Old School Part 4

In chapter three verse three of the book of John, Jesus says, "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." As I read, I asked myself what it means to be born again. To me, being born again means sloughing off the worldly things that keep us from God that we continue to hold on to and submitting to God's will. I've both read and experienced that God honors those who obey Him. After submitting my own stubbornness and being baptized by my choice this summer, I found a new strength to battle the temptations that plague my life. I also found a new peace about life. God remains faithful to those who follow His will. God alone knows what is in our best interest. When we act in obedience, God can give us the blessings He has in store for us. Like real birth, spiritual rebirth can be painful. But also like real birth, spiritual rebirth is a miracle and a blessing. Tears will be shed, hearts will cry out, and we will stray, but the ultimate end is unimabinably beautiful. Heaven awaits those who obey God's will. I heard somewhere that Christopher Reeve's (he played Superman in the movies and is now paralyzed due to a horse-riding accident) response to a question about his spirituality was, and I quote, "When I do good things, I feel good. When I do bad things, I feel bad. That's my religion." As sorry as that kind of religion seems to me, it does hold a certain truth. God takes joy when we obey, and thus we can take joy. When we do wrong, there is guilt; God's punishment. So when we do good, there is a certain joy, but why do you take joy in good? Think about it.

Old School Part 3

I just watched Requiem for a Dream. That was undeniably the most intense movie I have ever seen. When I say intense, I mean thought provoking, emotion evoking, graphic intensity. I won't go into the details, but let's just say the main characters made a few bad decisions and it ended with their dreams shattered. The decisions they made, and the consequences thereof made me cry. It hurt to watch even these imaginary characters do these things to themselves. So I got to thinking, isn't this what God feels for us when we screw up? What's awesome is that even when our dreams are shattered and our lives are screwed up, God still loves us, cares for us, and wants to be there for us. Had the characters in that movie been real (and its possible that real people are in the same boat) God would be there for them, ready to take them into his arms. If you don't mind drug use, sex, and language, then I encourage you to see the movie. Become vulnerable, and think about where you are in life. So whether you see the movie or not, think about it.