The Avenue Articles

Past the Clay

2010-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

If we look at the world around us we can dicern several things about God, just like one might discern certain things about a painter, from a painting he made. We can see that God is a creative God, with new things popping up at every twist and turn, things beyond what we can imagine. We can see that God loves beauty, for we see beauty in everything from the stars, to the faces of every person on earth. But there's something else that tends to fly under the radar, that I believe is just as important.

I have recently been taking a general biology class, with Kalahan and Sierra. For me one of the most astonishing things is that now matter how small the subject being studied, there was no end to the intricacy of God's creation. I thought wow if the universe is so complex, then God must be even more so for the painting cannot exceed the painter, but then i thought about how simple our idea of God was. Why was this? Well, to explain let me tell you a story:

Imagine if you will a small village, supported by a single ancient well, and inhabited my rather lazy people, who always take the easy route in every choice they make. One day our villagers are stunned to find that the well is dry. They come to the wise conclusion that a new well must be dug. However after only a couple of feet or so, they come upon thick clay. Instead of trying to dig through the tough layer of clay, they decide to dig elsewhere, but are frustrated to find the clay wherever they dig, but again, instead of exerting themselves, they simply drink the dirty water that seeps into all the shallow holes they dug, and as a result many become sick.

You may think the villagers rather dim to say the least, but this a good picture of the church today. We often refuse to struggle with the deeper issues, to learn about the troublesome things of God's character: How could God have allowed evil into the world? Why did he have the Israelites wipe out entire nations? If we choose to ignore these issues, not only will we miss out on a deeper understanding of your creator, savior and father, we, like our villagers, will become sick spiritually.

So dig deeper, work past the clay. It'll probably give you a headache, but trust me it will be worth it.

In Christ's love Aaron

Music

2010-04-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Music. What is music? Music for me is a way of communicating or expressing my emotions or feelings on a level that completely captivates not only the person listening, but also captivates my own soul.

Music is so much more than just sounds that we make though. It's complexity is actually quite overwhelming sometimes. Music is within every one of us. Sorry if I sound like I'm going in the direction of August Rush. But that's the beauty in it... it can be so complex, but at the same time so simple.

I think that's sometimes the way our faith is. We can get so wrapped up in all the complexities and complicated methods of going about our faith that we forget to slow down and just listen. Listen to the music and enjoy it. That's what it's there for. Sometimes I'll just sit at the piano and play a simple piece and listen closely to every little note. Even though I love playing more complicated pieces, the moments that I focus on what the notes are saying is when I learn to appreciate it the most... when I slow down and just listen.

God created us to have a relationship with Him. And sometimes in a relationship we get so busy trying to "play the piece" perfectly or please a certain person that we end up ignoring or not listening. I know life can be busy sometimes and I know that it seems like we can never slow down... but if we stop moving for ten minutes and just sit in silence and let the music of God sing to us, He will be able to speak and you will be able to understand and listen.

I thank God for music every chance I get because I think that throughout all the junk in this world... God gave us humans a beautiful way to see maybe a fraction of the way the world should have been.
So maybe if we thank God for his Son and the opportunity to have a relationship with him and focus heavily on listening, even if we don't hear Him or understand Him at first, eventually we may see a glimpse of what it would be like to walk with God in the Garden of Eden.

In Christ's Love,
Josh

True Love

2010-01-19T15:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to draw a circle? How close to a perfect circle did you get? Some of you may have been closer than others, but the possibility of your circle being perfect is virtually impossible. This is true with many areas in life including love. We know that everyone has heard of love… but what is "true" love?

Popular culture has fed us with many ideas of what true love is in movies, advertisements, books, etc. Obviously the ideas are false - one has only to look at the destruction and pain our society's idea of true love has caused. The media tells that true love is a feeling of affection, or a means of satisfying the desire we have to be loved. We find in many stories that true love is some vague, higher form of love that only some people find. Everybody looks for that "Prince Charming" or "Cinderella" in their lives, but what does God say about this?

