These are Our Heroes: 3’s Up

“I’m doing me and I don’t care what you gotta say
A modern day living legend
hope I don’t die today
I tried to stay sober for as long as I could but
The grind got me high
Yeah man, that’s that good stuff”

How many emcees are consistent about the message they’re spreading? How many of them are true to the worldview they promote? Where’s the unwavering flag bearer that won’t compromise on the truth? Where is the integrity in hip-hop? I’ve got to tell you, I haven’t seen it. Even the guys I admired as heroes were inconsistent in some way. They all seemed to cave into the things they claimed to be against in some way.

“I’ve been around the country
every hood is a nightmare
But they be riding with me
when I need them they right there
The news be depressing when you hear about a life lost
A hundred dollars bought the gun
yeah that’s what his life cost”

The man I’ve been quoting showed me that I was looking for the answer to those questions and then some. As a child, when I listened to hip-hop, I was looking for someone that spoke into the culture in a way that I could relate to. I wanted someone to do it authentically and at a high level. Not only was I not consciously aware of what I was looking for, I never found it in my younger years. As a man, I can confidently say I’ve found that.

“I smile when I look into the eyes of a young child
Life gets harder when you’re older, so have your fun now
And when it comes to rap, you ain’t crackin’ my top five
You sold a million records but you ain’t changed no lives
I give it to ‘em raw cause the streets they need that
I’m in my own zone, I don’t care about no feedback
Just label him a messenger, a warrior, somebody you should know
Exclusive with the flow, you can’t buy this in no store”

How many rappers really care about the ‘hoods they come from? Who really cares about fatherless and/or misguided children that are looking for someone in the public square that looks like them, talks like them, and expresses himself like them? I can confidently say, this man does.

I can’t think of another rapper that talks about living within your own means in his songs. I can’t think of another rapper that talks about getting out of debt. What rapper talks about treating strippers with respect and dignity and closing the clubs that degrade them down? Who talks about being real, righteous, and relevant no matter what anyone thinks of you? Who talks about being on a mission to change the world, even if that means doing it alone?

“Trading war stories with my 12 Apostles
I ain’t Jesus but this here that ghetto gospel
And I’m my own worst enemy, that’s what I tell them
Dear Lord please rescue me from my rebellion
I cry for help but the world turn their back
They rarely there when you need them, I learned that
Made man tatted on my chest, I earned that
Was offered a contract for my soul, I burned that
This for the people who know murder is real
Just cause you live your life right, don’t mean you won’t get killed
Speak what I feel, do what I please, walk what I talk, mean what I say
Man look around me, I’m surrounded by Gs
The motivation is to try to succeed cause ain’t nobody at the top
Really riding for me, And I ain’t blind to the truth man I promise I see
That’s why I work for myself, ain’t no firing me”

For me, this man challenges me to remember that the mission we’re on as believers doesn’t end when the concert is over. It doesn’t end when the Sunday service comes to a close. It doesn’t end when the bible study session is done. There are too many of us that are cheering for Jesus in those closed spaces and are not motivated to share him where people really need Him.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him and having one on one conversations with him and people on his team multiple times. While I don’t have anything more to contribute to his cause than buying his stuff and going to his shows, I feel like we have a spiritual kinship. We’re on the same mission to bring change. The only difference is the platform we’re using to get the job done. So, I say to all of you, especially you believers, if you’re fed up with inconsistency in the character of a lot of hip-hop artists, you may be interested in finding out what mission vision is all about. We’re all leaders in our own ways, with ultimately only one guiding us on this journey. Let’s get it, y’all. Let this be our dying anthem.

Find him on YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and everywhere else by searching for the username Dee1music. As of this writing, he’s wrapping up the first leg of his very first headlining tour and prepping for the second leg.  Check for stops at a city near you! I’ve been to two of his shows personally so far. You won’t be disappointed!

I’m No Superman (V2)

Disclaimer: To my skeptic friends and readers, I applaud you all for your contributions to making life better for the less fortunate. Alas, as with my last entry, this is not directed at you. I don’t want anyone to feel like I don’t see generosity, sacrifice, and love from those that don’t believe. We are just at odds that can’t be reconciled when it comes to the issue of justification for those deeds.

