I just found a great new blog called ‘Doxology and Theology’ and came across a blog that voices a big issues I’ve seen in many different churches. I’ve often seen a big disconnect between “worshipping” during the week and worshipping on Sundays at church. It’s easy to stand up and cheer during the week when you’re watching the Olympics and Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympian ever, but why don’t you do it on Sunday when you sing about the ramifications of Jesus taking our place on the cross? I like what the following article says that the outward posture reflects what’s going on in your heart. Granted, there are times to stay still in the presence of God, but not always. You can read the full article at: http://www.doxologyandtheology.com/2012/06/29/with-arms-high-and-heart-abandoned-why-posture-matters-by-stephen-miller/
All posts by mikethestrand
Why Posture Matters in Worship
Posted by mikethestrand on August 1, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/08/01/why-posture-matters-in-worship/
Leading Your Family Well
I just read a fantastic blog on Leading Your Family Well. It really made be grateful for a father who took time to sit down and talk to me, generally at the expense of some sleep simply because he cared for me. Now I know he wasn’t perfect and he would never claim to be, but the one thing he always did for me was take the time to listen for me. Despite the issues going on at church, or the negative things that the people in the church were saying about him he would be there to listen and generally give advice whether I wanted it or not.
This past Mother’s Day I had the opportunity to share about my mom during church that morning, and today I’m taking a chance to publicly thank my dad for the influence he’s had in my life. I hope and pray that I can be as good of a father as him and influence my kids the same way he’s influenced me. I love you dad!
Posted by mikethestrand on June 15, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/06/15/leading-your-family-well/
Knowledge of the Truth
I was reading 2 Timothy 3 this morning for my Bible reading and was struck by verse 6-7 which say, “For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” (ESV) The main words that stuck out to me are “never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Now in theology, I’ve had many people who have told me they want to just read the Bible and not go beyond that, but that’s not the point! If you’re stopping at reading and not seeing how it applies to your life you’re wasting your reading of the Bible. Knowledge of the truth implies implementing the truths you’re learning to your life, and if you don’t you will be carried away by your various passions as they tempt you. What do you need to do in order to flee some of these passions?
Posted by mikethestrand on June 1, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/06/01/knowledge-of-the-truth/
The Hunger Games
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here and I’ve been wanting to do a review of ‘The Hunger Games’ which I happened to see 3 times the first week it was out (I kind of liked it).
This has been dubbed the next Harry Potter or Twilight series, and it’s clearly lived up to the hype and made a killing at the box office! I’ve read some mixed reviews about both the movie and the book so decided I’d add my voice to the masses and write what I thought of it. This is one of the most accurate book to movies I’ve ever seen so pretty much anything said about one applies to the other.
First the warnings: obviously there is a good amount of killing, and this killing isn’t the typical adult on adult in the midst of battle, but kid on kid (ages 12-18 year olds). This obviously is not good and it’s not shown as good. To me its reminiscent of the Roman gladiators where certain groups of people were thrown into an arena to fight to the death (just like in this book).
Katniss is also quite a selfish teenager. Everything she does is to better her chance of survival. This isn’t really that abnormal, however, and she still cares for her family with all she has.
Now the good: both the book and movie are incredible! I bought the book last summer to just read for enjoyment but didn’t think I’d get into it. 6 days later I’d read all 3 books in the series. (yes it is a trilogy so get excited for the next 2 movies!)
As I said above, Katniss really does care for her family, and in the end Peeta. I also like that the book shows us the horrors of the human condition. As the saying goes, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That’s made quite clear in The Hunger Games with the Capitol exploiting children for entertainment. As Haymitch says in the movie, “It’s a TV show!” The people of the Capitol reap all the benefits of forcing those in the multiple Districts to work and then hold a drawing of children to compete in The Hunger Games every year. Quite an interesting use of power.
I think this is a good movie to see and discuss with friends and would be appropriate for anyone 16 and up.
