led by godly men, the church grew astronomically and, for the most part, successfully navigated sometimes tumultuous waters in the years leading up to the communist takeover (Grant).

From the 1920s onward, communism slowly rose in influence until Mao Zedong and China’s Communist Party (CCP) took power in 1949. Christian leaders who supported Communism issued the famed Christian Manifesto which officially ended all ties with the Western church and pledged complete loyalty to the CCP. Under the newly formed Religious Affairs Bureau, the Three-Self Movement (as the afore mentioned movement was now called), and the similar Catholic Patriotic Association, China’s church was controlled by the communists. All missionaries were expelled from the country and many protesting Christians who were not sent to prison or labor camps were driven into their homes, beginning the famed “house church” movement (Grant; History of Persecution in China; Marshall 78; The Underground Church).

Despite the advances that were made for the communist agenda, Mao Zedong was not satisfied with the progress. Through a series of events and advertising campaigns, Mao began the next significant event against criticizers of himself and communism. The Cultural Revolution, as it was called, lasted from 1966 through 1976 and was possibly the most bloody event for Christians in history. The infamous Red Guards, school children ripped from their education in order to bring down the “counter-revolutionists,” went on a rampage. All religion was banned and even the government controlled institutions disappeared. Millions of people died and millions more were disgraced and/or sent to labor camps. The struggling economy led to atrocities such as mass cannibalism. Paul Marshall wrote that “In one incident a mother and son were tortured, buried alive atop one another in a single grave, then dismembered and eaten by their tormentors” (Marshall 78). Christianity and the house church movement, however, survived the chaos, largely because of its relatively new independence from foreign missionaries (Grant; Marshall 78; Rogaski; The Underground Church).

The rest of the century saw the death of Mao Zedong and the reign Deng Xiaoping. Xiaoping attempted to paint over the mistakes made in the Cultural Revolution and sent misleading messages of “religious freedom” to the outside world. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement was back with just as many restrictions as before driving millions more to the house church movement. The highs and lows over the rest of the century ended in the 90s with a heightening of the persecution—wherein thousands of house churches were closed. Torture, forced sterilization, and labor camps were among the fears of 1990s Christians. Overall, the first 50 years of the communist government saw one out of every 22 Christians detained, hundreds of thousands sent to labor camps, and thousands others tortured or killed (History of Persecution in China; Marshall 79-82; Nieh; The Underground Church).

After seeing a brief history of the persecution of Christians in China, one must begin to ask questions. “Why do they hate Christianity?” one might ask. “Didn’t I hear that there was religious freedom in China?” The answer to the latter question is that China, as previously mentioned briefly, has been sending deliberately misleading messages for decades. As quoted by the China Aid Association (CAA), China’s constitution states that “The state protects legitimate religious activities” (The Underground Church). For decades China has responded to criticism by saying that people are not prosecuted for belief but for breaking the law. This only attempts to cover up the fact that “legitimate religious activities” are only those that are “patriotic” and approved by the government (Marshall 79).

The other question presented was, “Why do they hate Christianity?” The reality may be that the reason for persecution is not so much out of hate but somewhat out of fear and recognition of the power of human spirituality. Paul Marshall quoted the Chinese state-run press in 1992 saying that in order for China to avoid the changes that happened in post-Soviet Europe, China “must strangle the baby while it is still in the manger” (Marshall 10, 11). Peter Xu Yongze, a Christian leader, was quoted by Kate McGeown of BBC news as saying, “The Communists feel threatened by any popular ideology which is different from their own” (China’s Christians Suffer for Their Faith). When free minds pose a threat to governments such as China’s, force and intimidation are oft used tools to maintain control (Worldwide Persecution of Christians).

Another measure taken by China was to control the church. The house churches, the ones that do not register with the state, are those that undergo the most persecution. The medium by which China controls the church is the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Churches that register—those that follow the state’s rules—are considered among those “legitimate religious activities” (The Underground Church).

TSPM’s traces its origins to before communism in 1892, as mentioned previously, when church leaders chose to move toward independence from Western missionaries. This principle was called the Three-Self Principle: self-supporting, self-leading, and self-propagating. In 1950, however, the communists took the name and made it political. The new Three-Self Movement, later changed to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, was designed to keep the church loyal to the communist government. Under the Religious Affairs Bureau, TSPM and the church was directly subject to the government and any objection was swiftly punished (Hart; Grant; The Underground Church). Sen Nieh, director of the Global Coalition for ByeCCP, quoted in a speech the leader of TSPM saying, “I do not believe in the miracles Jesus had performed. I have discarded them all” (Persecution of Faith-Based Groups in China).

