A Blogger's Year

Well friends, the year 2012 is about to close and the blog seems to be doing well. I began this blog simply as a way to express my thoughts in an open forum. When I began with my Proverbs a day blog set in January, I had no idea I would have even one person read, let alone 3200 (where it stands right now).

I hope that what is posted here has been a blessing. I certainly didn't expect it to be filled with so much Christian insight, but I am happy that is how it turned out. I am not a preacher or scholar or even that wonderful of a Christian, but I feel much of what has been posted, was Holy Spirit led. I sought (in most instances) to pray before typing a Christian-themed blog (some are general themes), so that the words of the blog could be a means of blessing those who read.

Whatever your relationship to the "Straight Shootin'" blog this year, I hope it has been positive. I will continue to write as I feel led, or as topics present themselves in the coming year. It is mostly an informal process in deciding when and how to post, so stay tuned or bookmark it for reference.

For fun, I will list the stats for the most viewed posts of the year, and include links (or titles) to my personal favorites. If you haven't had a chance to explore the posts yet, I hope you will take some time to explore them.

Thanks to God and to friends and family who have support me in this endeavor.


Most Viewed Posts of the Year
Facebook Friendship and How to Maintain It- 96 Views
No Other Name- 82 Views
Pay Attention for Retention- 66 Views
No Refutation for Creation- 50 Views
Worship God and Prosper?- 46 Views


My Personal Favorite Blogs of the Year (in no Particular order)
Pay Attention for Retention
No Refutation for Creation
No Other Name
1- 2- 3- 4, I Declare Taco War!
Facebook Friendship and How to Maintain It
What a Friend We Have...
Sanctification Station, from "What I Believe," by Chris Byers
Belief in a Family of Unbelief
Did It Really Happen?
Waffle Fries are Not Anti-Anything

These can all be viewed from the main blog page by checking the list on the right which is listed by Date.

May God bless you all in the coming year!

Decoding Christmas Part 2: We Three Kings of Orient Aren't

The Magi
This Christmas many of us probably had a nativity scene set up somewhere in the home. If not, we likely passed by them near the local churches or businesses. It's a common scene, that actually has a significantly different background than the presentation we see each year. The representation of the birth of Christ is true to Matthew and Luke's depictions, but surprisingly, the wise men are one interpretation of the scene that are often incorrectly portrayed.

In Matthew Chapter 2, we read that Magi from the east visited Jerusalem to inquire about the child who was born "king of the Jews."It never mentions anywhere in the Bible the number of Magi who came to visit. It also never specifically calls them kings, or mentions them originating from what we define as "orient" today. When we say "oriental" we think of Asian areas like China and Japan.

The original translations made it clear that when referencing east, it was probably speaking of either Ancient Babylon or Persia.

Another term within the tale that gets tossed around and translated in an odd way is Magi. We hear them referred to as kings, wise men, magicians, magi, etc...

The term Magi, which is found in the root of many of our current words, did not necessarily refer to hocus-pocus magic. Words we use like Mag-nificent, Mag-istrate, Mag-estic, all have meanings of something big or important, or held in high esteem.

When we hear Magi in the Bible, it is likely referring to men of great esteem who came from near Persia, east of Israel to visit the prophesied king of the Jews.

So, the number of them was not three, as is commonly depicted, and they weren't magicians or kings visiting Christ. Who were they then, and how did they know to seek this child born in Bethlehem?

To find a plausible possibilty, we revisit the Book of Daniel in the Bible.
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Blast to the Past
During the time of Daniel, we see God's people besieged by Babylon due to their idolatry and general ignoring of their covenant with God. This temporary exile from the homeland was used by God  to bring about repentance, and they did eventually return to Jerusalem.

We see King Nebuchadnezzar taking captives after overtaking Jerusalem. He takes Daniel and other nobility as well. We get the story of the fiery furnace, and dream interpretations in which Daniel's influence on the king leads him into an eventual acknowledgement of Daniel's God, the Biblical God.

Later in the book, Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar is having a feast when writing appears on the wall, warning of his reign coming to an end. That same night, the Medes and Persians are set to overtake the kingdom, and the following day Belshazzar is dead and Darius from Medo-Persia has conquered the Babylonians and is ruling.

Because of jealousy of Daniel, high officials trick Darius into convicting Daniel of the crime of praying and he is thrown into the Lion's den. Upon seeing that the Lions by supernatural means, did not devour Daniel, Darius frees him and instead throws the officials and their families to the lions where they are soon devoured.

Darius, recognizing the authority of the God of Daniel, decrees that all the kingdom is to fear and tremble before Daniel's God (Daniel 6:26).
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Back to the Future
Flash forward to the time of Christ's birth, remembering that to the Persian historians, there would be record of this decree by Darius referencing the God of Daniel.

It is important to note here that Magi, as they would have been in ancient near east Persia, would have been the best and brightest scholars (professors) of the day. They would be trained in history and religious knowledge as well, similar to Pharisees.

The religion of Persia at this time was Zoroastrianism, which did acknowledge one true God who had been in existence since time began and was never created. This is very similar to the Jewish God, and parallels could be noted. It is possible then that the Magi, or highly esteemed learned men of the day, would be aware of the Jewish prophesies concerning a coming messiah. Zoroastrianism had its own prophesies that were similar.

Taking all of this into account, we can assert that the Magi who visited Christ in Bethlehem, had not only been supernaturally lead by God, but also had some existing knowledge of who it was they sought.

Taking Darius' acknowledgement of the true God of Daniel into account, it is feasible that throughout the generations after, knowledge of the Jewish God and life would have made its way into the scholarly sections of Ancient Persia.

Regardless of how they knew, (and supernaturally seems to fit more with God's methods of working) the Magi who visited the baby Christ, bowed and worshipped the baby whom they recognized as the prophesied messiah, and king of the Jews. Their hearts were towards God on that visit, and they are a prime example of worship.
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Bearing Gifts
On a related note, the gifts they brought seem to have symbolic significance. The rumor of 3 wise men, likely stemmed partially from a poem written in New York a few centuries back, and the fact that we see three gifts and naturally assume one gift per person. I know with our Christmas celebrations we certainly find it common to present multiple gifts from the same person, so there is nothing to say each Magi had to have just one gift.

The Gold is a kingly gift, and bestowing this upon a baby would have significance. Only royalty would have expected this gift in those days, and it was an acknowledgment of the Christ as king.

The Frankincense was another gift, usually reserved for religious persons or priests. In Old Testament law they had the offering of incense as part of their sacrificial system. This symbolized the priestly nature of Christ. (the Book of Hebrews calls him our great high priest).

Finally we have Myrrh, which is by far the weirdest of the gifts. Myrrh in those days was essentially an embalming fluid, from local trees, used in preservation of dead bodies. The gift of myrrh to a baby, then seems strange. The symbol of myrrh and death, seems to acknowledge (whether the Magi realized or not) that Christ would die for our sin. This is all speculation of course based on the true story, portrayed in the Gospel accounts.
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In summary
So, it is interesting to see that even as far back as the Babylonian and Persian exiles, the knowledge of a messiah who would save was common to the learned men of areas near ancient Jerusalem. While the idea of the Magi being from Persia is one suggested possibility, it is the one most referenced today by pastors speaking to the true story behind the wise men.

Next time we set up our nativity sets, let's pause and think about the faith of those men (unknown in number) who paid homage to a baby. Let's think of their method of worship and the giving of gifts to this newborn king. And let's remember that that baby is God made flesh to live and die as a sin offering for all of mankind, so that our reconciliation to a Holy God could be made possible through our faith in his Son, Jesus Christ.
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Bonus Fact
The names of the "Three kings" came about during medieval times, and the true names of the uncounted number of Magi remains a mystery
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*Much information presented was gathered from sermons related to the topic by Mike Fabarez of Focal Point  Ministries. My best efforts to preserve the information presented have been made.*

http://www.focalpointministries.org

Decoding Christmas Part 1: Saint Nicholas

I was listening to a few great sermons today by Mike Fabarez of Focal point Ministries (http://www.focalpointministries.org). In a few sermons, Mike was discussing some of the truth behind the myths and legends that have become such a big part of our cultural view of Christmas.

Whether it's waiting on Santa Clause to bring us gifts, or building our nativity sets with 3 wise men, there are many aspects of our traditional Christmas that have interesting truths behind them. For this post, I'd like to tell the story of the man whose legend would become Jolly Old Saint Nick.

In Acts chapter 21, we see Paul still on his 3rd missionary journey. In verse 1 we read, "after we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. (emphasis mine)"

The story of Pastor Nicholas, or Saint Nick as we have come to know him, begins in this port city of Patara. Paul's visit to Patara during his missionary journey means that the gospel he was preaching from place to place, likely took root in some form in this port city. However it occurred, we see by the third century that Christianity had taken root in various areas of Patara.

