Kinda Upset Again…

I hate politics.  They are so twisted and honestly they make me sick.  But lately I have been bothered by something in politics and I feel like I need to blog about it.  Before I start I suppose I will tell you my “political standing,” which really is for no good reason, but I am registered Republican; mostly because of my beliefs that abortion is wrong…and thats pretty much the only reason actually.  So I hear my family, people in church, and professors at my Bible college completely trashing the new health care laws.  At first I had the same reaction, I am a Republican so I need to hate everything that any Democrat does… That is dumb.  I am not going to pretend that I know all of the ins and outs of this new law, but I do know that the basic idea of this law is to take away some money from the rich in taxes and use that money to give it to the poor for healthcare.  What on earth is bad about that!  The Bible commands us to care for the poor.  Deuteronomy 15:11 says: “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward those of your people who are poor and needy in your land.”  This is one of MANY passages in the Bible we as Christians believe in and “follow.”  Why is it that everyone hates caring for the poor so much?  I feel as if this is a very biblical thing that our government is doing with this law, and I support it.  And if it makes us wait in line at the doctors office for a little while longer, and takes a few more dollars out of our paychecks, SO WHAT!?  To me this seems to be an awesome thing, and I would love to hear some Christians promoting such a thing because I believe that that is what we are called to do, that is care for the poor.  I think that Americans should have the right to healthcare if they cannot afford it, if we are such the great country that we in vision ourselves to be.  We need to live the way God tells us, and not by these political standards that many of us feel so bound to…. Maybe I am completely wrong and you don’t agree at all, please tell me how I am wrong I would love to hear from you.

- Zach

God is GREAT

Man sometimes God hits you like a brick wall.  It was Monday night and I just got finished at a great Bible study.  I went home and picked up some laundry and then exited my house to leave for PBU.  I couldn’t help but gaze up into the clear and perfect sky because the starts where absolutely beautiful and clear.  I walked around my driveway and into the street just staring at the sky in awe.  Something in me, aka God, just wouldn’t let me stop staring up.  After about a minute or so of this (much longer then I would normally look at the sky) the Lord blessed me with the most amazing twinkling shooting star right across the part of sky in which I was staring.  After this I was overcome with God’s presence and I just could not help but shed a tear.  It was absolutely amazing.  It was amazing to think that God showed me that shooting star.  I bet no one else on earth got to witness that 1 second of God’s beauty.  I feel like God just showed me that as reassurance of his presence and it just reminded me that he is always there for me.  I got into my car and I just prayed.  I prayed that God would help me worship him all the way home… And that is exactly what he did.  Naturally I put on Phil Wickham and I began my drive.  I had to stop at Wawa for gas, normally I would press pause on my iPhone and resume the music when I returned from pumping, but I was told by God: “just let it keep playing.”  Like that phrase just popped into my head.  Why would I just say that to myself for no reason at all, so I did just let it keep playing without stopping.   I got back in my car and the second I turned on my car the song Beautiful came on and it perfectly described what I had just experienced that night.  The song says:

“I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You’re beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who you are
You’re beautiful”

I was like wow…seriously God, hit me a little harder! (sarcasm).  All in all though it was one of the better worship experiences of my life and I thought that I would share that.

