Does God Really Know the Plans He has for You?

This is the John Piper dedication blog...who I should have posted on long ago, since I listen to him very regularly. Also I am headed to Minneapolis this weekend to go to the Desiring God Conference hosted by John Piper! Wohoo! I will be taking notes, so look for some very insightful blogging next week ; ) Ok, so the following is an ginormous topic (50+ pages in many systematic theology books), which I am condensing into a one page blog. Please forgive any shortsightedness.

I felt the need to post a blog about the topic of God's providence because I have come across a lot of information about this in the past few weeks. I've heard people say God is sovereign and in the next sentence say God doesn't know the future.

Since contradictions abound when talking about these matters, whether an artifact of hearing and repeating Christianese or a incorrect preconceived notion about a term, I will refrain from using the terms Calvinism, Arminianism, predestination, and free will in this post.

A recent podcast by John Piper has made me realize how serious this thinking about foreknowledge is and how it changes your view of God. A.W. Tozer once said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

Piper addresses foreknowledge in a podcast series from a conference at Mark Driscoll's church entitled: The Whole Glory of God: Governing and Knowing All that will Come to Pass (I&II) and The Whole Glory of God: The Imputation and Impartation of God's Righteousness. (Listen Now!) Not only do you get a poignant and truth speaking message about providence, but also Limited Atonement is explained (TULIP)!

In college, I got really caught up in trying to define God from a philosophical standpoint. But then you end up with something as simple as Anselm's That-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought to as mind warping as Aquinas' five proofs of God. Then I realized this was a bit foolish since God proclaims clearly who He is in the Bible.
Piper shows beautifully how Scripture is also the place to turn if you want to find out about God's foreknowledge.

The controversy is mainly flamed these days by a group of people who claim Open Theism-basically that God chooses not to know the future. While on the other side lies people who believe God knows everything in the future from who will win the Scrabble game tonight to the exact moment you will die. In the podcast, Piper goes as far to say that open theist call the deity of God and Jesus into question.

The danger in doing this is that you are saying the future is open to God and in fact you can surprise God or God can be wrong?!? Piper explains how this view makes you a little god who is ultimately self determining.

Some important points John Piper makes about sin and suffering in God's providence. First, God does not sin in willing that people sin. Yes God does purpose suffering for His ultimate good purposes. (See I Peter 4:19 says So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.)

Doctrine matters because things thought now will show up in future generations. So I urge you no matter where you fall on this issue to think about it further and wrestle with any questions you still have. Certainly there is a little mystery in all our theology (otherwise we would know everything and be God!), so the important goal is to draw the line where the Bible draws the line.

In closing, if anyone is actually listening to the podcasts I post about, please leave a comment with your thoughts! I would love to get some dialogue going : )

Thought for the Day: God is most glorified when we are satisfied in Him

FREE Online Wine Course!?!

Wyatt, Cory, and I recently had a lengthy debate about which one of the 5 senses we would get rid of if we had to. Wyatt and I chose what we thought was least useful--smell. Cory, on the other hand, went with sight because he thought it would be cool to not know if he was awake or asleep. I was then reminded about how much smell and taste were linked by my friendly online wine expert Bill Wilson.

Wine for Newbies is your free online wine course ($150 value!). Bill Wilson the host is a lawyer and wine enthusiast, who has worked on litigation to try to improve wine laws. I have never personally met Bill, but I have exchanged emails with him and he is super nice! He will answer any questions you have and even did a few shows based on suggestions from me.

Bill is currently airing a wine course he is teaching at Indiana University (South Bend) (Listen Now!) If you were to take this class in person it would cost you around $150, but through the wonderful medium of podcasting it is 100% FREE.

I would like to take a brief moment to say how great podcasting is and what you are missing out on if you aren't subscribing! First and foremost, podcasting is free to you the listener and if you haven't gotten the picture yet there is a lot of high quality, entertaining, inspiring information out there that you would normally be doling out the big bucks for. Podcasters are typically very passionate about what they create, do it for no pay usually, and spend a good amount of time and effort to produce a show (think about scripting, editing, research, ect).

Now wine or alcohol, for that matter, isn't for everyone, but if you do plan to purchase or order wine in the future I highly recommend getting the basics down to greatly enhance your culinary experience. I must admit I knew the bare minimum about wine, but after getting Bill's insight I can now comfortably go into any wine store and talk intelligibly with the wine expert about picking a wine or sit down at a business dinner and select a wine to pair with the meal I order.

I cannot pour all of my wine knowledge into this blog, but a few tidbits I have learned will have to suffice. Try wines outside of California, France, and Italy because you can find hidden gems at a great value. You can't go wrong with an Argentian Malbec, South Eastern Australia Cabernet Sauvignon or German Riesling. Don't just pick up that cuddly critter wine (Yellowtail ect.) from your megagrocery store, do a little research and talk to the experts at a local wine shop...its worth it!

I will leave you with Bill's mantra--Drink what you like and keep trying new things!

Thought for the day: Every day is a new day

Risk, Reflect, and Reach Beyond Today

Based on a study done of 50 people over the age of 95 who were asked what they would do differently if they had life to live over again. They responded by focusing on the following:

a. They would risk more.
b. They would reflect more.
c. They would do more things that would live on after they were dead.

I first heard a podcast by one of my favorite sociologist and evangelist Tony Campolo three years ago. The three points stuck with me and I have often returned to listen to the message If I had to Do it Over Again (Listen Now!).

Lately I have been reflecting a lot on the entirety of my life and the last year of my life, which usually happens at the New Year but I guess I am getting an early start this year. Two trips back to the place where I was born this summer really hit me with how much I have been influenced by the circumstances I have been in over time.