Nicholas was born to wealthy Christian parents in the city of Patara where Paul had traveled many years before. From his earliest childhood, Nicholas and his parents were attending a Christian church in the area. He was a very devout Christian from an early age, and excelled in his knowledge of doctrine and the Bible.

When Nicholas was around age 9, his parents both passed away. His uncle, who was also associated with the church in Patara, took Nicholas in, and maintained the lifestyle of devotion to Christianity to which he was accustomed.

The years went by, and Nicholas eventually came of age and would soon have to leave his uncle's care. Being of age, he was also in line to receive his parents wealth by inheritance.

I imagine Nicholas as a teenager or young adult, given an abundance of wealth. If it were me, I would have likely been out buying all the newest and coolest gadgets, while also giving to others. Nicholas thought only of others.

As his biography goes, Nicholas prayed to God that his wealth could be used to further the kingdom and to help those in need.

Many stories exist regarding his early generosity, but the one most historically accepted involves a very poor man.

The man, possibly a member of Nicholas' church, had three daughters. The town of Patara was near the area of Lycia in Asia Minor and temple worship of the patron goddess of the area was common. A profession many young women fell into in those days was temple prostitution.

The poor man realized his oldest daughter was of the age to marry, but he had no wedding dowry. Without a dowry, his daughter would not find a husband (based on the cultural custom of the day). At his most desperate moment, he had finally exhausted all other options and considered letting them go into prostitution at the temple (the only way to survive with this type of destitution).

The story goes that Nicholas heard of this man's plight, and using some of his abundant wealth, snuck into the man's house late one night and left a bag of gold for the man's daughter's dowry.

The man was overjoyed to find it, but also curious as to who his anonymous donor had been. With Nicholas' gift, the man and daughters lived well for a few more years until the next daughter came of age. Faced with another wedding dowry, and no money to pay it, the man was back to square one.

Apparently, Nicholas continued this practice until all three of the man's daughter's were married off, so that by his generous giving, the man's innocent daughters were spared from having to go into temple prostitution.

Nicholas' generosity apparently became very well known within the area of his hometown of Patara. After some years, news of his sound doctrine, Christian living and giving nature had spread to another church in the nearby town of Myra. The church, in need of a pastor, requested that Nicholas take the position.

Nicholas accepted, but ended up pastoring in a time that was one of the most persectued in Christian history. The Roman emporer of the time, Diocletian, was perhaps the bloodiest persecutor of Christians. Nicholas became pastor at Myra at almost the exact time of Diocletian's persecution of Christians. As a result, he was arrested and held in prison.

Political climate changed during Nicholas' time in prison, and soon Constantine took over the empire. Constantine, unlike Diocletian, was in favor of Christianity, and released all of the imprisoned pastors and leader sof the Christian church once taking over the reigns.

As a pastor, Nicholas was known to be hard nosed in doctrine and soft hearted with people. In other words, he was a staunch defender of orthodox Christian doctrine, but also had great compassion for people. In this way, Nicholas was very much a Christ-like figure of the Christian church, and likely one of the greatest early Christians. Nicholas' life was lived fully for God, and his wealth was made fully available to the work of the kingdom. His pastoring also had great influence during a tumultuous time of Christian history.

Constantine, though in favor of Christianity, left most doctrinal decisions to the many Christian pastors. In 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicea to address the heresy of Arius, which made claims against the doctrine of the Trinitarian nature of God.

Pastor Nicholas was one of many to attend this meeting to help set the record straight. There is a legend that Nichoals was so upset with Arius for his distortion of the gospel that he slapped him in the face, but this is likely just a story.

Nicholas remained a bishop in Myra and eventually died and was buried there.

Within a few hundred years of his death, churches were already being named for this great example of the Christian faith. The Catholic church eventually sainted him in whatever process it is they use to do such things. I'm not so sure Nicholas would have desired that sort of recognition, but then again, many people given sainthood after death would likely not have wanted that attention.

It is interesting to think that the story we tell about Santa Clause now, has little resemblance to the actual, historical Pastor Nicholas of Patara. Practically the only attribute in common is the extremely giving nature of both the real Saint Nick and the children's' legend.

When Craving Milk, Seek Meat

I had a moment of utter weakness this past Sunday. Many factors were contributing to it, and I couldn't be sure if it was the combination of all, or individual ones that pushed me over the edge. My Saturday night had been frustrating, and though Sunday service had brought me up temporarily, by time I got home I was feeling quite distraught. It wasn't until today, that I gained some insight/perspective on what may have been happening.

The Background
As I warmed up (Juliet actually did this) a bath to sit and relax, I was feeling very uneasy. Since August when I led the seminar on Salvation with Pastor Matthew, I seemed to have hit a brick wall in terms of spiritual growth. The books seemed less interesting, my daily readings did not entice, and I really just wanted to  do anything but study.

This was completely opposite of the attitude I had before the seminar (and perhaps why I look at it as a turning point). Prior to the seminar I had been building my faith up daily. Verses finally made sense, I grew in knowledge and understanding, and I felt God right by me pushing me onward.

By Sunday, the desire to learn had been long gone for months, and I had settled into laziness characteristic of my time before this year's spiritual step forward. I wasn't feeling God with me, and I was again doubting my salvation. It has always been an uphill battle for me on that front. My prayers seemed empty and I had not been feeling any moving of God's spirit during worship, or in daily life.

In my mind I wanted to believe it was something God was doing. My human arrogance wanted it to be God's fault for not making me feel more close to Him. I ignored the fact that with a God who is always constant, I was the one that had moved around.

As I lay beneath the water of my warm bath, praying fervently and nearly begging for a response or a little feeling again, I hit my spiritual rock bottom. I came above the water multiple times as Juliet listened to Christian radio in the other room, hoping a lyric would speak to me. I tested the lyrics seeing if each time I was getting some message from God. Finally, I drained the water from the tub, but found it difficult to bring myself to stand up and move on with the day. I was frozen in frustration and the worry that perhaps it has all been a lie to this point. Maybe I had never been saved. Maybe those times I thought it was God by my side, or that the chill was from the Holy Spirit it was just the air conditioning. Maybe my compelling inner thoughts toward actions I would not normally take, was simply my own imagination, and not God pushing me forward for building up His kingdom.

These thoughts and more occurred in a span of about 5 minutes before Juliet walked in and saw me. I began to incoherently ramble on about my concerns about my assurance of salvation, and how upset I have been lately that no one that I have sought to bring to Christ has had any hint of movement because of me. I longed for my friends to just be around...not even in a spiritual sense, but just for moral support. I wished the phone calls weren't ignored, and that I didn't have to assume it is because of my outward expressions of faith on Facebook and in this blog. I asked her if something was wrong with me for not feeling any emotion for the Gospel in the past months.

I cannot remember exactly what Juliet said over the next 10-15 minutes, but I remember it being words as if spoken from God through her, to me. She said things so assuring and comforting that my tears soon were replaced with dry eyes. I still longed to cry a little more, to relieve the stresses of the past months, but her assuring words kept propelling me towards solace.

She began to pray out loud for me in a way we have not prayed together before. My heart remembers, though my mind is blank on exactly what was said. The cloud lifted, and I emerged from my bath with a new sense of spiritual readiness. (I've been calling my bathtub faith renewal)

We spent the remainder of our weekend in normal fashion, relaxing. I told her we needed some time to set aside to read and pray for Monday, so we did the best we could on that before giving in to tacos to ease our hunger.

I got back to work on Tuesday feeling rejuvenated and have been feeling great since. I am feeling more compelled to study again, and to live out my faith, instead of simply typing it out. My pursuit of knowledge to best my opponents of the faith with facts and explanations is replaced with a calm assurance that God will work on whom He will work. If I am that instrument, so be it, and if not, someone will be. My stress over not being as recognized at work this past month is set aside, and I look forward to many more fun nights with a team of coworkers I truly enjoy. And, I'm able to write a blog again. I've had bloggers block for a few months now, only feeling compelled to write at certain times. I'm hoping this re-enters me into this great outlet for myself, and hopefully others.

The Epiphany
Today after work, I chatted with a co-worker who is a fellow brother in Christ for about a half hour, regarding this whole situation. He related a similar story that had happened to him shortly after first becoming a Christian.

The verse that he was referring to was 1 Corinthians 3:2.