- Zach

I Am Pissed

Okay…so I am pissed off.  The past few days I have been thinking about how bad hell is and how many people are going to hell.  Seriously though, can you think of anything, and I mean ANYTHING worse than hell.  We as Christians are NOT sharing the gospel as we are commissioned to do.  I can’t tell you the last time I heard from any pastor present a clear and concise gospel message.  SERIOUSLY WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE!  I don’t understand how it is unreasonable to take one or two minutes out of EVERY sermon taught to give a clear and concise gospel message.  Is it not worth the chance of possibly saving a person from eternal damnation!  I don’t understand…that’s it I don’t understand why it is not done.  Pastors are placed in a position where it is not taboo for them to talk about God, people come because they want to hear about God, so what are they afraid of!  Why will they not speak the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ clearly and simply every time you get a chance?  Why would I go out on a limb and invite someone who doesn’t know Christ to church when I am 98% sure that there will not be a clear gospel message presented.  Even if it doesn’t tie into whatever modern hip lesson that is being presented on such a day, even if it is awkward and weird to put it in at the end or something, is it not worth it.  And when I say all of this, this is not specific to just FBC, this goes to almost ever sermon I watch be it on YouTube, chapel at school (somewhat understandable there), retreats, or anywhere else.  But pastors are just people, and I believe full heartedly that every single Christian is also held to the same responsibility that pastors are, in that we need to share the good news of redemption through Christ.  Why are we not sharing the great news of salvation to every person we see.  Why do we strive to live a life of comfort and stability rather than going around franticly sharing the good news of salvation with every person!  Why do I not go up the guy at the gas station, or the kid on Xbox live and share the good news of Christ.  Why am I ashamed of my faith?  Why do I hide it in a box rather than taking the chance of helping someone know the Lord?  Josh Adams and I were talking about this and he told me this quote from well known atheist Penn; from Penn and Teller.  Penn states:  “How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them?”  That statement kind of just put me in my place.  Like why are we not living counter-culturally, focused completely on missions and spreading the word of the Lord.  Some may say: well there is a necessary step of relationship building before you should share the gospel.  Well then I say to you: why am I so passionate about sharing the word of Christ, yet I have friends that I have had since 3^rd grade whom I have never even invited to Church, let alone shared the gospel with.  What makes me sick to my stomach is the fact that I have been thinking and talking about this for days now, I prayed about this, I wrote about this; and I still will not share the gospel freely.  Why!?  I don’t understand what is holding me back.  Is it that my relationship with God is not strong enough, and I have guilt in my life that is keeping me from sharing the message of salvation?  Am I afraid of rejection?  Is it the fact that no other Christians are doing this, so it just feels wrong to do?  Is it that there are thousands of missions trips every year and the goal of these trips is to do good works and “plant seeds” rather than share the gospel?  I am sick, and I don’t know what to do about it.

- Zach

Long Time No Post…

Sorry that I haven’t blogged in quite some time… I have been really busy with school and church and everything in life really.  Anyway the Sr. High winter retreat was UNBELIEVABLE!  There is not many things that, in the great words of RC “fire me up” like youth group unity!  I think that one of the reasons that I am so passionate about the subject is that it is something that I have always wanted in my prior youth group experience, but never fully received.  Nothing could please me more then seeing the youth group exceedingly united and welcoming.  I just can’t even fathom how amazing that would be, and how much of an outreach we could become if that actually occurred to an extreme sense.  It would be one of the most counter-cultural things on earth and it would blow everyone’s minds, and everyone would love it…  It sounds too good to be true, but the awesome part is that it is actually an achievable goal!!!  I just can’t wait to see  how God is going to work in the FBC youth groups’ hearts, and change everything that we are about and stand for.  I seriously just can’t wait for this to happen, and I have full confidence that we are well on our way to achieving this.  Clearly I can’t even express my passion for this in words, but I am AMPPPEEDDD!!! On another note, school is certainly  keeping me busy, but I think I will tell you all about my PBU experience in further posts, but I just wanted to put something up tonight so that you could all know that I am still blogging and alive.

- Zach

Does everything happen for a reason?

Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know I’m slacking; I took a 10 day break, no big deal.  But seriously I have just been super busy with getting ready for school and other misc. activates.  Anyway I am sorry and I will try to get at least three posts out a week.  So I am going to school in like 5 days, which is pretty crazy.  The reality of it all is starting to sink in and it is quite a feeling.  I can’t wait to meet tons of new people and to take interesting classes, it is gonna rock! But I’ll save this school mumbo-jumbo for when I get there mmmkkayyyy.  So the other day I was laying on the sofa, half asleep, when this dude rings my door bell.  He said that he probably had the wrong house, but he was looking for Mr. Gotwalls.  Mr. Gotwalls is the father of this girl in my grade who I went to school with and I was good friends with in 6^th and 7^th grade.  His son recently died by falling in a quarry and this guy was telling me how he was an old friend of Mr. Gotwalls and how he heard about his son and he was going to sympathize with Mr. Gotwalls.  I told him where Mr. Gotwalls lives, and I expressed to him how sad it all was and I talked with this random dude for a bit, and then closed the door.  This got me thinking about something.  I am not sure if this is something that I should know, that the Bible clearly states, or if this is something that is up in the air or whatever.  But I was wondering if every single little thing that happens on earth happens for a reason, or do some things happen just because.  Like is there a reason that that guy came to the wrong house and talked to me first, or did that just happen to happen.  Like I am sure that sometimes God makes things happen for a reason, like somebody getting stuck in traffic and missing a flight that ends up crashing, or stuff like that you hear about all the time.  Like I just don’t know if there is even an answer to that, and I am not sure if there is any way of knowing.  But maybe you guys know something I don’t.  But that would be pretty crazy if everything did happen for a reason, like even the smallest things ever like a leaf falling at a certain time to provide shade for a hot lizard, or you know anything and everything, it is just crazy to think that that may be the case.  But even if EVERYthing doesn’t happen for a reason, it is also even crazy to think about how some things happen for a reason, and it is so cool to see some of those things from the other end of the spectrum, meaning being affected by the occurrence rather than creating the reaction; but it is also cool to think that anything you do can also cause a reaction.  I don’t know if any of this even makes sense, but tell me what you think.  Does every single thing, and I mean EVERYTHING, happen for a reason?

Leadership

Lately I have been thinking about leadership.  There are certain qualities that some people naturally are born with that makes them a leader.  I am not sure what that list would include when talking about what the qualities of a leader are, but we all know who is a leader when you look around at the people you know.  The leader is the person that everyone wants to dress like, talk like, act like, imitate and essentially become a replica of.  But being a leader, although natural for some, is a very hard roll to fit in.  Leaders need to realize that the decisions they make affect everyone around them, and not just themselves.  The problem is that many leaders, although clearly a leader to the outside spectators, have not come to the realization that they are in fact and leader, and are responsible for the people who “follow” them.  It is really important, especially for christian leaders, to take their role to heart, and make good decisions rather than leading people the wrong direction because of their own mistakes.  Of course this is an unrealistic expectation for the normal person to act good and righteous, without error all of the time.  But I find it to be extremely pitiful and obnoxious when someone is clearly a leader of a group of people and they just disregard the rules, corrupting their followers.  I feel like a lot of times leaders will be willing to be more risky in their behaviors because they know they have the ability and strength to withdraw from an activity in the future, while the followers who will also follow their leader into this activity, will not necessarily have the ability to stop this behavior.  For example something like smoking or drinking in mind when I am saying this, but this could apply to many other things. Either that or some people are just idiots who don’t even give a crap, which in their case they need to be seriously thwamped because there is no excuse for that. It is just annoying that I see things like this happen all of the time, and no one ever says anything to these leaders; no one holds them accountable or explains to them how they are effecting people other than themselves. (I also am guilty of not informing these said leaders).  But at the same time there are absolutely amazing, Godly, wholesome leaders out there that understand their role as a leader and embrace it.  It makes me so happy to see these people flourish is the role that God has placed them in.  I don’t really have an ultimatum that I am trying to derive from this, but basically I just want anyone who is a leader to understand that they are obligated to perform, how you perform is up to you; but if you call yourself a Christian act like one.

