What Christmas Means To Me

Christmas, to me, is a very special holiday. It’s a day spent with either friends or family (or both), to exchange gifts and stories, and reflect upon the miraculous birth of my Savior.

For many people, it’s the same way. For others, it’s a more depressing time of the year.
I’ve met many people that don’t celebrate Christmas, and I’ve also met kids that are “forced to celebrate” with their family.

Now, I’m not saying anything that hasn’t already been said by many people much smarter than I am, but people don’t celebrate for Christ anymore. It’s so essential to the Holiday, because it’s the only difference between the most religious day of the year, and the most materialistic day of the year.
There are many people who don’t worship Christ, have no family, and no friends. This day is not a day of happiness, so much as a day of constant depression for these people.

While today is a day of celebration for both the religious and materialistic alike, I pray we don’t let the Holiday traditions stand between us and those around us who are alone or hurting.
Christ came as a willing sacrifice. God, born as a man. An infant child. A Child that came to grow, and as the Son of God, he would die for me.
Christmas is a celebration of the miraculous Birth, but is becoming more and more secular with each passing year. We can’t let this light die. We can’t forget the Birth of Christ. Let’s not hide it in traditions created by man for our own enjoyment. Let’s celebrate Christ today. And let’s share that celebration with those around us.

The Problem with the World

It’s a supposedly age-old question being asked by a majority of the World’s population. I think it’s one that can be answered.
In the book of Genesis, it’s made pretty clear that everything was made perfect. In a Biblical worldview, I can guess that things are no longer as perfect as they once were (insert big “duh!” here). I can also discern that a perfect God is also not to blame for the World’s problems, because problems are a result of imperfections.
So who’s to blame for the problems of the earth? Let me answer that question with another question: who was given dominion over the earth? Genesis 1:26 says God made man to have dominion over the earth (or over the animals of the earth).
So is it possible we’re to blame? I thing so, but I’ll continue to explain why.
I believe our problems began with our ancestors, Adam and Eve, who were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of course, they did, and it was the first of a multitude of sins to enter the world and corrupt the once-perfect serenity of our planet. We, as the offspring of Adam and Eve, have inherited a natural tendency to sin in likewise manner.
I firmly hold to the belief that I have problems that have doomed me to live an imperfect life here on earth.
Now, I know this might sound depressing at first, but I’ll have more to say later: The problem with the world is me. I deserve nothing good that has ever come my way. I’m a lying thief and and so many other undesirable things. I’m a rebel guilty of the highest form of treason. I’m a witless scumbag that cares only about personal gain.
I’m a sinner, a man doomed for hell for everything I’ve done. My only hope is found in a man who claimed he could pay for my sins by sacrificing his own life. A man who loved me more than any other living person ever will. A man who was God Himself. The Son, a specific member of the Trinity, was sent to endure the wrath of a holy and righteous Judge. The same righteous wrath that was due for me was placed on the shoulders of the Son of God.
My punishment of eternal torment has been made void, and I still complain about how imperfect my day is. A perfect Man was killed in my place, and I’m still angry when things don’t quite go my way.
The problem with the world? The problem with the world is me, is not knowing a good thing when it’s given to us, is not knowing how perfect we aren’t and how much we already have that we don’t deserve.

My life is not my own, but was bought by Christ with blood and nails. May I never forget how much he payed for me.

The 180 Movie

From the people that brought us The Way of the Master and On the Box, we have a new video documentary from Ray Comfort and his team of seasoned evangelists.

Please give it a watch and let others know what you think.

Martial Arts

Since this is currently a topic close to my heart, and not one I’ve touched on before, I’ve decided to write about Martial Arts for once.

For anyone visiting this blog even for the first time, it might appear that the author of these posts is a devoted Christian. To anyone who knows me personally, it’s a clear fact that I am both a Christian and Martial Artist. To be both is, for some people, an oxymoron: With the Christian way of life teaching peace and “turning the other cheek”, while the Martial Arts teach self-defense through violent and aggressive techniques.

