As I leave for training...

My prayer in preparation of the training I am about to experience before deploying to Iraq for the next year...

Based upon Jeremiah 17:7-10

Jesus,

My Lord and my Savior - in You alone I put my trust and hope. I desire to bear fruit worthy of Your approval. My heart is deceitful above all things. It is desperately wicked - only You truly know how evil I am because You have searched my heart and have tested my mind.

Everything I have, good AND bad, you have given according to that which I rightly and justly deserve, because of all that I have done.

You are my Lord and my God - Your judgements are true. I praise you and glorify Your Name for the sacrifice You made at Calvary. The sacrifice You made to satisfy the Wrath of God the Father. I did not earn it, and I definitely do not deserve it. I will praise and thank you for what you've done to save a wretched person as I, until I draw my final breath.

-Amen

My "vision" for America?

http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision - The Transition website for President - elect Obama is asking for your (and my) "vision for America"

I thought I would include my message and video I sent...

---------------------------------

My vision for America is one where everyone is treated fairly... This includes those who cannot speak for or defend themselves against anyone who might wish to impose their own agenda upon them...

When the issue is economic, I would like to see us, as you put it Mr. Obama, "read our Bibles" and adopt a tax plan at least similar to God's idea where everyone pays the same percentage of what they make - no matter HOW MUCH or how little they earn, everyone puts forth the same portion in order to help build up and sustain America's economic issues...

But BEFORE that, I would like to see an America where the unborn are protected, not just considered to be an inconvenience or a mistake, like some sort of punishment thrust upon those who could not be responsible with the decisions they were making with their bodies in the first place - how is it they can all of the sudden be trusted to make a GOOD decision with their body when it comes to the subject of eliminating another life separate and apart from their own?

Many people I've spoken to on these issues have told me that they are not nearly as concerned about issues of abortion as they are the economy - and I cannot convey to you in this text message how sad that truly makes me. However, while we, as a nation, are considering the lives of "the least of these" as less than valuable, I simply cannot put much value on America's economic woes...

By the grace of God, I am able to support my family - unfortunately, I'll be doing that by going to war... While at the same time, I am proud to serve because I know that I will be fighting for my son's right to live free, and my daughter's right to make decisions that please God Almighty, rather than the whims of popular opinion...

I am not going to call you evil, as others have done - you are no less or more evil than I am. You are my Commander in Chief, and again, I will not be able to express to you in this message, the respect I have for the position you hold. At the same time, my respect for your office comes with certain expectations...

Therefore, while I do not agree with a lot of what you proposed in your campaign, I realize that you are a politician who needed votes in order to win, and therefore, HAD to make certain promises to certain people in order to secure certain groups to your platform.

When, in a speech you gave to Planned Parenthood, you mentioned that "the first thing you'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act" - and then today, in your video address, you said that you will make giving the economy the boost it needs your "first order of business as President." - once again, I don't consider the economy to be AS important as the issue of life vs. choice - if your first order of business is going to be something OTHER than signing legislation that gives women the opportunity to make arguably the worst "choice" they could ever make, then I suppose I could get behind you on your first order of business...

I am praying that you will do as you have suggested others do, and read your Bible and see that some of the issues you are fighting for are diametrically opposed to those that Jesus Himself taught. Please do not simply pay lip-service to your Christian faith if that is who you are... I'm not suggesting that you make our Government into some sort of "theocracy" as some fear. Though, what I AM suggesting is that you exemplify what it is you claim to be your faith, or else retract your claim and move on...

As long as we help people to continue to make bad decisions with the lives they are living, we are complicit in the murders of countless children who were never given a chance in the first place. My vision of "change" for America is one where we begin telling people what the Bible tells people, to turn away from evil, and follow after good... Paying close attention to the things that God hates, so as to avoid them at all costs, and embracing the things that God loves, so as to please Him... not just the status quo...

That's my vision...

You are in my prayers...

Sincerely,


-Benjamin

Refuting popular ideas with righteousness

Recently, a college acquaintance of mine found me on Facebook. When I write "recently" that is to say, the day before election day. Now, being a "tolerant" Christian, I'm able to be friends with people NO MATTER WHO they choose to vote for...

Please understand though, that if they choose to vote for someone who would approve of legislation that would allow the indiscriminate murder of pre-born human beings, we probably won't be BFFs, and that's why I previously characterized him as an "acquaintance."

With that said, I'll now bring you up to speed. On election day, the people of California overwhelmingly amended the state constitution by way of Proposition 8. And now there is a movement to subvert the will of the people - AGAIN... Note that in 2000, 61% of Californians voted to establish a definition of marriage that is not long, drawn out and politicized - but rather, simple, easy to understand, fair and only 14 words long...

The entire text of Proposition 8 (the same text as Proposition 22 in 2000) is as follows:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman
is valid and recognized in California."

Earlier this week, my friend joined a "group" on Facebook that is organized to "get one million people to overturn prop 8" which caught my eye, and raised the point that he is from Wisconsin, why would HE care? He didn't respond... no matter, I'll write it off as a rhetorical statement... However, I went on to write...

"...it took a million just to get the prop on the ballot - half a million MORE Californians voted to pass it than voted to bring it down... The bottom line is this - no one's rights have been taken away - men still have the right to marry women - that right has not been taken away, and women still have the right to marry men... The will of the people is what has been taken away when activist judges change the law arbitrarily..."

Once again, my comment went without response - fair enough - I'm willing to scream into a vacuum as long as there is someone with a conscience and ears that work or eyes that can see somewhere in the vicinity that might recognize truth when they hear/see it...

Today, he updated his status... And whether or not it was left-handedly pointed at my comment from the other day the other day - I could not let what he quoted go without pointing toward God's perspective... I'm nowhere NEAR where John the Baptist was in his day, but in the same spirit that he pointed out the sins of those who were in his vicinity... I humbly submit the following:

------------------

My friend's quote...
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss.



My reply...
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20

"Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it."
- Psalm 34:14.

"who you are" is a sinner in need of a Savior... and "what you feel" is rooted in a heart that is deceitfully wicked...

Just a thought from someone who doesn't matter...

