Holy Spirits, Batman!

A major question yet a minor concern in modern Christianity is if we are allowed to drink alcohol? This, being an area grayer than an elephant, has resulted in answers ranging from "hells yeah!" to "ye shall be smote if a drop of fermented sugar ever toucheth your lips!". The truth is, nearly every answer given is correct. The concern is not so much as what answer given but rather how the answer is found. Weaving through a bunch of archaic Old Testament laws does nobody any good for we have freedom in Christ. Galatians 5:1 says "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage". This is repealed a little later by Paul saying "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Gal 5:13). Pretty clear, right? Not quite.

A mirror reference for this would be in Romans 14. The whole chapter. In summation, Paul tells us we are free to do anything we please according to the Spirit, as long as it isn't in direct violation of rules laid down by Jesus himself. However, one must exercise caution around new believers, believers who are easily tempted, and people we are proselytizing to. I could give you a laundry list of passages either condemning or condoning the use of alcohol as a Christian but that would be self-defeating. The key rule here is: all in moderation.

Paul instructed Timothy to drink a little wine for an upset stomach, Jesus drank wine at parties, and He was even called a winebibber (drunkard). The thing one must consider is there being a time and place for everything. Breaking society's laws is sin. Therefore, drinking and driving, giving alcohol to a minor, carrying an open container, all dangers in this world. However, there are those rare times when having a couple drinks with a stranger or a friend is necessary for ministry.

We are certainly not banned from celebration, and we are not disallowed to celebrate in any way we please. A lot of references will only mention wine, that Christians can drink wine. Yet, they fail to realize wine was really the only alcohol around at the time. It was used for religious feasts and festivals, and it was also safer than water. In Jesus' day there was no Jagermeister, Johnnie Walker, Hypnotiq, Disarrono, Champagne, or any other celebratory spirit. Henceforth, these are equal to wine, as long as drunk in moderation.

When it all comes down to it, if not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the basic rule is 'do as Jesus did'. He allowed alcohol to enter his system, however He never overindulged. He never spoke out against being drunk, yet we know the dangers and Paul's passages warning us against it. In a small group of friends who understand the gospel or would be unaffected by the situation, go ahead, get a little tipsy. Just don't drive or get completely uninhibited. And don't be the lizard.

America the Ugly

I believe we as Americans have too much freedom. Yes, I said it - too much freedom. And yes, it is possible. Yes, we have plenty of social structure but there isn't much of a sense of morality anymore. We have too much bureaucracy, too much free enterprise, but not enough religion. Take this example, the "Royal Wedding" was witnessed by millions of Americans. If, let's say, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber got married, there are countries where people would get stoned to death just for mentioning it. We seem to care too much about peoples' social state and not enough about their eternal one.

In a country where Catholicism, Santeria, and Mormonism exist alongside twelve different denominations of Judaism, strong and weak Muslims, and both branches of Protestantism, I would say we have too much freedom here. Happy Independence Day. Don't be the lizard.

In Recent News

Just a thought. I was listening to the local Christian radio station recently, remaining unnamed, and they were discussing the dreaded Black Friday. Not only were they supporting it, they were asking listeners to call in and offer suggestions on how to get everything on the shopping list. This seems almost anti-Biblical. A Christian radio station promoting Black Friday is like an abstinence committee handing out free condoms. Don't be the lizard.

...and On This Day We Remember Nothing

Ah, it's that time of year again. Chestnuts roasting, fires crackling, children screaming. Was Jesus born on this day? Could He be considering it was the middle of the desert in the middle of winter? Of course since God can do anything, but no because He would never defy the laws of physics just to prove a point or make it more convenient for modern worshippers. Then again, where are the modern worshippers? I hate to restate old points, but why is it that Christmas now seems to be a holiday more for the nonbelievers, or dare I say the weak Christians? We have fallen into a state beyond commercialism, beyond materialism. Even in this kind of economy the malls are crowded, the pockets are emptied and debts are enlarged.

How has it come to this? People feel that just because it's Christmas they need to get each other meaningless gifts and forget about the most important Gift of all. God's Son to us wretched humans. The sad thing is, many Christians even fall into this. On the Christian radio station I frequent (I won't mention names) they discussed presents more often than they did Jesus. It almost seems like they were trying to appeal to the masses. Then why market yourself as a not-for-profit Christian station at the bottom of the dial if you want to be more secular? It was really surprising and rather disappointing.

The strangest thing I find is secular Christmas songs. Isn't that an oxymoron? Christmas being a purely religious holiday has spawned such classics as "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and in fact "Carol of the Bells" was originally a Pagan tune. There are easily three times as many secular Christmas songs than there are religious ones (traditionally speaking). Of course there are a lot of original CCM Christmas songs but most of those are not played on mainstream radio or in malls. I just don't understand the concept. There are no secular Passover songs, there are no secular Easter songs, and don't try to convince me it is because Christmas was never a religious holiday. Of course it is. It is the celebration of the day our Lord and Saviour came down from Heaven, born in human form, and established the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

What I don't understand is non-religious people getting excited over Christmas. Like my boss. I know plenty of Christians who don't get half as excited as her, and she isn't even a follower. She believes, but she does nothing to prove it. That is like me getting excited over Ramadan. It's not my holiday. Christmas is not the Pagan's holiday. Leave Santa out of it, he does not belong where Jesus lay. Don't be the lizard.

