To Be Least

I came upon accident a biblical errancy group who try to show why the Bible is not the word of God. Anyhow I have taken on the task of answering each of there question that I found on there group "site."

Let's start.

[Question] 1. If you must accept Jesus as your Savior in order to be saved (John 14:6), what about the billions of beings that die as fetuses, infants, and mentally deficient, etc.? For them to accept Jesus would be impossible. So they are condemned to hell because of conditions over which they had no control. Deut. 32:4 says God is just, but where is the justice?

[Answer] Just as Deut. 32:4 says, God is just. Jesus says this in Matthew 18:3, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." So unless we become like little children, we will not enter heaven. So God is indirectly saying here that little children will enter the kingdom of heaven. In Mark 10:40 it also says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Here it obviously states that heaven, or the kingdom of God, belongs to the children. Perhaps, they can not mentally accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, yet God says that they already will enter the kingdom of heaven.

[Question] 2. Why are we being punished for Adam's sin? After all, he ate the forbidden fruit, we didn't. It's his problem, not ours, especially in light of Deut. 24:16, which says children shall not be punished for the sins of their fathers.

[Answer] We are being "punished" for Adams sin in a sense, however if he had not done it we would have surely done because we all carry the natural tendency to sin. In some cases our own sin brings on consequences such as death.

[Question] 3. God created Adam, so he must have been perfect. How then, could he have sinned? Regardless of how much free will he had, if he chose to sin, he wasn't perfect.

[Answer] In Genesis 1:31 it says, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day." Notice he did not day that it was "perfect." It was good, to God's satisfaction. So he was not perfect, but without sin until he disobeyed God.

To Be Continued. . .

I think far to often, that an increasingly population of church goers assume that going to the local church guarantees eternal life with God. Don't get me wrong, most of people that go to church do know the truth, yet I see many youth that do not know what they believe in. Some even go as far as to say that they are "Catholic" of "Baptist" without ever attending a church. And of those who do attend church, they are clueless to basic principle of Christianity. Some may have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but have not acted upon their new found faith. This goes back to the concept of faith without deeds is useless as spoken in the book of James. Matthew 7:13-14 states that, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." This is obviously true, even amoung the church goers. Far to often my "church" friends are lukewarm, or do not bear fruit. They think they are headed to eternal life, but it may very well be headed off the wrong path.

Later.

Dear Mike [a "gnostic" commenter],

Thank you for your comments on many of my posts.

To respond to your first remark. The interesting thing is science and God don't conflict or contradict in anyway. Current science may, but because God is truth thus anything that is not truth contradicts. Even the brightest scientists of our day are humans who are not all-knowing [omniscient] as God is.

Now to the most important message of all. From your remarks, I gather that you do not believe there is consequences for your sin. You said that the concept of "sin" is a lie. You also said that you believed in God, but not that Jesus was our Lord and Savior. By acknowledging God's existence you have to agree that by the definition of God, he is all powerful, all knowing, and all seeing. Where does law and morals come from? Did someone just make them up one day? No, there are ultimately from God, he is the law and also the moral law. God is life, that is why murder is illegal. Murder is sin, because God is life. How can you disregard the existence of sin?

Satan, then the archangel, wanted and believed he was more powerful, more knowing, and saw more then God. He thought he was higher then to be God. What did God do? He cast him out of his Heavenly Kingdom for his sin. Our sin forms a gap between us and God, and our deeds could not reach him. However, he sent his only son to form a bridge, to be the mediator between God and man. You sated that:

"It seems only logical that an All-Loving God would protect His children. If you were a parent, would you allow your child to commit suicide? If you were standing in that room, your own flesh and blood with a gun to their head, would you simply say, "Oh well, whatever makes you happy." No! You'd plead with that child, try anyway possible to save him or her. And an All-Powerful God could surely help his children."

Do you really think Jesus committed suicide? He did nothing of the sort. Physically the Jews and the Romans killed him on that cross. However, he did not just die on the cross because he was forced to. He willingly died, for our sins. Yes, yours and mine as well as all of humanity. It was our sins that put him on that cross, and it was for our sins that he did it. You showed doubt in the fact that God would look down at Jesus and let him do it. This is the amazing thing about Christianity, God loved YOU so much that he let his one and only son go through the process of death, for the forgiveness of OUR sins. Jesus propose was to pay the top price, the only price, that could possibly pay for all of humanities sins. He, God in human flesh, went through pain and agony so that you and I could even have the opportunity to enter God's Kingdom. You were right when you said that a normal parent would stop his death, but he did it for you. This is the core of Christianity, it is truly astounding.