What was so wrong with TSPM that prompted the explosive growth of the house church movement? TSPM decides where and where not to have meetings—only Sunday services are allowed. Those under 18 cannot be brought, evangelized, or baptized and some pastors have to have their sermons screened by the government. These and other restrictions, with severe consequences for refusal, prompted different reactions from believers. Some joined TSPM and tried to cope with the restrictions while others abandoned TSPM’s often twisted doctrines and met among themselves. Today, the millions of Chinese Christians meet in house churches—a large reason for the persecution (Hart; Marshall 74; The Underground Church). These reasons still play a part in the lives of the present day sufferers.

II. The present day sufferers

In May 2007, the annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom stated, “The Chinese government continues to engage in systematic and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief (120).” In 2004, Hu Jintao came to power in China and one of his first measures was to change laws that were to “protect religious freedom.” However, as always, they had a hidden catch that gave the government more control. Believers and other groups (Christians are not the only persecuted people in China) have suffered an escalation in persecution since the middle of the decade. There has also been the largest crackdown on foreign missionaries since the early 1950s. However, there has been somewhat of a respite in the persecution in the recent months which many attribute to the 2008 Olympics to be held in Beijing. All of this happens as the church continues to grow astronomically (Asia: China; Annual Report of Persecution; USCIRF).

Just how big is the Chinese church? How many people actually worship apart from state churches in these so called “house churches?” The Chinese government officially says that there are 16 million Protestants and three million Catholics. These are only those in state approved “patriotic” churches, however. The actual total is probably closer to 130 million, according to a Chinese official’s closed door report. The forced secrecy of the house church movement makes it tough to pinpoint actual numbers but the estimates show the church doubling in the past decade—around 35,000 every day. In 2005 there was an estimated 6000 house churches in Beijing alone. Since the house churches are the largest and most persecuted Christian group in China, a closer look is warranted (Grant; MacLeod; Neff; The Underground Church).

House Groups or Family Churches, as the Chinese prefer to be called, vary in size from five to 100—although most churches split at around 30 as a precaution. They meet anywhere they can from forests, farms, caves, and mountainsides to homes, offices, and factories. Music is simple if not altogether absent because either money is lacking or the noise attracts attention. There are testimonies, Sunday schools, and an average 90 minute message. Among other precautions they take, they rotate their meeting place because of different threats around them from the government itself down to unfriendly neighbors (Hart; Tong).

Today, if arrested for “illegal activity,” believers face a myriad of different punishments. Probably the most unpublicized of these punishments are the laogai camps: re-education through labor (RTL). In principle, these camps are not much different than the general concentration camp. Two thirds of the roughly 300,000 occupants in 300 camps nationwide are those who have committed “minor” crimes, a very arbitrary term as defined by law. The other third is made up of religious prisoners of various groups including Christians. During the Cultural Revolution and the surrounding years, the camps were much more widely used. Still, only 10 years ago, one-third of China’s tea was produced in these camps—among many other essential things to the Chinese economy. Although reform discussions are underway, 21 house church leaders were sentenced at the same time to one to three years in the labor camps for being part of an “evil cult” on the 19^th of February, 2008 (Hung; Marshall 75-78; 21 Major House Church Leaders Sent...)

Many Christians only face fines or a few days to weeks in prison. However, apart from labor camps, China has torture methods beyond the imagination of a Westerner’s mind. Many Christians are beaten severely, some to death, but China has even more horrifying methods. Some of those methods are: burning of the skin with cigarettes, sexual abuse, and shock by electric baton. The latter is possibly the most gruesome—the victim and often his most private parts are beaten and shocked with a wand charged with as many as 300,000 volts. There are numerous other methods even more gruesome that have been proven to be used but have a lack of evidence [that I could find] as to their use on Christians specifically (Chinaview; Marshall 81, 82).

Peter Xu Yongze, mentioned earlier as the founder of a large Christian movement, suffered torture first hand. At the time of the 2002 BBC News story by Kate McGeown, Xu was 61. Over his lifetime he had served five prison sentences because he believed in Christ. Xu, who now lives in the United States, saw many things in prison—people being killed for Christ. “A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died.” He himself endured excruciating torture. “They hung me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours” (China’s Christian’s Suffer for Their Faith).