The Danger of Doubt

Being a Christian isn't easy. Neither is being a Hebrew. We live from day to day enjoying the pleasures of life and everything the world has to offer, yet it is so hard to admit we are doing it all for God. In a religious or spiritual setting, it is fairly easy to do so; to worship and praise, to think and speak properly, to help out without being asked. Yet, in the real world all those things Jesus worked so hard to establish seem to be defenestrated.

One of the biggest challenges facing any God-fearing individual is doubt. Faith and works is infinitely harder than doing whatever you want and not worrying about the consequences. It is so much easier to not believe in God and get on with your life. However, not only is this wrong, it is dangerous. Even just doubting God's existence every now and then could lead to some very brutal consequences.

Beginning with a doubt, one can begin to backslide faster than a greased pig on a slip-n-slide. All it takes is that one moment to think "God couldn't possibly exist, what with all the (insert reason here)", and you're off to do whatever it is that God doesn't want you to do. I'll admit, it's hard to believe. It's hard to do what Jesus did. But it's worth every effort. Doubt is a natural way of Spiritual Life, everyone does it and everyone feels it. It's what you do with that doubt that matters.

Do you harp on it? Do you let it eat at you until you feel you need to do something to prove God's existence, or does it stop with the thought? I hope it is the latter. If you already know God exists, there is no reason to begin to doubt. No matter the circumstance, no matter the cause. If irrational thoughts do pop in your head, just think about the opposite. Think about the reasons God does exist, think about what He has done for you. Think about your friends and family who are doing the same thing you are. A few hundred million people can't be wrong about something that feels so right.

So next time you begin to doubt, just work that thought from your mind in a healthy way. The enemy is always out to draw people back to his world, we cannot let him win. When you do get a sense of doubt, ask yourself what would Jesus do? Then read your Bible; a good story would be Jesus' 40 days in the desert. Or some Psalms.

And, don't be the lizard.

Separation of Church and State

We all know the Biblical quip "Let there be no division among the church". I plan on writing a post on that too. However, we see nothing in the Bible condemning civil religion. How did we get so far from the original Constitution?

When this great(?) nation was first developed, it absolutely was a religious state. We are reminded of things like the Salem Witch Trials. As terrible as they were, there is a lesson to be learned from these activities. More people than not participated to some degree. Clearly most, if not all, townsfolk were God-fearing people. While this occurred way before the Constitution was even conceived, it's very telling how church and state mingled; the public court handled religious cases. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The first appearance of this distinction was in Thomas Jefferson's letter to Danbury Baptists. All he talked about was how the First Amendment caused a "wall of separation". Fair enough. Government can no longer force the church to do anything, nor have a hand in any of its affairs. This was all it was meant to do. Early American schoolhouses all had a period during the school day set aside for Bible study. Harmless, right? Apparently not.

Over the next hundred years, after lawsuits and debates, religion is completely stripped from public schools. The Ten Commandments is no longer even allowed. I can cut the hypocrisy with a knife, being as most schools still state the Golden Rule, which was set by Jesus Christ. Maybe it's the fact that it's the Old Testament, but New Testament doctrine is okay.

The separation of church and state was not meant to secularize government, it was meant to unlegalize the church. I believe any government cannot effectively function without enacting Christianity. The reason: government is designed to do what's best for the people; no person would be able to do what's best for others without the fear of God and love of Jesus in them. We see what happens without it as corruption charges pop up left and right out of Washington.

As Atheism, Darwinism, secularism, and the trend of following alternative religions began to rise in America, the First Amendment was constantly under attack; as well as Christianity. People became less and less interested in their children learning about Jesus in the same place they should be learning how to read, write, and mathemetize. It's funny how people use things to their advantage althought that same thing was never intended to be used in the way they are using it. It makes perfect sense for government to keep out of religion, but it makes no sense vice versa.

We know what happens when children are raised with Biblical values. We witness the continuing degredation of society with each new generation. Even if one never becomes a Christian, learning about God at an early age results in a healthier moral foundation. Basically, even bad people are better with the knowledge of God. Societies are better as a whole with this knowledge. England seems to be doing okay.

Obviously a Christian state isn't the best either; this is how the Crusades began. Yet, a man such as Constantine is the perfect example. He never forced anybody to become a Christian, but simply by being a Christian ruler he singlehandely spread the Gospel throughout all of Europe with a single bound. This may not be as effective in America, but it is definitely better than the alternative. I say we return to the Colonists' America. The religious America. Whoever denies America being a Christian country is lying to themselves. Yes, it was settled to practice religious freedom, but that was a Christian religion. It's the same old "politically correct" debate. We can't force anybody to be Christian, certainly not a government. If you remember, the Bible is not politically correct. It does not say Jesus is for some, or most. It says He is for all. It does not tell us to possibly try to spread the gospel if we have the chance. It tells us to do everything in our power (by way of love) to teach people about Jesus.

No one should be forced to become a Christian, but everyone should be offered the chance. Just like every other part of life, sometimes the only place a person can learn this is in school. We don't need to eradicate teaching evolution, but certainly teach both that and creation as theories. Nothing more, nothing less. Keep the Ten Commandments - it has been reported classrooms are better behaved when they are posted in plainview. And most importantly,

don't be the lizard.

