Martin Luther & the Misfit Anointing

Martin Luther. Extraordinaire. Legend. Father of the Protestant Reformation. Caught in a storm, narrowly missing a bolt of lightening that granted him a second chance to devote his life to Christ. With this awakening, came his desire to become a monk. Luther took God seriously. So serious that he figured that his salvation could come through physical violence against his own temple and by acts of work. His Father in the gospel decides to send him off to school to study scripture. Martin goes and Martin studies and Martin realizes that it's only by faith through the grace of God that a person is saved. Yet the church, the universal Roman Catholic Church had continued to impose tangible means of salvation on the body. The church was turning into a business for profit, selling indulgences as objects that were considered holy. These indulgences would offer salvation, healing and the remission of sins. Martin opposed these indulgences with such indignation that he decided to write 95 objections to them, supported by scripture, and he posted them on the front door of one of the churches. Angered by Luther's brashness, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church demand a direct apology from Luther. Luther, facing the pope himself says, "With all due respect Your Honor, unless you can support your objections with scripture, I will not recant." Luther knew his candid approach towards the Roman Catholic Church would result in consequences that could only mean death. Albeit, he continued. He continued to write as they continued to burn his books. He continued to preach, as they attempted to kill his predecessors. Finally, Martin decided to translate the bible into a universal language that the entire German community could understand. And then, the real revolt began. And now here we are: The result of the transition of the universal Catholic Church to Protestantism. All because of a misfit.

mis·fit (m s f t , m s-f t ) n.
Something of the wrong size or shape for its purpose.
One who is unable to adjust to one's environment or circumstances or is considered to be disturbingly different from others.
The misfit is the outcast. The misfit is the shepherd boy amongst strong, robust brothers more qualified than he. The misfit somehow missed the minister in training classes, but still managed to bring salvation to everyone on her job. The misfit attends divinity school with no intentions of joining the clergy. The misfit has praise and worship in her basement. The misfit relinquishes his title for the truth of the scripture. The misfit is edgy, not afraid of consequences. The misfit isn't tainted by church. They're not mad at their pastor for not being God. The misfit doesn't fit the proper description of an evangelist, a pastor, a teacher…but they're called. They're anointed. They fear no one. Not the world; Not even the church. Ready to start a revolution, misfit? I am.

Martin Luther & Extremist Doctrine

Luther's stance against the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church was contagious. More and more people absorbed his theories and carried his initiative while he was in exile for a short while. But soon, their allegiance turned into a violent revolt that left many dead in the name of Jesus of course. No, No, Luther was greatly opposed to this. I wonder, when all is said and done, and we're dining in glory with our Father and the Apostle Paul opens his mouth to address us all, what will he say? He'll say,…"That's not what I meant!" I pity some of our forefathers and foremothers who introduced liberating ideologies that were in turn transformed into fanatical, over-righteous movements…cults. The great crusades…in the name of Jesus. The Holocaust (The Shoah)…in the name if Hitler, in the name of Jesus. The lynching blacks and killing gays and silencing women…in the name of Jesus. Extremist Doctrine. Misinterpretation leading to abortion.

Martin Luther & Liberation Theology

“..and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” I guess the quintessence of true Liberation Theology is that all theology in the name of Jesus is liberating. And I also guess that the illusion of such play on words would have had me spellbound if not for my flare for analytical study. Liberation Theology of the 21st Century should instead be called, Postmodern Theology. Of course there’s no such thing, but we’re living in a world where people like to feel better about sin. I mean, is the term “sin” even in the dictionary anymore? Of course not, because after all, there’s no such thing. Then of course the term “conscience” couldn’t be there either because it’s the conscience that makes man aware of his sin. Yet, even still, our strange creation has even come up with a remedy for that called Zoloft, as a means to treat depression. Luther found liberation in Christ Jesus. He found liberation in proper hermeneutical and exegetical interpretation of scripture. Apart of a group that proclaimed the freedom in Christ, they promoted bondage instead. They taught that all salvation is amongst the Roman Catholic Church. It was Luther that declared the truth of the scripture. Luther wanted everyone to know the truth, so he translated the Bible so that everyone (not just the church leaders) could read the liberating realities that it presented. I don’t suppose Martin Luther would oppose Liberation Theology, but he would oppose Postmodern Theology. If the truth is Christ Jesus and the truth is His word, then why label anything contrary, liberating? There’s nothing liberating about enslavement. What’s even worse is that you’ve been fooled into believing that your bondage is really your freedom. I think Luther would rename it, Confinement Theology. Cute.