- Zach

Limitless Possibilities…

Okay, well for starters I did get my laptop working.  But take note, when on the phone with tech support with people about electronic things, don’t tell them that you spilled liquid on it, because that voids your 300 dollar warranty; just keep that in mind.  So I just bought this wireless adapter for my Xbox 360 so that I can connect to Xbox live at school because they only have wireless internet there for some reason, and it got me thinking… the technology that we have at our fingertips nowadays is absolutely out of this world crazy.  Like it seems like in the past 100 years we have entered a level of technological and medical advancement that no one would have even dreamed of 100, 1000, 10,000 years in the past.  It’s so nuts to think of how electrical current can do so much, like all of the components in a computer and endless streams of data being transmitted wirelessly; it’s just so second nature to us that we don’t even think about how complex these things must have been to invent.  Like when we flick on a light switch we don’t even think twice about how the electrically had to have been produced somewhere, sent to your house, zipped up crazy wiring and into your light bulb at LIGHT SPEED! There must have been some seriously smart people out there to create the things we use in everyday life today.  It’s amazing to think about how God created us with such limitless possibilities of free thinking and gave us the capabilities to invent things that are almost unimaginable.  And if man is thinking up such crazy and marvelously complex things, just think about how much more unfathomable God is that he created not only the inventors and geniuses but gave them the sandbox, which is earth, for them to play in and the rules to play by.  I mean this is obviously nothing new or anything that you haven’t heard before, but when you just think about it, it really just puts you in your place compared to God, and it is just another way that he proves his majesty.  Pretty neat I think.

- Zach

Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk

Funny story, I finish writing a blog entry about how I have no room to complain about anything because everything on earth is so great.  I get a glass of milk and sit on the couch while my mom makes me a sandwich (I have some issues), and she tells me to come over to the table to eat it, and I say “no I am already sitting over here with a drink.”  I make her bring me the sandwich and I eat it on the couch.  I proceed to then spill my glass of milk directly on top of my laptop.  It was just the most wonderful and glorious thing that could ever happen to me! (sarcasm).  It was on when the milk fell spilled on in and so I think it got pretty fried.  They say not to cry over spilt milk, but let me tell you, when milk spills on your $3,000 laptop you surely feel like crying.  But the thing was a piece of poopy anyway.  It was probably the biggest financial mistake of my life and I was an idiot for buying it, so if you are thinking about buying an Alienware, forget about games and buy a Mac.  Anyway so I was like, “ahh no big deal I still have my desktop for school.”  But then I thought to myself how much I am going to be traveling back and forth between school, home, church, and other places; and how I am going to have 18 credits on my shoulders, meaning tons of homework.  So I get home from work and propose to my dad buying a $1,000 Mac book that would actually work.  I proposed taking that out of my savings account, which is completely my money, yet my dad somehow always finds a way to have jurisdiction over everything, so of course he is like no chance in heck that I am taking money out of there because apparently that is reserved for my next car.  So I explain how I will need a laptop for when I am home and such and he says, buy a $200 one on eBay.  He progressed to express how I always want the newest best most fancy toys, and that I need to start living within my means rather than getting in a borrowing habit.  During the heat of this fight I am thinking that I am completely in the right because I felt as if a $1,000 Mac book is a good investment, and $200 junker would just be a waste because it will break soon and it will need more money to replace parts, not to mention hassle and the pain of a horrible slow computer.  In fact I still feel this way, but when I went up into my room and sat down to write out this blog segment, I looked around my room and I will tell you what I saw: a leet gaming desktop computer, an $80 gamming mouse, 2 Bose Speakers, a 19′ flat screen  monitor, an iPhone, a Xbox 360, a 19’ wide screen HDTV, all of the most recent Xbox games, 2 controllers, 2 headsets for the controllers, a bluetooth earpiece, tons of change lying everywhere, Orfe’s desktop, an HD Verizon Fios box, a plant named Zanzabar,  enough clothing fabric to clothe an African village (I am a large man), all the board games that I could ever hope to play, movies out the waz, unnecessary band posters, guitar hero guitars, and a lot of trash.  So needless to say I feel like a materialistic slob and I need to seriously get my priorities strait.  Do I really need half of the crap that I always seem to convince myself of needing?  I never liked to think of myself as an extremely  materialistic person, but when I look at myself through eyes that are not my own, I think that I am quite materialistic.  Don’t get me wrong of course I still want a Mac book, but maybe I should find another way to survive until I can afford it without borrowing money, even if it is from myself…  I am hoping that after I spend all day on the phone with Alienware, I will somehow be able to revive my laptop, that is in a world of some serious hurt, and if that doesn’t work we will see where I go from there, I will keep you posted.  All I know is it is a good think that material items are fleeting, because they are seriously stressful.