A Pagan Religion, Pt. 2

We celebrate Easter with Pagan symbols. This seems wrong, yet it continues nearly two thousand years later. In the spirit of Christmas, Easter also falls on and attempts to cover up a Pagan holiday ritual. This time, it is the feast of Ester. Eostre, in Old English, is a Pagan goddess associated with the month of April. It is a known tradition of the 2nd Century Church to replace Pagan holidays for those of a Christian element. Much in the same way God planned all things to parallel Pagan beliefs, these practices were put forth in order to make it easier for Pagans to become Christian. Quite a noble attempt, but the original disciples were never witnessed celebrating any holiday of the kind.

I understand and accept these attempts to ease Pagans into Christianity as righteous and worthy acts, but I also feel that America has taken it too far. Easter has become synonymous with bunnies and eggs. These are symbols of Easter, symbols of fertility, and Eostre is as well. What we use as tools to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus were originally symbols of a very Pagan nature. It seems silly to continue this practice. And people wonder why the American church seems to have no power.

I have learned that certain Christian denominations celebrate an authentic Hebrew Passover, but with a more gospel-related message. Some don't even celebrate Easter at all. Kudos to them. The enemy uses every way and mean he can to seperate us from God, and if this silly secular-laden holiday has succumed to his wrath, I would rather have no part in it. I'm not saying Easter is a satanic holiday by any means, but considering what it is based upon, it does tread upon dangerous shores.

We as Christians must be careful what we allow ourselves to get into. Christian-covered Pagan traditions are one of them. Of course it is completely acceptable, completely religious, and in some cases necessary to celebrate Easter. Just be careful what you use to celebrate. Remember, the things of God belong to God and things that are not do not belong to Him. The symbols of Eostre certainly are not the things of God. Therefore, be careful how you celebrate the death and rebirth of the Savior.

I propose the church stops using the term Easter. There are too many non-Christian beliefs and traditions associated with this name. Rather, we shall call it what it really is: Resurrection Day. This is the secondary name used for this joyous holiday, some American churches and other countries use this name, I say we adopt it world- and church-wide. If you are reading this, suggest it to all your friends, family, and clergy. We must break Christianity free from the Pagan traditions if we want to be taken more seriously.

Don't be the lizard.

Holy Corporate Holidays, Batman!

Today brings me to my next blog. The shameful, sacreligious practice of what I am dubbing "Holy Corporate Holidays". The bigwigs of commercialism are ruthless, but we all know that. They have figured out a way to squeeze every penny out of every American, while saving and earning buttloads of cash for themselves. Every opportunity is another form of capitalizing on things which should not be capitalized on. It scary to think that capitalism shares this root word. They even did it with 9/11. Over the past few years I have seen commercials for every form of "Twin Towers" commemorative memorabilia from coins to plates. Why, the day after Obama was elected (not even officially inaugurated) Publix was selling plates of his likeness.

The buck stops here. Every year Christians and secularists alike spend hard-earned money on holiday merchandise. Days like Mother's Day, Valentine's, New Year's, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving - those are fine. However, it is not enough to take advantage of American-made celebrations. The money grubbers deem it necessary to unleash a devastating fury of marketing on holy holidays. Christmas, Easter, Passover, Yom Kippur; nothing is too sacred to give it a capitalist twist. There are many reasons people give to these decisions; trying to secularize "fun" holidays, trying to take the sting out of them ("you mean Jesus actually DIED!?"), or even just the honest truth of making money. No matter the reason, it is a practice that must stop and we as Christians must fight this injustice.

Most of the secular traditions involving these holidays don't even make sense. You got the Easter Bunny, Santa, and the Chanukah Bush. Bunnies that lay eggs, a fat man who delivers presents to every single house in the world in one night, and something I don't even know about. Then there's all the decorations, and all the food, and all the partying. Think Mardi Gras. Why do we pig out on Easter? On second thought, why is pig the animal of choice for Easter celebrations? Jesus was probably Kosher, for God's sake. This holiday is a commemoration of Jesus DYING and REVIVING FOR US. He suffered immeasurable torment (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) so that we can still have fun and be stupid yet go to Heaven. When I think about the way America treats this holiday it makes me sick.

These secular traditions are a way to bring non-religious people joy during these holidays, yet they exploit the hard work of our Creator and people's mindless desire to appease the materialistic gods. They take the very real, very serious message out of these holidays and turn it into something silly, something "fun". As I have said before, there is nothing fun about the message of the gospel, and there certainly isn't anything fun about Jesus' Passion. There is no Jesus message in Easter-egg hunts, certainly not in sugar-coated marshmallows.

The other thing that bothers me is that the things for Easter all go on sale; fresh eggs, pork products, candies. Yet, during the same week Kosher items rise in price because of Passover. I wonder if Jesus had to pay double for the matzoh He used at the Last Supper? I understand Easter is supposed to be a celebration of Jesus defeating death and all that, but He can only rise if He had previously died, and there are very deep and serious reasons as to why He had to die.

Point being, secularism in holy holidays is unacceptable and needs to be boycotted. I'll admit it, I enjoy Peeps and I absolutely love Cadburry eggs, but these products do not need to made to portray the celebration of our Savior's sacrifice. Christians don't run around dressed as witches, whores, and other things we would never be during Halloween, why must secularists pretend during Christian holidays?

