Why vote for change, when you can vote for dollars!

I went to go early vote after church on Sunday.

I'm going to be flat out honest. I did not want to.

The politics of this election have driven me to a point of madness on which I can't describe without sounding "un-American".

I was bombarded by nothing but Obama supporters and signs. There was no trace of evidence that McCain was even running for president. Midway waiting in the ever growing line, FAMU's marching band and a full on parade of more Obama supporters came strolling up main street.

At least the band was good.

I am not crazy about either one of the candidates. My vote ended up being decided on who stood for certain issues i found critical to America's future. But i learned something for the whole ordeal.

In the very front of the parade, there was a banner which read, "Vote for your conscious".

At first, I thought it was hilarious that "conscience" was spelt wrong, but the more i thought about it, they were right. (Just not the spelling;)

We are born with the ability to tell right from wrong. In the Psalms it speaks of God writing his Law on our hearts. The Ten Commandments are really simple if you think about it. "Thou shalt not kill." Check. "Thous shalt not commit adultery." Check. But when Jesus come on the scene and says that The Father looks at the thought life and the heart, it becomes much more real to us. Hate is murder. Lust is adultery. The stakes become much higher and our conscience recognizes that.

"Vote for your Conscience."

As you look on to this year's election, use your conscience to weigh the issues. Is it right? Is it wrong? There are things that seem right to us, but it righteous in God's eyes?

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Proverbs 14:12

Ringing of Bell's...

So i received a phone call from my sister-in-law about a heated discussion in her class. It just so happened to be on Rob Bell. So tomorrow i get to go talk to her class about some of his teachings. If anybody reads these things and knows a good bit about Mr. Bell, could you please tell me what you know, cause i don't want to be informed about him. Thanks.

One of my favorite Jews...

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

being open minded... pt.2

So after some comment's on my last blog, i figured i'd clear the air about a few things. I was mearly just bearing my soul a little bit and talking about something i'm passionate about. I take my faith very seriously and i don't mean to confuse or belittle. There were a few things that i noticed in my comments that did understand on why my blog was misunderstood.

I am not saying as christians we don't need to live a christian lifestyle, but rather it is not a "christian lifestyle" that makes us christian. Anyone could live a "christian lifestyle" and not be a christian. It's called a false convert. Many people think that you can skate by and just go to church, and do good things and act like a christian. This is not the case. Jesus clearly said, "You must be born again."

One thing i noticed is that i said, "Jesus didn't come to this earth to live, he came to die." I am not saying Jesus' life didn't mean anything, but was trying to stress the importance of His death. Yes, Jesus did not come only to die. He came to live a sinless life, holy and spotless before God. He came to die on the cross, in our place. And He came to defeat death with His glorious resurrection. It is so very important to preach His Life, Death and Resurrection. One cannot stand alone, neither can two hold each other up, but only when the three are combined do they accomplish what Christ set out to do.

God is not looking for us to pay him back? Well of course he's not looking for us to pay him back! We can't! He knows this. BUT... there is still a fine to be paid. Christ paid that fine. It is when we accept Christ and REPENT from our sins that our fine, which we can't pay ourselves, is paid in full.

Well, what about if the christian life weren't the best way to live, then why don't we go to heaven directly after we get saved? What does the christian life have anything to do with going to heaven? It doesn't. You go to heaven if you are a born again believer in Christ. You either live your life for him or you don't. But let me ask you this: If you don't live your life like a christian and you claim to be one, are you really a christian? When you truly become a christian, your life changes. If there is no change, i urge you to seek out if you're really a christian. We become new in Christ, not the same with a different label. We don't live our lives trying to prove to God that we're worthy of heaven, because we're not. It is only through the Blood of the Lamb that we can enter into his presence.

The beauty of christianity is that we can be both a slave and a freedman. Oh, isn't it wonderful to know that my chains have been broken from sin but yet now i am CHAINED to the one called Christ? The glory of it all. It is a little difficult to understand, but when it comes to full understanding, how beautiful it is. I am no longer a slave to sin, but to Christ? Praise the Father! Paul repeatedly spoke of being a bondservant or slave to Christ. But yet Paul often spoke of the great joy of being free in Christ. I will gladly live my life in service to my Lord.

Liberty and Freedom. Two things America has fought and died for. Millions upon millions have given their lives for these two ideals in America alone. It is no different with christianity. Blood had to be shed. It was Christ who layed down his life for our freedom and liberty. Romans 6:7-8 says, "For he that is dead is free from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we should also live with Him."

It is through His life, death and resurrection that we are free from sin. Now how do we embrace that? Paul continues in verse 15 by saying, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Just because we are free from sin doesn't mean we can live any ole' way we want.

Which brings us back to lifestyle.

If you are truly saved and born again, your lifestyle will change. "that our old man is crucified with him.." It is in my opinion that being a christian isn't a lifestyle. BUT being a christian will change your lifestyle. You'll act different, you feel different, you'll speak differently. This is my blog and it's a window to a lost world. I'm going to yell that the house is burning down, not to condemn, but out of love. Some may say i'm ranting, but i'll do whatever it takes to get people out of the house. Even if that includes running in.

Jesus said, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father , but by me."

The way of Jesus is the ONLY WAY to the Father. And if you know him, then you know the Father.

on being open minded pt.1...

I have come to the realization that i need to clear a few things on my last blog. I think i might have been taken in the wrong way on a few things. So, look forward to a new blog soon to answer questions and concerns.

As i good friend once told me, "Rescue is coming..."

being open minded... pt.1

So, I've finished "Velvet Elvis".

It was ok, not all the hype i thought it was going to be.

There were some really good illustrations and ideas, but then some stuff was way out there. I wouldn't recommend this book to a baby christian or someone who isn't solid in they're faith. The reason behind that is in this first blog.

Mr. Bell uses the illustration that our faith should be like a trampoline. At first it made sense, it should be fun and enjoyable and you should being inviting people to jump with you. I've got no problem with that. Yes, Christian life should be something we enjoy and something we're willing to share with others. What's the point of a trampoline? To jump. What the point of being a Christian? To Follow Christ.

And here lies my biggest problem with all of Mr. Bell's teaching.

Christianity becomes a lifestyle. Or the "best possible way to live."

I am a Christian not because i think it is the best way to live my life, but because i sinned against a righteous and holy God, who sent His son to die in my place. I became guilty before a perfect judge and a fine had to be paid. Jesus paid that fine. I am a slave to Christ. I owe him my life and that is why i follow Him, not because i think it's the best way to live my life.

It is because I am a Christian and servant of Christ that my life reflects His.

Lastly, Mr. Bell takes a stab at John 14:6 and says that "Jesus was not making claims about one religion being better than all other religions." He says that misses the point. Mr. Bell say, that Jesus was telling his followers, "his way is the way to the depth of reality." That the way Jesus lived his life "is the best possible way for a person to live."

Oh how sad it is that we only look to merely imitate Christ, because we think it's the best thing to do. Jesus didn't come to this earth to live, he came to die. Christians open your eyes, this teaching is running heavily through our churches today. It's so close to the truth, it seems only three degrees off. But whether you're three degrees off or a hundred, you will end up off course.

So, Christian is Christ just a lifestyle or is He life?

If you have never repented of your sin, know that God has given us a mirror unto our souls through his commandments. Just a rapist is a rapist after only raping once, a liar is liar after only one lie. A thief is a thief. Jesus said, "If you look at a woman with lust, then you are an adulterer at heart." Know that one day you will stand before a holy God who will judge you by His moral standard, not yours. And then it won't matter what your lifestyle was, but where you life is.