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

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

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

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.

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".