Journey Down The Road - My Story

"Thinking back on life and all that i went through, some needless and some worth while now that i glance back. Growing up and going through everything kids do. Then came the newer experiences of those teen years and not even noticing or seeing where i went off into. Another direction that wasn't at all so normal anymore or all that smart for me to even do...but i was curious"

Where do i even begin?

It seemed the experience with gangs and fighting and the drinking and the drugs, made everything so unfocused at that early age and it didn't even begin to clear until my 21st year here on earth. I would soon be making a decision i was forced into and i did not like it! But the circumstances left me very little option if any.

Either it would be my death or someone else or life in a prison, and that was about it for this hard kid. There were no other ways out as far as i could see, so at that time without knowing it my choice would turn out to be a life saving and a life changing decision, one that would take me away from where all my problems lingered and really weighted me down, into a far off land where i would be a complete stranger knowing no one and to where i could eventually take a deep sigh and now begin to think clearly. Thinking was apparently something i really didn't do much of only because i was too preoccupied with all the wrong thoughts that crowded and clouded my tired mind.

Living fast and hard really wears one down sooner... or later.
I was worn out ! A now 21 yr. old that felt like 40 something.
I knew i needed a change in my life but what, i really had no clue and I just wasn't sure what to even do or start with.
Now, one thing I did know was that as far as God went, "religion" left a really bad taste in my mouth and i saw through it and how it wasn't at all for me, period! What I didn't know was that in my ignorance God wasn't at all about religion or "acting" religious but much more about a one to one relationship and a very personal one at that!
Alien as that sounds to many..... its true.
But for me to swallow that concept took awhile to grasp or even begin to accept, so I searched out more and more about this unknown (to me) kinda lifestyle.

I knew my own lifestyle and how to be tough and hard and cold but i didn't know the other side of my heart. The part that was deep down and tucked away somewhere and I didn't really care to... until now. All i figured was that if there was such a wonderful loving Father called God or Jesus, he would just have to prove himself to this not so easily fooled homeboy. Given the chance, he would do just that !
Being offered the chance to escape from my own madness...
I signed up for that last chance!
Read more...

Here you get the Good Solid Stuff !

No "Baby Food" Here ! Only good digestible MEAT for the Soul and Spirit!
(click on "meat" and you'll soon hear and read what i mean) then take your pick on what study you like to hear on the old or new testament.
They are all Solid !

2 interesting comparisons

One of my e-mail accounts always gives a different verse each day. I chose the dual translation option it gives.
I noticed that either it was a type-o or it really says it this way.
I'm hoping for the type-o!
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Romans 8:1-2

New International Version:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

King James Version:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
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But whats wrong with this picture? A very vital part of this was left out! (like it or not)
I know alot of us wouldn't mind but in reality...it needs to be said. I need to hear it and be reminded how i ought to walk even though i blow it at times! This "flesh" is what we could call worldly thoughts, lusts, greed, lies and the such.

The "spirit" is not about being or acting "religious" but about being real and following not only the writings of Jesus Christ but also following his example... walking as he walked. Not many do this these days but never the less there are those who do walk the walk and talk the talk. No, not some fanactics either just real, normal people who really practice what they believe.

I do find myself thinking more about myself and what i want than what God wants or his ways. Then i wonder why i go through the things i do. Sin is fun! Death isn't !!

In my case i have seen how sin brings spiritual death to me as it separates me from God and his Peace. And even though its only temporary it still a miserable feeling! Not being at peace within oneself or with our maker isn't FUN! So i must keep that in mind the next time i decide to do my own thing. Sin=Death. The two will always go together...remember that! I will.

Consider it all joy? uh,ok

Ever been in that place where you don't want to be? A place where things just aren't going your way...kinda like i wish i could have just stayed in bed kind of day...or week!

Coming to God and asking whats going on then expecting immediate help or relief is what we think how it should be. Ok, maybe i'm the only one ! The point is regardless if we're having a rough time there is a unseen reason. You and i know that all our lives we were told to be strong and take control of our lives, our destiny and make our own choices in life. Then one day we come to a place where we realize we might have made some bad decisions and that doesn't help matters. There are others that don't seem to have that problem and aren't doing bad at all. That really doesn't change anything!

