Ooo, Isn’t That Perty?

June 28, 2006 @ 8:57 am by Pressed

While I looked at Christopher’s site in the previous entry he directed me to this neato site (and then I decided to steal his exact wording just for fun). This site takes a web address and creates a graphic representation of a website and the HTML utilized on a website.

In other words it makes pretty pictures.

Here is the masterpiece that my website created:

In case you are curious in what all the pretty colors mean:

blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags

There is also a Flickr tag to see other website glyphs from other sites.

If you got a blog, show off yours!

Later taters! (And bye from me too)

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The Pixar Showdown

@ 8:41 am by Pressed

Over at WhatinTarnation!? Christopher decided to start a little something by listing what he thinks the order of Pixar movies should be ranked. I disagreed with his ranking and believe that the ranking of Pixar movies should be as follows:

Finding Nemo
Monsters, Inc
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Cars
Toy Story 1
A Bug’s Life

First of all, Finding Nemo was one of the greatest stories and movies produced by Pixar and will be hard to beat. Monsters, Inc and Incredibles are really a tie for me, so they are interchangeable. If you want to put one second and the other third or switch them around, it doesn’t matter, its all the same. For me Toy Story 2 and Cars comes in at almost a tie. I liked Toy Story 2 better than the first Toy Story and it matches cars in its humor and originality. However I am just slightly more sold on the Toy Story characters than the characters that are in cars. Next comes Toy Story 1 which would be on the bottom had a Bug’s Life not been produced. Not that any of them are horrible, I like all of the stories… this is just how I would rank them.

How would you rank the Pixar movies?

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Attitude

June 23, 2006 @ 9:43 am by Pressed

Philippines 2:12-18 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Life as a Christian is an ongoing process. We are not perfect and I dare say that most of us have a long way to go. Paul tells this group of Christians to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Salvation is a process that is far greater and more complex than we sometimes make it out to be. While being “saved” or being made new in Christ is an instant and full process it is our “sanctification” or being made holy and righteous that needs to be “worked out.” This is the part that we will be working on the rest of our lives and it takes time, hard work, and the power of God working in our lives to overcome our own human weakness. With Christ as our example and the promise of God who works in us to his own good purpose, we are able to make progress in our lives.

I believe that part of this sanctifying process has to do with the human attitude. The attitude can be defined as the position of the body or manner of carrying oneself. You can have a good or positive attitude or an arrogant, selfish, and hostile attitude or disposition. This effects how we view the world, our own life and purpose, and the people around us. It is difficult to view the world as God sees it and we are unable to fully grasp what it means to be Godly while looking at the world through our own poor attitudes.

I also believe that the attitude is something that does not control us, we in fact are able to control it. That’s right, we can control our own attitudes. If we do not want to have a poor attitude, its something that we can change. It may be difficult, but it isn’t impossible. Paul says in the second chapter of Philippians to “do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself.” In other words, change your attitude about others, change from conceit to humility. He also says “let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In other words, change your attitude about yourself, stop making it all about you and make it about others as well. Paul then gives us a perfect example of the right attitude, found in Jesus. Jesus Christ, being fully God still came and “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Paul doesn’t stop there. He also tells us to do all things without “grumbling or questioning (complaining), that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” In other-words, change your ATTITUDE! Stop grumbling and complaining like the rest of this crooked generation and you will stick out so much so that you will shine like lights in this dark world filled with the blackness of sin.

It seems to be stereotypical of Christians to gripe and complain about almost everything, especially Baptists. Whether its the music, the style of preaching, the color of the carpet, the laziness of our peers, or just about anything else that we can talk about, we gripe and complain about it all. Our poor attitudes dampens our spirits and darkens our moods and lowers our quality of life. This goes almost to the point where we could care less about the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the work that He has done through the cross and the love of the Father who sent his son to save those he had given him, and the hope we have in Christ and the future we have with God in paradise, because all of the joy in life that comes from being a saved, born again believe in the Lord Jesus is squelched and crushed by our own willingness to gossip, talk about things and people, complain, argue, and look at the negative side of every person and every things that we get involved in. We should be Christians that look at the bright side of life, seek out the good in every person even when it seems that there is no good to be found, and we should take on every circumstance and situation with joy and humility.