------------------

Now, I do not write these things in order to be contrarian (regardless of whether or not I AM a contrarian, that is not my motivation) - and I am in no way legalistic in my faith practices... Well, no more than Paul was - and again, as with John above, I am not comparing myself to Paul, rather I am pointing out that Paul is where I get my justification to stand against these issues - and the Word of God is where I get my mandate...

On the contrary (hehehe) I write these things, in order to stand for what is right, when so many are not willing to stand - in order to call evil, "evil" rather than to allow society to slide into hell without any opposition.
Jude 17-23.

Did I mention that I met my friend while in Bible College? Back when I was a false convert - back when I would have fought for Gay Rights and a woman's right to choose what she thinks is best for "her body."

I do not believe that I'll be able to atone for the sins of my time as a false convert - fortunately, Christ has done that for me on the cross - however, I cannot stand by while others who profess faith in Christ promote discrimination, hatred and intolerance while they accuse me of the same...

I've already lost one Facebook friend over this, and I anticipate at least one or two more - though, I've NEVER been popular, and woe to me when the whole world loves me... John 15:18-19, James 4:4

What did he say?!?!?

"We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

"Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

"It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."

-Abraham Lincoln

Life or Death?

Yes on Proposition 8

In case you are unaware of what is happening in California right now. Opponents of this particular piece of legislation simply want people to allow the law for homosexuals to remain on the books when it has already been ruled upon back in 2002.

Vote YES to protect traditional marriage...
Vote YES to protect our children's future...
Vote YES to protect America from literal moral ruin...

Why can't YOU vote for Obama?

Huntley Brown is a pianist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He is a Jamaican and his wife, Annette, is from the island of Barbados.

Huntley is a graduate of Judson Baptist College and NIU. He has a Master's in Piano performance from Northern Illinois University.

Why I Can't Vote For Obama

By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective.

First, I must say whomever wins the election will have my prayer support.

Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments, but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness.

I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads, I follow. I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader .

I can't vote black because I am black, I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, and human cloning wrong, economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record.

His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (1/31/2008).

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in two short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.

There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating.
There is a reason the homosexual community supports him.
There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas, etc., love him.
There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court.
There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill.
There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion.
There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito.
These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial
birth abortion--the same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue.

The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedure

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps.
(Remember, this is a live baby.)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

God help him.

There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: you can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification, but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years. Obama tells us he has good judgment, but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you, talk like you believe what you believe, etc. The question I have is, what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a white President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a:

1. Commitment to the white community.
2. Commitment to the white family.
3. Adherence to the white work ethic.
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the white community .
5. Pledge to allocate regularly, a portion of personal resources for strengthening and supporting white institutions.
6. Pledge allegiance to all white leadership who espouse and embrace the white value system.
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the white value system.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discover he went to a racist church.

The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race.  He came for the whole world.

A church can't have a value system based on race. The church's value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if its a white church or a black church--it's still wrong. Anyone from either race who attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book, "A Black Theology of Liberation." Cone wrote: 'Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him."

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing -- judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.

First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 'Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.'

Then God says, 1 Samuel 1:18 ' When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.' 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic.

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain.  As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing, but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama, can you really look God in the face and say; "Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four supreme court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy."

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends.

Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation?

2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Why are YOU voting Democrat?

Why I'm voting Democrat. . .:



. . . because Barbara Walters is my idol and so is P.Diddy.


. . . because it's the COOL thing to do. I'm hip and in the majority.



. . . because English has no place being the official language in America.


. . . because I want America to be Europe's prosthetic limb.


. . . because I think we all should be equal...equally unhappy and unsuccessful.


. . . because the government knows how to raise children better than parents do.

. . . because Barack Obama is better than you, and he knows it!

. . . because skin color and good oratory skills are more important than judgment and experience.



. . . because I'd rather pay $4 for a gallon of gas than allow drilling for oil off the coasts of America.

. . . because oil companies' 5% profit on a gallon of gas are obscene, but government taxes of 18% on the same gallon of gas are just fine.



. . . because I think the government will do a better job of spending my money than I could.



. . . because when we pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, I know the Islamic terrorists will stop trying to kill us because they'll think we're a good and decent country.



. . . because I believe people who can't tell us if it will rain in two or three days, can now tell us the polar ice caps will disappear in ten years if I don't start riding a bicycle, build a windmill or inflate my tires to proper levels.



. . . because it's alright to kill millions of babies as long as we keep violent, convicted murderers on death row alive.



. . . because I believe businesses in America should not be allowed to make profits. Businesses should just break even and give the rest to the government so politicians and bureaucrats can redistribute the money the way they think it should be redistributed.



. . . because I believe guns, and not the people misusing them, are the cause of crimes and killings.



. . . because when someone with a weapon threatens my family or me, I know the government can respond faster through a call to 911 than I can with a gun in my hand.



. . . because I believe three or four elitist liberals should rewrite the Constitution every few months to suit some fringe element that could never get their agenda past voters.



. . . because illegal aliens are not criminals, are not sucking up resources through government aid, hospital services, education, or social services, but are just people trying to make a better life by coming to America illegally. We can't blame them for that, can we?



. . . because the same teacher that didn't teach my child to read can reasonably educate them about sex.



. . . because my trial lawyer's crippling multi-million dollar lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and HMO's will make health insurance and medicine much more affordable.



. . . because Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, and Jesse Jackson will end racism once and for all.



. . . because Christians in the Republican Party are intolerant, theocratic warmongers and atheists like William Ayers have never hurt anybody.



. . . so that no family member of mine will die in a hospital bed. They will still be waiting in line for Obama's socialized medicine, so they will never actually make it into a hospital bed.



. . . because I like eminent domain and big business and government kicking me out of my home and taking my land.



. . . because everyone knows that raising taxes at the top won't hurt people at the bottom.



. . . because protecting barren wasteland is more important than energy indepedence.



. . . because my college professor told me that America is evil and should give up its place in the world.



. . . because I believe that Cuba, Russia, and China should be on the United Nations Human Rights Council.



. . . because I believe that everyone is essentially good -- even people like Ahmadinejad who call for the destruction of Israel. He just needs a little understanding.



. . . because we should all be forced to drive ugly cars with the horsepower of a riding lawnmower.



