Miracles: Some Objections Answered

Introduction:

A Christian cannot deny the miraculous and be consistent. After all, if the Incarnation never happened, then Jesus was not God as He claimed to be. If Jesus was not who He claimed to be, then Christianity is a sham. And people who are not Christian may not be bound to believe in miracles, anyway. So, to be a Christian is also to accept the possibility of miracles. [1]

Now, by miracle, I do not just mean an event that is highly unlikely or that happened in a bizarre way or that is a happy coincidence. [2] Rather, by miracle, I mean something that is due to direct intervention of a supernatural intelligence bringing about ends that are at odds with the normal course of events. [3]

There are a variety of arguments that people give for why miracles are impossible. Here are two such arguments: [4]

   1. Miracles are impossible because they are violations of the Laws of Physics.

   2. Miracles would make God a liar, which is impossible. [5]

Things I Want To Do For My Wife As An INTJ

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I have been contemplating how I will be able to express my love to my wife, when I do get married. As an INTJ, emotional expression is a bit difficult, to say the least. Granted, it isn’t impossible, but when it is easiest is when I am generally feeling things so strongly that they begin to leak everywhere. At those times, I have a difficult time actually explaining what I am feeling.

1. I want to write her love letters and then read them to her. This may be the only way she will be able to see both the emotional manifestation of my love while I am also using words to describe what I am feeling. Otherwise, she would only see one or the other, because when my emotions are manifesting that strongly, my thinking becomes muddled and non-linear. And if I only wrote to her, she would not see the emotional manifestation. I think she will need both from me.

2. I want to lead her spiritually. Now, I don’t expect to marry a woman who is spiritually immature, that’s not what I am talking about. Rather, I want to lead her deeper into the things of God than she has ever dreamed possible, as He in turn has led me. Don’t get me wrong; there will be things that she will help me to learn as well. This is just me taking Paul’s charge to husbands in Ephesians 5 seriously. This will include things like praying together and having devotions together daily.

3. I want to demonstrate my love for her in little things. For instance, if she doesn’t like slipping into a bed with cold sheets, I would warm her side of the bed for her. If she were too tired to do her portion of the household chores, I would do them for her. Sometimes I would just do them anyway, to bless her. J I would give her gifts, both purchased and those that I made, small things mostly, to remind her that I am (or will be) always thinking of her.

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4. I want to stay healthy and fit for her. As an INTJ, it is very easy for me to start thinking about something and remain immobile for hours at a time. I need to get up and exercise more, as well as improving my eating habits. I want to do this so that our time together can be maximized and not cut short by preventable disease and health conditions. And yes, as an INTJ, I do forget to eat sometimes. This has to do with a very poorly developed Si. INTJs are often not very in touch with their own bodies.

5. I want to be present for her as much as possible. I will need to care for myself, which as an INTJ will mean sufficient alone/quiet time. However, I will also need to make sure that she has the time and care that she will need from me. This will mean doing things with her when I would prefer something else. This is a large part of where the relationship will stretch me. But, as Paul states in Ephesians 5, husbands are to lay down their lives for their wives as Christ laid down His life for the church. I will have to discover when I actually need time alone or in silence and when it is just something that I would prefer. I will need to steward my social time so that as much of it as possible is available to her.

6. I want to take interest in her interests and enjoy the things she enjoys. This may not be possible in every case, but as far as it is possible, I want to do this for her.

7. I want to write songs for her. My voice isn’t the best, but I will write and sing songs for her as I am able. They may be cheesy and sung a bit off key, but they will be from my heart to hers. Hopefully they won’t be too painful to her ears.

I will add more to this list when I think of new things.

You Might Be An INTJ If …

1.  your mother ever made you come watch TV with the family.

2.  you realize a year later that a girl (or boy) had been flirting with you.

3.  you won’t allow your daughter/sister/female friend to date anyone whom you have not thoroughly vetted.

4.  you answer Yes/No questions with, ‘It depends ….’

5.  your eyebrows are the most expressive part of your face.

6.  people think you are angry or upset when in fact you are just thinking.

7.  boredom is a dangerous thing.

8.  it takes you days to figure out what you are feeling.

9.  people don’t understand your jokes. And if they do, they are fellow Ns.

10. you can debate on the side of an issue that you don’t hold.

11. you’ve done so much research on a subject that people think you are an expert, but you’ve never taken a class in it.

12. you prefer criticism, because praise doesn’t help you improve. (Although, personally, I am finding that I need praise, because my view of myself is far too negative.)

13. you’ve been told you would make a great super-villain. And then you scare people even more when you admit that you had considered it as a career choice at one time.

14. you can’t talk about something private with someone without also avoiding eye contact.

15. you are always at least five steps ahead of everyone around you.

16. you are easily frustrated by those around you, but rarely become truly angry.

