Wanna Get High?

http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/17/8370150-support-for-legalizing-pot-hits-all-time-high

Support for marijuana legalization is at an all time high (no pun intended).  However, so is depression.  What bothers me is that there is that Marijuana is still considered a schedule one drug, which means that it:

"(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision."


In other words, this drug has ZERO positive effects.  Oh sure it might help you relax (until the paranoia sets in), and might make you laugh (at things that really aren't funny), but pretty much all of us also knew (or currently know) someone who has become so addicted to the drug that is has negatively affected their lives in numerous negative ways.  


I am convinced that deep down, people use this drug to escape reality and fight a sense of emptiness or depression (whether they know it, or accept it or not).  


People who abuse this drug want to feel good, they want to get high. All of us want to feel good, to get a "high" if you wiil...


But... 


To quote the Christian Rap Group Frontlynaz: "WHAT'S HIGHER THAN HEAVEN?!?!"


I can tell you as a person who was saved by Jesus Christ, there is no better feeling than knowing that no matter what happens, heaven and Christ is waiting for me.  I want to tell you about heaven and how to get there.  But before I can do that, I need to tell you about the harsh reality.


God has standards (laws) that he requires us to obey.  I'm sure you have heard of the ten commandments.  Let's take a look at just a few of them:


Have you ever stolen something?  Lied?  Used God's name as a cuss word?  Lusted after someone?  If you have, that means you are guilty of breaking God's laws.  So if you died right now and stood before God, that would make you guilty.  And since God is a good judge, he wont be bribed by our "good deeds" and must make sure that justice is served.  That means that if you are found guilty, He must send you to hell.


How does that make you feel?  Does that scare you? It should.  


...But there is good news....


2,000 years ago, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for your sins.  He willingly sacrificed Himself, taking the punishment that you (and I) deserve so that we have the opportunity to be with Him in heaven forever.


Isn't that great news!?!  You are probably asking yourself, "What do I need to do to be saved from hell and to get into heaven?".  God knows that we will constantly struggle with sin and trying to do right rather than wrong.  So all he asks of us is that we repent (change our mind and attitude about our sin, desiring not to sin anymore) and believe in Jesus Christ and we can be CERTAIN that we will be saved.


I hope this makes sense to you.  Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.  I also highly recommend watching the video in the upper right hand corner of this webpage for a video explanation of the good news of Jesus Christ.


God bless you!


Kneel

Racing to Eternity

Dan Wheldon died today in a MASSIVE crash at an Indy Car race in Las Vegas, Nevada (sin city).  The crash was horrific with a few cars going airborne for over 100 yards, bursting into flames and others being torn apart by the high speeds and concrete.  Dan Wheldon died later in the hospital.  My prayers go out to his friends and family.    

Every 16 minutes in the Unites States someone dies in a car crash.  We might be doing everything right not speeding, obeying traffic laws, hands at 10 and 2 and then bang: we get hit from behind by a drunk driver and that's it.  We are dead.  

Even if we don't die in a car crash, we all die one day.  All of us really are in one way or another racing toward eternity (our death).

So obviously the question is, what happens next?

The Bible tells us that we die and then comes judgement (Hebrews 9:27).  That means that God looks at our lives and has a record of every bad thing (sin) that we have thought, said or done throughout our lives.  

How would you do?  Let's take a look at just four of God's laws:

Have you ever stolen something?  Lied?  Looked lustfully at someone?  Used God's name as a cuss word (Blasphemy.  Like saying "Oh my G-d!")?  If you have, that makes you guilty of breaking God's laws.  And just like any good judge, God mush punish those evil deeds that you and I have done, even if you and I feel really sorry for them (otherwise he wouldn't be a good/fair judge).  

Does it concern you that being guilty of these things means that you will be going to hell?  I hope it concerns you, because there is a way out that I want to tell you about.

