Fast Facts about Christmas

The etymology of Christmas derives from the Greek, “Christos” which means anointed, and the Olde-English, “mass” (massae), which means festival. Christmas is the festival celebrating the birth of the Lord's anointed, Jesus Christ.

Other names which Christmas has been celebrated under are the Feast of the Nativity (birth), Noel (birthday), and Advent (coming).

Early church history places the date of Christ’s birth at 6 January (Clement of Rome) or 25 December (Augustine of Hippo) 5 BC. Calendar errors in the seventh century account for the 5 year discrepancy.

Bethlehem, the city of David, is small among the clans of Judah, but out of here the King was promised.

The Old Testament contains over 300 direct prophecies for Jesus Christ, naming the place, method, and reason for his birth.

“Behold a virgin will be with child” was written more than 700 years before Mary was born. She is called blessed among women, and her song of praise is one of the most beautiful ever written, beginning with, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”

Because Christ was born of Mary and of God, He is 100% God, and 100% man; the prophet Daniel (~600 BC) called Him both the Son of man, and the Son of God.

Jesus Christ has many names; Jesus derives from Jehovah-Yasha, which means, God Saves. Isaiah called Him Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” John of Patmos said His name is, “Righteous and True.” His is the name above every other name, the only name blessed forever.

Isaiah may have said it best with, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Father of Eternity, The Prince of Peace.

The Bible says Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but through Him the world might be saved. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already.

The 10 Commandments are a textual representation of Jesus Christ, he cannot lie(9), steal(8), covet(10), murder (or hate without cause)(6), commit adultery(or lust)(7); submission to parents is paramount(5), and especially that His primary concern(2) is His righteousness(1) and name(3), and in Him the Christian finds rest(4).

The 10 Commandments are also the standard of judgment for the human race. Have you ever told a lie? Stolen anything? Coveted something that didn’t belong to you? Called someone an idiot? Lusted after someone that wasn’t your spouse? Always obeyed your parents? Kept God first in your heart? Used the name of God only with respect? Given God one day out of your week?

Hark the Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley, it captures the reason for the season in, “Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled." Our transgression had not only separated us from God, but made us an enemy of God, and nothing we could do would redeem us.

Christmas is only celebrated because of what happened on Easter. On Easter, Jesus was sentenced to death for claiming to be God, a very serious offense. In this charge, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.

Proof of Christ's divinity exists in His miraculous resurrection from the dead; this event is one of the best testified to and recorded events in antiquity.

Jesus Christ never committed a single sin, but He became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus was born of the Spirit, while we are born of the flesh. He was adamant that lest you be born of the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. This is also known as being born-again, or being baptized in the Holy Spirit; this is separate from being baptized in water and can only be accomplished by a supernatural work of God.

The first words Jesus proclaimed to the world were, “Repent and believe the Gospel.” This means to turn from sin, turn towards God, ask for forgiveness, and believe (trust) that Jesus Christ is who He says He is, and that His payment on the cross for your sins is sufficient.

Jesus' last command to the world was, "Be zealous therefore and repent!"

When Christ was born, the herald angel said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This was important because heretofore God had a very bad will towards people, which will come to fruition in the unrepentant who step out of this world without receiving the Heaven-born Prince of Peace.

In the words of Go Fish, the beginning and the middle are both wonderful and great, but it’s the ending that can save you, and that’s why we celebrate.

Merry Christmas!

Mitt Romney - About his father's business

In response to Mitt Romney's JFK speech on Dec 6th, 2007
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I like the fact that Romney tried to condemn people that don't know or stand in what they believe, when in recent years he's flip-flopped on abortion, same-sex marriage, and gays in the military. He is jettisoning his beliefs in order to gain the world.

The inherent trouble with his speech is the constant referral to liberty, referencing it to the Founding Fathers and the country. They founded the liberty of the nation on the liberty they had found in Jesus Christ.

Mormons do not have this liberty, and thus cannot appreciate, understand, or continue to maintain American liberty. In George Orwell's "Animal Farm", the animals held fast to their freedom even in their absolute bondage.

