Where Are You Christmas 2011?

"O Lord, out of the depths I cry to You. Hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! Savior, come quickly." - Psalm 130:1

"Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Come near, you nations and hear. Proclaim this hope to all nations of the world. Announce it from coast to coast and to distant islands- the Savior of the nations is coming! He is coming soon!" -Isaiah 43:9

Over the past month I have been doing a lot of thinking about Christmas in today's society. I feel like my heart matches up with the passage from Psalm 130 above. It is so disheartening to see what Christmas has become. I can not go one hour working at Fareway without a customer complaining about not having a "white Christmas" this year. I constantly hear people talking about materialistic things that they want, or want to give to other people. I hear about how people are so excited to spend time with their families (which is not a bad thing necessarily), but I never hear people talk about the reason for Christmas anymore which leads me to conclude, many people have forgetten what Christmas is all about.

The popular Christmas Carol O Holy Night was the first song that was ever broadcast over the radio airing a Christmas service. Even though this carol was originally written in French, it has lots of virtue in its English translation about what Christmas truly is about.

"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices." This is a line from the song that sums up the Christmas story. The fact of the matter is Christmas isn't about presents, Santa, family, snow, or any of the other things people commonly mistake it for. Christmas is about the new day that Christ brings. What exactly does a new day with Christ bring?

1.) A new day with Christ brings Exactly what you need.

"I say to myself, `The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'"- Lamentations 3:24

Without Jesus in our lives, we are all bound for hell. The only way that any of us can make it into Heaven is through Jesus. We are all sinners, and all deserve death because of our sin. However, Jesus came down on earth and died for you and me so that we may inherit eternal life. That is why Jesus says in John 14: 6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

2.) A new day with Christ brings The Hope to Keep Going

"It is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks him." -Lamentation 3: 25

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23

Humans could live one month without food, a few days without water, a few minutes without oxygen, however we can only live a few seconds without hope. As a Christian, the birth of Jesus represents the hope that our Savior has finally came. The hope that we are not going to be condemned to an eternity in Hell, and the hope to keep being bold in the face of our enemies to live out Paul's words in Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."


3.) A new day with Christ brings The help you're seeking

"It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."- Lamentations 3:26

"The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." -Romans 13: 11-12

There are times where the stresses of the Holiday's make life unbearable. It is important to always remember that because Jesus came on to this earth, lived a perfect life, died, and rose from the dead, not only are we forgiven of our sins, but we also have the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

Speaking from my own personal experience, two weeks ago was the hardest academic weeks of my life. Luckily, I heard a sermon by Craig Groeschel over much of what I'm writing about in this blog, and the passage in Romans was given and provided me with motivation. I threw up my hands said Jesus help me, I can't do this, and through the darkest week of my academic career Jesus led me into the light once again by providing me the privilage of making the Dean's List, when honestly I shouldn't even be this far in college. Don't give up. When your life is dark and when it is light, lean on Jesus; He will get you through the darkness and into the light.

As we come up on Christmas I pray that people truly remember what Christmas is all about. It is not about the snow (Thank God!), it is not about the presents (Honestly we're all greedy, 50% of the world lives off of less than $2), and it is not about family (Your family is God's gift to you). Christmas is suppose to be about Jesus, and only Him. The person who wrote the song O Holy Night was was a non-Christian. This proves that even non-believers can know the Christmas Story. Being a Christian is more than showing up to church on Christmas and Easter. It's even more than going every Sunday. Being a Christan is a life-style, it must consume your every day life.

I admit, I am far from perfect, I continually lose focus, but thanks to God sending His only Son Jesus Christ to this earth, we are able to find forgiveness in His arms. What part of that doesn't make you want to, "Fall on your knees" and give God praise?

Have a Wonderful Christmas Holiday,
Chris

Die The Hero, or Live Long Enough to Become the Villan.

"You either die the hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."- Harvey Dent in the Dark Knight


This quote is much more than foreshadowing what is to come in the epic movie The Dark Knight.  This quote has loads of truth in everyday society.  Today, society idealizes you which can't be done unless your dead and you can't defend yourself; Or, you live so they can't idealize you and are able to see your flaws. The amazing thing society neglects to remember time and time again is that everyone has their flaws.  Everybody has that moment where we "slip up."



I believe this is too simple of a definition for this quote. The definition of the word hero is, "a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds."  When someone has distinguishing courage or ability, often times they have a strong passion for what they are standing up for or believing in.  This is why I believe the real definition deals with a person's love and passion for something, which becomes an obsession, which leads us to lose focus on the true objective we are fighting for.

I see myself falling guilty to becoming the villain on a daily basis.  When it comes to sharing my faith, I find myself wanting to show people Christ so badly, that I grow away from my own relationship with Him, in order to try and bring them to Christ.  What started out as a love (loving Jesus), turns into an obsession (wanting others to love Jesus), which eventually leads me finding myself farther away from Christ, and caring more about what people think of me, than my relationship with Him.  I find myself trying to be friends with everyone I come in contact with.  In going through some scripture I was able to find two important verses that indicate how to handle situations like the ones I consistantly fall into.

