BloodTruth

The other day I watched an interesting movie on the Sundance Channel called "Hell House."  Most of the stuff on that cable network is of little interest to me, and at first I though this was maybe a 80's era teen slasher movie, but every once in a while I find a real gem on Sundance in with all the dirt.  This was one of those gems.  "Hell House" is about Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and what is now their annual Halloween presentation.  They have a sort of "house of horrors" but instead of the usual and boring Frankenstein-like characters they have something much more scary--contemporary portrayals of modern-day evil in all it's unglory.  Now THAT'S scary!  (And somewhat controversial and bothersome to the politically-correct enforcers of the world).

Actually, I wrote my "Asleep at the Wheel" blog entry after watching that movie because it reminded me of how "politically correct" (translated: weak) the modern Christian church as become, and therefore just like the lukewarm water that Jesus said he would "spit out" (in Revelation 3:16) because it was neither hot nor cold.  But now I realize there are a FEW churches out there that are willing to look evil straight in the eye and confront it head-on, no matter how politically incorrect it may appear to the pagans of the world.  God bless them as they minister to mainly the youth of the area, reaching many who, as the movie pointed out, would never dream of setting a foot inside a typical church but will pay $7 to hear the message (and yes, warnings therein) of the Gospel in what is arguably a very nonconventional way.
 
For what Trinity Church does requires some amazing things to happen, but in reality they are not so amazing if Jesus is truly at work in your life and in your church.  Like the film showed at the end, there are now many other churches all over who are now using Trinity's template for reaching local "lost" youth with a message--youth who otherwise would never hear it.  The folks at Trinity, as the film shows, spend a huge amount of time working on the project each year to improve it, make it more meaningful and relevant, and to improve the message with which they are trying to reach the area youth.

The question I must ask myself, and you must too after watching that movie, is, "If I was a member of that church, would I be on fire for Jesus Christ as much as that congregation is, and would it show not only in my words, but in my actions?"  That can be tough to answer.  I think it has to do with the leadership of the church there combined with the commitment of the families who attend--there is a "chemistry" there (heaven-sent?) that cannot be denied.  "Hell House" is also heavily dependent on the youth of that church for its success.  Without them, it would be a huge flop.  After all, who better to reach lost teens than teens who are not lost?  Where do they get their enthusiasm and energy to reach the lost for Christ?  Why don't I have that level of commitment and energy?  Could the answer involve the Holy Spirit perhaps?  Or one's personal commitment to serving Jesus in word AND ACTION?

So while I still believe my "Asleep at the wheel" blog entry is still correct and relevant, I must say that here and there are some islands of exceptions to the rule that Christians will always draw that line in the sand only to move it when the heat gets too hot or because it's more convenient to move it than stand one's (and God's) ground.  Thank the Lord for Churches like Trinity which does not move that line so easily (if at all) and can be an example to the rest of us that Christianity should be an "action word" and not just a noun, especially where lost youth of today are concerned!

If you are over 16 and ever get a chance to watch "Hell House" do it.  It is not a movie to show young kids because its theme and portrayal of evil may be too much for them. 

All of the "gay marriage" controversy should not surprise any Christian.  That's because that we Christians were "asleep at the wheel" for the past 50 years and are now waking up just as we see we are about to collide head-on with another fast-moving car--maybe even an 18 wheeler (ouch!)!  It may have all started in the Garden of Eden, but it got a lot more steam when God was essentially banned from all public schools a few decades back.  Out went God and in came gangs, guns, and total rebellion to take His place.  Was that a good trade?  You be the judge.  Now Christianity is being attacked in every sector, and for good reason.  We're wimps!

For 50 years Christians slowly saw their values and rights taken away.  No, not in one big chunk that would have been noticed, but in tiny portions, portions so small that most Christians would never notice it.  A small victory for the evil one here, a spokesman or woman for the dark side there, and if you do it enough you'll eventually convert the whole society to the Godless, atheistic society that Satan would love to see.  And the people will never know what hit them!

So now Christians are all in an uproar over "gay marriage."  Fine.  But where were we when God was being ripped out of public schools?  Where were we when Johnson's (LBJ's) so-called "Great Society" was designed so that there would be no accountability of individuals it was designed to help?  Where were we when TV fare over the airwaves that you and I own became garbage?  Ok, we turned it off perhaps, but that did not stop the fare from twisting the minds of millions of TV-zombies, many of whom unfortunately were raising children at the time.  And how about all the movies that were produced in the past 30 years that many of you allowed your kids to attend--movies that were seriously harmful to their spiritual lives?  Where were we when "no fault" divorces that make marriage a joke were introduced in many states?  Did you or I care?  Where were we when abortion for anyone at any time was made the law of the land?  Where were we when the government came in to say that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to an unmarried couple if it violates his religious principles?  Where were we when out-of-wedlock births became the norm for our society?  Where do you think all the gays who want to get married today came from?  They came from the disfunctional families of the 60's, 70's and 80's, that's where they came from!  They came from homes where there was no father figure for boys to emulate, which was something those boys would pay for for the rest of their lives.