I found this story that I think goes well with this discussion:

A few years ago, a couple of adventurers tried to become the first to circle the globe in a hot air balloon. They took off from St. Louis, Missouri, rose to 24,000 feet, and started eastward across the Atlantic Ocean toward Africa.

The prevailing winds carried the balloonists on a direct course for Libya, which was a big problem. Libya is ruled by a dictator who hates Americans and doesn’t want American balloons flying over his country. There was a pretty good chance that the balloon would be shot down if it crossed Libyan air space.

This brings up another big problem. Hot air balloons aren’t easy to turn. In fact, they can’t be turned at all. They’re at the mercy of the wind.

But they can find different winds. This is done by changing altitude. At a higher or lower altitude, a balloonist can usually find a crosswind blowing in a different direction.

So the quick thinking adventurers started letting hot air out of their balloon and dropped 6,000 feet. At that altitude, they found a wind that was blowing south rather than east. Once they were safely to the south of Libya and its missiles, they heated up the balloon, rose almost 10,000 feet, and caught another wind that was blowing eastward toward their destination.

Balloonists are at the mercy of the wind and can go only in the direction that the wind is blowing. Likewise, some people think they are at the mercy of circumstances. “Stuff happens,” they say, “and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

But there IS something you can do. Just as balloonists can change their altitude, so you can change your attitude. And when you change your attitude, you change your direction. You’re no longer at the mercy of circumstances.

Remember what Paul wrote when he was in prison: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4.) Paul wasn’t a prisoner to his circumstances. In his heart, he was free. By changing his attitude, he was able to change the world.

We should not find it strange that people who are without Christ complain and find fault, but we should find it very strange to see Christian, born again believers to be doing the exact same things. Society around is twisted and distorted but shouldn’t the changed Christian be different? A believer who is just as dark as the rest of the world cannot be considered what Paul calls one who shines as a light in the world.

It’s also important to note that all of this stuff that we should work on in our lives is done within a “crooked and perverse generation.” We don’t have it easy. We can’t retreat from the world and go live in a spiritual isolation ward where we can grow, instead we have to fight everyday to be sanctified in a world that does not lend itself to the things of God. It is when we are confronted with the needs and problems of the real world and we choose Christlikeness over everything else, that we begin to become more like Christ.

The first step in “working out your salvation” is changing your attitude. How do you see the world today? Hopefully through the eyes and attitude of Christ.

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All Things, To All People

June 14, 2006 @ 9:21 am by Pressed

Have you ever seen the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus? If so, you might remember the scene in the movie where the principal and vice principal question Mr. Holland’s use of rock music in his music appreciation class. Mr. Holland defends his teaching methods and says he will use whatever music he can to teach his students to love music.

I think Christians, including pastors, teachers, and even parents should work to use whatever means necessary to teach our congregations, children, students, and even lost people to love God. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of your heart, mind, and soul. To teach others to grow in their love for God is to teach them to obey the greatest commandment.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

It seems Mr. Holland and the apostle Paul had very similar styles. Though Mr. Holland’s passion was for music in the movie, Paul’s passion was for God. Paul’s desire was that he would be able to reach some men with the gospel.

Paul explains that he he is a free man, but one who makes himself a slave to others in order to win them to Christ. I believe Jesus had the same attitude, while he was the King of the world he came as a servant to the people. Though people should have bowed before him, he knelt before men and washed their feet.

There is a sense of irony here. Paul says that though he is free from all men, he is still a servant of all men. Because of Paul’s freedom he was able to set aside his own rights, privileges, and freedoms in order to serve people. Paul had the right to eat any meat he wanted as a gentile, but he gave up that right in order to witness to the Jews. He understood the people, their situations and beliefs, and he was willing to become what he needed to be in order to reach those who were lost.

We should be careful here to emphasis that this verse is not an excuse for ungodly living. It’s a shame that many people will use this verse to justify their own ungodly lifestyle. It has been used and abused by many people in the world and made to mean what Paul never intended. Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new person, nor was he a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. Paul didn’t participate in sin with sinners in order to be on their level. You don’t have to be a drunk to witness to an alcoholic. You don’t have to purchase a prostitute to reach prostitues. That isn’t the point of being all things to all people.