2,000 years ago God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and to take the punishment that you and I both deserve since we are guilty of sin.  Jesus told His father "I want to take the penalty for (insert your name here).  I love him/her and want to take their place on the cross."

Can you see how much Jesus Christ loves you?  He was willing to take nails through his feet and wrists, being humiliated and tortured willingly so that you and I could avoid hell and go to heaven.  He died and three days later rose from the dead, proving His power over death so that we can be saved from hell.  

This isn't something that we can earn (Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5).  It is a GIFT of God.  All we need to do is to repent (change our mind about sin, doing our best not to do them anymore) and believe in Jesus Christ and will can be given the free gift of eternal paradise.

I pray that would would choose to repent and believe in Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW, before it is too late!

God bless you!

Kneel 

Herman Cain's 999 Plan Preceded by the 777 Plan

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44916676/ns/politics-decision_2012/#.Tprz895KPhI

I am not really big into politics anymore, but what I have heard about Herman Cain, I REALLY like.  Herman Cain's 999 plan has cause a fairly big stir.  But I think if you met with Mr. Cain person to person, he would probably be more concerned about you knowing about the 777 plan.

What is the 777 plan you ask?    

The 777 plan was the plan put together by God before the creation of the world.  Why should you be concerned with that plan?  Let me break it down for you:

Have you ever told a lie?  Stolen something?  Used God's name in vain (Like saying "Oh my G-d")?  Lusted after someone?  

If so, then you have broken God's laws.  So if God is a judge, and you are in his courtroom when you die, that would make you guilty.  

What happens to people who are guilty of sin?  They go to hell...but there is a way out...

2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God (Yes, Jesus Christ is God), came to earth and took your punishment.  The punishment you deserved for the sin you are guilty of, Jesus took in your place so that you could go to heaven.  All that Jesus asks is that you repent (which means to change your mind about your sin, doing your best to obey God) and believe in Jesus Christ and you can go to heaven.

Many people think that we get to heaven by how good we are.  Don't be fooled.  We only get to heaven by belief in Jesus Christ.  Jesus HIMSELF said this in John 14:6.

Please friend, repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ today.  Herman Cain and I both love you and want to see you in heaven one day.

God bless you!

Kneel

Occupy Heaven

There has been a lot of coverage about the "Occupy Wall Street" (and locally, "Occupy Portland") movement recently. But I am much more concerned about another movement that started thousands of years ago, that I would like to call "Occupy Heaven".

All of us want to "Occupy Heaven" one day. Who wouldn't? Gone is the hardship and sin of the world. Instead of a 9-5, bills, bosses, disease, pain and the curse of pride, we get to spend forever in an infinitely rewarding relationship with our creator and all of the other people in heaven in a city so beautiful it is beyond words.

Most people think they are good enough to get to heaven just the way they are.  The fact is NO ONE is good enough just the way they are to enter heaven (Romans 3:23).  Anyone who says different is a liar (1 John 1:8).  Since no one who has sinned can get into heaven (Romans 6:23) that means that ALL of us (myself included) are marching toward hell (Revelations 21:8).

Does that concern you?  How does that make you feel to know that as of right now (if you do not believe in Jesus Christ) that you are headed for hell?  I hope that concerns you greatly, because I do not want to see you go there!

But there is good news; If you repent of your sins (change your mind about sin) and believe in Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15) you will be saved!  There is no "catch".  No amount of "good deeds" that can get you into heaven.  Only trusting in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior can get you there (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

I pray that I see you "Occupying Heaven" one day with me.

God bless you!

Kneel

Waterfront Outreach: 10/15/11

...Yes He is...

Today we had quite a turn out downtown (at least on the evangelists side of things).  There were nearly a dozen people there with the intention of sharing the gospel in one way, shape or form.  I finally got back up on the box for the first time since July and, though it was scary, it felt really good.  