Nothing is more clear in America's bondage than the desperate and boisterous call of, "We are free!" Nothing is more clear in Mitt Romney's bondage than his desperate and boisterous call, "every single human being is a child of God."

Not if you have ever told a lie. If you have told a lie, you have given your soul to the devil (You don't even get to say, "I'd sell my soul for...") and the Bible calls you a child who is of his father's desires, for he is a liar, and the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Romney's idolatry in his following of baal-jesus, a created, impotent, man-god proves who his owner is. He is doing the will of the devil by spreading this idolatry and calling out, peace, peace between God and man, when there is no peace. Romney's god would not send anyone to Hell, the main reason is because he doesn't exist. Romney has created a god in his image, one which he is comfortable with and one that works for him. Be assured that no idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ or of God.

For the captives, slaves to sin, dead in their transgressions; liberty is an idea which they can only dream of. It is something they have never felt nor possessed, and therefore cannot understand.

The Founding Fathers that Romney references knew this, but they knew first the captivity of the devil, but by the grace of God, they came to the liberty of Christ. They knew that Jesus Christ, the eternal, coexistent, coequal, Son of God, had paid the ransom for their life. They were owned by the devil and could do nothing to purchase themselves out of this bondage, their sins held them and they were doomed for disobeying their parents, creating their own representation of God, stealing, no matter how petty, lust, hatred without provocation, and coveting. But Christ lived a perfect life and willingly gave Himself up to die on the cross so that His blood could wash these sins away and that many would be purchased out of their spiritual bondage to eternal liberty.

When they repented of their sins and placed their trust in Jesus Christ, they were born of the Spirit. They were originally children of the devil, but they were adopted into the family of God. They were captives, but they were liberated.

They became members of the church of Jesus Christ, which He purchased with His own blood. The Mormon Church is not so bought, because they are trying to purchase this church themselves with their works. George Whitefield, a friend of the Founding Fathers, summed up the difference between the heretical Mormon Church and the grace of Jesus Christ, "Works! Works! A man get to Heaven by works? I'd as soon climb to the moon on a rope of sand."

The Apostle Paul tells us how we are saved, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

James tells us that you can tell someone is saved by their works, not by their profession of faith. Romney was a proponent of babycide, he didn't understand the sanctity or symbolism of marriage, he didn't understand the damage that homosexuals in the military would cause. He has changed his opinion, and that is good, but he was a Mormon when he believed these evil things, and he is a Mormon now. There was no rebirth, there was no change of heart, and there was no conversion.

Beloved, when you repent and place your faith in Jesus Christ, your sinful heart which drinks iniquity like water will be replaced with a heart for God that thirsts after righteousness. Things you used to love which God hates, you will now hate, and things of God which you used to hate, you will now love.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

This is not Mitt Romney, and if he becomes president in his spiritual captivity, you can be assured that he will be about his father's business.

Happy Holy-Days

In Responce to On-Faith's question, Why are many holiday family gatherings marked by tension and unhappiness?

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I've spent Thanksgiving apart from my family in England, France, Sicily, the Middle East, and now, the East Coast. I've eaten all sorts of things for Thanksgiving dinner, in Palermo I ordered camel, in Paris, the closest they could get to turkey was squab, and we just decided to drink Thanksgiving Dinner in England, after all, it was a four-day weekend. I've been served Thanksgiving dinner by Muslims, eaten it with atheists, Buddhists, and Christians, had it brought to me in a Styrofoam box as I rewired the countermeasures set on an F-15. Probably my worst memory is the pumpkin pie in Qatar, it was so processed and old that my plastic fork shattered in the process of trying to eat it. But I was thankful that I had people to care about, and people that cared about me in each place.

It puts a whole new perspective on things when the most you have to worry about is if everyone is pulling their own weight in getting the meal ready. We should ask ourselves, "What did Jesus do?"

Lets go see, the date is AD 28, the town is Bethany. Jesus and his disciples are welcomed into the home of His good friend, Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy with serving, and is visibly upset that Mary is content to sit and hear the amazing teachings of Jesus. Martha consults Jesus, she reprimands Jesus, "Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone! Tell her to help me!"