Much to the dismay of some of my friends and family, I am known for doing some pretty radical things for people that are in need. I hang out with addicts of all sorts, talking to them about where I’ve been and where I’m going next in hopes that I can show them the way to break through their addictions. I protest at abortion mills for the sake of the unborn and for the lost mothers that are considering sacrificing their children to Molech. I’ve gone as far as picking up prostitutes and talking to them about their circumstances and the saving power of the gospel. I can go on and on about the ministries I support with my time, money, and actions. I just hope that you take one thing away from this: I am not Superman, nor am I trying to be.

I’m just an ordinary guy that’s struggling to be consistent with his faith. If you know me or even just of me, it’s easy to see that. I fail at walking the walk and talking the talk all the time. Even as a believer, I’ve made some awfully stupid mistakes. I am proud of that. I am not proud because of anything that I’ve accomplished, but because of Jesus, who reaches people through me despite all my shortcomings.

That’s the whole point! I was not designed in any peculiar way that enables me to be a great missionary. I’m just your average guy that wants to see a difference in this world. Because of that, I know that you can do this too. You can fight the tough battles. You can make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. You are just as capable of being the salt and light of this age as I or anyone else. We, all of us together, are the hands and feet of Christ. This is what we’re here for! There’s no fundamental difference between us. If I can God can use someone like me for His glory, He can use you as well.

 

What inspires you? Where do you want to see change? Does this election cycle bother you? There are things for you to do! Study law. Educate yourself and others. Go and run for office! I can say the same about any field we see corruption in. We need police officers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, firefighters, entertainers, business owners, and so forth that are passionate about what they do and passionate about justice in the world. We can’t do this sitting on the sidelines and complaining (not that I’m accusing anyone in particular). There is a lot of work for us to do if we’re just willing to get our hands and knees dirty with some hard labor.

I love when I see my brothers and sisters sharing their faith and standing up for it when it’s challenged. I love when Christians boldly confront today’s issues with no compromise. But I have to say it again: hashtags aren’t going to save the world. We’re going to have to go and do some things that will make us uncomfortable. Some of us are going to bleed for this. Some of us are going to die for this. Some of us are going to live some very difficult lives for the sake of this.

In the end, no matter how difficult taking this road gets, I lean on Daniel 2. The kingdom that will destroy all other kingdoms is already here and already freeing the slaves from captivity. You can take that figuratively or literally and it’ll still be true. And it’s true because with The Great Mandate we were given the help of someone much greater than any of us. He will see to it that God’s word does not return void.

In closing, I’m asking all of you that have been moved by something I’ve done to go. Go and do whatever The Spirit convicts you to. By no means am I asking anyone to join any ministry I’m involved in. There are many people out there with many different needs. You may end up toiling at something I could never imagine myself getting involved in. To that, I say, to God be the glory. Just go and do something!

Vaguely related: I can’t get this song out of my head now even though it’s been years since I’ve heard it.

Not Superman

When I’m going to do something for the greater good, I’m known for doing it in the most radical way I could possibly think of. Sex trafficking bothers me, so I pick up prostitutes and preach the gospel to them. Our country sheds the blood of thousands of innocents every day, so I protest alongside men and women that feel the same way I do. A lot of my friends are not saved, so I welcome them all to challenge my beliefs to see if they can’t make sense of things I do and say. Biblical illiteracy is widespread, so I spend a lot of time delving into the debates going on at the highest level so I can share what I have learned with those misrepresenting what I believe in. I have my hands in a growing number of ministries that help people that are in need and I stand by all of them in deed, in word, and even monetarily. But, if you really know me, one thing is for sure. I am not Superman.

I could go on about not being perfect, but that’s obvious. We all fall short of righteousness. When I say “I’m not Superman”, I mean I’m just an ordinary guy. There is nothing particularly special about me. God did not design me with special traits to be some sort of caped crusader on His behalf. He does not need me for that as I’d fail miserably anyway. What I mean is that there is no fundamental difference between me and you.

