A tool of what???
September 28, 2007 at 4:49 pm | In Christianity | Leave a CommentTags: ateasetees, Christian, complacency, devil, evangelism, God, Jesus, lies, salvation, Satan, truth
There is a new TV show called “Reaper” on the CW television network that urges others to “be one of Satan’s tools”.
Can I just say something before going on? HOW ASININE!
Does this network (A collaboration between CBS and Warner Bros.) think that this is something worthy of watching? What happened to all the shows that were family friendly during prime time? The network says that it is the only network that targets the 18-34 year olds. Um…I’m in that range and it doesn’t appeal to me at all. Am I in the minority on this? Are there hoards of 18 year olds out there seeking for a way to become a tool of Satan? How many people need that kind of encouragement?
The premise of the show is that a “20 something slacker” finds out that his parents sold his soul to the devil (THAT’S family friendly) and he then has an encounter with the devil on a neighborhood street. In this encounter, Satan tells the young man that instead of taking him to hell, he wants him to be a bounty hunter for souls that have escaped hell. He even gives the man powers to help him in his duty. Oh yeah…and if the slacker doesn’t do it? Satan’s going to take his mom…
Has TV programming really fallen this low? Is there nothing on anymore that is worth watching? Not watching TV all that much , I usually miss most of this kind of garbage anyway. Where are the Christians in all this?
The Bible says that we need to be alert and aware because we have an enemy that roams the earth seeking those that he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). It says that he comes only to kill, steal, and destroy those who live on the earth (John 10:10). The Bible makes it clear that since Satan’s fall from heaven (Ezekiel 14), he has been looking for ways to take as many people to hell with him as he can!
This idea that the devil is just a figment of our imagination or that he’s just a symbol for evil is an absolute lie. He is real and he’s doing all that he can to blind the eyes and minds of people all over the world. It’s time for the people of God to stand up and start speaking out against the lies, the false doctrines, and to start speaking the truth.
The truth is, that without Jesus Christ as your personal savior, every lie you’ve told, everytime you’ve stolen something (even if it was of little value), every time you’ve looked with lust, everytime you’ve hated someone will all be used against you as God look at your life and judges your sin. Without Jesus you have no way of ever being good enough to get into heaven. And, without Jesus, God will have to send you to a place that he never intended you to go. Hell was originally only for Satan and the angels that rebelled with him. If there is any human beings going there it is because they have not taken the freedom and life offered through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross….
Don’t be one of those people! Turn your life over to Christ and turn away from your sins. If you forsake your sins and follow Christ by doing what His Word says, you will find freedom to overcome all those things that you face!
Faith and Football
September 28, 2007 at 4:18 pm | In Christianity | 1 CommentTags: ateasetees, Bible, China, Christian, evangelism, faith, football, God, Jesus, soccer
A soccer star has been featured in the new FIFA resource to go out with the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Han Duan is a Chinese soccer star who has been quoted as saying, “No matter where I go, I take the Bible along. I love to read it because there are important lessons to be learnt each day,” she adds. “I also find that the Bible is filled with wisdom and joy, instructing me on how to live meaningfully.”
The striker for the Chinese Women’s team will have her testimony printed in the gospel of Mark resource that will be used for the WWC this year.
I think this is a great sign that the church is alive and well in China. Yes, they may be underground. Yes, they may be persecuted for their faith, but they are there and the word is that they are continuing to grow and flourish in spite of it all! How awesome is that?!?!
I wonder how Americans would do if faced with the same thing???
Relationships are the key!
September 28, 2007 at 4:06 pm | In Christianity | Leave a CommentTags: ateasetees, Christian, concerns, evangelism, God, Jesus, relationships, teens, truth, youth
A survey of 1200+ youth taken by MTV (of all people) shows that youth are not as disconnected as we think they are.
The survey showed that of all the things that adults seem to think teens are concerned about, the number one reason they gave was relationships. Spending time with family, friends, and loved ones was most important to them. The kids, ages 13-24, were asked “What one thing makes you happy?”