. . . because I believe in change; although I don't know WHAT the change will be, or HOW it will happen, AND I am pretty sure that I won't WANT to actually change anything I do, but still....I believe in change.



. . . because I want the rich to work harder, give me their money, and pay for my services so I don't have to.



. . . because I don't give to charity or do volunteer work and then I complain about how selfish everyone else is.



. . . because I've seen welfare help so many poor people become self-sufficient and upwardly mobile.



. . . because I'm not driven enough to realize my dreams without the government holding my hand the entire way.



. . . because life just isn't fair and I deserve what other people have without working for it.

. . . because for some reason "change, change, change"..is the mantra for the obama camp... even though he won't explain what 'change' is...



. . . because I like hearing the word "Change" 50 million times in presidential debate, seeing the word on celebrities' t-shirts and bags, on signs outside of million dollar houses, and know that the only change that is going to happen is that the big white house in Washington D.C. is going to say good-bye to one politician, and hello to another... And you know what they say... "how can you tell if a politician is lying?"



. . . because I like how democrats can cause financial crises' like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and have the temerity to blame them on Republicans.



. . . because Obama was endorsed by Hamas and terrorists endorsements are a must to achieve world peace.



. . . because I listen to and believe all the celebrities/actors who so passionately want Obama to win because I can't think for myself at all. The same celebrities who WE make rich because we GO SEE their movies and watch their T.V. shows put millions of dollars into their pockets! but...these multi-million dollar celebs are so disheartened by AMERICAN ways and the capitalistic economy we have and the world will come to and end if another Republican comes into office...hmmmmm...



. . . because "Hillary said I should still vote Democrat no matter whose on the ticket."

. . . because of the War on Terror. We have not been attacked once since Sept. 11, 2001, but I still don't feel safe.



. . . because communist economics always work. Look how well off the Soviet Union is right now. That wall in Berlin has never looked better.



. . . because I agree with Joe Biden, that it really is patriotic to pay more taxes. So I'm going to pay a "direct tax." Instead of wasting time giving it to the government for redistribution, I will give my money to derelicts who loiter outside of liquor stores and methadone clinics. That's where it ends up anyway. 

YES WE CAN ... screw up this country like never before.

To you... You know who you are...

Yesterday, someone left a card with a gift and some beautiful words of encouragement in a note and greeting card for my family at our home quite anonymously.

Now, because the saint spelled our names correctly, and based upon the contents of the note, knows our family intimately, we are assuming that they are members of our church.

And because they gave the gift anonymously, we are not at all interested in asking around to figure out who it is, we simply wanted to thank you on the off-chance that you might someday read this, and know that we are grateful beyond any words we could convey in the form of a blog posting.

You have obeyed Christ's command in John 13:34-35 to love the brethren, and we hope to someday be able to share the blessing you shared with us, with another family...

Thank you, and God Bless you - you know who you are...

Jesus is Alive - Shai Linne

Think and listen...

The "True" Christian...

This afternoon, I was really craving a bagel as I do every year as Rosh Hashanah begins, however, we were all out of schmear...  For those of you visiting from outside of Philadelphia, that would be translated into "cream cheese spread."

Anyway, my wife, who loves me so much, offered to go to the store and pick up a tub o' cheese for me because I forgot to get it last night while I was at the store...  Thank God for help-mates...

Because we just recently moved into our new home, she wanted to make sure we'd be stocked up on the spread for awhile, so she stopped by our local Costco in order to make sure we'd have enough to last through the next millenium...  For those of you visiting from the mid-west, Costco is Sam's Club, except it doesn't smell like a tire center...

Back to the reason for this post - as my wife was pulling into the parking lot, with our two children in the car mind you, she was paying attention to the lane she was driving in, and not the automobile cutting through the parking spaces about to pull in front of her...  As the car came into her line of sight, she hit the brakes suddenly and forcefully...

Perhaps you can imagine what happened next, because it may have happened to you once...  Maybe you were that person zipping through the spaces causing people to slam on their brakes...  Well this young man was not at all happy with my wife's near collision...

He got out of his car and began yelling at her, calling her all sorts of foul words, telling her to get out of the car, that he would just wait for her, punching the car in order to emphasize his words so that she wouldn't underestimate his seriousness...

Well, my wife did what any woman with 2 young children in the car should have done, she simply drove away and went to the Albertson's down the block...  My initial reaction was that she should have called the police, or parked the car in the fire lane of the store, and went directly to the Store Manager to report the man's assault so that she might shop in peace...

As my flushed cheeks lost a bit of their pink she mentioned that the part that saddened her most was that he was wearing a cross necklace...

And that is where I am coming from when I refer to the difference between what the BIBLE declares to be a "True" Christian (follower of Christ) and a false convert (hypocrite).  Anyone who has been regenerated by God's grace and is truly Christian would hold their tongue in the case of a close call such as the one my wife experienced this afternoon...  Anyone who has denied themselves, taken up their cross to follow Jesus, would not stand in the middle of a parking lot screaming at a mother with her children with threats of violence... (Matthew 16:24-26)

Another victim of the modern gospel that told this man that you simply need to believe Jesus died for your sins, say a little prayer and you're on your way to heaven...  Wear this piece of jewelry and Jesus will recognize you when you enter heaven...  

Boy I hope I'm in the car if anything like this ever happens again - at least he'll get a gospel tract to take home with him, and perhaps he'll praise God's name because he wasn't involved in an automobile accident, rather than blaspheming it with his words and actions while wearing religious jewelry.

Is "Repentance" Necessary for Salvation?

It is true that numerous Bible verses speak of the promise of salvation with no mention of repentance. These verses merely say to "believe" on Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). However, the Bible makes it clear that God is holy and man is sinful, and that sin makes a separation between the two (Isaiah 59:1-2). Without repentance from sin, wicked men cannot have fellowship with a holy God. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and until we forsake them through repentance, we cannot be made alive in Christ. The Scriptures speak of "repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). We turn from sin to the Savior. This is why Paul preached "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

The first public word Jesus preached was "repent" (Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist began his ministry the same way (Matthew 3:2). Jesus told His hearers that without repentance, they would perish (Luke 13:3).