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." -Matthew 10:29

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."- John 15:18

The world hated Jesus to the point of nailing Him to the cross.  The world hated Him first.  He warns us that the world will hate us because of Him.  This has led me to formulate a new conclusion.  If you trust God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and live your life accordingly to that love, you will be a hero in someone's life.  God might not grant you the privilege of knowing the impact you have on someone's life, but I guarantee if you stand firm to the end, someone will take note, and apply your love to their own life.  In this world, we all will die.  We all have the potential to die a hero when our time comes.  


Regardless of how hard we try, we will fail. To someone, we will always be a "villain" or a "hero." The great thing is there was a hero who already saved the day for anyone who loves Him.  As we all strive to show someone who the true hero in this universe is, His Father assures us protection in His word,


"`No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD"
                                           -Isaiah 54:17


As I leave this blog I want to leave you with a question. What is your life going to reflect?  Are you going to die a hero, and trust the LORD to protect you from your enemies? Will you trust Christ to give you the wisdom to make hard decisions to strengthen your relationship with Him when the world will hate you at curse your name?  Or are you going to become the villain?  As for me, I am going to have my failures, but everyday I must strive to follow the wise words of Paul,


"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."- Philippians 1:21


Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Chris

Mr. Lobdell

I have had the privilege of knowing Mr. Lobdell since I was 8 years old.  It's hard to believe that this man is no longer with us, and I wish he could see the impact he had on so many lives.  I'll always remember the good times we had when the "wolfpack" was at Bryce's house for the night.  Who could forget the epic wrestling matches between Patrick and Mr. Lobdell?  Or there was also the time when we had the double elimination ping pong tournament in the basement, and Mr. Lobdell entered the tournament guaranteeing victory. I can also remember him giving me a hard time about going to play football for Wartburg, because in his eyes the Dutch were the supreme team of the Iowa Conference.

 How about the "big laps" during 7th grade football?

 Who could neglect the classic lines he had in class?  I was never fortunate enough to actually have a class with him, but I always loved hearing the stories of him making sure that people check for reasonability.  No one will forget the classic line, "such is life."

Personally, the most influential moment Mr. Lobdell had on my life came during summer after my Freshman year in college.  The “wolfpack” was watching game two of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, (The only clutch buzzer-beating shot LeBron has had in the play-offs).  Mr. Lobdell came in the living room and asked me how my school year went.  I told him that I struggled and got a 2.58 GPA.  I started listing off excuses left and right for why my grade point was so low, which led Mr. Lobdell to crack a small smile and tell me that I can only blame myself for receiving the grades I got.  Some might see this as harsh, I perceived it as a wake-up call.  I want to thank Mr. Lobdell for being one of the elements leading me wake up and realize that nothing in this life will be handed to me.  With hard work, determination, and a will to persevere I can accomplish anything.

If only Mr. Lobdell could see the large outpouring of love this past week.  In a society where it is nearly impossible for teachers to challenge their students and not roll over and give the answers, Mr. Lobdell was able to challenge his students in a way that leads to future success in life.  Mr. Lobdell would always make sure to let you know that nothing was handed to him and that he worked for everything.  It was his work ethic that brought him success.  It is professionals like Mr. Lobdell that keep me interested in the teaching profession.

As time goes on, the shock and sorrow from Mr. Lobdell’s death will slowly fade.  However, the numerous life lessons and proverbs will stick with me, as well as numerous students, community members, family, and friends.  When it comes time to make decisions in life, I will continue to remind myself to always “check for reasonability.”  When hard times come in life, I will hear a faint, “Such is life” and realize that life won’t always be easy.  The biggest thing that will remain is the piece of advice I received on that summer evening in 2009.  When I make mistakes in life, or find myself falling short of success, I know that I am the one who has the power to overcome the trials, or be consumed by them.  When those tough times come, I realize that “tough times won’t last, but tough people will.” (Mr. Lobdell quote courtesy of Andy)

Thank you Mr. Lobdell for the impact you have had in my transition of becoming the man I am today.  I look forward to the day that we will be reunited through Christ.

***He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.***-Revelation 21:4

***Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.***- Psalm 116:15

***For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.***- 1 Corinthians 15:22

***So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.***- John 16:22

In Christ,
Chris Arians

Note to Those Who Say They Can't

I don't know how to make this sound in a matter that is not boastful, because I honestly have no intentions of it sounding that way. This is truth that I know, and what has happened in my life.

To those Who Say They Can't,

“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” Jimmy Valvano

Growing up, literacy has always been a constant battle for me. From the time I was in sixth grade through my junior year in high school, my results on standardized tests left many people puzzled. When it came to math and science I was always able to achieve exceptional scores, to the point where excel programs would constantly be recommended for me to help challenge me. When it came to reading comprehension and writing skills, I scored so low that I qualified for special assistance annually. This differentiation in my scores led many teachers to a state of uncertainty of what to do with me. Most teachers thought I simply chose not to try on these sections of the tests, so I was often labeled as a smart student who never fully applied himself.