Carlen got up to preach first this morning and I couldn't help but totally dig his sweatshirt.  He preached a very biblical message and it struck me how kind he was in the middle of his sermon to help a lady get a leaf out of her hair.  I know it seems like a small thing, but I think him doing that really shows his heart for how he cares about people, weather it is helping them with a small aspect of their physical appearance, or giving them the life saving message of the gospel.

After Carlen, I got up to preach.

I hadn't preached since late July and in another state, so to say that I was rusty was an understatement.  I tried tying in the "Occupy Portland" movement with my own spin by using "Occupy Heaven" as a tie in.  Foolishly, I tried to depend on my own cleverness instead of simply preaching the gospel, and my preaching suffered because of it.  I should have a video of it posted here soon.  Kind criticism and advice is welcomed. 

Justin  got up and preached after that.  Jared was confronted by someone asking where Cain got his wife (a common objection that is easily answered).  I only caught part of it because I was talking with my friend Jared, who came out for the first time to witness (praise God for his willingness and spirit!) and ended up talking to a man named Todd for quite a while.  Todd's father is having some major health concerns at the moment, so please keep him in your prayers.  Also keep Todd in your prayers as he is wrestling with his faith at the moment.

It was a great day to be down there and I can't wait to try out the prayer stand next week.  My mother (bless her) has the flu and was unable to finish the sign.  

If you would like to join us one day, let me know.

God bless you!

Kneel

Double Standard

I'm not here to try and pick on Muslims or Islam specifically, but I think this video does a GREAT job of illustrating the special treatment that Islam receives from the mainstream media and many ignorant folks out there.

Let us pray that our country sees Islam for what it is, and that many of our Muslim friends come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Kneel

Gleefully Excited About the Prayer Stand

(This prayer stand isn't the one I built.  I will be posting a picture and instructions on how I made mine in a later post.)

Tomorrow I go out to the streets of Portland to witness for the first time in almost three months.  It has been a long time since I have witnessed on the street, and I am going with a new tool: My own home made Prayer Stand.  Ever since I fist heard about the prayer stand in late July, I have been dying to get one.  Finally after two months of gathering funds, materials, ideas and help from various places, I will finally get out there with my buddy Jared and my dad to witness to the lost at the "Occupy Portland" site.

I am very excited to see what happens over the next few months with this project.  My hope is that, without committing the sin of pride, I can lead and encourage other believers to get out there and share their faith.  My church has been very supportive and I hope that I can honor them with my behavior as a servant leader.

I remember my first time sharing my faith in public was pretty scary...and incredibly rewarding.  The very first person I had approached was a homeless man in his late 20's - early 30's.  It was obvious that he has been without a shower for a while and told me that he had a past of serious drug use and that he had killed someone.  I'm not kidding.  Not that I want to read to much into things, but in retrospect, I wonder if the enemy wanted him to be my first experience to scare me off.  Now it did scare me, but the leading I feel from the Lord is so strong, that I don't think anything could stop me.  I feel like my life's purpose has finally been discovered.  It's like I finally know what God really wants me to do...and i'm totally hooked.

Please pray for me, Jared and my father that we would all honor God with our behavior.

Kneel

Layers Upon Layers of Sin and Evil

Sin and temptation are fought on three fronts in the lives of believers: Deeds, Words and Thoughts.  And the deeper you go, the harder the battle is to fight

I think all Christians start their spiritual warfare with their behavior (deed), since it it the easiest to see and recognize.  We see ourselves engaging in external and obvious sins which makes it easier to identify and combat.  Giving the finger to someone who cuts you off in traffic becomes not only easy for us to see as sinful, but also others as well. It becomes the most external and visible of a person's battle with sin and probably the easiest to win.

The second layer, becomes our talk (word).  There are dozens of verses in the Bible that make reference to the tongue as a source of death, venom, poison as well as other weapons...and with good reasons, words HURT.  I was talking to this with my students during class the past week about the effects of bullying and how I can still, FIFTEEN YEARS LATER, remember, in detail, how I was bullied, what was said, where I was, even the tone of voice of the offender.  These things stick with us and the tongue is truly worthy of the negative aspects ascribe to it all throughout scripture.  On the flip-side, I also remember when my tongue inflicted horrendous damage and pain.  

