Penn Jillette Wants Me to Talk To You

Penn Jillette wants me to share the gospel with you.  He is an atheist, but he reminded me that you, even if you are not a Christian, still have a soul, and that should matter to me.  It does.  I know that you’re probably tired of hearing religious people cram religion down your throat.  I’m sorry that other Christians, or myself, may have gotten it wrong and tried to present anything but what matters most toward you.  So, in an attempt to clear things up here’s the gospel in simple terms and with some simple definitions to help clarify things.

The Gospel

The gospel is simple.  So simple a child could understand and believe it:  Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, rose the third day (read it in the Bible – I Corinthians 15:3-4).  In doing so He satisfied God’s requirement of justice for sin.  Sin that you and I have committed and that separates us from God (read it in the Bible – Romans 3:23-24).  In doing so God extended His love and grace to the whole world!

What is Grace?

Grace is the unlimited, unmerited blessing of God due to the totally adequate work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Lets break that down because that sentence is like a t-bone steak, and it needs some dissecting to get to the good stuff.  Grace is unlimited: that means that even Adolph Hitler, had he believed the gospel before death could be saved.  It means I don’t have to worry about out-sinning God.  It means that I don’t have to worry about losing my salvation.  It means I can rest in God’s grace.  It means having knowledge of eternal peace with God.  Grace is unmerited: it means that I can’t earn it, I can only believe the gospel and receive it.  It is like a birthday present from a total stranger that is a check for a million dollars.  I didn’t earn it, it is a gift!  Since I didn’t earn it, I don’t have to work to keep it – its a gift.  Blessings of God is a bit tougher to describe because it has to do with relationship with God.  Blessings is not just stuff, it is the reception of God Himself into our lives (God isn’t against stuff, its just that He doesn’t only operate on the earth – Ephesians 1:3 tells us we’ve been blessed with every heavenly or spiritual blessing – read it in the Bible).  The totally adequate work of Christ on the Cross: this means that Christ’s death on our behalf was satisfactory to God so that when God looked at Christ and those who believe the gospel and are therefore identified with Christ he was satisfied and could have awesomely intimate relationship with them.  This is why Ephesians 1:4 can tell us that we’re holy & blameless (read it in the Bible).  Christians are not perfect on the earth, but before God they have been declared holy and blameless as He is holy and blameless.

God wants a relationship with you.  Belief is a simple act, but you know it comes with consequences.  Once you have responded to the gospel – in either belief or unbelief – you know that that decision will come with ramifications.  I encourage you to ponder the gospel message.  Eternity is a long time to be wrong.  I have personally spent hours and hours of my life studying to make sure I’m not putting my trust in absolutely insane, highly improbable truths.  Instead I have found the Bible, God’s book of love, to be True and the source of truth.  Hell is not described as a great place to be, it is described as a place with weeping and gnashing of teeth.  It is described as a lake of fire.  I don’t want to pass up this opportunity to ask you to read the verses quoted and ask yourself where you will spend eternity.

Think About It

I don’t agree with Penn’s reflection on God, that He doesn’t exist.  But I ask you to consider this: I’m not trying to con you, I don’t want a notch in my Bible cover, I don’t expect to get “Jesus Points” [instead of brownie points or merit badges], but I really care about you.  If you’re reading this it means something to me, you mean something to me.  Ask questions in the comments, email me (randy@randypeterman.com), or IM me (if you need that information I’ll email it to you) and we’ll discuss this.  I’m not looking for fights, so if you think you’re going to find that here, you’re at the wrong URL, but I am being genuine because I want you to be there with me in heaven in awe as God reveals more of Himself to us for eternity (read it in the Bible).

Consider putting your trust in Christ to make you right with God rather than trying on your own.  To do so just pray and be really honest with God about your failure to meet His standards of perfection, trust Him for His work through Christ on the cross, and rest in the assurance that you’re adopted into His family.  Then consider finding other Christians who can help you learn about the Bible – I’ll be the first volunteer.