Yours truly,
blogging teen

Later and God bless.

Much of humanity is plagued by ignorance of the Christian faith. Today I asked a classmate if it he believed in the existence of God, after stating my obvious position. The agreed with me, and I followed with another question. "Do you believe in creationism like I do, or the theory of evolution?" To this he replied in an uneducated babbling that you "can't dispute the facts." [This was the answer I expected] Seeing this I challenged him, "If you believe in God, then surely you think God can do anything such as this create this world." For God is omnipotent, all powerful. He stopped the sun in its movement, which is something science would claim to be impossible. Yet, without God, everything is impossible, even trying to regain your breathe would be futile without God. When man sees miracles here on earth, it is not "breaking a law" as scientist suppose, it is merely intervening.

Anyhow, evolution seems to me to be man trying to explain away God. It seems to be merely a "factual" way to let man hear what he wants to hear. They want to hear that there is no God, there is no supreme authority, no moral law, and no consequences for there sins. They love there sinful life, and want to continue to embrace it.

In classrooms across America and other countries, where false man made god's are worshipped and sometimes died for, Christianity is the target for there mockery, criticism, and worst of all their persecution. All of this is because the message that Jesus Christ taught was that we all are sinners, and if we continue to follow our sinful life and don't obey God, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. We will be gnashing our teeth in the lake of fire for eternity without a slight hint hope. Ultimately, the reason for why Christianity is rejected among the inhabitants of this earth is that it teaches the truth, not just what people want to hear, but the truth. God is truth and that is not what the masses want to hear.

God bless.

A Pakistani Christian teenager kidnapped for more than two weeks in November has been forced to flee his home and stay in hiding to avoid recapture by his Muslim extremist captors.

Leaders of a fanatic Islamic school have vowed to send Zeeshan Gill, who just turned 16 last week, to fight in Kashmir as a newly-converted Muslim jihadi (holy warrior).

Zeeshan Gill was abducted November 7 on his way home from his classes at Garrison Cadet School in Sargodha, in Pakistan's Punjab province. The boy was duped into accompanying a Muslim acquaintance, an electrician named Amjad Warriach who had done occasional work in his family's home.

Warriach took Gill to the Jamia al Qasim al Aloom "madressa," an Islamic school attached to a local mosque. Kept there under guard, the boy was forced to recite the "Kalima" (Islamic creed), perform Muslim ablutions and prayers five times a day, and observe daily fasting for the month of Ramadan then in progress.

The boy was beaten and threatened by his captors, who declared that since he had become a Muslim, they would kill him if he tried to run away or convert back to Christianity. Under the tenets of Islam, simply reciting the faith's creed makes one a Muslim, and anyone who renounces Islam must be killed.

Gill was also given weapons training in the use of guns, pistols and grenades, and told that soon he would be sent to fight in the Muslim "holy war" in Kashmir. Hundreds of Pakistan"s militant Islamist groups -- now banned by the government -- have been embroiled in the violent dispute over India-administered Kashmir, a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for 15 years.

Read the rest of the story [here] Source : CompassDirect.org

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

- Genesis 1:31

In modern day culture to often we forget to slow down and enjoy the wonders and beauties God has created. Sometimes it's the little things that we forget to enjoy as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life.

God bless.

I've been thinking a lot about this recently especially after reading alan creech several posts of what the pastor does and what a pastor is.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

After researching a bit I came to the conclusion that pastors and teachers are similar, but not the same. A pastor is in effect the shepherd over the flock (congregation). He is to feed his flock with food (God's word, thus has to teach). He cares for his flock. In Acts 20 it is written:

28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."

This was written to the Ephesian elders, thus the same tasks apply to today's pastors. They are to "keep watch" over themselves and the church because they are overseers. As you read on it is obvious that they are to watch out for people that can destroy the church (wolves) and also for distorters of truth.

1 Peter 5:2

"1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

Again the concept of overseers is shown, however Peter says that "shepherds" are to be willing. Also pastors should be "eager to serve." They are supposed to be good examples to the church (flock).