Why? Because regardless what we may think of ourselves, when we come to that place where we finally accept Jesus Christ into our life and begin to see how much he cares and has plans for us... everything changes. WE change! Good, Bad, or Whatever!

Theres only one problem and that is that we now begin to learn to depend on him for everything as he would want it. Our choices, decisions, strength, control and destiny are now from Our Father, Our God and Savior. Everything we learned in that sense now has to be unlearned then learned from him. Ouch! Not something we're good at doing or even letting go of and understandably so. But to really learn His Ways we simple must!

This scripture is one of those that hit home in both a good and bad way. It is very self - explanatory.
I don't like how it begins but see why it happens. God always has a reason even if we don't quite get it! Sometimes stepping back aways helps to trust that God is in control not us. Sometimes stepping back helps to see the picture a little more clearly.

This says alot about how it is and how its gonna be....
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JAMES 1 :2-8

New American Standard says it this way...

v. 2 - Consider it all joy my brothers, when you encounter various trials.
v.3 - Knowing that the testing of you faith produces endurance
v.4 - And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.
v.5 - But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
v.6 - BUT let him ask in faith without ANY doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
v.7 - For let not that man expect that he will receive ANTHING from the Lord,
v.8 - being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

King James Version puts it like this...

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
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Either way you read it you see the expectation, how to deal with it and why. You see the assurance and the instruction along with the promise and to learn and possibly mature by it as a person... IF.

Here you see that God understands us and how we might not be "prepared" so he also offers wisdom to help us understand and see the whole picture never holding it against us (reproach).

He also in all fairness warns us too. God can teach us many things about Him, ourselves and life BUT we have to be serious about wanting to learn, wanting to believe and practice that belief, that faith.

There is no magic lamp to rub here! Either we are real and sincere or not. This is what our faith is about and with it we can move mountains within our own lives! Without it we are a shipwreck waiting to happen!!

Ever met someone who has a hard time committing to something? Theres no rocket formula to it. Its either a simple yes or no right? Ever met people who are afraid to say NO and actually lie at that moment knowing they aren't going to do whatever they agreed to. Some will flip-flop back and forth from one minute to the next, never dependable, never reliable.

The few bible verses say alot don't they?
Lets see what we say now. And let us see how God handles it!
Interesting verses to read and to learn.

I will admit i been guilty of all this myself , so now i know what this means to me and how to deal with it more His way than mine. We will learn. Or should i say...will we learn.
Food for thought

A little closer to home now

Echo Park's Lotus Flowers Blooming

Moving back from Washington State was something i really didn't want to do but when pops died i needed to be here with moms.

I was soon introduced to this place located in West Covina by a friend. A church that i found very refreshing and alive. This was to be my home for the next 11 years. I made many trips back and forth some 30 miles each way and i was doing this about 3 times a week! Now you know it had to be worth it to me to do this and then for such a long time. I really learned alot in those years eventually maturing by experience and by God's Grace and understanding. I will say, he is very very patient! Even now as i slowly find my way back to his path instead of my own. I like my own too,its very "comfortable" but it just doesn't have any real fulfillment.

My life since back then to now has been through many interesting experiences and many a trial and tribulation, but i must always keep in mind that i cannot live from my experiences only but by my daily consistent walk with God. Sometimes its easy and sometimes its hard, but never the less...its a relationship based on all he has already done for me and if i can get over myself?...Then i will see him work.

Anyway what i really wanted to say was that it has finally happened !

There is now a Echo Park Calvary Chapel !
I recently started going and even though its very new and small that really doesn't matter, the teaching is solid, excellent and indepth. It is a nice, simple, relaxed atmosphere and thats what i like. Whats in store can only be a good thing in the hood. We shall see in time. Sure there are other fine churches around and now theres one i'm very familiar with and know exactly what is taught and the background /beliefs. That to me is very important if i'm gonna be any part of it! Especially these days!

So yes, we now have a Calvary Chapel in the Parque!

