What Should Our Response Be to the Revival at Asbury?

 Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard about the revival that has begun at Asbury University in Wilmore Kentucky. It began with a chapel service that students decided to continue to praise and worship. The chapel was on Feb 8th, and the praise and worship service has not stopped. Other colleges report that this movement is beginning to spread to their campus. Samford University has reported a revival at its campus. Lee and Cedardale Universities report the same.

As a believer in Northwest Iowa who is not on a college campus, how do I respond? Let me begin with what I am NOT going to do. I am not going to discourage or speak ill of this event. I am not going to label this as emotionalism or just immature college students. I am going to believe the best. I am not going to let myself become a skeptic, because revivals have a history of older skeptics attempting to quench the fire.

The missionary David Brainard was a student at Yale when revival began. During that revival, many of the local pastors and college staff attempted to discredit the revival for its emotionalism. Brainard said that one of the local pastors and college tutors "had no more grace than a chair" and was expelled from Yale. History will remember David Brainard and the Great Awakening that swept through the United States in the 1720s and 1730s. Those who fought against the Great Awakening are not remembered well in the annals of history. They are often written about as those who "wished to regain control" and who refused to support the young students as their excitement for the movement of God began to grow.

Knowing the history of the First Great Awakening, and knowing that many revivals and spiritual awakenings have begun with the younger generations, with students, and in colleges. My response is to have hope. I hope that his movement continues to spread to college campuses, to young men and women, and to churches. I hope that people reject the selfish ideology that is sweeping our country. My hope and prayer is that young people turn from the lies that are being pushed on them today and reject the hypersexualized culture in our country.

My response is to continue to pray that God's Spirit will be poured out. I can't claim to know what God is doing and what He has planned, but I trust and have faith. I know that students who praise and worship God today have a better chance to follow and trust Him tomorrow. I believe that these events have a better outcome in our country that the current path we are on. I'm going to pray that this movement of the spirit grows and comes to Northwest Iowa and consumes the entire country in the Holy Spirit. I hope you will join me in praying for revival!

Understanding Deconstruction (And Why It's Breaking Faith)

 My undergraduate work is in English Lit. As a student of literature, we studied a variety of critics and critical theories. One was a man by the name of Jacques Derrida. Derrida is the father of modern deconstruction and is a huge part of the postmodern movement and subsequent culture. This movement began, like many movements, in academia and then spread into popular culture. I want to dive into what Derrida said and then how that impacts what is happening in American Christianity today.

Derrida was a French philosopher, and like all other philosophers, he took ideas about thinking and thought and expounded upon them. He took the idea that all objects are made up of signified and signifier, the signified being the object and the signifier being the word that represents it in language. The signifier is arbitrary, it only exists because we assigned it, so for example there is an object growing from the ground. It is large, reaches to the sky, grows, and has leaves or needles, and sometimes fruit or nuts. We use a word, tree, to define that object. The word tree is arbitrary, and if we called it something else as long as we all agree that the word stands in the place for that object, we will be understood. If we called it a cat or a fish, or a flognart, as long as we all agree that word equals that object, it will be understood.

Derrida took that one step further, saying that things are identified primarily by what they are not. A tree is a tree because it is not a bush, a rock, a mountain, a river, or anything else. All of the things in nature have a space that is what a tree is. The only way we know it is a tree is by seeing what it is not. If it is not any of those things, then a tree is what is left. Language and the objects represented begin to seem arbitrary. To find out what something is, or what something is not, it needs to be broken down into its smallest component to find what is left. This is the heart of deconstruction.

Applying this to the Christian faith, once we begin to compare Christianity to another world religion, it simply becomes what that religion is not. If we use Muslims for example, then being a Christian doesn't mean we follow Christ, it means that we do not follow Muhammid. It no longer matters what Christianity is, it only matters what it is not. Using this method, we can remove anything from the Christian faith without problem, and we can add anything as long as it is not in line with another world religion. This has opened up Christianity to be shaped and changed by the culture in a way they see fit, as long as they retain some guiding principle. Usually, these principles fit with some general sense of the faith, like the idea of prayer, the inclusion of Christ, some Biblical teachings, traditions, and whatever sacraments seem to fit, such as Baptism (either pedo or credo). By holding to just enough of the aspects of the Christian faith that we can recognize it against the Muslim, the Atheist, and the Buddhist, then it is fine because the definitions are arbitrary and we only define things by what they are not.

The biggest issue in deconstructionism should be obvious. We can just define and redefine sin as we (or the culture) decide. It doesn't matter what Jesus said, we can just change the teachings, find ways to justify, or simply say it is obsolete. Orthodoxy no longer matters, and historical presidents can be tossed out as well. Nothing can be defined, redefined, added, or tossed out. It is this kind of thinking that has made sexuality and gender so malleable and fluid in our culture. If you can take away the aspects you don't like, then you can simply define anything by feelings or subjective reality.