If belief is all that is necessary for salvation, then the logical conclusion is that one need never repent. However, the Bible tells us that a false convert "believes" and yet is not saved (Luke 8:13); he remains a "worker of iniquity." Look at the warning of Scripture: "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). The Scriptures also say, "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them [repentance] shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). Jesus said that there was joy in heaven over one sinner who "repents" (Luke 15:10). If there is no repentance, there is no joy because there is no salvation.

When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he commanded his hearers to repent "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Without repentance, there is no remission of sins; we are still under His wrath. Peter further said, "Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). We cannot be "converted" unless we repent. God Himself "commands all men everywhere [leaving no exceptions] to repent" (Acts 17:30). Peter said a similar thing at Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you" (Acts 2:38).

If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)? With so many Scriptures speaking of the necessity of repentance for salvation, one can only suspect that those who preach salvation without repentance are strangers to repentance themselves, and thus strangers to true conversion.

Commentary re-printed from The Evidence Bible - All scripture references come from the New King James Version Bible unless otherwise noted.

Tomorrow Night...

This is just a taste of the new movie Fireproof, coming out September 26th.

Have you ever had a "conversation" like this with your spouse?

A "witness" encounter...

Earlier today, two Jehovah's Witnesses stopped me while standing in my driveway performing some yard work. We started a conversation, as cordially as we possibly could standing in the heat of a California midday sun.

While the other witnesses walked around our new neighborhood, we could hear the responses of our neighbors letting them know they weren't interested in the message, followed by the click of the door latches. On the first weekend in our new home, we were already showing ourselves to be a family at least willing to talk about the things of God... Boy, do I look forward to future conversations in this neighborhood!

I politely allowed them to make their introduction and explanation about why they were here. The woman, Sue, let me know that they were in the area, encouraging people to read the Bible, and their magazine - on the cover, read the words, "Are Better Times Just Ahead?" She asked me if I believed this...

My initial thought was, "well, not according to the Government, and the National Weather Service, and Wall Street, and just about every other special interest-type group you might be able to find out there... No, better times are not, in fact, just ahead..." However, I remembered my audience and gave my response some thought...

I replied, "It depends on how you look at things... If you see yourself as a person who is basically 'good' and has lived a life intent on being content, then no... Better Times, in the eternal sense are not just ahead at all... In fact, some very bad times are ahead."

Then I explained what I meant by that... I told her that anyone who does not see themselves the way the Bible describes us (wretched, deceitful, in need of God's mercy) is going to have a seriously rude awakening in the Day of Judgment that God has set aside. I asked her how she would feel if a doctor were to walk into the room with a fatal prognosis for her, only to tell her that everything was fine, and soon she wouldn't be feeling any pain at all...

Sue admitted that wouldn't be the way she would want to be treated by the doctor - and that's when I pointed out that telling people - my neighbors in particular - that 'better times are just ahead' without telling them of the alternative, or informing them of who will be effected or how it would happen, is not the proper way to share their faith...

Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a doctrine referred to as annihilation, which is just one of the unfortunate and heretical aspects of their faith. This doctrine basically states that the "second death" referred to several times throughout the Bible, but particularly in the Book of Revelation, is what Satan and all those who are not faithful Jehovah's Witnesses... They will simply cease to exist. Therefore, Hell is the grave described as "Sheol" in the Old Testament, and not a place of eternal punishment.

Sue and her friend assured me that they weren't interested in getting into theological arguments, but that they were only out to share the love of God with people. To which, I agreed that arguing with people would not do much good when they can see you coming in your Sunday best on a Saturday morning from all the way down the street. However, the Bible makes it clear that we should be sharing the WHOLE word of God, and not just part of it... (The BAD news as well as The Good News)

The Jehovah's Witness doctrine would have you believe, as many ignorant political and social leaders would, that mankind is the reason that the Earth is allegedly heating up... I wrote that sentence that way for the following reasons... ONE: There is no conclusive proof that the Earth, on the whole, is increasing in temperature - there is no way to measure that assertion, therefore, it is simply an opinion or a theory, not a fact... TWO: Weather patterns are cyclical, there is little rhyme or reason to them, with the exception of a handful of areas around the world. Therefore, the patterns, while seemingly predictable, are still random, and therefore, subject to change without notice... Hence, we have what many people believe to be "global warming."

One interesting fact to note here is this... Trends in temperatures have been showing an incremental rise since the beginning of the last century when there were basically a handful of cars - not millions and millions supposedly creating this worldwide calamity... I don't want to get too far down the rabbit trail, the weather topic is for a whole other post entirely... The point I wanted to make is this, that the Jehovah's Witness stance is that mankind / the world is being judged by God because of "those who are ruining the Earth." (The Watchtower - Aug. 1, 2008 - p. 7)

"This is no man-made catastrophe. Rather, it is God acting 'to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.' Revelation 11:18"

"Wicked people, whose selfish actions have brought the planet to the brink of ruin, 'will be cut off from the very earth.' But the blameless ones (faithful Jehovah's Witnesses) who serve God acceptably, 'will be left over in it.' Proverbs 2:21-22"

Did you get that??? In the first reference, they are quoting from the prophecies of the opening of the Seven Seals... Verse 18 is declaring the judgment from the midst of the Seventh Seal itself... What they've done here is taken a passage WAY out of it's originally intended context in order to try to make a claim that we humans are responsible for the state of the planet, and those who continue to abuse the earth will be "cut off." Which, in their version of judgment doesn't sound like all that big of a deal... One minute, you're littering to your heart's content, without a care in the world about your personal carbon footprint, the next minute you're dead, without any conscious understanding of what's just happened...

And in the second quotation, they are claiming a proverb as prophecy... Now, I'm ALL FOR the literal interpretation of the Bible - where it is necessary to do so... When someone, anyone, a church, a pastor, a bible-study leader suggests that we should begin to use a passage for an intention other than the one it was clearly written to be, I've just GOT to say something about it... The second chapter of Proverbs is addressing Wisdom in general, and the positive and negative effects of being wise vs. ignorant, gaining understanding vs. remaining well... ignorant... Living in righteousness vs. giving in to lawlessness... It is not a prophetic declaration against those who are not concerned with, or otherwise abuse good ol' earth...

ANYWAY... Sue's friend Cameron apologized and let me know that he didn't feel prepared enough to talk much further, and that he wanted to go and read up on his information and stop by next Saturday. I encouraged them to do so... I'll fill you in on how that goes, when it does...