1 Corinthians 3:2, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it, indeed you are still not ready."

He pointed out that God had really been there to give the milk in the early days of His conversion. The vices he once held were removed and he was, as they say, on fire for God. He said that as he began to grow however, he noticed that instead of feeling God in 5 minutes of prayer, it became 10 minutes, then 15 and so on. He described this as God weaning him off of the milk in preparation for greater things, or to allude to the above verse, for solid food.

It all made sense to me. As I had grown and gotten closer to a position in the faith of really making a difference (the seminar), God had provided the milk of his presence in abundance. It propelled me forward to an end that likely would have continued if I had realized that eventually, we need to stop drinking milk and switch to solid food.

Believers grow just as babies grow. God provides what we need in our early days of belief, but as we learn more and grow more, we need another type of food. Maybe that's not answering a prayer as fast as before to test faith. Maybe that's a lump on your back that is unknown to test your resolve to trust in him. Maybe it's friends turning from you, to see if you trust Him to handle their hearts, or bring new people into your life.

In perspective, it certainly explains why I fell so hard initially Sunday. If a baby is crying for milk and you take it from the baby, he certainly will cry at first. But gradually, over time, as you withdraw more and replace with solid food, the baby begins to realize it needs this growth. The lack of feeling with my 10 minute prayers maybe is an indication that I should invest more time in praying. Perhaps the time is set higher already in expectation that as a Christian who was strong enough to lead a group of fellow believers in a seminar, I should be praying more than 10 minutes a day.

Apply this to other aspects of the spiritual walk besides prayer, and I think we get a great example of how God truly is our Father. When we need it most, he provides with ease, but growth requires pruning. Growth requires testing and conflict. We don't always like it (and often cry for our milk), but when we finally reach that point beyond the babying, we can truly step out as disciples for the Gospel.

When our fleshly minds and hearts are still craving milk, maybe it's time we begin to seek meat, and move forward in our growth so that we may be mature, spiritual instruments for God's purpose in our lives.

I'll Be There for You

I woke up from my nap today feeling sad. I remember dreaming about the days of being in "the Huntsman," my cover band from college. I'm not sure if it was the music or the relationships that were formed through the mutual love of music that I missed more.

It got me thinking about friendship. Juliet had always told me that friends were different than acquaintances, which were different than co-workers, and so on. I had always grouped people together as either Best friends or friends. To me, if we connected on any level of interest, it could qualify as at least a basic friendship.

Over my lifetime I've had a few very close friends, and numerous people that I count as friends. Part of what has me down lately is realizing that the relationships with some of the closest friends have not stood the test of time as I always assumed they would.

What is it that qualifies a friendship as a friendship? Is it shared mutual interest? Is it proximity? Could it be a combination of any number of things?

I had always considered my former band mates (Andy was brother) as friends...at least for that time of our lives. We don't keep in touch, but we shared interests and laughter together. Mutual shared enjoyment to me can equal friendship.

Perhaps what I equate with "Best friendship" is more longevity than anything. I have two friends that I have always considered my closest, and two others who I always classified as close, though we never hung out much. Was it because we had known each other the longest? Maybe.

When marriages and children and disagreements come, the true friends are the ones left standing by your side. I wonder sometimes if I still have anyone like that.

Obviously, my spouse qualifies as a best friend now. She certainly is the individual with whom I spend the most time and shared enjoyment.

I feel like lately I'm lacking someone other than her though with whom to share thoughts, insecurities, etc... that would be hard to share with her. Nothing crazy, but just an impartial third party with whom to bounce things off from time to time.

I've had that in the past, but because of distance, or belief differences, or whatever, those relationships have failed the test of time.

I know that with at least one person I can still turn in a time of need. For another, I wish that were still the case, but feel that I've been given the cold shoulder in terms of that connection. Even our shared mutual interests seem to have fallen by the wayside.

What bothers me is how people can so easily disregard these relationships. I could easily re-start any friendship that has fallen away, at any given moment. Sure we disagree on many things, and maybe we are not the best influences on each other, but at least there is some shared history. That history is sometimes what is needed. A time of reminiscing to break up the day to day routine. A simple "remember that time we...." is needed once in awhile.

I'm afraid to reconnect with some people. I know we have shared history, but I feel like the pest by trying to contact them. I know people have moved into busy lives, and the fact that I have ample free time during the day (work overnights), doesn't necessarily mean they too are free to chat.

As mentioned in my other post, "Facebook Friendship and How to Maintain It," Facebook friendship has somewhat hurt regular relationships as well. We learn so much about our friends and family through Facebook that we sometimes forget to interact in the real world. A quick phone call is ignored in favor of a text or Facebook wall post. The connection that comes from a voice connection during a phone call is lost, and in the case of some friendships, may be that missing key to maintaining the relationship through distance and time.

I know that the reasons some older friends might not like speaking as much to me lately is tied to my beliefs and how they are expressed in online mediums (Facebook, blog, etc...). Were we to just sit back and have a normal phone conversation, a lot of this mis-reading of who I am could be cleared up. They would see I'm the same old Chris, and that despite a renewed conviction of belief, am not some crazy person with whom they have no shared interest or relationship.

Sadly, with the ease of online communication, and the busyness of normal life, it is difficult to make these connections consistently. And so, our closest relationships, once held together by longevity, shared history and shared interest are pushed aside. Or, worse still, ill will is harbored without being expressed. Anger or hurt feelings go unnoticed because of no true medium with which to express it normally.

In the old days, if friends offended each other, they picked up the phone and talked it out. Now there is only passive commentary, or total ignoring of issues that may be slowly eating away at the fabric of the long-term friendship. Maybe I'm imagining all of this, but surely I am not the only one who notices these things.

So how is this resolved? If I wasn't afraid of pestering people, I'd start calling old friends one-by-one to rekindle the relationships. Since I'm afraid of bother people, I haven't had the nerve to do so. There is one friend I can call regardless, but for the rest, I simply wait, hoping for a casual Facebook "like" on my posts or message from time to time. I miss the old days.

For my friends out there reading this, just know that I still consider those relationships ready to re-form at a moments notice. I long for the old days of just chatting about random things. I would love advice in certain areas with which you all now have more expertise. Ultimately, I would just like to say hi and see how life is going.

Taking the first step may fall to me, and I can accept that. My fear of pestering someone will be quickly tossed aside when the phone line picks up and the familiar tones and conversations begin again, as if it had never been interrupted.

Thoughts on Israel

It is important for Christians to remember our relationship to Israel. However, in doing so we must recognize Israel as it is today, and not simply what it was/is from a Biblical perspective.

From a state standpoint we remember that its government is generally secular, like most other governments, and that an aspect of the ongoing battle for "promised land" is being handled in a secular, non-religious way.

Secondly, we see Israel is the culture center for much of Judaism. While Israel is still God's chosen nation, it is important to realize that without a belief in the savior of the nation who already came, that is the promised messiah Christ, Israel stands just as condemned in sin as our unbelieving world as a whole.

Paul and many early Christians were Jewish (Hebrew) before following Christ and had histories tied into the OT promises of Messiah. They believed in the promise of Christ as messiah and were saved by that faith. We recognize as Christians that all have sinned and fallen short of God, and that despite Israel's long history of being God's chosen nation, they are still subject to the necessity of the blood of Christ for forgiveness of sin. Whether or not God has special provision remains to be seen, but we can know for sure that if Paul and the other Jews of his day trusted in Christ for salvation, the Jewish nation of today would not be exempt.

It is the Israel who will ultimately come to Christ that Christians support. The nation is still an ally, but from a spiritual, end times standpoint it is Jewish people who believe on Christ whom we stand with as brothers and sisters in the faith. Until that time, we are dealing with a state much like our own--both secular and religious.

We know in the end God will fulfill His Abrahamic covenant and we rest assured knowing Israel's history is far from over. Certainly we know that Christ too will set up his kingdom in a New Jerusalem yet to be realized.

As we watch the news of Israel and the Middle East's trials, we must be careful to distinguish that we support Israel as God's chosen nation, but that like any nation they are certainly not perfect. We do not necessarily support actions against humanity committed by Israel the state.
We look at them in the sense that God promised them the land and that Israel has a special place in the history of Christianity.

We anticipate restoration of Israel in a spiritual, Christ-based sense, and until that day, we continue the message of the gospel to a nation who has lost it's way for a time, before its ultimate redemption comes to pass.

Be blessed friends!

Did It Really Happen?

The foundation stone on which the Christian faith rests is the resurrection of Christ. No other aspect of Christianity is more relevant to us now and in our lives to come. For a Christian, there should be no debate on this.

Sadly, in our current generation of subjective truth and political correctness, it has become unpopular to accept such a miraculous occurrence as historical fact. Much like people attempt to explain away God's miracles of the Old Testament, so now people at large search for alternate theories to explain Christ's resurrection.