Don't be the lizard.

Egg Hunts and Bunny Rabbits

Of course I felt the need to write something about Easter, and of course it is going to be cynical and expose truths and fallacies in the holiday tradition. This is, after all, the holiest of holy holidays. This, is the celebration of Jesus' death. The day we were set free of death and all sin was forgiven. However, like all other holidays (both Holy and not), the secular world has adopted it for its own purposes and completely strips the meaning from it.

Easter falls one week after Palm Sunday. This holiday, while possessing a silly name, is also a very important day. This is the day Jesus came into Jerusalem in which He was to be put forth on trial, sentenced, and killed. The reason it is called Palm Sunday is because as Jesus rode into town on his lowly and humble donkey, people lay forth palm leaves in front of Him as a makeshift walkway. Like an everyman's 'red carpet'. This day was a very important one in the life of Jesus; it was the culmination of everything he worked and lived for. It was the second to last prophecy He fulfilled and it opened the eyes of thousands of people who otherwise never would have known about Jesus.

During this week Jesus spent His time in and out of Pilate's chambers, conversing with Him and letting him know how it is. He also prepared for what was to come. The last supper falls on this week, and finally, His crucifixion. It was only recently that I figured out how it is considered three days when Jesus was hung on Friday and rose on Sunday. It is not a literal, 72-hour period. Rather, it is the Jewish traditional method in which days are counted by sundowns rather than sunups. Full details can be found (here). Scripture prophecy never says how long the three days are which in Jesus would visit Hell, only that it would fall on three different days. If He was hung on Friday afternoon, consecrated on Saturday, and disappeared Sunday morning-that would make it three days regardless of the time.

Now, Jesus is risen and He begins appearing to His disciples, friends and family, and some serious disbelievers. Don't forget that two other major miracles happened during His death and resurrection. The temple curtain was torn apart, symbolizing mankind's new covenant with God, and a few dozen holy men rose from their graves as well. While the latter only appears in Matthew's gospel and is most likely an urban legend from the time, it is based on some truth.

Another miraculous thing occurred on Saturday, though. All the rabbits in the area-including the dead ones which all resurrected-stole the eggs from all the chickens, dipped them in whatever dyes they could find, and began hiding them throughout the city. People were amazed by this and on Sunday morning while Jesus was being discovered as "missing" the children were all busy finding these wonderful eggs. This account, as well as others like the Mardi Gras celebration and Christmas traditions can be found in the missing Second Book of Acts which described what the disciples told the Pagans to do on the holidays which they wanted to partake in but could not celebrate religiously.

All kidding aside, Easter is to Christians what Yom Kippur is to Hebrews and it is sad to see even it has suffered the secular treatment. I have realized the American church is part to blame in these atrocities but that is a blog for another day.

Christianity - A Pagan Religion?

I'm so sick and tired of people constantly berating believers with the claims that "Christianity is based on Pagan traditions" and "Jesus' life and death reflect many other religions' stories from way before His time". We are all aware of these things, or at least we should be. Now is the time for a different kind of intellectual to tackle these concepts.

My biggest defense against these truths is that God intended it this way. This of course takes a lot of faith to believe, but God always has, and always will know what He is doing. It is much easier for the believers of these many religions to believe in a story which seems similar to their own beliefs rather than something completely foreign. Especially if there is tangible evidence to do so. A good example would be baseball.

If you were born sometime in the middle of the 20th century, you've always heard the myths of Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle and all the other greats and their seemingly miraculous feats of athleticism, but they were a little hard to believe. Now jump forward some years and men like Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire are living out similar legends. This is the way Jesus worked, ancient myths existed in which people believed, but rumors started spreading of a man currently living who is doing and being similar things to those myths. Makes it much easier to digest and follow than, for example, always believing oranges are orange and apples are red until one day an apple comes out orange and all you hear is the story of it.

Most Christians understand, believe, and acknowledge that Christmas has its roots in Pagan traditions and falls on the same date as the "holiest" of those holidays. This doesn't take away from the power and holiness of what Christmas represents. Don't forget most of the original Christians, especially those who carried on the traditions, were Pagans before their conversion.

The second and stronger argument is that God was working in all those other religions. Sounds crazy and almost blasphemous, doesn't it? It's not, I assure you. For a very long time, the Hebrews were the only people who directly communicated with the monotheistic God we know and love today. What were all the other peoples in the world doing? Trying their best to connect with a deity or deities. To really go out on a limb, the Trinity is not much different from a religion that only believes in three gods.

Native Americans have the closest belief systems to a Judeo-Christian one. They certainly didn't have the Bible until the colonists came. Vikings lived among them for a while, yet they didn't take up Scandinavian beliefs. How could so many different tribes have beliefs so close to Christianity? Because God infused it in them from birth. We are all pre-programmed with some sort of conscience, some sort of knowledge of a higher power, and some kind of desire to connect to that power. Sometimes it's only a matter of trial and error until you get it right.

If the Old Testament is basically one large book working up to Jesus and His ministry, why can't Egyptian, Greek, Scandinavian, African, and Indian religions be prophecy or parallel to Him as well? Many psalms basically conclude that God created all and all creation praises Him for it. Psalm 19:1 states "the heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands".

