For this post, I am going to do a something a little different in that I am planning on discussing certain song lyrics that are important to me as well what these lyrics mean to me. Just a quick warning before you start reading, these are all lyrics by Christian artists, but they are what some would consider dark. So, here goes.
"I can only imagine that wrath is being held out
So there will be time for us to be redeemed
But surely wrath is not being held out
So that we may redeem ourselves"
"Wrath Upon Ourselves" by As I Lay Dying
This lyric sticks out in my mind in that it, to me, it demonstrates the true nature of our time here on the earth. In this lyric, I find the truth in that we are not on this earth in order to find our salvation in ourselves, but we are here to be redeemed by the one who is withholding wrath (God for those who don't know haha).
"This is what it took for me to see.
WHEN I AM GOD this church is unsound."
"Vices Like Vipers" by Oh, Sleeper
This lyric to me is important in that it demonstrates the difficulty that people have in recognizing that they are not the center of all that is around them for when they view themselves as such, they are out of control of their lives.
"Slipping away, it occurs to me that my cries are worthless
Acknowledging death, I no longer mourn my own loss
And begin to sing praises to the one that has me here."
"Salty Grave" by Life in Your Way.
This lyric shows me the true state in which we live, in that we must be able to acknowledge that our earthly lives will eventually end and that with that acknowledgment we will be better able to praise our Heavenly Father.
"Despite the best of maps and the bravest men
For all their mighty names and massive forms
There'll never be and has never been
A ship or fleet secure against the storms"
"Kings Upon the Main" by Thrice
This lyric is meaningful to me in that in this I see the thought that no matter what man thinks may be leading them, nothing that can be made by man will lead us to salvation.
"I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands,
I am a fallen victim,
Lord, show me the way."
"Redemption" by August Burns Red
This, the final lyric that I am going to talk about, is one of the most meaningful lyrics to me and if you notice, this is also in the description of what my blog is about. This lyric shows how I view my life and my salvation, in that I do not deserve the salvation that I have, in fact if anything I deserve to fall due to the sin that I have committed, but I know that when I accepted Christ as my Lord, I asked Him to show me the way, and I believe that He will.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Uncertainty
Alright, so, everyone feels a bit of uncertainty when they leave their own country. I know that I certainly have felt butterflies in my stomach every time I board a flight to leave the country from RDU.
I think that this is natural, knowing that I am leaving my home, my comfort zone, my country to travel to another land for a time. I felt that way when I traveled to Brazil and I am sure that I will feel this way when I travel to Argentina, Honduras and Malaysia.
That said, it is not as if I was leaving my country for tourism. I am leaving my country with the thought that I am traveling to serve God by spreading the good news of the Gospel.
All I can think about in this is when Abram (soon to be Abraham) was commanded by God to travel from his home with his wife Sarai to a new land in Genesis 12:1-2, where the Bible says that "Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."
Notice what that tells us? It says that when God commands us to do something, if we do it, then God will bless us so that we might be able to bless others with our works.
The other thing that I find in this verse is the amazing is the faith that Abram demonstrates. Here he is, a simple man of 75 who lives with his wife, when all of the sudden God tells him to up and move to a new land. And does Abram question this command? No, he ups and surrenders to the will of God and goes to the new land with the blessing of God.
And I know that if I travel with and in God, then I should have nothing to worry about. Not to say that things won't go wrong, but to say that I am blessed by God as I travel to do His bidding.
I think that this is natural, knowing that I am leaving my home, my comfort zone, my country to travel to another land for a time. I felt that way when I traveled to Brazil and I am sure that I will feel this way when I travel to Argentina, Honduras and Malaysia.
That said, it is not as if I was leaving my country for tourism. I am leaving my country with the thought that I am traveling to serve God by spreading the good news of the Gospel.
All I can think about in this is when Abram (soon to be Abraham) was commanded by God to travel from his home with his wife Sarai to a new land in Genesis 12:1-2, where the Bible says that "Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."
Notice what that tells us? It says that when God commands us to do something, if we do it, then God will bless us so that we might be able to bless others with our works.
The other thing that I find in this verse is the amazing is the faith that Abram demonstrates. Here he is, a simple man of 75 who lives with his wife, when all of the sudden God tells him to up and move to a new land. And does Abram question this command? No, he ups and surrenders to the will of God and goes to the new land with the blessing of God.
And I know that if I travel with and in God, then I should have nothing to worry about. Not to say that things won't go wrong, but to say that I am blessed by God as I travel to do His bidding.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Trust
So as you may or may not know, I am currently planning on traveling to the countries of Paraguay, Argentina, Honduras and Malaysia at different times throughout this year in order to go and share the Gospel with people. This is all well and good and I know that this is what I am meant to be doing.
Then the worry starts to creep in. That little thought in the back of my mind saying "How in the world are you planning on paying for all of this? Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost?"
And then I start to worry. I think to my self, Oh man, how am I going to be able to work so that I am able to provide for the money that I need to pay for these trips?
And that I where I recognize that I am at fault in that I am worrying about something earthly and that this worry could potentially lead to me not being able to perform when I need to. In other words this worry could potentially keep me from recognizing a blessing from God.