If only...

...if only I had the guts to share this message with the Youth at my church...

Don't Waste Your Life - Part 1

Have we lost our collective minds?

How is it that we, as a society, can continue to fund an organization that not only promotes the murder of the unborn child, but also advocates sexual deviancy to our young children, teens and young adults...

Please contact your state representatives to let them know that Planned Parenthood should no longer receive your tax dollars to promote a sexual society to the next generation...

Let's see if we might be able to "change" a bit of history ourselves... Change is such a big desire in America these days - let's see how we can take part in the take down of one of the most destructive forces in the American family today...

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Don't miss this...

This just in from my friend and brother in Christ, Leon Brown of Evangelism Team dot com and one of my favorite Blogs Preach Like Jeremiah...

What you are about to watch is a preview for a promotional DVD release from EvangelismTeam.com. This 2-disc DVD set has 2 hours of 1-2-1 and open-air preaching witnessing encounters from New York and California. Be encouraged! Leon preached on the subway trains, underground subway stations, Union Square, Battery Park, near the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood Boulevard, and various other places. This is a limited edition DVD and it will not be reproduced. With only 50 available, it's best to check out the DVD while there are still some left.

Visit: EvangelismTeam.com to purchase your DVD now - God Bless You...

A Simple Conversation

Recently, I've gotten myself into a bit of an exchange with another atheist while online...  She made a statement about Senators Obama and McCain and the politics of America - I commented with regard to the political and religious views as well as the issue of the "Separation of Church & State" (which is not part of the Bill of Rights mind you, rather a letter from President Jefferson to the Baptists in Danbury Connecticut - a fine little community, though not very Baptist anymore) But I digress...

She wrote back, and I'll let her speak for herself here...

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benjamin, the thing about Christianity is that there are so many varieties of Christians and all varieties accusing other varieties of not being "true" or "real" Christians. The Bible is NOT a clearly written book, most of it can be interpreted in so many different ways and most Christians cherry-pick what they want to take from the Bible and what they want to leave behind. Take the book of Leviticus, for example. Thank human goodness that most Christians choose not to take that book literally. Some, do however, take certain things from the Bible to use to oppress others and discriminate. They take what they want and interpret parts to support whatever cause he or she wants to justify.

Senator Obama has professed to be a true Christian, accepting Christ as his personal savior. From what I can see he is very devout in his beliefs and since the god beliefs are so important to Republicans and evangelical voters, the Dems found a candidate that will pander to these voters, hoping enough to get him elected for the good of the party.

As for the Separation of Church and State, the Constitution is quite clear. There is no misunderstanding unless you have a religious agenda and wish to interject religion into a secular government:

"The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national religion by the Congress or the preference of one religion over another, or religion over non-religion. Originally, the First Amendment only applied to the federal government. Subsequently, under the incorporation doctrine, certain selected provisions were applied to states. It was not, however, until the middle and later years of the twentieth century that the Supreme Court began to interpret the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses in such a manner as to restrict the promotion of religion by state governments. For example, in the Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, 512 U.S. 687 (1994), Justice David Souter, writing for the majority, concluded that "government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion"."

Separation of Church and State must be upheld to protect the religious and non-religious alike. We are a secular nation full of diverse people with many different beliefs and many who hold no beliefs in supernatural entities. Religion belongs in the churches, mosques, synagogues, and private lives of believers.

-----------------------------------------

So here is the part where I beg your forgiveness because I tend to get a little long in the tooth with my replies...  And believe me, I'm working on that.  I feel that I should, at this point, state for the record that what you are about to read is neither an endorsement nor an admittance of support for either of the "presumed" Presidential candidates...  I know I'm not going to vote for Senator Obama, however, whether or not I'm going to write someone in is yet, in my mind "Undecided" - anyway, here is my response...

-----------------------------------------

Stardust:

With all due respect, your ideas regarding Christianity are skewed. No doubt you would consider the Roman Catholic Church to be a "Christian" church simply because they refer to themselves as such. When in fact, their faith is based upon doctrine that is not even found in the Bible, but rather the imaginations of 265 men who considered themselves to be the rightful successors of the Apostle Peter himself.

The "church" holds Mary the mother of Jesus in a role she was never (according to the Bible) meant to be in. Sinless, and venerated alongside of Christ Himself. Which is idolatry, and clearly condemned by the Word of God - which disqualifies the RCC from any claim to being actual, or as you put it "true" Christians.

A real or true Christian is one who is a follower of Christ and His teachings... That seems pretty clear to me, no reason to muddy up the water by throwing my own opinions on the matter... Acts Chapter 11 defines those who were Jesus' followers (His disciples) as Christians...

Now, you ARE right, the Bible can be interpreted in many different ways, however, there is only one way to interpret it in order to understand what it is try to say... Which is to read each verse, chapter and book for what it claims to be... Considering who wrote the words, who they were writing to, what was happening at the time, what the culture was like, and what was there motivation, the reason they were writing it?

Genesis was explaining how God created everything - the first chapter tells us the chronology of the events, the second chapter steps away from chronology and explains with a little more detail. He tells of how life began, where it began, and the steps He took in the actual creation of man (and woman)... Chapter 1 says that He did it, and in what order - Chapter 2 tells us how and why...

To borrow one of your phrases with a little editing... "there is no misunderstanding unless you have a man-centered or evolutionary agenda and wish to interject billions of years into a 6-day story..."

Now, with regard to "cherry-picking" a term my mother used a couple of years ago that's just never quite sat right with me, however, after talking with dozens of atheists over the past couple of years, I've grown very familiar with it... I would not, and no Bible-believing Christian I know would suggest that you cherry-pick your way through God's Word... Because every word of Scripture is inspired by God and is therefore useful for teaching us what is true, and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. Every word, verse, chapter and book is important for understanding God's Will because every word is good for instruction in righteousness... (2 Timothy 3:16)

Some Christians believe that Jesus' words (the Red Letters) are more important than the other passages of the Bible, however, when we consider that Jesus IS God, and that God inspired every word therein, one passage is therefore not more important than any other...