(Note to self: remember that dysfunctional homes help bring up future disfunctional parents or "partners"!)

Now we Christians, after moving that line in the sand hundreds, if not thousands, of times in the past 50 years are in effect saying, "ok, now, this time we REALLY won't move that line in the sand!  Yeah, this time we're serious.  That line will not move now!  Yeah, sure.  Just like it didn't move hundreds of times in the past 50 years.  Uh-huh.  Now we really mean it, don't we?  What makes us think that we won't move that line again?  What's special about this?  What makes you think that the world will either a) believe us, or b) really give a rip since we've shown ourselves to be paper tigers hundreds of times before.

You know why there won't be an amendment to the Constitution regarding marriage?  Regardless of whether or not it is a good idea, there will not be an amendment because our Senators and Representatives KNOW that if they support Christian world views and get severely attacked from the left, that we Christians will head for cover and do a "Bay of Pigs" on them and leave them hanging.  So when the next election comes around, we will conveniently vote our wallets and checkbooks as we always do, and those who stood up for Christian values will be defeated in office.  It's happened just about every time some one stood up for Christian values in Washington.  Unfortunately a Senator or Representative knows that they cannot count on us Christians who are famous for drawing that line in the sand, and then promptly moving it when it is trounced by the evildoers in the world.  After all, none of us wants to be politically incorrect, now do we?

Did you know that Christians have enough voting power that we could easily take back this country if we were not too self-centered and selfish to vote our convictions and not our wallets?  I've heard far too many times someone who claims they are a born-again Christian say that they are voting for a liberal pro-abortion anti-family values member in congress because he or she will bring jobs home, or help Medicare, or social security more than the other candidate will, who just happens to be pro-life and pro-family values.  So what happens?  The first candidate wins, and we get a legislature full of people who are essentially without morals.  And to add to the insult, they don't even fix all the social problems that they promised they would!

One of the scariest sayings that I've ever heard, which is true in nearly every case, is that a society or state always gets the legislators that it deserves.  I believe that we do deserve better, but I feel that I am alone.  I cringe when on Sunday driving down the road and I see a church parking lot emptying out and several of the cars have a bumper sticker supporting a pro-abortion anti-family values candidate.  I just want to ask them why the heck they bother to go to church if they will not stand up for what they allegedly believe!  Maybe they are there for "fire insurance" and nothing more.  Pity.

So to those who are worried about there being any sort of "marriage amendment" in the next 20 years or so--chill out--it won't happen.  That's because we Christians will soon be back fast asleep at the wheel, no threat to your agenda.  Oh, but first we will have to move that pesky line in the sand yet again!

I have been amazed to discover in recent days that there are a whole bunch of people who believe in their heart of hearts that guess what--eternity is not forever! Wow! Now they use the Greek translation of the New Testament and other resources to support their claim. I really don't understand what all the flap is about. Let's say that they were right just for sake of argument. Maybe the Bible is not in error, but the translators goofed up. While I don't believe that for a moment, there are some "lost sheep" who may. So let's say that eternity is not forever, but only 1,000,000 years for sake of argument. Ok, now, would that make one iota of difference in whether I gave my life and future to Jesus Christ? Not one bit! And it should not for you either, even though the assertion that eternity is not forever is laughable.

Psalm Psa 84:10 tells us, "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Amen! Personally, based on my eternityexplained.com web site, I believe it would also be true that the "thousand elsewhere" could for me be a "googleplex of days" elsewhere, and it would be no less true or accurate. (A "googleplex of days" has nothing to do with search engines! It is merely a google to the google power. That means 10¹⁰⁰ to the 10¹⁰⁰th power. Trust me when I tell you that is an unimaginably large number and a lot of time, any way you cut it!)

All the people arguing about the meaning of eternity have way too much time on their hands, and I admit I'm a bit jealous of so much free time to do nothing but stir up trouble!

I think there is one thing we can ALL agree on, and that is that exactly 100 years from today I and these "eternity-is-not-forever" folks will absolutely, positively know the truth about what eternity is, no matter where that length of time is spent.