For the world its more comfortable to have 'Christ the good moral teacher,' or 'Christ the spiritual guru.' As Christians we need to recognize immediately the falsity of such theories, claims and falsified Christs

As I was listening to a great message on this topic by Mike Fabarez, I jotted down some notes. It was so relevant, that I wanted to remember my thoughts as I was listening, and capture some of his thoughts. Christians and non-Christians need to think through the implications of Christ's resurrection. It is not blind faith, but historically verifiable fact, and to believe otherwise is to deceive oneself in favor of not having to deal with our sin issue. Let's hope we can swallow our pride long enough to admit that the evidence presented makes it pretty unlikely that Christ's supposed resurrection was anything but a significant, historical and miraculous occurrence.

Old Testament Setup
Many people don't see the Old Testament as a relevant part of their Christian walk. It is actually a vitally important part of that walk, and is in the Bible because it predicts and looks toward the coming of the messiah to eliminate our sin. It looks to Jesus. While many books of the Old Testament contain prophesies applying to Christ, the book of the prophet Isaiah seems most relevant to this discussion.

Beginning with Isaiah 52 verses 13-14, "Behold, my servant (Christ) shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Like as many were astonished at thee (his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind)."

Chapter 53 picks it up using references with which people of that day would have been familiar. The Israelites were used to the slaughter of lambs as sacrifices for guilt and sin offerings. The verse uses this image in predicting Christ's death.

Isaiah 53:7," He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter...so he opened not his mouth,"

Christ, though persecuted did not speak out against his persecutors, but went silently to his death, knowing full well his purpose.

Verse 8 ends speaking of Christ being stricken for the transgressions of the people. Christ became our ultimate sacrificial lamb, and the language used here in Isaiah makes it clear about whom it is speaking.

Isaiah 53:9- "And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth."

Christ was hung to die between two thieves, wicked by definition of law in that day. Yet, a rich man purchased his tomb (Joseph of Aramathea). It also demonstrates his total lack of sin in accordance with the law of God.

Verse 10 would be something worth examining for those who simply blame certain persons or the Jews for his death completely. "It was the will of the LORD to crush him, he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper his hand."

God's plan from the beginning was living among us as Christ to show the law could be fully upheld, and then dying a sacrificial death on behalf of the sin of mankind, to fully wipe away our sins past, present and future. It was the will of God that Christ die so that mankind could be redeemed to him, if they trusted in this sacrifice to cover them. The Israelites trusted in the blood of sacrificial lambs to cover their sin, and constantly were making sacrifice to attempt to be in accordance with God's law. Similarly, Christ requires trust that his sacrifice is sufficient for the covering, and in this sense the elimination completely of our sin. We must believe in this.

New Testament Setup
Besides the fact that Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, was proclaiming him to be the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," Christ also was prone to predicting his coming death and resurrection.

For example, in John chapter 2, we see him overturning the tables in the temple. When the Jews present question him about this, he replies, "destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."

At this point they must have thought he was crazy as they only understood what he said on a surface level, and couldn't imagine re-building a 46 year project in only 3 days (literally the temple). Even the disciples were unsure of this cryptic prediction. After His resurrection, the disciples (according to John chapter 2) remembered what it was he had said and believed the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

So now what? 
Ok so it is clear scripturally that Christ's death and eventual resurrection was predicted centuries before it occurred, and that Christ himself spoke about it as well. To speak about His own death and resurrection he would be considered either brashly arrogant or luny bin insane.

No other world religion has ever had a leader who claimed resurrection, except Christianity. It's radically unique nature actually lends to its credibility. Someone doesn't just claim that..and to do so was radically different than anything else that ever was, or will be from a religion-based standpoint. Christianity stands alone.

Bring on the skeptics....
So, obviously Christians should still be on board with me here, but what about the other possible theories. Aren't miracles against nature? Isn't it just "magic?" There must be a logical explanation for Christ's supposed resurrection. Let's explore that.

In Theory....
A popular theory that has arisen in recent years (the Swoon Theory) is the idea that everyone just "thought" Christ was dead on the cross, but that in the cool atmosphere of the tomb, he was suddenly revived from his sleep, coma, or "almost death." Before accepting this theory, there are some things to consider:

1) Romans were VERY good at killing
-Christ's execution was not a once every few years type of thing. The secular scholar Josephus indicates that Roman crucifixions were a weekly commonplace, and there were hundreds performed before and after Christ's execution. These guys knew what they were doing.

2)The Dead man Stone Roller: 
-How can a mostly dead (see just woke up from comatose state) person remove an enormous stone blocking the entrance to the sepulture (tomb)?
-Does the cool, damp atmosphere of the cave grant super strength to a man believed dead?

3)Sleeping Guards?
Can an almost dead man that just rolled away a stone on human strength alone, expect to get past a Roman guard whose very life depends on the successful guarding of this important tomb?
-Keep in mind Christ was hated by Everyone but his followers, and there was no reason for a guard to fall asleep on a job this important long enough for Christ to casually pass by.

4 Kill him twice
Do we think the Romans were so incompetent that after the nearly dead Christ got up, rolled the stone and snuck past the guards that the Romans wouldn't just catch him and kill him again to crush any rumor of resurrection?
-They didn't want it to happen anymore than those who had wanted him crucified in the first place
-Kill him again and problem solved

When the facts are assessed, it seems acceptable to conclude that Christ was in fact FULLY dead. The Swoon Theory of "near death" just won't hold up to scrutiny.

The Witness List

Another popular theory these days (even in Christian sects sadly) is that the witnesses that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15 wanted Christ to rise so badly, that they just "thought" that they saw him risen.

1.Not just one nut
Paul makes it abundantly clear in the letter to the Corinthians that it wasn't just one lone nut job who claimed to see Jesus.
-There are accounts, he says, of numerous people seeing Christ risen in different locations and at different times.
-In addition the sightings involve full conversation and were not just passing glances

2.Skeptical Disciples
Thomas, a disciple who was there for Christ's ministry, refused to believe that Christ was risen without seeing proof (sounds like people today).
-When the Risen Christ showed Thomas his wounds, he believed and cried out, "My Lord and my God."

-James was another who absolutely doubted Christ's claims until visually seeing him Risen

3) Group Hallucination
Paul says that over 500 people in one location saw Jesus and heard him speak in addition to his other appearances.
-The idea that 500 people could simultaneously hallucinate the exact same thing is a bit of a stretch even for our worldly minds
-Synchronized hallucination doesn't fit the bill because others saw him beyond the 500 mentioned

4) Enemy encounters
Paul's greatest testimony should be the fact that after he appeared to all others, he appeared to him. Paul was the chief persecutor of those who believed in Christ's resurrection, and up until seeing the risen Christ himself was in the business of killing and imprisoning those who had claimed to see and believed in Christ.
-Why does the arch-enemy of this group suddenly do a 180 degree switch? It would be like Hitler suddenly becoming a God-fearing Jew, and going around practicing Jewish customs after the Holocaust. It just doesn't happen that way without a miraculous intervention.

5) Romans again
If the Romans wanted to crush this new sect of belief, couldn't they have just produced Christ's body, hung it up on a pole and marched it around town for everyone to see he was not actually risen?
-They likely wanted to do so, but could not because of the empty tomb.


So, we can surmise that a partially dead Jesus doesn't make sense given the context of his burial. We can also see that there is no reason hundreds of witnesses could fabricate such an elaborate myth, so close to the time of its occurrence (with a couple decades). Think of how hard it would be to fabricate a myth that Nixon was resurrected, knowing that most people living now were aware of him 20-30 years ago. A myth that large would just not be possible--it had to be truth for that many people to believe it.

The Empty Tomb
The empty tomb ties into what the witnesses were seeing, and Paul says that there are many still alive who were among those witnesses, even though some have passed away since then (1 Corinthians 15:6).

If we have accepted that the witnesses were not all crazy or hallucinating in synchronization then we are left with few other options to explain the tomb.

1) Stolen Body
This has become a popular explanation in recent times as well. If we really look at who would have a motive to steal the body though, the suspect list is surprisingly small.

Jesus disciples were the only ones who would have WANTED His predictions to be true. They were the only ones who could be suspected of having any desire to steal his body to try to prove their beliefs.

But wait....weren't the disciples hiding like scared children in the upper room, confused as to what would come next? Would they really be cowering one moment, and plotting a grave robbery the next, if they didn't even dare to venture outside?

In addition, there is still the issue of the guards, the giant stone, and the fact that normally a grave robber doesn't steal a body and take the time to undress it and fold the clothes. If they were to steal it, they would have grabbed and run. A thief doesn't break into the house, steal items and then clean up the place before leaving...the grave remained closed and a disciple stealing the body wouldn't take time to re-close the grave even if they managed to get it open.