But Jesus answered, "Martha, you are anxious and troubled by many things, when only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen this thing, and it shall not be taken away from her."

The greatest Commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you do this, everything else will follow. The next time we see Mary and Martha, in AD 30, they both have jobs to do and are content with their roles, and the result is much rejoicing at dinner.

Now, of course, this rejoicing may have been spurred on by the fact that they now knew that death had lost its sting, that the Messiah had come and would indeed take away the sins of the world.

How many of us are guilty of placing the creation above the Creator? Martha sought to please her guests by her own doing, by serving an impeccable meal, which was sure to impress everyone. When it wasn't going the way she expected, she got angry, and the meal was almost ruined. But Mary was content to trust in God, not to strive to please men, but only to please God, and she was rewarded for this.

How many of us are guilty of wanting just a little more? When God gives us enough, we want just a little more? How many of us have come to this Thanksgiving and wish we could have afforded that new car this year, or are disgusted that we couldn't buy an X-Box because gas prices drained our wallets? What an insult it must be to God, who has given us life, knowledge, breath, love, food, and this beautiful country, that we would say it's not enough, could I have just a little more?

We've succumbed to the fallacy of equality, that I am at least as good as everyone else and therefore I deserve to be happy, to have a new car, and to have an X-Box. Martha was working hard and believed that it was only fair that if she was working hard, Mary should be working hard. After all, she set herself up as the measurement of how much ought to be being done.

But just how good are we? The Bible says "there is none good," then in order to drive the point home, it finishes the sentence, "no, not one." How much do we deserve? Job tells us, "Know that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves." What guilt? I don't have any guilt...or do I?

Have you ever taken God's name in vain? The Bible is clear that God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.

Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said, "Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." The Old Covenant punishment for adultery was instant death, today you get a few more years before the wages of sin are exacted upon you.

The truth is, we're all going to die someday, just like a criminal waiting to see the judge, we are in a holding cell. On this beautiful Thanksgiving we should be grateful that our holding cell is so huge and has such a beautiful blue ceiling and wonderful fresh air, but be assured of this, Alcatraz and San Quentin have nothing on this holding cell, because no one has escaped yet.

When you stand before the just Judge of all the Universe, how will you plead? The book of your conscience has recorded every thought, word, and deed, and it will be opened by your prosecutor. Deeds done in darkness will be brought to the light; every idle word will require an account.

Your guilt is assured, the evidence is overwhelming. What will you say? I have done good deeds? Good deeds do not commute sentences on earth, and they will not help in front of the Great White Throne in Heaven, at best the Judge will ignore this insult, at worst He will multiply your sentence for trying to bribe Him.

Will you repent and ask for forgiveness? To what avail? The Judge will say that your repentance is good, you should be sorry, you've done terribly wicked things to the detriment of all of humanity and creation, but the punishment requires payment. The Judge reads your sentence:

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the fornicators, the adulterers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

This punishment is almost assured, but here is the Good News, the eternal reason to be thankful. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, was born of the Spirit through the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect sinless life, He was tempted but He didn't succumb, He was perfect in every way. Love hath no greater man than this, that he would lay down his life for his brethren. Not that you loved Him, but that He loved you, Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself up to be crucified in your stead. Your fine was amassed, Hell awaited, but Christ stepped in and took your lashes, and died in your place so that you can be absolved.

Now the Judge can look at you and say, it is good that you have repented, and because your fine is paid, you are free to go.

Today as we remember what we are thankful for, I am thankful that I didn't get justice, because justice is what I deserved. I am thankful that I received mercy, because mercy is not getting what I deserved. But I am the most thankful for grace, that I get what I don't deserve, that being the righteousness of Christ attributed to my sake, so that when God looks at me, He no longer sees an enemy, but an adopted child.

Mary and Martha were rejoicing that death had been defeated, Jesus Christ first showed that this was possible by raising their brother Lazarus, but made it permanent by raising Himself on the third day, He defeated death and will live forevermore, and so will we if we will approach the throne of grace in humility, and repentance, and absolute trust.

