Country of the Day: Cameroon

Cameroon is a West African nation, not far from Burkina Faso, where we were the other day. They are wrecked by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as they rank 14th in deaths from the horrible virus. They have other health concerns, as well as a lack of money, as 48% of the nation falls below the poverty line.

As far as their spiritual health, they are better than some. 40% of the nation claim to be Christian, which is a lot of people. However, in a nation of 19,294,149 people, 60% being not saved means a lot of people headed to Hell if something doesn't change. 40% practice indigenous belief systems, and 20% are Muslim.

Let's pray for the physical healing of Cameroon, and that the HIV/AIDS epidemic can be stopped. Also, let's pray for the lost souls of Cameroon, and that their eyes be opened to the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that the needs of the people are met, and that the Christians be set on fire for Christ.

For more information on Cameroon, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html

Thought from the Retro Bible: Evangelize. There's No Excuse.

"13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." -Acts 4:13, NIV

Lots of people like to use this excuse as to why they don't tell people about Jesus: "I'm just a regular person. I don't know anything theological." Peter and John weren't theologians; they were fisherman, just your everyday blue-collar workers. That's what makes their ministry so great, as only God could have empowered them to speak, heal and minister like they did (paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

Are you making excuses? Everybody is capable of telling the Good News of Jesus Christ. Go do it.

Country of the Day: Cambodia

Cambodia is an East Asian nation, located next to Thailand and Vietnam. It is not in a horrific state economically, but there are still 31% of the people living below the poverty line. This is another country ravaged by disease, as they are recent victims of the feared avian (bird) flu. Also, they suffer from high amounts of bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria.

The biggest concern for Cambodia, however, is their lack of the Gospel. Over 96% of their population of 14,453,680 are Buddhist, with another 2.1% being Muslim. Do the math, and that's a quick 14,236,874 people without the Gospel. To put it in perspective, that second number is larger than the population of both New York, New York and Los Angeles, California...combined. That's a staggering amount of lost people. As a side note, CIA World Factbook states that there is another 1.5% of other religions/unspecified religions. So, out of that 1.5%, there are probably a small number of Christians.

Let's pray first, for the Christians in Cambodia. We have no idea how many there may be. Let's just pray that they stay true to the Word, as they have a lot of negative influence around them. Also, let's pray for the entire nation of Cambodia: for medical help, physical healing, economic healing, and most of all, spiritual healing.

For more information on Cambodia, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html

Thought from the Retro Bible: Team Captain

"15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”" -John 21:15-18, NIV

The Lord is a master recycler. He can make something new and useful out of something that seems broken or used up. Just ask Peter. No matter how bad you've failed, Jesus offers you the promise of forgiveness and a bright future (Direct from Revolution, The Bible for Teen Guys).

Yesterday, we looked at Peter being a choke artist. The game was on the line and Peter air-balled. He struck out. But Jesus gave Peter another chance to hit the game winner. Isn't that great? If we miss the shot, the coach will still put us in with the game on the line. All we are asked is that we honor Him.

Jesus loves you. All He asks is that you believe in Him and return the love. So, will you step up?

Thought From the Retro Bible: Choke Artist

"27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow." -John 18:27, NIV

Yeah, Peter screwed up here. It's not everyday that you deny knowing who Jesus is THREE times (hopefully never!). It was a major choke. But this wasn't the end of Peter. Jesus forgave him, and he became the man Jesus trusted most in building up what would be the Church.

Did you do something really stupid? Do you continue to do the same really stupid thing? Remember Peter: there's always redemption through Christ.

Today's Thought from the Retro Bible was paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys.

Country of the Day: Burundi

Good news- after yesterday's post about Burkina Faso, I received a page view from, you guessed it, Burkina Faso. This is great! Hopefully, that person either read about the Truth of Christ on here, or was encouraged by reading that we are praying for movement in their country.

Today's country is another one you probably haven't heard of: Burundi. Burundi is an East African nation with a population of 9,863,117.

Of this almost 10 million people, 67% are actually Christian. Largely Roman Catholic, this is a surprisingly high number for an African nation. 23% have indigenous beliefs, and another 10% are Muslim.

Burundi is a country riddled with disease and very poor. HIV/AIDS is killing many there, as are malaria, rabies, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. 68% of the country is below the poverty line, and the life expectancy is only in the 50's.

Let's all pray that the Christians of Burundi remain strong, and are set afire to spread the Word throughout the country to the rest of its peoples. Also, let us pray for healing, medical care, and resources for Burundi. I've never heard of Burundi, much less anyone reaching it. Let's hope this changes.

For more information on Burundi, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/by.html

Thought from the Retro Bible: I'll Be Your Servant This Evening

" 13 'You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." -John 13:13-17, NIV

Foot washing in Jesus' day was a nasty job. The roads back then were mostly dirt, and pretty much everyone wore sandals. You can imagine how nasty people's feet were after walking on the roads, in those shoes, all day. Usually, a servant would get stuck with washing people's feet, but here, we see Jesus doing it. Jesus showed His disciples, and anyone who wanted to follow Him, that we have to be willing to do jobs that no one else wants to do. How about you? You willing to get down and dirty to help others?