Fit in February Challenge

I pushed my gut out to make it look worse than it really is

I pushed my gut out to make it look worse than it really is

I’m not obese. I’m not in shape.  I’m in the middling ground of just overweight (according to federal guidelines, which I live by like a Lobster lives by butter).  Jessica has been slowly pushing me to consider working out, which is pretty much the last thing I’d like to do besides maybe stab at myself with a rusty nail.  Working out is something that I’m glad I’m done with when I actually do it.  I feel better when I do it.  But I also feel better when I stop stabbing myself with rusty nails. No more!

I’m starting the rest of my life tomorrow – short as February may be – because I’m going to start working out in February and participate in a fitness challenge put together by Caleb Jenkins for developers called the Fit In February Challenge.  Developers who probably ought to get their rears in gear and out of chairs (comfortable as chairs may be), eating less pizza (tasty as it may be), and getting their hearts racing with exercise instead of Mountain Dew (sweet as it may be).

The Plan!

I am planning on walking over 10,000 steps a day, doing cardio for 30 or more minutes a day, and pumping weights (which I have in my office so that I can use them while code builds on my 386 chip).  I plan on eating healthy and you can discover some tasty snacks on my food blog and eat along with me.  OK, maybe you can’t all eat with me, but I’m hoping this will be a great start to a beautiful relationship with the new healthier, sexier (I really, really should never say that about myself), fitter and developier me.  I’m pretty sure developier is not a word, but developerer sounds even dumberer.

I’ll be exercising this blog, too.  I’ll be posting daily what I’m actually doing and being brutally honest about where I’m missing my goal/plan, and also posting about any weight gain or loss.  I may actually gain some weight if I build muscles, but there’s plenty of Randy gut to be rid of, too.  Join me in exercising, February or otherwise!

FOAF: Moving

A friend of mine was telling me a story about her daughter and how she was reading a story about George Washington.  Apparently there was a picture of the Boston Tea Party.  The girl looked at the picture of the men dressed as natives with crates and said, “Look, mom!  Is that the Indians moving?”

I don’t think U-Haul was around then, and did they have ships if so?

Look, There’s a Blog Here!

Sorry to not have posted in some time.  I am alive and we’re all better from the sickness.  I’ve been working long hours for the last couple weeks to help several clients get things done.  Still have lots more hours to put things into play like they need to.  Right now here’s what’s going with the family immediate and extended:

Jessica: well and working hard as usual on all of the fun stuff

Abby: doing pretty well at school and we’re working on Bible verses and such in the mornings.  She’s precious and I love her dearly.

Evie: continuing to blow us away with how she’s growing and learning.  She amazes me and I love her.  Her cuteness makes me wonder how I will ever get away with not owning several guns and a surveillance system when they get older.  Also looking into splice wire.

Kelsey: Working.  Many, many hours of working.  Also, rocking the auntie position.

Dad (Vern): in Uganda on a missions trip.  Keep up with his doings (a few days left) here: nancypeterman.wordpress.com.

Nancy (and Becky & Nadia): in California with various relatives and friends.

Also: you rock for sticking around.

Propitiation in Marriage Counseling

This afternoon I saw a twitter message from PWilson (Peter Wilson) regarding a rough day counseling a couple.  Then at Bible Study we went over I John 4:8-12.  As we hit verse 10 it hit me like a charging pachyderm that counseling a couple (or individual) in sin may just need to start over at the beginning.  It is our tendency to start counseling in the middle of the problem.  Start by making sure that everyone knows how everyone feels.  The problem is that its the middle of the problem.

To start correctly you need to start at the beginning: are both parties believers?  If that’s a no then you’re going to have to address that first.  I will let the counselor figure out how to deal with presenting the gospel as the core issue in the case of an unequally yoked couple.  After establishing the salvation of both people the next and most important question is this: do they both know who they are in Christ?  If the believer doesn’t understand who they are in Christ then its very, very easy to only see who they are in the flesh [Romans 1 looks really different from Romans 5].  Go over the Unfathomable riches in Christ (AKA The 34 things) with the couple.