Finally in John 10:14 Jesus said, "14'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me'"

A pastor is to know his church, to be personally involved with them. I think that a pastor should do more than just preach, I think that he has guide, feed, care for, and oversee his congregation.

This is my feeble attempt to understand the pastor's role, if you have insights into this subject, please feel free to email me them, or respond with a comment.

God bless, blogging teen

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come.
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

One of the great hymns of the Christian faith, it was written by John Newton in the year of 1779. God's grace to us, wretched sinners, is so well portrayed in this song. Despite all the new contemporary songs in the Christian community the beautiful hymns endure on.

The Sniper
By Liam O'Flaherty

The long June twilight faded into night. Dublin lay enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and the dark waters of the Liffey. Around the beleaguered Four Courts the heavy guns roared. Here and there through the city, machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms. Republicans and Free Staters were waging civil war.

On a rooftop near O'Connell Bridge, a Republican sniper lay watching. Beside him lay his rifle and over his shoulders was slung a pair of field glasses. His face was the face of a student, thin and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of the fanatic. They were deep and thoughtful, the eyes of a man who is used to looking at death.

He was eating a sandwich hungrily. He had eaten nothing since morning. He had been too excited to eat. He finished the sandwich, and, taking a flask of whisky from his pocket, he took a short drought. Then he returned the flask to his pocket. He paused for a moment, considering whether he should risk a smoke. It was dangerous. The flash might be seen in the darkness, and there were enemies watching. He decided to take the risk.

Placing a cigarette between his lips, he struck a match, inhaled the smoke hurriedly and put out the light. Almost immediately, a bullet flattened itself against the parapet of the roof. The sniper took another whiff an put out the cigarette. Then he swore softly and crawled away to the left.

Cautiously he raised himself and peered over the parapet. There was a flash and a bullet whizzed over his head. He dropped immediately. He had seen the flash. It came from the opposite side of the street.

He rolled over the roof to a chimney stack in the rear, and slowly drew himself up behind it, until his eyes were level with the top of the parapet. There was nothing to be seen--just the dim outline of the opposite housetop against the blue sky. His enemy was under cover.

Just then an armored car came across the bridge and advanced slowly up the street. It stopped on the opposite side of the street, fifty yards ahead. The sniper could hear the dull panting of the motor. His heart beat faster. It was an enemy car. He wanted to fire, but he knew it was useless. His bullets would never pierce the steel that covered the gray monster.

Then round the corner of a side street came an old woman, her head covered by a tattered shawl. She began to talk to the man in the turret of the car. She was pointing to the roof where the sniper lay. An informer.

The turret opened. A man's head and shoulders appeared, looking toward the sniper. The sniper raised his rifle and fired. The head fell heavily on the turret wall. The woman darted toward the side street. The sniper fired again. The woman whirled round and fell with a shriek into the gutter.

Suddenly from the opposite roof a shot rang out and the sniper dropped his rifle with a curse. The rifle clattered to the roof. The sniper thought the noise would wake the dead. He stooped to pick the rifle up. He couldn't lift it. His forearm was dead. "I'm hit," he muttered.

Dropping flat onto the roof, he crawled back tot the parapet. With his left hand he felt the injured right forearm. The blood was oozing through the sleeve of his coat. There was no pain--just a deadened sensation, as if the arm had been cut off.

Quickly he drew his knife from his pocket, opened it on the breastwork of the parapet, and ripped open the sleeve. There was a small hole where the bullet had entered. On the other side there was not hole. The bullet had lodged in the bone. It must have fractured it. He bent the arm below the wound. the arm bent back easily. He ground his teeth overcome the pain.

Then taking out his field dressing, he ripped open the packet with his knife. He broke the neck of the iodine bottle and let the bitter fluid drip into the wound. A paroxysm of pain swept through him. He placed the cotton wadding over the wound and wrapped the dressing over it. He tied the ends with his teeth.

Then he lay still against the parapet, and, closing his eyes, he made an effort of will to overcome the pain.

In the street beneath all was still. The armored car had retired speedily over the bridge, with the machine gunner's head hanging lifeless over the turret. The woman's corpse lay still in the gutter.

The sniper lay still for a long time nursing his wounded arm and planning escape. Morning must not find him wounded on the roof. The enemy on the opposite roof coverd his escape. He must kill that enemy and he could not use his rifle. He had only a revolver to do it. Then he thought of a plan.