On this beautiful Thanksgiving, I ask that you don't let another day go by without being reconciled to your Creator. He has provided the means, please reach out and receive this gift which was purchased at such a price. I cannot promise you that after you are born into the family of God, that you encounter prosperity or persecution, but I will bet that your Thanksgivings and Christmas' take on a whole new meaning after you do.

Letter to a Pagan Nation

To the godless, the heathens, and the willfully ignorant,

God will ultimately do the judging, not me. But I am the watchman, calling out that the sword is coming, that God is going to be judging you in righteousness, either on the day of your death, or when He returns.

He has given me the keys to the kingdom, the authority to say who is going to Heaven and Hell.

If you are a good person, then rest assured, you will go to Heaven. That is why it is so imperative that you are a good person.

God is going to judge you against perfection, against Himself.

He demands that you have at your core the love of Him and righteousness. But Paul tells us that none seeks after God.

Combined within having Him at your core, He forbids making up a god to suit yourself. This god can be money, science, or yourself, but it can also be making up a god that looks like God, but one that won't judge you based on these criteria of righteousness, or send someone to Hell.

The Bible tells us in several places that God's name is above every other name, it is the only name that is blessed forever. God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Consider that no-one ever says, "Allah Damnit!" Or screams out "Sidartha Buddha" when they hit their thumb with a hammer. The reason being, these names are already cursed, and you cursing them doesn't matter. But we declare our hatred of God that we try to drag His name into the mud by using it in place of a four-letter filth word.

Paul warns us about loving the creation more than the Creator. God asks for one day out of our week to remember Him, are you giving Him that one day, or just a portion of it? He is asking for less than 15% of your week, and most people won't even give Him that. Consider that God executed Ananias and Sapphira for withholding this portion of their lives from Him after they said they had given all.

The Fifth Commandment demands that we obey our parents (contained in this is that they are commanded to obey the other nine Commandments), and by dishonoring God, we dishonor our creator and our parents.

God considers all life precious, and He says, "Thou Shalt Not Murder." Most of us (not me) have not removed the gift of life from someone. But consider this, that 1 John 3:15 says that if you hate someone without cause, then God considers you a murderer at heart. He is going to judge the intentions of the heart, and not just the actions.

You have heard it said of old, "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery." But Jesus says to you, "Whosoever looks upon a person to lust after them, has committed adultery with them already in their heart."

At what value does petty larceny turn into grand-theft? What have you stolen, maybe a song on the internet? A toy from a sibling? Time from your employer? Or air from God?

Did you know that the Bible says that all liars will have their place in the lake of fire? How many lies, and I'm not talking about discretion here, do you need to tell to be a liar? I only needed to murder one person to be deemed eternally a murderer. (I'm covered from man's laws by the Geneva Convention and that the non-combatants were in the wrong place at the wrong time as they tried to be a human shield for some Al-Qaeda leaders, but not from God's Law) A person only needs to rape one girl to forever be called a rapist. One lie makes you a liar, and lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. Out of the mouth, the heart professes.

In light of the criteria above, do you think God owes you anything? When you covet things, whether they be happiness, money, people, or possessions, you are telling God that what He has given you is not enough.

These are God's standards of judgment; consider yourself warned. The cup of His wrath abides on you, all that is keeping you safe is His patience and offer for reprieve. But this patience will not last forever, on that day your life on this earth will be snuffed out, and you will stand before the Judgment Seat of God. You will stand naked before God, your shame exposed, the book of your conscience opened. What will you say? I wasn't warned? You have been, and I'll bet this letter is not the first time.

Jesus Christ described Hell in more detail than Heaven. It is a place of eternal torment, where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not. There is wailing and gnashing of teeth! The fire is unique to Hell, because even though it burns hot enough to melt sulfur, it is not a consuming fire, it is specially formulated to inflict pain. This fire also does not give off light, because Hell is a place of infinite darkness. This is telling, because God is light, and if Hell is totally dark, then God is NOT there, you will forever be separated from all of the graces of God, including love, joy, peace, and comfort. The Bible says God is the foundation we stand on, but because He is not in Hell, the person in Hell will forever feel the sense of falling, like that gut feeling you have when you miss a stair in the dark, you will forever have this sensation. God holds you in His hand like a spider suspended over the fire. In every way you disgust Him and like a spider biting at the hand, so is your transgressions tempting God to tip you, at this moment, into the fire.

