Skies and Landscapes

I was reflecting on Psalm 19:1-7 tonight. I also happened to come across this video from a blog and I marvel at how it perfectly captures the reflections of the Psalmist.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

-Psalm 19:1-7 (ESV)

Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

    This is what the heavens are proclaiming everyday, 24x7, and it never stops declaring the glory of its Creator. This is what they were made for. This is their ministry: to communicate to us that there is a God.

    What about you and me? Perhaps we're preoccupied with building our own glory and kingdom. Hence, we're too busy to notice the infinitely glorious majesty of God that is being spoken out around us at each moment. Stop looking at yourself. Nothing good and glorious is in there. Look around you. Look up to the skies. Notice the blinding light from the sun and feel the heat that it generates. That's the handiwork of God.

    Now join with the heavenly chorus!

Ponderings

Ponder: To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care.

1. Spiritual poverty :

- Living your life knowing only 10 verses in the Bible. For some, it's John 3:16 and not much else.

-Listening to a sermon where Jesus is hardly mentioned. But you get 10 tips on how to be successful and how to stop worrying.

-Going to church and doing ministry without ever knowing the good news in the Gospel.

2. Found this observation from a blog :

"Theology is practiced in most decision making processes, whether one realizes it or not.”


Everyone has a theology, even an atheist. Either he believes that there is no God, or isn't sure that one exists. That's still theology.

3. The Internet of Things  - In 2008, more "things" were connected to the Internet than people. This technology will change the world. And here's a video showing how:

Amazing isn't it? But for all its promise, we need to remember this :

"And though we have the technology for straightening roads and integrating information, it is beyond us to straighten and integrate human character. Man needs God for that."  - JI Packer

Beautiful in Its Time: A Story of Perception - Blog - Eternal Perspective Ministries

    What happens when a famous and brilliant violinist exchanges the concert hall stage for a small space in a subway station lobby? Will people recognize him? Will they stop and appreciate the beautiful music?

Here's some thoughts from Randy Alcorn :

Beautiful in Its Time: A Story of Perception - Blog - Eternal Perspective Ministries


Also here's the Washington Post story about the violinist and the results of this very interesting experiment.

Pearls Before Breakfast

Kids, Teens and Media Consumption

     The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released the results from a national survey of children ages 8 to 18 years old about their media use. Here's their findings :

Five years ago, we reported that young people spent an average of nearly 6½ hours (6:21) a day with media—and managed to pack more than 8½ hours (8:33) worth of media content into that time by multitasking. At that point it seemed that young people’s lives were filled to the bursting point with media.

Today, however, those levels of use have been shattered. Over the past five years, young people have increased the amount of time they spend consuming media by an hour and seventeen minutes daily, from 6:21 to 7:38—almost the amount of time most adults spend at work each day, except that young people use media seven days a week instead of five.

Moreover, given the amount of time they spend using more than one medium at a time, today’s youth pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those daily 7½ hours—an increase of almost 2¼ hours of media exposure per day over the past five years.

The story of media in young people’s lives today is primarily a story of technology facilitating increased consumption. The mobile and online media revolutions have arrived in the lives—and the pockets—of American youth. Try waking a teenager in the morning, and the odds are good that you’ll find a cell phone tucked under their pillow—the last thing they touch before falling asleep and the first thing they reach for upon waking. Television content they once consumed only by sitting in front of a TV set at an appointed hour is now available whenever and wherever they want, not only on TV sets in their bedrooms, but also on their laptops, cell phones and iPods®.  

That is an astounding finding and yet not surprising. Here's how kids manage to do it today :



(Source : Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18 Year Olds)

   As parents, this is the challenge of our times. The world and its message is now at their fingertips. My response, as a father of two boys, is not to bar them from it but rather harness that technology to teach them about God.  I often ask myself how can these things bring God the glory and use that as the go/nogo test on whether to buy these things for them. Also, we keep a rule in the house that there is to be no Internet or TV during school days except for educational purposes (which is a rare occurence). On the weekends, they are given a block of time but I monitor what they watch or listen to throughout the day. I take advantage webpage histories and automated Windows Vista browsing history reports. Most importantly, I have regularly been teaching them that these must not be their idols. I am thankful to God that they have responded posivitely and understood  that they have freedom to use this technology but Daddy builds fences that protect their minds from  any bad influence.

   How about you? What are some of the protective fences that you have put on your children's use of media?

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  -Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NIV)

  

Social Media...it's here to stay

This world is changing. Social media is revolutionizing the way we interact, communicate, and access information. We are in many ways a part of this revolution. My blogging for instance is an example of this. It's pervasiveness is astounding! Watch this video.





What does the Bible say about all this? I believe in the adage that the more things change the more they are the same. King Solomon says it so well :

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.   -Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ESV)


Paul prophesies this in 2 Timothy :

1-5Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.  -2 Timothy 3:1-5 (The Message)


  Vido uploads inYouTube, status boxes in Facebook, etc, does demonstrate this reality today. The internet and social media is a recent human invention and has in many ways made our lives better but it has also revealed humanity’s fallen state without Christ. It also reveals the real truth that has been there since the Fall – that men are glory seekers and will continue to refuse to acknowledge their need for God. Indeed, there is nothing new under sun.

Some things to think about in living as Christians in a social media saturated world :
1. As any human activity ask yourself: how can I use social media for the glory of God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)

a. Does my facebook page glorify me or God? Do I seek the adoration of my friends with    their comments? Do I base my self-worth on this?


b. Are you addicted to the Internet? So involved in it that you neglect other responsibilities?


c. Do the words that I use and ideas that I express in comments, emails, tweets, and FB status box pleasing to God?


d. Has internet use affected your relationships with others?


e. Do I use it to grow spiritually and in wisdom?

2. Avoid the temptations found cyberspace; set safeguards and limits (1 Corinthians 10:13, Matthew 5:28-30).

3. Be discerning of the content that you read and watch. Is it the truth or a lie? Don’t spread the lie! (1 Timothy 6:20)

4. Avoid useless, banal talk and chatter. Set an example by posting only what communicates grace and what is edifying to those who read. (Ephesians 4:29)