A Interesting Insightful Book

Click to Read

I really like the way each of these short stories portray Jesus. This book would be great for those who never read a bible or gone to church. Its very interesting to see who this Jesus was and about and of how he might have handled each of these situations.
Every story paints a very vivid picture of his personality, i know you will enjoy reading this book and seeing many views of the one they called Jesus. Its very refreshing and encouraging to read. This is not a boring book!
There is no preaching here, just a simple understanding how we can also relate even in these times.
You gotta check this one out, trust me you will like it!
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This is a really good book to read if you or someone you know has emotional issues be it insecurity, buying without any real logical reason other than compulsive. There are so many other reasons to read this book.

Do you have difficulty understanding and trusting your deepest feelings or controling your strongest emotions? Your not alone!

This is a very practical guide with simple steps to help understand and deal with these areas.
Read it and learn whats really going on within yourself... and do something to change it! I have this book and its good reading to understanding our emotions. It seems that these days i'm also seeing that alot of "MEN" are having problems in this area too! Thats not good at all !
We really need to be solid as men... and as men of God stable, secure and strong !

Click to enlarge ^

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Whats Up With These Preachers?

Like everyone else these days, we're all basically tired of hearing on an unfortunate occasion the voice of a whinny, wimpy, "emotional" loud mouthed preacher yelling and talking down at everyone about Salvation and how we all need it. Well, Like it or not thats right, We do need it!!
Unfortunately it all fades into a blur as they now get off into the whole money begging thang for the rest of the service and representing how God is really broke... so it seems.

Personally i think?...NO, I KNOW!.. they are so off and far from the truth what he/she (or whoever they are) supposedly believes and preaches about. The message these days seems to have been lost or diluted by other matters more important than the basic simple outreach of God's Pure Love to a crying out/hurting people. Almost everywhere you look or hear on the T.V. or Radio you'll run across these dime a dozen preachers that come from seminaries that really do teach this method so to become "successful" in the Ministry. Times have really changed and its really sad some have turned to this way or style.

Unfortunately success is measured in the amount of people acquired who have joined their church/ministry and that equals big revenue, which equals success in their book. Their show has to be good enough to sell people on whatever it takes to accomplish this... in the name of Jesus. Hey, it works!! Selling Jesus is big money! Putting on a big show works great! But what is wrong with this whole picture? It really seems that from their words Salvation "isn't free" after all, but it now has a obvious price on it. Get saved then pay up cause thats what Christians do to support their Pastor and Church. Hey the bills gotta be paid and i totally understand that, but it just keeps going on and on about "we really need" this or that. Its almost like its a vanity/luxury thing with these people. After all, its a tax free organization, how can you go wrong!

But my argument here is more about the common sense of priorities of these conditional "money changers". My concern is about those who are honest and right-on and preach the word in all its simplicity without all the drama and pony show. For those who might not believe or agree on that, just tune to ch.40 or where ever you run across it and your stomach will turn, more than likely you'll see what i'm talking about, but hopefully not. I see it all the time...men and women with powerful words to convince many to join in with them or their own agenda you know little about. Sorta a real "blind faith" kinda thing if you know what i mean.
It really sucks to even bring this up!

Now, with that said...
I'm not seeking to disclaim anyone "other" than those who are about what i'm talking about and practice this style of preaching. And all i know is that God will be the judge...not me. I know better yet i also know i need to and can voice my opinion. Someday this might not be possible!
All i really want to say is this...

Please ignore these "showman" and don't hold how they are, against the simple low strung teachers and preachers, but please remain open in mind and heart to those who are real and seek nothing more than to help people find their way in life and have a "personal relationship' with Jesus Christ.
Those who walk the walk and serve humbly without all the fancy toys, over priced designer suits and extra impressive yet temporal man made churches/buildings. Do you honestly think God is impressed?? God has people who keep him above everything, and it never has been limited to just this group or church or that race etc. either.
I've seen God move better in a simple park setting or even a humble tent! I'm really glad that there are plenty of Pastors, Ministers, etc. who are right-on and not caught up in flat out corruption!
To me Rev. Billy Graham or Chuck Smith are great examples of how it really should be. There are fewer like these men of God it seems but i know that they are out there too. Just in a different way. Hopefully these Men of God will be heard and not shut off just because of "others". There really are a lot of good preachers out there! These don't need to beg, or get all into emotional (showmanship) yelling to "pump everyone up" to let you know that Jesus is the way for Salvation and not your money for theirs.