*Blogger's Aside* Some of this is just common sense, and unfortunately our world is corrupted with a lack of common sense when it comes to Biblical maters. People struggle all day long to avoid the most reasonable answers to the tough questions, and perhaps that's why I'm attempting to break this down a bit. Not only for non-believers who are searching, but also for Christians who have lost their way.

2) Martyrdom
-Not one disciple/apostle/witness that was threatened with death ever recanted on their belief that Christ was ACTUALLY risen.
-A liar or deceiver would likely save their own skin and confess to the deception when threatened with death. We know from historical sources, both Biblical and secular, that Jesus' disciples and the early church were not afraid to die in defense of the truth of Christ's resurrection.

3. The Records
Within the first generation of Christ's death, the records of it were beginning to circulate

Also, the records had no signs of conspiracy. The world likes to call the varying accounts of the gospels contradictory, but in reality, God chose to use each writer's individual understanding of the circumstance of Christ's death to paint a picture as a whole. It's like hearing about a car accident from 4 people at 4 different viewing angles. The fact that the accident happened doesn't change, but the unique views of those describing it, will have varying details.

-It also serves to prove that no collusion to propagate a myth was going on because the 4 accounts would likely match exactly if they were all conspiring to write lies about Christ's resurrection for deceptive purpose.

In Summary:
Was the grave empty because Christ was mostly dead? Was it because the disciples stole his body? Why was it empty, and where did the body go?

If Christ did not rise and ascend then Christians and people in general have a lot to be concerned about.

If, however the tomb was empty and the body not there BECAUSE he ascended, then we have much to hope and live for. If the resurrection is the explanation then I'll gladly put my trust in that because someday I will die and I need someone to get me through it.

It's a lot to take in, and for those still unsure, do some homework. Scriptures predicted it, and history verifies it. The resurrection of Christ is a foundational fact of our Christian faith, and has important implications for everyone, Christian and non-Christian alike.

For those of us who are sure, we must stand firm on that truth. We cannot continue to waver in favor of relativism, pluralism and political correctness. We cannot seek to find a way to deny the resurrection, and must work towards demonstrating that the Christian faith is not a blind faith. It is a historically verifiable faith, grounded in common sense thought and logical explanations. When the hullaballoo that the world throws at us is taken apart, we are left with the truth of Christ, and no solid explanations/theories to deny it. Only our own stubbornness and pride can derail us from acceptance of Christ.

For Christians out there who think that pluralism and validation of non-Biblical principles is just the flavor of the day, please, please come back to the foundational aspects of what it truly means to call oneself a Christian. It is a radical life, different from the other samplings of spirituality and religion out there. It stands alone because it stands on truth.

We can still love and be tolerant without validating lifestyles and practices that are against the Bible's teachings. You don't have to approve of what someone is doing to love them, but you are called to rebuke them in love, if they are claiming to be Christian, but not living Biblically.

Just as I have recently been rebuked and rebuked my brothers and sisters, so the whole of our Christian family must maintain accountability to the infallible word of God, and the truth found in the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Be blessed my friends.

Is Love All You Need?

~Have You Noticed...?~

As I sit around thinking about random things all day, I find it surprising where my thoughts take me. The other day, for example, I was noticing how odd it was that people will use "Jesus Christ" as a swear, when they certainly don't believe in Him. It's odd because the term Christ literally means Messiah. Therefore, in the midst of their anger at whatever, they are acknowledging Jesus as Messiah.

This applies as well to using "oh my God" as a phrase. If you call out for God this way, there is an acknowledgment of possession in the phrase itself. So, despite the popularity of unbelief these days, everyone seems to call on God once in awhile.

I'm not saying everyone who says these things is always a believer either. I find it odd how much of our godless society still finds ways to acknowledge God in everyday speech.

I noticed a while back that the cross is our symbol in much of the world for memorial. Also, many funerals and memorial services will still read Psalm 23, regardless of the beliefs of the deceased or their family.

If someone is killed in a car accident, you see a cross on the highway. Our military memorials are filled with crosses marking the graves of our fallen soldiers. Whether we got together as a society and decided on this symbol or not, the fact remains that Christianity still permeates this country and others. People can try to suppress it as much as possible, but no one is going to go around to all the graves and highway memorials replacing crosses with "COEXIST" bumper stickers (exaggeration intended).

~Love, Love, Love~

With all this in mind, I began thinking about the current "love is all you need" view of the world, and much of Christianity. Somewhere along the line, we decided that Jesus was only love. We replaced God's uncomfortable (for us) attributes with the one attribute we deal with in society day to day. We all love family and friends and husbands and wives. Love is always a good thing to us, so why not pretend that is all God cares about.

I spoke previously about Jesus as a "hippie Jesus" who loves everyone too much to stand by Holy judgement. I am willing to bet a majority of Christians believe more in this Jesus than the Biblical one these days as well. If they won't admit it, a simple anonymous poll would likely skew this direction.

When considering God, we must consider all of His divine attributes, not just the ones with which we are comfortable. For Christians who come from pain and suffering, love and grace are often the attributes they need to know about initially. I understand this and would agree in part. But, as we progress in our walk with Christ, we need to acknowledge that God's love is not His only attribute that directly affects us. 

We wouldn't need God's love and grace if we were even slightly deserving on our own. As it is, humanity's sin is repugnant to a Holy and Just God. 

Holiness and Justice are the two aspects of God's character most foreign to many Christians these days, and most of the world in regards to its view of our God.

We can fathom a judge and jury handing out sentences to deserving criminals, but we cannot seem to fathom how our great Judge and Jury, God, can be the same. "How can a loving God send people to hell?" is a common sentiment. Without getting off track, bear in mind it is not God who "sends" us to Hell, but it is we who choose our eternal resting place. Our choices in life have bearing on that judgment.

~Holy, Holy, Holy~

God's holiness admittedly can be a sobering thought, even to a born-again, saved, spirit-filled Christian. To comprehend it is an acknowledgment that we don't have what it takes on our own to be acceptable to our creator. We have fallen so far, that without divine intervention (Christ and the cross), we are lost and forever separated. That separation becomes more worrisome when considering that the purpose of our creation was to be in fellowship with God. Pure, uninhibited fellowship. If what we are created for is not possible to achieve, then we lose our purpose. We gain the world's view that all is for nothing, and we must live while we can for tomorrow we die and return to nothing. It's a depressing view to say the least. 

It is also a view that eliminates known emotions and feelings like hope and anticipation. What is there to hope for if we cannot fulfill our created purpose? We seek ways of fulfilling ourselves, but the God-shaped hole (sorry for cliché) is not filled by worldly pursuits. I'm sure the richest people in the world would still admit they are lacking something, and they have all the resources to achieve and do anything they desire in theory.

~I Want Life My Way~

It was with these thoughts that I began to wonder how the world can be so good at promoting God's love, while still being totally unloving. My mom wrote a blog the other day about people being rude and things, and it made me realize that the majority of people promoting this "God is love," and "love is all you need," attitude are the same ones who scream at you for taking their parking spot. They are the same people who get angry in traffic, and wouldn't stop for two seconds to let someone in if their life depended on it.

The world will promote love, but at its heart is pure selfishness. We love our families and close friends, but many people could care less beyond that. 

Even as a Christian, I will admit now for the first time, that I truly don't care about others sometimes. It is sinful and I acknowledge that, but sometimes I just want to take care of me. I'm sure we all go there sometimes. Selfishness is not a God-given attitude, but a sinful product of a fallen world, where survival of the fittest is the promoted order of the day. 

People that I know who don't believe in God will call him loving all day, but how many of these people, will step out in every circumstance to show love to everyone? It's impossible on our own. There are days we are all selfish. 

Now, if God's holiness requires total coherence with God's commands for our lives; and God's command dictates loving our neighbor as our self, we are all short of the requirement (and that's just one). If then, God's judgment is based solely on God's commands, and our eternal situation is reliant on God's judgment, what do we think is going to happen? God, in pure holiness and with a better justice than we can even perceive, will rule justly according to His commands, which our selfish hearts failed to meet the demands of with 100% attainment. 

It sounds ridiculous in its difficulty. So now, we have God desiring to have his creation back to its intended purpose. A creation which fell through no fault of God, but by our own selfish desire. God, in His infinite foresight saw that for us to be reconciled, He would come to earth in human form, live perfectly, and be a blood sacrifice for the washing of humanity's sins. 

God took the form of Jesus the Christ, being at once fully God and fully man, fulfilled the law perfectly, and died as our sacrificial lamb, so that forgiveness of our inability to keep the law and God's commands would be righted once and for all. 