Our convictions may be quite different. You may be called to be a part of a ministry that I couldn’t fathom being a part of, and I applaud it. Why? Not because you are made in any peculiar way, either. It’s because we are both obeying the mandate of The Great Commission and at the same time expanding the kingdom that will see no end. This is how it’s done. Ordinary people like you and I act as the hands and feet of Christ, in essence, preserving and being a light to the culture around us.

I don’t do what I do to bring glory to myself. That’s not the point. I don’t care if anyone sees me as good or bad, because this is all bigger than us. I do what I do to inspire people like you to get up, get out, and do something. You are just as capable as I am of following your convictions and making a difference. Do politics bother you? Study law! Get out in the field and make a difference. Have you had bad experiences with law enforcement, health care providers, or even car salesmen? There’s room for us there too. It doesn’t really matter what it is. When you’re doing it for His glory and His honor, the fruit will come!

We have to stop being so short sighted and think about what could be in the future! Instant gratification isn’t going to bring any of this about. We have to be willing to sweat, weep, and bleed for it! We have to be willing to get up, get out, and get uncomfortable if we’re serious about what we are called and commanded to do in scripture.

There’s a lot to be said about this. Perhaps, I’ll flesh it out more in time to come. Maybe I’ll just share some of my favorite ministries and invite others to share theirs. The more of us getting involved at the street level, the better off everyone is in general.

This is Not for You

A number of things have been said about me and the things I believe. I’ve had my friends share their displeasure and ire of me on many occasions. This is not just on the internet, mind you. This is in real life in face-to-face encounters as well. I’m well aware that some of those people I’ve had conflict with think that I’m delusional or possibly wicked. I am perfectly okay with that.

 

I used to be a person that thought people like me were annoying. I didn’t understand people sharing stories about their faith and their favorite bible verses. “Who cares?” I always questioned. No difference would ever be made. It was pointless and stupid to share religious things outside of the church. There was something very important for me to learn from the persistent of those aggravating Christians.

Isaiah 55:11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The first chapter of Romans tells us that we all know God, but in our sinful rebellion, we suppress the truth of God. The first chapter of First Corinthians tells us that the word of God saves those who believe but is foolishness to those who are perishing. Jesus said that those that aren’t with Him are against Him. Here’s the point: we will not have an excuse on judgment day. We won’t be judged for what we don’t know. We’ll be judged for what we do know. These words people like me share will either save you by the power of God or bring condemnation on you when the time comes.

I remember a time when I was nominally Christian. I believed there was a God out there somewhere and that Jesus somehow pointed us to Him. I was not interested in being in fellowship with his followers, though. I was not interested in reading the things he said or trying to be like him. I was a good enough guy. I was better behaved and more virtuous than most in my own mind. Why would I need a church or to hear about this bible stuff people were spouting? But, luckily, someone out there loved neighbor and God enough to persistently share the gospel.

My eyes were opened by a YouTube video. Let that sink in. No one personally preached to me in a way that made things click. No one coerced me to turn away from my sin. I don’t even know who made the video or how I came across it. I’ll never meet the person or have any interaction with him or her in this life. Now I sit here sending this message to you a person struggling to live consistently with his faith because God deemed social media a place for His word to advance and do what it’s supposed to do. By His grace, His words saved me.

So, if you’re offended by me for the things I say, fine. If I anger you, fine. If you hate me and the things I believe (which I’m aware some of you do), fine. Guess what? I don’t care! The greatest man to ever live came and taught us the greatest love there is and we killed him. I don’t care if you block me, unfriend me, or whatever the case may be. That’s soft compared to what happened to Him.

The criticism and vitriol I get for what I say means nothing when someone says to me that something I said or did has them rethinking their position on God or something important. It means nothing to me when I see my friends turning away from their sin to follow Jesus. It means nothing to me when my little brother says to me “this is what I need” and “I want more of this”. It means nothing to me when I see people as broken and hurting as I was before I was saved by the word of God.

So, go on. Mock me behind my back. Laugh among those that agree with you. Say hurtful things to me while you hide behind a monitor. I do not care. You know why? Because this is not for you. Of all those given to Christ, He will lose not even one. God’s word will affect all of us in the way it’s meant to. It either will save you or condemn you. Just know that God knows that we all know that He’s there. We are all without excuse.