A Crush: A Beautiful Thing

A Crush can be a beautiful thing if you know your limitations. And this thing I have with whathisname at the gym, is a beautiful thing. No offense to Alicia Keys, but you don't want to know his name. You don't get involved with your crush. I tried that. It didn't work. I was so elated and obsessed by the fact that "I won", that I was completely incapable of getting into a real relationship with him. So I've learned and fate has once again given me yet another chance to do it right this time. You make observations, but you don't analyze them. You reason them out.

Observation: He has this Jason Kidd thing going on.

Alter-Reason: He plays basketball. He was the star in high school. Went to play ball in college. Now pursuing his dream of working in the field of kinesiology. which brings me to my next point:

Observation: He works at Bally's

Alter-Reason: Never mind the fact that he's probably making $8 and hour. This is merely a part time job, along with his full time 9-5. Which would explain why I only see him after 8pm.

Observation: When I see him, he has his Bally's uniform on.

Alter-Reason: He's above throwbacks and fitted's, although on a relaxed day he might dig one out. No. He's Dolce & Gabana meets Kenneth Cole meets Paul Frederick.

Observation: I saw him lifting with free weights.

Alter-Reason: He's not gay. I have this theory that guys that go to the gym and only focus on abs are gay. Anyway, his workout regime is always full body. But his goal isn't to be huge, but healthy; shapely.

Observation: He's personable…funny…witty.

Alter-Reason: He's educated. He's born again. He is a radical, Christed-Out, soldier ready to trample upon the kingdom of darkness awaiting the glory that precedes us! (Okay that may be a bit much)

Do you see my point? Look, but don't touch. Wonder, but don't ask. Observe, but don't investigate. A Crush can be a beautiful thing.

P.S. - You'll know if I've broken my rules of standard if one day this blog magically disappears.

Null: 2005 and Beyond

You know, I was thinking.
This next year is going to be something isn't it?
For me; for the Body of Christ.
I take it you're aware of this too.
We've had some great times together.
You continuously trying to steal what it is that I possess;
me cluelessly not understanding what it is that I posses that you envy.
Remember last year when you tried to kill me?
I didn't understand it then, but I do understand it now.
And as much as i've enjoyed this game, it's my turn to retreat.

I'm going to take what it is that you fear in me and throw it in your face. I'm going to tear your kingdom down by the Word of the sword. Don't you know this isn't your time? My Father hasn't taken us yet, so WE rule and reign! Oh, and i'm taking some of your people with me. I'm taking back those that you've stolen from me. I'm going to release them from that jail that you call a mind. At the sound of my voice and the power of His spirit, I will reverse every spell. And when I do i'm going to literally cut the living hell out of them. I will suck the poison out from your snake bites. I'm going to put and end to your curse and make a mockery out of your lies and there's nothing that you will be able to do about it. I'll have you begging to be thrown in the hell that YHWH has made for you. When you even think about opening your mouth to release your spittle upon me my angels will hearken to the words of Christ that proceed from my mouth and plague you with shame. Your curses are void. Your threats are null. Your womb is barren. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me or mine. I will destroy you, and I'll have no need for your weapons. Your bigotry, your lies, your perversions. I am going to stop at nothing to yield my entire being to complete possession of the Holy Spirit. And then i'll no longer be me; i'll be Him. For all who were baptized into Christ, are clothed with Christ. The Word made flesh. I am your worst nightmare. A person with the relinquished power of Christ and the authority to make, even you, bow down to the name of Jesus. What it is that you've created, is what will soon overcome you: Fear. History is only written by the winners and our story is written not in ink but in blood. GYE NYAME.