Oh, and one more thing--no human being has ever spent as much as one moment outside of what we call linear time, which is what we call time here on earth where one day follows the next. In Heaven there is very likely no such thing as time, so the concept of eternity is moot anyhow. I base that on 2 Pet 3:8 that tells us, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." To me Peter is saying that God is not subject to linear time like we are. Exactly what Peter is saying is not absolutely clear to me, but it does indicate that God's timekeeping is way different than ours! It is sometimes sad or perhaps even amusing that on this planet people will argue over just about anything. Any (linear) time!

I see that there were a lot of so-called pro-choice people marching in Washington this weekend (April 24). Let's go back in the old time machine. Ok, now the year is 1848, the place is the seat of American politics then, and there is this HUGE protest march. But it's not about abortion. No, it's about something that was very controversial at the time, slavery. The slave owners are saying that no one has the right to intrude on their own property. And slaves were then property, not even fully human. If a person wanted to beat a slave senseless, that was ok with the slave owners, for that slave was just property and no one had a right to tell the "property owner" what he could or could not do with the "things" (as slaves were thought of) he owned.

There'd be a contingent along the side of the route of the pro-slavery marchers that would be trying to say that slaves were not property, that they were human beings with souls created by God just the same as non-slaves. They would say that it is cruel and inhuman to treat other humans as slaves, and kill or injure them at will with no penalty. They would contend that a slave owner's rights were not absolute, and that the slave had rights as well. And they'd be yelled down perhaps by the overwhelming numbers of slave owners marching that day, afraid that their "pro slavery" rights might be infringed.

Funny, it's like deja vu all over again in 2004. Only it is not slaves that are the topic, but unborn babies. And the arguments are the same on both sides. And the whole thing is highly emotional. The emancipation proclamation was what finally freed the slaves from their bondage. That, and thousands of lives lost in the Civil War, which turned out wasn't so civil. When will there be a similar proclamation that will free the "slaves of the 21st century"? Where's Abraham Lincoln when you need him?

Finally--I have developed a web site to explain eternity--well, as much as humanly possible! Check it out! It is aptly called eternityexplained.com. It is more or less a work in progress, and I hope to be adding to it in the near future, as I get inspired. But for now it may give you just a hint at the future holds. After all, the future is just a tiny part of eternity!

I have come to a very important conclusion the past few weeks. I am astounded that so many people would trade a few days or years of sinful pleasure for an eternity. Then it dawned on me: most people have no real idea of what eternity really is. Yes, we can use words like "forever" or "without end" or other such phrases, but they do not convey the true meaning of what infinite eternity is to our finite and limited minds. I'm working on changing that. I will have more information on this important topic in the near future, or perhaps even a web page dedicated to it. The human mind is not powerful enough to grasp eternity, so I will clearly demonstrate to one and all something that should be much more understandable: eternity minus one day! You won't have to be particularly good in math to understand it, for I will have done all the heavy lifting on the topic for you.

I will continue to pray that God will keep inspiring me to come up with something that will clearly put eternity into perspective. It should be interesting. Stay tuned!

I have come to realize a few things over the last couple of weeks. First, I now know that my faith is not nearly as strong as I once thought it to be. Secondly, nothing should get in the way of your walk with Christ. Although these two concepts may not seem related, in my life they are very similar. It is because I let something hinder my walk with my Savior that I have come to realize that my faith is weak. Different people face different barriers but they all ultimately lead to the same thing, which is destruction. James says it best in James 1:15, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” School, work, kids, marriage, sex, girls, television, internet, lust, clothing, pride, and the list goes on and on. All these of these, if not controlled, cause one’s focus to shift from God to desire. Although this may seem innocent we now know that desire leads to sin and sin leads to death. Many times we don’t realize what we are doing until something dramatic has happened, but maybe that is just what we need. In my case the transition of my focus from God to my worldly desires was one that was all too smooth. I was blinded by my own evil desires and it was only by the grace of God that I was given sight. Now I’m left kicking myself and begging God for his forgiveness which I pray that He grants. To save yourself this trouble just remembers that nothing in this life compared to your relationship with Christ Jesus. Focus on Him with all your heart and He will bless you in ways that you cannot imagine. Again, I thank God for his grace because without it I’d be lost.

Well, there you go. The Superbowl 2004 halftime disaster was predictable and planned. Think of how many young people got to see the whole "anything goes" halftime period, and what that may do to their young minds. We truly do live in a society where anything goes, no matter how obscene, no matter how twisted, no matter how disrespectful to families or children it is--if it sells products or gets the "anything goes" agenda across, then, by all means, go for it, so they (the pop stars, MTV execs and other icons of evil) surmise.