The Bible's description of true love and our culture's description are very different. The Bible says true love is a permanent commitment to put someone else before yourself. True love is completely selfless and patient. It is gentle, yet firm and is not afraid to point out the faults of others. True love is a choice we make every day. It does not end when the other person does not return love in kind. Sometimes people think they love someone but have not committed to putting the other person before themselves, which is often a matter of mere sexual attraction. But has anyone ever shown true love?

Only one person in all of history has shown perfect love and that is Jesus Christ. He was so committed to us that He was willing to give His life in our place. This is the ultimate example of true love. No human has ever been able to show perfect love, just like no one can draw a perfect circle. But if we look to Christ's example, our lives can become small reflections of His true love. And the more we practice true love, the better we will become at "drawing the circle".

It is evident that we all need love in our lives and the opportunity to experience true love is something everyone has, but this can only be found in Christ.

In Christ's Love,

Josh and Aaron.

Reality

2010-01-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

You know that feeling when you’re sleeping and all of a sudden it’s almost as if you just fell of a cliff? You then experience an immediate jolt, which causes you to abruptly wake up and realize eventually that you are still safe and sound. Moments later, you then doze back into a deep, peaceful sleep, with no more interruptions throughout the remaining hours of the night. After experiencing that “falling off a cliff” feeling and from that situation; you gain reassurance that you ARE safe, which then results with the blessing of peace, throughout the rest of that deep sleep.

This particular situation reminds of a certain real situation that happens in real life; a real reassurance that is only given to a small amount of real people; it’s the only real reality. At times, we may feel like we are falling off cliffs, we may experience times of loss, and frankly, we may even be undeniably wounded and broken in our personal lives. However, if we allow ourselves to be awaken from the pressures and burdens of the world, even if it means an immediate jolt will have to happen in our lives, reality will be uncovered: We have a Healer that will heal our wounds, Jesus Christ, the Maker of heaven and earth. He is the only real peace we will find in our real lives… and our only reassurance that we are really, and truly safe.

Your sister in Christ,
Kalahan

The Choices We Make

2009-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Do you ever regret doing or saying something? I know I do...
There are many mistakes that I’ve made along life’s mysterious journey. There are some things I wish could take back or have the chance to think and pray about before making decisions.

God loves you and me and He wants the best for us. But He gives us the chance and the opportunity to make a choice. God gives us freewill and he wants it that way. Otherwise, we would be robots to His “plan” and wouldn’t really love Him. We would be, so to speak, programmed to love Him. And that’s not what He wants. He wants to give us a choice… to love Him or not to love Him… to make the right choice or not to make the right choice.

We are given the opportunity to make choices every minute of everyday. Whatever we’re doing, you have to make a choice. “Should I say this?” “Should I help that person?” “Should I think those thoughts?” “Should I listen or ignore my parents…?” These are just some of the thousands of questions that race through our minds everyday. If we can learn to stop what we’re doing and listen to what would be the right thing to do, then I think our lives would be much easier and peaceful. And just like anything else, the more you do something the easier and more natural it becomes.

But on the other hand… if there are things in your life that you can’t erase can’t get ride of… there is hope and there is forgiveness. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to live with the realization that because of your decision someone is forever gone… or forever in pain… or forever changed. I’ve heard of stories where the choices of someone changed their life forever in a way they never thought would be possible. One of the major problems is pre-marital sex. I’ve heard of teens who will never be a teenager again… all because of one small decision. That decision forced them into parenthood way too soon. Now, they must live with either their new life as a parent or attempt to return back to the teenager life by either ignoring or killing the baby. But the truth of the matter is they will never return to the teenager life… once you’ve stepped foot into that, you will never return. I’ve also heard of people who think that murder is the answer. But that is far from the truth. It will only kill you inside and haunt you. I’ve heard of people using drugs to help them or relive stress or pain. But it does just the opposite. Yeah, it may help at first… but those drugs will eat you from the inside out.