It is a surprising response to what we often hear in the news, in our schools, and sadly, even in our churches. As the body of Christ, we need to be reaching out to our youth and trying to cultivate that relationship with them. We also need to help them learn how to cultivate a relationship with Jesus Christ. We need to show them by example. We need to check our relationship out first and then find a way to help them out, not as a father or mother, but as a friend and fellow Christian.
Our kids are seeking for relationships…shouldn’t we be there to help them find meaningful ones?
A nod to Slovakia
September 27, 2007 at 4:26 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: abortion, ateasetees, Christian, evangelism, God, Jesus, murder, pro-life, Slovakia, truth
A report from Slovakia says that they have posted 500 graphic billboards and public transit pictures. In the 50 years that abortion has been legal in Slovakia, 1.37 million unborn children have died. The country’s current population is 5 million…
I think that this is a wonderful idea and I would love to see something like this happen in the states. It may be gross and graphic, and it will probably be very hard to go out to eat for lunch, but if it means saving the life of the unborn, than so be it. We need to be doing everything that we can to show people what is truly happening to our children and the mothers who are having the abortion. IT RUINS LIVES PEOPLE!
So…a hat’s off to Slovakia for taking a very visual and bold stand against the murder of innocent children!
Are there any honest politicians?
September 27, 2007 at 4:23 pm | In Christianity | Leave a CommentTags: ateasetees, Christian, evangelism, God, honesty, Jesus, morals, politician, truth
It seems that there is an increasing number of officials who will say whatever they think that people want to hear to get elected and then do what they originally intended anyway. Now, I realize that this is nothing new, but the boldness and the outright lack of concern for the way these things are happening is just unreal.
Take, for instance, John Tory of Ontario. I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about Canadian politics (or anything else Canadian for that matter), but his statements reflect the growing trend that pervades modern politics. He made a promise to faith-based schools that he would help them get public funding. He also was quoted on a radio program as saying that the schools would ‘have to teach the Ontario curriculum…but would be allowed to let the children know that there are opposing ideas to evolution that are part of some Christian beliefs’. Now that he’s been elected, he has said that creation will not be allowed in those schools and that evolution will be taught as fact. Not only that, there is speculation that his plan could force faith-based schools to teach the mandatory sections of the curriculum that deal with homosexuality and graphic sex education. Is this the leader that Ontario needs?
Looking closer to home, there is the case of Bob Casey Jr. During his run for the Pennsylvania senate, Casey made claims that he was pro-life and was against gay marriage. He was lauded for his “conservative views” and was put up by the Democrats to run against Rick Santorum, a conservative Republican who was true to his views. Since his election, Casey has made it clear that he will support homosexual “marriage” and the adding of sexual orientation as a group in the hate crimes legislation (which violates the first amendment rights of Christians!!!!).
There is something about all of this (these aren’t the only cases of things like this happening) that really aggravates me. I would say this slowly if you were listening, but since you’re not, I’ll make it as clear as I can:
THESE PEOPLE ARE ELECTED!!!!
The above statement in bold leads me to what really aggravates me. Where were the people at when they voted for these men? What were they thinking about when they voted?
“Wow, he really talks nicely, and his accent is kinda neat. I think that he may have said something about faith. I’m voting for him.”
The people who voted for Casey were obviously not looking to deeply. Casey was funded in large part by the HRC (Human Rights Campaign), which is openly pro-homosexual. What are the American people thinking??? We gripe and complain about the people that are in office and what they are doing and the scandals that continuously go on and on, but WE PUT THEM THERE!!!!!!
Not only that, but we seem to forget that we can take them out again just as quickly by NOT VOTING FOR THEM THE NEXT TIME.
I realize that I’m shouting a little bit, but something like this should be obvious. If we vote these people into office, then do we really have a right to complain?