Ma Yuqin was another first hand witness of the methods of the Chinese. She bravely endured torture, refusing to betray those in her congregation, even while her son and friend were suffering with her. 54 years old at the time of the interview that was published in 2002 by Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times in an article entitled “God and China,” she told of the chilling 2001 incident. Police captured her, her son, her daughter-in law, and a friend who had stopped by in May of 2001. The 27-year-old friend died in custody, presumably because she was beaten to death. “They used the electrical prods on me all over…They wanted to humiliate us.” While Ma was almost fatally beaten, her son was tortured in the next room as motivation to betray her friends. “They wanted me to hear his cries…It broke my heart.” Ma was released for health reasons, but her son was taken to a camp where criminals were ordered to beat him up.

III. The perseverance of the saints

The question must be asked: “How has the decades-long persecution affected believers?” It’s easy to paint a pretty picture of China’s Christians’ condition but that’s not entirely true. One negative effect is that there is a huge strain on believers. Apart from those being arrested and beaten, there may be thousands of other Christians in the area who have very few Bibles and are desperately in need of training. New believers also undergo a strain and, as [don't want to post the name] saw, there is much falling away of new believers—the “rocky soil” (_____). There are many whose faith is strong and is strengthened, but there are also many who fall (_____; Hart; The Underground Church).

Not all of these struggles are felt just by the house churches. Those in the state church, though not arrested, undergo different kinds of persecution such as ridicule just because of their Christian faith. Few non-genuine Christians, it would seem, would stay and endure even in the state church. However, a rift has grown between the house churches and the state church that is almost irreconcilable. Many in the state church see house churches as obstacles to the future of religious freedom, as the cause of new regulations from the government. Adding to the tension, many house churches see the state churches as people who compromise their faith (Marshall 74; Tong).

However, although there are negative effects that come with persecution, for a Christian, there are also positive effects. Persecution has a way of drawing the persecuted closer to God and to their fellow victims. Surrendering to God and his perfect will, identifying with Christ in his suffering, and simply worshipping God are several ways that Christians cope with and benefit from the persecution. Even while enduring trauma and complete isolation from the things of God, what a Christian has hidden in his heart can be what gets him through and even what helps the spread of the gospel in prison (Tong; Ting and Watson).

The personal effects also work together to grow the church as a whole. Recent estimates show Christianity growing at around seven percent every year, which amounts to millions. The church in China has grown at least 20 times in the past 30 years. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” is true as ever in China because the church even grows in the prisons. Around the world, as word gets out about their testimonies, Chinese believers are displaying what it means to be a Christian for all to see (Flythe; Marshall 82, 83; Neff; Tong).

With virtually everything except listening to a state-approved, Sunday morning message being illegal, how much does the persecution affect how Christians live out the basics of the faith? The truth is, apart from necessary precautions to avoid detection, nothing is neglected. They can’t preach on the street corners, but witnessing goes on everywhere. One on one with friends, family, and co-workers—it goes on, quietly yet potently. Offices, factories, and homes are all places of witnessing. On college campuses Christians meet secretly, make friends, evangelize, teach, and train new converts to do the same. Wherever and whenever possible, Chinese Christians do not neglect what God has called them to do (_____; Tong).

The conclusion I wrote for my paper

When I, as the author, observe my research, I draw many things. It is important to note that although the focus of this report was Christians, Christians are not the only people being persecuted in China. Any religious or spiritual group that dares to stand up to the communists is swiftly punished. The fact that the government fears free minds is a very interesting and I believe accurate statement. It is very possibly the main cause behind all persecution in China. They recognize Christianity’s potency to change people’s lives, but instead of embracing it, they suppress it as a threat to their power—which evidence shows actually hurts their cause.

I also draw many things from the effects of the persecution on Christians. As a Christian from the West, I see that the Chinese are just like me, just like Christians from the West. They have their problems and divisions just like the West does. However, they are not like the West in the way that they grow and in the way that they stand firm. Persecution draws them together and strengthens their faith. It helps the church grow and sends a message of hope to the world.

In my overall view of my findings, I see a group of Christians who do not have freedom—yet they prosper. In the West, I see a group of Christians who have freedom—yet prosper in worldly goods alone. I have emerged from my study with a sense of shame to live in a country where I can worship freely. The Chinese are the ones that deserve to be free. They have used their lack of freedom for God’s glory while the West has misused the freedom given to them. All throughout the Chinese church’s history, there has been a consistent desire to honor God.

The story of Chinese believers has a long history. The cause of the persecution: a two-faced government who desires power above all else and lies about its doings. The effects of the persecution: a group of believers who have been drawn closer to each other and to God as they fulfill their heavenly calling without compromising. The story is still unfolding. As Beijing prepares for the Olympics, the world gathers and for the most part ignores the suffering people within. However, even when the world ignores, God’s people fight on and prosper. All evidence points to the fact that when man has gone up against God, Christ was truly victorious.

[works cited page available by email. the copying and pasting did not work well with the links.]