The NFL should be ashamed of itself, CBS should be ashamed of itself, and many heads should roll at MTV. And yes, the FCC should be outraged as it appears to be. But when you're dealing with a company (MTV) whose prime directive is the destruction of today's youth through sex, drugs, and rock and roll, what in blazes do you expect to get from them? DUH!

At the current pace, can you just imagine what the Superbowl halftime of 2010 could possibly look like? Maybe total nudity? Maybe on-stage sex acts? After all, these twisted minds don't see anything wrong with that.

And there are millions of families in America nodding in agreement by their silence. How sad, if I may be perfectly blunt! So what do you expect to get? Why, dear families in America, are you shocked at this behavior? Where were you 10 years ago when intelligent and forward-thinking people predicted this kind of twisted "entertainment" would be taking place today? Why didn't you believe them? Why don't you do anything about it today?

Ultimately, as a society, we get the kind and quality of entertainment we as a society condone and encourage. As everyone could plainly see during the Superbowl Halftime of 2004, you can see where that is taking us. And thankfully, some of you out there, maybe just a few, are outraged at what you and your children watched during the halftime. Good for you! Now, what are you going to do about it? Accept it as the norm for 2004? May God help us if you do!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve never faced a hardship in my entire life. I mean, what I use to consider “hardship” was having to pay my way through college, or having to work 60 hours a week during the summer. To me, in my own little world, these seemed to bring me trouble and caused me to want others to pity me. Well, after taking a recent trip of Africa I now know otherwise. Hardship is being born with AIDS and trying to survive as an orphan. Hardship is not having anything to eat for weeks at a time. Hardship is living on the streets with nothing more than the shirt on your back. Hardship is what the people of Zambia, and many others around the world, face everyday. The sad truth is that even through all my blessings I still fail to love the Lord as I should. My thoughts are impure, lust is a daily occurrence, my prayer times are too short, I fall short for pleasing God, but this shouldn’t be the case. What amazes me is that even through all struggles that the Zambians face, they still exalt the name of the Lord. At one church we visited that had no lights, no water, not a concrete floor, yet they were worshiping as if they’d just won the lottery. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing at all, what wrong is the picture of my life. There is no excuse for me living the way I am and I thank God for the message He has sent me. I pray for myself and the sake of others that we can live a life that is pleasing to our heavenly Father, for that is the least that we can do. Never forget the blessing you have received and remain humble or you will be made humble. Remember, the Lord will bless those who are faithful to Him no matter the circumstances they are in.

Many people, as 2003 drew to a close, were asked what they thought the top news story of 2003 was. After all, a lot happened in the year, including the continuing war on terrorism, the removal of Saddam and California governor Davis, and the gearing up for the 2004 elections.

Brandon, do you want to know what I think the top news story was that was grossly underreported in 2003? The war. No, not the war in Iraq. Not the war against terror. No, I'm talking about the war against Christians that seemed to pick up a lot of steam in 2003. The question is, why? I think that it is because Christians are, for the most part, ignorant of the threat that is posed against them by the forces of evil. Collectively, we Christians keep giving up territory little by little until one day there won't be anything else to cede. Some of the things in 2003 that many Christians either did not pick up on, or were too busy to worry about were some of the following:

The ACLU continues to attack anything and everything that has to do with God, Jesus Christ, Christmas, Christians, Churches or spirituality. The attack on the Boy Scouts in San Diego is a perfect example. You can read about it here.

There were so many stories about people trying to ban the word "Christmas" in 2003 it is hard to imagine. Seems like every year you see the word "Christmas" replaced by the word "Holiday" or "Season." I was told by wise people years ago that certain people would try and take the "Christ" out of "Christmas" and it looks like that plot is well underway.

It is sad to think that the USA, formerly a church-attending nation, is becoming less so with every passing year. Now you can cite poll after poll showing this or that, but no matter what poll you show regarding church attendance, one thing is abundantly clear: THE INFLUENCE OF CHURCH-ATTENDING PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAS DECLINED TO AMAZINGLY LOW LEVELS over the past 40 years. You can perhaps show that X-percent of the people attend church, but the fact is, no matter what number you show, the influence these people have is very little today. After all, if so many people are spiritually motivated in this country as some polls suggest, then why are there so many so-called pro-choice and anti-God people in elected offices all over the nation?

The homosexual agenda. Seems like every day, there was another story about gay marriages or other such things. So much so that now some polls are showing a lessening a little of the empathy toward so-called "gay marriages." Seems like maybe when it's "in your face" too much, even moderate Americans say, "enough!"