Paul worked to share the gospel with people in a way that did not offend others. In that day the laws and the covenants separated the Jews from the gentiles. Paul did not parade his freedom before the Jews, nor did he impose the Law on the Gentiles. He knew what they needed to hear. Paul new that the Gentiles did not know the law or God, so they needed to hear of the God of creation and who God was. He also new that Jews new God and the Law and could hear about the Patriarchs of the Old Testament. If someone, like the gentiles, has never heard of the bible or read it you can’t go up to them and use words like salvation, being saved, faith, and so on because they won’t understand. You can’t talk to them about all the great things Moses did if they don’t know who Moses is, so you have to start from the beginning, Paul new this and used such knowledge to the advantage of the gospel.

He wasn’t changing his message in order to tell the people what they wanted to hear, he simply told them what they needed to hear, by which he became all things to all people. Paul followed the example of Christ and humbled himself to become the servant of all.

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No Other Name, There Is Only One Way!

June 13, 2006 @ 9:43 am by Pressed

Acts 4:5 - “The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Peter and John were preaching in the name of Jesus and claiming Christ to be resurrected. They had just healed a cripple man in the name of Christ. This was a problem to those who thought they had gotten rid of the Jesus problem by crucifying him. They thought killing him was the answer, but not even death could stop Jesus.

I also love to see the power, conviction, and heart of Peter in this message. Even though Peter had been the one to deny Jesus three times, it was him who stood firm now in the conviction that Jesus was not only Lord, but a risen Savior. When the religious leaders ask him this question, he gets straight to the point.

Acts 4:8-10 - “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

Peter goes on saying, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

There is only one way to heaven, to God, to salvation, to redemption, and that is through Jesus. There is no law, no other god, no other form of obedience and there is no one good enough to merit the good grace of God, except by death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders were still under the impression that it was the law and by their own goodness and obedience that they would inherit the kingdom of God. Peter was clear, there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. There is only one.

Why do Christians have to be so narrow minded? I hear that all the time. Maybe Christians have to be so narrow minded because God is so narrow minded. Maybe God has one plan, one way, and there are no chances for deviating from that path. Maybe God Himself declared that Jesus was the only way, making it impossible for there to be other ways, other religions and other gods that would lead to heaven. Maybe, just maybe, the reason Christians are so “narrow minded” is because we are so single minded with Christ.

Or, maybe we are not the narrow minded ones. Maybe the ones who are narrow minded are the ones who have focused on being tolerant. To people who declare tolerance, everyone’s view has to be so general that no one gets offended. You can’t have a Christian who believes that there is only one way to heaven, because that is not tolerant of other religions. And yet, it isn’t tolerance to not accept the Christian who is believed to be intolerant. If those who desire tolerance become intolerant with Christians, then they are nothing more than hypocrites, trying to force other people to a worldview that they can’t even keep themselves.

Speaking of intolerance, the Sanhedrin where so upset about Peter and John healing this guy, but they couldn’t do much about it. This lack of power disturbed them and they decided that they needed to warn Peter and John not to speak about Jesus again.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and they conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men? They asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Peter the other apostles had done some amazing things in the name of Jesus, and yet the Sanhedrin wanted it stopped. Here are a couple of guys who are healing people and they actually wanted them ordered to stop to prevent the spread of such a thing! It is mind boggling how blind these men were, and yet we see the same thing in our day and age. People who want the 10 commandments removed from the courts, God taken off of our money and removed from our national anthem. Intolerant individuals who desire to squelch the name of Jesus, blinded to the truth of the message of Christ.

“They called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Peter and John had a burning passion for the message of Christ that could not be squelched by the people of their day. They had seen Jesus die, seen him rise again, and their lives were changed so much so that there was nothing that could stop them. They were not willing to obey man over God. I desire to be that passionate for God.

“After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”

The Sanhedrin couldn’t deny it and yet they wouldn’t accept it. It was right before their eyes, the truth of who Christ really was, and they did everything they could to try and destroy it and remove it from their lives, rather than accepting it for what it was, the truth.

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