Lessons from David and Goliath

2008-06-05T18:03:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but I am a very big fan of "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. So, here is another post that takes the "Do Hard Things" twist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever had an issue that you were afraid to confront...perhaps that many people were afraid to confront? Do you know of a "giant" in your life? There is a real life story about just this kind of issue. At youth group a couple of weeks ago, we studied David and Goliath. While we were going though the lesson, I came up with some thoughts that I would like to share.

First of all, the story is found in I Samuel 17

The nation of Israel was faced with a problem...to say the least. Being in a bloody battle with the Philistines was bad enough, but then their champion came out--a terrifying giant. Goliath
mocked Israel and challenged them to send their best man forward. If Goliath defeated the Israelite, the Israelites would become the Philistines' slaves; if the Israelite defeated Goliath, the Philistines would be the Israelites' slaves. [picture from Veggietales "Dave and the Giant Pickle"]

The Israelites were terrified--and many armies would have been (see the terrible description of Goliath in verses four through seven). An entire army was rendered useless because of fear for 40 days as Goliath taunted them and defied their God (vs. 16).

As an army--a nation--trembled in fear, one "youth" stood up and declared that fear to be meaningless. David, the son of Jesse, had come to the battlefield on a simple errand when he heard the giant speaking and taunting the armies of Israel. With enormous faith, that youth conquered the giant with just a sling and a stone. Is there something that we can learn from this? Most certainly. This story can be applied to any "giant" that we face in our lives--whether literal or figurative. There are several things that I want to point out from this story.

1. The fact that David was a youth.

David, according to verses 33 and 42, was an ordinary, good-looking young man. Why do I bring this up? Well, if David could do it, then so could we! No one is too young to take a stand. As I Samuel indicates, this was a major step in his rise to adulthood and to the kingdom, where he was said to be a "man after God's own heart." Doing hard things--taking a stand--has the same implications for young people today. As slaying Goliath was somewhat of a defining point in David's life and an enormous step in his growth, so it can be with the youth of today.

I Timothy 4:12 states, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." David was a prime example of this verse. Especially in the context of this story, David never let anything stop him from being an "example to the believers," even when people looked down on him. His oldest brother Eliab ridiculed him in verse 28; Saul (the king, who should have faced the giant 40 days before) looked down on him in verse 33; and Goliath mocked him in verses 42 through 44. This is a true sign of character, which happens to be my next point of emphasis.

[picture edited from the cover of the "Do Hard Things" study guide]

2. David's character.

In all of the passage, there is no recording that David was in any way hesitant or even fearful. David heard someone defying God's people--he wasn't happy. He knew that God was with him and that He would see him through--the battle was the Lord's. He had unmatched faith, as far as the army was concerned, and he threw off anything that might hinder him (i.e. Saul's armor, but it can also be referenced to Hebrews 12:1). There was no hesitation because of the curses of the enemy. Rather, he ran towards the giant and didn't hold back.

How did David obtain this faith...this character? Sure, God was with him, he was a man after God's own heart, and he was wise in all his ways (18:14), but what does he himself say?

32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David was a shepherd. Part of the reason he gained character was by doing the task of shepherding. He gained faith about Goliath because of God's faithfulness when David did this often dangerous task. And think about it, does not learning to lead a flock teach one things about leading a nation? Just a thought.

3. The result of his stand.

David shows enormous faith and valor as he slays the giant...but that isn't all that happens. What happened when he took a stand and with God's help overcame? The entire nation was heartened!

52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley^[a] and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron.
53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.

Can we not learn from this? Is this not true for us today? Take a stand and others will join you.

Let's Summarize

Let's see...David, a youth, took a stand. David had character and enormous faith. When he took a stand, others were heartened and joined him. The battle was the Lord's...and guess who won?

...now I wonder what Jesse said when he heard what David had been doing on his errand...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone else have thoughts/lessons from this passage? These are just a few points I came up with.

Mystery: A "Hard Thing"

2008-05-19T22:08:00.015-04:00

Mystery: A “Hard Thing”

Mystery: there is a lot of controversy surrounding this concept among Christians. It is the “elephant in the room” of sorts when it comes to Christianity. Some people look at the mystery in the Christian faith and use it as their basis for not believing. I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject with you guys.

When I say “mystery”…I by no means mean “mystical.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines “mystery” as, “A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only though divine revelation.” There are things in the Christian faith that we have to accept that we cannot understand or explain. Some of those things are: the virgin birth, the simultaneity of Christ’s complete deity and humanity, and the Trinity.

