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...

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...

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."

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...

For my atheist friends...

Dr. Will Provine...  Featured in Ben Stein's new movie, eXpelled released in April of this year, is a name that I have not often heard in evolutionary circles...  Though, I am not an evolutionist, and I don't study evolution to the extent that some do...

However, the name Richard Dawkins is prominent, and some guy named Higgins, not to mention Charles Darwin who, as it turns out, is going to have an 18-month celebration carried out in his honor in good old England from the 200th Anniversary of his birth, until the 150th Anniversary of the publication of the Origin of the Species...

So, as I was reading through Ray Comfort's Blog I referenced Dr. Provine several times in comment posts, therefore, I thought I would share a video snippet that I will no doubt be accused of taking out of context...  

However, I want to bring your attention to the final 15-30 seconds of the video where he lists his views of what "modern evolutionary biology tells us" which he asserts are, "basically Darwin's views..."

Now, I've spoken to many, many atheists who claim that atheism has ethical foundations, and that the meaning of life is to "enjoy it now, 'cause it's all you've got."  And invariably, when attempting to share the Truth with an atheist, they will invoke the idea that man has free will to make whatever choices they want with their lives.

In my opinion, those statements, like the assertions that "there is no god or purposive forces" and "there is no life after death" would be, as in a Summary of Biblical Understanding, considered essential beliefs of those truly committed to the cause...  Yet evolutionist and atheists disagree...  Why?

Gay Marriage...

Starting Monday (June 16, 2008) at 5:01 pm, several California counties began issuing same-sex “marriage” certificates. This follows the order of the four Supreme Court judges striking down Proposition 22, which the voters overwhelming[ly] approved just a few years ago to reaffirm marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Yet, this debate is not over. Thankfully, the Protection of Marriage Amendment will appear on this November’s ballot. The campaign of the next few months will be our opportunity to remind Californians why the unique role of traditional marriage in society is worth protecting.

The major media would love to see us engage in fierce protests and hostile demonstrations of outrage against the licensing of same-sex “marriages”. Of course they will take any opportunity they can find to portray us as unreasonable. We must not fall into this trap.

So let us keep in mind: Our battle is not against the same-sex couples who are pursuing the opportunity to “marry” granted them by the activist judges on the California Supreme Court. Our battle is against the flawed reasoning of the court’s decision; our purpose is to reaffirm the traditional definition of marriage. Marriage is at the core of family security and is an essential element in our society. The Supreme Court has effectively rendered marriage meaningless at a time when we should be taking steps to strengthen families.

Fortunately, the Protection of Marriage Amendment will give voters the final say in this debate. We are confident that voters will reaffirm the traditional definition of marriage, just as they overwhelmingly did in 2000, and overturn the court’s flawed decision.

Please help us reach even more supporters like you… please forward this email to at least 5 friends or family members who can join this important battle to save traditional marriage.

Thank you,

Ron Prentice, Chairman
ProtectMarriage.com

"Another" Interview with God...

You may have seen “Interview With God,” a Web site that claims to have “touched millions.” It shows pictures of nature, and speaks of God smiling as He shares a mixture of Tony Robbins and Doctor Phil philosophies. Sadly, their “god” is not the God of the Bible. Their god does not mention Judgment Day, the love expressed in the Cross, and the gift of everlasting life offered in Christ. So, here, courtesy of Ray Comfort is “Another Interview With God.” This beautiful presentation honors God and faithfully follows His Word. Watch it, and share it with anyone who has seen the original "Interview" and needs to know the WHOLE story. In fact, send it to the person who first sent you to the "other" Interview...

HAP-py New Year!!!

Whew, another countdown and Y2K still hasn't hit... All you Windows Users can breathe easy for another year or so - or until the next time you click on a link from an email you never signed up for...

But seriously folks, I was just thinking back on all of the things we all saw and heard over the last year. And most people say, "try to think about the good and not the bad" and though I'm not some sort of fatalist-type of person, I cannot help but remember the bad things that happened because we were commanded to watch for the signs of the coming of the End of the Age.