This thought has been paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Ten Guys.

Country of the Day: Burkina Faso

Today's country is Burkina Faso. If you're like me, you've never heard of it. It's a Colorado-sized country on the west coast of Africa. Now we've both learned something today.

Burkina Faso is 50% Muslim, and another 40% of their population practice indigenous (local) beliefs. A mere 10% proclaim to be Christian (Roman Catholic, mostly).

My prayer for Burkina Faso is that the ten percent professing to know Christ have a fire lit under them, and they are able to spread the Good News like a wildfire. This is not a case of a hostile nation toward Christianity, just one without a Savior. This is a nation that has around 14.6 million lost souls. I hope you extend your prayers out to them.

For more information, go to http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107369.html

Country of Day: Bulgaria

Lots of new things on this blog! Let's look at the makeover:

-The Archive has moved to the bottom of the page, so it's now easier to read.

-Just above the Archive, there's now a Music gadget. I put a few songs on there for now; more will come later.

-My contact info is now clearly presented at the top, including the new email for this blog: the freedbug@aol.com. Please talk to me!

-Biblegateway.com has a gadget for looking up Scripture, which is now also on my sidebar. It should be pretty useful.

One more new thing: in addition to the "Thoughts from the Retro Bible", each day we will also feature a "Country of the Day." Every day, I will post a country and what its religious prayer needs are. I have been working through a list of countries for a while now, praying for them and their needs, and I'd like anyone who reads to join in with me. Today is Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is about 84% Christian (83% Bulgarian Orthodox). Another 12% is Muslim, likely the effect of around 10% of the Bulgarian population being Turkish. The final 4% are other religions.

Let's pray for the Bulgarian Christians to remain strong, as they have a strong Islamic presence to combat. 12% doesn't sound like a lot, but that's over 1 out of every 10 people. My prayer is that the 84% are able to stay strong and true to the Gospel, and that the eyes of the other 16% be opened to the Truth.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bu.html

Jesus and Your Five Dollar Foot-Long

Well, I was preparing a completely different approach for this blog, and in fact, a completely different topic. However, God decided that He had a different point for me to write on, and struck me with inspiration in one of the more unlikely places.

As I came home from work tonight, I went to the movie store, rented a movie, and then decided to grab a bite to eat. I received a Subway gift card for Christmas, and decided that, since Subway is in the same parking lot as the movie store, it would be an opportune time to use some of that gift card. Unfortunately, I failed to beat a middle-aged couple into the building.

Now, there are two major types of Subway eaters. I have observed this over the years. The first are the ones that get the same sandwich or at least a similar sandwich every time. They know what they like, and they rarely stray from it. The second group are the adventurous, indecisive type. They flit back and forth every time through the door, changing their minds as rapidly as a hummingbird flaps its wings. "There's a new sandwich?! Let's try it!" This middle-aged couple were definitely of the second group. Predictably, I am not.

As I stood in line for what felt like an eternity, I made an observation. As the adventurous sandwich-eaters ahead debated between the multitude of sauces available, I noticed just how many options Subway offers. It's almost as if there are options for every personality and interest. Are you a Spicy Italian or a Sweet Teriyaki? Part of the Green Movement? Try a salad. Believe in "going big or going home?" Have a Philly Cheese Steak. Rebellious? Have a pizza at the sandwich shop! It's almost mind-blowing. So many possibilities, so little stomach room.

This, to me, reflects the American way of life perfectly. There's something out there for everyone. Some kind of group, some kind of hobby, some kind of something to spark your interest. Of course, this attitude spills over into spiritual matters, and that's my focus here today.

Just like the Subway eaters, there are two types of religious people. Option A are the ones who are dead-set in their own religion, believe that it is the only way, and that no one else can be correct. Option B says that everyone has to find the religion or spiritual preference that suits their personality and needs. Option B says that Option A is narrow-minded and has "tunnel vision"; it's "their way or the highway." I'm here to show you that Option B is not a valid position.

Option B is known as universalism, and I believe it has come from two different parts of modern philosophy. The first is tolerance, and the second is individualism. Let's focus a bit more..