Now whether you agree with me or not, or follow one of these people and are offended about what i just stated?

Thats something you need to take to God. Let him show you whats really going on these days.
I held back as best as i could but i know it will be said regardless if by me or by a non believer who sees it as a big turn off too... and yes, i also know there are so many who would agree. The question now is... what can we help do about it?

People these days are closed minded and don't really like us for shoving the truth down thier throats...I been there and sometimes i don't blame them! Theres our way and then theres God's way to touch a soul. We as Christians need to let God's Spirit work and speak to us and to them. Example is always first on my list! If i can't back it up...then i gotta shut up! Being real so others don't see right through us also helps. Talking on a human caring level without coming across as holier than thou is a big plus and theres so much more... but you already know that.
One last comment from me is this about those that go all out when it comes to entertaining the flock. We need a place to Worship and Praise NOT a place to sit back and be "entertained".
I want to Worship not entertain God!

Well, with all this said, i will shut up now!

I'll leave you with a bible verse that relates :

phil.2:1-30
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

R-U Radical? or was it just Jesus?

We all hear about this Jesus Christ and who he said he was and those that were (and are) willing not only to believe him at his word but also to follow his teaching and even go so far as to have a personal relationship with him.
This is here not only for the believer to read but also for anyone ( believer or not ) to read.
Let's look at the radical claims that Jesus has made concerning Himself...
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He said believing upon Him was equivalent to believing the One who sent Him, or upon the Father. Over and over, He avowed that God sent Him.

To believe on Him was equivalent to believing in God.

He said to see Him was the same as seeing God.

He claimed to come as a light into the world.

Those who believe in Him do not abide in darkness.

He stated that He came to save the world.

He claimed that those who do not believe in Him will be judged by the word that He has spoken.

He claimed that His teaching did not originate with Him, but that He spoke the words that the Father commanded Him to speak.

He declared that His words are life everlasting.



These are the claims of Jesus. There is no denying the fact that they are quite radical. The extreme nature of Jesus statements concerning Himself presents every person with a choice to be made. We must either accept or reject His claims. We must either believe or disbelieve Him. It is not an option to simply ignore or try to evade such radical statements. What Jesus said demands that we form an opinion, and our opinion will ultimately fall into one of two camps. He was either telling the truth or He was lying. He was either the Son of God and the greatest person who ever lived or He was a deceiver and a fraud. You may be more kind and say, "I believe that perhaps He believed those things, but He was deluded and if He were living today, He would probably be institutionalized." But the issue remains, are His claims true or false? Jesus is who He claimed to be, or He isn't.

Radical Jesus - part 2

In the New Testament, we read of many signs that Jesus did to substantiate the claims that He was making. In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus reiterates some of these things that He has claimed here, but also adds a few more such as, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to the Father except through Me."; "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father"; and "Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe for the very works sake." In other words, Jesus not only claimed to be God in human flesh, the perfect source of truth and the One who grants eternal life, but offered conclusive proof through the miraculous deeds or "works" He was doing. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that John the Baptist bore witness of Him, but that there was a greater witness than that of John. This greater witness was the works that the Father had given Him to do. Among these authenticating signs was Jesus' power over the elements. He turned the water into wine, He walked on the water, and He calmed a raging storm by His word. He showed His power over disease for He healed the suffering with a touch. He cleansed those with leprosy. He caused the lame to walk, opened the eyes of the blind and even raised the dead. He called upon these works to verify that His teaching was true.

At another time when huge crowds had gathered around Him, Jesus said, "A faithless and perverse generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given, except that of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Thus His resurrection would constitute the basic sign to an unbelieving world, that He was all that He claimed to be.

When Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers, He was asked by the Jews for a sign of authority to do what He had done. His response was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rebuild it." John tells us that He was referring to His own body as a temple thus the resurrection from the grave three days after His death.

