Christopher Johnston

New challenges and serious doubts

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:50:22 -0800

Seminary school is 4 weeks under way and I'm barely treading water. The workload is immense, the quality of the work expected from students borders on insane. My classmates range from people fresh out of college to Senior Pastors who have been at their craft since I was sneaking into bars at 19 (I'm approaching 40 this year). I have also realized something, I'm not so sure I want to do this.

I'm not getting any younger and I really don't know how many years I have left on this earth. There are so many things I want to see and do and I can't do them in a classroom. I still need to talk with my wife about this and pray about it some more but I don't think I'm called to be here.

I'm going to leave you with this video. It contains some unfriendly language but it makes me realize that I need to stop doing the things I don't really like so I can focus on the things I love and I'm passionate about.

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Biblical secrets in the movie The Secret

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:15:00 -0800

A few years ago there was a movie that received a lot of attention by the media and got a fair bit of criticism from Christians. Some who watched this movie believed that if you sat around dreaming about things they would suddenly manifest themselves into your life. Some who watched this movie thought that by simply imagining it checks would start arriving in their mailboxes. Of course, if you have seen the movie you know by now I am referring to The Secret.

First off, I watched the movie at least a dozen times and I didn’t come to the conclusions above. In fact, I think a lot of the movie has a biblical basis but that was not made clear so as to appeal to a wider secular audience.

For instance, in the movie it says if you ask "the Universe" (the movie uses this term to avoid saying GOD) for something you will eventually receive it. There is biblical basis for this.

Matthew 7:7 (NIV) says “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 21:21-22 (AMP) states “21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.’”

Now the difference is that as a Christian we know that the things we ask for have to be biblically sound. We can’t ask for a million dollars knowing that if we receive it we are going to blow it on Vegas call girls and cocaine. If we want to help missions in Africa with a gift of million dollars we may pledge to make that happen and then God will provide the resources for us to fulfill that. I use two examples that are so drastically different to make it obvious that what you are asking for matters.

Another principle in the movie is that you need to continue to believe and trust in what can’t be seen. You have to have faith. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) there is biblical evidence of this.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

If you are a Christian I urge you to take another look at The Secret and look for the biblical principles contained in it and see if you can put them to work in your life.

Disclosure: Links in this post are affiliate links that will earn me a small commission if you buy the movie on Amazon

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Letting God direct my plans for 2012

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:29:00 -0800

This morning I went for a run and I was listening to a podcast from the men's ministry at Saddleback Church and they mentioned the following scripture.

James 4:13-15 (NLT)

13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.”14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

This was particularly poignant for me as I was contemplating what I was going to do for income this year as I start seminary school. I had planned to start a wedding photography business but my heart wasn't in it and I honestly don't feel that God is calling me to do that. I feel that I'm being called to teach or do speaking of sort but I'm not clear on what topic or who I would speak to.

I was fortunate with the financial aid package awarded by seminary that many of my basic expenses will be covered so getting a job right away is not a dire necessity. I'm hoping that over the next few weeks something is revealed to me that will make all this clearer to me. Until then I'm going to make some plans and trust in this verse from Proverbs.

Proverbs 16:9 (AMP)

9 A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

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