And yet there was a point in my life where things changed drastically and circumstances became secondary. That point in time happened when I started reflecting on the life of Jesus. Its still unbelievable and amazing to think about how transforming knowing Jesus can be.

Risk is definitely something the world tries to minimize, just look at what the US is fixated on...minimizing the risk of a terror attack, maximizing its investments while minimizing the risk of loss, social security, homeland security...SECURITY! We are conditioned by society to risk as little as possible. But why shouldn't we Boldly Go Where No One has Gone Before! Its all going to be over in a flash and you don't want to sit there at 95 and think what might have been.

One of these days you're going to die, they're going to throw dirt in your face, and they are going to go back to the church and eat potato salad. Are you living for a title or for a testimony? Pharaoh had a title, but Moses had a testimony. King Nebecanezer had a title, but Daniel had a testimony. Queen Jezebel had a title, but Elijah had a testimony. King Herod had a title, but John the Baptist had a testimony. Pontius Pilate had a title, but my Jesus had a testimony!

I think this quote I've often heard sums it up best: Only one life will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last.

Thought for the Day: Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Viva Las Vegas or Sin City?

Or City of Blinding Lights or City that Never Sleeps. Maybe City of 100,000 Japanese Tourist or Land of Mega hotels, but those are just my observations. Its actually Entertainment Capital of the World, but I guess that is a matter of what you consider entertainment.

I am plugged in at the Bellagio this moment, where I have been living for the past few days. I can't say that I had many expectations for Vegas, but I have been underwhelmed. The themed hotels take a few minutes to walk through and gaze upon the artificial, slightly cheesy reconstructions of things like the Eiffel tower, Colosseum, Venice canal. Gambling isn't my cup of tea at this moment and Gucci bags don't fit in my shopping budget for the year.

So what am I doing in Vegas? I have been living the life of a geek at a Tech Conference where the men's line is significantly longer than the women's (literally 50:1). If I was a single woman that would be great odds : ) The conference has definitely been worthwhile, drinking from the fire hose as my boss puts it. The freebies have been a nice perk too! I have to give a shout out thanks to my sweetie Wyatt who has been giving me all the little pushes I need to get out and do things like Vegas, Paris, and a new job this year.

Tonight I decided to be a true Las Vegas tourist and hit the buffet at the Bellagio. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, I got down to business. My refined buffet strategy for most bang for the buck has evolved over time and tonight I think I did pretty well. First course was raw fish...so anything sushi, sashimi. Second course I would title as MEAT, so prime rib, lamb, buffalo, sea bass, and swordfish. Next I did a pure Alaskan King Crab palette cleanser, which lead nicely into dessert. With much restrain I limited it to flan, minitart, and key lime mousse. The keys to a buffet are portion control (treat it as tasting menu) and eliminate inexpensive filler foods(like breads and potatoes). Definitely check out this buffet if you are in Vegas, excellent selection and quality!

More to come on Vegas; I need to pack for a hotel change tomorrow.

Thought for the day: You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

Untitled: A Short Story from my Youth

Life has been busy, so I had to take a break from podcasts this week for the most part. So on a completely random note, I have decided to post a short story I dug up last time I was home.

We always had to do creative writing in middle school and then have our peers review it. I would usually wake up in the middle of the night and write, so common themes would appear in my stories. Maybe you can get a glimpse into my absurd adolescent mind.

Next week, I am packing up my things and will be blogging at you from Sin City. Look for a travelog and the most ridiculous picture of the week.

I stared at the incandescent stars on my ceiling as they slowly faded into the darkness. I turned my head slightly so I could see my digital clock, squinting my eyes to focus in on the red numbers. It read eleven o'clock. I couldn't believe it was still this early. It seemed as though a million ideas had gone in and out of my head in the last five minutes. I knew what was bothering me. The choices facing me were driving me crazy. If I made the wrong decision about one simple thing, it could change my life indefinitely. The thing that troubled me most was the fact that I had no idea about my future, where I was going, or what I was going to become. This led to my distress and sleeplessness.

At that moment, a tiny beam of light struck the wall across from my bed. Being in the state of mind I was in, it didn't startle me at all. I am usually frightened by anything out of the ordinary that occurs at night because I feel helpless in the dark. But this ray of light drew me to its point of origin, the window. My hand drew open the shade of the window to reveal a figure on the ground. As I stared at this figure, I felt the need to go outside.

I slipped on my old tennis shoes lying by the door to my room and exited into the hallway. The kitchen was pitch black except for the green numbers on the microwave. My foot stepped on the carpet which indicated I left the linoleum floor of the kitchen and entered the living room. I groped my way down the stairs on my hands and knees to assure myself I would not fall. My hand clutched the doorknob to the back door and turned it. The sole of my shoe came down on the cold cement floor of the garage. I felt a light breeze of night air, so I knew the garage door was open. I took a deep breath as I opened the final door before entering my backyard. One look at the figure to assure me it was real was all I needed. I turned and ran.

My feet kept going as I headed down my street. I took a left at the corner and kept on going. My breath seemed everlasting as I passed house and house. The tall trees up ahead indicated I was coming upon the creek. Stride after stride I made it up the hill next to the creek. At the top of the hill I stopped abruptly. I spread my arms and fell backwards knowing the hill would catch me. I laid in the grass and stared up at the stars.

My eyes opened and I felt a great peacefulness. My mind was free from all worries. I looked at my digital clock to find it was time for another day.

Intepretations are welcome, leave a comment!

Thought for the day: You wouldn't worry what people think about you, if you realized how seldom they do.