When it comes to taking Leviticus literally, I would suggest that you only do that if you are a member of the nation of Israel in that time period that those laws were given... Once again, we need to consider who was writing the words, when the words were being written, what was happening in the culture and why...

I'm trying to assume that you are familiar with the Bible because most professed atheists I've spoken to are quite versed in scripture, it's just that most of them have cherry-picked the parts of the Bible they'd rather not agree with, and have decided that God could not exist if those particular verses hold any truth. Therefore, I'm not going to get into the finer points of Hermeneutical study with you because I'm sure you're familiar with the term, even if you don't understand how to use the skills of interpretation.

When it comes to the reason why Christians would ignore the ceremonial and levitical laws, and continue to embrace the Mosaic and Moral Law is found in the concept of Progressive Revelation... The Old Testament Laws were put into place to help govern the people of Israel, so that they would have a guide as to how to judge the different activities and offenses that would occur in the lives of the nation. They also gave instruction for the atonement of the sins that were being committed... The covering of the sins, not the forgiveness... There was a difference.

Then, just as the prophets said He would in more than 40 different instances throughout the Old Testament, and later confirmed by the New Testament writers, Jesus became the atonement, the very sacrifice that was necessary for the nation of Israel (God's people) to be forgiven (have their sins cleansed - not just covered). Jesus said that He did not come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it... He was speaking of Moses' Laws (the Moral Law - the Ten Commandments) How do we know? Because He spelled it out for us in Matthew Chapter 19:16-22 / Mark Chapter 10:17-22 & Luke Chapter 18:18-23...

Now, I noticed that you consider God / The Bible to be mythology, yet you believe the scientific opinions regarding the earth's origins, man's origins, and presumably the origins of the universe written by people who could not have possibly observed any of the events in question, and refer to it all as facts... I'm not trying to insult your intelligence here, so please don't insult mine...

You assert the idea that some people take things from the Bible in order to oppress others and discriminate - and again, you would prefer to believe that these people are actual Christians simply because they claim to be so... While at the same time you would not believe for one second that anyone who was beating a cow with a cattle-prod was a member of PETA, even if they showed you a card... Or perhaps, an illustration that hits a little closer to home... You would not allow a person who seriously professed to believe in some sort of higher power to refer to themselves as an atheist - because that belief would disqualify the person from the truest definition of the term atheist...

And such is the case with Christianity... Jesus never taught His followers to oppress or discriminate. Therefore, anyone who comes in His name, in order to oppress or discriminate is not, once again as you put it a "real" or "true" Christian. If what they are choosing to use to justify their actions does not line up with the rest of the Bible - then it is heresy, and the person should be considered a heretic - and there are plenty of them out there... The Apostles ran into them in their day, and you know yourself that there are no shortage of them running around with their own Sunday morning, Divine Healing, send us your love offering, charlatan programs today...

You said it yourself regarding Senator Obama, he is a panderer... By his own testimony, he is not a follower of the Christ of the Bible... He is a follower of the jesus of his imagination, which makes him an idolator, which means that he might as well be catholic... I don't hate the man, I simply know a wolf when I see one, no matter what political party supplied the sheep's clothing... I do not like John McCain's "Christian" testimony either, however, he is at least standing for ideals that are more Christ-like than Obama's. To be in favor of abortion, and gay marriage goes against Biblical teaching - and that's all there is to it...

Now, I'm not suggesting that we shoot all the abortion doctors and put all of the would-be mothers in prison for murder, however, I am saying that killing ANYONE who has not yet had a chance to live for the sake of convenience or guilt, etc. is not right... Senator Obama supports a woman's right to kill her unborn baby, Senator McCain opposes it. Their religious beliefs don't really have to have anything to do with it... But at least Obama claims that his do... And his beliefs contradict those of the Bible...

Neither am I saying that "God hates fags" as other self-professed "Christians" have chosen to do... I do not think that homosexuals are any worse than heterosexuals or any other human being for that matter... I myself was guilty of a boat-load of sexual sins before God showed me mercy and saved me - and I believe that ANYONE living in the midst of sin can be redeemed without discrimination - simply by hearing the Word of God preached rightly, and responding in kind. (Romans 10:14)

Senator Obama believes that whoever wants to get married should be allowed to get married, no matter who they are. Senator McCain has stated that he believes that marriage is the union of one man and one woman... Without invoking the name of any deity, that sounds pretty cut and dried to me... Outside of all of the statistics of disease and psychological problems incurred by the children of "same sex unions" or marriages - the sexual relations between two men, or two women are contrary to that of the Bible that Senator Obama says we should all be reading...

He specifically quotes that we should all remember that Jesus said "whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me (Christ)" And ignores the rest of the Bible... Your accusation of cherry-picking falls squarely upon the shoulders of one you consider to be "very devout."

The only "true" or "real" Christian votes he might get are those who have either not read their Bible, or did not understand what they were reading when they did... Because anyone who would vote for a candidate who believes in the murder of the unborn, or is in support of the literal dismantling of the traditional family is not a follower of the Jesus of the Bible...

And finally, I've gotten around to the "Separation of Church and State" issue... I am sincerely going to attempt to make this short this time...

I never suggested, nor do I believe that there should be any establishment of a national religion... I'll be honest when I say that I did appreciate the House of Representatives did to recognize Christianity (H.R. 847 I think it was) But I digress - I'm not going to dispute the idea that the original intent has been redefined over the past 200+ years. One only has to travel to Washington D.C. or Philadelphia in order to witness how history is being revised to cut God out of American culture everyday...

I thank God and our founding fathers for the foresight they had in writing journals and establishing a Library of Congress where original history could be preserved for anyone who is interested in knowing the truth, and is willing to look for it, rather than just take another person's word for it.

While I will agree that this nation is not the "Christian" nation many would like to believe it is, it was certainly not founded based upon "secular" ideals... The original Mayflower Compact will tell you that much.

I feel it necessary to correct your statement that there are "many who hold no beliefs in supernatural entities" when in fact, there are only "some" perhaps even more accurate to use the word "few" as the percentage at last glance was hovering somewhere around 5% of the American population depending on whose numbers you go by... And 15 million is not a very big number in evolutionary terms.

I'm not trying to say that numbers should be a determining factor in how our country is run, I was just having some fun with numbers - at your expense yes, but fun nonetheless.