Little did my teachers know, I had ADD. It’s not that I wasn’t trying to apply myself, I simply was not able to sit down and read one book for an extended period of time. Math and science were always fun because I would never be doing the same thing for the whole class period, and science tended to be hands-on learning. When reading books, my mind would start to wander, and when it came time for teachers to check for understanding of the material I read, I often didn’t know the answers. It was frustrating not knowing the answer. I tried to focus, but when I was consistently ridiculed; I eventually I shut down, and quit reading and writing, because I struggled finding the purpose for reading or writing something when I was just going to get ridiculed on. Many teachers made me feel like I wasn’t important, and stupid.  I can remember three teachers pulling me aside after class and telling me I need to start paying attention, and that I deserved to struggle because of my lack of concentration.    My freshman year in High School I had a Spanish teacher tell me I was too stupid to move on to the next level of Spanish my sophomore year in front of the entire class. Even though this bothered me, I chose not to make a big deal out of it. I was used to teachers giving up on me, so how was this any different?

When it came time for my ACT test, I once again managed to put up bizarre results. I scored a 30 on the math section,and 28 on the science, but when it came to reading comprehension I got a disappointing 17, and a 15 on my writing, making my composite score 23, which looked close to average if you were to look at the composite score. Shortly after I took the ACT, I was officially diagnosed with ADD. I had finally started receiving medicine, and I was able to focus in the classroom better.

My senior year I started getting recruited by many schools around Iowa to play football. I can remember Wartburg made a good impression on me, so when one of my teachers asked me if I had decided on a college, I told him I was leaning towards Wartburg, and he was quick to let me know I should really consider community college, because he felt I wasn’t going to be able to handle a four-year college. He wasn't the first educator to tell me this, as I was advised after taking the PSAT to either go to community college or simply join the work force out of high school.

I didn’t let his words or the PSAT stop me, and decided to go to Wartburg thanks to the assurance and advice from a good family friend that had always been there for me, who honestly was one of the few people who believed in me from the start. Three weeks after I graduated high school, I got one of the worst phone calls of my life. I had found out that Bernie had died in an accident at work.

I really didn’t know how to respond to this situation. I was asked by Bernie’s son Tanner, who was my age and has been one of my closest friends, to tell my mom to call him, so he could tell her what happened. My mom was at work that night, and after I got a hold of her I let her know she needed to call Tanner. She called him and found out the news and quickly rushed to the hospital to be with Bambi (Bernie’s wife).

Bernie and Bambi were my brother’s Godparents, and he was a mess from this, while my sister was still too young to realize what was going on. I can remember my grandparents took my brother and sister to Minnesota for a week after the funeral, and during that week my parents wanted me to sleep on their floor for some reason.

When it came time for college to start up I really had no desire to go anymore. I had lost one of the few people who believed in me outside of my family, and I honestly quit believing in myself. After my freshman year, I had barely made it through, but still passed with roughly a 2.5 GPA. I looked into transferring to Hawkeye Community College, or working full-time at Fareway because I started believing that the advising I received in High School was probably right.

The summer after my Freshman year God blessed me a great pep talk from one of my best friends in High School dad.  I remember it clear as day, he asked me how my first year of college went.  I started listing off reasons left and right for my struggles.  It was at this moment when he told me something that stays with me still to this day.  He looked at me in the eye while cracking a smile and told me, " I can only blame myself for receiving the grades I got and that nothing was handed to him growing up, he worked for everything he recieved and I need to start realizing this as well."

Going into my Sophmore year God blessed me with someone special to come into my life for a year and ultimately bring me closer to Him. She helped proof-read my many papers, and tutored me through my basic religion class. As time went on she would always freak out on me and eventually started calling me stupid, and such as she was proofing my papers. I don't believe she meant these words, but for myself it really killed any confidence I had.

A little more than a year ago I wanted to quit. I felt alone. No one understood what I was going through. Society had constantly told me that I was going nowhere, and the one person who truly did believe in me wasn't there anymore.

"But not so fast my friend!"- Lee Corso

In steps Jesus. In my darkest time, and in the darkest valley where it seemed like I had no where to go. I couldn't get enough of Him. I read at least six or seven books about Him and His love for me. I couldn't close my Bible, and slowly I started to realize that.. Yeah I am totally worthless........... Without Jesus! With Christ in your life, all things are possible for the glory of his name. I have a message for all the people who called me dumb, stupid, told me I couldn't handle a four-year college, etc.

I made the Dean's List this Winter/May Term!
Also in May 2012, I will be the first person to graduate Wartburg College with an All Social-Studies endorsement.  Once again, God granted me the strength to defy the odds.  Every professor I talked to told me it would be nearly impossible to accomplish this in four years, yet God has given me the strength, determination, and perseverance to achieve this degree in four-years when it should have taken me at least five years if not more.

But maybe I should reword this statement. Sure I got my name on the list of people who made it on Wartburg's website, sure my name is getting published in the newspaper. Sure I will go down in Wartburg's history book as the first graduate with an All Social-Studies endorsement, but I don't want the glory. You see I believe God has used me through this time for much bigger and better things. God put me in classes where my faith would be tested, where I would have to stand up for what I believe in, where classmates would become annoyed with the "Jesus Freak." And you know what?