Tender Words

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 

I say and post a lot of things in jest. Some of these things are deeply held convictions with no context and some of these things are just humorous explanations of what’s going on in the world around us. Sometimes, I share memes with buzzwords that I don’t bother to delve into. Sometimes, I share an opposing view because of how ridiculous I may think the statement is.

All that being said, I’m going to offend someone along the way. I know that and I don’t shy away from it. I invite people to pick at my brain when there’s a disagreement. If I am not being consistent on the path that I’m on, I want to know! I do not mind engaging people on what’s going on in my heart and mind at all, but it really bothers me that there are so many keyboard warriors out there.

For some people, especially skeptics, I expect antagonistic comments to be made about things that I share. So, what? That’s just a skeptic being a skeptic. I don’t really care about that and this is not about them. I’m not saying all my skeptic friends are unreasonable or unfriendly, but I take it a lot more personally when a brother or sister attacks me because we’re family.

Dear brother or sister, if I say or do something that personally offends you, you’re invited to address me personally. Send a direct message to me, call me, text me, have lunch with me, or have a drink with me. If we have those options, let’s take them. Can we not solve our differences the way the world does? Why do we get involved in flame wars? How are we showing love for one another or God when we do that? We’re simply not. We just anger one another and absolutely no progress at all ends up being made.

John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Don’t forget that we’re the city on the hill. We have the light to shine. People are watching what we’re doing and how we treat one another. We cannot say that we love God if we show hatred for our own brothers and sisters. I’m pleading with you to please treat one another in your online interaction the way you would treat each other in a face-to-face encounter. Let’s reason together and show love for one another even when our convictions are different, shall we?

As for me, I refuse to engage in it. If I feel like I’m being attacked by a brother or sister, I’ll say what I have said here and I’ll just disengage. At that point, I don’t even want to talk about anything anymore and why would I? Christians, we can and must do better.

Colbert Misreports

If Stephen Colbert is your favorite theologian, I’m about to burst your bubble. Colbert is absolutely wrong on this statement and this can be explained through three very important biblical truths from the old and new testaments.

Firstly, people that make this claim don’t know who Jesus is (John 8:58, John 10:30, John 1:1, Isaiah 9:6, etc, etc, etc). Jesus has always existed in perfect harmony with the Father. Perfect harmony means both Jesus and the Holy Spirit saw it just when the Father destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Secondly, Jesus affirmed what the definition of marriage is when He was questioned about divorce. “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,  and said,‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Where’s the variance? Where’s the apology for burning the aforementioned places to the ground? Where does He say the rules have changed? He doesn’t. In fact, He says that you shouldn’t even begin to think the rules have changed.

The third and last point is this: Jesus said plainly that He did not intend to do away with the law, which were the commandments given mostly throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy (Matthew 5:17). According to the law, acting on same-sex attraction sexually is toebah, an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. In that single statement, He addressed homosexuality, murder, rape, and everything sinful in the world. He did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. Lastly, I’d ask anyone that challenges this to present scripture the supports any sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage. I’ll just go ahead and tell you that it’s not there. During the great commission, Jesus told the apostles to make children of all nations, teaching them all that He commanded. What did those men say about homosexuality? Take a look at the first chapter of Romans in the New Testament. You’ll see that God has not changed His mind (He doesn’t do that).

 

If you experience same-sex attraction and you’re reading this, know that I and anyone else reading this, we all are just as sinful as you. We all fall short of the glory of God. None of us deserve His mercy, yet He loved us first. Yet, He died for us. You are free to turn away from your sin. You don’t need to fix yourself and somehow put a stop to your attraction. Indeed, you can’t. In our sins, we are slaves to our sin.

The good news is God changes us. God gives us a heart willing to obey Him. God grants us repentance and fights sin with us and abides in us. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that wonderful? He’ll be with us even until the end of the age throughout all struggles with sin. God loves you. Your true identity, like mine, is within Him and not in your sexuality. True freedom is in Christ and not sex. True harmoniousness will not be found outside of Christ, as hard as you may try.

