I'm branded

Jeep, Taylor, Apple, Blackberry.

These are my brandings. Just as a rancher would place a hot iron into the hide of a cow as an identifier, our modern society's marketing strategy is the same. The best advertisement is one that walks among the target audience everyday. In my mind I now associate the top products with these companies. If I had unlimited funds, and was looking to buy a new guitar; Taylor here I come. If a new vehicle is in order; Jeep Wrangler is where it's at for me. I am tied to these companies and these products, and it is evident in the clothes I wear, and the tools I use.

This got me thinking. Where is my Jesus Christ brand? Is it evidenced in my actions just as these other brands are? When you look at me do you see an Apple guy because I have the think rimmed glasses? Do you also see my Christ branding? Is it obvious? Is it branded upon my flesh? Would the ultimate rancher know I was His?

My thoughts

Below is a series of tweets from Ergun Caner. Mr. Caner is the President of Liberty. He has posted 3 Church Danger signs.

Church Danger Sign 03: When all our time & effort goes into BUREAUCRACY than into MINISTRY. Greased wheels not Great Commission.

Church Danger Sign 02: When the majority of work goes to service the organization instead of serving people.

Church Danger Sign 01: When the memories of the PAST are greater than our Vision for the FUTURE.

This first one is the one that got my attention the most. The simple reason is because of something one of my professors mentioned, that he received from a C.S. Lewis book. In the book, The Screwtape Letters, apparently the Devil is speaking to one of his demons, and the Devil tells his demon that the best way to distract a Christian is to focus them on the past or the future. Focus them on all the mistakes they have made in the past, and then focus on all of the things they are going to do for God in the future. As Christians we need to remember our mistakes from the past in order that we don't do the same mistakes again. We also need to look to the future and set goals. However, we MUST live for today. Each day is a gift from God's grace.

Now something that my Hebrew professor said. I am still trying to wrap my mind around this statement, but don't fully understand it yet. If you can help me, please do! He said that we have defined Grace wrong. The typical definition of grace is "unmerited favor". My professor suggests that it should instead be defined as "favor in the face of demerit". He suggested that his definition is more correct because it is grace when we deserve the total opposite because of our actions. The first definition doesn't show this. The first definition is not the opposite of what we deserve, but just something that we don't deserve. I am trying to wrap my head around this statement.

Deepening my Theology

I am about to begin a book on Dispensationalism. Huh?? Exactly! This is a word that is thrown around quite a bit up here at school. I am relevantly uneducated about it, and therefore don't have a stance on dispensationalism vs. covenant theology. Thanks to Justin, I am borrowing one of his books to further myself in my theology. I usually avoid these topics because I don't really see a point in them. Take the calvinism vs. arminianism debate. I don't really care if you are a 5-pointer or a 1-pointer. As long as the Great Commission is being practiced, and lives are being changed by His power, then we are all good. It too often is used as a tool to show how holy we are on our swinging pendulum. I also don't like the way people debate these topics. We all serve the same God. We are unified.

The reason I have decided to read this book and become more informed is because of DTS. I am about to go to a school that used to be pretty big in the debate. I figure I better become educated before I get there. This way I can have my mind wrapped around the topic already. I am excited to actually understand the debate for myself though. There won't be anyone standing over my shoulder pointing out the "correct" point of view. So here we go.....

On a side note. My Dad posted some of his pictures from our cruise. You can find the link to the pictures here.




This guy was a performing artist right across the street from Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Change makes him move and cash makes him groove.