WARNING: The following post is simply a few ideas I've thought up after 5 minutes of word searches in my dictionary and bible apps. These are not complete in-depth articles I've studied for months, nor are they accusations to tell you HOW WRONG YOU ARE. This post is just meant to be something to get you thinking. Actually, it's just random thoughts I've had that I'm putting on the internet, anyway, here's the post
So! Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As it says in Mark 3:29 "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin."
That's pretty serious... I mean, I don't know about you but I sure don't want to be guilty of an eternal sin.
So being the abstract, chaotic, and sometimes useful thinker I am I decided to think about what it actually would take to commit this unforgivable sin. Would I have to scream "**** YOU HOLY SPIRIT!" Or would it be something more like mumbling "I don't think the Holy Spirit matters"
So, I did a quick search on what blasphemy means, and it means " the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk" so I looked up what sacrilegiously means, and it means to be sacrilegious, which means "the violation or profanation of anything sacred or relating to the sacred" SO! What does profanation mean? Profanation is "characterized by irrelevance or contempt for sacred principles or things of God"
So, if I'm following this right, Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is treating the Holy spirit as being irrelevant. Right? Uh oh.... So, is it possible that the idea that the gifts of the Spirit, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, laying hands on people and seeing healing, is it possible that the American church's general label of those things being "weird, uncomfortable, for a different time or place" is the one unforgivable sin?
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
Thoughts on the Character of Odin Borson
I've been browsing the internet and I noticed a train of thought. There tends to be general dislike towards the fictional character Odin Borson from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (He appears in the movies Thor, and Thor 2: The Dark World)
First off, from what we can tell Odin has been ruling, guiding, and protecting his kingdom of Asgard, and keeping the peace in 8 other realms, some of which are filled with baddies who'd love to topple his government and order. He's been doing this, not for a couple decades, but for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. At the beginning of the first Thor movie, it's shown that Odin intervened on Earth's behalf to save them from a force of Frost Giants who would have surely wiped out humanity with ease. It was only through great loss personally and to his nation, that Odin was able to push the Frost Giants back into their home planet and lock them away from interstellar travel. Then, as we see in the beginning of Thor 2: The Dark World, Odin's father Bor was involved in a massive war against the Dark Elves, who even in defeat managed to inflict a mighty blow upon the Asgardian forces, crippling them.
Where does this leave us? Well, it leaves us with the setting that before the movie Thor unfolds, Odin was born into, and lived in, a universe that was constantly trying to undo everything he and his father had strived to build. This is a heavy responsibility. It is up to Odin to make decisions that will not only preserve his own people, but also the innocents of the Nine Realms. That is REALLY hard for one person to carry, and Odin isn't just carrying this for two 4 year terms, no he's carrying it for thousands of years!
Then we get to Loki, as revealed in the first Thor movie, Loki was abandoned by his Frost Giant father for being weak and small, Loki was left to die. But as he was laying in the cold to starve to death, Odin found Loki and took pity on him and saved him. Now, from what we know of Odin's dad, Bor wasn't to focused on teaching Odin how to be a quality husband, father, or man. No, Bor was teaching Odin how to be a warrior, how to be a king. Odin was taught how to slay monsters and armies on his own, Odin was taught how to make hard decisions to preserve his people, Odin was taught how to enforce law and order, Oden was not taught how to love and value a son, much less an adopted son of a hated enemy. Odin tries his best, as you see in the scene when Thor and Loki are children, Odin tries to teach Thor not to blindly hate Loki's species, and tries to validate both his sons' value the only way he knows, by saying they could be king.
Young Thor: When I am king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all! Just like you did, Father!
Odin: A wise king never seeks out war. But he must always be ready for it.
[Walks off, his sons run after him]
Young Thor: I'm with you, Father!
Young Loki: So am I!
Odin: Only one of you can ascend to the throne. But BOTH of you were born to be kings!
Odin is clearly trying, in his lack of teaching, to build mature sons who know he values them. Of course he's not great at it! No one taught him how to be a good dad! But at least he's trying!
Then, in Thor 2:The Dark World, Loki has been arrested and brought before Odin to stand trial for his crimes (The near annihilation of the Frost Giants and his attempted invasion of Earth) Odin now has a very very hard task before him. His son, the one he saved from dying alone in the cold, has betrayed him, attacked his own kingdom, and the people Odin has sworn to protect. Loki is no longer his son, he is now an enemy of the state. In this challenging time, Odin resorts to what he knows, the lessons his father taught him to be warrior and king. As the King of Asgard Odin sees before him a traitor, a terrorist, and a dictator. One that must be dealt with for the protection of Odin's realm and people. Odin makes that hard choice, Odin does what he knows, to set aside his loved ones and protect the realm he has sworn to protect.
Odin: All this because Loki desires a throne.
Loki: It is my birthright!
Odin: Your Birthright was to die as a child! Cast out on a frozen rock! If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me!
I don't know where I was going with all this, I just want to present the idea that maybe Odin isn't the horrible person some make him out to be, maybe he tried his hardest, and is a real quality king trying his hardest to look out for his people.