Now with this came a stipulation that we believe and trust this sacrifice. Within that really is emphasis on a reliance on this sacrifice as our only means of restoring right relationship with our creator. Jesus acts as mediator between God the Father and man, and defends us to the father, on the grounds of his blood and our trusting in it for salvation. 

So as simple as "love is all you need" mantra has become it is ultimately useless when giving an account of our life. We may have helped a stranger one time, or given sacrificially in some instances, but much more often, we are selfish (mentally and manifestly), and care more about our well-being than others. For the rare individual who seems truly selfless, remember that sin nature permeates us, and even the most outwardly selfless person, can have selfish desires and thoughts. 

"All You Need is Love," is a catchy Beatles tune, but ultimately meaningless in the context of our lives. We can love one another, and do good deeds all day, but our inherent selfishness will prevent reconciliation with God. Considering we were made to be with God, isn't it about time we stop focusing on ourselves, and step out towards what is required to reunite us with our Heavenly Father? 

The Mountain (A Short Story by Chris byers)

One day a group of men got together to discuss an expedition. The expedition would be to the great mountain in the middle of their city. It was believed amongst the citizens of the city, that at the top of this great mountain, resided the secret of eternal life.

The day finally arrived when the expedition was set to begin. Each man gathered his gear, and proceeded towards the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the men’s attention was drawn towards a grouping of wooden signs. One sign read “wide and easy to navigate.”

A man in the group named Joshua, noticed off in the distance another sign. This sign was different than the other, and was set far enough apart from it to appear difficult to reach. Being filled with curiosity, the men traversed the rocky path to gain a closer view of the sign.

Finally, the men reached the small, barely noticeable sign. This sign read, “the narrow path which is the only way to the top.”

“Balderdash,” said the man called Hare, “why would the only true path be so far away from the other obvious ones?

“I agree with Hare,” chimed Sid, “it makes no sense, and I’m in no mood to traverse a difficult trail.”

“Don’t you see?” pleaded Joshua, “if this is the only path of its kind, doesn’t that intrigue you? Why would the path even be there, if it was not true in what it says?”

“Joshua, you can keep your narrow and difficult way, Hare and I will meet you at the top,” replied Sid.

With that, Sid and Hare departed back towards the broad path. Joshua was left alone, and began to wonder if he was making the right decision. The path ahead would be difficult, but something inside him, a kind of conviction of heart he couldn’t place, drew him forward to the narrow path.

After climbing for some time, Sid and Hare could see Joshua below them struggling with his path.

“At this rate, Joshua will never make it here,” Hare claimed, “How can he expect to find the secret to eternal life, when he can’t even keep pace with us?”

Joshua did not hear Hare’s words, but he was beginning to worry that his friends had been right. His body ached with each step towards the top. Yet, each time he was about to give up, something inside him pushed him forward.

About half way up the mountain, Hare and Sid stopped to eat and see about Joshua’s progress. In truth, they were more concerned about proving him wrong than the actual disposition of their friend.

“I can’t wait to get to the top,” said Hare, “then we can tell Joshua how foolish his choices were.”

“I know,” Sid agreed, “How could he have thought the difficult path was correct? After all, this path has been so simple to navigate, it has to be right!”

Sid and Hare finished eating when they saw Joshua off in the distance, finally gaining ground.

“Hey Joshua!,” they yelled across the chasm that separated them, “how is your ‘correct’ path?” they mocked.

Joshua paid no attention and stayed focused. He was determined that he was doing the right thing. Something felt right about this path.

Hare and Sid’s teases could still be heard as he continued to climb.

“Joshua, is your path so great that you think you’re better than us?” they chided, “why’d you choose the difficult path? Was it to prove something?”

Joshua wondered how they could perceive his path as anything but the correct way. He wasn’t thinking of it as exclusive. He simply felt something convicting him as to the correctness of this path.

Sid and Hare suddenly stopped. They had reached a fork in their own path. To the left, the sign said, “love is all you need,” and to the right the sign read, “the answer is within.”

“Well those don’t make much sense, do they, Hare?” Sid inquired.
“No, I suppose not,” he retorted, “but I have always felt that loving everyone around me was the only true way to be a good person, I think I’ll take the left path.”

“Well, Hare, I agree with your premise,” Sid stated, “But, I prefer to look within myself for peace that propels me to good works; I’ll take the right path.”

“So you’re saying your path is correct?” Hare added angrily. “You’re gonna be intolerant of my choice now too?! You’re just as bad as Joshua!”

“What about you?!,” Sid argued, “you are basically saying the same by choosing your way and ignoring mine!”

Joshua could see across the chasm and he no longer recognized his friends. Hare and Sid were bickering in a way he had not seen before. Something was changing within them.
Meanwhile, all Joshua felt was a sense of peace. He sensed all of his troubles being washed away. It was refreshing, and encouraged him as he pushed past the jagged rocks and branches that lined his path.

Hare chose love and went left, while Sid chose inner reflection to the right. Both paths were still broad and easy to navigate, so neither gave a second thought to his decision.

Hare thought to himself that he must have chosen correctly because his path was lined with the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. A wealth of color flooded his vision as he progressed onward.

Sid was experiencing much of the same, and felt he must have chosen correctly. His path had a calming breeze that soothed the soul as he walked ever upward. He felt his mind emptying of all distracting thoughts.

Finally, the peak of the mountain was in sight. Joshua could feel his incline getting steeper and knew he’d need his advanced climbing gear soon. He stopped a moment to gather it.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw a being surrounded by light standing next to him. He was afraid and cowered against a rock.

“Do not be afraid,” the being stated calmly, “I am here to help.”

“What kind of help?” Joshua Inquired, “who..are you?”

“Joshua, there are many paths to the top of the mountain, but in your wisdom and faith you chose the path which seemed most difficult. It is this path which truly leads to eternal existence. I am here to give you strength for the rest of your journey.”

Joshua felt frozen in place. He had felt compelled to this path, but was unsure as to why. Now it seemed that there was a purpose in that choosing.

The being explained that many had taken the broad paths which eventually lead to destruction, not the top of the mountain. He explained how the world had placed the sign to the broad path in plain sight, offering an easy, comfortable path.

“The path to God,” the being began, “is only found through his Son. In your heart, you know of whom I speak. God has chosen you for the gift of life, and his Spirit convicts your heart even now showing that you are on the right path.”

“I believe,” stated Joshua, “but I’m not sure I can make it the rest of the way.”

“Truly, there will be difficulty,” the being cautioned, “but I will be with you.”

Joshua felt encouraged and began climbing the steep face of the mountain. He no longer saw the being, but felt his presence around him. A cold wind began to blow, and he nearly lost his footing multiple times.
Joshua was nearing the top when his hand reached out and hit a jagged edge. He ignored the pain in his hand and kept climbing.

Meanwhile, Hare and Sid’s paths had crossed again.

“So Hare, I see your path was the same as mine in the end,” Sid teased. “Maybe Love isn’t all you need.”

“Your inner reflection doesn’t seem to have made your path much better, Hare retorted.”

Hare and Sid could see the peak, and began progressing together towards the top, bickering the whole way.

Joshua pulled himself up over the top of the face, and found the most beautiful city, laid out before him. It’s streets were paved with gold, and a river ran down through the city, it’s source coming from a temple. There was a radiant light which made everything below the mountain seem to pale in comparison.

That’s when he noticed. From his vantage point, Joshua could see the broad path. His heart ached for Hare and Sid when he saw the gap that separated them from the mountain peak.

Hare and Sid must have realized the same thing because they saw Joshua high above them, and witnessed no conceivable way before them of reaching him.

“Joshua!” they yelled, “Help us to the top.”

“It is not  within my power to help,” Joshua replied, “I tried to warn you of your path, but you did not heed my warning.”

The landscape upon which Hare and Sid were standing began to change. The bright floral arrangements that lined the path, turned to thorns. The cool breeze became blistering heat in an instant.

“Joshua!” Hare Called, “we were wrong. Let us come taste from the water of the city’s river.”

“It is not mine to give,” Joshua replied, “ and there is a great chasm fixed between us, so that neither may cross over.”

Hare and Sid became angry and gnashed their teeth, tearing their clothes and throwing up dust from the ground.

A few moments passed and Joshua realized he could no longer see Hare and Sid. He turned to see the being from before.

“Welcome Home Joshua,” he said, “the narrow and difficult path leads to eternal life, while wide and broad is the path to destruction. You have been set apart by God for this gift, and convicted of the correct path.”

“What about Sid and Hare?” Joshua inquired of the being.