If this pattern spreads into the few remaining orthodox denomination and churches, we will be in real danger of losing Biblical, orthodox Christianity in America. Faith in Christ is leaving all to follow Him, but if everyone can define for themselves who Jesus is, what following means, and which teachings are right to follow, the faith will be lost and salvation will not be preached, taught, or shared in American pulpits. Lets all pray against the dangerous movement towards Deconstruction as an aspect of the Christian faith and American culture.

Why Won't God Fix My Problems?

 I have been getting this question from a number of people lately. Several individuals know are struggling with problems like illnesses or relationship issues or financial problems. Often when we suffer, we ask the question: Why won't God fix this? This is reflected by the words of the character of Lex Luther in the Batman Vs Superman movie. "If God is all good, he cannot be all-powerful, and if he is all-powerful, he cannot be all good." The argument is that a good God would not allow people to suffer, so if God allows suffering, He either isn't powerful enough to stop it, or He isn't good enough to stop it. Is this true?

The foundational flaw in this position is that we assume we know what "good" is. We assume that what is good is for us to be happy, comfortable, and not in need (or want) of anything.  Is this really good? The best example is the life and reaction of people who are in these situations. It is well established by looking at those in Hollywood and Malibu that the easier our life is, the more selfish and self-focused we are. Nothing will make a person more shallow. We see this very thing happen in the New Testament. Crowds of people were seeking Jesus because He was healing and doing miracles. Once they were fed by a miracle, they were all in. They wanted to make Him king, thinking He would continue to give them what they want. When Jesus said He would perform no more miracles, they turned on Him and called for His crucifixion.

The first and most important reason that God doesn't just give you whatever you want is that it will never be enough. We are sinful, and what we want is everything. We are more like Satan than we would like to admit. Satan was given everything as the Archangel Lucifer. He had beauty, command, and respect, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to be like God, he wanted to be worshipped. If God gave us everything we wanted, we would continue to want more until we wanted to be Him. Our greed is not satisfied by getting what we want, it continues to grow. If you don't believe me, take a child to a toy store and offer to buy them one thing. They will ask for two.

We must stop viewing suffering, pain, and hardship as things to be avoided at all cost. James says to rejoice when you experience trials.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

We need the hard times in life to make us better people. We learn compassion by struggle. We learn selflessness by having needs. We learn to share, and we learn to have compassion. We learn to have hope. Let me put it this way. If we have everything we want if life was perfect and have no struggles, why would be hopeful or long for Heaven? Why would we tell others about Christ? Why would we seek Christ? Why would we need God? We would just be content to live in our sin and in a sinful world and then spend eternity in hell. We had a perfect life in Eden before sin entered the world. Sin necessitates suffering, or we will blissfully remain in our sin until we are cast headlong into hell.

It doesn't feel like it at the time, but suffering is for our benefit. We grow, we hope, and we gain faith, hope, and love through the hard times. Hard times will build us up if we can reject selfishness and self-seeking desires. We have to decrease and let Christ increase, and we can do that in suffering. Learn to suffer well, learn to look for the rock in the waves, the shelter in the storm. Let the hard times make you better, don't allow the world to make you bitter.

Church in a Tiktok World

 I live with a foot in two different worlds. In one world, I exist in the world of Public Education. I work with teenagers, I work to teach them and guide them through their high school experience. It is challenging and frustrating because I compete for their attention every minute. I am fortunate that my district has a no-cell phone policy. If I even see a cell phone in class, I can write a referral for that student. If I tell a student to put the cell phone away and they don't, I can have them removed from class. It definitely helps the situation, but the damage has been done. Students have whittled their attention span down to three minutes at maximum. Most of them can pay close attention in 30-second sections. They very quickly get bored, they want to be entertained and they don't have to have to put much thought into everything.

It is not uncommon for students today to be entitled. They feel they are deserving of what they want and they get upset when they don't get it. They often do not put much effort into things, but they want those around them to put maximum effort into them. In the 90s, we saw spoiled, elite, rich students who behaved this way. In the 90s tv sitcoms, often a rich and popular girl would behave this way. This behavior is no longer a parody, and it is not limited to the spoiled rich kid. It is now commonplace.

It would be nice to be able to just accuse the youth of acting this way, but it is not just high school students. Adults in their 20s, 30s, and even into middle age act this way more and more. The entitled behavior and attitude have spread into all areas of society. The reality of being mentally lazy has stretched from one end of life to the other. It has become a problem for modern Americans, we are connected to our electronics but disconnected from our community. We are united by our desire to be connected but divided by our ideology and selfish ambitions.