First off, from what we can tell Odin has been ruling, guiding, and protecting his kingdom of Asgard, and keeping the peace in 8 other realms, some of which are filled with baddies who'd love to topple his government and order. He's been doing this, not for a couple decades, but for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. At the beginning of the first Thor movie, it's shown that Odin intervened on Earth's behalf to save them from a force of Frost Giants who would have surely wiped out humanity with ease. It was only through great loss personally and to his nation, that Odin was able to push the Frost Giants back into their home planet and lock them away from interstellar travel. Then, as we see in the beginning of Thor 2: The Dark World, Odin's father Bor was involved in a massive war against the Dark Elves, who even in defeat managed to inflict a mighty blow upon the Asgardian forces, crippling them.
Where does this leave us? Well, it leaves us with the setting that before the movie Thor unfolds, Odin was born into, and lived in, a universe that was constantly trying to undo everything he and his father had strived to build. This is a heavy responsibility. It is up to Odin to make decisions that will not only preserve his own people, but also the innocents of the Nine Realms. That is REALLY hard for one person to carry, and Odin isn't just carrying this for two 4 year terms, no he's carrying it for thousands of years!
Then we get to Loki, as revealed in the first Thor movie, Loki was abandoned by his Frost Giant father for being weak and small, Loki was left to die. But as he was laying in the cold to starve to death, Odin found Loki and took pity on him and saved him. Now, from what we know of Odin's dad, Bor wasn't to focused on teaching Odin how to be a quality husband, father, or man. No, Bor was teaching Odin how to be a warrior, how to be a king. Odin was taught how to slay monsters and armies on his own, Odin was taught how to make hard decisions to preserve his people, Odin was taught how to enforce law and order, Oden was not taught how to love and value a son, much less an adopted son of a hated enemy. Odin tries his best, as you see in the scene when Thor and Loki are children, Odin tries to teach Thor not to blindly hate Loki's species, and tries to validate both his sons' value the only way he knows, by saying they could be king.
Young Thor: When I am king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all! Just like you did, Father!
Odin: A wise king never seeks out war. But he must always be ready for it.
[Walks off, his sons run after him]
Young Thor: I'm with you, Father!
Young Loki: So am I!
Odin: Only one of you can ascend to the throne. But BOTH of you were born to be kings!
Odin is clearly trying, in his lack of teaching, to build mature sons who know he values them. Of course he's not great at it! No one taught him how to be a good dad! But at least he's trying!
Then, in Thor 2:The Dark World, Loki has been arrested and brought before Odin to stand trial for his crimes (The near annihilation of the Frost Giants and his attempted invasion of Earth) Odin now has a very very hard task before him. His son, the one he saved from dying alone in the cold, has betrayed him, attacked his own kingdom, and the people Odin has sworn to protect. Loki is no longer his son, he is now an enemy of the state. In this challenging time, Odin resorts to what he knows, the lessons his father taught him to be warrior and king. As the King of Asgard Odin sees before him a traitor, a terrorist, and a dictator. One that must be dealt with for the protection of Odin's realm and people. Odin makes that hard choice, Odin does what he knows, to set aside his loved ones and protect the realm he has sworn to protect.
Odin: All this because Loki desires a throne.
Loki: It is my birthright!
Odin: Your Birthright was to die as a child! Cast out on a frozen rock! If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me!
I don't know where I was going with all this, I just want to present the idea that maybe Odin isn't the horrible person some make him out to be, maybe he tried his hardest, and is a real quality king trying his hardest to look out for his people.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Lost Soldier Thoughts
As I sit here working away on my model soldiers, I realize more and more how much little things matter. If I file too little, the arms won't fit together, and the hat will be oblong. If I file too much, there are dips and caves and the body won't look natural. If I match up the wrong arm types, the soldier will not be able to do his duty (at least not in a dignified manner). If the head is at the wrong angle, he won't be looking down the barrel of his gun and will instead be enjoying watching some birds pass overhead. If I place too much glue on, the joints will rub and not stick in place, if I place too little, they have no strength. If I take too long the glue dries and I have to start over. Rush too quickly, and I get my fingers glued together.
I dropped a piece of a hat, pushed my chair back, and crawled on my hands and knees, frantically searching to find the lost piece before it became a part of my floor. That reminded me of the parable of the widow and the coin. Which in turn got me thinking of how much God cares for us. I spent the last 5 minutes combing through my carpet for a small plastic piece, one that's easily replaced at that.
Imagine how frantically God searches after you, you who can't be replaced. That's why He sent His Son. Because you are so special to Him. That's why Jesus died. Because you are just that important to Him.
Think about that the next time you mess something up will you? Yo are not a plastic model who can be replaced or fixed fairly easily. No, you are a human, the peak creation of the most high being in all reality. He shapes you, molds you, forms you, grows you, prunes you, searches for you. Because you are special. You are you. That's all the reason He needs.
I dropped a piece of a hat, pushed my chair back, and crawled on my hands and knees, frantically searching to find the lost piece before it became a part of my floor. That reminded me of the parable of the widow and the coin. Which in turn got me thinking of how much God cares for us. I spent the last 5 minutes combing through my carpet for a small plastic piece, one that's easily replaced at that.
Imagine how frantically God searches after you, you who can't be replaced. That's why He sent His Son. Because you are so special to Him. That's why Jesus died. Because you are just that important to Him.
Think about that the next time you mess something up will you? Yo are not a plastic model who can be replaced or fixed fairly easily. No, you are a human, the peak creation of the most high being in all reality. He shapes you, molds you, forms you, grows you, prunes you, searches for you. Because you are special. You are you. That's all the reason He needs.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)