Seize The Day (originally written February 10, 2009)

Ever heard of “Carpe Diem”? It’s a phrase, in Latin, that means “Seize the day.” It’s also a view that many people hold to live their lives. Although the theme of living out each day with purpose, thankfulness, and with joy is an ideal belief, culture has perverted it. They want to “live for the moment.” For those who live by that ideal, this is the best life possible. Life is short, so wouldn’t it be appropriate to indulge in a little irresponsible fun? Culture is presenting this view as truth to youth. If culture is right, this is our only life; this is our best life.

If this is our best life, then what should stop us from indulging as much sex as we want? Recent movies and television shows have a very irresponsible attitude toward sex. The recent Oscar nominee “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” describes his various adventures, which also include his numerous one night stands. He certainly does not care (or think about) any consequences his actions might bring him. He’s only thinking about what makes him happy and what feels good. ABC Family’s newest t.v. series, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” also holds a very similar view. It claims that teenagers are always thinking about sex, and although there are serious repercussions from the lack of self control, it certainly doesn’t preach abstinence. Instead, the show seems to say that if you’re going to indulge in it, don’t get caught. It is this attitude of living for each moment that allows these characters to endulge in carnal passions. None of these mention diseases that come from promiscuity. They are swept under the rug, as if they were insignificant trash and dust that does not need to be noticed by people. If this pleasure seeking ideal is true, youth is being led down a road of pain, heartbreak, and crippled lives.

Culture certainly makes light of becoming high. If one believes that you should live for happiness and pleasure and seizing the day, then why not get high? Party hardy, right? There are songs that talk about getting high, such as Afroman’s “Because I Got High” and Ben Harper’s “Burn One Down.” Of course, films about pot have also been made. These movies have come out in the last decade or so, but the most recent and probably well known by youth today is “Pineapple Express.” It’s a comedy involving two stoners while being chased by a drug lord. The movie is clearly pro-marijuana; it talks about smoking, buying weed, and selling weed. It even has a scene where teenagers are purchasing pot from these two characters. Audiences eat up every minute of it. They enjoy it whole heartedly. If media can cause youth to think less on condemning themes, and start accepting it, they’ve won new fans over. Although, in both Afroman’s song and “Pineapple”, the effects of drug use are devastating to the user’s life, the more obvious theme is this: that smoking pot is fun. It’s promoting a message of live it up and pursue the moments that make you happy, despite the dangers. As stated already, the effects of drug use are devastating. When someone takes a hit of any drug, they become addicted to it. They are unable to think clearly about things but only on what they want now. They will do whatever they can to get the next high. Families, relationships, and people have been torn apart just because they want to feel good and to “seize the day.” How pleasurable and happy!

Certainly people that live for the moment, who live for every self indulging passion cannot be possibly satisfied. They live an empty life, a destructive path, filled with debauchery and sin. There is more to life than sleeping around and trying to get a temporary high. Hearts yearn for much more. Popular artist John Mayer could not say it any clearer in his song, “Something’s Missing”: “Friends (check), money (check), well slept (check), opposite sex (check), guitar (check), microphone (check), messages waiting for me when I come home (check)…How come everything I need, always comes with batteries? What do you think it means?” This yearning and search of purpose can only be satisfied in the Author of true joy. It cannot be found through endless sex, highs, and comfort. This eternal thirst can only be quenched by living for a Creator, the very same Creator who formed you. This is not our best life: there is eternality, our souls know it.

The current youth is being bombarded with messages of seizing moments that make you happy, that brings in a sense of joy and pleasure. However, it is apparent that it is not possible to be satisfied in filling up your days and pursuing the next hot girl or the next high. The entertainment and fun that the culture is presenting to the youth is empty. Seize God, instead of the day. That, my friends, is not a wasted life.

An excerpt from Indescribable.

"Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and
You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God"

These are lyrics from Chris Tomlin's Indescribable. These are probably some of my favorite lyrics in any worship song. Why? It's content. "You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same." We are sinners. We all fall short. We all screw up every day. And we don't know how totally and utterly sinful we are. We don't know how much evil and pride resides in us. And this is the beauty of the words. God looks at our hearts, sees the very innards of them, even if we don't and still loves us and calls us sons. That should compell us to run after Him even more! That should render us in tears when we do sin against our Father. And give us a spirit of thankfulness and joy. This is the same God is powerful and full of righteous wrath who will discipline us. And He is the same God that saved us from the sin from which we all enjoyed before.