Tolerance has become the popular stance in America and no doubt the rest of the world, for some time now. Now, continue reading before sending me an email. I am about to make a clarification. Some tolerance is not only correct, but Biblical. Jesus has called us to love everyone. This means that any prejudices or racism or sexism that has infiltrated your life must be purged; you cannot love another person as you are called if you hold on to a negative prejudice towards a group of people. Tolerance becomes wrong, however, when it allows sin to continue or even be praised. The call for tolerance toward the gay and lesbian communities are the first that come to mind. Homosexuality in clearly against what the Bible teaches, as we can see:

"9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching ." -1 Timothy 1:9-10, HCSB

This attitude of tolerance has become the "politically correct" way to be, and is the Western standard now. If you do not accept everyone exactly as they are, you are an ignorant, self-righteous imbecile. Unfortunately, this has bled into the churches, and has weakened the strength of the Gospel. People are so afraid to say that someone may be wrong in their belief, as that "wouldn't be nice." Let me be frank: If someone doesn't believe in Jesus, you are condemning them to Hell by allowing them to believe that their choice of religion "could be right." Staying quiet doesn't seem as nice anymore, does it?

Individualism is another reason for the spread of universalist attitudes. This modern world is very fond of the saying "do what feels right." If you want spicy ranch on your sandwich, sure. If you want pizza at Subway, sure. If Buddhist meditation and karma suits your life better than Christianity, sure. As Burger King says, "have it your way." Many people, such as Oprah, believe that it is OK to have this stance towards religion. They say that it is all the same god, anyways, so who cares? Allah, Jesus, the Hindu gods: all the same deity, just expressed differently. I tell you that this is inaccurate.

The Quran, the holy book of Islam, holds many different views from the Bible. For instance, the Quran states that Jesus was a human prophet, and yet the Bible states that He is the same as the Father, and therefore the Creator of the universe. These two points right here clearly disagree, and are among the multitude of differences between Christianity, Islam, Judaism and others. If they are all disagreeing, how can they be all right? Simple: they cannot.

"6 Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" -John 14:6, HCSB

It can't be put anymore clearly than that. No one comes to God except through Jesus. He said it Himself. If there was ever a verse to dismiss universalist views, this was it. Mohammad? Nope. Buddha? Nope. Abraham? Nope. All of these men were just that: men, and men only. They had no ability to save you from judgment. Notice I said "had": they all died, and never came back. Only one man ever died and came back to life on His own power, and He is the only way to eternal life.

Are you looking for the correct sandwich for eternal life? I tell you that there is only one option, and his name is Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Lord.

Thought from the Retro Bible: You Ain't No Judge

"24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." -John 7:24, NIV

Jesus accused his opponents of making shallow, biased judgments of his ministry. That's the problem with judging strictly by appearance: your conclusions about someone else may be superficial and inaccurate(This thought was brought to you courtesy of Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

Are you being judgmental with someone around you? Maybe it's someone at school that seems a bit snobby, or someone at work that's kind of weird. Jesus taught us to love everyone, and that's precisely what we should do. As hard as it is, let's try to keep it in perspective and get to know people (I mean, really know. Not learn about them through gossip) before we make any kind of judgment. We are all made in the image of God; who are we to judge His image?

An Update, and Something New to Do

Hey guys! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I know my family and I did. It's always good to have a white Christmas, and we certainly did here! I love it!

It's been a few days since I posted, and I have a reason. I have been quite sick, and simply didn't feel like posting! However, the Lord has allowed me to start getting better, and therefore I return to you. This is not a deep, long-winded post, as that should come tomorrow (I'm working on one). I do have a few things to address, however. :)

First, I want to thank everyone that read my last post. I received a lot of nice feedback, and I really appreciate that. I makes me desire to write more about the wonders of God, if I feel they are reaching people. Which leads me to my next point..

We've made it to China! For anyone that doesn't know via Facebook, I'm really pumped about that. China is a Communist country, and thus does not promote anyone having religion. While they are not as strict as some other countries, they are tough enough that yesterday, during his Christmas speech, the Pope felt the need to call them out for their attacks on Christianity. In fact, Christianity is only allowed to exist because it profits China's ever-growing economy. When some of your biggest customers are nations like the US, Britain and Australia, which all have large Christian populations, it isn't good business to imprison their kind.

Regardless, this blog got into China, and that shows that the Internet may be an effective way to reach the people of China and other nations that are hostile to the Truth. Other countries we have reached, as of today, include: Canada, Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia. This is great news to me, that people all over the world can be touched by God's Word through this blog. It's also a lot of pressure to make sure I do what He tells me to write, as well!

One last thing: an update on my "expedition" through the Bible in a year. I am now nearly at the end of my stay in the New Testament, as only the Books of John and Acts remain (yes, I went out of order). As I go through, I want to share something with you each day, more than a long post every few days. Therefore, a feature I kind of started on my old blog, Life in a Mason Jar of Lightning Bugs (if you would like to know the meaning behind both of these titles, please leave a comment. I will post an explanation) will be resurrected. It will now be called "Thoughts from the Retro Bible."

This will be a daily thing. My old "teen" Bible has all kinds of little boxes in the middle of passages, highlighting meanings and themes. For each day, I will find one that pertains to what my reading was. Some days I may paraphrase the Retro Bible's "helper box"; some days I won't. As an example, today's reading was John 1-4. My Retro Bible post begins now.