To make it clear, any one Martial Art will pride itself on not just teaching basic self-defense, but also a whole way of life – a very different one than what is taught in the Bible. Any parent who wishes for their kids to be raised in foundational, Christ-centered environments should not rush to the nearest dojo and enroll their children. Research should first be done on the “Master” of said dojo. See, every place that teaches a Martial Art will be operated by a Master, someone who has devoted much of his life to the study of that specific (but not exclusive) Art form. The Master is the one to decide what will be taught to the students, ranging from techniques in self-defense, to the philosophy of the entire Art.
If you wish to enroll your kids in classes, you should always ask to talk to THE Master. Many “dojos” will have multiple “masters”, such as “Master Instructor” and “Grand Master”. You should then ask him what kind of philosophy he bases his teachings off of, whether he’s Buddhist, Atheist, or even Christian like yourself.

Every Martial Arts Dojo that claims to teach discipline will have a philosophical statement of some sort.

But now, this is where I ask the question: Is it necessary that you have someone else teach your kids discipline? Parents are called by Christ to be the disciplinarians in the lives of children (Read Hebrews 12:7-8).

Martial Arts have taught me a lot about life in general, and it’s given me confidence I have not had a chance to learn anywhere else. It’s also been a great and fun source of exercise. It’s taught me focus and even strength of will. It’s taught me to be tough and not give up in the face of failure.
I believe God has used Martial Arts in my to teach me things I, as a homeschooler, was not able to otherwise learn. As an instructor, I’m continuing to learn just as much – if not more – about “real life” then I did as a student.

So, I have the training and the psychical capability to beat someone up effectively and efficiently. I also have love, patience, and mercy. I have never been in a fight, never beaten anyone up, and never used it to dishonor God or my parents.

Anyone who’s known me personally for some time knows that I’m a quiet person. It was partly the study of Martial Arts that gave me the social confidence to become more outspoken.

Also, should you be looking for a Martial Arts instructor to teach a kid of yours or someone you know, just contact me and I’ll get back with you. Any questions and concerns can be easily dealt with. I’d love nothing better than the challenge to teach Martial Arts in a Christian setting.

Judgement

It can be said that many religious groups are often the most judgmental people on the face of the Earth. The accuracy of this statement is debatable, but is not far from the truth, I think.

A problem among the church I have seen with my own eyes is a slightly judgmental attitude. All too often, it can be so easy to point a finger at someone because of flaws they may have. We will, even with our subconscious mind, not hesitate to notice and point out the shortcomings of the people next to us, as well as the ones across the room.

MANY PEOPLE, if not everyone, has a fear of judgment. I believe it’s partially out of this fear that we don’t hesitate to point at others. Among friends, it can be a light-hearted remark; Or among strangers, it can be a whisper behind the back. It can give us a sense that our flaws are somehow not as flawed as we fear others may think. In this depressed, self-centered world we live in, it’s important to the individual that they feel, at the very least, equal to the majority of people around them.

The shameful problem we now face is the judgmental attitude that the church can have towards each other, members of other churches, and the unsaved, the latter being the most tragic.

“They should be ashamed of what they’ve done!”

I swear, if I hear the above statement again, I’m moving to Canada.

What we must realize this that we were all members of the guilty party. Imagine: Every single one of us sentenced to death for crimes committed against the king (if “king” isn’t a modern enough term for you, try “emperor”, they mean almost the same thing in modern terminology). Now imagine that the king loves us, loves us so much that he paid the price for the crimes we did against him. Some of us believe the news when we hear about it, and walk out free people under the service of the king once again. Others choose not to believe it, saying things like “I’m not dead yet”, and “It’s just a bunch of lies”. These people are still headed to the same destruction that we were headed for: Hell, an unimaginable place of eternal punishment and torment, because we’re all criminals.
How could a loving God send us to Hell? Because we directly disobey His commands, and the wrongs done must be brought to justice. But the wrongs we’ve done have been justified. Not justified by what we’ve done, but by God Himself. We’re now literally guiltless and blameless before the throne of the Most High.

Our job now is to help those still headed for destruction. Some seem completely unaware of the impending doom, others simply refuse to except, for some illogical reason or another.
Remember that we were saved by the Grace of God, through our Faith in Him.