If we take one example, the Greek myths, and compare them to Genesis, we see many of the same "myths". A woman who exposes the world to all the evils unknown to man before, a god who births another god, a great flood, a wife betraying her husband resulting in his death, an evil entity who lives in the underworld, and even a Leviathan. A book comparing the Judeo-Christian Bible to all the other religions would fill a library, it simply boils down to a matter of faith.

To steal an old adage, the proof is in the pudding. Many people claim it is very hard or impossible to believe in a Judeo-Christian religion, but it sure ain't easy to believe in any of the others either. It is a matter of the rewards. For me, Christianity is the most rewarding, and I know many people who feel the same who have tried a bunch of different religions. Even if this whole "Jesus thing" turns out to not be real, and that is a BIG if, there sure is a lot of personal proof that it does something amazing. Just one small fact, statistics show that most secular rehab centers have a much lower success rate to those who do it with a Scriptural bias. Experts call it the "Jesus factor".

I leave you with a short but very poignant story. On the way back from a Christian retreat one of the guys in the car was a recent immigrant from China. At the time he had been a Christian for about a year, but he grew up in China raised in the traditional way, including the religious beliefs of that region. We asked him why he is a Christian and, in his accent (with broken English), I quote "I've studied a lot of religions and Christianity just makes the most sense". Take that, Richard Dawkins.

Don't be the lizard.

A Simple Answer

One of the most confusing and biggest argument-starting passages in the Bible is Matthew's "wrong" interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel". I found a website, linked at the bottom, which explains this concept in detail. I will only give a basic overview and my opinion on it.

To be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter whether Jesus was born of a virgin or not, because it is a minor prophecy and He fulfilled the 600-something other prophecies that are directly linked to Him, including Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac, the first twelve fathers' names in English (which I will discuss in a later post), and God covering Adam and Eve's sins by shedding blood.

First, I will deal with the term "Emmanuel". This Hebrew word is exactly translated as 'God IS with us', not "God with us" as usually explained. One of Jesus' many descriptions is Emmanuel, or God is with us. If Jesus really was both a man and God, then this description fits.

Second, the verse states He will be called Emmanuel, not named. Neither verse says His name will be Emmanuel, only that some people will call Him this, but not as a name either.

The third and fourth points are dangerous and could completely unravel Christian theology, but they must be addressed for it is nothing compared to all the other evidence that proves God is real and Jesus was God.

Third, the verse in Isaiah is not a prophecy of Jesus. Rather, Isaiah is talking about his own son in the present time. Makes sense. This book, while heavily used to identify prophecies of Jesus, also majorly deals with Isaiah's own future as well as the near-future of Israel (not the 500 years later when Jesus was born). This fact, however, does not refute anything about Jesus. It only simplifies and disproves Atheists' arguments.

Fourth, the term "virgin" in Isaiah means something different in Hebrew than it does in English. The original word, 'almah' simply means young woman or maiden. Mary was certainly a very young woman. It is the word 'be’tulah' which explicitly means 'no sexual experience'. Mary was definitely a be'tulah, but the woman described in Isaiah was simply an almah, a maiden.

While this passage can certainly be a reference to Jesus' birth, it is not a direct prophecy. If anyone is basing their faith or church on this prophecy alone, they are incorrect and need to learn much more. While it is still a valid claim, be careful with this one around Atheists. Arm yourself with knowledge and know the Bible well, for failing to defend this misinterpretation can lead to disastrous results.

Here are the links:
Messiah Truth
Isaiah's Virgin

Is Jesus Mentioned Outside the Bible?

If you've ever stopped in and looked around a Christian bookstore, or even the Christian literature section of your local bookstore, the obvious answer is 'Yes". Of course that's only after the fact, starting around the 4th Century and is also a smart aleck answer. I feel the need to answer the question requires my beliefs to be inserted into this banter.

In sheer Jesus-style interrogation, I answer the question with a question. Why would Jesus be mentioned outside the Bible? The Romans have an infamous history of destroying history they deem as unfit, unreliable, or that which can tarnish their image. Recount the tale of the Library at Alexandria. While no definitive reason has been determined as to why it was burned, there is a major agreed theory that Romans were trying to change, if not get rid of certain history and knowledge.

Pontius Pilate is the only confirmed character mentioned in the New Testament, but someone must have carried on the tradition since Jesus' ascension. St. Augustine's "Confessions" was published awfully close to the events detailed in the book of Acts. Too close to be inspired by a false doctrine considering the New Testament was not a widely published book in his time. Consider this scenario: the Roman Empire was faced with a major uprising led by a single man, a man led by a deity which the Romans not only did not believe in but despised. Jesus posed a major threat to this empire, but also revealed the weakness within its power. Should Jesus allowed to flourish within Roman history? Certainly not. Writing Jesus into Roman history (which were the only other people writing history at the time) would be devastating. Not only did they put an innocent man to death, they killed the Son of God. Not an especially charming thing to include in their annals.

A simple answer to this question would be that supposing Jesus really existed and everything really happened the way it says in the Bible, the Roman Empire would not want to record it. Roman historians knew this, and considering all Roman historians had to report to the counsel and all the higher ups, they knew better than to mention anything about Jesus. Besides the fact that they would do everything in their power to crush the Christian movement. What a better way to convince people Jesus didn't exist than to "conveniently" exclude Him from your history. Picture this: if Hitler's rise to power began thousands of years ago and the people around that time had a feeling that his eminence would result in devastating results, wouldn't they do everything in their power to denounce him? The same goes with Rome versus Jesus. They wanted people to forget about Him and forget about Him they did.