Who gives a crap about what other people say. People of this earth don't know everything. People out there don't know you. You were uniquely and beautifully made by the God of the Universe! Wouldn't it make sense to think that He knows you better than the people of this world? I can promise you this much. God might let you win a football game when other people say you can't, but I can guarantee that He will guide you into that game, and in the end His name will be glorified because of it. Whether it is two minutes after the game or at a 50 year class reunion.

In my life right now, I have people who tell me that I can't, or I won't. Maybe they're right, all I know is that whatever the outcome I trust in all my heart that God's name will be glorified. I am so sick of all the negativity in this world. Why can't people shut up? But more importantly why can't people just listen to the true voice that knows them, cares about them, understands them, and loves them? If you don't know how to hear that voice the best way to get to recognize it is by opening up the 66-book love-letter He wrote you and soak it up!

So like the opening quote. Don't give up, don't ever give up! There is an eternal Father in Heaven that right now loves you and admirers you. Don't give up on Him, because He will never give up on you. Even though the darkness may last for the night, His joy comes with the morning!

Here are some Verses to check out to back up what I'm talking about,

Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 25:14; Luke 11:23; Philippians 4:13; Matthew 19:26; Psalm 23:4; James 1:17; John 3:16; Job 1:21

In Christ,

Chris

The Land Before Time??? Where Dinosaurs Fit Into the Bible

As a young child I had a large obsession with dinosaurs. Land Before Time and Jurassic Park were two movies that would be on in the Arians' household on a regular basis. I always dreamed of digging up a T-Rex's head in my backyard. Sadly that dream never came true, and as I grew older my interests started to go into different areas. Recently one of the youth at Remix 316 asked the question did dinosaurs could exist before Jesus? The easy answer could have been a simple yes, but I took this question more as how can Christianity, or if you wanted to get technical Islam and Judaism explain dinosaurs if they believe in Genesis' creation description. Over the past week and a half I have been praying, reading Genesis, and researching, and I believe God has given me the answer to this question.

First things first. If one were to ask an evolutionist when the dinosaurs lived, they would tell you that they roamed the earth nearly 140 million years ago, and became extinct around 65 million years ago. The key to addressing this question is that these scientists are only able to make their best prediction doing scientific research that quite frankly is way over my head. The fact of the matter is that there is no way of knowing for sure that they roamed around the earth millions of years ago.

If Genesis 1:24-31 we learn that on the sixth day God created the animals of the land as well as Adam and Eve. Dinosaurs would have been a land animal, so they would have been created on the sixth day. With God, it is hard to determine how long one of these days were exactly. That's a question that quite frankly I feel will never be answered, but that is content for a different discussion. In verses 29-31 we learn that all animals, including humans were ordered to be vegetarians.

It wasn't until Adam's sin, that death came into the world. There are multiple spots throughout the Bible that prove this point. Here is an example of one.
"Sin came into the world because of what one man did, and with sin came death. This is why everyone must die- because everyone sinned."- Romans 5:12

Now we know that Jesus came to die for that sin so ultimately death will be overcome, but this is why animals, humans, plants, etc die here on earth. If you want more scripture to read about Adam's sin leading to death check out; Romans 8:20-22, Acts 3:21, Hebrews 9:22, Revelation 21:1-4, Revelation 22:3. (If you need more ask me)

It was at Adam's sin when the big bad T-Rex started terrorizing its victims for food!

As time goes on, Man and dinosaurs do live together, and in Genesis 6:12, we learn that all flesh, (meaning man and animals) became evil. Dinosaurs tended to be violent creatures like many evolutionists have pointed out, and I personally believe that dinosaurs were killing one another, as well as humans who God created in His own image. This is the part in the Bible where God sends the flood and Noah builds the ark.

In Genesis 7:2-9 we learn that God is sending two (seven for clean animals) of every animal to the ark. I believe that this included dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are often thought of as very large, but in reality most really weren't, and there wouldn't have been that many different kinds of dinosaurs. If you asked most dinosaur experts, most dinosaurs were the same kind of dinosaur, they just received a different name because of their geographical region their fossils were discovered in.

For the many dinosaurs that did not get on the ark, they died quickly by drowning when God flooded the world. This quick death, along with the large amounts of sand and water would explain why so many fossils have been found. Their bones would have been preserved quite well. This is why archeologists are able to find many bones of animals preserved in rock around the world in my opinion, not just the dinosaurs. This flood is often believed to have happened roughly 4500 years ago (Big difference from millions of years ago).

I will continue this blog by predicting that dinosaurs were alive around the time of Job (who lived after the flood). In Job 40:15 God is telling Job to look at the behemoth. In verses 15-24 God describes many of the characteristics of the "behemoth." A "behemoth" is described as a huge animal that God made and only He could control. When you read through the characteristics used to describe the "behemoth," one will find many similarities to the descriptions we have of dinosaurs. Here are some of the descriptions strength (v.16), tail like a cedar tree (v.17), bones like tubes of bronze (v.18), the list goes on and on.. Check it out!!