Taking off his cap, he placed it over the muzzle of his rifle. Then he pushed the rifle slowly upward over the parapet, until the cap was visible from the opposite side of the street. Almost immediately there was a report, and a bullet pierced the center of the cap. The sniper slanted the rifle forward. The cap clipped down into the street. Then catching the rifle in the middle, the sniper dropped his left hand over the roof and let it hang, lifelessly. After a few moments he let the rifle drop to the street. Then he sank to the roof, dragging his hand with him.

Crawling quickly to his feet, he peered up at the corner of the roof. His ruse had succeeded. The other sniper, seeing the cap and rifle fall, thought that he had killed his man. He was now standing before a row of chimney pots, looking across, with his head clearly silhouetted against the western sky.

The Republican sniper smiled and lifted his revolver above the edge of the parapet. The distance was about fifty yards--a hard shot in the dim light, and his right arm was paining him like a thousand devils. He took a steady aim. His hand trembled with eagerness. Pressing his lips together, he took a deep breath through his nostrils and fired. He was almost deafened with the report and his arm shook with the recoil.

Then when the smoke cleared, he peered across and uttered a cry of joy. His enemy had been hit. He was reeling over the parapet in his death agony. He struggled to keep his feet, but he was slowly falling forward as if in a dream. The rifle fell from his grasp, hit the parapet, fell over, bounded off the pole of a barber's shop beneath and then clattered on the pavement.

Then the dying man on the roof crumpled up and fell forward. The body turned over and over in space and hit the ground with a dull thud. Then it lay still.

The sniper looked at his enemy falling and he shuddered. The lust of battle died in him. He became bitten by remorse. The sweat stood out in beads on his forehead. Weakened by his wound and the long summer day of fasting and watching on the roof, he revolted from the sight of the shattered mass of his dead enemy. His teeth chattered, he began to gibber to himself, cursing the war, cursing himself, cursing everybody.

He looked at the smoking revolver in his hand, and with an oath he hurled it to the roof at his feet. The revolver went off with a concussion and the bullet whizzed past the sniper's head. He was frightened back to his senses by the shock. His nerves steadied. The cloud of fear scattered from his mind and he laughed.

Taking the whiskey flask from his pocket, he emptied it a drought. He felt reckless under the influence of the spirit. He decided to leave the roof now and look for his company commander, to report. Everywhere around was quiet. There was not much danger in going through the streets. He picked up his revolver and put it in his pocket. Then he crawled down through the skylight to the house underneath.

When the sniper reached the laneway on the street level, he felt a sudden curiosity as to the identity of the enemy sniper whom he had killed. He decided that he was a good shot, whoever he was. He wondered did he know him. Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in the army. He decided to risk going over to have a look at him. He peered around the corner into O'Connell Street. In the upper part of the street there was heavy firing, but around here all was quiet.

The sniper darted across the street. A machine gun tore up the ground around him with a hail of bullets, but he escaped. He threw himself face downward beside the corpse. The machine gun stopped.

Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother's face.

Thanks to Reverend Joyleaf for his comment.

I forgot to mention that faith, without deeds, is useless.

Here's a verse in James 2:14-18.

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

James is saying that faith, that is not followed by deeds is useless. Here's another verse:

22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Here, a couple verses away in the chapter, James mentions that Abraham's "faith was made complete by what he did." Notice it did not say that what he did was made complete by his faith. Deeds do not come before faith, faith comes before deeds.

Here I am, sitting in my Geometry class, just completed my Math final. However, before hand, I had to study for hours in preparation for this test. Which, no matter how much I hate it, is ultimately good for you. This studying is almost always needed for a decent grade on the test. Sadly many people across this planet apply this same idea to Christianity by thinking that one achieves entrance to heaven by doing good works. As most of us know, this is obviously false. We do not become saved by our own actions, but by God's amazing grace which he offers freely. Once we accept that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, then we do good works to show our overflowing love for him.

Signing off,
A worn out, test taking, blogging teen

We all have heard of the news a while ago about the leadership of the Episcopalian Church conscencrating the first openly gay bishop. I have no clue where you are on this matter, however as a Christian I believe on the word of God as my source for truth as should all true Christians. The Bible clearly states that all homosexual relationships are evil.