However, at the deepest and darkest of our humanity lie our thoughts, our hearts: where the darkest and most evil selves reside.  My heart is no different.  I find that all of my sinful desires lie, at their core, with pride.  Unthankfulness, impatience, lust, greed, even boredom all derive from my pride telling me that I "deserve" things.  Oh I deserve something all right: death and condemnation.  My sin, even at the level of thought, has so offended the Lord that all I deserve is condemnation.

Our hearts are wicked and desperately evil (Jeremiah 17:9) and I am no different.  We all have thoughts that go through our mind that shock us, and I think at times will even make unbelievers ashamed of their own thoughts.  This is the hardest and most persistent battleground with sin.  THIS is where spiritual warfare is at it most brutal and most crushing.  THIS is the front-line.  THIS is Gettysberg.  We fight against ourselves our sinful self constantly battling with our new self, found in Christ.  And make no mistake about it, it is ALL OUT WAR.  There IS heartbreak.  There ARE casualties.

But, there IS hope.

Christ is with us throughout the war, reassuring us that we will be victorious, not because of anything we do, but because our Lord has the other guy's number.  It isn't a matter of "if".  It's a done deal.  No matter how much we fail or how much we succeed in this war, though Christ, we will achieve victory and ONLY because of Him.

Let us continue to battle to Glorify God.

Kneel

Widows, Beauty, Forgiveness and Jesus

At church this morning, Pastor Dave gave a moving sermon about our responsibility to widows from Mark chapter 12.  So many things went through my mind: my selfishness in not replying to the dozens of letters from my late Grandmother (the thought of my extreme selfishness and in this situation brings me nearly to tears just thinking about it...Jesus, please forgive me), not spending more time with my great-grandmother who was a widow for 35 years, how difficult a life would be losing Jenn, and how many widows and widowers are out there who just want some companionship.  

In the middle of the service, a video came on from one of the widows in the congregation talking about her favorite hymn and how it can be hard for her, but how appreciative she was for knowing her late husband and in knowing that she will see him and the Lord again one day.  This video touched me and really made me think about "beauty" of all things.    

When we hear the word "beauty" many different things can come to mind.  To the average male (myself included) we tend to immediately think of physical beauty.

Worldly Womanly Beauty
Jennifer Lopez (who is reportedly a Scientologist) is undeniably a physically beautiful woman.  People Magazine named her the most beautiful person in the world in 2011.  I would be lying if I would say that I do not think she is physically beautiful as well.   

Many men will spend their lives either chasing after physical beauty, or will fight their attraction trying to avoid the sin of lust.  It is a constant battle and one that will tear many people and relationships apart in the process.  We must spend more time looking past physical beauty.  Proverbs 31:30 tells us that "Beauty is fleeting".  ALL of us will lose our physical beauty over time.  It does not last, so it is something that would be foolish to use it as the prime attribute we look for in lasting romantic relationships.  

TRUE Womanly Beauty

Proverbs 31:30 also has some other great things to say about beauty as well: "a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  1 Peter 3:4 says this: "[{Beauty] should consist of] the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes." I must say that the women on the videos demonstrated true beauty that will take many of us decades of walking with the Lord to achieve.  They are truly an inspiration.  

Want to know what TRUE womanly beauty looks like?  Here it is:

The ULTIMATE in Beauty

And finally, we come to the beauty of Christ.  THE DEFINITION of beauty: Selflessness, wisdom, sacrifice, love, grace and integrity.  Who, in our place, took the punishment for our sins, so that we might spend eternity with Him.

Let us focus on what beauty really is: Love that reflects the Love of Jesus Christ.

Kneel    

  

   

Rest In Peace Al Davis

Al Davis passed away this weekend.  I must confess, I CAN'T STAND THE RAIDERS!  But I do have Al Davis to thank for the NFL as I know it today.  He was THE reason why the NFL and AFL merged 41 years ago.  Without him, my beloved Seahawks might not have ever come into existence.     