So if dinosaurs existed after the flood what ultimately happened to them? I believe that if you look this question without thinking of any evolutionist theory you will find your answer. At the time of the Flood, many of the sea creatures died, but some survived. In addition, all of the land creatures outside the Ark died, but the representatives of all the kinds that survived on the Ark lived in the new world after the Flood. Those land animals (including dinosaurs) found the new world to be much different than the one before the Flood. Due to (1) competition for food that was no longer in abundance, (2) other catastrophes, (3) man killing for food (and perhaps for fun), and (4) the destruction of habitats, etc., many species of animals eventually died out. The group of animals we now call dinosaurs just happened to die out too. In fact, quite a number of animals become extinct each year. Extinction seems to be the rule in Earth history (not the formation of new types of animals as you would expect from evolution).

The lesson we can learn from dinosaurs is relatively simple. When Adam sinned, death was brought into the world. We all have sinned (check out Romans 3:23), and we all will end up like the dinosaurs someday, if we do not accept the treasure that we have in Jesus Christ. God showed that He was all-powerful by destroying the dinosaurs, and millions of other wicked creatures with water in the flood. It also leads us to realize that God is coming again. He is going to have Jesus come and save His followers, and after being like a thief in the night, the earth will burn up (Check out 2 Peter 3:12 and book of Revelation).

After looking into this topic, I am thankful that God sent His only Son to die for our sins. Without Jesus our lives are worthless, and the human race would be even more worthless than we already are, much like the dinosaurs. It is important to go out and spread disciples of all nations like Jesus tells His disciples to do in the end of Matthew (Matthew 28:19-20). By spreading that love, people will start to see God for what He truly is, Love. It is God's love that was pored out to us as His son hung on the cross. It is God's love and mercy that sets us free from sin, and it is His Son Jesus, which leads us to Him.

In Christ,
Chris

The Things Your Philosophy Teacher Doesn't Teach You part 2

So today in class we talked about why evil is allowed on earth. The claim was made that Satan is really a figure of our imagination, and people use Satan as an escape goat for our sins. When I spoke up in class, my teacher claimed that I was arguing that Satan had the power to make us sin, when in reality that's not what I was arguing. I agree with him that "Christians" do tend to use Satan as an excuse when we sin, for instance, "Satan made me do it" is an easy escape goat. As a Christian I believe that the Bible is the Holy word of God. For this reason I say what I am about to say, based off of Biblical accounts I can find. If you do not believe in the Bible you will have a hard time understanding my philosophy on this subject.

Satan is not a figure of our imagination. Satan does not have the power to "make us" sin like the professor accused me of saying. However he does have the power to tempt us and lead us away from God. If you want to read stories as to where I'm getting this information from Biblical accounts read,

Genesis 3
Job
1 Chronicles 21
Luke 4
Matthew 4

Now as you can see if you took time to read these passages Satan tempts a person with the goal to lead that person away from God. Ultimately it is the person who commits the sin's fault, not Satan's.

"When people are tempted they should not say, "God is tempting me." Evil cannot tempt God and God himself does not tempt anyone. But people are tempted when their own evil desire leads them away and traps them. This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death."- James 1:13-15

"Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. Refuse to give in to him by standing strong in your faith."
-1 Peter 5:8-9

By reading these two passages from the Bible (I could find more if you still doubt) I believe Satan does exist. His goal is to lead one away from God's love. It is evident that he does not have the power to make you sin, the person responsible for sin is oneself. However, Satan tries to make sin look appealing to the person, and make it look better than what God's will for that person is. It is important to stand strong in your faith and ask for forgiveness and help from God with the temptations you inevitably are going to come in contact with.

To the young man that asked why God would let someone grow away from Him, and let Satan tempt him I believe the passage in this passage from James lies your answer. Like I said in class today Satan is known as the Prince of the World (see 1Peter passage above). He goes around trying to make the things of the world appear greater than God's Glory. When Satan is able to make something appear good or right that is really evil, it will lead to that person growing farther and farther away from God, until ultimately they do not believe in God anymore. I will use my own life as an example.

First I started to doubt that the Bible could be the word of God because the books of the Bible were written down a considerable time after the events actually took place.

Second, I started to assume that the wording of the Bible meant other things, and I believed that it was ok to go out and get drunk.

Third, from drunkenness I started to have lustful actions toward women, my language started becoming vulgar, I started having very violent thoughts with actions at times.

Then finally when I had someone close to me die, I had fallen so far into sin that I found it impossible to actually believe that a God who loves would ever let such a thing happen, and I became what I would call Agnostic, with a hint of Deism in there.

One little thing that led me away from God, started to change my interpretation of God's commands, which in return led me to a multitude of sin in my life, and neglect to the God who loves me. This is the only power that Satan has in this world anymore. Since Jesus died for the world's sins, sin alone cannot lead someone to Hell (Thank God for that or else I would be doomed to an eternity in Hell). It wasn't until I had someone close to me challenge me to read my Bible two or three times a week and pray that God shows Himself to me in a way that will make me believe. The more and more I read, I was amazed at how I would take one verse and interpret it one way, without reading the context around it. Everything started to make sense to me. I found Biblical stories to have relevance to my life today. I tried to live my life in accordance to the stories and accounts that are in the Bible, and it was amazing at the reformation in my life.

