Rejoicing & The Heart of The Gospel

Yesterday I had the blessing of learning that a new friend of mine named Sarah had confessed her sins and put her trust in Christ.   She had been watching the online On The Box program that I also watch and chat on.  There were a number of us reaching out to her with the Gospel and friendship (including a long time friend of hers), and God was working all along to bring her to Himself!  It's awesome!
At the bottom of this blog post I will share a link to the blog posts that Tony did earlier with e-mails back and forth with Sarah.

I've been struggling with vertigo for over two weeks now and also have tinnitus that has become a difficult issue again.  Still, through the fog, I have some joy in seeing God at work!

The video below with John MacArthur and Kirk Cameron is a short clip that cuts to the the heart of the Gospel.  I hope that people won't misunderstand.  Jesus didn't become sinful, but took on the sin of those who would believe.
Of course, the Law is a tutor that directs people to see their need for forgiveness and a Savior and the Good News of the Gospel.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 
Galatians 3:24

Click here to go to the third blog post that Tony did with Sarah.  You will find links there to the first and second posts he did as well.

If you are not a Christian and this has confused you, please check out the following link:
Are You a Good Person?

James Holmes - Unfettered Evil

James Holmes - Who is he?  Why would he go to a theater and shoot a bunch of people?
These are questions that intrigue people.
Surely it seems he decided to fantasize himself as the Joker in Batman.  He apparently had a recording to sound like the Joker on his answering machine and tried to look the part for his attack.

How does someone get so caught up in planning and carrying out something that shows such a callousness toward life?
How is James Holmes so different than the rest of us?  Many people get caught up in fantasy, but what sends someone over the edge to finally act out their imagination?

Maybe the question should be what restrains the rest of us from doing horrendous things?  Well, many people do things that are against God and His commandments.  We think that they are minor offenses, because we compare them to what this man did and feel good about ourselves.  We may never have physically acted out murder, but have we hated or been angry at someone?  Did we ever dream of doing something mean or immoral? 

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.  1 John 3:15

Here is a blog post by John MacArthur that talks about the conscience....and mentions serial killers:
Soften Your Conscience
 I thought I'd share a couple of blog posts that I found to be worth reading about what happened in Colorado:
The Dark Night in Denver — Groping for Answers

Why the Batman shooting is not a senseless tragedy.

I also want to share again what I said in response to the Anders Behring Breivik incident a year ago.  Strange that this incident happened just short of the the anniversary of that murderous slaughter last year.
 My Analysis of Anders Behring Breivik

There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

  Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,

 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,

A false witness who utters lies,
And one who  spreads strife among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

If you think that you are a good person, please check out the following link to see if you really are:
Are You A Good Person?

Things You Never Gave Me (David Meece)

This song has ministered to me and others I know at different times in life.  It can apply to many different situations in life....whether a disability or illness that doesn't go away, a person doesn't get the spouse they dreamed of, or even when someone doesn't get the job they thought would be perfect for them.  I may not know now the whys of what God is doing, but often I can see God's protection or use of a situation in my life.  It also can benefit others when we can better understand what they are going through and encourage them. Even sometimes things that may be good are not necessarily what is God's best for me.  In some things I still need patience and to trust in God's goodness and Sovereign plan.

What Is Marriage?

How did marriage come to be? What is it's origin? What is marriage about? 
Well, recently a talk/rap video was shared via Facebook.
I've done other blog posts and shared other videos on the issues discussed on the video, but this particular video I'm sharing today also touches on the aspect of what marriage is a picture of which is very important. I also think that pointing out differences and how they complement each other can be very helpful in a discussion on the subject.
Being different can be a good thing. 
There are some issues perhaps not clarified, but overall I found it to be worth watching and worth sharing. I hope that other people will pass it on.
Finally, I will leave you to discover the most important aspects of the video for yourself.

How Do You Prove That The Bible Is True?

While searching for ways to respond to someone who questions the validity of the Bible, I came across a video with John MacArthur that has some good answers.  If you have this question - or if you know someone else who has this question - you may want to watch this and/or share it.