All of this comes to bear on next year’s presidential election. I read that 60% of Americans say that religion is very important to them. I’m assuming that this was Christianity, but it doesn’t really say. We have been watching for the last year or so who has stepped up to try and become the next president of the United States, and I’ve got to be honest, it doesn’t look all that good. There are some that I wouldn’t trust if my life depended on it. There are some that I know are lying because their lips are moving. There are some who are telling the American people what they want to hear so they can get the power and the office only to do what they want when they get in there. Is there anyone who is willing to be honest about what they believe anymore? Is there anyone who is willing to put their life and their beliefs out in the open so that Americans can see who they truly are? Is there anyone who is willing to look at the presidency as a position of servanthood to the American people? Is there anyone who is willing to put their concern for the direction our country is headed above the pride, prestige, and power of the presidency? Where are the godly men and women? Not only those running for office, but those voting! Where is everyone and why aren’t they speaking up? I have seen one man that I really believe is trying to do something for our country. I won’t call him by name yet, but I may later. Other than that, those running for election just seem to be another crop of wannabes and hopefuls trying to get the majority of votes by lying and cheating their way into the hearts of the people they’re supposed to be serving.
Bible believing Americans need to make their voices heard in the elections at every level from city/county elections to nation elections. Only by continuously speaking up will our country change direction and return to where it once was….
A couple quick things
September 27, 2007 at 4:11 pm | In Christianity | Leave a CommentTags: ateasetees, Christian, covenant, evangelism, God, Jesus, Juanita Bynum, marriage, Paula White, pornography, truth
I don’t really feel that I should spend a lot of time on this, but I wanted to just comment on a few things in the news as of late.
First is the divorce of Randy and Paula White, the former co-pastors of Without Walls church. While it saddens me to see another high profile Christian divorce (or any divorce for that matter), I’ve got to wonder what they’re thinking. I can’t say why they divorced other than what I’ve read, but it gets me thinking about something that should be commonsense and commonplace in the body of Christ. What does God say? I’ve seen some of the comments made by Ms. White and, while I admire her for her show of strength, I have to wonder where scripture comes into all of this. The article I read says that her and her ex-husband separated because of the “different directions their life was taking”…WHAT? Is that what a covenant is all about? Marriage is a covenant. It means that until death, you go through together. But what does this say about the God who Paula White preaches about? I realize that people make mistakes and that things happen, but with something like this where the reason for the split is “different directions”, shouldn’t the marriage take precedence over the ministry or the fame or the money? Shouldn’t they be more worried about what God will say when He reminds them that He “hates divorce”? No matter how much you try to tell yourself that it’s “for someone else too”, it’s still a slap in the face of Jesus. The comments that I read seemed like it was a nonchalant, ho-hum, kind of thing that mocks everything that a marriage should be. Forgive me if I sound judgmental, but it sounds rather selfish to me…
Another item that I felt the need to comment on was the eminent divorce of another TBN personality. Celebrated “prophetess” and host Juanita Bynum will most likely divorce her husband of 5 years Bishop Thomas Weeks III. She has filed for divorce for “cruel treatment” and has said that Weeks beat her when they met to try and reconcile. First, let me say that no husband should beat his wife for any reason (nor a wife beat her husband for that matter). Second, I wouldn’t condone staying in a place where you are beaten or put in danger. Having said that, I have to wonder what people in the church today think marriage really is? As I said above, according to scripture, marriage is a covenant. It is something that is not made lightly nor is it held to weakly. Before something like marriage happens, it should be well considered and thought out. I’m sorry that Ms. Bynum has suffered during this time, but what kind of thought did she give to all of this before they got married? How long did they spend looking at what the covenant entailed? The two were wed in a million dollar televised wedding…If there was more thought put into the wedding and how it would turn out than there was put into the marriage that they were entering into, then it is a sad sign of how far the church has fallen.
While my heart goes out to all involved in these happenings, I can’t help but wonder where the authority of scripture and the perseverance of those who believe has gone….