I remember one of the sermons that JD Greear gave at church last year, where he told of his daughter would, when she wanted something would yell out in a way that would progressively become louder and faster. To this, JD sould respond "Child, calm down. Have I ever not provided you with what you have needed."
So, in this situation, I am the child basically yelling at God, "Hey, God, I kind of need to know where this money is coming from and I need to know asap." But then God is the parent, looking down on me and going "Um, Doug, have I ever not provided for you in the past?"
And so with that in mind, I need to remember that I need to be patient, to trust in God knowing that He will provide for me in His time, on His schedule, not on my schedule.
I need to just keep remembering that it is not that God applies His will specifically to me, but that I need to find a way to apply my life to God's will and that in His will He will provide for me.
Then the worry starts to creep in. That little thought in the back of my mind saying "How in the world are you planning on paying for all of this? Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost?"
And then I start to worry. I think to my self, Oh man, how am I going to be able to work so that I am able to provide for the money that I need to pay for these trips?
And that I where I recognize that I am at fault in that I am worrying about something earthly and that this worry could potentially lead to me not being able to perform when I need to. In other words this worry could potentially keep me from recognizing a blessing from God.
I remember one of the sermons that JD Greear gave at church last year, where he told of his daughter would, when she wanted something would yell out in a way that would progressively become louder and faster. To this, JD sould respond "Child, calm down. Have I ever not provided you with what you have needed."
So, in this situation, I am the child basically yelling at God, "Hey, God, I kind of need to know where this money is coming from and I need to know asap." But then God is the parent, looking down on me and going "Um, Doug, have I ever not provided for you in the past?"
And so with that in mind, I need to remember that I need to be patient, to trust in God knowing that He will provide for me in His time, on His schedule, not on my schedule.
I need to just keep remembering that it is not that God applies His will specifically to me, but that I need to find a way to apply my life to God's will and that in His will He will provide for me.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Saving Lives
So, I was watching a movie today that had a line that made me think about things. The gist of the line was that the highest calling that an individual can have is to be called to save the lives of others.
And as I heard this, all I could think about were the applications of this for me in my life, namely that I feel that I have been called to save the lives of people in a different way. That I have been called to save the eternal lives of these people.
Thinking about this, all I can feel is that there is such a way to have a secular view and a religious view of saving people. To save a person in the secular way only forestalls the inevitable death that we all face. Now, while this seems to be a very pessimistic view of saving lives and that I am saying we shouldn't save people, What I am saying is that we need to look beyond the basic lives of people.
In order to truly care for people, we need to care for them spiritually as well as physically. Basically, a new form of holistic care.
I know that I am in the future going to be the person who provides for the spiritual health of the people that I will be with. I know that as a Christian who is responding to the Great Commission, I am the one who has to go out and save the lives of people around the world.
Further, I know that in saving people, I will be saving them from a fate that is worse than anything we could imagine. I would be saving them from a live and live after death separate from God.
And that is what is exciting about responding to the call to save people. That is what makes saving people the highest calling that there is.
And as I heard this, all I could think about were the applications of this for me in my life, namely that I feel that I have been called to save the lives of people in a different way. That I have been called to save the eternal lives of these people.
Thinking about this, all I can feel is that there is such a way to have a secular view and a religious view of saving people. To save a person in the secular way only forestalls the inevitable death that we all face. Now, while this seems to be a very pessimistic view of saving lives and that I am saying we shouldn't save people, What I am saying is that we need to look beyond the basic lives of people.
In order to truly care for people, we need to care for them spiritually as well as physically. Basically, a new form of holistic care.
I know that I am in the future going to be the person who provides for the spiritual health of the people that I will be with. I know that as a Christian who is responding to the Great Commission, I am the one who has to go out and save the lives of people around the world.
Further, I know that in saving people, I will be saving them from a fate that is worse than anything we could imagine. I would be saving them from a live and live after death separate from God.
And that is what is exciting about responding to the call to save people. That is what makes saving people the highest calling that there is.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Who I Am
So, on this post, I felt like I would share something with anyone who is reading this. Basically, I felt like it would be good for me to post a short version of my personal testimony of faith.
I had to write this for my application for my summer mission trip to Honduras. It is always important to know where the person who's writings you are reading is coming from.
Anyway, enjoy.
My name is Doug Arno. I am a college student from Carthage, North Carolina, I wish to participate in this project for I am attempting to open my eyes to differing forms of missions leading up to my hopeful acceptance into the Journeyman program of the International Missions Board.
I grew up in a Christian home and always knew of the story of Jesus, how He came to earth, lived and died on the cross, and then was resurrected three days later. I first became a Christian when I was seven years old and was baptized at a church in Nashville, Tennessee, however I do not consider this to be the moment where I truly gave my heart to the Lord. I would profess my faith, tell others that I was a Christian, but upon reflection I feel that it was a faith that was not grounded in the true ways of living in Christ.