Thought from the Retro Bible: Stay on Your Toes

"5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.' 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." -John 2:5-11

There's an important lesson here: Always be ready to do anything for God, however crazy it may seem. You never know when there's going to be a miracle just around the corner.

This thought was brought to you courtesy of Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys.

The Original Dysfunctional Family

As the Christmas season rolls along, we all enjoy some of our favorite Christmastime movies. For me and my family, a couple movies stand above the rest:

-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Who can't love a movie that it so un-politically correct that it constantly informs the audience that its main characters are "misfits" and "nitwits," and "will never fit in!"? It's pure comedic gold.

-How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Either version, be it cartoon or Jim Carrey, will do. A hairy green dude busts on the scene, steals all the Whos' stuff, and then takes it back in the end in dramatic, save-the-sleigh-from-near-death fashion. He's a mean one, that Mr. Grinch.

While both of these movies, be it the reindeer with a glowing nose or the green...(man?) with a tiny heart, feature plenty of freaks and weirdos, they do not raise a candle to the movie that comes in next: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

The Griswold family Christmas is pretty much the epitome of dysfunction. The tree catches on fire, the cat dies, the crazy cousin in the RV shows up... Everywhere you look, there's a misfit trying to ruin Clark's "brilliant" plans. However, did you know that Jesus has a family tree that could beat the Griswolds head-to-head? Let's look at the Book of Matthew:

"2 Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram, 4 Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 5 Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, 6 and Jesse fathered King David."

"Then King David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife,7 Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa,8 Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah, 9 Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah, 11 and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon." -Matthew 1:2-11, HCSB

Now, I have placed in bold some fun character's of Jesus' lineage, going from Abraham's grandson, Jacob, down through the kings of Judah. Let's read about some of these people:

-Jacob, who would become known as Israel: Ah yes, the father of the twelve sons who went on to be the twelve tribes of Israel. Yet, further inspection shows some interesting things. He cheated his twin brother Esau out of the birthright (inheritance) that Esau deserved by lying to his blind, sick father. (Genesis 25-26) He was tricked into marrying a girl that he didn't love, so he all but ignored this first wife and their kids until he could marry the girl he loved and have kids with her. In fact, all kinds of craziness went on with the whole "multiple wife" deal (Genesis 29-30).

-Judah, fifth son of Jacob: Judah was one of those sons Jacob had with the wife he didn't want. However, Judah was one of the stronger personalities, and was a leader of the group. When the baby brother of the wife Jacob loved started having dreams about ruling the older brothers, they'd had enough and wanted to kill them. Judah had a better idea: sell the pest into slavery. That way, they'd escape the body being discovered, and make money off of it (Genesis 37).

-Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law: Judah had some sons, but they died. The first one, however, had a wife named Tamar. As Judah needed both a husband for Tamar and a grandson to carry on the family name, he told Tamar to wait for the baby boy Shelah to grow up. She didn't like this idea. Instead, she opted to dress up as a prostitute. Judah, who was now a single man, decided to hire her- not knowing it was his daughter-in-law. He got her pregnant, and then had twin boys (Genesis 38).

-Rahab: Flash-forward a few books in the Bible, and the nation of Israel has multiplied to a bunch of people. These people were slaves to the Egyptians, freed by God through Moses, and then rebelled against God. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years, and then were ready to enter the Promised Land. They sent spies into the land, to check stuff out. When the spies got to the city of Jericho, they needed a place to hide. Who did they end up with? A local prostitute named Rahab. Rahab hid them, and they promised when the city was destroyed, she would live. Out of everyone in the city, it was a common prostitute that would save the day. (Joshua 2)

-David: Israel captures the Promised Land and makes it their own. Meanwhile, Rahab had a son named Boaz, who fell for a chick named Ruth. Ruth and Boaz had a kid named Obed, who had a kid named Jesse. When Israel's first king, Saul, got all self-absorbed and evil, God decided they needed a new king. David, Jesse's youngest son, was chosen. While David did many amazing and God-filled things, he had one major slip-up.

You see, David had this friend named Uriah. Uriah was one of David's best commanders in the Israeli military. Uriah also happened to have a smoking hot wife named Bathsheba. While Uriah is off waging war in King David's name, Bathsheba stays home. David, who had not gone to battle, either, decides to look around his city and winds up being a Peeping Tom on a bathing Bathsheba. He decides she's the most beautiful girl in the world, and thus uses his kingship to force her to sleep with him.

Unfortunately for David, Bathsheba winds up pregnant. So now, Uriah (one of David's best friends) is going to have a wife that his buddy got pregnant. How could David have done this? What could David do, so Uriah never knew? I'll tell ya: David has Uriah put on the front lines in a fierce battle, and orders everyone to withdraw from around Uriah so his friend would be ganged and killed. Uriah can't find out about that whole "baby mess" if he's dead! Bathsheba went on to marry David and give birth to the baby, which God allowed to die because of David's sin. David then went to comfort the obviously upset Bathsheba, and sleeps with her. Lo and behold, she gets pregnant again, and has a boy named Solomon (2 Samuel 11-12).