Are you beginning to see it now?
No....No, this is different.
You've seen it all along.

Not Mine...Lewis' Again.

"By the goodness of God we mean nowadays almost exclusively His lovingness; and in this we may be right. And by Love, in this context, most of us mean kindness-the desire to see others than the self happy; not happy in this way or in that, but just happy. What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, 'What does it matter so long as they are contented? We want, in fact, not so much a Father in heaven as a grandfather in Heaven- a senile benevolence who, as they say, 'liked to see young people enjoying themselves', and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, 'a good time was had by all'. Not many people, I admit, would formulate a theology in precisely those terms: but a conception not very different lurks at the back of many minds. I do not claim to be an exception: I should very much like to live in a universe which was governed on such lines. But since it is abundantly clear that I don't, and since I have reason to believe, nevertheless, that God is Love, I conclude that my conception of Love needs correction…
…When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that He has some 'disinterested', because really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the 'lord of terrible aspect', is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the car of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that made the worlds."
an excerpt from The Problem of Pain

History

Lord, You've given me this gift and now I'm giving it back to You.
History is about to be made...
But before I go on, I'd like to thank Grace, Ryan, Dorrine, Dante and M. Johnson. And most of all I'd like to thank Lot: You are as much a part of me as I am to you.

God I Hope He's Saved.

God, I hope he's saved.
"I remember the first day of classes at College. I was on my way to class and there was this guy walking up the street who seemed kind of cute. At first I was behind him so I really couldn't get a good look at him, so I gracefully picked up the pace a bit …I noticed that somebody was behind him and eventually turned around … That's when I got a better glance at him. He was gorgeous!!! The first thing that I thought was, "He is too pretty, He must be Gay!"We ended up walking in the same building and ended up in the same class. I went to this class everyday in hopes of getting to know him better, to see whether or not he was Gay, but more importantly to know if he was Saved. One day he smiled and said hello and from then on we started a casual friendship … f course I was a bit uneasy because I really wanted him to be at least a "little" saved so I wouldn't feel like a little 'heathen!' "… Shante

God I hope he's saved.
"Okay, so. I'm at Enterprise, right and I was writing a customer up. This guy walks in and I always see him around the lot, but I've never seen him come in the store. Well he was returning a car cause he rented one this weekend. I went up to him and he looked at me and I said, "Hi, how you doin?" I introduced my self and I said "My name is Ebonee", and he said his name was whatever it was cause I don’t even remember. You always see cute guys, but there's a difference when you see someone that you're actually drawn to. There was an attraction there. I really wanted to talk to him a little more, get to know him. The way he looked, the way he smiled…he was a cutie. If he was saved and not married with no kids…it'd be on." Ebonee

God, I hope he's saved.
So there's this guy at the gym. He is like, the definition of attractive. I can't deal with the whole "a monet" thing so I'm totally okay with seeing him from afar. But today, today he smiled at me. And today, today he talked to me. And I am like so sprung cause he is like, so the bomb. Yeah, yeah, yeah,…is he saved? But come on, how will I ever know the answer to that question if I don't slip him my number? Khristi

God I hope he's saved.
So I started this new job and it was cool. One of my new co-workers was introducing to all the other coworkers and all of a sudden I saw this fine young specimen of a man. Goodness, drop dead gorgeous... nice smile...sweet...just a woman's dream. I tried playing it cool; not really making mself known, trying to keep some mystery to who I was. Then one day I had to take some items back to where he was and we ended up talking. It was perfect. He was everything I wanted in a man and from that day it was on. He came out and gave me his number, so we talked and tried keeping all this under wraps while at work. I mean the guy was everything that a girl could want, yet despite all that, in the back of my mind was looming the obvious question.... is he saved? Lord God, please say he saved, for my sake. If not then this is just pure temptation. As I constantly would say to myself, "and lead me not into temptation..." Fulei

God I hope he's saved.
i've become very good friends with a guy from college who's problem is that he claims that he loves me as more. Besides the fact that he's got a girlfriend of 4 yrs, he not saved...he claims that he has a relationship w/ God, praying, etc....but he wont step inside a church since he has had bad experiences....what makes it worse is that my family loves him and loves having him around like he is a significant other......I of course have put my foot down defining the word "friendship", but its hard when your best guy friend has all the qualities you need and want in a husband.....except for being single...and oh yeah, that "saved" thing.... Eleith

- (Girl, he still go with her?...we need to talk.)