You see how the decisions we make could turn the tables upside down? One small choice of living in sexual immorality… one small choice of letting hate and greed take over… one small choice of taking those drugs… could ultimately destroy you.

But as with everything else in life, there is always an answer and always a way out. Whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re struggling with… you don’t have to worry because there is always hope. Don’t listen to the world when they say something is just hopeless or you’ve reached a dead end. There is never a dead end. Even when you die, it’s not a dead end. There is life after this life… there is hope for your problems… there is comfort for your hurting. But you have to choose. You have to choose between life or death… answers or more unsolvable problems… healing or hurting.

If you have made some major mistakes in life… don’t worry. So have I. But one thing about God that I think is amazing is his view on our sins. He doesn’t give me a little tap on the hand for something small and then give you a punch in the face for something big. That’s not how He works. He views all sin equally… so if you feel like you’ve got some major issue that you think I couldn’t even begin to understand… that’s okay. Maybe you’re right, maybe I can’t understand and maybe I won’t ever… but guess who will. God will always understand and always forgive you no matter what. It doesn’t matter how bad or how horrible what you’ve done may seem… He will erase you’re sins as far as the east is from the west. And that is something I’m 100% positive on… I promise you.

Life is a short thing, we’re born and then we die. Someone made the choice to bring you into this world… someone else made a choice to give you eternal life… now, the most important decision you’ll ever make: Will you make the right decision and live your life for God? The past is in the past… there is nothing you can do about that… but there is something God can do about that. He can heal you from it. You can find comfort and hope in God’s forgiving love.

In Christ's Love,

Josh

The Hidden Virtues

2009-12-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

1 Timothy 4:12:

“Do not let anyone look down on you because you’re young, but set an example for all the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

This is a small excerpt of a letter that the apostle Paul sent to his pupil Timothy, who had found himself in authority of the church at a young age. This is an encouragement and challenge for Timothy, as well as young people today who give in to the negative prejudices and low expectations of their elders. But there is something else hidden within this passage that I think is equally important.

When reading the Bible, it's good to try to apply it to our lives, but when we get to this verse we’ll find ourselves in a small predicament. Paul gives us five virtues to exemplify in our lives: speech, life, love, faith and purity. How on earth does one apply speech and life to his… well, life? To find the answer we must look at the other virtues love, faith and purity.

There is one thing that love, faith and purity have in common: they are all something that people have tried to attain, but have failed to. You may respond, “I love lots of people!” or “I have been faithful in my walk God!” I understand, and if you’re that person, kudos. However, what we have attained is not true love, faith or purity, but merely a reflection of them. True purity, is being completely untainted by any evil lusts. True faith is complete trust in God, wholly given to him. True love is utter disregard for oneself in devotion to another. Only one man in all history has had all of these consistantly throughout his life: Jesus Christ. This is true with all virtues, they simply cannot be attained by man. But life and speech can right? Well, not like Paul was talking about.

You see I think that Paul wasn’t talking about life or speech in general, but a true life and speech that we cannot attain in this life. An untainted life and speech that we must strive for, but can never achieve. This a quality of life that we will only fully enjoy if we enter heaven and are made perfect again, but we can still have a reflection of them in our earthly lives. True life isn’t just doing good things (virtues like love, faith and purity) but how you do them. You have to do them with satisfaction, and with a good attitude. You can’t just say the right things and have true speech, you must say it with the kindness and gentleness of Christ. How and what are equally important, so live your life with the joy, confidence, peace and satisfaction that God wants us to have.

In Christ's love, Aaron.

The words and actions of a mute and cripple.

2009-11-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a moment where your world was turned upside down? Your whole perception of who you were and why you were here was changed? Well I had one of those moments.

I read a story about an English writer, and his brother. His brother, named Oliver, was severely crippled from birth. He was blind and mute, his legs were twisted, his head and chest too large for his ten year old sized body. When this boy’s parents discovered his disabilities, they took him to a doctor. The doctor informed them that there was nothing he could do for the boy.