Also, take comfort in knowing that you have always been invited to join the church. Paul mentions members of the early Christian church that turned away from their sins to follow Christ and homosexuals are among them. The love of Christ is for you too. All you have to do is follow Him. He will do the rest for and in you.

Sluggish Science Guys

The first time I saw this, I just shook my head and moved on. The second time I saw it I replied to a friend “God declared this thousands of years ago. Y’all late.” Genesis was written in roughly 1440 B.C. (as far as we know). Now that I’m seeing this imagenin a decent amount of rotation, I’m a little bit perturbed. Really, guys? You’re gushing over Bill Nye saying this?

First things first, I’m really curious what “research” just “discovered” this. I wonder if he even really said this or if someone just attached a quote with his image to circulate a message. There is no reference to the quote posted with any variation of this image (that I’ve seen anyway). I’ll just assume some random naturalist made this up unless a source is provided. This really feels like one of those “scientists have just discovered….!!” memes that go around that we’re supposed to just fall in line with.

If you’re a naturalist and this excites you, I suggest you read the ever so equality pushing “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of the Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life” or the “Descent of Man“, both by Charles Darwin. The evolutionary model doesn’t leave room for equality among men. You don’t have to take my word for it. You can read what Darwin “discovered” in his “studies” for yourself. Better yet, there are no shortages of biographies on the man. You can further investigate what he personally felt about race for yourself.

There is some truth to this meme. But, because it takes a quote like this to be attached to a name in pop culture to be recognized, we suffer greatly from man’s suppression of the truth. How many lives were lost in American slavery? Worse yet, how many people lived through barbaric treatment for years upon years? I’ve got a list of things that happened due to ridiculous belief that there are people “more human” than others.

If you don’t know how bad American slavery was, I suggest reading Frederick Douglass’ autobiography. It brought me to tears and filled my heart with unbridled rage at different points. Can you imagine being beaten, worked in all weather conditions, starved, given close to nothing for clothes, having your husband, wife, children, or other relatives sold to other plantations right before your very eyes? Imagine seeing your friends getting lynched by mobs for the sake of freedom. The bloodiest war in this country’s history was fought on our own soil over these issues. All this and much, much, MUCH more.

Have you heard of Ota Benga? Do you know of the atrocities committed against the Tasmanians? Do you know why the Ku Klux Klan believes that white men are superior to black men? Why was “interracial” marriage illegal (and still frowned upon by many despite what pop culture says about it)? Does the name “Julia Pastrana” ring a bell? How about Barnum and Bailey’s “Greatest Show on Earth”? What motivated Stalin? As much as naturalists hate to see the foundation of this for what it is, what in the world convinced Hitler that some men are “more human” than others and it was okay to do what he did to the Jews? In our day and age, we have yet again allowed ourselves to believe that some humans are more human than others and have slaughtered 55 million+ of our own young (not including the unknown numbers from outside of the US).

You may think I’d pin all this on the evolutionary school of thought. But, that’s not entirely the case. My go-to answer to this problem is Romans 1:18-23. Applied to this discussion, it means this: God is so evident, man has to go out of his way to deceive himself to deny God. We exchange the infinite worth of being made in the image of God for the images of animals. People have convinced themselves that a fish became a philosopher and that we’re all a worthless cosmic accident and then turn around and champion equality as if it’s something to be proud of in that worldview.

No, Mr. or Mrs. anonymous skeptic. We don’t have to do anything according to your worldview. We have no meaning, no purpose, no judgement ahead of us, and no justice behind us according to your worldview. We are simply star dust brought to life. But, you don’t believe that. You agree with me. Despite everything you say with your mouth, in your heart you believe what I’m telling you.

You believe that we’re made equal, just as God declared from the very beginning (Genesis 1:26). You believe that the people you love have value and purpose, which are immaterial things that only comport with the truth of God. When you read up on any of the matters I suggest, you’ll cringe at the despicable tales of horror. You know that evil has shown itself in those stories. But, standing on atheistic principles, you have no place to become indignant. Why do you care? You care because buried deep down, you know the truth of God and you know these things are horrible.