On another note…A court in PA has ruled that it’s illegal to view child pornography! In a time where images of child pornography are posted at about 20,000 a day, a court in PA has ruled that you cannot legally view child porn online at all. This is a great thing and should be spread throughout the nation, but why is this even an issue? Why do people even have a desire to look at children naked? How many of the people viewing this type of stuff are Christians?
Christianity and Islam…the same?
September 24, 2007 at 4:19 pm | In Christianity | 5 CommentsTags: ateasetees, Christian, equal, evangelism, God, Islam, Jesus, Mohammed, truth
Many high profile (and not so high profile) media personalities have jumped on board the bandwagon shouting that there is little or no difference between Christianity and Islam. Really? Is this something that these media people know something about? Have they actually looked at the two belief systems to see if there are any differences or are they just doing this because if fashionable (or more likely, because Christianity has moral laws that many of these media people live in conflict with…)?
First, let’s do a simple run down of what the basic beliefs are for both religions.
Islam is a monotheistic religion that is centered upon the god Allah and “his prophet” Mohammed. It began when Mohammed was in a cave and (supposedly) was visited by the angel Gabriel(around 600 AD). It is believed that Gabriel gave Mohammed the Quran in it’s true form that had been preserved in heaven. Islam believes that Jesus was a prophet, teacher, and wise, moral, man. It believes that Abraham is the father of the faith and that he went up on Mount Moriah to sacrifice Ishmael. It believes that Ishmael is the promised son and not Isaac. It says that it is the completion of the truth found in the Torah and Bible with the Quran being the final say. It believes that Mohammed is the final prophet and the “seal of the prophets”. It believes that the Torah and the Bible have both been corrupted over time.
Christianity is a monotheistic religion that gets its roots in Judaism. Christians believe the Torah and the entire Old Testament are written by God. They see the Old Testament as the history of the Jews and how they have survived and thrived through all the trials they faced as God’s chosen people. Christians also believe that the New Testament is authored by God and that it portrays God’s desire for all mankind. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah talked about in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 of the Old Testament. They believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life for 33 ½ years, and then died on the cross for the sins of the world. They then believe that He was buried in a borrowed tomb and rose again three days later to be fully alive and well. They believe that He was/is not only a prophet and a teacher, but that He is the Son of the living God and that He has existed eternally.
Even looking at the basics, you can see that there are some differences. But, are they enough to say that Islam and Christianity are different? Don’t both religions lead you to God? The short answer is: No.
Islam promotes war as a method of subverting those who don’t believe to the will of Allah. They seek to make all submissive to Allah, because he has willed it so. Those who choose not to convert are either ostracized or killed. It calls for a jihad upon the “people of the book”.
Christianity preserves war as a final choice, instead looking for a way to reconcile things peacefully the way that our Lord and Savior did.
Islam is a young religion as far as that goes, only have been in existence for 1407 years (although Muslims will say that it is a continuation of the Jewish and Christian texts). The Quran talks about Jesus more than any other figure, but it makes one distinction that cannot be overlooked.
It denies the deity of Jesus Christ.
While many people proclaim that Christianity and Islam are the same, this one fact forever separates the two. Muslims will vehemently deny the deity of Christ and the fact that He was the Son of God. While this isn’t the only difference (there are many others of social, scientific, and moral impact), it is the most telling.
For Christianity and Islam to be equal, they would have to say the same things. The Bible was written over about 1500 years, by 40 different writers, from all walks of life, and yet there is a continuity that pervades the entire book that could not be done by the men that wrote it. It is all about the reconciliation of man to God through the sacrifice of the Messiah. It expounds on love, mercy, and forgiveness while warning of the judgments to come for those who do not listen to God. It depicts a loving God whose desire is that none should perish but that all should have everlasting life. The Quran was written over a much shorter time than the Bible by one man and still contains discrepancies. It is not consistent in its message and does not mesh well with the Christian text like a true “final chapter” would.