1 Corinthians 6 : 9-10

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

There it is, it clearly shows homosexual offenders with the long list of other obviously evil lifestyles. Fortunatly, many bishops of this church are planning on creating a "church within a church," because of this immoral desicion made by the top in the church. Read the article Here.

Until later,
blogging teen

Please read this short excerpt from The New Foxe's Book of Martyrs:

China, 1970

"In August 1970, it was reported that Vladimir, a Christian, was arrested in Shangai. In prison they put iron tubes around his legs and beat on the tubes with the hammer until the vibrations broke the bones in both legs. All this was to make him confess to imaginary crimes against the government. He did not confess. Several Communist police officers then went to his home and one of them, a woman, held Vladimir's baby in his hands and told Vladimir's wife, 'If you don't sign an accusation against the prisoner [her husband], we will smash the head of the child.' She refused, not believing any human being would do that. The woman officer smashed the baby's head against the wall several times, killing it. The mother went mad and grabbed a knife from a table and stabbed the officer. The other police officers shot and killed her." (331)

When I read this short passage it just sickened me. I have a baby sister and if I saw her head smashed brutally against the wall. . .

Obviously evil exists in this world. This is just one incident of many persecutions against Christians in our world. I pray for the strength for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world. Of all the thing that they need most is our prayers.

Good night.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

- Mathew 6:25-27

Anything that does not stand on the powerful Word of God will eventually cease to exist. False prophets have come and gone only to be forgotten in the vault of history. Influential people have made there mark on history, but that mark slowly fades away as time goes on. However, the never changing Word of God and the life changing message that was taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has stood the test of time. Emperors have slaughtered Christians at stake and others have devoted there life to destroying God's Word, these mortal men have all failed at there task against God. Putting hope in people, ideas, and earthly ideas is futile and foolish. Therefore my brothers and sisters in Christ trust and put faith in the infinite God who offers eternal life if we choose to follow him.

[Thank you to Mr. Standfast for his comment on yesterdays post. I took it to heart. By the way, I have no intention of ending this blog.]

At our church we have a "small group" on Wednesdays where a couple of the teenagers get together to study God's word with an older adult. There is several observation's I have made during this time of many of the other teens that claim to Christian.

- They usually have a different or secular side to them in school.
- Often they represent Christianity poorly by not following God's commands with interest.
- In most cases they are extremely ignorant.

I have seen all of these in professing Christians that are teenagers and I'm sure it occurs in the adult world as well. In our school's Bible study my other classmates, although they love the Lord, are not properly equipped for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have also seen those who talk about Christianity in there lives all the time, yet have no actions to support there talk. And finally, the first on the list, many Church going youth drop Christianity in the secular world only to pick it when they reach the doors of the Church.

God bless.

Sorry I haven't written in a week or so, had a lot of things going on. Sigh.

I think God is leading me to start another blog, that I can tell my classmates about Christianity and thus spread the good news. I am not quite sure how to go about this. I know that I can't talk about God and the Bible all the time in the blog. This would turn them off quite quickly. I think I will mention Jesus and talk about his impact in my life while mixing it with normal blog material. I desperately need some advice, so if you have some please share it. I truly feel that God is leading me in this direction.

Thank you and God bless.

It's quite interesting observing peoples reactions to reading the Bible, praying ect. in the secular world. For instance, during school, I will be reading in Genesis and my classmates will ask me, "What are you reading." I probably replied by saying something like "The Bible."

A moment of silence.

Them: "Oh, why are you reading the Bible?"
Me: Because it is God's word."
Them: "Whatever"

Then in the library they come up to you again and ask you, "Are you reading the Bible again?"

Me: "Yes"
[Some one else comes up and says] "I have to read the entire Old Testament."

Anyway, people at first seem to have the attitude that I am a weirdo, then they show interest. Interesting.

Good night and God bless.

Every bone in my wretched body aches with pain. Yes folks, I have just came back from an all day "event" for our high school wrestling team [of which I am a part].

Over the past few weeks I have noticed [of the wrestling team and the world in general] that in this society and/or culture the value of winning is placed extremely high. I you are a loser you are thus [in this culture] worthless. Yet if you are a winner you are placed in the highest esteem and mental rank with the general population. I believe that the culture I live in is slightly twisted.