Posted by mikethestrand on April 23, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/04/23/the-hunger-games/
Pitfalls of Homeschooling
Looking back over my life I am some what of an anomaly. I was homeschooled and public schooled, I was a PK, not a PK, involved in sports through the public school, in choir through the school then went to a private Christian liberal arts college where I studied Biblical Literature and helped out at a church nearby. I like to say since I entered youth group in 7th grade, I haven’t left! One thing I’ve been reflecting on recently is the homeschool movement. I just read a great article recommended by Joshua Harris (who’s family have been big proponents of the homeschool movement) entitled ‘Solving the Crisis in Homeschooling: Exposing the 7 major blindspots of homeschoolers’ by Reb Bradley. It honestly took the words right out of my mouth in my experience with both being homeschooled and looking at other homeschoolers. My best friends to this day are the homeschool friends I had in high school, and we’ve all turned out ‘normal’ for the most part (we can at least blend in to a crowd 🙂 ) I’m really grateful for the way our parents raised us and took an interest in all of our lives. I knew when I’d go over to my friends’ houses that their parents would take time to talk to us and see how we (and I) were doing. When I go home today I’ll stop by their houses to talk to the parents and catch up. The weaknesses Reb identifies are:
1. Having Self-Centered Dreams
2. Raising Family as an Idol
3. Emphasizing Outward Form
4. Tending to Judge
5. Dependence on Formulas
6. Over-Dependence on Authority and Control
7. Over-Reliance Upon Sheltering
8. Not Passing On a Pure Faith
9. Not Cultivating a Loving Relationship With Our Children
He goes on to expound upon each of these points in great detail and it’s definitely worth the read. I’m not trying to say that homeschooling is all bad either! Public school isn’t always the best option either. I learned nothing new in academics through public school, but learned a lot about guys bodies and new words and how to make fun of the “uncool” people. So what is the answer? There isn’t one, which is hard to hear and think about. As Mark Driscoll says, it depends on age, stage and location. Ultimately parents are given the responsibility to guide and lead the learning of their children but this can be done through homeschool, private, or public school. The main thing to remember is that faith is caught, not taught. If the Christian faith is all about doing the right thing, dressing the right way and saying the right things then the children are going to look for every opportunity to get away from it. Being a parent takes so much work of investing and caring for your children and taking the time to live out a true Christian life as a model for them. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for taking the time to do that for me!
(Joshua Harris’ condensed version of the article can be found here.)
Posted by mikethestrand on March 23, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/23/pitfalls-of-homeschooling/
John Carter
I did what I used to do in college last night and went to the midnight showing of John Carter. I read the books this movie was based on my Junior year and had been hoping this movie would be made sometime in the near future. The movie takes you on quite the ride!
As typically happens with book adaptations, there were many parts of the movie that were different, and I don’t think all the changes were great. This book essentially tried to piece together all the parts from the first 3 books of the series which often felt rushed and incoherent. The story itself is a great idea: a man is magically transported to Mars from Earth where he has super human strength because of the difference in gravitational pull and finds himself immersed in a war between the different nations and falls in love with the princess…of Mars. Graphically the movie was incredible (I’d expect nothing less from Andrew Stanton, director of Wall-E). I saw it in 3-D and felt completely immersed in the world of Mars. However, the story felt too rushed like they tried to fit too many pieces into this one movie. For those who haven’t read the book I could see it being very frustrating because there isn’t a lot of help about what is going on in the story.
A theme through the movie is the changing of heart/redemption of John Carter. At the beginning of the movie we see that he is selfish and unwilling to help anyone but himself. Through the course of the movie we learn why, and get to see his change of heart to one who is willing to lay down his life for others (sound familiar?).
This movie is rated PG-13 and does have some violent scenes as well as a couple bad words. I’d suggest seeing it with those that are 14 and up. It definitely is a fun movie to watch, despite some of the plot holes and rushed pace.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 9, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/09/john-carter/
Demons vs Angels
In preparing for my Bible study last week, I was told to get ready for the question, “Why do demons possess people but angels don’t?” Wow! I was not expecting to be dealing with a question like that! How do you answer that? There’s nothing in Scripture that says, “This is why demons possess people but angels don’t.” Ultimately, we know that demons are fallen angels (Revelation 12:3-4) so angels should be able to do the same thing demons do.
I poured over Scripture for the week leading up to the study trying to find something that would help answer the question to no success. I then started theorizing and doing some biblical theology and logic, as well as bouncing my ideas off the other pastors on the staff at church. I think at the very core of the issue is the aim of angels and demons. Angels whole aim and purpose is to please and glorify God. God created humans with a free will in order to chose him or chose yourself, worshiping yourself and making yourself a “god” instead of worshiping the one true God. Because angels want to please and glorify God they will respect and honor his creation, they do not want to impose their will on us because that is ungodly.