I dare you, at this point, to look at a man in prison and say “he should be ashamed of what he’s done!” It’s the same way with every person alive. Yes, we should all be ashamed of what we’ve done, but the point isn’t discovering the shame, it’s discovering Salvation. It’s discovering Christ and God Himself.

“I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see”. If you were born blind, and had a remarkable surgery that gave you eyesight, would you then point and laugh at a blind man struggling to find his way along? If the answer is yes, then I dearly hope you learn to love.

Another example: You and your buddy destroyed a house, with people still inside, and were both sentenced to life in jail. A complete stranger shows up and somehow posts such an unimaginable bail, that the authorities let you and your buddy go. You choose to believe the news, once you hear it, and walk away free. But your buddy remains unconvinced and will continue to rot in prison until it’s too late. What would you do?

Another problem we might have, other than judgmental attitudes, is a not-so-serious attitude towards our previous situation and the situation of the lost around us.
In which case, we must remember that God was serious when he created the world in six days, when he cursed the Earth, when he created each one of us, and when he sent his son to DIE on our behalf. This is not just something nice he did for us, and as I write this post, I find a renewed love for my God and a fresh will to serve.

However, being serious about how “They’re terrible people” is not the seriousness I’m talking about. God loved us, and we’ve been told to love those around us. Brothers should not cast judgment on brothers, but embrace each other in love and compassion.

I’m always available via email if you wish to contact me, all you have to do is ask for the address.

I’m also not pulling my material from books or articles others have written on the subject, so feedback is also greatly appreciated.

Anything good in this post came from God, anything bad came from me, and I’d like to find and fix the bad so I can become a more effective tool in the future.

World Likenesses & Secular Activities

“To be in the world but not of it” is something that is repeated many times in churches around the world. Numerous books have been written on the subject, thousands of sermons have been preached on it, and yet we still seem to have a hard time getting it.

As Christians, we’ll go to church on Sunday, act like brothers and sisters in Christ, loving each other and supporting one another and so on. On Monday (Sometimes even as early as Sunday afternoon) through Saturday, we’re each just another person on the face of the earth “trying to make a living”. Now, I’m a pretty young guy still living with his parents, and I know I haven’t experienced all that life has to throw at me, but I’m confident I can take the Word of God, apply it to my life, and be better off. I understand what it means to live IN the world; We’re ALL in the world. But to not be OF it?

I sometimes choose to look at it this way: I’m an American. For the sake of this analogy, let’s say I move to Russia for a very short period of time. I’ll be IN Russia, but am I OF Russia? If I’m there simply as a visitor (let’s say I’m on a business trip), I’ll still be an American. I’ll be living, eating, sleeping, and talking IN Russia, albeit for a short time. But am I a Russian?

In the same way, we’re not here on earth to simply “move on with our existence”, or “make an extra buck or two”. We’re here as aliens, though we were born here and given citizenship, we’re of Christ first and foremost. He’s our first allegiance, and our Lord. You know, not a lord as if we’re just giving him some kind of respect, but our literal LORD, the main ruling figure – and center – of our lives.

As a citizen of America, I must abide by the laws and rules created by the government. I’ll be well-cultured in American ways, and will think, act, talk, eat, sleep, and work as an American. Should I go to Russia, I’ll still be thinking, acting, talking (even in Russian), eating, sleeping, and working like an American. The longer I stay exposed to the Russian way of life, the more Russian I will become. Eventually, I could become both in and of Russia.

I have no fear of political correctness (or a lack thereof), so let’s further this analogy by assuming America and Russia go to war. I’m stuck in Russia, and my former country of America has me pinned as a Russian, because I think, act, talk, eat, sleep, and work like a Russian. Let’s say I’ve done things in Russia that are illegal in America, something serious, so they deny my claim to American citizenship. What now?

Of course, the reality of “being in the world but of it” is slightly different. The analogy just provided helps give me an understanding of what is meant by living in this world, but not being part of it. With a thorough analysis of my analogy, you’ll (hopefully) realize it’s shortcomings as a way to describe being in the world, but not of it (BITWBNOI). But I still hope it offers some insight, and serves as more than just a waste of your time.