I believe that God let the sin in my life, to ultimately give His name glory. I feel like I can relate to people who struggle trusting and believing in God. I could go way more in depth with the things that led me away from God, but I don't think we could call this a blog, it would become more like an auto-biography. In John 9 Jesus tells people that God will let bad things happen to them to ultimately bring glory to God's name by healing the blind. I believe that sin can blind us from the love of Christ, which ultimately draws us away from God. I believe God has given us a free-will in this world, and He has given us the option to either love Him or leave Him, (not to quote Ricky Stanzi) God hates seeing people sin and fall in Satan's trap. There is a huge celebration every time someone goes back to Jesus, or falls in love with Jesus for the first time. I know this from the parable of the Lost sheep. Read (Luke 15:1-7)

Now I know this post is all over the place, but hear me out. I believe that if people were willing to give God who does love you time, you would be able to see His love in your life. By not giving Him a chance, how can you make a claim that He loves you? I love John Piper's quote in the book Don't Waste Your Life.

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

Try giving God time. Don't feel disheartened when trouble comes your way. Jesus flat out tells us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Give God time, try to trust Him, pray to Him for help, admit to Him you are having troubles trusting Him. I guarantee you that if you do this, with an open heart and mind, not saying that the Bible is a hoax and same with God, you will sense that amazing, endless and intimate love that God is, which if you love and trust Him back, you will inherit eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." -John 3:16

In Christ,
Chris

Valentines Day.. Love it or leave it.. 2012 edition

At the conclusion of the 2010 Orange Bowl Iowa Quarterback Ricky Stanzi was asked a question about what it was like to represent the Midwest. An unpredictable answer came out of Stanzi's mouth when he said, "America #1, love it or leave it."

Sometimes I wish people would actually take this saying to heart. Or rather lets change it from America, to Valentines Day.

There are few things in the world I despise, but Valentines Day is truly one of them. Valentines Day has completely lost the value of what its original purpose was. Today the holiday is strictly a commercial holiday. It is a way for businesses to make a quick buck, girls to get materialistic gifts, and guys to get laid. What ever happened to the affection, intimacy, and love between two individuals that was suppose to be shown on Valentines Day?

Now-a-days we have many singles ordering each other flowers, chocolates, and go out to eat with one another to combat feelings of loneliness. Girls as a whole care more about that new necklace, flowers, or romantic evening where absolutely everything goes perfect. Guys are scarred to death that if they don't get the "perfect" gift, their girlfriend will throw a dramatic temper tantrum, because Valentines Day is for the ladies now right? Or there's always the large number of guys who see Valentines Day as a way to buy their girlfriend something she wants and in return get some action.

Well, lets be serious, I'm bias, like I said, I despise Valentines Day. My conclusions as to what I've seen happen among people in the past, and days leading up to Valentines Day is probably just a bunch of bias crap that I'm making up to be stubborn. If you're thinking this way, let me introduce you to  one of the many, "official" studies in regards to Valentines Day. In 2004 Katherine Morse and Steven Neuberg, professors at George Mason and Arizona State University did a study following the relationship outcomes for 245 undergraduate students (99 male and 146 female; mean age of 19.5 years) from the week before to the week after Valentine's Day. The average relationship across all research participants was 18 months, suggesting that these were meaningful relationships. The results may surprise you, especially if you consider yourself a romantic at heart.

The first finding in this study is that Valentine's Day does have an increase in suicide rates: essentially, because they believe people really start to experience feelings of loneliness during the holidays (e.g., Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years), but they are often to busy with family and friends during the "Holiday Season", that they essentially postpone suicide acts until a later date, which happens to be around Valentines Day, where feelings of loneliness are only greater. I remember telling someone about this two years ago (when I had a Valentine and still hated the holiday) that person told me those people that committed suicide were just insecure idiots. Well, true they might be insecure, but I think lovers don't need a set day to express their love, instead of making Valentines Day, Single's Awareness Day.

The second finding that they were able to find, thanks to their research was that the overall odds of breaking up were 5.49 times greater during the two week period comprised of one week before Valentines Day to one week after Valentines Day. They found that the reason for the higher likelihood of breaking up was from diminishing expectations of their partner, and unfavorable comparisons to other relationships or other potential partners, such relationships might be deemed not worth the effort and expenses associated with trying to successfully play out the Valentine's Day script, thus "making the option of relationship dissolution more attractive" (Morse and Neuberg 2004). Sound familiar anyone?

Alright, so if a holiday to show love for your relationship partner, actually increases the chance that a break-up could occur, why would our country ever celebrate such a holiday? This study proves my point that this holiday has turned into a commercial holiday. It is about the businesses making their money (projected $17.6 billion in sales in 2012), and the "lovers" getting what they want. If they don't get that new necklace, sex, etc. then human nature inevitably leads us to be jealous. If our partner isn't able to out due our last Valentine, then they must not love us as much right?

WRONG!

People in my generation, (16-26) as a whole do not understand what love is. Love isn't what is in it for me. Love is not about having sex. Love is not about having your partner give you what you want all the time. Love is a give and take. Love is work. Love is sacrifice. An example of what Love is can be found in the story of "The Gift of the Magi"

"The Gift of the Magi."