-Solomon: Solomon was also a pretty good guy, much like his dad David. He built the temple of God, and was super-rich and super-smart. However, he was like his dad in another way: he loved beautiful women. He had 700 wives, and 300 concubines. Many of these girls were foreign, and didn't believe in his God. So, instead of remaining true to God, he allowed these beautiful women to woo him and he quit listening to God. Because of his unfaithfulness, his kingdom (which he and his dad had worked so hard and trusted in God to build) was divided at his death, and would never return to its former state (1 Kings 11).

-Rehoboam: Solomon goes on to have a kid named Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the king of the half of his dad's kingdom known as Judah (sound familiar?); the other half was Israel. Rehoboam, unlike his dad and granddad, never loved God. He did more evil "than all that their [his] ancestors had done." He led Judah to worship false gods, set up temples to foreign deities, and even had male prostitutes at his shrines (1 Kings 14).

-Jehoram (Joram): Four generations after Rehoboam, and Judah has had some shaky kings. Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat were all decent kings, but all messed up enough that Judah still wasn't coming back to God. Jehoram took it another level: he became king at age 32 and died only eight years later. He led Judah into many battles against nations where they got beaten repeatedly, and did all kinds of evil things. He eventually got sick, and died "to no one's regret" (2 Chronicles 21).

-Uzziah: Five more generations passed, and five more morons tried to run Judah. Only one (Joash) came close to following God, and that was because he spent much of his life being guided directly by a priest. Uzziah, Joash's grandson, was almost a success. He decided to follow God, and while he did, he was prosperous. As fate would have it, though, he couldn't handle success. As seems fairly consistent with this family, he got arrogant about his abilities. He decided that he, despite the Law that God handed down to Israel in the wilderness, was holy and righteous enough to go into the temple and burn incense directly to God. This was in direct rebellion to God, as only God decided who was holy, and Uzziah subsequently broke out into a serious skin disease. He lived the rest of his short days in quarantine. (2 Chronicles 26)

-Ahaz: Uzziah's son Jotham wasn't a complete failure, and tried to follow God, kind of. Jotham's son Ahaz was a different story. Ahaz completely rejected God, and instead followed all kinds of religions from the local people. He even burned his children and passed them through a fire, all to worship some random pagan god. Burning your kids? That's messed up! (2 Chronicles 28)

-Manasseh: Ahaz, for all of his evil, did produce one good thing: his son Hezekiah. Hezekiah loved God thoroughly, and it paid off. Judah prospered, and Hezekiah may have been the best king to come after Solomon. His son, Manasseh, was a different character. Instead of loving Godlike his dad, Manasseh decided to try out all kinds of other things. He, too, burned his sons. He practiced witchcraft, divination and sorcery. He consulted mediums and spiritists. He even invented his own idol, and made a statue of it. Because of his evil, Manasseh was captured and shackled up by enemy forces. As he was chained to the floor, Manasseh had a change of heart, and turned everything around. He was set free, started loving God, and tried to fix everything he screwed up before (2 Chronicles 33).

-Amon: Manasseh's son, Amon, was an idiot, though. Amon was such a jerk and rebelled against God and everything his dad tried to fix so much that he only lasted two years. It was on his second year of reign that his servants conspired against him and killed him in his own house. Talk about a sorry ending. (2 Chronicles 33)

After Amon, there were a few more kings. Some of these kings loved God; most didn't. Eventually, the people of Judah were captured by the kingdom of Babylon (modern-day Iraq) and oppressed. They eventually went home and were almost immediately taken over by Rome. It was during this time that Jesus was born.

I find it amazing, as we look over this list of misfits, that these are the people that God chose to have as the ancestors of our Savior. I mean, come on, look at the people in Christ's family tree: prostitutes, sorcerers, murderers, adulterers, liars... the list goes on and on! This tells me one thing: God can use anyone.

Much as I touched on with my post "Are You Talking About Bread?" (http://freedbug.blogspot.com/2010/12/are-you-talking-about-bread.html), God can use anyone to accomplish his goal. We all have sinned; that's a given. Who knows? You may be just like one of these people I mentioned above. But that's the great news that Christ gives us: we can still be made to accomplish God's Will. You may be doing evil, but God can still use it for good. Isn't this amazing?

This isn't to encourage you to sin; rather, I encourage the opposite. You see, this is also proof that you don't become the product of your past. By putting trust in Jesus and the Word of God, you can be made righteous. Look at Rahab: she was a prostitute, and yet was saved from the destruction of Jericho. Not to mention, she was also the great-grandmother of King David.