You are amazing God.

Like a lifesaver in a stormy sea.

God works in mysterious ways, in ways that shatter the human pride, in ways that confuse and frustrate our minds, in ways that we cannot understand.

I am in the thick of a trial, a very painful and messy trial. My family is not doing well and my parents' lack of God is making it all the more painful. My grandma is in the thick of her own pain.

I have been brought to stormy waters and I can not tread water. I can not rely on my own strength to save myself and hope to survive. And like a life saver in this wild and painful time, I cling to the grace of God and His gospel, that Jesus Christ was sent from God to die for the sins of men like you and I who did not deserve it, so that we may no longer die in our sins and be separated from God but live with Him forever.

Though I prepare for what I think will be one of the defining moments of mine and my family's lives, and I see there is possibly more pain ahead, I will forever trust in Him. Though the path that God has lead me through feels all the more painful, He will forever be the lamp unto my feet.

I need prayer.

A temporary quit of Internet.

Well the time's finally come for me to do a fasting of internet. I realize that I spend too much time on the internet when I could have done other profitable things, such as read good books, eat bananas, and exercise. Currently I was reading out of "Worldliness" by C.J. Mahaney and many other authors, and the second chapter is called "God, my heart, and media." I was hit with these two questions. How much time have I spent surfing the Internet? How much time have I spent blogging or maintaining an online presence through social network sites?

I realize too much time is lost.

So consider this my goodbye for a week. Pray that the time spent not on the Internet is time spent doing profitable things.

So long.

Shepherd's Conference.

I will not forget this past week. Why?

I attended the Shepherd's Conference. It was amazing. Awesome. Mind-boggling. Convicting. The highlight of my year. Need I say more? It totally went above my expectations. So much teaching, and so much worship took place at Grace Community Church. God certainly lit me aflame with passion there.

For those who don't know what the Shep Con is, it is a 3 day long conference where well known pastors and church leaders preach to other pastors and church leaders. There are other seminars through out the day tailoring to specific topics such as, "Why are we losing our Youth?" and "Preaching with Passion".

When my youth pastor had told me that some of the pastors who had been there in the past, such as John Piper and Mark Dever, were not going to be there, I had thought that the teaching was not going to be as strong. I was dead wrong. Way wrong.

To give you a slight taste of what I experience, I will write about the first sermon of the conference. John MacArthur opened up the conference with a sermon on Creation. How you could not possibly misread the Genesis account of Creation, in which God created the world in six days and rested the seventh. He based his sermon around 3 words; fidelity, simplicity, and priority.

In fidelity he stated that you can either believe Scripture or reject it, but you cannot alter it. If you don't believe the first 2 chapters of Genesis, then what chapters do you start believing in? If the first two are not true, then there are 66 books that have possible errors.

In simplicity, MacArthur argued that God's hand is evident in Creation. Psalm 104 states His sovereign control and care over all that was made. Colossians 1:16 shows that everything was "created through Him and for Him." Deuteronomy 4:32 asks a question whether something has anything been done "like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?" In Psalm 148, the Psalmist writes that Creation praises God. If you deny the Creation account...you diminish praise to God. Creation is a massive miracle.

In priority, he proclaimed that God, in His mind, had a purpose for His creation. Within the events of history, God is doing something. He has an objective goal. And when His divine plan is done, the earth will end. Isaiah 46:9-11 states that God's purpose WILL be established. If you tamper with creation, you tamper with the doctrines of salvation. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, "For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." As God created physical light out of the darkness, He creates spiritual light in the darkness of our herats. As the creation account progresses it becomes "very good" and more beautiful and this is the same as the believer's sanctification. God also sustains the world that He made.

This is a mere taste of what I experienced. What an event. What worship. I have been convicted of much things. God certainly used the Shep Con to help me recognize what I need to grow in. I've grown in a couple of relationships because of this and I've made a new friendship. Hopefully I can attend next year. After all, this was the first time I've heard a pastor said, "Go step on grass, kill a deer, and drill for oil."

By the way that was John MacArthur.

12 Year Old Speaks Out Against Abortion.

Just saw this video on The Rebelution. It is indeed very encouraging to see that there are youth who are not captivated by juvenile matters but who care for things that are beyond themselves. I pray that we have boldness like this 12 year old girl to speak out against the evils of today.

People need to watch older movies.