Pregnancy, Science, Standards

Pregnancy: Science teaches us that at conception there is a human life involved.
A baby has gender and is a separate life that is on life support. Half of his or her DNA belongs to a father, so that will not match the mother's DNA. A parasite or skin cell or any other cell belonging to a mother can never become a human, so people who make the comparison between those and a conceived baby are being ludicrous in my estimation. Science is peoples way of trying to understand what God has created ... only people who want to deny God's existence try to come up with ideas that leave Him out.

Every scientist or philosopher generally starts with a presupposition. Philosophers only base their values on personal opinion or on what others have said which means their values have little value without an absolute measuring stick.

My standard of what's right or wrong comes from God Who is the Author of life. I find what He has said about life in His Word the Bible.  The Bible makes it clear that murder is wrong (Exodus 20:13; Matthew 19:18; Matthew 5:21-22, etc.)  and that God creates the life in the womb (Psalm 139:13; Job 10:8-12; Ecclesiastes 11:5 ; Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 119:73).

When left up to our own standards, people will decide that anything goes. Margaret Sanger decided that the poor and minorities didn't have a right to be born into difficult circumstances. The abortion industry encourages abortions and profits from them. Something being legal or commonly accepted does not make it right. If you haven't watched the “180” Movie documentary related to this, it's at http://180movie.com/
It shows how people eventually accepted things during Hitler's time and where that led / leads.

People wonder why so much goes wrong with the world. Sin is what brought on death and defects to human beings. Ignoring and disobeying God has far reaching consequences. 

All have sinned and fall short of God's glory...including me.  Ecclesiasted 7:20 NASB says, 'Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins."
My salvation is based upon what Christ did on the cross and not upon any good works which cannot earn a thing or satisfy God's justice.  Only Jesus (Who was both fully man and fully God) lived the perfect life that I could not and died taking the punishment that I deserve and also dying in the place of all who will repent and put their trust in Him and believe that He rose from the dead (demonstrating His power over death).  We cannot live up to God's standard of perfection (and the Law can't save... Romans 3:20 ; Galatians 2:16), but thankfully He is willing to show mercy and save by grace those who truly have repented and believed. That is amazing love to die for people who are enslaved to sin and cannot save themselves from it, so that they can be forgiven.  Christians are not perfect here on earth.  I am forgiven and God is working in me to help me to become more like Jesus.  I have the desire to love and obey Him now.  God is Holy and He is the Judge, but He is also my Lord, Savior and Father. I am thankful that He saved me and loves me. 

All I Have Is Christ

A line in a song was coming into my head recently.  I decided to look it up, and I found this video that I think that I saw in the past.  It's pretty neat, and it's also encouraging to see what the artist did to make a storyline out of this.  It leads first from the rebel running away from God to being one of His sheep protected and secure even when facing death for sharing His message with others.  This transformation comes through repentance and forgiveness which comes through trusting in Christ and in Christ's death on the cross in our place and believing that He rose from the dead.  Through Christ is my hope.  If you cannot understand all of the lyrics, I will give the link below to those.

All I Have is Christ from goodground33 on GodTube.

Here is the link to the lyrics:
http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/Product/M4230-11-58/All_I_Have_Is_Christ_LYRICS.aspx

Be Unto Your Name Worship Song / Loss of a Pet

I've been sad lately, as our cat (Catalina) is now dead. She stopped eating and was throwing up and missed the litter box. Her stomach wasn't working properly...stuff was not getting through her in the normal amount of time if at all. Even after the vet tried some things (surgery and an IV...IV because of low blood sugar), she still refused to eat the next afternoon/evening. She likely had liver disease as well as a stomach not working right. She did drink some water that last day and tried to get down, but she was still weak and holding her tongue funny and refusing wet food and yogurt (favorites of hers). She was put to sleep. Lots of things remind us of her and make us feel badly. She was loved and is missed a lot. She is no longer suffering or biting at herself.  I don't believe that animals go to Heaven, but I do believe that God is capable of creating a perfect cat just like her only without the effects of the fall.  If there are cats in Heaven, then all of the cat haters will likely be cat lovers.  After all, all that God created was good even here on the old earth.

The following song is one that I believe that we sang at a previous church, and it's come to my attention from two different sources again in recent times.  While this version does run on a bit long, it really has a great tune for worship and the words are pretty good too.  This life is but a moment compared to eternity.  In Heaven, we who are are saved will no longer suffer the loss of beloved pets or human loved ones.