The media. You know, the people who overwhelmingly voted Democratic last election and have a different set of values and world view that I do. These people probably consider Christians like me to be "right wing fanatics" who what to create a theocracy in the USA. Well, the fact is, most true Christians just want to be allowed to have the freedoms that our nation's founders had in mind. Freedoms that are being denied more and more every day by leftist judges who "legislate from the bench."

The silver lining around this dark cloud is that more than ever before, I know that there is good and evil, and forces behind each. I believe more than ever before in my life that God is allowing Satan to "have his way" more than before, but I don't know why. Perhaps it is because we are nearing the "end of the age" and judgment day is not that far off. Perhaps it is because God is allowing so much evil to exist in this world to prove that evolution is a fraud, for if we evolved from slime as some believe, there would not be this spiritual struggle for our souls, since of course we would not have souls if we evolved from slime. One cannot possibly believe that there is a devil unless one also believes that there is a God, since the devil has never stated or claimed that he created himself.

No, the big story of 2003 was the all out attack on Christianity and Christians, and everything we believe in, stand for, or understand to be true. But ultimately, Christ will prevail, and I know that because I have read ahead in the book (The Bible) and know how it will all turn out in the end (I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but in a nutshell, God defeats Satan and the forces of evil, and Christians live happily ever after--literally!). I believe that as we get closer and closer to the "end times" that Satan will be even more "loosed" and cause even more grief for Christians, until some day, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, and maybe even not next year, but some day, Satan will be thrown in the lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever. I know this because of the Revelation to John.

Revelation 20:10 (NIV) states, "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

In a future blog, I will suggest ways that God might use to torment the devil forever and ever.

Finally, then, after Satan and his cohorts are defeated forever, Christians will be able to worship our Lord and Savior forever unimpeded by the ACLU or any other evil anti-God advocates. That will be a day to look forward to! Stay tuned, it's just a matter of time!

I was just thinking how easy it is for Satan's henchmen today. Easy for what? Easy to get people to follow his ways, and not God's ways. You see, Satan once rebelled against God. Talk about being stupid! And yet supposedly Satan was quite smart--but apparently egotistical to the point that he, like Adam and Eve, thought that being equal with God was something to be grasped--something that could happen. Well, sadly, Adam and Eve were terribly wrong, and Satan was too. I sometimes wonder why it seems that everyone that God creates ultimately rejects or rebels against Him. Adam, Eve, Satan and apparently a third of the angels in Heaven, those residents of Sodom and a slew of other people who lived on Earth before Christ came down to save us. Could it be, could it just possibly be that God has no desire to create a race of robots? What robots?

After all, how hard would it be for God to create 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 robots that all loved Him and worshipped Him every minute of every hour of every day forever? He could do it in a nanosecond (one billionth of a second) without a second thought! But why did God NOT create couple gazillion robots to love, honor and worship Him? Maybe because to God it would be as much pleasure to do that as it would be for you to invent a very technologically advanced robot and command it to say that it REALLY loves you, and that you are wonderful. Would such an affirmation be of ANY value to you? If you create a robot and command it to tell you that he/she really loves you and finds you to be a wonderful person, what enjoyment or satisfaction do you get out of that? Is that glowing testimonial truly freely given? I think not!

The reason that people will probably always have pets, even when robots in the home become as common as TV sets, is because unlike a pet, a robot cannot experience any feelings of love, affection, appreciation, or enjoyment of being around you. A robot is something that is programmed by human beings, and has no awareness of its surroundings or understanding of life, love, or emotion.

So why did God NOT create a few zillion robots to bow down and worship Him, and instead created you and me, Adam and Eve, and Satan and all the angels, and give us all the free will to accept Him and love Him, or reject Him and rebel against Him? Because our God is a God who wants love freely given. And that love freely given can exist only where it is possible to NOT love. It is free will at its worst or best, depending on how you look at it. So why have so many of God's creations rebelled against Him? I think it's because God wants true love, not some dumpy puppy love, or love that expects something in return. And such love is fairly rare in the universe outside of Heaven. In order for me to get to Heaven, God MUST allow me the flexibility to reject and rebel against Him. In order for me to truly love God, I MUST be allowed to hate Him if that is what I choose. That's what free will is all about. Sometimes I hate the idea of free will! So I have made a conscious choice to love God, and hope and pray that such love is genuine and real. I really hope that my fear of God is not what is motivating me, but rather love freely given to One who had made me from dust.