The denying of Christ by Islam completely erases any hope of salvation for mankind. It was through Adam that sin’s consequences were brought to bear on man and without the hope that comes from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, there is no way for a man to be restored to God. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me.” Without this Way, there can be no path to the Father. To deny Christ is to leave man without the only thing that can save him from an eternity separated from God.
I think it only fair to say that there have been men and women throughout history that have misrepresented both Christianity and Islam and used them for their own purposes. But the denying of Christ as the Messiah and the only hope for man is something that is foundational to Islam and required by all of its believers.
I think that it would a better investment of time for those in the media who claim that Christianity and Islam are the same to take the time to actually read the Bible and see if what they are saying is true. I honestly doubt that many will do so though, because it would mean that they would have to give up things in their lives that they know is wrong. And there’s no fame or fortune that comes with that…
Our Heritage
September 22, 2007 at 3:28 pm | In Christianity | Leave a CommentTags: ateasetees, Christian, evangelism, God, heritage, Jesus, religion, revisionist, truth
Not long ago, there was a meeting of over 2,000 spiritual leaders in Europe to discuss the effect of Christianity on Europe and to remind the European nations of the impact that Christianity has made on that continent. I knew from the stance of many of the nations of Europe they had a dwindling population of devout Christians, but I never realized just how small they were in some countries. In Great Britain, 33 percent of those polled said religion was “very important” in their lives, compared to 27 percent in Italy, 21 percent in Germany, 11 percent in France, and 11 percent in Czech Republic. This is compared to 60 percent of people in America saying that religion is “very important” to them.
Why the decline of Christianity in Europe? Why are so many turning away from the faith? Let’s get a little closer to home and be a little real. Why are so many in America turning away from Christianity? The numbers say that 60% of people believe that religion is very important to them, but is that accurate? And what about the ones who are leaving? Many of America’s professing atheists grew up in fundamental Christian homes. What happened?
One of the major things that has happened is that we’ve looked to the world for the answers. When we want to do something in the church and have it be successful, we look to how the world does it. If we want a conference to be packed to the rafters with people, we do it the way the world does it. When we want our churches to be filled with people on Sunday, we look at how businesses and other secular outlets get people into their events and we mimic them. We look at numbers and schematics and we seem to chase after that “golden number”, always looking for a higher number than last time.
Another thing that has happened is that we’ve allowed people who don’t believe to rewrite the history of our nation. We have all but forgotten the true purposes of the founding fathers. We have forgotten that most of them were men who believed in the God of the Bible. We have forgotten the many speeches and correspondences that express their views and beliefs as being totally founded in Christianity. Because of this misrepresentation of both God and the founders of this country, we have allowed them to take prayer out of schools (God forbid some teenager should cry out to God for anything other than help on a test). We have allowed them to remove the Ten Commandments from schools and other public places (What a tragedy that someone might read the Ten Commandments and be convicted of sin or be reminded that what their doing is morally wrong). They are removing God from public buildings and memorials. They are trying to remove God from our money. The Bible consistently talks about God’s people remembering Him. Not only is God being removed from public places, but those who believe in that God are constantly being discriminated against. It is getting harder and harder for Christians to get fairly treated. Our nation spends a lot of money pandering to other religions and has forgotten the faith that it is founded on. We see the opening of Muslim schools (like in New York). We have secular humanism taught in our schools in the form of evolution. There are movements to legalize “same sex marriage” and hate crimes legislature that violates the right of free speech and would make it a crime to speak out against homosexuality, even though God says it’s an abomination.