God I hope he's saved.
"You know what the bad thing is, I knew he wasn't. We met at school and we started talking and before we knew it we really liked each other. He said he read the bible, but his actions didn't show, but my feelings were so involved. He was fine! I loved being in his company. Therefore we just nevere talked about religion. And sadly, I was okay with that." Sue.

God I hope he's saved.
So yeah there is this one guy, who I have known all my life, grew up together, went to the same school, church, and all...never paid me any mind..but believe me when I say he took up a lot of space in my Frontal Lobe..lol. But now after nearly 20 years of existence..he finally approaches me with some interest. It was all good when I was attracted and had a crush on him, but now that he is interested in me I'm like....(ummm...ok????) Hesitant, quiet, and a mess. As I stated before he was a member of my church back home..but now that he is older he is doing his own thing. We tend to have conversations about Christ, church, and the whole 9, it is evident that he is a believer, meaning that yeah he believes in Jesus Christ..but is he walking?...now that's a different story... Tamarah

God I hope he's saved.
"During my senior year in high school, I would always bump into this guy around 5th period. You talking hot, the brother was the real deal. He always had on an outfit that looked like he just came out of Macy's or Nordstrom's. Never thought I could talk to him, until he came up to me and started talking to me. We became friends, then started chillin out. Did I ask if he was saved? Nope. I thought I could examine it by his actions. He was the most heart-felt person I had ever met and was not saved. I really felt I could not ask because I thought he would think less of me. Did I try to ask him? Nope. I just hoped he was." Leah

Quote of the Week!

"I mean, my whole thing is this: You've got to be makin' over 70k because I need to be able to have the option to work or not. My work money should be my play money. My money should not go towards the mortgage or God forbid the rent. You need to be able to afford me and my kids. There is no sin in being a kept wife. "What's you occupation?" Kept Wife."
Ebonee on her husband

Today Was a Good Day.

I exhaled.
I reconciled.
I laughed.
I worshipped.
I sacrificed.
I fell in love....all over again.
I relaxed.
I conversed.
I repented.
I was born again...again.
I sang.
I forgave.
I cried.
I rejoiced.
I met my Maker and He smiled and said, "Well Done."
but is it finished?...nahhhhh...not even close.

Orgasm Spasms

Oh friend, Why do you continue to complain and complain about those complexities of the Creator, whining hysterically vis-à-vis His nerve. The nerve. Of Him. To cut you off. In the middle. Of your life. To give you life. And then demand. That it not be your own. I pity you, whose freedom comes from bondage. Who'll favor the bluer sky and the hot hell for the whim of a temporary fix. Yes. Yes. That's what that is: A temporary fix. My friend, everything finite has an end. Do you consider yourself immortal? And if you are finite, then the world in which you live, could that too be considered finite? In light of catastrophe, global warming and social decline, I would consider the possibilities. How then, could an immortal, infinite world be as disastrous as the one in which we live? Then, I guess this too has to be considered finite. And if you are finite and the world in which we live is also, then I suppose that everything in which it contains is finite. Every good thing will come to an end. What then do we have to look forward to? What do we have to live for? Nothing apart from Christ. Consider the infinite possibilities! "Only what you do for Christ will last." "Storing things in heaven". "Reaping spiritual from sowing". And let's not forget the grand finale: ETERNAL LIFE Ladies and Gentlemen! It's all so enticing. Ahhhh, the distinct possibilities of life with no end makes me hungry. So why? Why is it so fiercely intricate to part with the temporary? The eternal has become a staunch movement passionately protested by postsexualgnostictransgenderedphilosophical organisms who too, were created for the eternal, but became seduced by the hallucinogenic orgasms that this "world" has to offer. If you are desperately searching for a religion that best suits your needs, I suggest you look in the section of the library entitled, "Eternal Dogma". Why spend your time wasting away venturing through yet another temporary fix? Things to offer you pleasures within the limits of our suspending global sphere. I do encourage you to search. But rather, search wisely. There's nothing worse than a mortal human searching for a mortal god, living in a mortal world just to die a mortals death. It's all so temporary. I don't know. Perhaps I'm just biased as I favor the eternal. Sadly, there are those who want it all now, who want it all here and there only hope is that their resting place is exactly that. I pity them too. My dear friend, I hope that you're smarter than that.