When I think about the Raiders, two phrases come to mind: "Commitment to Excellence" and "Just win, baby!".  I can't help but think that these phrases are somewhat contradictory.  "Commitment to Excellence" has a very noble sound to it.  Excellence.  Commitment.  These are two things that are now rare in a society today that emphasizes "Do whatever feels good" or "That might be true (excellent?) for you, but it's not for me.".  It emphasizes the fact that there is something objectively excellent and that we should be committed to it.  I couldn't agree more.  

However, the flip side is the "Just Win Baby" slogan.  "Just Win Baby" speaks to doing whatever it takes to win (even if it means cheating or playing dirty).  This seems to be the antithesis to "Commitment to Excellence".  Is that not inconsistent, maybe even hypocritical? 

I don't bring this up to take shots at a dead man.  Anything but.  I bring this up to exemplify the fallenness of human nature.  Even a man who, I would think, would agree that there is objective right and wrong would admit that in his life, did things that were wrong.  I am guilty of this as well.

I pray that Al Davis had a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and that I will get to meet him in person one day in heaven.  But we must all face the reality that some day, we will stand before God and have to make an account for the times that we weren't "Committed to Excellence" in our lives and fell into sin.  

What will you say on that day when you stand before God?  Will you try and depend on some "good" things you have done so that God will overlook the bad?  The bible tells us that our good deeds are "filthy menstrual rags" to God.  We can never do enough good things to undo the bad things we are guilty of.  If a serial killer tried to get out of murdering 10 people by telling the judge that he saved 15 people from a house fire, does that make him innocent of murder?  No.  Justice must still be served.

Our only hope lies in faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).  I urge you, please turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins.

Who (or what) is your savior?

As Jenn and I were driving through Portland last night, we passed some of the people who were protesting (I think it's called "Occupy Portland" or something) and my understanding is that their hope is for political and economic reform.

I am all for political and economic reform, but if their hope is that the US will become a better nation by looking to government as the savior, they will be constantly disappointed. There is One, and only one savior, because their is one underlying problem that transcends nations, corporations and people: Sin.

The problems we see in corporations and nations are simply sin with political and financial backing on a very large scale. These problems will not cease until the foundations of these problems (selfishness and pride on a personal level) are repented of on a massive scale...and the way this county is going, that is unlikely to happen.

Lord come quickly. May You be glorified and people be saved by You, our one and only savior.

Kneel

Reply to All...Do'h!

I had an interesting situation at work today.  A female coworker sent out a joke email to the office (with no ill intent) that had a bunch of random charts and a couple of them very midly sexist (like: "Husbands, you know something's wrong when she says nothing's wrong.").  In fact, they were so mild that every other female in the office (my wife included) thought they were funny and liked them.  I "responded to all" (That usually precedes a bad situation...and this one was no different) and said that I found one especially humorous.

One female coworker who I have worked with for five years replied essentially saying that she was upset with how often emails like this are circulated and that they are just reinforcing stereotypes.  My first thought was "Chill out, it's a joke".  But then I started to think about it: How would I feel if people started circulating e-mails that started taking shots at Christ, Christians or the Bible?  I would be LIVID.

I reflected on the situation and started to think about the old tried and true phrase "What would Jesus do?".  Well first of all, he wouldn't have sinned as I did.  Secondly, he would have thought first about the feelings of this woman who is precious and made in the image of God.  I decided to respond and apologize and the situation was resolved peacefully. 

I think erring on the side of caution in cases like these is the way to go.  We shouldn't be afraid to offend others with the core message of the gospel (when done with love), but we should not go out of our way to offend others just because we can.

Let us constantly be trying to be reflecting Christ for His glory and the salvation of others.

On a side note, please pray for my humility.  Pride is such a hard sin to battle.