"There was a young couple, very poor, married, and very much in love with each other. Christmas is coming and there is no money to buy gifts for one another. Her prized possession was her long, lovely hair which she had grown since childhood. His prized possession was his solid gold pocket watch-an heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. Come Christmas morning, she hands her beloved a package. It is a solid gold chain for his pocket watch. He hands his beloved a package. It is a bejeweled comb to hold her beautiful hair in a bun of top of her head. They both cried with joy even though he no longer had the pocket watch, as he had sold it to buy her the jeweled comb, and she no longer had long hair, as she had sold it to buy him the gold chain. Neither could use the gift the other had given them from a store- but look at the gift each truly got from the other."

When you truly love somebody you give them what they really need. Relationships are comprised of two people, not one. If you have a Valentine this Valentines Day and you don't get that new necklace don't freak out. Be thankful that you have somebody that takes the time out to love you.

I believe that if you truly love someone, you don't need a Valentines Day to show that to one another. It should be Valentine's Day year round. You should express your love daily. You don't need to have sex, buy jewelry, flowers, or go on dates, just because it's February 14th, perform these acts spontaneously throughout the entire year!

Early love is when you love the way another person makes you feel. Mature love is when you love the person as he or she is... It is the difference between passionate and compassionate love. What kind of love do you have with this Valentine? Mature love doesn't mean you have to always feel good because of the other person. If you don't believe me I dare you to try to start loving your significant other as he or she is, don't nag about who you want them to be. If your "lover" isn't who you want them to be then you need to do one of two things,

1.) Realize perfection isn't going to happen, often people let "minor" things turn into "major" things and let it ruin their relationship. No one is going to be 100% perfect for you, however I do believe there are plenty of A's out there for you if you know what I mean! :)

or

2.) Get out of the relationship.  If you're not going to be happy, there is no point of staying in a relationship, if you're not going to be happy, and constantly nag, you're only going to get frustrated, as well as make your partner frustrated. I can assure you as much as you think there is "only one person" in the world out there for you, it's a bunch of crap. I believe God made a multitude of people that we are compatible with, which can lead into an intimate relationship. Having only one person in the world for us, would be way to easy for Satan to interfere and mess up.

Love creates bonds that one hopes will enable one to endure the greatest hardships, suffer the severest cruelty, and overcome any distance. What is this love that you think you're celebrating tomorrow? America doesn't need a day to recognize, "love."  We should express "love" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and for all 365 days a year. Not just one. Valentines Day brings more problems then we would have if the day did not exist.  Do what you please, but as for me, I'll take the "leave it" option on Valentine's Day.


If you are interested in reading more about the study by Morse and Neuberg go to,

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=10&sid=565b360e-00c0-4b18-90e0-b51c7c6fb721%40sessionmgr11&vid=6&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=14927889

The Things Your Philosophy Teacher Doesn't Teach You

So today was my first philosophy class. I knew going into this class that this would be a struggle for me, as I am bound to disagree with many of the philosophies my professor lives by. As we were sitting in class the professor started going off on why we are on this world. He was soon to mention that Christianity is a bunch of bogus, which I was kind of assuming would happen eventually, but his argument for why was completely invalid.

The professor proclaimed that God is love. This is a true statement. We can find this in 1 John 4:8, 16. The professor then proceeded to ask if God is love, why would He send people to hell and let bad things happen in the world. I raised my hand and stated that God is also a just God, and He has given us commands that we are to live by, so that we can live our lives for Christ.

The professor then proceeded to go on for a fifteen minute rage about how if a God really loved, he wouldn't punish people for eternity in Hell. He argued that Hitler doesn't deserve eternity in Hell, rather he'd only deserve roughly 15million years for all the people hurt and killed in WWII. I'm not going to argue whether or not Hitler deserves Hell, because God is the ultimate judge and it is not my place to make that decision; however, what I will say is that my professor is wrong.

When you look in the Bible, that passage from 1 John 4 is where my professor is getting His statement that God is love. What he failed to mention is why Christians are suppose to believe that there is a Heaven or a Hell, which we will spend eternity in when we die. When you look throughout the Old Testament, which is many years before John wrote this letter one will be able to see that God is clearly just, before He was love. God provided people with a law that we were to follow, and if we failed to comply we were punished to eternal death.

This is really no different then breaking a law today. If I were to go up to someone and shoot them in the head, I could easily expect life in prison, the death penalty, or any other form of punishment for my actions that we see today. When it comes to the 10 commandments, and other laws that God and Christ have provided us it is no different. We are suppose to follow the laws, or else we can expect that our punishment will be eternal death.

Eventually God began to show his loving side to the people. He made a pact with Noah to never flood the entire earth and kill everything on it, by showing a rainbow which can still be found today. He provided Abraham with the circumcision and food laws. These are just a couple of the pacts that God has presented to His people in order to try to give them eternal life.