Here's one that'll kick you in the pants - I would suggest to you that the percentage of "true" or "real" Christians in America is only slightly higher than the number of atheists... No matter what the polls show... Bring me 100 professing Christians and a Holy Bible, and I'll bet you that right around 10 of them, maybe one or two less would respond rightly to the criteria of a true Believer as laid out in the Word of God...

What's unfortunate to me is that atheists are the fastest growing (non?)faith in America... While Christianity is the fastest growing in China and Africa... And we won't even talk about the decline in America - but we're working on it... We just need to be reminded of the fact that our faith, not our religion, needs to be lived out and preached in the streets, not just hidden in our hearts...

BTW, search the Bible for the phrase "accept Jesus as your personal Savior" it's not there. If he was a "true" Christian, why would he refer to the time when he realized his sins before a Holy God, and dropped to his knees in repentance toward God, and put his faith in Jesus Christ alone for his salvation?" I mean, I realize that it's a little wordy, but at least that explanation is found in Scripture...

It all comes down to this...

Biblical Morality

All of Scripture's command are summed up for us in two succinct statements.  Love God with everything you have, and love other people as much as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).  The person who does this fulfills the law perfectly.  Everything else, all of the Bible's commands and prohibitions fall under this grand umbrella.

The Christian ethic, biblical morality, is all about love...  REAL love, not the kind of love which seeks it's own at the expense of others.  It is about kindness, compassion and mercy.  It is loving someone enough to humbly tell them the truth even if they hate you for it.  Here is the question, then.  Is abortion an act of compassion and love or is it an act of cruel selfishness?  Is the mother loving her child as much as she loves herself when she decides to abort that child?  If the shoe were on the other foot, and the mother was going to be an inconvenience for someone, or was going to enter into a life of potential hardship, would she rather be killed or would she rather be let live?  This question and others nee honest answers.

The Bible commands us to offer protection for the weakest and most vulnerable members of humanity.  Psalms 82: tells us to "Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked."  Ask yourself, does abortion defend and protect the most vulnerable members of the human community or does it destroy them?

Proverbs 6:17 proclaims that God hates, "haughty eye, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood."  Psalms 106:37, 38 speaks of God's contempt for child sacrifice saying, "They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan and the land was polluted with the blood."  Look at the pictures of abortion and ask yourself honestly, does abortion shed innocent blood?

1 John 1:7 tells us to walk in the light.  John 3:20 says that the deeds of darkness hate the light.  They hate being exposed.  Ask yourself, does the abortion industry want the light to shine brightly upon their handiwork?

The article above is brought to us by our friends at

And has been re-printed here without permission

Here's the thing, as far as I'm concerned...  With the environment becoming an increasingly HUGE matter on the minds of people, including professing Christians, more and more during this presidential campaign season, the candidates are pandering to potential voters on a couple of key issues.  Which, I've got to be honest with you, I'm not really all that concerned about...

On the issue of the environment, one only needs to open up the word of God to the Book of Revelation to see what God is going to do with this world when the cup of His wrath is finally full and he unleashes it upon those who have rebelled against His kind offer of everlasting life...  Each and every person on the face of the Earth from the beginning of history until that very day could drive 10 cars simultaneously, every moment until our dying day, and we would not be able to even come CLOSE to destroying the Earth as effectively as God is going to...  Stick around, you'll see that the Bible is true...

On the issue of the economy, once again, we are simply living in the midst of prophecy...  The economy is going to crash, and any nation that does not want to die of starvation or complete neglect of resources of any kind is going to have to sign on to a cashless currency, and then ultimately give up their national sovereignty to the One-World Government...  Has anyone heard about the UN convening to talk about what should be done with this U.S. economy?  It's coming soon, keep your eyes and ears open...

Christians, "true" Christians simply do not live in fear of that which has been pre-ordained by God Himself...  We are much more interested in warning people of God's Wrath that is to come upon all those who, in the end, do not repent and put their trust in Christ...  And as we put our efforts toward the seeking and saving of the lost, we stand-up when issues of righteousness and morality arise in our society, in order to defend the principles that God has set forth in His Word...

And that is why, until a candidate is willing to make the issues of Abortion and the Protection of Traditional Marriage a major focus of their campaign, I'm simply not interested in supporting their cause...  Now, I'm not saying that they've got the be a Born-Again Christian in order to garner my vote.  However, in order to hold my interest for more than 2 seconds in this election, if my vote is desired, the issue will have to be one of defending the rights of those who cannot defend themselves, as well as the protection of the institute of marriage in the form and fashion it has been honored in America since her beginnings.

If you want to ignore God in the issues, then consider these points.  Scientifically, it cannot be denied that a child in the womb of his/her mother, is a separate, complete and whole person, merely smaller in size and stature, unable to care for themselves without the aid of someone who loves them - not a whole lot different than when we are newly born, only we are a little bigger at that point, though no more or less of a human being...

And on the issue of Gay Marriages, consider the fact that civilization, as we know it cannot prevail if homosexuality is encouraged and even promoted to our children.  The rate of disease and public perversion will skyrocket as we have already seen the rise in the past 2-3 decades as we have felt the ripple effect of the Free-Love movement which popularized promiscuity in a way that the previous generation would have never imagined...

And when you bring God INTO the issues, the points are clear - He HATES hands that shed innocent blood, He HATES those who practice perversion.  We NEED to be forgiven of our sins against a Holy God, and until a leader is willing to step up and be counted as one who is conscious of the fact that we cannot concentrate on issues that are non-essential because of the deception of the human heart.  I simply, cannot, in good conscience cast a vote for the greater OR the lesser of the two "evils."

Potty Mouths

The topic of decorum within the constraints of the "Blogosphere" is one that has been on my mind lately...  If you've been reading the comments on my particular blog or those of any Christian on the Internet who is attempting to carry out Christ's Command to "seek and save that which is lost" you have no doubt, encountered the venom of the atheist.

a-the-ism |ˈāθēˌizəm|
noun
the theory or belief that God does not exist.

DERIVATIVES
a-the-ist noun

a-the-is-tic |ˌāθēˈistik| adjective
a-the-is-ti-cal |-ˈistikəl| adjective

ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French athéisme, from Greek atheos, from a- ‘without’ + theos ‘god.’