In Acts 1:3 we read that Jesus showed Himself alive after His death by "many infallible proofs." The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the most factually verifiable events in history. It is confirmed by the testimony of many eyewitnesses such as Mary, Peter, the other Apostles and more than five hundred people at one time. If there is any validity to our system of jurisprudence, which establishes fact on the basis of eyewitness testimony, then the resurrection must be accepted as fact. "But," you may argue, "there was no cross examination of the witnesses!" Are you certain of that? Let it be noted that the vast majority of these witnesses were violently killed for their testimony, and none recanted, though doing so could have spared their lives. (For more information see Foxe's Book of Martyrs) So many gave their lives for what they had seen and heard that the Greek word "martus" (which meant one who bore legal testimony) came to mean those who suffered death for the Christian witness.

But along with His miraculous works and His historical resurrection from the dead, we have to also take into consideration the multiplied prophecies concerning the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. Throughout the Old Testament, there were more than three hundred predictions concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. What would be the odds of one person fulfilling those prophecies by chance? The number is so astronomical, that it puts chance out of the picture. In his book Science Speaks [1], Peter Stoner estimates the odds of one person fulfilling just eight of these Messianic prophecies as being one in ten to the seventeenth power. How overwhelming is this probability? Stoner illustrates this by "supposing that we take ten to the seventeenth power silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them come true in any one man, from their day to the present time. It is clear that chance had nothing to do with the fulfillment of these three hundred predictions. It is also important to note that the design spelled out in prophecy was far beyond any one person's ability to control. From the place of the Messiah's birth to the amount of money offered for His betrayal, we find factors that were out of any person's ability to arrange. Jesus could not by chance or by His own personal effort have fulfilled those three hundred predictions. It had to be by God's design.

Radical Jesus - part 3

lets continue on...

Peter lived in close association with Jesus for three years and was with Him on some of the most momentous occasions of His ministry. Many times when the other disciples were excluded, Peter was brought in to see the special work of God. When they came to the house of Jairus, whose little daughter had died, Jesus put all of the people out. Yet He took Peter and John into the room that they might be witnesses of His power to bring her back to life. When He was in the area of Caesarea Philippi, and was transfigured on the high mountain before His disciples, it was Peter, James and John who were selected by the Lord to witness the event. In his second epistle, Peter writes about this experience and describes Jesus with His raiment shining like the sun, and seeing that glory of the eternal God coming forth from Him. He said, "We were not following cunningly devised fables when we declared to you the glory of the Lord." It wasn't some cunningly devised story. He said, "We were actual eye witnesses of His glory when we heard the voice of God there on the Mount." But even as significant as this experience was, Peter pointed to "the more sure word of prophecy" as the secure foundation of our faith.

When predictions are made about the future, there is a governing principle known as the Law of Compound Probabilities. This principle states that the more conditions placed on a prediction, the greater the chance that it will not come to pass.

Let us say that Newport Beach in California is shaken by an earthquake on an average of once every two years. If I should predict that there will be an earthquake in Newport this year, my chances are 1 in 2 of being right. If I said it will happen on June 13th, then there being 365 days in a year, the chances of it happening the 13th of June would be 1 in 365. If I said it would happen this year on June 13th, the chances would be 2 X 365 or 1 in 730. If I then declared it would happen this year, on June 13, at 2:05 in the afternoon, there being 1,440 minutes in a day, the likelihood of accuracy would then be 2 X 365 X 1,440 or 1 in 1,051,200. Now if I wanted to be very daring and say that the quake would strike at 2:05 and 15 seconds, I would increase the chances tremendously, for there are 86,400 seconds in a day x 1,051,200 and thus the chances of it happening as predicted are 1 in 90,823,680,000. This is just considering 4 factors. If I added more factors to the prediction, such as magnitude, epicenter, and the money needed to repair the damage, until I had 300 conditions, can you imagine what the odds against such a prediction being fulfilled would be? If they all came to pass you would have to conclude that I was either a true prophet, or else had inside information. This is exactly the situation we face with the prophecies concerning Jesus. He fulfilled over 300 conditions prophesied of Him. No wonder Peter called it the more sure word of prophecy!