The Special Theory of Relativity and Theories of Divine Eternity

by: William Lane Craig

Although studies of divine eternity written during the previous generation--such as Nelson Pike's standard work, God and Timelessness paid scant attention to the nature of time insofar as it plays a role in physical theory, contemporary analyses of divine eternity often make explicit appeal to physical theory, and particularly to the Special Theory of Relativity (STR), in support of the doctrine of divine timelessness. This appeal may be primarily illustrative, as in the case of the Stump-Kretzmann model of divine eternity. On the other hand, STR may play an essential role in the construction and defense of the coherence of a model of divine eternity, as in Brian Leftow's theory. If the appeal to Relativity Theory turns out to be nugatory, then in the former case one has lost a physical analogy to one's theory and thereby any credibility which that analogy may have lent to one's metaphysical model; but in the latter case the results are more serious because with the removal of its relativistic underpinnings one's model collapses into incoherence.
It is important, therefore, especially for proponents of the latter sort of model, that the legitimacy of the appeal to STR be thoroughly explored. It is my fear, however, that this exercise has not been carried out by proponents of divine timeless eternity and that as a result STR may have been both misused and naively interpreted by them. In order to explore this question, let us consider Leftow's recent exposition and defense of his theory.

click above to continue...

Fear Runs From Me

"What is it that you're hiding? Whatever it is, God is about to expose it". Those words ring in my head over and over again. These are the words of the wise Myra. Her words remain with me as I venture through this scavenger hunt they call life. Fear. A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. Danger. Exposure or vulnerability to harm or risk. Vulnerability. Susceptible to physical or emotional injury. "Whatever it is, God is about to expose it...expose it...expose it...expose it." And then it happened, one after the other after the other after the other. I remember when the first one hit me. I was paralyzed. I couldn't eat, I couldn't speak, I couldn't sleep. My greatest fear had met me face to face and it let me know that it was here to stay. And it had a name. This one was the fear that what I believed God said was never what He said at all. The fear that a confident President has in his victory and then when defeated, he has to give his speech of defeat to a crowd that he assured that he had won. The fear that I had believed a lie that I made up. Painful. Agonizing. Unimaginative. "Whatever it is, God is about to expose it...expose it...expose it...expose it." This last one hit me hard. It was called the fear of being average. Living an average life, having an average job, marrying an average man, having an average number of kids and being the typical average layperson working in ministry for the baking commitee at my average local church. This wasn't as painful as the others. Cause by now, I don't feel pain. Excited about the simplicities of the gospel and honored to make a difference in the realm of arms reach. My heart refusing to believe that this is the end all, and my mind succumbing to average.

But now I realize. Fear is a parasite. It's a plague. There was no other way God could transform me without me staring my fears in the face. You see, you can't live your life running from fear. Motivated to prove fear wrong. Why would I run from average when I know that average can't touch me? I Am exceptional. I'm not exceptional because I've worked so hard not to be average. I'm exceptional, because God created me exceptional from the foundations of the world. That's who I am, not who i'm trying to be. And I hear from God. Loud and clear. When God speaks, I listen and when He says it, it is so. No matter what external circumstances assert.

I don't run from fear anymore. Fear runs from me.

Quote of the Week

I am not a princess, I resent that. I am 23 years old...I'm a Queen.

Me in response to my mom accusing me of acting like a princess.