And at this point, I could talk about the sectarian violence in the Middle East, the Government corruption at every level, the hypocrisy in the "Christian" religion from TV Preachers being investigated by Congress to False Gospels being spread by some of the most popular personalities in radio and television...

But I don't want to, believe it or not, I'd prefer for this to be one of the shorter posts I've written. The reason being, because as we enter into this new year, we face both types of news all over again! Good AND Bad...

And you know what most people will say once again, "Okay, give me the bad news first..." Sure thing, I'd be glad to...

First off, there is going to be more violence, wars, false Messiahs, etc; perhaps more hurricanes, maybe even a tsunami here in America on one of our fine coastal regions... Jesus said that there would be weather phenomena occurring "in diverse places" [everywhere] in the End Times - so the true Believer is not surprised when 16 tornadoes pop up in Wisconsin in January... I'm just a weather Observer, not a Forecaster - just a Sower and a Witness of God's Word, not a Prophet...

When I mention violence, again, I am not surprised when a person takes up a weapon to kill Christians, whether they are wearing a turban on their head, or they were simply sent out from the flock because of their on-going sin. Either way, Jesus was referring to them in that same chapter in the Gospel of Matthew. (24)

Witnessing all of these occurrences does not give us a date for Christ's return, they simply remind us that our time here on Earth is short, and that He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Acts 10:42 (ESV)

And that's the bad news for all of mankind... God is going to have His Day of Judgment... We are going to be held to account for every sin we've ever committed against Him when we've broken His Laws, His Commandments...

Every time we've told a lie, every time we've stolen, every time we've used His Holy Name in a way that was anything less than honorable, giving Him the respect that He so rightly deserves as the One who gave us life and every good thing that we have...

If we are honest with ourselves, and the Book of Ecclesiastes is accurate, we must admit that none of us is "good" for the very reasons listed above, and that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God as the Book of Romans declares.

The bad news is that we all deserve God's wrath and judgment in Hell's lake of fire. We are adulterers, fornicators, murderers at heart, lying, blaspheming, disobedient thieves.

And it's only when we consider that God does indeed love us and showed us His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, He sent Christ to die for us... that we can see a glimpse of the sacrifice that He made for us on the Cross, when He was "bruised for our iniquities [lawlessness]" and He gave His life that we might live.

That's when the "Good News" is made truly "Good" God has provided a way for us to be forgiven of those sins that we've committed against Him. He has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His Son, whom He sent to save us from our sins, and from His wrath...

And He commands all men everywhere to repent and believe on His Son, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 13:14 (ESV) If you were standing in the doorway of a plane, you wouldn't simply "believe in" the parachute you were handed - in order for your life to be saved from the jump to come, you would have to "put it on." And that's what it is to "trust" and to "have faith in" Christ. For we are saved by grace through faith in Christ... Ephesians 2:8,9 (ESV)

For those who have repented of their sins, turned away from their old life, and submitted to God's Will using His Word as their guide - He promises to bring them from darkness into the light, (1 Peter 2:9) from death into life, (John 5:24) that He will give them a new heart with new desires (Ezekiel 36:26) they will begin to hate the things that God hates (sin) and love the things God loves (righteousness).

As promised, the Good News and the Bad News... Jesus said that no one may enter heaven unless they are born again of water and the spirit. When you were born the first time, it was a radical experience - you went from breathing liquid to breathing air, from a warm and cozy, protected home to a cold and cruel world where you were vulnerable to disease and sin through temptation...

Think about these things as you go through your new year, and know that if you die without Christ this year or any other, without your sins being paid for by the sacrifice Christ made on the Cross, you will go to Hell for all of eternity - you have God's promise on that... Revelation 21:8

If you have repented and put your faith in Christ, I want to encourage you to check out a couple of spots online that you might find edifying to your walk as a Christian:

Living Waters Ministries - Way of the Master Radio
Answers in Genesis - StudyLight.org
Firefighters.org - The School of Biblical Evangelism

May God Bless you and yours, and have a safe, prosperous, blessed and fruitful new year as you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...


-Benjamin, The Sower