Here’s the truth about all of this. You don’t need a word from me, Bill Nye, or some other person. The truth is in Jesus (Proverbs 9:10). How many more innocents will we slaughter before all confess that He is Lord? One way or the other, all will be reconciled to Him. Some will be reconciled to their inheritance, which is the earth. Those are the ones that confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord. I urge you all to repent and believe the gospel. It’s the only justification we have before our Holy righteous and just God.

 

For those of you interested in this topic, I strongly recommend “The Darwin Effect” by Jerry Bergman. He discusses most of what I mention and then some with more citations that I can count. It’s extremely exhaustive in it’s research, yet the information is easily digestible and there are references for everything he says.

Three Years a Christian

My spiritual birthday is January 20, 2013. I’ll never forget that night. I went through a lot of radical changes after I recognized my sin for what it is. I became a different person. I was born again. I don’t even remember what it’s like to be the person I was before that day. I can remember his thoughts and feelings very vaguely, but I can’t imagine acting on them. I can’t make sense of them either. The change in me was so profound, people around me took notice and a few of them changed as well. God has blessed me beyond what my words can say, and I still have so far to go.

This past weekend, the pastor of the church that I attend preached on the “The Triumphal Entry” (John 12:12-26).

¹² The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. ¹⁷ The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸ The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

The Jews had been waiting for their deliverer. They had been living under the menacing rule of the Romans, a regime renown for its ability to make people suffer and die as slowly and painfully as possible. They were a people that invented the excruciatingly painful execution we know as the crucifixion. They applied this torment very liberally to any who would dare defy their rule. Not only were people nailed to a tree by their hands and feet, but they were beaten and flogged with a cat o’nine tails before even facing the cross. The scourgings were so severe, people sometimes bled out and died before the real execution even began.

The Israelites had to deal with the constant threat of death of the Roman presence. To defy their rule meant death. To defy their high taxes meant death. They were even extorted by their own brothers and sisters on behalf of Rome. Many people died shamefully, painfully, and openly. Men and women alike were publicly executed to be made an example of in front of family, friends, and children. Then, here comes Jesus.

Jesus preached the word of God with unheard of authority, fed thousands, healed the sick, and raised people up from the dead. When His power was put on display, the people put their hopes in Him. Jesus has power over life and death. He will be the one to set the captives free. He will be the one to crush Rome and remove them from the land. Yet, Jesus goes on to teach the people to submit their worldly authority (rendering to Caesar). Jesus also tells people if they love Him and wish to faithfully follow Him, they have to die. Jesus was indeed the savior they needed, but they no longer wanted Him after He didn’t give them what they wanted.

One day, they’re chanting “Hosanna” which is an expression of adoration, and the next they’re chanting “crucify him”. Listening to my pastor preach about this, I had to sit and think about the ways I am like them. I know that Jesus was put on that cross for my sins. I personally put Him there every time the hostility towards Him in my heart rears its ugly head. Just like them, when things don’t go the way I want them to, I forget how good Jesus is and my sin, my selfish pride puts Him on that cross.

There are a lot of things that I don’t have that I want. I don’t own a home yet.  I don’t have a family yet and the likelihood of getting one doesn’t seem good. I don’t own the car I drive because it still has two years of payments left on it. I’m not even sure my professional pursuits are what my heart truly desires. There are a lot of ways I say in my heart “Jesus, you are not enough. I want worldly things.” There are a lot of ways I fail to keep my eyes on the heavenly things and they all result in hostility towards the God I profess to love.

Three years and I still fail to see that I have everything I need in Christ. There are a lot of ways I say in my heart “Jesus, you are not enough. I want worldly things.” There are a lot of ways I fail to keep my eyes on the heavenly things and they all result in hostility towards the God I profess to love. There are a lot of ways I’m a part of that crowd saying “crucify Him”. That is the awful cause of my offense towards God. That is the penalty for my sin.

Even still, I know that God is faithful to forgive sin if we should confess it. God does not lie. He will honor all that he has promised us. He already has and then some. I have experienced the goodness of God. I may not understand His methods, but I know He’s working out all things for good of those that love Him. If I have nothing else, I have His word. I just pray going forward that the part of me that’s not content with Him is put to death as well.

