New angsty song of the week

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of broken dreams
Were the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone I walk alone
I walk alone and I walk a-

My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Till then I'll walk alone

Ah..ah..

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line of the edge
And where I walk alone
Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive
And I walk alone
I walk alone I walk alone
I walk alone and I walk a-

My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Till then I'll walk alone

Ah..ah..
I walk alone and I walk a-

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of broken dreams
Were the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a-

My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Till then I'll walk alone

Heard recently: "Savin' Me" by Nickelback

Driving to work this morning I caught this song. I like it, and I like the sound of the band in it. But I didn't know anything about either. So I did research, good library employee that I am. the band is Nickelback. Watch the video here. Lyrics follow.

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you

Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is you

Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin'

[CHORUS]
Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be

Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me


Heaven's gates won't open up for me
With these broken wings I'm fallin'
And all I see is you

These city walls ain't got no love for me
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you

Come please I'm callin'
And all I need from you
Hurry I'm fallin'

[CHORUS]

Hurry I'm fallin'

Cessationism

I had dinner the other night with some friends who know more than I do about religion, theology and doctrine. As such, I usually learn something when I'm around them, if only new terminology. This week I learned, among others, the term cessationism. That is, the cessation (stopping) of some spiritual gifts, namely speaking and understanding of tongues, prophecy, healing, and other "power" gifts.

The question was posed from one member of the group to another, where he stood on cessationism. It is a good question, and while he answered I pondered what my own answer would have been, and not just what I think, but trying to line it up with Scripture. See, the Bible doesn't say that some of the gifts have gone home. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says that God gives gifts to each one of us, according to his wisdom, including those "power" gifts. So is it in his wisdom to NOT give these gifts to the contemporary church? It later draws a parallel between different body parts and different gifts, that they all are part of the whole, relying on each other for functions.

So what parts are we missing because we do not see these gifts in the church today?

As the book continues into chapter 13, a discussion of love ensues, with this interesting section:

(8)Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (9)For we know in part and we prophesy in part, (10)but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

What the heck does that mean? Prophecies and tongues will cease? Why?

And why is love thrown in here like this? Is it a gift? We know it is part of the fruit of the Spirit, and gifts are given of the Spirit. They do seem, in that sense to be related. From the beginning of chapter 13, we know is better to have love than to have the gift of tongues but not love.

Maybe this means today's church does not know how to love, and so is not given the lesser gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc.

I am Batman

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause.
		Batman, the Dark Knight - 79% The Amazing Spider-Man - 63% Lara Croft - 58% William Wallace - 54% Maximus - 54% Indiana Jones - 50% The Terminator - 50% Captain Jack Sparrow - 50% El Zorro - 46% Neo, the "One" - 46% James Bond, Agent 007 - 38%
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Question: Does God give directions for our lives?

Answer (Sunday school variety): Yes!

Me: Okay, Smarty: name 5 times God has given you clear indications of a decision you should make...

It's okay, I'll wait.

And thus I stand. It's not that I don't believe that God CAN direct us, or even that He wants to. I think I'm too thick headed/stubborn/distracted to hear. What? God can't speak loudly enough to overcome my pathetic inabilities? Sure - he enabled a donkey to speak to get through to one bonehead. But he's also not in the habit of always beating us over the head with things. He doesn't MAKE us behave. We have to choose it. So does that mean I have to believe and try really hard and hope? I dunno.

See, I'm a practical thinker. Some would say that they feel a peace about a decision and that peace indicates God's approval. Okay. But if something is rational I usually feel good about it. And Man can rationalize anything he wants badly enough. What about "whatever makes you happy, because God wants you to be happy?" Well, DANGER there!! Happy isn't always on the menu and can often be the wrong direction.

So, if you have a decision about a job to take, a position to quit, money to give, etc, realistically speaking (I won't tell anyone) what do you do?

Category:God