Most parents at this point would have considered Oliver’s life not worth living. Our society has judged our value, our quality of living by what we contribute to society. Such a debilitated boy such as Oliver would not be considered worthy of living by many people in our country today. But here Oliver’s parents broke the mold.

They took Oliver home. They cared for him and nurtured him. The writer, Oliver’s brother, tells about life at home. They loved Oliver. They fed him and they talked to him. They tickled him and made him laugh. But Oliver could never respond. Can you imagine the heartache? You love someone, you would die for them, but they couldn’t ever say anything back. This would have sent me to bed crying more than one night. How does one cope with something like this?

So far reading this story, though I considered it sad, still had a kind of disconnected sense that we all seem to have, when we read or hear about tragedy. My inability to connect has often frustrated me. I tell myself when I hear about a murder I think; that person DIED! Why can’t I feel what God feels? But I think God has made each and every one of us to be touched in different ways. If you find yourself in my position, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t feel as sad as you think you should. If you’re open to it, God will touch your heart when he wants it to be touched.

So back to our question, how does one cope with a situation like this? Well I think the answer comes in what Oliver’s mother told his brother: “When you go to heaven, Oliver will run to you, embrace you, and the first thing he will say is ‘thank you’”.

Few things in my life have ripped my heart apart like what his mother said. I spent half an hour in my bathroom curled up in a ball, crying. I cried on my mom’s shoulder while she read it. I couldn’t finish my school. This poor, crippled boy, who couldn’t speak, had reached out to my heart, gripped it, and twisted it. It hurt, but at the same time I wanted it to happen, I knew I needed this change.

There are a lot of lessons we could learn from this story. We could talk about abortion, we could talk about the value of life and how we determine it. All of them good subjects to discuss, but our tendancy seems to always be on what's wrong with the world around us, and rarely what's wrong with us. I think we need to look at our own hearts, and ask ourselves a question that I hope will change the way we live: is anyone going to tell us thank you?

In Christ’s love, Aaron

People Are Watching

2009-10-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

As Christians we have a great responsibility to shine the light of Jesus, not only to a dark world, but even to other believers. It's a tough job, but we have to do it. And sometimes we either ignore our responsibility or forget it and act just like everyone else in this world.

Everyone knows what the "mask game" is, and some are experts at it; you go to church and act good when you're around adults, but then when you're around your friends you say and do whatever you want. Or at church you act like a "Good Christian", but when the week comes around you're a totally different person. This is very common among teenagers. But have you ever thought that maybe the way you are acting is affecting the believer that is struggling? I think we all avoid this question because it's a very unpleasant one. So with that said, think about the way you act... do you crack dirty jokes, let a few cuss words slip, hang out with the wrong crowd? These and many more examples could be the reason why your friend in Sunday school struggles.
And on the other side of this, people from outside of the church could be watching and judging the way you act. How would you feel if someone from outside the church watched you and came to the conclusion that you're no different then he is? That there is nothing different about you...

People are watching... they watch what you do every second... from every direction. We not only need to shine the light of Jesus to the world, but also to other believers, they need examples to follow and encouragement to support them too.

So be careful what you say and do, because it may cause someone else to stumble or head in the wrong direction. You never know what kind of an influence you can have on someone. Remember... people are watching.

Luke 17:1-3

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves."

In Christ's Love,
Josh

Follow your heart... at your own peril.

2009-10-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

"Just follow your heart and your dreams will come true". We've all heard this a million times, but what does it really mean? Well honestly I think it's one of the most dangerous ideas mankind has come up with, and here it is plastered on practically every media source there is. Why is it so dangerous?

When faced with a choice, you have multiple things pulling on you. You have morals, desires, concerns, ideals and other people all throwing in their two cents on your choice. You weigh these, but ultimately you make the choice. Your morals, desires and concerns may all be telling you not to do something, and only your ideals telling you should do it, but you may still decide to side with your ideals.

Now there is one thing that has a rather strong say in what you do, and that is your heart. We hear a statement like "follow your heart" or "believe in yourself" and honestly even I think rainbows and unicorns. It gives me that light fluffy feeling, and it feels good. However, I believe that our hearts are corrupted and evil since the fall, and if you’re a Christian than you ought to agree.