The most distressing thing that has happened is the fact that we’ve turned our back on the truth. The church has begun to seek its own instead of seeking God. No longer is it commonplace to have generations being taught from Scripture. No longer do we have people who can rightly divide the Word of truth. Instead, we are seeing whole churches and even generations who have become dependent on trusting someone else to give them the truth. They can’t study the truth for themselves and so they turn from it. They see leaders and teachers and pastors in ungodly acts, ungodly relationships, and doing things that go against scripture. They ask questions about what they hear from the world and the church no longer has an answer. We are no longer able to affect the culture for Christ because we no longer know the truth. Unscriptural doctrines are seeping into the church at an alarming rate and no one knows because they can’t tell truth from lie. What does this mean for the future? How will this affect America and other nations? If things in this country don’t change, then we will continue to watch as our country turns from God and denies Him. As that happens, we will see violence and lawlessness increase and watch a once glorious, godly nation crumble under the weight of its darling sin. We will see an increase in those who don’t know the Lord and don’t care, which in turn will increase the persecution of those who do. We will see more violence and more disasters(natural and man-made) as God continues to remove His protection from a nation that has forsaken Him. We will become like the nations of Europe who no longer see God as holy and just, but just another “thing to do”. And America will no longer be the nation set apart. We will be just a shadow of who we were, and shadows can’t do anything…
“It’ll be ok…God will forgive you…”
September 18, 2007 at 5:22 pm | In Christianity | 2 CommentsTags: abortion, ateasetees, bound 4 life, Christian, evangelism, George Tiller, God, illegal, Jesus, pro-life
I was looking through some of the news emails that I get and came across one that I had to write about. In it, there is an article about a now 22 year old young woman who had an abortion at the hands of George Tiller. The young woman was 18 at the time of the abortion and was pressured and coerced into the abortion by her parents, who were horrified that their daughter was pregnant.
They got lost on the way and were two hours late for the appointment. When they finally arrived, she was put into a room with others who were watching a video on late term abortions. After the video, she was immediately taken into a room where abortionist Shelly Sella came in and lethally injected the baby in the heart(which instantly killed it). She spent a total of three days in the clinic where she was told that she did the right thing. The young woman refused to deliver the baby into the toilet like she was told and instead delivered it on the floor next to her.
The entire thing happened with no regard for the laws that are already in place in Kansas. There were many things that were done illegally(see the link at the end for a more thorough report of the incident).
One of the things that sickens me(it all does but…), is the part where a “minister” from the Unity Church came in after the procedure and told her that “God would forgive her of her abortion”.
Where was the “minister” before the operation? Why wasn’t he telling her the truth about abortion being murder? The young woman said in her testimony that the minister didn’t even ask her how she was doing or show any concern for her. Is this the picture of the church today? “We don’t care who you are, how you’re doing, or if you’re in any pain; and we won’t try and tell you that something that goes against the Bible is wrong before you do it; but, we’ll be there when you’ve already sinned or fallen apart to tell you that God will forgive you and that will make everything all better” This “minister” was no representative of the church of Jesus Christ. They were a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Condoning murder and then telling her that God will forgive her? If abortion isn’t murder, if it’s just a lump of cells in there, then why would God have to forgive her to begin with?
This is a disgusting but, unfortunately, honest look at where some in the church have fallen too. How can we say that we truly believe in Christ and allow the slaughter of innocent unborn children. We wonder where the next generation is and why we’re not seeing cures and advancements in moral and social issues. We’re not seeing them because we’re killing the people that would have brought them about. How many Einsteins have we killed? How many Billy Grahams have we allowed to be slaughtered? Which one of the millions (MILLIONS!!!!!) of aborted children would have cured cancer? Which one would have brought about the change that our country needs?
How can we allow this to continue? Where is the church in all of this? There are people that are standing up for the cause of the unborn, but they are much fewer than they should be. There are many that say that they support the cause but do nothing in their power to make a difference. They talk the talk, but don’t back it up. There is an organization called Bound 4 Life that stands in the gap for the unborn. There are many local chapters, so find one and become a part of the cry for the unborn.
There are two other links that I wanted to leave with you. The first is a YouTube video of Hannity’s America highlighting the truth about the largest Planned Parenthood in the US. The second is the unedited testimony of the young woman who inspired this blog.
Hannity’s America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18IKmx6wsYk
Michelle’s Testimony:
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