Bolder Than Mystery Inc!

Tip: Get a remote shutter-release for your camera; makes it SO much easier to get group photos with you in them! They run around $13 on Amazon.com, last I checked.


Ever seen that show, "Scooby-Doo" or any of it's movies? Somewhere along the lines, there would always be a scene where the whole gang of teens that make up Mystery Inc. are running down some long pathway or corridor to escape a monster. Don't you wish you could do that with life's "monsters"? Just run away from problems? Sounds pretty good to me. The fact is, that's not an option. We will always be faced with some "monster", and we will have to work our way past it.

Each character of the foursome (or five, if you include their dog, Scooby), has their own reaction to monsters.

Fred: Always plays macho; denies that monsters even exist.

Velma: Takes the logical approach; researches the monster, learns it's weakness, and attempts to find a way to defeat or unmask it.

Shaggy (and Scooby): Acknowledges that there are definitely monsters, and when one appears, freaks out and runs away screaming louder than anyone.

Daphne: Often takes Fred's approach in denying the existence of monsters; when one appears, she attempts to escape it, but ends up getting caught and has to be rescued by others.

Compare these reactions to yourself- which are you most similar to? I often find myself like Daphne- getting totally caught up in life's problems and often having to be pulled away from them by the people God has placed around me. Out of all of these, you're probably the best off if you are like Velma, but what does the Bible have to say about fear? Rely on the Lord.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6) 


So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)

Peace & Propitiation To You

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/10

 ISO- 1600
Lens- 42mm

No Flash.

Tip: If you like making your own Christmas cards, try doing close up shots of decorations and get them printed. Then write your season's greetings on the back! Fun to do, and super easy. Give it a try next year...or this year, if you like sending belated cards.

I realize I have missed a couple posts in the last several weeks. To make up for that, here's a nice big one. Merry Christmas! :)


What is propitiation and how does it apply to us? Let’s start with the meaning of the word. Propitiation basically means to appease. Many modern Bible translations have replaced the word propitiation with other words. One example of a passage where this has occurred is 1 John 4:10, which states,  “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The New Living translation replaces propitiation with “sacrifice” and the Revised Standard Version has replaced it with “expiation”, just to name a couple. 

While both of those words DO have to do with the subject, neither is a perfect synonym for propitiation. Of course, you know what sacrifice means. But I’m sure I probably just lost you at expiation, didn’t I? You’re all probably like “Oh no, there goes Sarah with big words…“  In short, expiation would be removing the stains of our sins, if you will. Many like to put it that Christ is our expiation; he died for our sins and gives us a clean slate, but does it just take stain removal to appease an angry God? No. And that is what propitiation is for.

So, if propitiation is what Christ did for us, why do people often like to use one of the replacement words instead? One reason is translators feel like they have to put simpler words into the text- because to put it strait, people just aren’t as intelligent nowadays as they were in past generations. The other reason they avoid the word is because too many people anymore don’t believe that God is a God of wrath that must be appeased. They like to take that one verse and just focus on the “God is love”. While yes, one of the attributes of God is love, He is also a God of justice and has a great deal of wrath towards us sinners who are oh-so-talented at perverting justice.

The cross is not only something to point to God’s love, but also to his justice and his wrath. God is completely just, and that is why all us sinners were condemned to eternal punishment; it is after all, exactly what we deserve. Yet as a loving creator, He sent His son to die for His people. Why? Because His wrath against sin had to be appeased. On the cross, Jesus became sin for us and was our propitiator. God is so just that He wouldn’t even bend the rules a little, even for his Son to prevent his suffering. Somebody had to pay the penalty, cause getting off free isn’t an option with total justice.

There are many more places I could go with this whole thing, but not now. Now it’s back to our big word. Propitiation. Why should it continue to be used instead of replaced by simpler words? I’m hoping by now you have a guess at this. It needs to stand because it is a reminder to us of not only what Christ did for us, but also as a reminder to who God is.

What Would You Do?

 [[Picture Below]]

A lot of people have it in their heads that the end of the world is on the 21st of this month. I highly doubt this is going to be the case- yet what if it is? Like it says in Mark 13:32, referring to the Lord's return, "But about that day or hour no one knows". 

With all this end of the world talk, it makes for an interesting subject of conversation, if nothing else. What would you do, if you knew for a fact that you would die in two weeks? The general consensus I hear seems to be "go on an adventure! See the world!", followed by stuff having to do with personal finance- things ranging from "sell all my assets so that the gov won't tax them", to "give everything to my relatives or friends before I kick the bucket" or even "Give all my money away to random people".

It seems to me that hearing what people would do with the last few days of their lives can be a good indicator of what kind of person they are and what matters the most to them. Considering the above statements, most people's deepest desires and main concerns have to do with travel and money. What I want to ask is, what about God? Where does He fit into all that? If you only had a few days left to live, shouldn't you be concerned about things to come, rather than things that currently surround you? When you face God, will you be proud to tell Him all about how you spent the time He gave you on earth, or will you cringe as you account for every moment spent pursuing things that have no eternal value?