But God is patient, that the gavel of your eternity has not fallen means there is still time to get right with Him. But here is even more bad news. You cannot bribe God. Let me take you to an earthly courtroom, where there are ten clear evidences of your guilt, and the punishment is execution. Try telling the judge that you have done heaps of good in your life, you've given to charity, never killed anyone, been physically faithful to your spouse, you've prayed daily, and always try to be nice to people. These are all nice things, but they are irrelevant to your guilt and the sentence that is due. You are trying to put a fresh bandage on a gaping wound, and blood and the puss of sin soils your works.

But here is love, not that you loved God, but that He loved you, He gave His Son to be the payment for your fine. You angered God and earned the sentence of eternal torment, which only by the pleasure of God has not yet been carried out on you.

Jesus Christ, one of the eternal Persons of the Trinity, God manifest in the flesh, came to this world born of the Spirit through the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life, submissive to His Father in every way. He was tempted in every way possible way by the father of lies, but He didn't succumb. He was the only man ever to live that deserved Heaven, but in order to glorify His Father and save you from the wrath you had amassed, Jesus Christ willingly gave Himself up to pay your fine. He took the wrath of His Father and was beaten in the most heinous of ways, men died from lesser beatings than the one Christ took. Then He was hung on the cross at Calvary. He didn't only shoulder your sin, but the Bible says that He who knew no sin was made sin for you. God gazed down on His most precious Son and saw only filth, refuse, and malice. Our entire sin; past, present, and future, went to the cross and was crucified in Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that He was forsaken by His Father, the eternal Trinity was rent in twain and when Christ was separated from the Father, your sin was separated from the Father.

You can be forgiven, because your fine has been satisfied. Jesus Christ's first words to the world were, "Repent and Trust!" This is precisely what you need to do, you must turn from your sins, call out to God for forgiveness, and place your faith in Jesus Christ to save you from the wrath you so rightly deserve. You will be forgiven, not because of anything you have done, but because Christ did all of the work and your debt is stamped, "Paid in Full."

If that wasn't good enough news, on the third day Christ rose from the grave and defeated death. Death has lost its sting; to be absent with the body is now to be present with the Lord.

I have no ulterior motive other than to see you saved and God glorified. I don't care if the United States survives past 2010, whether it is a Christian nation or a pagan commonwealth of the European Union. I would be out of a job, but I don't care, I do not seek to please men but only to glorify God. What glorifies God is you calling out to Him to save you, and Him being exalted for His goodness and kindness and patience and saving you and me despite our complete depravity and hatred of Him.

Consider this forgiveness long and hard, repent and trust in the Saviour right now. As I pointed out, every transgression tips his hand closer to the fire, we are stealing air from Him, and His patience could run out at any moment. 150,000 people die every day, and 149,000 of them thought they would see tomorrow.

A minister of the Most High God,
Canyon Shearer

Open Air Gospel Sermon - Short

Good for Street Corners
Appoximate Delivery Time - 90-120 Seconds

Excuse me everyone! If I could have your attention for just a moment!

We’re all going to stand before God someday, and because I care about you, I want to make sure you’re ready for that day. Most people would say they’re a good person, but they’re comparing themselves to other people, when they need to compare themselves to God, to perfection. Let's see how you look in God's eyes.

If you’ve ever taken God’s name in vain, then God sees you as a blasphemer, and this you know, that no blasphemer will see the kingdom of God.

If you’ve ever told a lie, then God sees you as a liar, and all liars will have their place in the lake of fire!

If you’ve ever stolen anything, then God sees you as a thief. If you’ve ever hated anyone, then God sees you as a murderer. If you’ve ever looked at someone that wasn’t your spouse with lust, then God sees you as an adulterer.

Your conscience bears witness to your transgession, it has recorded every time you haven’t obeyed your parents, every time you have coveted something, every time you knew something wasn’t right and did it anyways, and every time you could have stopped something bad from happening and didn’t.