Remember, everything in the New Testament after Acts are letters written, exhanged, and recorded in secret. It is likely there are many more letters that never made it into the Bible because they were intercepted by Roman soldiers. Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace. The Romans were not big fans of peace. So there you go, my take on this topic.

Better Late Than Never (An Old Facebook Note)

Why Obama Is the Better Candidate But Neither One Is Sufficient

Forget all the platforms, all the rambling, all the beliefs. Let's look at the basic principle: this year's presidential campaign is not about who is going to do what or who has what beliefs, it is mainly (NOT solely, do not put words in my mouth) about attitude, personality, and reputation. It is a publicity campaign, each candidate trying to "outcool" the other. I absolutely agree Obama is young, inexperienced, and maybe not the best choice for international relations, but my opinions on the candidates is not based on merit, but rather how they interacted with each other and they way they portrayed each other.

Point #1: McCain was barely on the popularity chart until he chose Palin for his VP. Solely judging by the things she has said in public and what she assumed was private, McCain DID NOT pick her for substance. Unless if she is a sad reminder of how much substance the average American has. Straight up: Palin is an ignorant bimbo. God would never, NEVER want humans to DESTROY HABITATS for the sake of OIL. We have survived about 5,750 years without it, why do we now need to kill penguins and polar bears in order to drill for it. why do we need it at all? currently we are making Christian and Jew-killing sheiks rich simply because they had the luck of the draw and live in the Middle East. A bridge to nowhere? I was on one of those in a dream. It lasted for miles.... Do some homework. Check out Palin's look from days before running mate status, to minutes after. She has now become the "sexy librarian" hockey MILF. Larry Flynt is not just a pornographer, he is a political commentator.

Point #2: The things said about Obama by McCain's camp versus the things said about McCain by Obama's camp. I respect Senator John 6-Pack by backing away from the public's "terrorist" claims, but he didn't do enough. Sometimes just NOT doing something is not enough. The propaganda videos spawning from his campaign arsenals consist of things like "Obama is the AntiChrist", "Obama is a terrorist", if you vote for Obama "you are unpatriotic and unAmerican". Check out this video, it says it all (but you have to pay close, CLOSE attention to what the man is saying): HERE. Remember, God's reputation is on the line. I commend Obama for consistently praising McCain during the debates. McCain - nothing.

Biggest Note: McCain is older than dirt. If he dies, Palin becomes President. I'd rather be castrated.

Point #3: While McCain may have fought in wars (which makes him biased BTW), Obama was busy studying in school and going to church. CHURCH. Where has McCain been the past 20 years? I will tell you one thing -- not in God's house. Okay, Pastor Wright is a little wrong, but I agree with his sermons 99%. Why are people always first, so quick to judge; second, so quick to disagree; and third, so quick and easy to repeal statements that may be deemed "offensive". Let me tell you something, God is not afraid of hurting some people's feelings, especially if they are sinners. The Bible, being the ultimate doctrine of Truth (assuming you believe in that sort of thing) hurts a lot of people feelings. And it goes far beyond that, it kills people, it demeans people, it pigeonholes people, and it condemns people.

On that note, allow me to explain why neither candidate is good enough. This is going to be quick and brief, for I am planning to post a detailed explanation of this sometime in the future, but basically Obama is not Jesus. Will he make some change? Yes. Will he make a major difference? I can only hope. However, no one but God Almighty can truly change anything. He is our hope in troubled times, and these are troubled times. America is slowly losing all its values and any sense of a good moral conscience, and while there is a small group of good Jews and Christians scattered here and there, this country is generally pretty godless, and is become more so by the day. The more we embrace and glorify self-destructive lifestyles including but not limited to gangsters, homosexuals, and "sexual liberation", the more God will hand us over to our sin (read Romans 1). And the more we fall into the deadly pit of Capitalism (or American consumerism in my opinion) the deeper we sink into the pit of Hell. To quote myself: "a society cannot be sustained which constantly self-imposes on itself." And that is exactly what America does every day.

So, coming a little late, who are you voting for? It doesn't make a bit of difference as long as this society continues down the same godless, sinful, degradational, depraved group of perverts we are. I don't just mean sexually, I mean perversion to an extreme even the human side of Jesus couldn't comprehend. Perverting the laws, the Bible, nature, and ourselves. Until we stop to smell the death, we will never be able to live.

A Misconcepted Point of View

Credit goes out to the boys from The Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9 for that title and God for this topic. I would like to now cover society and the media's portrayals of Heaven and Hell. In the words of a dog owner, "NO, NO!" Most of what I see in movies and television and even in a lot of music is a completely misguided perception. There are no bars in Hell, there are no strip clubs, there isn't a bunch of lawyers running around ready to serve people who may need counsel. Hell is a place for people who distance themselves from God. It is for people who don't want a relationship with Him. It sounds childish, but it is like God saying "Fine, you don't want to hang out with me during your life, you don't get to be with me in the afterlife".