However, that is not what I am going to talk about today. Although it closely relates. Jesus taught when he came to this earth 2,000 years ago that the person who placed themselves last among men was in fact first in the eyes of God. By putting ourselves at last we were forgetting our on selfish needs and putting others needs as our priority. Basically, we are to serve others. Whether it is in the workplace, school, home or wherever the Lord leads you this should be or goal.

I need sleep, so good night and God willing I will "see" you tomarrow.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

-Revelations 3:15-16

As I said in the last post, God does not want a Christian that has lost his/her saltiness. Nor does he want a lukewarm Christian. He would rather you to be cold, then lukewarm. In this country, unlike some others, there is little persecution. We have become comfortable in our walk with God by staying in our comfort zone. Many have ceased to grow. In this culture more and more Christians are becoming lukewarm Christians.

What are you going to do about this?

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

-Matthew 5:13

I have many friends that claim to be Christians. Some know the Bible inside out, while others only know that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. Yet somehow they have compromised there beliefs [or lack of] and have taken to following the ways of this world. How can some one as a Christian be "salt" to this world if they have lost their "saltiness." God does not want someone who has lost flavor. Salt has a taste of its own, unlike anything else. When combined with other substances it preserves them from corruption; it imparts a portion of its taste to everything it is mixed with. It is useful so long as it preserves its savour, but no longer. We as Christians are unlike anything else, we stop people from dying eternally by spreading the message of eternal life, and [just like salt] once we stop living for the Lord Jesus Christ we to will lose are usefulness.

Think on this. Good night.

Notice, I have drastically changed the whole look of this page. I did this because I wanted to focus on what I had to say and not on the nice "look". I also will try to add a link page soon.

God Bless.

Life. It is strange that one moment we are stressed out over little things of a moment, yet seem to place other more eternally important things behind. I think as a culture we tend to place things and doings of this world above what really matters when your on the death bed. If you were to meet your maker tomarrow, all the worries you could possibly have would seem tiny and insignificant. As much as bring in the paycheck, or [for me] completing homework may seem as a high priority, it somehow seems to nudge your time with God out of the schedule. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying to skip work or school to spend time with God and neglect feeding your family by means of the paycheck. But surely, we can make reading the Bible, praying, ect. a part of our life every day.

Most likely, a lot of you already do this, which I would give you a loud round of applause.

Good night and God bless.

Here's two four huge lies this world will tell you.

1] You are your job
2] You are your appearance.

This list [or rather two words] could go on forever, but these I find our two of the largest lies that people for one reason or another believe. [1] King David started life as a Shepard boy, a boring low life job that his father had given him. Obviously of all his fathers sons, he was the least favored, as usually a servant or slave would do this. The little things he learned during this "job" served him well later in life. He killed the fearful giant Goliath with his sling, and drove the evil spirit away from soul with his harp and song. However, as both you and I know, he was chosen to become the King of Israel by the prophet Samuel. [2] His other brothers looked the job [were tall, strong, handsome] but God chose David because of his heart, not appearance.

The christmas season is closing and the monotonous life begins again. Remember what is said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." God bless.

Today during wrestling practice I heard several of the older "guys" talking about how stoned they or friends they knew got on New Years Eve. I was not shocked as this type of talk happens alot in a public high school, but desturbed. Fifty years ago it was not as common practice to drink heavily in the teens. If there was a kid who did it was quite rare. Now about ten guys were all proud of being drunk that night. I think this shows heavily of the downgrade of our society as a whole and the lower level of morals. Some of you are probably many years older then me and will not have to grow up in an increasingly immoral culture. I can only imagine what this world will be like fifty years from now. Only time will tell.

Until then I can always tell more of salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord.

God bless.

Many people celebrated the start of a New Year yesterday at twelve o'clock (midnight). I'm sure some had much fun while others got the ticket for drunk driving. That, however, is not the point of todays post.

The past year was filled with much tension in the middle east with the world's attention on Israel and then Iraq. Read this passage, it is foretelling this conflict. Isaac's son's, Jacob, name was later changed to Israel.

Genesis 16

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her."
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."
6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.
9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."
11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the LORD has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers."

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi ; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Ishmael's brother was, of course, Isaac. So the Bible tells of the conflict in the middle east.

"His hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers."

Interesting. So the Bible tells of this conflict toward Israel.

I'll let you think on that tonight. God bless.