Now, for the real-world stuff. People in church become more and more like the world. It’s happening today. Don’t forget it also happened in the past. This command was relevant when the Bible was first written, after all. But we eat here, we sleep here, and we live here.
Remember that we are CHILDREN OF GOD. As I said before, we belong to him first and foremost, from the moment we surrendered our lives to him by accepting his sacrifice on the cross. Our worldly selves were nailed up there with Him.

This is when it’s time to understand what’s acceptable to God. Sure, we’re going to fall short at times, but it’s not like it’s bad for you to do your best. Falling short ON PURPOSE is a different story. People who consciously dress inappropriately or purposefully talk about unclean things are… I have no accurate words to describe it. Shameful, would be the best, I suppose.

Evil

This will be relatively short.

Evil is anything that is morally wrong, anything that is morally wrong is anything done against God. Evil will also bring world peace, albeit for a short time.

Someone in the future will rise to global domination, bring world peace, save the world from political and economic distress, and will be the most evil man that ever lived.

God reigns supreme, and he is in control of all that goes on. He is just, and allows us to occasionally reap the benefits of our sin, which is less than we deserve, for God is a God of mercy as well.

As Christians we should strive for peace, but not at the expense of worshiping ourselves. We must remember that we are small in the Lord’s eyes, yet precious, though we sin. We are many, and would not matter to a God that is not our God, for no God could be as just, loving, and perfect as the God we serve.

Humanistic ideals are common, and are felt by many to be the key to “bettering ourselves”. Their core basis is to make the human race greater than it is.

What we must posses is a discernment between humanistic ideals and Christian ideals. Is world peace wrong? Not at all, peace is a great thing of precious beauty. Yet, it can be achieved even with evil in control?

What’s wrong here is not the idea that world peace should be achieved, but that world peace can be achieved without God.

See, take God out of anything, and what are you left with?

I heard a metaphorical story once: God was resting on a mountain top, with Satan climbing up the sides to get where God was, to be in his seat of power. God went down the other side of the mountain shortly before Satan reached the top. When Satan arrived where God and all his glory and power was, there was nothing but a barren rocky mountain top.

While not exactly theologically sound on several accounts, it shows a clear example that God is God, the only one, irreplaceable, glorious and awesome. Satan will do all he can to be God, that’s been his goal since the beginning. But it’s impossible.

Satan isn’t without God-given powers of his own, though. He’s both powerful and evil. He won’t win in the end, but he’ll get close during the Anti-christ’s seven-year-reign.

Don’t stay strong for yourself, stay strong for God.

Evolution Evolves

Why is evolution more believable than anything else that seems to explain the origins of our universe and life as a whole? Simply this: It does not imply that there is a higher authority than ourselves that we must submit to. This has been an issue since Adam went against God’s clear command to not eat a specific fruit out of a whole garden full of other fruits (and veggies).

In a more detailed observation, I suppose science could have it’s reasons for the support of evolutionary theories. I mean, it’s not like evolution has been proven wrong or anything, but there’s a good reason for that: It remains largely unproven and undefined, with little to no lines drawn that say “once this is crossed, we’ll know we’re wrong”.
Since Secularists can’t rely on the creation of everything at the hands of God, they may feel they’re very existence is dependent upon Evolution being fact.
Whenever an evolutionary theory is proven wrong, evolution doesn’t die, it adapts it’s theories to suit the new facts we’ve gathered. Think about it, evolution evolves more times than should be possible in one lifetime.
And why shouldn’t it? Aren’t we still writing the story of evolution, with all it’s rough drafts and plot holes? Until God satisfies even the most stubborn of men by revealing himself in his full glory on Judgement Day, we’re free to think what we will.
The problem is that God has revealed himself to us. Creation cries out the glory of God, on land, in the water, and in outer space. But this brings us back to man’s denial of who God is.
People will often say that they view the bible, Creation, and God himself as being “unrealistic”. I won’t waste my time arguing what’s more realistic, because such arguments often involve circular reasoning and simple bickering. But what do we define as “real”? Webster’s online dictionary says it means “of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things” (Source).
With this definition in mind, let’s review what I said earlier: Evolution is always changing. Because of it’s undefined characteristics, it can bend and bend, and bend, and bend again… and continue bending, and still won’t break. Does this sound fixed, or permanent, or immovable?