Eventually God realized that it was impossible for Human beings to keep the law, so he ultimately showed His loving side to the people once and for all.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that we may not parish, but have eternal life."-John 3:16

The fact of the matter is now simple. God gave His Son to come on this earth as the perfect sacrifice so that we may inherit eternal life when we put our faith in Him.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- Not by works, so that no one can boast."- Ephesians 2:8-9

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."- James 2:26

We are now able to receive eternal life from God through our faith in Him. We must profess that Christ is our savior, when we are able to do this and believe it with all of our heart then the Holy Spirit is able to consume our bodies and actions, it is at that point when we are able to start doing the deeds that James talks about. Our faith must precede works, but faith alone is not enough, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. (Matthew 16:21-28)

So to get back to my professor's point of God not being a loving God is completely irrelevant. The Bible clearly gives us the law. We must follow it, if we fail we deserve eternal death and punishment. We all fail, and technically all deserve death. However our God is love and He has proven this by sending His son for our sins. In return we need to believe and trust Christ, repent our sins and be baptized. It is at that point where the Holy Spirit consumes us and we are able to live a life like Christ. When we reach this point we can earn eternity in Heaven. If we fail to comply to God's demands, then He shows that He is still just and will send people into an eternity in Hell.

With that being said, I would now like to address the last part of my professor's statement, that Christian's will never listen to and understand what he says. Once again he is wrong. I used to have many of the same question as he does. I couldn't understand why God would hurt. I couldn't understand why God took the man who was like my 2nd father out of my life way before his time. I couldn't understand why He let the person who showed me God completely turn her back on me. I can't understand why He lets natural disasters happen. I can't understand many things in life. However I do know that through all of the hardships in my life, God has had a bigger and better plan for me. God has made me stronger through my failures, and tragedies, and I now have a hope for a life in eternity with Him, where absolutely nothing matters, except for worshiping Him.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."-Romans 5:3-5


I don't know why bad things happen. I only know they are able to eventually build hope in me. My hope will never die, regardless of the opinions my professor would present me with for being wrong if he read this. I thank God for this opportunity, may His name get the glory.

God Bless,
Chris Arians

Tebow: Love Him or Hate Him?

Tim Tebow is arguably the greatest college football player of all time. In Tebow's four years at Florida he passed for 9,285 yds 88 tds and rushed for 2947 yds and 57 tds, but the stats don't tell the whole story. In these four years he was also able to win the Heisman Trophy his sophomore year and was a finalist his junior and senior years. Tebow also led the Florida Gators to two National Titles. Many college football programs have been around years and have yet to win a National Title.

When it came time for Tebow to become a pro, the general vibe toward him became sourer than it had ever been before. While in college he became unpopular to some for the bold stances he took on his beliefs.


"But even if you suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightned.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."- 1 Peter 3:13-17

When I look at Tim Tebow I am amazed at the boldness he has in life. In all of his college games he would write Bible verses on his eye black. This seems small to some people, but there are people in the world, that see the Bible verses under Tebow's eyes and find that as the only source of Christ they would get.

It amazes me how Tebow wasn't even suppose to survive his birth. Doctors predicted a still birth, and told his mother Pam she should have an abortion for her own life's sake. Through prayer the Tebow family promised God that if they went through with the pregnancy and were given a son they would name him Timothy and raise him to be a pastor. This is a prime example of God hearing the prayers of his people, as he granted the good health to the missionary family to give birth to a son.

God had bigger and brighter plans for Tebow. God granted him with an amazing athletic ability. People were always telling him that he would never be good enough to be a Quarterback in high school, college and now the pros. Tebow consistently was able to prove his doubters wrong, and instead of rubbing it in their face, he thanked God for giving him the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

Looking at Tim Tebow's life gives me motivation to live a life that is centered around Christ. His boldness amazes me. I know that if I were in his shoes, and was one of the most hated/loved people in America, I would be bitter toward the haters. Tebow has been loving toward his haters, just as Christ calls us to be. When most college kids would go to different places for spring break Tebow would go on mission trips. Tebow's doesn't just talk the talk of being a Christian, through what I have seen he comes close to walking the walk. We are all sinners. None of us are perfect, not even Tim Tebow. We all deserve hell, but the God of this universe loves us all so much that He gave his one and only son to die for us in order for us to receive eternal life in Heaven and not Hell.

Tebow has realized God has given him a great talent, and has done lots to spread the word of Christ to many people who wouldn't have heard it if he decided to sit back and do what the rest of the world would want him to do which is, thank God when you get an award, claim you know Him when your around other Christians, but deny Him, and not be too bold when you get placed in front of people who might not agree with you. As Tebow grows into the man he is becoming, I am excited to see what God has in store for this young man. Tebow has always had his haters, and doubters. Through Tebow's faith in Christ and selfless actions I believe Christ has given Tebow the power to achieve great things because he has ultimately done what he has for Christ's name and not his own. I pray that Tebow is able to remain bold and strong throughout his NFL career and ultimately has a career that will make people look at his progression as not only a football player, but a man and stop and think to themselves...

"Man, that God that Tim Tebow talked about must be real. There is no possible way a man could have accomplished the things he was without the power of an all-powerful eternal being."

God Bless,
Chris Arians

Thanks to espn.com where I was able to get the stats and other personal information about Tebow's background