And King David himself is also a testament to the redeeming powers of God. He was a murdering, back-stabbing, Peeping Tom-turned-wife stealer of a man, yet he changed his ways for a loving and gracious God, and was rewarded; we know that David was the greatest king, in terms of morals, that Israel ever had, and wrote most of the Book of Psalms as prayers to God. Not a bad turnaround, if I must say so.

Are you stuck in your sins, or focusing on a screwed-up[ past? Stop! Put your faith in the redemption that Jesus can offer, and start over. Everyone likes a do-over. I urge you to accept the Lord as yours.

The Truth About Your Cross Necklace

I'm going to start out today with a praise. I was looking at the stats for this blog, and I found something amazing. Someone in Germany has viewed my blog. Allow me to repeat... GERMANY! That's so cool! The thought that my writing could possibly be reaching people all over the globe with the Truth of the Gospel is such an encouragement. I would also like to say a couple things to everyone that views this, not just my friend (and hopefully, friends!) from other countries: thank you. I appreciate any of you that read this, and it encourages me to continue writing. I also would like you to comment! I am open to both positive and negative comments. If you do happen to be from a country outside of the United States, please leave a comment with where you are from: I'd love to see where you are at!

Now, on to business...

Today, I would like to discuss the cross. The cross has been a symbol for Christianity for quite a time (all the way back to before the 3rd Century!), and was even banned for a while due to its pagan ancestry. But what exactly does it mean, and what has the cross become?

The cross was a weapon of death for the Roman Empire (Ever seen Gladiator? It's there.). Dictionary.com gives the definition for cross as: a structure consisting essentially of an upright and a transverse piece, upon which persons were formerly put to death. The actual act of death on a cross was known as crucifixion, defined as: to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross.

Nailing hands and feet to an upright structure? How awful does that sound?! It gets worse. After being nailed to a cross and lifted upright, one would hang from the cross, being held up only by the nails that were ripping through their skin. Gravity would be weighing down on you, pulling you toward the ground. Yet, you are being held by those nails. If you thought this would be quick, you are mistaken.

People were left to die on the cross, which could take hours or even days. Just imagine- hanging from this cross in the sweltering heat of a July or bitter cold of a January in Israel for a few days until you finally died. This was what happened to the worst criminals under the Roman Empire's rule.

The cause of death varied, depending on your experience. Asphyxiation (suffocation), blood loss, shock, sepsis infection, and dehydration were the typical choices of death. If this buffet of options was taking too long, Rome wasn't against breaking your legs so that fat embolism and shock could take you to the darkness. Talk about morbid...

The process of crucifixion was meant to be so awful, embarrassing, and atrocious that it would encourage others not to commit the crime. This is where the word 'excruciating' came from: literally, it means "out of crucifying." Crucifixion was the ultimate form of capital punishment in that time, and perhaps the most gruesome and effective in history. And this is how this weapon of death is depicted now:







Does that not amaze you? One of the most brutal instruments of death ever concieved is being made with flowers and diamonds! It seems contradictory, don't you think?

Now, hear me out: I am not here to diss or judge people with cross jewelery; the picture at the top is the cross I wear everyday. My point is this: we need to remember the cross for what it was, not what it is.

"25 Now it was nine in the morning when they crucified Him.... 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon... 37 But Jesus let out a loud cry and breathed His last." -Mark 15: 25, 33, 37

Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross in the exact way that I described earlier. He died on the cross so that we would be free from our sins and now are free to glorify God and His Son. Jesus went through that awful experience out of love for us, for me, for you. Are you taking notice of what He did on that cross for you, or are you dismissing the cross as a symbol of religion?

New Book to Read

This book is called Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die. It was written by John Piper, and while I am not typically a big fan of him, Mr. Piper was spot on here. The "chapters" are two pages, and they quickly touch on fifty truths of the Bible. While the short, almost devotion-like style probably won't light a fire beneath you, it is certainly a great read. This book has lots of awesome insight and touching points, and is worth your time. If you need a copy to borrow, just let me know.

Are You Talking About Bread?

Have you ever felt like you just didn't have the patience to wait on something? I know that I have, that's for sure. It just happens. We, as human beings, just are not very patient beings. Yet, the Bible teaches us directly to be patient.

Never mind Job, who many know is the epitome of a patient human. One only needs to read the Book of Job, which I strongly encourage, to see the stuff he dealt with, and yet remain patient. No, instead, I ask that we look today at Jesus.

Jesus was patient, obviously: He is, after all, the Son of God. It's the manner of which His patience was tested that has struck me today. Just look at this passage:

6 Then Jesus told them [the disciples], "Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Saducees [trouble-making hypocrites of the Jewish leadership]." 7 And they discussed among themselves, "We didn't bring any bread." 8 Aware of this, Jesus said, "You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? 9 Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the 5,000 and how many baskets you collected? 10 Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many large baskets you collected? 11 Why is it you don't understand that when I told you, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,' it wasn't about bread?" -Matthew 16: 6-11, HCSB

I don't know about you, and how much you have read the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (the "Gospels"), but I can tell you from my readings: the disciples were not the brightest Easter eggs in the basket. In fact, they were borderline dull. Over and over, Jesus would give them a teaching, and they simply wouldn't grasp it at all. Clearly, He was not discussing the literal bread that the Jewish leaders made (I doubt they were very good bakers). If I were Jesus, I would have gotten new disciples. I simply wouldn't have the patience to deal with those dim-witted buffoons. Yet, these were the men He entrusted when He left the Earth to spread the good news of the Gospels. I mean, really?