“Their decision and disbelief in the one true way, led only to destruction. Their path seemed correct at times, but ultimately ended in separation. Their arrogant beliefs which ignored the one truth path, have sealed their fate, and they are responsible for that decision.”

“I understand,” Joshua calmly stated.

“Come,” the being beckoned, “by faith you have believed, even without seeing, and it is counted unto you as righteousness.”

Joshua stepped forward, following the being to the temple at the center of the city, knowing that ahead lay overwhelming joy. He thanked God in his heart for choosing him.
“God, while I may not have been actively seeking you, in your mercy you chose me to be an example. I thank you, and accept your gift of eternal life.”

Joshua reached the entrance to the temple. The door opened, and he stepped inside.

It's the Most Uncomfortable Time of the Year

"Halloween’s another big holiday—Satanic holiday. Nobody’s bothered by that for some reason. You know, “fun for the kiddies”. (laughter) I mean, when I was going to “church” they always told me Satan’s the most evil one, the one you have to watch out for. “Watch out for Satan!” Then, once a year, the whole country goes, “Hey, let’s party with this guy.” (big laughs) It’s ridiculous. (laughter)"

-Drew Carrey from White House Correspondents Dinner Speech

October has become an awkward month for me. Admittedly, it never really ranked that high on my list of favorite months. My mom was ranking months the other day, and I think if I had to do that it might look like this:


December
-November-
July-
March

Those are based mostly on holiday/birthdays. December is a time for Christmas and family. November is my birthday month. July is our anniversary month and usually my longest Oklahoma vacation of the year, and March is Juliet’s birthday month.

As a child, October held the wonder of Halloween. As a child, I had no indication that celebrating such a holiday could have negative connotations. In the United States, it is basically a holiday for kids to get candy, sort that candy, trade that candy, and eat it. We dress up as our favorite cartoon characters and run around the neighborhood.

As a teenager, those prone to mischief use the holiday for less innocent minded activities, but still give no real thought to the inherent anti-religious sentiment of the holiday.

In college, girls use it as an excuse to dress in outfits not usually appropriate for public use. As a college guy, whatever costume gets those girls to notice (humorous, outrageous, etc...) is usually chosen in hopes of getting closer to those girls. An inherent problem here (and I never went out on Halloween in college except to Walmart once I think), is that guys who struggle with lustful thoughts, pornography, etc...can perceive otherwise modest women as complete objects on that night. Granted, the modest women likely aren’t dressing up like that anyway---but I’m sure it’s possible.

As an adult, usually we wait until having kids and then send them out to start the cycle again. It is probably the holiday you can most set your watch by as far as early promotion. Pumpkins and scarecrows and black cats and witch decorations pop up well before summer’s end.

-----------
When I met Juliet, she had never celebrated Halloween. Her reasons were legitimate, but totally alien to a U.S. born guy who saw it as a candy holiday. As a kid, our parents don’t teach us of the implied anti-Christian attitude that permeates this time of year. The witch and wizard costumes promote a decidedly anti-Christian worldview, yet most kids (and even Christian adults) never give it a second thought.

In many ways our society has become so saturated with these types of traditions, that to question it seems ridiculous. This blog may finally be the one that sends me into debate territory because so many people (Christian included) see nothing wrong with the holiday.

I’ve noticed in the years of attending church, that many churches even use October 31st to hold some holiday haunted house or carnival. Whether scaring teens into not having abortions, or just dressing as ghosts for fun, we are sending a mixed message to the world.

I struggle this time of year because I know Juliet is right. She is 100% correct from a Christian standpoint. I was just so accustomed to the traditions, I never realized what kind of message we were really promoting.

Kids in witch costumes, teens causing mischief, college girls gone wild--is there any decency in the holiday?

---------------
I was told that I need to stop “denying” Christianity when it comes to these practices with which we are so accustomed. When confronted with celebrating or not celebrating the answer should be decidedly against the holiday for Christians. We need not substitute our own versions. We need to cut the cord and move on.

The whole Christmas controversy about Christians adopting pagan holidays bugged me until I realized how much we as Christians have adopted these worldly holidays. I believe early Christians were simply looking for a way to celebrate Christ on a day that much of the world was worshipping pagan gods or whatever--so the Christmas thing I can understand.

Halloween is just too close to celebration of the world. We don’t separate it enough. We know a fall carnival with costumes is Halloween in disguise. At least the Easter Bunny can be shown to have nothing to do with Christians’ celebration of the resurrection--though the world likes to use that against us too.

I can’t tell other Christians how to celebrate or not celebrate traditions that at face value seem harmless. I will suggest though, that maybe it’s time we really take a step back and see how our witness might be damaged by these types of activities. With all the liberal Christianity around these days, I’m sure it is impossible to get even all the Christians on board. Maybe using October 31st to completely distance ourselves from costumes and candies is the first step.

I don’t see anything inherently wrong with dressing up as cartoon character, but why on that night? Do people not realize there is a huge anti-Christian sentiment among certain groups? Curses are said against us, and rites performed to hurt us on those nights. Satan truly gets control on October 31st.
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Juliet was uncomfortable at work the other day being asked to hang Halloween decorations as busy work. I was uncomfortable last year when we were told we could dress up for a costume contest. I resisted the urge to decorate/participate and no one cared. I think that’s the point. A simple, “I’m sorry, I don’t celebrate Halloween,” should suffice in most places. Certainly workplaces cannot force celebration of it, just as they can’t force Christmas to be acknowledged (unfortunately).

If we break down our perceived meanings of holidays, it’s sad that Christians know what Christmas should be about and ignore it readily. Halloween is blatantly obvious as a darker holiday and we embrace it with open arms and stomachs.

I heard a story last weekend of people burying the statue of some random Catholic saint (they have them for everything these days), and cringed a bit. I did not stand up against it though, and perhaps I should have. We can’t rely on magical remedies and idols to give us what we want. We trust in Jesus, not the patron saint of hamburgers or house-hunters or whatever.

Juliet and I will continue not celebrating Halloween. It’s still uncomfortable for me because I have fond childhood memories of trading candy with Andy. I know; however, that it’s time to start distancing myself from those worldly things that damage my witness. Perhaps I have others I’m not aware of yet. I will hopefully be guided towards eliminating those too.

We don’t have to go up on a hill and hide out waiting for the Rapture, but we should walk in Christ, not in the world’s values. It will probably never be comfortable. And maybe that’s why October, for me, is the most uncomfortable time of the year.

The Art of Fantasy League

I'll take a brief interlude here today and focus on something that has captured my interest (sort of). We started a fantasy football league this season at work.

I confess I know absolutely nothing about what is going on most of the time. I was auto-drafted (slept during draft), and came out with an average team. Another guy on our team got Auto-drafted and has a winning team without even touching it....he hasn't even checked scores!

Our week 4 match-ups are approaching and I am up against the league leader. I will likely lose, but hold onto a sliver of hope that I will pull off some amazing comeback.

We tentatively have bet that the loser takes the point difference and runs that amount of miles over the next month. I'm projected to lose by 30 points currently...so a mile a day looks likely for the upcoming month.

I keep thinking of the concept of a Fantasy Football league. We basically are picking and choosing these players on perceived performance predictions. We look at past performance to predict what could occur, but ultimately we never know for sure.

In this way I can relate it back to our faith walk. No matter how well we try to predict what is to come in this life, only God truly knows the outcome. I can hope for favorable outcomes, but ultimately have no control real control at the end of the day. I have influence, but not control.

Just as I shift my players on the team around to achieve the best result possible, we often shift our lives around to achieve the best results. While we can certainly influence to a degree, we will never know the future result until the game is done.

As my match-up gets closer, I continue the shifting of players, sometimes attempting trades to get better options. Some people are willing to sacrifice/trade for a mutual leg up--others will not give up their "assurance" for the sake of yours.

I will learn more as the weeks progress, and maybe dramatically come back in the end for a league win. If nothing else I can try for more wins than losses. After all, you can't win them all...

Political Roulette

I decided the other day to start researching the Presidential candidates for the November election. The only time I have voted was in 2004, and I remember it being pretty random, with no real thought put into it. I'm sure that sits well with most of you...

The thing about this year is that I feel like choosing between the lesser of two evils. I have heard that for Christians it is like this every year. I read a few articles that support the idea of prayerfully considering which candidate would be the best fit overall, and not setting them up as the true spiritual leader of the country (obviously we look to Christ as the final spiritual authority, not government).

With that in mind, the Christian has some serious considerations this year. On the one hand we have our current President who, in my opinion, hasn't exactly done anything that noticeable to me. I mean noticeable, as in things by which I directly feel affected.