The Bible was written over a period of about 1600 years, by about 40 different men, and does not once contradict itself. It has not been proven wrong, either. Carbon-dating and other dating methods require assumptions that are based on presuppositions about the age of the Earth.
You cannot prove that God doesn’t exist simply by claiming he would interfere in some extraordinary way under a given circumstance. “If God exists, why doesn’t he just strike me down right here, right now?” Or “If he was really in control, he wouldn’t let this happen”.
First off, why in the entirety of creation would God have a reason to respond to any challenge we issue? So that we’d believe? A response to someone’s challenge will not automatically make them a child of God. They could always call it a coincidence, or a trick, or one of a million other things.
God is also not going to force us to believe, because he wants our love and devotion, and striking you down dead would probably not create a loving relationship.

The reality is that we are able to think what we want, because we each have our God-given freedom of will. But like all other choices in life, the choice we make here will have consequences.

Right and Wrong

Right and wrong, the two lists that are so common, and so uncommon. Almost everyone alive has some sort of ethical and moral standard, yet it can be surprising to see how different those lists can vary between two different individuals.

(I will be using the term “race”, as quoted, loosely. What I mean by “race” is an equivalent to the term “species”. Please don’t be offended. *wink*)

If we (meaning humans as a whole) have no authority higher than ourselves, where would our moral and ethical standards originate from? Humanists seem to think they originate as means of perfecting our species. If this were true, how would we know what’s good for us and what’s not? American humanists are under the impression that any severe punishment inflicted upon children will only do harm. Many other Nations of the world believe punishment makes the individual stronger and more competent, further strengthening the human “race”.
If humans as a whole cannot agree on what will improve our “race”, how could we ever hope to reach this goal? Many can agree that until there is total agreement, there can be no peace, which seems to be the ultimate goal of many secular organizations.
I say with total confidence in my faith that someday there will be peace. There will be a perfect world. We will be perfected.

But back on topic: How do we know what’s right and wrong? Maybe a better question is “How do we define what’s right and wrong?”
Let me explain: A list of what’s right and wrong is all well and good, but let’s say we don’t have access to that list. Or maybe the item in question isn’t on the list at all.

I would define “right” as good (perfect), and only God is good. God did not create an imperfect world, for creating an imperfect world would be less than good, and God cannot be less than good. Yet we also have bad, wrong, and imperfection in the world. This is not of God, but of us. Bad came when man began to disobey, when we became less than good.
In this process, we basically ruined all of creation in varying degrees. Disobedience and selfishness is not of God, but of us, and it is wrong. All that is good in this world is of God and God alone, and it is right.

Therefore, by my understanding, all that is good is of God. All that is bad is not of God. To know what is of God and what isn’t, read your Bible and pray every day.

5/24/11

1 Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand it’s own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

1 Peter 4:8: “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 John 4:16-19: …”God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love becomes more perfect… Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not experienced his perfect love. We love each other because He first loved us.”

Obviously, the Bible makes it clear that we are to love one another, and that love should be very important to us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is no doubt among my favorite Bible verses. Nowhere in the secular world is there such a clear description of a wonderful concept. The problem is that even as Christians, we seem to forget what love really is. There is no emotion called love, it’s a fairy tale made for people that only want to do what their emotions tell them. This is what it is, there is no other way of defining it.
1 John 4:20 says “If someone says ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”
In verse 21 he adds: “Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.”

Everything regarding love, every command the Bible gives to us, every situation involving love, is timeless and applies to us as much as it ever did. Yet there are innumerable situation within the churches around the world that are downright unloving. Love is what holds us together, and when we lose that, we cannot function as the Body of Christ. We can’t serve the Lord with hate any more than we could substitute baking powder with baking soda. The intentions are the same, but the result is an undesirable one.

So we should all remember to embrace one another in love, and remember that it requires patience and sacrifice. And humility can help.