Now you know what they believe, at least according to the Oxford English Dictionary.  I would post their comments here, however, the language simply is not in good taste, nor is it constructive to the points they are attempting to make.  I'm simply going to post my response, in part, to one post in particular which I concluded was particularly vile...

It's difficult to really decipher what you are trying to say when your posts are so riddled with profanity... Perhaps science has come up with a pill for that or something...

Here's one you'll all love - maybe I'm just some dumb Creationist, but I've learned how to form sentences without alienating certain members of my audience with words that shouldn't be used in a general audience...

You know, I've just had a thought (limited though you might think that could be) perhaps that's why Flinging Dust [another atheist] has removed herself from your presence...

I realize that what I'm writing right now, could be likened to any one of you mis-using the name of Christ - which, based upon the content of this very post, is not a far flung assertion... BUT...

I'm thinking that Ms. Dust simply didn't want to be associated with people so filled with hatred and rage toward another group of people - and rather than take the next year of her life to try to fight the powers that be, she simply chose to remove herself from the situation...

I know that some of you are truly worried that she's "crossed over" and while I can only speak for myself, I'm sure that I'm not the only person whose been praying that she would see / hear the truth with ears wide open to hearing the voice of God (found in His Word - not some televangelist) humbling herself, repenting of her sins and trusting in Christ for her salvation...

And while I hope and pray that she did just that, I'd be surprised if she did simply grow weary of all of the hate-filled, venomous campaigns against a man [Ray Comfort] who, whether he's as smart as any of you are - has a purpose that helps people, rather than steeps them in blind ignorance...

And while your ignorance is always changing - ours has stayed the same for almost 2,000 years... There's over 25,000 articles [Biblical manuscripts - The Dead Sea Scrolls, etc...] of evidence that attest to the fact that the Bible has not changed...

I know that I've allowed the topic to drift a bit within the bounds of my own comment, so I'll wrap up now...

Dirty Words - only make your point appear childish... Flinging Dust - probably just embarrassed by you all and took some time off to gather her thoughts, though I pray she is part of the Body of Christ and that all of your worst fears have been answered - that would just be fun, and God would get the glory, not Ray... And finally, the Bible - True to the Author... Many have tried to do away with it - perhaps you'd like to give it a try - though, it will be around long after you've died and are experiencing your own version of God's Judgment...

whew... Got through a whole comment without mentioning hell - whoops, there it is...

Now, I wasn't trying to be a rabble-rouser, just trying to request that the person writing the post would use less profanity, and inject something worth reading...  Is that so wrong?

Never leave your partner behind...

Check out the new Trailer from Provident Films upcoming release:

FIREPROOF

What are YOU talking about???

I was reading through my daily dose of opinions in cyberspace today, when I tripped across a neat site that gives you the opportunity to make an accounting of the words you use in a document, web page or site.  In the spirit of the Apostle Paul telling us to "examine ourselves" I thought I would make sure that I'm on target with my vocabulary on this blog...

Todd Bentley - NOT ONE CONFIRMED MIRACLE

Re-Posted From the BlogSite A Little Leaven

There are a bunch of folks sending us inflammatory emails and leaving comments taking the Museum of Idolatry to task because they want Todd Bentley's "Florida Outpouring" to be real (but it isn't). We've provided the Biblical proof that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bentley fails the Biblical tests for a prophet and now the SECULAR media has confirmed that Bentley's 'healing show' is not legit and there is not one confirmed healing, NOT ONE CONFIRMED MIRACLE.

Wake up church! Bentley is a false prophet and a charlatan.

Colossians 2:18 & 2 Peter 2:1

What should we do about this?

Torture, Death at Iraq Juvenile Prison

Reprinted from Knight Ridder

American investigators probing allegations of torture at an Iraqi-run juvenile prison in Baghdad found clear evidence earlier this year that Sunni children had been murdered by their Shiite captors, according to an Air Force Judge Advocate General and lead officer on the investigative team.

FULL STORY

[AND NOW FOR MY TWO CENTS...]

As I prepare to deploy to Iraq to work in, of all places, a prison - I am forced to consider the type of care that those who are being detained are receiving...  Unless you've resided underneath a rock, you're aware of the Abu Graib scandal where soldiers degraded prisoners for their own entertainment, claiming they were ordered to humiliate the detainees they were in charge of...  You can log onto YouTube.com and see any number of videos portraying the actions of soldiers at any number of prison camps throughout the Middle East.

The news continuously reports atrocities brought about at the hands of US Troops - shouldn't this story also command the undivided attention of the television audience?  My own father looks at me as some sort of criminal because of my role in this war - and I haven't even left the country yet!

I personally believe we should simply demand truth from our media, and criminally indict those who insert their own personal agenda into any story or event for the purpose of steering public opinion...  The IRS does it when people lie on their taxes...  The Supreme Court [is supposed to do]es it when a person purgers themselves while giving testimony.  Why couldn't we do it when a reporter or news agency does it?

And now that I've gone and brought up my dad, there's a little something I'd like to get your take on...  He's VERY upset that 4,000+ soldiers have died since the war began.  He gives no thought to the hundreds of thousands of people who were being killed en masse in order to perfect Saddam's biological and chemical weapons to be used against not only the U.S. but also against other countries...

There is not even a moment's recognition given to the fact that almost 7 million unborn babies have been killed in the name of choice, right here in our own country, since the war began...  My personal opinion is that if we are not willing to do something about it, we should keep our mouths shut about it...

Young kids are being murdered at the hands of a "peaceful" people who are simply trying to "defend" their homeland.  These children must have been a serious threat in order to bring about their torture and eventual deaths...

What do YOU think should be done about this?

When you find something great...

You just gotta' share it with the world...

Happy Independence Day everyone - find someone whose fought for our freedom and thank them with a salute or a hug...  Then thank God - wait...  thank God first, then find yourself a veteran...

-Benjamin

as a post script to this post, I want to make sure I give credit to the artist of these illustrations...  His name is Richard Gunther, a friend of Ray Comfort's - I highly admire his work, therefore, you will, no doubt, be seeing more of his work from time to time here on my Blog...  Great job Richard, you are blessed...