Cutting the Legs Off of the Holocaust

The following is a conversation between a friend and I on Facebook concerning this picture that I posted on Facebook to demonstrate one of the absurd ways we use to justify the murder of our young.

To start the conversation, the false assertion that Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with abortions is made when they themselves say it is “only 3% of what they do“, which is a lie. This dialogue is based on misinformation from the get go.

Secondly, he goes on to say that the majority of abortions are medically necessary. Well, what do the stats say about this? Ireland disagrees with this for sure, but we’ll have a look anyway.

According to WebMD, the most common reasons are contraceptive failure (sexual immorality), an unwanted pregnancy (likely sexual immorality), to prevent the birth of a child with birth defects, pregnancy resulting from rape or incest (sexual immorality), or physical or mental conditions that put the mother at risk, which, as we have already seen, are typically not life threatening. You can have your fill of other sources like womansissues, prochoice.org, abort73, or whoever else you want to go to. The typical answer you’ll find is sexual immorality. Though, selfishness and the love of money does come up now and then. For the sake of the conversation with my friend, I’m hammering in on the recurring theme, sexual immorality.

This is not to say that I don’t know that pregnancy can cause health issues. God declared that so to Eve after the fall. Justifying the murder of millions for the sake of something that’s a rare occurrence doesn’t make sense. And yes, yet again, I understand that abortion does indeed put the mother of the child in danger as well. Some say that this doesn’t happen at all, but that’s another argument.

Commenting on my own response, I was baffled that he said that Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with abortions. This guy obviously knows nothing about Margaret Sanger and her wildly successful (so far) bloody mission. I was so dumbfounded and offended, that I didn’t notice he appealed to an ultimate standard to how I should behave. I’ll get to more on that later.

Typical of conversations with skeptics, he assumes I am unlearned because I hold an opposing view. A person that doesn’t know what Margaret Sanger’s mission was and the principles it was founded on is telling me I don’t know facts. Here’s a fun fact: handing out pamphlets will not cleanse the blood of the millions crying out from the ground. No, I don’t care that they do those things. There are plenty of alternatives to choose from that won’t encourage you to murder your child.

To start with, he’s not starting from the very beginning as he claims he’s about to do. I address that in my next comments. In another twist of irony, he’s using language (it’s really common for pro-murderers to not know what the word “fetus” means) he doesn’t understand to defend his position but ends up supporting mine. I get to that in my next comment as well. On to some things I didn’t say!

He’s making yet another outrageous statement with nothing to back it up. Upon conception, a baby has just as much information in his or her DNA as anyone reading this. You don’t become human. You are conceived human. The only thing that separates us from a newly conceived life is our degrees of growth! Yet, he compares the baby to a tumor with no source to back up such an outrageous claim. Interestingly, he implies that the baby isn’t really alive with quotations. I wonder at what point he arbitrarily decides that the baby actually is alive, but that’s beside the point.

In this video, Bill Nye demonstrates that he does not know that humans are indeed born with all the same information and are human from conception, nor does he know that there is a difference between the mother’s body and the child’s body. The popular science guy that champions logic is saying this. At this point, I found myself morally indignant and angry. He’s using the tools of God to defend the murder of our children and I wasn’t having it. He did get another comment in before I let loose:

How can you defend this bloody massacre without being aware of how many lives it has claimed? Keep in mind I was given a knowledge challenge by this very same person. Before I give my full response, which was lengthy as you can see, I’ll say again that I don’t care about clever arguments or witty banter. I do not care about winning arguments. I care about saving lives and seeing people come to Jesus. I care about the souls of everyone involved in this. That said, here’s the rest of what I said to him:

What I should have said is you don’t want that sin or any sin at all to have to give an account for. The punishment for sin is death and this is just a despicable crime. Fortunately for all of us, there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ, our propitiation. He took on the full wrath of God so that we wouldn’t have to pay the ultimate price. This is what the gospel is about and this is what the message I’m trying to convey. This isn’t about conservative vs liberal or pro-life vs. pro-choice. This is about the gospel and what God declares to be good, which includes rescuing the weak and needy. No one is weaker and in more need than a helpless baby.