The point is that mystery is a reality and that we must confront that reality at some point. I wrote a speech (from which this is drawn) on this subject for a worldview speech class. If you desire to read it, tell me and I will e-mail it to you.

Mystery requires trust. There are just some things that we cannot explain with our finite mind. Finite cannot fully understand and explain the infinite. If we could explain and understand fully, then we ourselves would be divine. Proverbs 3:5 says that we are to trust God and “lean not on our own understanding.” It requires humbling ourselves, giving up our vain struggle to understand it (which often ends up watering it down), and giving our feelings to the Lord.

Mystery, as I view it, is a “hard thing” in a way (The "hard things" concept is that doing something that is hard for you makes you stronger). We must trust God in this area. When we humble ourselves and give our understanding to God, it helps us grow stronger. Our faith, as a whole, is strengthened, as I see it, because mystery is one of the hardest things to accept.

The Trinity is probably the best example of this. Someone once said, “If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul.” One might even argue that the Trinity is not just a mystery, but the Mystery of mysteries. What do I mean? Well, what is the Trinity about? As found in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, the doctrine of the Trinity says that…

God is three persons.
Each person is fully God.
There is one God.

First of all, the Trinity is a mystery. We have evidence for these three things in the Bible which I will not put here for sake of space. The part that we cannot understand is how these three things fit together. Secondly, the Trinity is the Mystery of mysteries because it describes God in his very essence. All other mystery is thus encompassed by the Trinity because everything always goes back to God. It is something that we must believe because many if not every other facet of our faith ultimately relies on the reality of the Trinity.

The Trinity is very puzzling, but it is none-the-less true. Just think for a minute though about the implications of the Trinity—and how awesome and loving our God is! Bruce Goettsche, pastor of a church in Illinois, points out that while God is so much higher than us that His creatures can never understand His being, He still loves His fallen creatures and desires to have a personal relationship with them. Just think about yourself, if you reached out to someone who could not, and possibly never could understand fully what you did for them, yet you did it anyway. Wayne Grudem says, “…it is spiritually healthy for us to acknowledge openly that God’s very being is far greater than we can ever comprehend. This humbles us before God and draws us to worship him without reservation.”

Do you see what I am saying? Mystery, especially the Trinity, is a hard thing to accept and not water down in order to bring it to our level. However, when we trust God that He is who He is and meditate on that even though we cannot understand it, our faith and awe in Him, our faith and awe in the Gospel, and simply our peace of mind will be revived and strengthened. We don’t have to understand everything! I hope that you guys got something out of reading my thoughts here.

The hymn behind the name

2008-05-13T22:58:00.002-04:00

"Just One Step at a Time"
John W. Peterson

The future veiled before us lies,
The path is hidden from our eyes,
And Jesus leads, while faith he tries,
Just one step at a time.

The road He takes we need not know,
But follow in the steps that glow,
And trust in Him as on we go--
Just one step at a time.

We need not fear what lies ahead,
Nor anxious be nor filled with dread;
The saints before were safely led,
Just one step at a time.

(chorus)
Just one step at a time,
Just one step at a time;
That's the way He leads to glory,
Just one step at a time.

_____________
I struggled and racked my brain to find a name that I was satisfied with for this blog--for over a week. That may not sound like that long, but I had absolutely nothing. I wanted the name to define me, sort of define the blog, and be creative and cool at the same time. I couldn't think of anything. This afternoon, this song came to mind.

I am a 17 year old (as of May 17, 2008) who does not know what lies ahead or what God wants me to with my life. Every verse of this song--every wonderful, Biblical truth--defines me and where I am in life. After some complications finding a version of the name of this song that wasn't already taken...I came up with this: The One Step Times. The name defines me, defines the blog, and is cool at the same time (I hope you agree).

I hope my readers benefit from what they read here.

The One Step Times

Student debt largest ever - Features - Technician - North Carolina State University

Trying my hand at a review: the BBC series Doctor Who

A Lesson from George Street for Wall Street and Main Street

The Importance of the Gospel: a Preview

A Pilgrim at Peace

What the Olympics Have Overshadowed: Prayer and Praise for China's Christians

The Creation Museum: The Truth About History

World Going Haywire

A WALL-E Must Read

WALL•E world

Living to serve, learning to love

Copyright © 2008 WORLD MagazineJune 28, 2008, Vol. 23, No. 13

The Heart of the Homeschool Issue: A Fascinating News Article

Man vs. God: The Story of China’s Persecuted Christians

Lessons from David and Goliath

Mystery: A "Hard Thing"

The hymn behind the name

Copyright © 2008 WORLD Magazine
June 28, 2008, Vol. 23, No. 13