We live in a Tictok world, a place where everyone can be a star. I have made some videos and one of my car videos has over a million views. It is easy to get caught up in that kind of attention, and people begin to really focus on their 30 seconds of fame. The problem is, Tiktok is a fleeting popularity, it is empty and void. We are simply making the companies rich that own these apps, and we are subjecting ourselves to hours of advertisements. It has been customized for us, and as a result, we have become very selfish. We now see what we want to see, and we hear what we want to hear. We watch the shows, movies, and videos that agree with us. We have people who are an echo chamber of our ideas. We even watch and listen to the news that fits our political and social agenda. We are no longer confronted with the truth, no one really seems to want to know what the truth is. We are simply content with what we agree with and what we like.

This is a challenging environment for the church. The church exists to share the Gospel. The other world I exist in is one of Biblical truth. The Bible holds facts, if I like it or if I don't. The Gospel will not change to fix my ideas or beliefs. When confronted with scripture, I need to change for it, not change it to suit me. The Bible should inform my life, but unfortunately, we see this consumer-driven culture more and more willing to change the Bible. It has been re-interpreted to fit our social narrative, and to allow for the things we once agreed were morally wrong. People are using the Bible to justify abortion, transgenderism, same-sex marriage, and any other social or political movement they want to hold on to. The Bible no longer shapes us, the American culture is seeking to shape the Bible.

We must reject the Tiktok culture and cling to a Biblical worldview. As hard as it is, we must not allow the world and the powers that be to move us from the orthodox teaching of Scripture. This post would be torn apart by this self-seeking world, and if I allow myself to be taken and swayed by popular opinion, it would be easy to just keep silent and not put myself in the crosshairs of the woke worldview. My prayer is that men in women in the church will reject the Tiktok-ism of modern America and strive to have one shaped by God's opinion, not the internet's.

Finding Unity in Christiandom

 In preaching through the Gospel of Mark, I am always astounded when looking at the rag-tag bunch that makes up the Disciples. Matthew 10 gives us an even better list than Mark.

10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 10:1–4.

Did you see it? Matthew was a tax collector and he was in the group with Simon the Zealot. As a tax collector, Matthew partnered with Rome in collecting taxes and revenue from the Jews. They were often despised because this was seen as selling out to the enemy. You partnered with Rome to take money from the Jews. A Jew was getting money from God's chosen people to give to a pagan ruler. This was not popular, and it is why we see people who are looked down on as "tax collectors and sinners". They were traitors, and the Jews hated them. Contrast that with a Zealot, a person who believed that the Messiah would come in the image of David, who would be a great military leader. They wanted someone to come and destroy Rome and restore Israel to its greatness under the rule of David. Zealots were often terrorists who attacked Rome and Roman targets. They were the extremists of the Jewish people, and about as far as you could get from a tax collector.

These two men were as different as they could be. Throw in some fishermen, merchants, and farmers to round out the groups and you had quite the team. In the gospels, they even have some spats. We see them fighting about who will be the greatest. We see the mother of James and John ask Jesus for a special place for her sons in the Kingdom. They work together, but they don't always get along.

After Pentecost, there are still some disagreements. Paul and Peter have words about Peter only eating with Jews. Paul and Mark disagreed because Mark abandoned them on a journey. Things in the 1st century were not always smooth sailing. You had people as different as they could be. Peter was still a fisherman, and Paul was a Pharisee as they both became Apostles of Christ. With all these differences, however, they still began a world-altering movement. They moved beyond their differences and impacted the world for Christ.

In the modern church, there are places where we divide. Some of the divisions are doctrine, some are practice, but many of them are areas that are not essential doctrine. In those areas, we should continue to work together. As the Church in the United States, we are facing increasing challenges. We must take a page from the 1st century, and learn to disagree, but have unity in essentials. We can discuss, we can debate, but we must show unity in Christ. Every family has its struggles, but when the things that divide us are trivial, and the things that unite us are foundational, we work together and love one another through the differences and struggles. That is the only way we survive.

January 2023 - New Year's Theme

     Here I go again. New year, new blog post, new theme, same me. I always do the same thing, most of us do this in January. We make resolutions. New Year, New Me! It isn't a new me, it is the same old me. I have figured myself out well enough to know that the calendar change isn't going to magically make me a high-energy, super-productive individual. I teach all week, I preach on Sunday, and do the prep and work for those things. I am applying to get an English Langauge Learner Endorsement, and I am in the process of getting another Master's Degree. On top of that, I am trying to finish a book and have another 3 books I have planned, plus the additions to my youth series. Things have never been finished as quickly as I wish they had. I have the Mustang, and Brayden got a Mustang, plus I picked up a Ford Probe. With the work that I need to do on the truck and my wife's car, I have a lot of stuff to do. I am working on the garage, I have a bathroom in the basement I need to finish, and the house needs to be resided. The list goes on. I know that I am not suddenly doing to get more time, and I know life will continue to come up. I will have things I have to do, and I'm human so I need downtime.