In 2008, as Obama was elected, I was in Mexico with Juliet's family celebrating. Immigration-wise, he was a much better option than Bush had been, and that was all I really cared about. I think in 2008 many young adults were sick of Bush. I hadn't considered his Christian views (if they were there) and had jumped more on the bandwagon of anti-war in Iraq.

Flash forward to 2012 and I can't really see any harm personally that Obama has done. But, I can discern from reading his campaign website, that his views are not fully in line with my own. Specifically regarding equality and women's health.

Marriage and Abortion

As a married man, the issues of equality and women's health only really become relevant from a Christian perspective as Juliet and I are married in Biblical tradition and don't plan on giving up any babies that may come about in her belly.

So you could say, it really isn't an issue. Except that it is. Biblically as much stronger Christians we have to at least acknowledge that Obama has taken a distinctly anti-Biblical view on these two issues. We read in Psalm 139:13-16, "certainly You (God) made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother's womb...when I was made in secret and sewed together...your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. All the days ordained for me were recorded in your scroll before one of them came into existence."

The ellipses do not leave out any context, but simply allow me to emphasize the parts relevant to this conversation. I think for a Christian, Pro-life really has to be the only option. We could debate the ins and outs of this, but at the heart of the conversation is that God values human life. And according to various Biblical texts, the argument can be made for life beginning at conception--even before that if we consider God's sovereign knowledge.

In the matter of equality, specifically for same-sex couples, I must default back to the Biblical definition of marriage and ground myself on that. Another strike against Obama, who claims to be Christian, but has not really accepted a Biblical view of that issue.

Immigration:

As near as I can tell, Obama is probably the more lenient here. The amnesty for illegal immigrants only bothers me if it lets them cut in front of people like Juliet's family who are doing it legally. If it's for a better life for kids who had no choice in the matter, or didn't know until they were older then I suppose it can be for good. Ultimately, whatever keeps families together is right, and the argument that Mexicans are taking our jobs is silly.

Romney seems to be the only Republican candidate that isn't totally anti-Mexican. His website proposes making it easier for permanent residents (like Juliet) to bring their family members legally. He proposes eliminating much of the immigration red tape for the legal way of doing it too.

As someone who waded through that red tape, I can appreciate this. When addressing a check wrong sets the process back 3 months, something is broken with the system.

Mormon vs Liberal Christian

The biggest voting challenge for Conservative Christians will be Romney's values coupled with his Mormonism. Orthodox Christians will see Mormonism as a cult offshoot of Christianity, but Romney's values are more in line with Conservative Christians.

Obama leans far left if he is a Christian (debatable)..and the left-leaning Christians (in some cases) are falling away from Biblical faith the fastest nowadays.

If Romney is elected, Mormonism will become much more noticed in culture, and Christians will need to be educated on the differences between Christianity and Mormonism. The differences are significant and it should not be automatically assumed that a practicing Mormon is a Christian in the doctrinal/Biblical sense.

All of these things are under consideration as I ponder who I would vote for this November. I can see clearly that neither candidate is ideal. I don't even understand the ins and outs of the health care reform or other issues. For me the most relevant is immigration, followed by anything related to maintaining Christian values.

Israel

Romney has stated on his site a direct defense of Israel as an ally. Biblical Christians will understand the importance of Israel in God's ultimate redemption plan. We should only support a candidate who supports God's chosen territory. Though they have fallen into disbelief, God's promise to Abraham stands as a covenant, and in the end days, Israel will have a huge role to play. Revelation tells us it will be the site of Christ's earthly millennial kingdom, and arguments can be made for the New Jerusalem and New Earth as the true eternity for Christians. (Pre-millenial View)

Obama has sought peace with Middle East Muslim nations, likely to avoid more Sept. 11 incidents, but will it be at the cost of Israel? To support Islam, one must align against Israel (or the Jewish Nation in general). His website says he supports Israel, but only time will tell.

Christians and Government

The argument that church and state should be mixed is an argument I don't think really needs to happen. There are Christians who are too politically active, and Christians who aren't active enough. Ultimately, as Christians, it comes down to God's sovereignty in selection of world leaders, and it's His judgement to which leaders are accountable (Romans 13).

You can have conservative values and still see that in most elections, neither candidate is the absolute, 100% correct Christian choice.

Take Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Reagan for examples of the more "Christian" or "Religious" leaders. Washington and Reagan rarely attended any sort of worship, and Jefferson/Lincoln were more Theist than Christian as they doubted much of Christ's divine aspects.

So, even the presidents we like to think of as the most Christian were not ultimately the end all- be all for a Christian commander in chief. We likely will never get a fully Bible-beliving Christian in office because the culture won't allow it. America is the land of tolerance of all faiths and religious freedom, which is not always the greatest thing for a Bible-believing Christian.

We are left then to prayerfully consider which option, if any, is the lesser of evils, and trust that God in his sovereignty is ultimately in charge of what comes of the election. We may think our vote is the one that counts, but it's the candidate in God's will that will ultimately will win. Sometimes not voting can be the most Christian vote. Whatever I choose, I know that God's hand will ultimately guide my decision. As Christians, our vote should be a matter of prayer, not impulse.

Youth in a Casual Christian World

This weekend I had a chance to lead the music for a Youth Retreat from Jubilee at McKinney Falls State park. Prior to getting there, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I haven't really had much interaction with the Youth at Jubilee, as I am usually just on stage playing in the morning services and not much else.

When I got up to sing, our Associate Pastor Matthew had just finished a good sermon on ascending the mountaintop, and sometimes having to release certain "burdens" to help with our climb. These burdens could be damaging friendships, anger or resentment, and any other number of things that youth find troublesome in their journey.

The atmosphere of being in a wooded area, outdoors made me think back to my Camp Egan church camp days. As a youth at First United Methodist, I truly had a great time. We did so many fun things, and I got to know some great people.

As an adult now, I look back on those experiences and remember them slightly differently. As a youth, I was always there for some fun activity. The focus was on the fun, and the devotionals at the end of the night were nice, but not the first thing that stood out.

The time of year in which I felt the most "God-connection" was Camp Egan. Being away from the world as it were, for a week with daily worship was an easier means of connecting. The night time worship--particularly the last one before leaving--was the one time that as a Methodist, I partially understood what Christianity was about. It was the first mention I heard of salvation. It was the only time we had altar calls. The music was emotional and the response was too. As I think back now, I realize the devotional times, the singing and fellowship were more important than any "fun" thing we ever did.

This weekend in front of the youth of Jubilee, I had a flood of memories come back to me. I found myself speaking before each song, not so much to introduce the song (though I did), but more because I felt like I had something to connect with them about. I wanted to make a difference in the short 30 minutes I had. I didn't say anything too profound. As I recall something about not dragging along friends who are holding you back from belief in Christ because later in life it will lead to much larger burdens/heartaches. I also sang a FUMY favorite, "Casual Christian," which seemed particularly relevant to a young group.

It is so easy to be a Casual/Carnal Christian at that age. The distraction of the opposite sex, the massive amount of entertainment available, and just school in general can really make Christianity tough. I know I didn't really focus fully until my college years, and even then, the distractions were many.

This generation of youth is going to be raised in a largely anti-Christian environment. The world doesn't tolerate our exclusivity (ironic) as Christians, and if we don't have some youth that are grounded in their faith, they will be sucked into that same vaccuum of good feelings and subjective truths.

How do we reach a generation that has more distractions than any previous generation? That's the question I found myself wondering. Is it an age thing? Would someone my age (closer to theirs) be more approachable than someone in their 30s or 40s? Is it a message thing? Does the message have to break through the distractions and really cut deep? It's probably a combo of all of these things. I don't know that I could even begin to figure it out. I do know we need to train them in Biblical Christianity and not the "fluffy Christianity" that is permeating churches and the world these days. We must teach the essentials of the Christian faith unabashedly.

As I stood up in front of them, singing old praise and worship songs from my First United Methodist youth days, I realized that what I had found important then was not the most important thing. It was never supposed to be about the fun, but about preparing youth to lead the world in Christ.

I feel like my class of youth fell short at that calling. I'm not sure if we were too distracted by the fun, or maybe just the Methodist liberalism, but I can count on two hands the number of youth I remember who are truly living for Christ--apart from worldly Christian views-- today. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's perception and there are actually more.

I looked at the Jubilee youth and told them how blessed they were to be youth in a church that taught salvation, and being born-again without trying to dodge around the concepts. They have a step ahead of what I had anyway.

I don't know what distracts them now, or how many of them really long to make a difference. I worry that without proper guidance, and proper focus on Christ and the Bible, we will simply have another generation of failed expectations. We will lose more to the kingdom of the world, and gain fewer for the kingdom of God. I pray that won't be the case.