It would be one thing had Jesus put up with the disciples for a little while on Earth, and then found some men more intellectual for the task at hand of spreading His name. Instead, He left them in charge. Guess what: it worked.

-Simon Peter, who was about as stubborn and brash as they come, went on the minister to the Jewish people for the duration of his life. He wrote two books of the New Testament. He is considered the founder of the Church. He was killed for his faith.

-John went on to write five books himself, and was the only one that was not killed; he only died in exile on a tiny island.

All in all, these eleven men (we won't count Judas as he was dead before Christ was resurrected), most of whom were not very intelligent, tactical, or verbose, were able to use the guidance of the Holy Spirit to take the truth of Christ to the world.

If Christ was able to use these guys for such a big job, how much more can He do with you? Are you focusing on bread and other Earthly, meaningless focuses, or are you allowing Christ to teach you something bigger? Do you have a job ahead of you, and just haven't found it? Maybe you should find out.

The Pursuit of (Real) Happyness

It's a common theme in the world: how can I be happy? Now, I know you are about to tune me out. You're thinking, "Here we go. Another Christian telling me why the Bible says I should be happy." You've probably heard that spiel before,and yet still aren't happy with you life. Therefore, I am not going to write that same stuff you have read before...that is, not only that stuff.

As I have written before, I attend the University of Kentucky, and our fall semester is wrapping up. I had my final Psychology 100 lecture today, and it was a curious subject. The entire lecture was on the topic of happiness. Having grown up hearing the "Jesus version" of how to be happy, I was intrigued by what my professor had to say. Anything he says will be printed in yellow font, so as to distinguish from my own.

As the Christmas holidays approach, we all know about the stuff that comes with it. I don't mean things like trees, reindeer, fudge and sweaters; I mean the literal stuff. The presents. You know you want 'em. What did you ask for? A laptop? iPad? A smartphone? These things, among others, are often the reasons why people are looking forward to Christmas. No, I'm not going to tell you that the manger is the "reason for the season." Not today. Instead, I have another point.

While there certainly is nothing wrong with the things I listed above (I am writing this on my laptop, and my iPhone is beside me- I am not here to judge), we often get caught up in these things. It really all boils down to what stuff you want.

If I asked you today "what is your main goal in life?," you would probably respond (at least within a few answers) with "being happy." This is fairly common: studies in psychology have shown that happiness is one of the main goals in people's lives. When asked how to get to the point of happiness, many people respond with "being well off financially." Studies show that being taken care of does raise happiness. However, there is more to it than that.

One classic study taken asked 18-year-old men "what is your life goal?" They responded as I said above: they wanted to be happy. Many stated that money would be how to achieve this. Later, when the men were 37, they were all brought back in to check on their life. The results were interesting. Those who had said that financial wealth was the key or a key to them being happy in the future were less happy than those who had left money out of the equation.

More studies have shown that more than half of America's "wealthy" adults are not reportedly happy. In fact, people with lots of money are shown, statistically to be only slightly more happy than someone who is struggling to meet their needs for survival. Those people that win the Powerball lotto and have $76 million dollars? Within a year or so, their happiness level is back to where it was before winning the money.

Money has shown to bring some happiness. For instance, someone whose needs are being met are statistically happier than someone who isn't. This is a given. No one who is starving- literally- is as happy as someone with food in their belly. However, if you live in a wealthy nation (like the United States), and are middle or upper class, gaining more income is unlikely to increase your happiness. Further, desiring large amounts of money is likely to hinder your chances for happiness.

The Bible spoke against the desire for money long ago:


But the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. -Mark 4:19

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? -Mark 8:36

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. -James 5: 1-6


You see, the Bible knew about how money wouldn't make you happy a long time ago. But maybe your vice isn't money. You know money won't make you happy. So, maybe you have something else. Here's some facts:

-After cosmetic surgery, people often (and quickly) return back to their former level of happiness.

-People who live in "good weather states" (Florida, California, South Carolina) are statistically equally as happy as people in "bad weather states" (Washington, Michigan, Massachusetts).

-Promotions, success in sports, and tenure at a university are proven not to give as much happiness as we think it would.