So why do I think that Satan and his henchmen (fellow fallen angels) have it really easy today? Because they hardly have to work to persuade men and women, boys and girls to reject God and seek to please themselves. Rick Warren in his "40 Days of Purpose" series and in his "Purpose Driven Life" book says that we were created first of all for God's PLEASURE. Now, it is obvious to all that one cannot easily please another and also oneself at the same time. And it is quite obviously that people are on a self-pleasing journey for the most part in the modern world. So Satan and his evil buddies have to do very little about those people. After all, unless they choose otherwise, those people will die in their sins, having made the choice to serve themselves and not the God who created them and gave them the free will to accept or reject Him.

But be not fooled--just as those who reject God in this life will not reign with Him in the next, so it is true that for Satan the distant future is not so enjoyable. For he and his cohorts will be thrown into the lake of fire that will burn forever. And those in this world who choose to worship and follow Satan will receive a fate no less enjoyable. It's not a threat, it's just simply a promise made by God. And God NEVER breaks His promise! He's also promised eternal life in Heaven for those who accept Him and love Him in their earthly life.

I love the words in the Old Testament where it reads, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15 NIV) I could not have said it better!

Well, I just finished up my first semester of college and it was quiet a ride. Although I wasn’t the most sheltered child alive college really opened my eyes to a whole new horizon. I now realize, more than ever, that our society (and earth) is full of lost souls. When you look into the eyes of these people you can see them searching for something, anything, that will fill the void in their heart. Some turn to alcohol, others to weed (or marijuana for the more political correct), and still others look in places you’d never expect. Maybe it’s pornography or video games or a multitude of other possibilities but in the end they’re all the same. What they attempt to do is take the place of Jesus Christ in someone's life but that’s not possible. The only thing they can do is delay the inevitable with is a nose-dive right into the ground. No matter how much fun these worldly things bring in the end there’s always a consequence which ultimately is an eternity in hell. It becomes easy for us Christians to look down upon these people but this solves nothing. Not only are we sinning against God but we also hurt and confuse the individuals who are already lost. What we have to realize is that they do not know any better and they do not consider what they are doing a sin. The only thing we can do is “plant the seed” which in the Word of God into their hearts and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. Remember, always love someone first and then the rest will work out for itself. Jesus is love, and we are to be like Him.

The FDA is scheduled to determine if the so-called "morning after" pill will be available to the general public without a prescription. The panel looking at the issue overwhelmingly voted to have it available "over the counter" to all, and the FDA will likely approve it in the near future. Now one will be able to end a pregnancy even easier than ever before, with no pain, guilt, or remorse. Just perfect for a society that puts pleasure and self-gratification on the ultimate altar of worship. Let's not let a human life interfere with your seeking of pleasure and ego-gratification! "It's just tissue!" they say. Well, fact is, you are only worth maybe $10 in chemicals, so if someone kills you, they are just destroying something worth less than a CD at the local music store! Is that how YOU see it? Isn't that what our society judges today? Not the intrinsic worth of a human being as seen by God, but other factors? How long will it be before the courts declare that a one-year-old is not fully human and thus can be destroyed by his/her "creators" or "facilitators" if he/she becomes "inconvenient" or ceases to amuse his/her parents?

Before you can destroy any race or genus of people, you must first marginalize them by making them less than human. "Exhibit A" is the Dred Scott decision, which said that slaves were personal property, much like your puppy or kitten is today. So if you say that a life is "just tissue" or personal property then it is quite easy to justify destroying it in the name of personal choice or convenience.

Yes, the "morning after" pill really does fit in the American lifestyle. Godless, self-serving, and worshipping at the altars of money, fame, good looks, and of course that really great god at the zenith of the altar, Convenience.

Just goes to prove once again that if you really ignore your own conscience long enough, yes, it will really go away!

Brandon, can you believe the guy who commented on your blog that it was legal to share files? I did a Google search on illegal software topics and got over 300,000 hits! From that, I got the following (I could have gone on for days!):

From the Business Software Association of Australia comes this:
"Illegal copying and use of computer software is theft. 'Piracy' is a term frequently used, but it is merely a euphemism for stealing.

Software theft is a major problem costing Australia around $220 million each year. Now we're cracking down. There's a $5,000* reward for information that leads to a successful action against a business entity using unauthorised software. [hmmmm, would they be offering a reward if it were legal??]

Here's the URL of that information if anyone wants to see for themselves that I'm not making that up:
http://www.bsaa.com.au/general/therisks.html

Also, there's a story of a company in Japan that had pirated software on their systems, and when they were found out, had to pay nearly a MILLION US DOLLARS in files and penalties! Don't take my word for it, read it for yourself at http://global.bsa.org/usa/press/newsreleases/1999-06-21.225.phtml

Don't you just love it when people justify their theft (sin) by saying it isn't stealing? Those into history will remember the Dred Scott decision, whereby the Supreme Court of the US delcared that slaves were not human, but rather "personal property" and not entitled to citizenship or freedom. Was that justification of gross sin? Uh, duh! You can read more about it at http://library.wustl.edu/vlib/dredscott/.