God bless you all!

Kneel

Steve Jobs: An Amazing Life...but what now?

I heard about Steve Jobs passing yesterday and had some thoughts.

As much as I dislike Apple, Jobs' ability as a visionary and leader cannot be denied. He truly changed the world and his contributions will be recognized and impact our world for generations. He was extremely wealthy, respected and influential.

...but, for him, that is all gone now...

Now he has come to know the reality of Jesus Christ. His 56 years making an impact on earth are now just a puff of smoke and now comes judgement. Now he must answer to God for his sins. His only hope is that Christ will vouch for him to avoid eternity away from the presence of God.

I do not claim to know the man personally, nor can I make an authoritative judgement as to where the man is now.  But in doing a little research, I have to to find out the man was Buddhist.  That mean's that if he died a Buddhist, without saving faith in Christ, his empire and legacy are no comfort to him where he is now.  Now he has the eternal regret of not knowing Christ to bare on his soul.  I say this with sadness as I desire that no one be without God for eternity.  I take no joy in my estimation (that is a guess not a statement of fact) that Steve Jobs died without saving faith in Christ

But, regardless of the sadness I feel, I can not deny scripture and what it teaches:

1) ALL of us have sinned. NONE of us (myself included) are "Good people".  Don't believe me?

2) We ALL will be judged by God one day regardless of what we believed or if we believed in God. (Hebrews 9:27)

3) Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the ONLY way we will escape God's wrath.  (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, John 8:24)

4) We are called to repent and believe, and my prayer is that if you have not already, that you will one day.

May lives be changed for the glory of God and the salvation of souls be achieved from Mr. Jobs' passing.

Kneel

Courageous the Movie

Today, my wife and I went to go see the movie "Courageous" with the Christian club at the school I teach at.  The movie was great: Heartwarming, convicting, though provoking, funny (the "Snake King" part had me in stitches) and biblical.  I was really impressed with the quality of the film given the small budget and I really hope that the team behind this movie continues to make more.  Movies like these are SO needed in our culture today.

There were men (MORE than one) in the audience that were visibly touched and convicted by this film's powerful call for biblical fatherhood in our society today.  The gospel was pretty well presented (could have been a bit more clear) and the dependence upon God was a reoccurring theme throughout.

I URGE you not to just wait to see this movie on DVD.  PLEASE make the effort to go see and support this movie in the theaters so that it sends a message that Americans want more Christ-centered movies!

God bless,

Kneel

The Amazing Power of Biblical Gospel Tracts

PLEASE watch the video above (and watch all of it).  This story is amazing and shows how a simple, humble but God honoring and enduring ministry can make an amazing difference in the world.  

A man came by the house tonight from the United States Veteran Mission tonight.  It was right as my wife and I just sat down to a wonderful meal.  He was asking for donations and so we decided to help him out.  While I wanted to get back to dinner as soon as possible, I still felt that I wanted to share the gospel with this man.  Luckily, I never go ANYWHERE without my million dollar bill gospel tracts. 

I was able to hand it to him, give him the gospel and let both of us get back to what we were doing. 

These tracts can be handed to cashiers, given to waiters and waitresses (ONLY WHEN A GENEROUS TIP IS INCLUDED!), hidden in stores and used just in basic street evangelism.  

Biblical gospel tracts can be EXTREMELY powerful.  But the important thing is that the message is biblical. A tract that says "Jesus loves you.  Ask Him into your heart." is probably not going to get the job done.  People need to know the seriousness of their sin before needing Jesus will make sense.  

The following are some wonderful sources for effective, biblical gospel tracts:

Living Waters

Pin Point Gospel Tracts

Custom Tract Source

I encourage you to start using them however you feel God leading you to use them.  Not only are you sharing the gospel, but finding new ways to use them can be kind of fun. 

God Bless,

Kneel

My very first time open air preaching: Luke 23

My very first time open air preaching.  It is NOT easy to do.  But it is even harder for me to suppress the urge to share the gospel.