The picture above is a good picture of this. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, but the door handle is only on the other side. Jesus won’t impose himself upon you because he wants you to freely worship and praise him! (There are some exceptions, think of Paul in Acts 9) The angels follow Christ in this, not imposing their wills on His creation. Fallen angels, or demons, attempt to destroy God’s creation and invert the way God intended creation to be made.
Christians are also to be in dwelt by the Holy Spirit. As the songs says, “There’s a God shaped hole in all of us” that we attempt to fill with our own little gods. Demons try to fill this hole as well but can never satisfy us like God can.
It’s also interesting to note that Christians who try to manipulate others to get them to do their will are acting in a demonic fashion. Are there some things that you need to let go of in order to stop hindering God’s work in someone’s life?
(HT: Dr. Heth)
Posted by mikethestrand on March 7, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/07/demons-v-angels/
Matthew 9
I had the privilege of teaching a Bible study at my church this past Wednesday and taught from Matthew 9. A couple of verses from that chapter have really grabbed a hold of my mind this week, the two parables he tells in verses 16-17. I hadn’t ever taken the time before to slow down and think through what Jesus is saying with these stories. Jesus is telling us he’s starting completely over! He isn’t trying to take what’s been done before and repackage it for a new day (as the Pharisee’s were doing) but he’s starting everything new! Just as Aslan did in Narnia when he returned, bringing Spring back to the world and restoring everything to it’s natural order, Jesus has restored everything to himself (Colossians 1:20). This is also exactly what Jesus did for us at the moment of conversion. Instead of repackaging or patching up our old life, he gives us a completely new life in him. We are dead to sin because of Christ’s work on the cross. This is just like Paul said in Romans 7:6 “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” The ESV Study Bible says, “Christians are free from the Mosaic law and now enjoy new life in the Spirit.” Praise God for that new life!
Posted by mikethestrand on March 2, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/02/matthew-9/
Tim Keller at Oxford
Tim Keller recently attended Oxford and answered some very tough questions ranging from homosexuality, evolution, God being love and the reason God created man. His responses can be found here.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 1, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/03/01/tim-keller-at-oxford-2/
Old Testament Today
I recently got into an argument on Facebook with an atheist who was questioning why Christians were complaining about Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani who is facing a death sentence in Iran. Now, I do not know this person to whom I was interacting, but was very frustrated with what he said. I don’t like to enter into these conversations without being able to sit down and discuss this face to face but the conversation was very revealing. His first comment was, “but doesn’t the bible say that anyone who believes in any other deity beside the christian god shall be put to death? that’s no different than this. Iran is just following thru with their beliefs. I’m not saying its right. but Christianity is only arguing about this because it’s someone of their own faith. if Christianity were the ones holding a person captive, they’d think it was justified by the bible.” Many times, people make grand statements like that without justifying their claims anywhere in Scripture, so I asked where this was in the Bible, as well as pointed them to Luke 6:28, which tells us to bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you. This person then listed Deuteronomy 13:6-10,17:1-5, Exodus 22:20 and Mark 16:16. I then tried to explain that Christ came to fulfill all the commandments of the Old Testament, praise God that we now live under grace instead of law! They then brought this comment up: “For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:18-19 RSV)
Clearly the Old Testament is to be abided by until the end of human existence itself. None other then Jesus said so.”
They continued: “and just to bring us back on topic, old testimate is still valid. Jesus said so. so punishment by death for worshiping another god is still valid. so as my original point stated, Christians r hypocrites. Iran is simply following thru with their belief. Christianity is just mad because it’s of someone from their own faith.”
So that brings us to the question: What is the purpose of the Old Testament today? We see in Luke 24:27 that all of the Old Testament points to Christ who has now ushered in a covenant of grace instead of law (Romans 6:14). The Old Testament tells us of the creation of the world, mankind’s fall from perfection relationship of God, and promises us a king is coming who will restore everything. Because of this coming king, we will no longer be bound by the law for the law will be written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33) and we will have the Holy Spirit to help us grow more Christ like.
This conversation has reminded me again that I need to always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within me, as well as pray for those who do not see.
Posted by mikethestrand on February 29, 2012
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2012/02/29/old-testament-today/
This is Me