You know, Brandon, that Adam and Eve, our great, great, great........(many more)... great-parents did the same thing. They saw that eating the forbidden fruit should be something they have a right to do, regardless of what God says. Well, the reason you are sweating it out over the books today is because they fooled themselves into believing a lie. Those who think that sharing copyrighted materials is ok are no different from our ancient parents! The penalty for them may be less harsh, but it is still sin and wrongdoing nevertheless! What gets into these people--no, wait--I KNOW the answer!

I’ll tell you what, downloading songs is addicting. It has to be equal to the power of cocaine, heroin, or even Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Because I’m a poor college student I obvious don’t have the money to go and buy the latest album, but there’s a solution. Pull up Kazaa, type in the song, and five minutes later the song’s coming out of your speakers. So what’s wrong with this picture? Well, no matter how you look at it, it’s stealing. If any of you out there are thinking of some way around it; don’t. John and I have had this discussion numerous times so I know ever possible excuse and they’re all bogus. When it comes down to it you’re taking something, without permission, that should cost money. I’m not real sure, but that sounds like a textbook definition of stealing. My problem was that I knew it was stealing yet the songs were still on my computer. I was too stubborn to stop doing something I knew what wrong and that’s sad.

Finally last Sunday I was reading in 1 John and it all became very clear. Listen to what John has to say in 1 John 2:4, “The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him.” Well, that really scared me to tell the truth. Here I am, claiming to be a Christian yet I still deliberately disobey His word. What is wrong with me? I just be brain dead or something because you’d think I’d know better after 19 years on this earth. Maybe it’s my weak will, maybe it’s my stubbornness, but either way it’s wrong and I’m ashamed. I just thank God for his forgiveness and grace because without it I’d be screwed (sorry for my bluntness). Needless to say, the songs are off my computer and a burden has been lifted.

Psalm 13:5-6:
But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.

I was just thinking that if I ever wanted to toss off the typical life and do something completely different that what I'd like to do is go over to the mid east and try and discover the remnants of the ten commandments that Moses brought down off the mountain the first time. Here we read about it in the Old Testament ....

"When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God." (Exodus 31:18 NIV)

Now that would have been very exciting and interesting to see!

And then we read.....

"The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp." Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear." When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it." (Exodus 32:16-20 NIV)

Ok, so we know that at the base of Mount Sinai, there may still be remnants of the original stone tablets of the ten commandments, written in God's own hand. I'm not into relics, but I do think that to be able to hold such a remnant of the original ten commandments in my very own hand, and see the actual handwriting of God would be a very powerful event or moment in my life. I believe that the Bible is God's literal Word as penned and later typeset by humans under the direction of the Holy Spirit. But the ten commandments--now that's something entirely different! It was not dictated by God and penned by man, but rather written by God Himself in his own handwriting!

Do you think that if they found a verifiable portion of the original ten commandments that it would lessen the attack by the God-haters against Christians and what we value? I doubt it, but it's ok to dream isn't it? Even if they found it, you surely could not show such a thing in a public school in this day and age. Someone might be offended by seeing God's own handwriting, especially if they don't believe He even exists! What cognitive dissonance that would produce!

Brandon, you wonder why you would ever lose your focus on Jesus. I have a partial answer: diversions. Remember that time at your house a while back at the Bible Study when we tried to have each participant crawl on the carpet in a straight and narrow path toward a goal and what we did to try and divert them? When each person tried it, we put all kinds of candy bars and other goodies just out of his reach, and tried to convince each person that if he were to just "vary from the straight and narrow" path just a tiny bit, that he could enjoy all of those incredibly delicious candy bars! But most who tried it caught on to the plan (to our surprise), and did not head off the path, and did not get the candy bars and other goodies; but they did get to their goal in the best way possible--straight ahead with no side trips. Well, Satan is tempting you and me with things that make those tiny candy bars seem like nothing by comparison. And our flesh is enticed by that. And yes, we do head off the main path sometimes. It's a shame, but it happens. But you have the absolutely correct response to that: head to God for encouragement and forgiveness and worship Him alone. His grace is wonderful! I'm thankful EVERY day for it!

Hey, anybody for a candy bar? You only have to head off your path just a LITTLE. Well, maybe just a tad more than that! The world is too gullible, unfortunately, and falls for that trick nearly every time. I'm amazed at how people are willing to trade something eternal for something that is temporary and vain. And even I fall into that trap when I'm not in the Word as I should be. But such is being human! Not so much an excuse, but rather a fact. However, like you said, we can try to focus our eyes once again on Jesus when we stray from the path.