There is certainly sufficient evidence and proof that the claims of Jesus were true. If you do not believe these claims, it is not because they are unbelievable, or because they are lacking in evidence, but because you don't want to believe them. Why would a person not want to believe the glorious claims of Jesus? He is claiming that He came to save you. He is claiming that His words will bring you everlasting life. But He is also declaring that if you don't believe, one day you will stand before God in judgment. He would not judge you, but you would be judged by the words that He spoke, because you didn't believe them. He said that He came that you might have life, and that more abundantly. Why would a person not want to believe that? Jesus loves us and died to save us from the penalty of sin, which is death. He loved us and died in our place that we might have eternal life. Why would a person not want to believe that? Many times a person doesn't want to believe because faith in Christ would require that they change their lifestyle. They are living after their selfish desires and they love their way of life. The commandments that Jesus gave are not pleasant for a person who wants to live after his fleshly lust. Jesus said if you would come after Him, you should deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him. He condemned adultery, but many desire to have affairs. He condemned stealing, but so many want to steal. He condemned immoral sexual expression, but so many desire to throw off any and all moral restraints.

This world says, "Indulge yourself!" There is so much emphasis today upon self indulgence. People don't like to hear that they have to deny what they may want at a given moment. Thus, they don't want to believe on Jesus because it would require a change of lifestyle. Jesus said that people will not come to the light because one of the characteristics of light is exposing that which is in darkness. The secret hidden things are covered by darkness. Thus He said they will not come to the light because their deeds are evil. They hate the light and don't want to be exposed by the light. Have you ever noticed how places like bars are kept purposefully dark? People there want to hide. They really don't want to be seen. They love the darkness rather the light because their deeds are evil. Jesus said that was the reason many will not believe in Him.

mysterious land of enchantment

Radical Jesus - Pt.4 end

If you do not believe in the claims of Jesus, I would be very interested in hearing the reasons why. Why don't you believe them? Some will say, "Well, I don't believe those things because if salvation was such a wonderful thing then everyone would be saved." That sounds rather logical, yet does that mean you don't believe in soap, because there are a lot of dirty people in the world? Would you like to make an argument that soap is of no value at all? Look at all the dirty people in the world. If soap was so good, why isn't everyone in the world clean?

Some have said they believed until God failed to answer their prayers. In fact, Ted Turner claims that at one time in his life he was a Christian. His sister was very sick when he was a boy and he prayed that God would heal her, but she died. After that incident, he no longer believed in God. There are many people like Ted Turner, who have been disappointed because God did not answer a particular prayer. When God did not answer, they concluded that He did not exist. Of course, God is not obligated to answer our every prayer. In reality, I would not want God to answer any prayer of mine that wasn't according to His will. I wouldn't want to force God to do something that He was reluctant to do. So often we think that God is like a Santa Claus that is suppose to respond to our every whim. To reject God because He didn't answer a prayer is as childish as saying, "Well if I can't be the chief of police, I'm not going to play with you anymore! I'm going home! If you don't do it my way, then you won't have me for a friend." This is at best an immature basis for a relationship.

Yet that is the kind of relationship many people try to have with God. "As long as God plays along with my wishes and my desires, I'll believe in Him and I'll play along with the game. But let Him cross me once and that's the end. I won't believe anymore. I'll take my marbles and go home."

Ignorance can also be a factor in rejecting Christ. I heard of a man who said he believed in God and in the Bible until one day he read a section in Leviticus concerning the animals that were unclean to eat. It was telling the factors that determine whether a species was clean or unclean. Mentioned in this section was the hare (which he interpreted to be a rabbit) which according to the passage was a cud chewing animal. Believing that rabbits don't chew cud, he concluded that the Bible contained an error of fact and was therefore not trustworthy. So he quit believing in God after he read in the Bible that the rabbit chews the cud. Interestingly, a bit of research could of cleared up this problem.

