The Power of 1

1 is the smallest whole number that has some sort of value. In mathematics the basic number set is called "Natural Numbers". Its first number is the number 1 because the way we count naturally is to go "1, 2, 3..." Notice, we do not start with 0. Why? Because 0 is nothing. 0 has no value whatsoever, unless you are dealing with integers but even then 0 has no value because it is neutral.

1...1...1.

Working at a Drop-In Centre for people who are homeless or living in poverty, I contemplate how I could have ended up like them. And I cannot help but think that any 1 "What if?" would land me there. For example, what if I turned to drugs instead of suicide to solve/hide my problems? What if I never told the guy that I liked him through a love letter the summer before? What if I did not decide to accept Christ at Acquire the Fire a year later?

The letter I mentioned above set the wheels in motion that lead to the event aty Acquire the Fire. Oh yeah! One insignificant love letter, just one, took me on the journey to accept Christ. And to think that almost 2000 years before that, one man dying on a cross "so that the world through Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:17-18ish). And almost 1billion people claim to be allied with that Man to this day (Ma=Jesus). Amazing, huh?

Face it, the number 1 is the most powerful number in the system of numbers. One choice, one event, one wrong turn and everything is changed probably forever. Even something as simple as one choice about whether you stop for coffee in the morning or not. For all you know, that choice kept you from being in a car crash.

Biblical example? One bad choice by Adam gave us this sinfallen, cursed world that is full of pain, death and suffering from a once original perfect creation that we currently live in. One choice by God to bring us back to Him caused Jesus, His Son, to be sacrificed for the sake of many. One choice by Joseph to be faithful to God no matter what saved the young Israelite nation from a famine. The one choice of Abram to trust God, changed his name into the founding father of my faith: Abraham.

Even the movie industry sees the power in this number. Star Wars: One choice to turn to the dark side cost Anakin Skywalker his identity, his wife, his twins because he never had a relationship with them, and his freedom from the inprisonment of the life support suit (aka Darth Vader suite). It also cost him is friendship with Obi Wan. Perhaps it was one bad choice on both sides, because maybe Obi Wan should have waited for Anakin to come to Coruscant instead of sneaking on the Padme's ship.

Spiderman: One choice by Peter Parke to not stop a criminal cost him and Aunt May Uncle Ben.

Real Life/Recent History: Did you know that Adolf Hitler wanted to become an artist at first? Yep, it's true. However, they chose to reject his application...One choice, and instead of being known as an artist, Hitler is known as a monster to the entire world. There is even no room for any mentioning of Hitler, Nazism, or any anti-semitism in Germany at all. All of that just because ONE college made ONE choice to reject ONE of their many applications...

Wow. The one choice is a powerful choice. To choose God over my own selfish desires, to choose sin over righteousness cost me everything, even if it is hard to choose. Remember my readers how powerful the number 1 is...

First Black President

So, the the votes are in and the verdict is that history was made with the first black man for president. It was a long, grueling and expensive campaign between the other potential candidate for the leader of his own party and and against his presidential opponent.

Well, my fellow 12th grade history classmate, you were right. The next US president was going to be a black man or a woman. Now the question I have to ask you is this: does the colour of the person's skin or their particular gender matter in politics? What good are either of those traits if they cannot run the country?

I know I am just speculating; however, economic times like these are what put political leaders to the test. Just like economics was the focus for the Canadian Federal Election last month, so too was it the focus of the American Federal Election. Now comes the question of whether or not the minority government in Canada and soon-to-be President Obama will step up to the plate and prove to be everything they promised in their campaigns and after the election? Or will we all go home and say, "Why didn't we stick with the white guy?"

Now, I am just speculating. But I'll say it again: it is not the colour of the skin or the gender of the person that makes the leader. Obama is the first black man to become the president of the United States... Lets hope that there is more to him than just the colour of his skin when het gets sworn in January 20, 2009.

Here is a picture of Darth Vader. Lets also hope that Obama and Harper do not turn Canada and the U.S. of A. into the Galactic Empire!

The "Charismatic" Movement Part I: my Experiences

My exposure to Charismatic Churches began when I moved to a small town outside of Ottawa I started going to a church called River of Life Christian Fellowship. I went there because I thought it was non-Denominational and I was unsure about where I stood when it came to denominations. Boy, was I wrong!!!

River of Life Christian Fellowships (ROLCF) are all over the country and are a part of a sect (for lack of a better term) that are known as "Charismatic" Churches. Now I left that church to join another one. Why? I left because of the Charismatic stuff.

Now, I have been to two Charismatic Churches: The church mentioned above and a Pentecostal Church in the same town. I left them both for a couple of reasons. Now, I knew nothing of the Pentecostal movement before I went to them but I left without diving deeper either because I knew something wasn't right.

The reason why I left the first one was because I was 100% uncomfortable being there. That and an average service was 3 hours long! People shouting after receiving communion, and just lying on the floor and stuff was just caused me to back away. I would later find out that it was for a good reason.

You know why I love the Word of God? It is because God used it to save my life during the year of suicidal attempts, and because I understood what the foundation of my faith was. 

When I went to the Pentecostal Church, it was just to go to their youth group. At first it was focused on the Word of God and I learned a great deal of it in Grade 10. Even the Dream Convention they went to every year in TO was biblical. However, I noticed that the people were doing the exact same thing that the people at ROLCF were doing. At first I went with the flow. Then along comes grade 11.

So, during worship I started to raise my arms (which was extremely painful). I went up to the front and got my head touched. I went to the Dream Conference and everything...However, nothing happened. No falling down, speaking in tongues, no nothing. That and that concert seemed to focus on only one thing: charismatic gifts, not the Bible... Another thing was that speaker did do a good job of getting everyone all rallied up. Q: "What's the problem with getting a crowd rallied up?" A: "It'll believe everything you say".  

He also told "Wow" stories, like reading from a newspaper that had an ad for human body parts and a heart wrenching story about abortion. Don't get me wrong, I am very pro-life. However, these stories sounded to awful and emotional to be true. And worse, it showed how gullible I was! Worse, all I could care about was doing something else other than seeing my Mom on Mother's Day (which was the day I got back)!Luckily, my Mom brought me to my senses. 

Then along came my brother Ed, who also also has a blog site, and I discussed it with him. You know what he said? That sort of thing comes and goes. However, the Word of God has stood the test of time. 

I thought a lot about what he said and about that Convention. I realized that he was right. Things at youth group just went down hill,because of teh change in leadership and stuff but my love for God's Word grew stronger. That and that Convention pretty much killed my best friend's faith because nothing happened to her either!!

I left that youth group in grade 12 and divorced myself from the youth group scene all together. It was not jsut the charismatic stuff. I also did not like the other places where the youth were mostly just there to socialize and were not really interested in the biblical part of it at all. Was I annoyed? Oh Yeah!!! Makes me so glad that Bible College and post-secondary Christians in general are actually serious about their faith and do not just take it for granted!!

 

However to all of my Christian readers out there: Trust in the BIBLE!!!!!! Jesus said that God's Word, that was spoken by the Word (Jesus, c John 1:1), will never pass away. Bring everything under Scripture. If it is not in there, or it contradicts the Bible, then through whatever it is out!!

Part II will be written tomorrow.