Honestly, we don't know what Hell is really like. Jesus describes it as "weeping and gnashing of teeth". It is a place for punishment. It's kind of like being eternally put in the corner. We do know there are no hangouts, no buffets, no playing volleyball near the Lake of Fire. In fact, it is also described as a place of utter darkness, so even if there were such things (and that's a BIG if), no one would be able to see them. Personally it is hard to believe that people like Hitler get the same punishment as someone like, say, Edgar Allen Poe. Or Jack the Ripper swimming the same lake of fire as Angelina Jolie. I understand anyone who doesn't follow God and His commands doesn't deserve a place in Heaven, but Atheist philanthropists certainly don't belong in the same place as murderers and rapists. Perhaps Dante was right in that regard. Nevertheless, movies like "Wristcutters" (as good a movie as it is) are completely wrong.

On the other hand, Heaven is not like what is seen in movies such as "Oh God". There, too, are no buffets or hangouts, at least not in the Earthly sense. The Bible says that we will spend our time solely worshiping God. There are castles, according to Jesus, and there are obviously winged angels, but whether us humans get them or not is up to debate. Heaven is our reward to doing what God tells and asks us to do. I long for the day to hear Jesus call me "Good and faithful servant". Here, too, it is hard to believe that there are certain people who don't make it to Heaven, but it is clearly described in the Bible that no one gets there without Jesus' help. Chris Rice's song "Sneaking Into Heaven" is the perfect description of how to get there.

One more thing, neither place is in a physical location. This greatly bothers me because people frequently claim Hell to be underground and Heaven to be in the sky. While they both exist, they are in a different plane, a different dimension if you will. I went to a church that played the noises recorded in that 'Russian geologists find entrance to Hell' fiasco one sermon. They presented it as if it were completely true. This is bad theology, there is no way for humans to find an entrance to Hell this side of life. The noises recorded in that hole certainly reflect the way Hell sounds, plenty of wailing and screaming, but it is not the real thing. Both Heaven's beauty and Hell's torment cannot possibly be perceived in our simple humans minds. Be careful what you see, hear, and read - there are a lot of people preaching false doctrine.

Don't be the lizard.


Further Reading:
What Does Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Mean?
Scripture-Twisting

Jesus is Not God

Woah, there. What kind of title is that for a Christian blog on Biblical Truth? It's a true one, but it's also dangerous. I don't want to come off as extremely cynical or unspiritual or anything like that. I love God, I follow Jesus, and I know the difference. The sad thing is many people do not. Here is where the danger lurks. Too many times too many people put Jesus on this pedestal that rises far above the Father, completely forgetting that without Yahweh, the Christ is nothing. We can see that He admitted it Himself in John 5 verses 19 and 30. Jesus prays to God, asks for His help, appeals to Him in His time of need ("pass this cup from me...") and finally surrenders His spirit to the Great and Powerful Almighty.

Yes, Jesus is King. Yes, Jesus is Lord, but never forget that God is Lord of All--including Jesus. I have this constant worry that when people freely throw around the term "Jesus is Lord" they are forgetting the True Lord. The Hebrews' God, the Father of all mankind including Jesus Himself. Remember, part of the reason Jesus came was to show us how to live. God never did that, up to that point He only told us. He had His human side, too. I believe it is borderline blasphemy to pray directly to Jesus; we pray to God in Jesus' name. The Apostles all did 'God's work in the name of Christ', they did not work directly for Jesus. They worked because of Him.

Don't get it twisted, don't be the lizard.

The Way God Works

I noticed something interesting; one of those “God coincidences” He has set up ever so carefully throughout history to coincide with the life and death of Jesus. The Egyptian ankh, a symbol of great mystery and power, strangely resembles a crucifix. Not just a cross, but a cross with a person on it. There are the legs, the arms, and a round top which looks like a head. In Egyptian culture, the ankh is a symbol for life. In the Judeo-Christian culture, the cross is the same. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

You Were Created to Love and Be Loved

Something amazing appeared in my inbox and I felt I needed to share. This is courtesy of JesusCentral.com, but I don't know who actually wrote it.

• There is a Supreme God who created all things
• This Creator God defines Himself as love
• He created people to express His love
• His deep desire is that people walk with Him in a relationship of love, pure and without blame
• When He created the first people, His relationship with people gave them purpose, security, belonging and value
• God also gave people a choice
• A relationship of love involves choice, it can not be forced, or it is merely control
• With that freedom of choice, people decided to rebel against God
• With a broken relationship from God, it created a need for people to go find elsewhere their needed purpose, security, belonging and value
• People now look to the world and others to fill their deepest needs, but this can only happen through a restored relationship with the Creator God
• God did not give up on people and sought a solution to restore relationships with people
• God’s solution was to come down to earth in human form (Jesus), and prove His love by paying a huge sacrifice (greater love has no man than this…)
• Jesus’ message is that God wants us to live abundantly, yet this requires us living in harmony with our Creator and each other, and having the purpose of serving others.

This really helps explain Original Sin, the meaning behind Christ's death, and the reason the world is so broken and why people try so many different ways to get through life. Let me tell you something, I used to be a drug addict. I had my circle of druggie friends and during the times we spent being high together, I felt connected. I felt like I belonged. I felt needed and loved. However, when we were sober I barely felt anything. As a Christian, I feel connected in any Godly setting, even if it is Jewish or Catholic. When God is at the center, we all connect and belong. We are all brothers and sisters of one Father (and Mother if you believe in that sort of thing). We all belong, it is only when we do God's work and find our perfect role in the body of Christ when that belonging is truly realized and felt.