So you see, if we follow our hearts, we must ask: ‘where are they leading us?’ and where my heart is leading me is not where God wants me to go. Follow God, and bring your heart. By the time he’s finished with it it’ll look just like it should.

In Christ's love, Aaron

Actions Speak Louder than Feelings

2009-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

I've recently been studying in Acts. I love reading Acts. It's like the Bible's version of a rock and roll song, I feel so energized and inspired, like I do when I go to a concert. I feel like I could save the world in a week. Of course we all know what happens after, We settle back into our routines, and soon lose the energy we felt. I often wondered why. Well, I think I found my answer in acts.

All the famous Biblical heroes in Acts got they're rock and roll concert moments, the most well known one being Saul's on the road to Damascus. After such an experience Saul/Paul must have felt that energy that I feel when I go to a rock concert. So how come Paul went on to save thousands of souls from so many different cultures and I’m still just stuck at home, struggling with my own problems, and only one saved soul? Well I think the answer is in the full name of Acts. In the King James Version it says "The Acts of the Apostles", not (this is important) "The Feelings of the Apostles". As I came to this realization, I wondered "okay, so what kind of acts did the apostles do?"

Well, looking at Paul, I saw that he completely left his life behind; he even got a new name. With nothing but the clothes on his back, and a faith on fire, he set out to save the world. And almost did. So then I think "So should I change my records, rent a car, and begin to minister on a crate across the United States?" Well the obvious answer was no. So what now? I'd hit a dead end so to speak. I couldn't just do as the apostles did. Why not?

Culture.

In the time and place where Paul was at, what he did was exactly what his culture needed. However in modern society, I would not get the same result. In fact I would be written off as a lunatic and end up with nothing. You may say that as Christians we should be lunatics to this world. I definitely agree that we should stand out, and not conform to this world, but that does not mean that we throw our brains out the window. God calls us to be as intelligent as we can, to have an answer to every question. And if you complain about that being impossible, I will simply say: God also commanded us to be perfect. If you’re not trying, you're failing. In this culture if you do not present a credible case, you will have little chance of anyone listening to you. You must be in the world.

God has a special calling for your life. It's not Paul's, not Peter's, not Andrew's and not mine. It's yours, and you need to get with it. I am by no means there, not even close, but I know the way, and I hope you'll come with me.

In Christ's love, Aaron

Be Thou My Vision

2009-10-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been studying the lyrics to this song and they truly are rich and incredible.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5. High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

This is an amazing arrangement. Two thumbs up for these guys.

http://www.last.fm/music/4Him/_/Be+Thou+My+Vision

2009-10-13T10:46:00.001-07:00

www.myspace.com/anberlin

Jonah

2009-10-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Jonah 1-4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jonah%201-4&version=NIV)

For the past several weeks I have been doing a study on the book of Jonah and through my studying I found many interesting things. One of the examples is when Jonah is praying to God from inside the fish. He says, "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." He then goes on to say, (2:3) "You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. (2:5) The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. (2:6) To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God." After reading this I realized that it appears, according to the text, that he was drowning before the fish swolllowed him. Jonah was probably close to death before God saved him.

Also in Chapter 4 when God provides a vine for Jonah to protect him from the sun. God, then commands a worm to kill the vine. (4:8) Now, with no shade for Jonah, a "scorching" wind comes from the east and the sun "blazes" on his head so that he grows faint. There is some proof that it could have been a sirocco (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirocco), but I'm not positive. I'll have to do a deep search on that to confrim it.

I find it interesting how Jonah, on several occasions, came either close to death or became very miserable. And even in the end he still had a hard heart. As there is a reason for every single word in the bible, I think there is a purpose for this book. I think that this book was written and included in our bible because we can learn from Jonah's mistakes and learn that one way or another God's plan will be fulfilled. But it would be a whole lot easier on us if we just listen and obey.

-Josh