- Zach

More Great Things

Sure string cheese is great, but I can’t even express to you how many great things there are on this planet.  Often times I complain to myself about annoying or troublesome things, like people driving to slow or having to work ten-hour shifts at CVS when I wasn’t suppose to work at all.  But there are many amazingly great things on this earth that I feel like there is no room to complain.  Allow me to give you an example: THE KLAPPERS.  When I think of a great thing that has been put on this earth, the Klappers are seriously the first thing that comes to my mind.  Can you possibly envision a family that is so original, normal, wholesome, funny, and talented then the Klappers.  I look at them and I can’t help but just smile because each of them are so different and special.  This is what families should be like, I mean they all love and care for each other, just as their second nature, without even any hesitation.  Those parents know how to raise them some children, it is a truly great thing.  Speaking of great people, and great parents for that matter, look at the Rhoads.  Those are some truly great people, these people care about everyone!  When B or K Rhoads walk into the room, they can just turn a dull room full of sadness into a room full of laughs, smiles, and love.  They go out of their way to connect and love on absolutely everyone.  PTL for people like these that are in my life!  These are just two examples of Great people.  The crazy thing is that there are sooooo many more people that have Great attributes, in fact I could write a page about almost every person I know, because there are some SERIOUSLY great people out there.  That just makes me think, if there are so many great people in such a small radius, that is Doylestown, how many great people are out there in the world!  It just makes me so excited to go to school at PBU soon because I have a feeling that I am going to meet so many more great people and experience so many more great things.  I just thank the Lord every day for the great people that I know, and when you just think about how many great things there are around you, it really puts it in perspective when you complain about menial things, and it really just makes you feel happy and fortunate to be part of the great, huge, massive, gigantic picture, that is  this earth!

- Zach

My First Blog Post Ever

So I really like sting cheese.  Like it is seriously the greatest cheese EVER.  I eat those jons like a fiend.  I don’t understand how a piece of cheese could possibly be so delectable and scrumptious.  I told my mom to buy some of the kind that is like 1/2 yellow and 1/2 white cause it always looked super delish, but i just ate some when I got home from work, and although it was good, it just didn’t top the plain, white, reduced fat, giant brand string cheese.  That, my friends, is the cream of the crop when it comes to string cheese.  Seriously.  Every time I mention how much I like sting cheese, in a group of at least 5 people, one person always says “eww I hate sting cheese!”  I don’t understand these people, like seriously it is so good and a perfect snack for anyone that is human, or prawn for that matter.  But for being such a consumer of  this delectable stringy lactant, I surely don’t know much about it.  Like is it a particular kind of cheese, or is string cheese a kind of cheese?  If it is a kind of cheese it is the most underrated kind of cheese known to man.  If I could get string cheese from the deli counter for my sandwiches, it would be the only kind of cheese I would ever get.  Why the hacket is string cheese not even given a spot in the deli display for sandwich accompaniment?  That is utter cheese racism and it enrages me!  It is so good, and it would be amazing on a sandwich!!!  Maybe it is to stringy to cut into slices.  I mean when you just bite it without stringing it it does kind of chop rough if you know what I mean.  It kind of smushes together because it is semi pliable, but I think it could be done.  What do you think?

- Zach