Hey Now, Don't Dream It's Over

Most people assume the Wrath of God has been appeased since Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross that fateful day. Especially Christians. I’ve met a lot of people who refuse to believe God would actually harm people, and that it’s “only their sin that is getting them hurt”. Well, that is true too, but Christ’s death has not relieved godless heathens from God’s judgment. Heck, followers of Jesus aren’t even completely exempt (Romans 14:12). Every day we see examples of God enacting penance for the ways of the world, and I know I’ll probably be crucified (no pun intended) for saying this, but Hurricane Katrina is the perfect example.

You take a city like New Orleans, make it home to the most perverse, godless, depraved acts of mankind, and of course God will see it the way He saw Sodom and Gomorrah. Think about it. New Orleans, really Louisiana in general, is voodoo capital of the United States. It hosts Mardi Gras, which is supposed to be the celebration leading up to Lent, one of the holiest and most important aspects of Jesus’ life. You can find out more about it here. As a way of celebrating Jesus’ time in the desert people get drunk, flash their boobs in the streets, and have crazy orgies in the hotels. Sounds like the part in Mark 11:15 where Jesus overturned tables in the temple.

Then, to top it off, the city has been this way for a very long time. “But what about the good people? What about the Christians?” First off, read Psalm 53 then think about the state of that city. If there were so many so-called ‘decent Christians’ living there the citizens’ practices would have floundered and the rest of the country would have noticed. However, this city remained to be one the most offensive, blasphemous, godless cities the world has to offer and was required to pay the price. God is still angry. He will always be angry until the rapture. He is still jealous, He is still great, He is still merciful, why would He stop being angry? Look at the accounts of Jesus’ death. Towards the end of His life He shouted “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” which means “Father, Father why have You forsaken me?” I’m sure atheists and deists have a field day with this one. But, Jesus did not shout this because He was dying and was angry at God, it was because He was momentarily abandoned by God. It was at this point when all the world’s sins—past, present, and future—came upon the Christ and He became so ugly, so horrific in God’s eyes that the Heavenly Father couldn’t even stand to look at Him. This is great proof that Jesus is who He said He is, because He actually knew that God had temporarily left Him.

If the Father can completely turn away from the Son at this moment of sinfulness, imagine His reaction to our lives. This wasn’t Old Testament times anymore, this was a little less than 2000 years ago and God reacts thusly. We see examples in the book of Acts where God exacts justice. He never stopped being angry, He only started giving more grace because of Jesus. It is more true than ever now, accept Christ or die. Remember in Revelations a key point is that it will only get worse before it gets better. God still does kill people, only it’s become “Politically Incorrect” to say such a thing. God doesn’t change, people do. As one last little example to prove God is still mighty and powerful, when I was struggling with my porn addiction I held my Bible and asked God for a passage to help me. You know which one He gave me? The beginning of Ezekiel 7, the first six or seven verses. He could have shown me 1 Timothy 5:2 or Colossians 3:5, basically anything about sexual immorality, but He chose that particular message as a means of displaying His anger and hatred of sin.

Don’t be the lizard.

Religion as Entertainment

There is a sweeping epidemic plaguing our spiritual world and it is threatening the righteousness of every Godly person in its wake. What I speak of is religious services that are designed to be highly entertaining. This is not to say that sermons cannot be humorous or pastors cannot smile during their preaching. I am referring to the times when there is no distinction between sermon and standup special, sacramental procession and carnival act.

Straight up, the Bible is not funny. The gospel is not comedic, it is dire and dreadful. The basic message tells us ‘we are all sinners, we should all die among our sins and be separated from God forever, and unless we live like Christ that is exactly what will happen to us’. This is far from entertaining or humorous. There are times of great destruction and despair, rape scenes, murders, and great people falling from great heights resulting in a complete disappointment in themselves and many around them.

Jesus spoke in parables, so do clergy. It just so happens that a lot of modern parables happen to be funny anecdotes. This doesn’t mean the entire Sunday morning service should be as such. When the message is delivered in a humorous way, it is perfectly fine. When the entertainment becomes the message, it becomes diluted. Singing, dancing, music, movies, and skits are all nice things to have in a church, even during service, but only when they convey a meaning. The focus should not be on the entertainment itself, but rather what the particular mode of expression is telling us.

There is a particular church in Doral which exemplifies this act. The welcome video on their website shows a series of different services, each one featuring pyrotechnics, acrobatics, and even an ATV driving onto the stage. Stage! There are no more altars, they are merely platforms where the players of a watered-down gospel can conduct their shows. To reiterate, the gospel contains a very serious message. The Bible offers a very real and very solemn way of life which includes humility, maturity, and calmness. A laughing congregation is one thing, a circus performance is entirely off-tilt. It is hard to take Jesus seriously when the house lights are inducing epileptic seizures.

Don’t be the lizard.

Sorry for the Inconvienence

In case anyone is wondering, there is a perfectly good reason I haven't posted in a while. First I went on vacation for a week, and immediately after that I moved to a new house. All by myself. I haven't had internet until today, but I am back. And I will post soon. God bless you all.