Some Hebrew scholars question whether the word in this passage actually refers to a rabbit. The Hebrew word arnebeth (translated hare) is of uncertain derivation. Biologists have also come to the conclusion that rabbits do exhibit a behavior very similar to chewing cud. But the more important point is to note how easily some people will dismiss the entire message of Scripture based upon the misunderstanding of a relatively insignificant particular. Imagine what it would be like to stand before God on Judgment Day with this kind of attitude. "Well, I used to believe in You until I read in Your Bible that the rabbit chews the cud." Could you imagine hearing God reply, "That's not a hare. That's an arnebeth. It's not even in the rabbit family."

I have encountered many people who have tossed out the faith based upon some supposed contradiction or error they have found in Scripture. Many of these problems can be avoided by an understanding of certain rules of biblical interpretation that we need to know and follow. First of all, let me say that I don't pretend to understand everything that is in the Bible. There are a lot of things in the Bible that I quite frankly will confess to you that I don't understand. If I were smarter, I might. However, if my interpretation of a passage is blatantly contradictory to another verse of scripture, then my interpretation is wrong. The scripture isn't wrong, my interpretation is wrong. So many people are ready to say, "Well, the Bible is wrong, because look..." No, the Bible isn't wrong. The interpretation is at fault.

I have encountered many people with faulty interpretations of scripture. If your interpretation of a scripture would cause it to seem ridiculous or foolish, then your interpretation of that scripture is wrong. God didn't say anything that was ridiculous or foolish. Rather than pointing the accusing finger at Scripture, it is more helpful to identify the basic problem with my limited understanding. It is far more productive to confess that the meaning of a passage eludes us than to throw up our hands and cry out, "Hopeless contradiction!" We must make every effort to understand what God is saying. We can be assured that when we discover the proper interpretation of a verse it will be reasonable and rational and will not contradict the rest of the Scriptures.

It is crucial to remember that many of our problems with Scripture are a result of our own personal assumptions and biases. For instance, the Bible says, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." That means that if you don't spank your child, you'll spoil him. It's just a statement of fact, if you spare the rod, you'll spoil the child. When he was young, my son interpreted that as a commandment. He said, "You're supposed to spare that rod and spoil me." Wrong interpretation, son. So there are many passages that can have a dual interpretation based on one's point of view. We may be looking at it in too limited a fashion, rather than considering the verse in its context. When a person comes up to me with a question about a passage, I immediately read the context. Most generally, I catch in its context the correct interpretation and show them that it reads in an entirely different way than what they were thinking.

Jesus declared that in the last days, those who don't believe in Him and do not believe His words will have to stand before God to be judged. He said He's not going to judge them. He didn't come to judge the world. He came to save the world. This brings to mind His conversation with the religious leader Nicodemus. Jesus told him, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned." He reiterates the same point here, "I didn't come to judge the world, I came to save it." He affirms His mission was that of saving the world. He said in another passage, "I've come to seek and save that which was lost." To believe on Him is to have everlasting life. It is to be saved from the penalty and the consequence of sin. It is to be saved from the judgment and the wrath of God that is to come against all the unrighteousness of men, even those who have held the truth of God in unrighteousness. "He that believeth on Me," Jesus said, "is not condemned." Paul the apostle said, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Jesus Christ" It is important to note that Paul did say to the church, "We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." But the kind of judgment Paul speaks of is one of rewards for the things we have done while we are in these bodies. It is like the judge's seat at the Olympics, where the various participants come up to receive medals for the victories they have won in the particular event. So we will stand before Christ to receive our rewards.

For those who don't believe in Jesus, it is a different story. They will stand before the judgment seat of God to receive sentencing for their failure to believe the words of Jesus, and for their failure to receive the forgiveness that God offered them through Christ. I am certain that God will give each person a chance to plead their case. But I'm sure at that time every excuse that people might seek to offer will sound so totally ludicrous, most will be unable to even say a word.

So we have seen the claims of Jesus Christ, radical, spectacular, and glorious. He has claimed that He has come to save you. He has claimed that you can have eternal life through believing His words and following His commandments.