Something I have learned about open air preaching since this time is how important it is to pray and to have others pray for you.  When I went to the Ambassador's Academy, I tried open airing a few times, and every time I did so with no prayer or very shallow prayer, my preaching was awful.  I would forget things, you know important things, like the Resurrection (duh?).  But when I really prayed, had others praying for me, and relied on God and not myself, the message was much better.

I really encourage you to get out there an try it, at least once.  It is scary but also incredibly satisfying to literally shout the gospel to a dying world.  Radically obeying God IS radically satisfying!

Tomorrow is NOT promised

On our way to dinner tonight, Jenn (my wife) and I saw a pretty bad wreck.  There were a couple fire trucks, an ambulance and a few cop cars.  We couldn't see everything, but Jenn said that she saw the jaws of life being used.  NOT GOOD.  We prayed for the victims and the emergency workers in the drive through of the McDonald's and a thought crossed our minds:  Just a few minutes earlier, we had been debating about where to go for dinner.  That COULD just have easily been us trapped in a twisted hunk of metal.  Honestly, part of me wished it was me because I know I am saved (not because I am good or anything, but I know that I am secured by God's grace). 

It's scenes and events like these that should really make us think about our time here on earth.  James rightfully compares life to a vapor that is here for a while and then disappears.  It only confirms for me all the more that we have got to take our life here, both our hardships and successes, with a grain of salt and realize how incredibly insignificant they are in comparison to the breadth of eternity.  I'm not talking about the kind of response that we all have when we see something like this, because, let's face it: we have all seen something like this and then say "Wow, makes you think." and five minutes later we are watching TV back in our comfortable little american world.  

We need to REALLY take it to heart and let the ominous reality of eternity, the afterlife and the righteous judgement of Christ and do something while we still have the chance.  I don't think any of us want to come to Christ when we die, if we indeed are saved, and tell Christ we weren't helping the poor or witnessing to the nations because a really good football game was on that day or there was a sale at Macy's.  How shameful that would be to say to our maker?

Let's get out there and serve our Lord folks.  Let's stop talking.  Let's start doing.

Andy Mineo - Formerly Known Mixtape

http://reachrecords.com/releases/show/Formally-Known-Mixtape

I don't know if any of you out there are Christian Rap fans, but I thought I would pass this along to you all.  I am only two songs in, but thus far it is pretty promising.  Not surprising since Reach Records only puts out high quality music: both in sound and in lyrics.  

May this be a blessing to you.

Heart: Crying

The only way that I can really properly describe my emotions when thinking about evangelism is like my heart is crying.  Crying in two different ways:

1. Crying for the lost.  Knowing that so many people in my life do not have a relationship with Christ is heartbreaking.  My desire to keep relationships with these people does hinder my boldness in speaking to them.  I feel so convicted in not speaking out more to them.
2. Crying out to share the gospel.  I have a passion to share the gospel with others more than anything else in my life.  I desire to share with everyone: friends, family, coworkers, young people, old people...everyone.  

It is never fun to go share the gospel when rejection or persecution are so common (yet so mild in comparison to so many places around the world), but, in the words of REO Speedwagon, "I can't fight this feelin' anymore!".

Does anyone else out there feel like others look at them like "You are obsessed with evangelism?".  My only thought is "How are you NOT?!?".  I know I can't judge the hearts of professing believers, but man, it shocks me how few people who claim to believe that Jesus is the only way can just not talk to people about it.  Maybe it is because I am young christian (Born again March 2007); full of energy.  I don't know.  I just feel so compelled.  

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Courageous the movie: Trailer

Taking the youth group to see this one on Tuesday.  Looks good.

Are you a good person?

Are you a good person?  Good enough to get to heaven?  This is the basic strategy I take when evangelizing.  People must see the seriousness of their sin before the gospel can ever be considered "good news".

180 Movie

Outstanding video on the abortion issue.  Truly a must watch.