These stats show that things of this world cannot bring permanent happiness. Sure, they will make you happy for a while. If an iPad dropped into my lap right now, I'd be happy about it. But the time is going to come (sooner than later) that I will be back to where I was with happiness that I was before the iPad materized before me. So how do we achieve real happiness that will last? These are the words of my professor:

1. Find ways to express gratitude and show acts of kindness
-This is central to the Christian lifestyle.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. -Colossians 3:12, New Living Translation Bible

Christians are to display the love of Christ, and being thankful to all, as well as doing things for others, are great ways to do this.

2. Avoid overthinking- focus on the positive instead of the negative.
-This is also key. Without a positive outlook on life, you will be a miserable motor scooter. We are not to focus on the bitter point of view, but instead on the good of life. Paul said,

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted... -Ephesians 4:31-32.

Focusing on the little things of life can help: the beautiful sparkle of snow is a far better thing to thing of than how cold it is outside; why think of how hard the test you are studying for or the job you have to do at work is when you can be grateful that you can go to learn or work, and that you are likely in a building, sheltered from the outside, being fed and taken care of?

3. Learn to forgive.
-Hands down, this is the hardest thing for most of us to do. Our instinct, as human beings, is to hold grudges. Getting revenge makes us feel good. We think, "Ha! Payback sucks! I'd like to see you do that to me again!" But, the truth is, does it really make you happy in the end? I vote not. I happen to know that everytime I have wanted revenge, or even extracted it, that I am not happy for very long afterward. Sure, it feels good at the time to "get them back," but it wears off. Just like winning the lotto, these pleasures of the world do not give everlasting happiness.

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:13

I am going to add one more way to be happy: dig into God's Word and let the Holy Spirit consume you. The Bible, in the Book of Galatians, discusses the "friuts of the spirit." These are different qualities that someone that filled with the Holy Spirit would show. The first listed is love; joy is second. Clearly, having happiness is high on God's priority list for you, and He wants you to have it.

Are you trying to find happiness in the world, where it is proven to be temporary? Or are you searching for an eternal happiness in a God that wants you to be happy forever?

Jesus Rolls Doubles

I stand amazed today at what it is that Jesus did for us. I have been reading through John Piper's book 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die, and some of the chapters I have read today really hit home.

Think about this: God creates people. He gives you everything we would ever want and more. Yet, we screw it up. We sin- every last one of us. We have broken the law. Just like on Earth, when one breaks the law, they must go to court. If found guilty, one must go to jail. Here's a hint: we're all guilty.

Only one person hasn't broken the law: Jesus (who also happens to be God and human, simultaneously; that means he was tempted to break the law just like us, and it's His law!). Blameless, innocent Jesus has volunteered to be our lawyer, since we certainly cannot defend ourselves. Satan, warden of the prison, is licking his chops for another inmate on an eternity sentence. The evidence is presented before God the Father, who is the judge. We are looking doomed. We are declared guilty.

Then, out of no where, our innocent lawyer steps forward and says "I will take their punishment." WHAT?!

Jesus takes our sentence, and because He is innocent, we trade our records. We are marked innocent and Christ is branded as the law-breaker.

But wait! Since He is also God, Jesus rises again, breaks from the grips of jail and returns to us. The marks from His death sentence are evidence of His suffering. We are spared from the death penalty and eternity in jail. How great is that!?

This contrasts strongly with Islam. The interaction between God and man is not the type where God would die in His people's place. In fact, the entire point of Islam is that since people are rebellious to God and His Creation, we should all submit. I agree; doing God's Will is certainly a good thing. However, the Muslims believe that the only way to acheieve salvation is through the submission we do on Earth. Thus, the only way to Heaven is through our works here on Earth. This is directly in conflict with the words of the apostle Paul.

8 For by grace [freely given, unmerited favor and love from God]you are saved through faith, and this is not fromyourselves; it is God's gift- 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9, Holman Christian Standard Bible

See? We did nothing to deserve this. It's amazing that we could rebel as such, only to have God allow Himself to die for us! No other religion can claim their God not only would, but did, die for them. It's blasphemous, radical, and real. What are you doing today to prove how lucky you are? What are you doing to rejoice in the love of a blameless Savior who died so you wouldn't be punished for your sins? What are you doing to thank your own "Get Out of Jail Free Card?"

Finally!

I have returned, after about a month of battling inactivity on my blog due to increased responsibilities elsewhere. As the University of Kentucky now has only one week remaining of normal classes, and I only have one final in-class, I am finally getting freed up. I will be trying to come to you at least twice a week, and hopefully more.

For my return blog, I will not be doing any analysis. I will, instead, just share some verses I have found since writing last.

13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He did away with the law of the commandments in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. -Ephesians 2: 13-15

27 Just one thing: live you life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. -Philippians 1:27

5b The Lord is near. 6 Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:5b-7

13 accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also [forgive]. -Colossians 3:13

13 Brothers, do not weary of doing good. -2 Thessalonians 3:13

6b The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? -Hebrews 13:6b

I hope these verses speak to you and you listen to God's call in your life. I love you, and so does God. Talk to ya soon.