17. you have a black belt in sarcasm.

18. you feel like you have a lot in common with the villains in movies and books.

19. people have ever hoped you would get a bad grade on a test so you wouldn’t wreck the curve, and you gladly disappointed them.

20. you understand almost everyone else, but they can’t seem to ever understand you.

Why I Think I Want To Marry An ENFP

Introduction:

This is an addendum and/or expansion of my previous post. As I related there, I am not looking for an easy match, so much as I am looking for a match that will provide balance for us both. With an ENFP, I would find someone who would complement my strengths in such a way that we are stronger together than apart.

In this, I went through the four letter descriptors for INTJ and ENFP and compared them. Here, I would like to give more specifics. In particular, I would like to shed more light on where she will help me and where I will help her.

In the midst of all of this, I have come to a greater realization that God is going to have to work all of this out for me. I did some calculations based on demographics of certain characteristics and have found that there may be as many as two ENFPs where I live who match what I am looking for in such considerations as age, maturity, spirituality, and intelligence. Considering my town has about 32,000 inhabitants, this doesn’t give very good odds of us ever finding each other. Hence, the realization that God will have to bring this about.

Now, this is not going to be the easiest match by any means. But I do think that this is the kind of woman that God has designed me for. There will be several (or many) challenges, but good things often are also difficult.

Part of the challenge comes from the fact that we will balance each other. The very act of balancing, while good, presents potential areas of conflict. At the same time, however, this also gives more opportunities to disciple each other and to encourage each other to be more like Christ. In covering each other’s weaknesses, we will be far stronger together than apart.

What Qualities Best Match The INTJ In Marriage?

I have seen a great deal of discussion of what personalities best match the INTJ in a relationship. And of course, the most commonly discussed match seems to be that of the INTJ-ENFP. Some say, “No, ENTP is better.” Debate abounds. The truth is, there is no monolithic answer. Each INTJ is different, with different experiences and desires.

Of course, in all of this, many believe that their partner or spouse needs to complete them. However, this puts pressure on a relationship that is unreasonable. We need to be complete in God. A spouse can never fill those shoes. Rather, spouses should complement. They are complete individuals in their own rights, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Upon being joined together by God in marriage, they become stronger together than they could ever be apart.

With that in mind, here are some qualities or characteristics that I have been looking for, because these are things where we can complement each other.

A Man’s Sexuality: A Gift From God For His Wife

Introduction:

We live in an over-sexualized culture. Don’t get me wrong. Sex is not wrong, in the appropriate context. In fact, in the right context, it is holy.

So many men in our culture are out for whatever they can get. They spend their sexuality upon themselves and use women to do it. But this is not why men were given their sexuality.

True Love … Serves

Introduction:

You may have heard the saying, “True love waits.” While this is true, it falls far short of all that exemplifies true love.

You see true love is concerned with its object. True love isn’t out to get something from its object; rather, true love seeks to give of itself to its object. The goal of true love isn’t what it can get, but rather, what it can give.

Abraham and the Gospel

Introduction:

The Gospel was first revealed in the Old Testament. Not in all of the detail that we see in the New Testament, of course, but it is there. The very first pulling back of the curtain of revelation is in Genesis 3, right after Adam and Eve had sinned and been confronted by God. God proclaimed that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. We find another pulling back of the curtain of revelation in the life of Noah, that God would preserve a people from wrath. There are others, of course, but I think my favorite is how the Gospel was revealed to Abraham.

Sacrificing Isaac

Sometimes our Lord asks us to sacrifice something that we hold dear. And sometimes He asks us to sacrifice something that He has promised us. This was what He asked Abraham to do.

Abraham could have argued with God, “But he is the son that You promised me!”

But this isn’t what Abraham did. He didn’t argue with God. He didn’t try to find a way out. Instead, we are told that he believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead. And Abraham obeyed in faith. This wasn’t a blind faith, because God had proved Himself over and over before this. And Abraham’s trust was well placed.

Is there something in your life that He has asked you to sacrifice to Him? Is it something that He has promised to you? Is it something that you hold dear?

Will you trust Him?

Will I trust Him? I find myself in this situation right now.

“I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24, NET). In context, Jesus was talking about His own coming death.

I think that if the disciples had been asked if they would willingly give up His physical presence at that time, they would have said no. But this was necessary. And through His death, He brought many to life.

This is the potential of a seed. Symbolically, Isaac was the seed of the promise to Abraham. In willingly releasing this seed into God’s hands, the seed bore much fruit.

Are you holding onto a bunch of seeds? Maybe God will ask you to sacrifice them. But the exchange is nearly one-sided, because you will get back far more than you lose. And, as with Abraham, you may receive the promise back. (See Gen. 22:12.)

Even if not, He is worth the price you have been asked to pay.