Why I Believe In The Bible

Here's a paper I just finished for one of my classes. It isn't perfect, and admittedly it's slightly circular in logic, for its main argument is based on the prior understanding of and belief in God's existence, but this is what I've always thought and believed.

Why I Believe In The Bible

What if someone were to tell me that I can’t trust the Bible because it has been tampered with by men? Even though God exists, men have distorted the Bible and its meaning throughout the years and it no longer contains what He intended. I would answer that they don’t understand who God is. If we really profess a belief in God—the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God, the one who spoke creation into existence—then how could we justify this inconsistency in character? It’s not like God is sitting up on his throne, perhaps complaining to His angels, “Well guys, I may have created the greatest miracle ever conceived—sending My Son to die for all mankind, but gosh darn it, if only I had been a little more attentive when those meddling humans decided to change the My holy Word! My biggest regret is how easily is slipped past Me!” If we were to actually assume the legitimacy of this dialogue then we completely misunderstand the character of God.

If the Bible is the sole surviving physical embodiment of God’s message, holy and complete, why would He allow it to be changed?  If everything in it is necessary for our instruction as Christians to live obedient, faithful lives, then any significant alterations jeopardize the execution of this goal. If we are to humor this idea then we must also assume that God is not all powerful, that some things are beyond his control. But if we’re willing to take our logic this far then we are no longer regarding the God of Christianity, but some deity with the same name who lacks complete control over his creation.

Basically, to believe in God is to believe in His sovereignty and limitless power. If we truly believe in God, then we cannot by any sound reason believe that His Word is anything but complete and authoritative. If we were to humor the idea that the Bible has been altered so as to lack authority, and instead represents the personal agendas of men, then we are both inconsistent with our profession of God and our understanding of His character. God is perfect and the purpose and meaning of His Word remains perfect as well.

Late Night Ramblings, Volume 1

Running and writing. Two things I love to do, and I don't have time to do either of them. Geez... is school worth this sacrifice? Yes. And no. This is just a season in my life. Life won't always be this busy. Maybe I can put up with not being able to write right now. It's a time-consuming commitment. But to not even have time for running, something that's nothing but beneficial? Yet I can't do anything about it. It's not like I can just poof extra time into existence (maybe if I had some fairly odd parents, though...), so I have no choice but to grin and bear it. Maybe I'm being selfish. Maybe I'm being impatient. Again, this is only a season in my life.

But it's more than my legs that yearn to run. My soul aches to just run my heart out, to commune with God in a way that only running can accomplish. I'm antsy, anxious, and I often feel trapped. Thank God for summers, but I wish I didn't need a "break" to be able to do the things I love. I wish I had the time to squeeze in the things that help make this season less suffocating.

I'm probably not going to be at Multnomah much longer, so I will eventually have time. I don't really need to graduate, so I'm okay with moving on. I do want to be here, though. I'm benefiting so much from the teaching, the community and the people here. But I also need to do the things that make me feel alive, that stir and awaken my soul. I just haven't figured out how.

Grace and Beans

Why is it so hard for us to show grace sometimes? Maybe the better question is, why is it so easy for us to judge one another? Didn't Christ extend His grace when He died for us, though we did not deserve it? Did He condemn us? How much easier is it to show grace to one another when we do deserve it? Pretty difficult, apparently.

Summer Plans

Making this a blog seemed like a good idea before I started typing this sentence, but now I'm not sure why I didn't just make this a list on my computer. Maybe throwing it out here on the internet will help keep me accountable to you, my non-existent readers.

Oh man. I'm going to hit the ground running this summer¹. School's out, and while I will be working, I won't be doing much else, so it's the perfect opportunity to live life a little bit. Here are some things I want to work on:

1. I'm going to write EVERY DAY. Seriously Adrian, do this one. It's going to be glorious.
2. I'm going to resume my workout/running routine... from two years ago.
3. I'm going to improve my [laughable] cooking abilities.
4. I'm going to explore the HECK out of Portland. (Portland, have I ever told you how much I love you? Because I do.)
5. I'm going to read often. (I'd commit to "every day," but since I have to sleep sometime this gets bumped a little lower on the priority list.
6. I'm going to continue learning Japanese.

This'll be updated as I think of more things.
  
                                                                               
¹For literal interpretation, see point #2

Moving Forward

God is good. New things are happening. New things can be scary, but God is good. His plan is perfect and I shall rest in His goodness.

I didn't get the RA position. I was having a lot of second thoughts about it at the end, so I suppose it worked out. But I think it's easy to take God out of the situation. I think it's easy for me to regret this decision, to want to blame others or myself. But if God wanted me to have the RA position He would've given it to me. Isn't He in control? God's will would have been done regardless of the outcome, and this is the way it worked out. Would I have made a good RA? Maybe, but there's no way to tell. Besides, that's not important. God's will is perfect and complete, and this is the direction He's taking me.

This means I'll be moving off campus for next year. That's both exciting and kind of sad. I like having my own place and the freedom and independence that comes with it, but I'm going to miss the intimate community that you get from living in the dorms.

Overall, I'm excited. Life is moving forward. God is doing great things in me daily. I'm so excited to see where He's going to take me. This is just another step in the journey.

Eyes

Eyes

A Poem by Adrian Henske

I see you guys

With my eyes.

Banana Pies.

Everyone Dies.

An Observation of Observance

People are fickle. Why do we do the things we do? You walk by someone you know, you probably know their name, but maybe you don't know that person well, and you make the conscious decision to avoid contact with them. You avert your eyes. You pretend you don't see them. You focus on something else. You check your phone. It's easier to avoid talking to them than to jeopardize some sort of imagined comfort. Is a simple "hello" really such an inconvenience?

I'm guilty of this. But so is everyone else who passes me by. This isn't meant to be a profound statement or some sort of critical judgment. Just an observation.

All In

I've been trying to get better at memorizing scripture lately, so today I was working on Matthew 5:29-30.

²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (NIV).

Jesus is telling us if there's something in our life that's causing us to sin, we need to throw it away. He doesn't say, "If you've got something that's making you sin, put it down, leave it alone for a while, and maybe come back to it later." No. He's telling us to throw it away. To completely abandon it.

If there is something hindering your walk with God, something that's leading you to sin, get rid of it. What good is it if we live comfortably or in convenience but aren't completely committed to God, if even in the smallest fraction? We need to be radical with our walk with the Lord. There is no grey area with this verse. Jesus is telling us to be all in. We need to be completely committed, and that includes compensating for our weaknesses and what leads us astray. This isn't legalism, it's about being so committed to Christ that you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep yourself pure and holy and obedient to Him.

I should probably blog more, even if it's just three sentences. I used to blog all the time. This is the third sentence.

The Season of Giving

When Christmas rolls around people begin talking about how this is the season for giving, but I think of Christ who willingly died and gave His life for us so that we may be saved.

But I don't deserve it. I don't deserve His grace. I'm so wretched. But His love is over-encompassing. His love takes no consideration of my faults or wrongs. His love blindly comes to this earth as a man, in spite of who I am, to live life as I do and to die so I won't have to. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you so much for your gift.