They say that college is the most stressful time in a person’s life and I would have to agree. So many things are going through my head right now it almost makes me dizzy. Finals are in a week, the Christmas shopping hasn’t started, deer are everywhere to be seen (John knows what I’m talking about), and girls…well I won’t even go into that one. But the sad truth is that none of these things matter compared to our walk with Christ. I’ll be the first to admit that there are times when Christ is not first in my life and these are times when I become depressed. Things start to go wrong, stress builds up, emotions run high, and there’s only one fix to the problem; prayer. I personally lock my door, turn off the phone and computer, get on my knees and cry out to the Lord. It’s amazing how fast things turn will turn around. God brings such peace and joy that I often wonder why I ever turn my back on Him. The only thing I can come up with is that I’m stupid. Honesty, why should I ever lose my focus on Jesus? He has blessed me in more ways than I could ever imagine, and I’m only 19. I am confident that the future holds many great things and I hope with all my heart that I will be ready for them. The only thing I can do now is to grow as close to God as possible, and this my goal. Through the Word, prayer, and Christian fellowship this is being accomplished but not to the extent that God requires. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 states “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It really doesn’t get any more clear than that yet I still fail. I just thank God for His grace and understanding in my life because without it, I'd be lost.

Hey, Brandon, am I the only one to think that there is a war going on in this country? After all, now Christmas is under attack big-time by secularists who want to remove God, spirituality and religion or even the acknowledgement of God from all aspects of life and culture in the USA. Right now there is a case before the Surpeme Court of the US (SCOTUS it's known as) that may remove "under God" from the pledge of allegiance. Hey, do you know when the term "under God" was ADDED to the pledge? Not 1800, not 1850, not even 1900 or 1920. Not 1930 or even post world war at 1940! No, it was added about 1954 in the Eisenhower administration. Why do you think that was done?

The answer is that "under God" was added to our pledge of allegiance in 1954 because of the "cold war" with the [then] Soviet Union. They were a godless, athestic society and we on the other hand acknowledged and honored God. That was a big difference between the USA and the Soviet Union. So to show them that we really believe in and respect God, we added "under God" to our pledge, and it has remained there since 1954. Now, however, the "cold war" is pretty much over, so many now want us to "dis-acknowledge" God now that we won the "cold war." We do something like that at great risk and peril to the continuing blessings that God has showered on this country and its inhabitants. I will cover later why God has blessed the USA so abundantly over the past 50 years since WWII. But for now, I think that Bill O'Reilly of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News is correct when he states that there is a war going on in this country. Who will win it? I don't know that with 100% certainty. However, I do know this: God will not lose! He is infinite and holy, and deserving of our love and respect.

Well, in my simplistic eyes, BloodTruth is simple. It relates to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You see, He shed His blood on the cross of Calvary so that I may have an opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Cool, eh? In the New Testament, Hebrews 9:22 states, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." In my case, that blood was shed not by a mere human, but God made man, one of the mysteries of the age.

What about Truth? Again, in the New Testament, in John 1:17, we read "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." So it is through Christ that we have truth, and God can tell us only truth, and never a lie. Satan, on the other hand, is the father of lies, beginning way back in the Garden of Eden. Man picks up where Satan leaves off. Psalm 10:7 says, "His [the wicked man's] mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue." So the Blood of Christ is what saves us, and the Truth of God is what we can depend on to guide us. Now I know that some people have said that Christians put too much emphasis on the Blood of Christ. That it's about a lot more than that. Perhaps, but the most important thing I know about Jesus is that He is the Son of God, and He came down to planet Earth to pay for my sins that I may be redeemed and have everlasting life with Him. His blood had to be shed for that to happen.

Based on our theme in the right column, we will discuss many topics that are relevant today. Things like alcoholism, drugs, sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, abortion, music and lyrics, and many other contemporary topics. That is because I personally believe that many in this world have lost their way, and are living according to the world's standards and not God's. Should be some interesting things posted here by Brandon and I, and we've given the opportunity for comments, though it is not our desire or intention to argue endlessly or make this a shouting match by any stretch of the imagination. I want to make people do something many are not used to doing--think! And if I do that, perhaps--just perhaps, someone might see the light of Jesus' Blood and God's Truth, and attain eternal life through a seed planted by this blog. That would be cool!

Welcome to Blood Truth! It is co-authored by Brandon and John, who will comment on life, spirituality, morality, and the current culture.