     I am realistic about all the things I have to do. I will do what I can, and my motto for this year is "take advantage of the opportunities". I want to do what I can when I can. If I can't do it, then I need to not focus on the things I can do. One day at a time, one step, one task. Opportunities will arise and I need to take the opportunities. I will continue to push to get the big tasks done and do the hard things. 

    I hope your 2023 is productive and you have the opportunity to do some great things. Take those opportunities that come your way, but don't push to hard. Take time for yourself and your loved ones.

The Definitive Answer to “Why Do I Need to Know Grammar?”

 The Definitive Answer to “Why Do I Need to Know Grammar?”

By Mr. Barnes

I am asked on occasion “why do I need to know this” when I am teaching students grammar and parts of speech. It is always interesting to me because these students who ask these questions often leave my classroom and then get into conflict in the hallway due to miscommunication. To really know why we need to know how speech works, it is necessary to understand what speech is.

Speech is a social contract. As humans, we are physiologically capable of making a large variety of sounds. These individual sounds called phonemes fit together to form words. Words combined to make sentences, and so forth. Each aspect of these exists because of an agreement, the social contract. Words have assigned meanings, and we agree on the meaning of words. Without this agreement, language does not function. The definition of a word matters, and if I tell you to “meet me by the oak tree”, but you have decided that an “oak tree” is what I call a “light pole”, then we cannot communicate to where the actual location is. To illustrate, I will take a single sentence that is very common in the classroom and break it down so we can see how complex this process is, and how easily misunderstanding can occur.

Let’s imagine that you are sitting in a class and you realize you forgot your pencil. You turn to the person next to you and ask: “Can I borrow a pencil?” Simple question, but by breaking it down we can see all the ways this can go wrong.

First, grammatically the question is “may” instead of the common use of “can”. Beginning this question with “can” may imply that you are asking if this action is socially acceptable. Perhaps there exists a culture where you are not able to borrow a pencil for cultural or social reasons. You may be asking if it is allowed, or physically possible to borrow a pencil. Perhaps everyone has their writing instruments attached to their hands, and you are asking about the possibility. This is understood as asking “may I” as a part of what we can colloquialism. It is a figure of speech, we don’t take it literally, and it is understood.

The next most common misunderstanding is the word “borrow”. In the English language, it is understood that “borrow” means to use for a limited time and then return. The literal meaning of the word is to return after use, but often we use it without understanding of returning it. We ask to “borrow” items when cannot be returned afterward. Food, napkins, and tissues are items no one wants to be returned after use, but often they are asked for using the word “borrow”. The question of borrowing the pencil could mean one of two things. Can I use the pencil for a short time and then return it to you, or can I take this pencil with no plan or expectation to return it? The meaning is unclear, and while it can and probably should be assumed that the pencil will be returned, the word “borrow” doesn’t always mean it will be returned.

Some of the other pitfalls can be the ways used don’t always mean the same thing depending on culture, location, and dialect. In the US, in one part of the country, a carbonated, sweetened beverage is called a “pop”. In other places, it is a “soda” a “cold drink” or even a “coke”. All of these things refer to the same beverage. When you begin to move to different countries that speak English, it changes even more. The United States, The United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa all have differences in what things mean. While we assume that the other person knows what a “pencil” is, they may come from a culture or dialect where it is called something else. 

This doesn’t even examine the use of pronouns like “I” and how they function, and the difference between an indefinite article like “a” and the definite article “the”. There is a difference between “a” pencil and “the” pencil. As native speakers of the language, we often communicate assuming what we are saying is understood universally. This just isn’t the case because so often things are ambiguous and unclear. 

Language must be understood by the culture and social group that uses the language, and without knowing how each part functions, then language and communication break down. In our society today, we are seeing a growing gulf between ideas and ideologies, and much of this comes from an inability to communicate ideas clearly. Without knowing and understanding vocab, parts of speech, how they work together, and how to use them properly, things can be easily misunderstood. The English classroom joke of:

“Let’s eat, Grandma, and Let’s eat grandma. Commas save lives”

This is made in jest, but it illustrates the point. Removing something as simple as a comma changes the meaning of that sentence completely. The only way we avoid a culture where language moves to being completely subjective and communication arbitrary is to learn and apply the rules of communication. Language is a social contract, and we must agree to this contract for language to function and for communication to be possible.