Propitiation is the term used to describe the accomplishment of Christ’s work on the cross from God’s perspective.  From our perspective we’re saved and redeemed.  From God’s perspective His righteousness is satisfied through the totally adequate work of Christ on the cross.  If that sounds familiar it is because Grace can be defined as the unlimited, unmerited blessings of God through the totally adequate work of Christ on the cross.

The fundamental question that the believer must ask when confronted with the sin of himself, herself, or others is this: if God is satisfied that the sin has been paid for, why am I still focused on it?  It isn’t that sin doesn’t hurt, but it is that the penalty for the sin has been paid for.  The flesh wants to look at the flesh, but the Holy Spirit calls us to look to the heavenlies for a God-centric focus [see: Colossians 3:1-4].  The past cannot be changed, but it can be paid for – is it?  Sins can be confessed, forgiveness can be asked – has it been asked for?  Did God forgive it? Why can’t I?

Believers have to be given the key to walking without sin.  Counseling unto reconciliation is awesome, but if you take them that far you need to walk with them until they recognize that they must continue to set their mind on things above so that they can be free from the bondage of sin through reckoning [See Romans 5-6, specifically 5:21, 6:11].  Reckoning isn’t a psychological game you play, it is the recognition that having been identified with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seating (Ephesians 2:5-6, Colossians 3:3).

I have talked with two specific elders who do counseling at our church and they both have shared this concept with me, but it was the sequence of Peter Wilson and I John today that spurred me to put this to written form.  Two marriages, that I know of, have been resolved, restored, and grow in Grace to this day because of the principles outlined above.  I hope that this might be helpful for you, Peter and the entire body of Christ.

Still Sick

Evie, Jessica and I are all sick now.  I have to lead music at church this week (and next) and so prayers would be appreciated on our well-being.  I don’t want to leave anyone high & dry.

More Blogs == More Places I’m Probably Not Posting

I’ve added one more blog to my wide array of places that I’m probably going to write fewer articles to.  I’ve started a food blog because I’ve had some interesting reading lead to some different conclusions than I’ve been applying to my life in the last 8 weeks or so.  If you’re not subscribed to the Planet Randy RSS feed you can check out the food site here.  At that site you will read about what I’m thinking about food, food related projects such as home made bacon, gardening for fruits and veggies, and restaurants and recipes with good food.  Also, food sources.  Those are important.

Jessica has been suggesting I eat healthier foods for some time, but it wasn’t until I read “In Defense of Food” which Jason’s Deli sent me as part of a contest that I was shocked into action.  If you want to see what motivated me so much you can get the book at the library or buy it on Amazon.com.  I suggest it as good stimulating reading, but don’t do something because I did it, think about food yourself.

Missed the Toilet

If you want to see why some journalists don’t get their work to print, such as Newsweek, look no farther than the short-sighted work of Dan Lyons here.  You would think that the change of having the last Mac World Expo speaker be Phil Schiller would be OK, and not expected to be the second coming of Steve when the first Steve was gone.  Nope.  It is as if the rest of 2009 does not exist and that Apple is waiting until 2010 to tell us anything more about what they’re working on or releasing.  Just because the Expo keynote didn’t involve some new gadget or some new computer that is mind blowing doesn’t mean that it was bad, it means that people who go to a trade show for one event are probably going to be disappointed.

Apple’s last days are not going to be 2009 or 2010.  They’re not out.  Instead they have made it clear that they’re going to announce products on their own timeline and not right after Christmas so that employees are whiped out during the holidays.  Imagine that: niceness to employees.  Dan Lyons is probably a nice guy to some of the people in the world, but this is not his proudest moment and I hope that he learned from this web only publication that actual journalism is not speculation and taking a one-off event and reading into the bones of the carcass of the event.

I hope that Apple invites Dan to their next press event and Dan eats his toupee because he realizes that he’s been horribly mistaken.  I can write drivel like that because this is a blog and not the public facing website of some new source.  He’s supposed to be a journalist while I’m a snarky non-journalist.  Two different things, but he’s making them look similar.  What a sad day Dan had.