When my parents divorced when I was 14, I went through a two to three year stint where I could be called a “believing agnostic,” meaning I believed that God existed and I still participated in acts of worship and praise, but I did not believe in the god that I had been raised to believe in, the nice old “Grandfather God.” However, I feel that this time of disbelief has had a result in my life that has made me an even stronger believer in the word of God and the ultimate transforming power of the Gospel.
When I was a senior in high school, I could feel that there was something moving within me, namely that I needed something. I felt that there was something missing in me, and through various experiences, what I found was that I was missing the personal relationship that I yearned for with Jesus Christ and God. Over the course of that school year, I returned to having times of prayer, to knowing and believing and attempting to live in God.
This all culminated in July of 2005 when I traveled to New York City with my youth group for our annual summer mission trip. One of the days on the trip, my group made a detour to visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. While we were there, I took a seat in one of the pews, knelt my head, and began to pray. I prayed for God to have mercy on me, I prayed for God to come and be in me, I prayed for Christ to be able to reveal himself in me and my actions, I prayed for forgiveness. As I prayed, I felt a sense that I was not alone, that I was truly in the company of God. I consider this instance to be the moment where I truly became a follower of Christ and one who He would call friend.
Since that day, I have continued to grow in my understanding of faith. I left home that fall to attend school at the University of North Carolina, where I became involved in the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Campus Ministries) on campus. Through the friendships and fellowship that I have found here, I was able to realize another great truth that God had yet to reveal to me, and that was a heart for missions.
In March of 2007, I traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for a week long mission trip working with children in the slums on the eastern side of the city. It was in the time leading up to that when it was placed on my heart the call to the missions field. The current minister at the BCM, Lee Sullens, was himself a former full time missionary, and in weekly one-on-one discipleship times, he and I have worked through the confusion that has accompanied my transition in mindsets, from a very self-centric view of “what is God’s will for me?” to “how can I use my life to fit into God’s will?”
And that is my testimony in faith, how I grew up in a church, how I fell away for a short, desperate time, and how I ultimately returned to my faith in order that I might give God more honor and praise for I truly do not deserve the blessings that I have received. To close, I would like to share my two favorite Bible verses. These two I apply to my life at all times, and I feel that these will share just who I am.
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:7
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
I had to write this for my application for my summer mission trip to Honduras. It is always important to know where the person who's writings you are reading is coming from.
Anyway, enjoy.
My name is Doug Arno. I am a college student from Carthage, North Carolina, I wish to participate in this project for I am attempting to open my eyes to differing forms of missions leading up to my hopeful acceptance into the Journeyman program of the International Missions Board.
I grew up in a Christian home and always knew of the story of Jesus, how He came to earth, lived and died on the cross, and then was resurrected three days later. I first became a Christian when I was seven years old and was baptized at a church in Nashville, Tennessee, however I do not consider this to be the moment where I truly gave my heart to the Lord. I would profess my faith, tell others that I was a Christian, but upon reflection I feel that it was a faith that was not grounded in the true ways of living in Christ.
When my parents divorced when I was 14, I went through a two to three year stint where I could be called a “believing agnostic,” meaning I believed that God existed and I still participated in acts of worship and praise, but I did not believe in the god that I had been raised to believe in, the nice old “Grandfather God.” However, I feel that this time of disbelief has had a result in my life that has made me an even stronger believer in the word of God and the ultimate transforming power of the Gospel.
When I was a senior in high school, I could feel that there was something moving within me, namely that I needed something. I felt that there was something missing in me, and through various experiences, what I found was that I was missing the personal relationship that I yearned for with Jesus Christ and God. Over the course of that school year, I returned to having times of prayer, to knowing and believing and attempting to live in God.
This all culminated in July of 2005 when I traveled to New York City with my youth group for our annual summer mission trip. One of the days on the trip, my group made a detour to visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. While we were there, I took a seat in one of the pews, knelt my head, and began to pray. I prayed for God to have mercy on me, I prayed for God to come and be in me, I prayed for Christ to be able to reveal himself in me and my actions, I prayed for forgiveness. As I prayed, I felt a sense that I was not alone, that I was truly in the company of God. I consider this instance to be the moment where I truly became a follower of Christ and one who He would call friend.
Since that day, I have continued to grow in my understanding of faith. I left home that fall to attend school at the University of North Carolina, where I became involved in the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Campus Ministries) on campus. Through the friendships and fellowship that I have found here, I was able to realize another great truth that God had yet to reveal to me, and that was a heart for missions.
In March of 2007, I traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for a week long mission trip working with children in the slums on the eastern side of the city. It was in the time leading up to that when it was placed on my heart the call to the missions field. The current minister at the BCM, Lee Sullens, was himself a former full time missionary, and in weekly one-on-one discipleship times, he and I have worked through the confusion that has accompanied my transition in mindsets, from a very self-centric view of “what is God’s will for me?” to “how can I use my life to fit into God’s will?”
And that is my testimony in faith, how I grew up in a church, how I fell away for a short, desperate time, and how I ultimately returned to my faith in order that I might give God more honor and praise for I truly do not deserve the blessings that I have received. To close, I would like to share my two favorite Bible verses. These two I apply to my life at all times, and I feel that these will share just who I am.
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:7
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
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