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray." 
- 1 Peter 4:7

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/4.5

 Exposure- 1/15

 ISO- 400
Lens- 42mm

No Flash. 

Advice: Lightning shots are tough to capture. For best results, put your camera on the settings I have listed, or use a fireworks setting on your camera. Make sure you have either a windowsill or a tripod to keep your camera steady. After that, it's all about timing! Some people will just keep firing off shots until they capture something, but if you've got a good trigger finger & a fast camera, hit the button the second your eye catches any sight of light in the sky- it saves you from deleting 100's of blank shots :)

Rock, Paper... Iron.

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.6

 Exposure- 1/30

 ISO- 1600
Lens- 50mm

No Flash.

Tip: Don't just settle for indoor light if you don't have to. If it's daylight and you have access to a window, open up the shades and get some natural light in! Helps avoid that yellowy hue in your shot.

Friends- wonderful blessings indeed! There for us to celebrate the good, to help us through the bad, and everything in between. Like rock and paper, one can easily get carried away with any little breeze of obsession or feeling; it's great to have a friend who acts as a rock to help keep us held down from going crazy and being swept away.


Another great thing about friends is that they can cause us to see ourselves and the world around us in a whole new way. As long as you are careful to keep good friends, you can really learn a lot! Often we seem to have a problem though: there are so many means of entertainment these days, that we really don't think about trying to have meaningful conversations and to learn from one another.

Having a truly meaningful conversation with a friend (in most cases) is something that must be struck up intentionally. Some times one can have a great conversation by chance, but often it doesn't just come up out of nowhere. You have to ask the right questions. I am very thankful to have all my friends, but particularly thankful for the few that will suddenly pop out theological topics in conversation. Thanks to them, I have had the pleasure of talking of and contemplating things that I maybe otherwise wouldn't have.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"
 - Proverbs 27:17


Like in the above verse, we need to make a conscious effort to talk about things that will 'sharpen' our friends. Things that will make them think, give them strength, and most importantly, things that will help them become closer with God!

Well, It's A Bit Cliche, but...

 

 Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/30

 ISO- 560
Lens- 38mm

No Flash.

Tip: Consider color contrast when you take a photo- it can really help things pop!

I know, this is pretty cliche- a post about being thankful just before Thanksgiving. What can I say? I couldn't resist. Might as well go with the seasons, right? But honestly, I might have written about thankfulness anyways, even if the holiday wasn't this coming Thursday, because I heard a very interesting point concerning the topic recently.

Everyone is thankful in their lives. This time of year especially. But the thing I am here to point out is this: When you are thankful, who are you thankful to? It is just in our nature to always have some one or something to give credit to. Why is this? Because we were made with the life purpose of glorifying God. We have Him to thank for everything; so, do we act accordingly?

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Out of Tune

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/5.3

 Exposure- 1/10
ISO- 1600
Lens- 44mm

No Flash.

 

Along with photography, I have a lot of other hobbies. One of which, is playing guitar. Sadly, since I usually have so much going on, I don't manage to find much time to practice, and therefore have not been able to get very good. So, while many folks who've played guitar for 5 years are able to tune them by ear, I still remain reliant upon my little electronic tuner.

While I may not be able to get my guitars back in tune without help, I can however, tell from strumming a couple of chords if they are out of tune. A similar (but much bigger) situation seems to often arise within people's minds, concerning the world in which we live. I think just about all of you could agree that society has a problem. You can watch, and listen, and you just KNOW things are not right- but why?

How come we are so sure of this fact? If everything is relative, as many like to say, why is it so readily agreed upon that there is a lot of evil in this world- and what defines evil? How did we get the idea of morals that civil societies uphold- like that it is wrong to lie, steal, murder, ect.? Even people who commit crimes often end up with a nagging conscience- what's up with that?

Like the musical absolutes that are programmed into my guitar tuner, there are moral absolutes programmed into us by God. "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them." - Romans 2:14-15

*The law referred to may be found in Exodus 20:3-17.

Hotter Than A Pan Of Burnt Popcorn

Camera: Nikon D60

Aperture - f/10

 Exposure- 1/400
ISO- 100
Lens- 38mm

No Flash.

Oh, it's nearly here- Election Day 2012 is on Tuesday the 6th! This whole election has been hotter than a pan of burning popcorn. I have never heard so much talk of politics, nor heard so much derogatory speech aimed towards two individuals, as I have in the past year. Do you recall ever seeing a whole entourage of clothing bashing past presidents? Perhaps I only notice this stuff more now that I am old enough to vote, but I just do not recall seeing much of the type of thing pictured above in reference to presidents gone by.

As the candidates have verbally dueled it out these past few months, I have began to notice that nobody seems to have any sense of respect anymore. I will not hesitate to say that I do not like a lot of what's gone on over the past 4 years, but that man in the White House is still our top governing authority, and as such, should receive the respect due to the office he holds. On top of that, he is human, and therefore like all other humans, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."). 

When the votes are in on Tuesday, no matter who wins, just remember this:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." - Romans 13:1-2