The longer I live and the more I see of what the world has to offer the more vain it seems. I see the emptiness that people experience who seem to have attained more worldly goods than the rest of us. In light of the hopelessness of even the best this world has to offer, Jesus' offer of life is too good to turn down. I have no intellectual problems with this whatsoever. In fact, I would have great intellectual difficulties in not believing Jesus Christ, because somehow, I would have to rationalize His miracles. I would have to come up with an explanation for His ability to walk on the water, to raise Lazarus from the dead, and His own resurrection. I'd have to explain how one Man could, by accident, fulfill all three hundred of the Messianic prophecies. I would find myself very hard pressed to try to rationalize these things away. I would have tremendous difficulty giving some kind of an explanation that would be rational or plausible.

Many years ago, I, like most people, experienced a time of doubt. I thought, "Well maybe I'm an atheist. Maybe God doesn't exist. Maybe it is all just the figment of man's imagination. Man needs something to believe in, so he invented a god, and the Bible is simply a collection of stories expressing man's concepts and ideas of a supreme being." That lasted for around a half hour until I started to critically evaluate this point of view. The moment I started thinking, and tried to explain the existence of universe apart from God, I had to yield to reason. To hold on to an explanation of life apart from God would require a mindless state akin to idiocy. I couldn't put myself in that kind of unreasonable state of mind. I would have to believe all kinds of absurdities. I would have to believe that such patently miraculous features of life such as the marvelous ability to see, were created by thousands of fortuitous accidental circumstances. I would have to buy the idea that the perfect structure and function of the eye began with the sun beating down on a little worm and creating a mutation on its forehead. (I don't know how a worm would know what was his forehead and what was not.) But gradually over a process of time, through billions of years and countless mutations, this aberration formed into an eye. So then living things gained the ability to see. This same little worm scraped its tissue so often that it formed scar tissue that became legs complete with fully developed feet. Now our worm is a salamander and can see and walk. Is that rational? Give me a break!

The fool has said in his heart there is no God. A person must take a very mindless position to try to argue away the evidence of design in creation. In my own experience, I found it was easier to believe in God than to deny His existence. Not to believe in God brought forth too many difficulties. I believe in the existence of God, which according to scripture proves I'm not a fool. But every man has to make the choice to believe or not to believe. Jesus has made the claim that if you've seen Him, you've seen the One that's sent Him. If you believe on Him, you believe on the One who has sent Him. He claims that He came to save, that His words are eternal life and that they are not his words, but the words of the Father. The Father is the One who told him what to say and what to speak to us. If you don't believe, you're abiding in darkness and one day you will stand before God at the great judgment. I want to believe! I do believe! I have no problem with my belief.

Father, we thank you that you have provided such an abundance of evidence that any thinking, rational man can be completely satisfied in having faith in Jesus Christ. We can easily believe that He is the Son of God who came to save the world from sin. He came as light into this darkness, and those who hear his words and follow Him, do not walk in darkness but have the light of life. Thank you Lord for the many infallible proofs that confirm the claims of Jesus.

Father, we pray for those who have been wrestling with this issue. Help them to see, Lord, that there is no neutral ground. They either believe or they don't believe. I pray, Father that you will bring them to a solid, strong faith and you will confirm in their hearts that position of faith by your Holy Spirit bearing witness of the truth. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Something Else Radical....

Fasting!!

Been there-Done that...
and its the best thing you can do for your body and mind. And even more-so the human spirit! This is a excellent exercise in discipline and self-denial with amazing results!

This book also has a daily journal so you can see exactly what its like when someone fast for a length of time. It informs you of both the pros and cons and the many various types of a fast. I like this book because its not written by some quack whose trying to get you to do some weird thing. Fasting is a very normal and healing process and challenge (I know). More on this later.

Free Services -

Christmas Days Gone Buy

I was watching the news the other day when everyone rushes to return those ungrateful,unappreciated gifts or as one guy put it...junky stuff. Now everyone can get what they really want...and be happy!!
Besides this, everyone's jumping on those really niffty after Christmas Sales that they do all so "religiously".
Ok,You already know where i'm going with this and how the meaning has been so polluted and corrupted by the world's celebration of Christmas....oops!
So tell me i'm wrong...PLEASE!!
My fellow believer knows where i'm coming from but yet i wonder if some are also too caught up in this and not missing something. Well thats not for me to say..only you.
What i am saying is only my own personal opinion, and i'll leave it at that!

cross

footprints

Are we heading right into trouble?