I went ahead and removed the name of the person being engaged because as far as I can tell, that person has withdrawn from the discussion. I talked about this last week, but I’ll say it again: I have no respect for atheism as a worldview. It degrades people and strips them of their dignity. The respect my friend mentioned above becomes null. Why would you respect someone that has no value or dignity? So what? It’s so empty and void, that according to it, killing children is okay. Atheism is a bankrupt parasite of a worldview and it cannot even defend itself without borrowing from the Christian worldview.

I don’t mind having a civil conversation about any of this, but I will not put up with any talk of abortion being “good”. You cannot have good without God. That invokes God into something that’s clearly evil and I cannot bare to even behold it. If you’re a skeptic and you’re bothered by charges against atheism, good. I guarantee that you will only find conclusive answers in Christ.

I’ll close all this with two questions:

1. By what means did God enter His own creation? (Luke 1:31)
2. What was the horror of that period? (Matthew 2:16)

I Have No Respect for Atheism

When I argue, debate, discuss, cross-examine, or whatever you want to call it with my skeptic friends, at some point in the discussion a variance of “I respect your beliefs” is said to me. When things get heated, this is a nice gesture. It’s a peace keeper. When I read it or hear it, I interpret it as “we’re still friends even though we disagree”. All in all, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I had a revelation the last time it was said to me: yes, we are still friends, but that feeling is not mutual.

I can hear the bellows of tolerance and love now from believers and unbelievers alike. I’ll be accused of being too harsh, mean-spirited, so on and so forth. But, if there is no God, so what? If there is no meaning, no purpose, nothing at all besides what is physical, why is this upsetting? After all, everything I do is just a chemical reaction. You’re free to pay me no mind.

That is my problem with Atheism. It robs people of their dignity. How am I supposed to tell you I respect your view if it tells you that you’re worthless and that everything in your life is ultimately meaningless? How am I supposed to respect a view that tells you there’s nothing special about your husband or wife, son or daughter, mother or father, your marriage, your talents, your interests, and anything else that may be important to you? How can I respect a view that is indifferent to death, destruction, disease, addiction, natural disaster, and all the other chaos we face in life everyday? I can’t. I simply can’t. Even if I did, what that ultimately mean in light of that worldview? Nothing at all!

Then, there are the atheists that will say “I have found a meaning” and those that will say “you’re attacking a strawman”. Am I?

“The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.” – Richard Dawkins

What’s your answer to Dawkins, Krauss, Sagan, Tyson, and all the others that insist that we’re just animals? You don’t have an argument with me. You have an argument with the cheif priests of your own religion!

“No gods, no life after death, no ultimate foundation for ethics, no ultimate meaning in life, and no human free will, we are all deeply connected to an evolutionary perspective. You’re here today, and you’re gone tomorrow. And that’s all there is to it.” – Dr. William Provine

No one lives consistenly with Atheistic beleifs. No one. I don’t even call people “atheists”, I call them “skeptics” because there really is no such thing. How do I know that? Skeptics will say everything is meaningless and then make moral agruments. They have to step outside of their worldview and borrow from God to make sense of why they care about anything at all. They’ll continue to marry their spouses, grieve their dead, kiss their children goodnight, and attribute meaning to things they hold dear. They’ll argue for science and logic and expect coherent responses when they have no foundation for any of those things. People say they don’t believe in God, but they’re lying. When they argue with me, I won’t let them borrow capital from God in our dialogue without pointing it out and turning it on them.

I don’t have time to waste being politically correct or saying things in a nice gentle way. You don’t pat your friends on the shoulder and whisper “your house is on fire”. You yell at them. You push, pull, shove, and do whatever you can to get your friend out. My skeptic friends, YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE. YOU WILL BE SWALLOWED UP BY FLAMES IF YOU DON’T LEAVE. You must repent and accept the God who saves or you WILL be consumed by His just judgement.

Since we’re assuming God when we talk about meaning, purpose, ethics, value, and the like, we are without excuse for our rebellion against God. That is exactly what He Himself says about it, and I’ll leave it at that.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” Romans 1:18-19

Other great resources on this topic

http://subsplash.com/apologia/v/b0d443b