The wages of sin is death, we have amassed the punishment of Hell, all that stands between us and everlasting torment is the day of our death, it is appointed once for a man to die, and then the judgment.

But God doesn’t want you to go to Hell. He gave us His only begotten Son, so that whosoever trusts in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, gave Himself up to die in your place on the cross. He took your punishment so that you can be absolved on Judgment Day, then He rose from the grave and defeated our greatest enemy, death.

Repent of your sins and turn towards the Saviour, and you will see Heaven, not because you’re a good person, but because you’re a bad person forgiven by a good God.

Please think about this, don't let another day go by without calling out to God for forgiveness.

Thank you for listening, have a nice day.

Beseech the angel of Smyrna

The United States was founded under the care of the angel of the church of Philadelphia, faithful to the word, supported by God; even though the founders had no power, God opened the door, and no man was able to shut it, not the King of England, not the Native American chiefs, not even Satan could shut the door which was opened.

America was made a pillar of God, a city on a hill, on her was written the name of God, and many were saved.

But the church in America forgot her first love, and the ravages of sin entered the doors. The angel of the church of Thyatira took possession of the American church, within her doors, sin festered and no-one opposed it. The sorceries of prosperity, tolerance, and of evolution were introduced and embraced, and the church fell sick and any who entered were afflicted; her children were stricken dead.

The angel of Thyatira conceded America to the Laodicean angel, in the churches, Christ could not be found. Behold, He stood at the door and knocked, but no saint was there to open the door.

Today we are on the verge of another change, the angel of Sardis stands at the door and knocks, God is about to open the door. The churches that walk in white in America can be counted on one hand, what remains is about to die.

Pray God that instead, He gives us to the angel at Smyrna.
Pray God that Christianity is outlawed by the humanists.
Pray God that Hillary Clinton is elected and the persecution begins.
Pray God that hate-speech laws are passed and enforced.
Pray God that Christians preaching against homosexuality are thrown into prison.
Pray God that Christians who refuse to deny their Saviour are murdered in the streets.
Pray God that Dan Barker is syndicated all over the nation and hatred for Christians spreads.
Pray God that the world hate us as it first hated Him.

Pray God that the blood of martyrs be the seed of the church.
Pray God that He bring us through the fire.

Pray God for the angel of the church at Smyrna.

Lest we become the church at Sardis, dead with the reputation of being alive.

My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Not Forsaken me?

In remembrance of the events on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the following was in responce to Dr. Susan Brooks Thistelwaite, an unsaved UCC minister:
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Where was God on 9/11? Saving the lives of over 48,000 people, using the devastation that we bring to this world to turn it for good, that many are saved, as they are today. On a normal Tuesday morning the Twin Towers contained roughly 50,000 people, not counting surrounding buildings and people on the street. That day 48,000 of them were running late. 96% of people that were supposed to be at work were not.

Abraham pleaded with God, if you find 50 righteous people, please do not destroy Sodom.

God agreed, if I find 50 righteous people, Sodom will be spared.

God lowered the number so that if He could find only 10 righteous people in Sodom, the city would be spared.

We know today from archaeological evidence that Sodom was destroyed by a simultaneous meteor shower, earthquake, and volcano. Where was God on that day? He was raining shrapnel down on Sodom.

"God, if you find 10 righteous people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, please do not destroy it."

The question here is whether or not you think you are righteous.

Have you ever told a lie? God says that lying lips are an ABOMINATION, that all liars will have their place in the lake of fire.

Have you ever killed anyone? Jesus said that if you hate someone or call them an idiot, you are in danger of judgment as a murderer.

Have you kept the name of God holy? Calling out, "Oh My God!" in a callous and flippant way is called blasphemy and the Bible says that God will not hold him blameless that takes His name in vain.

The one that got me, Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said, "Whosoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." God is concerned with the intentions of the heart and not just when you act on them.

There was not a righteous man found in New Orleans, not on the Gulf Coast, not in the Twin Towers, so we should not be surprised at all that God did not divinely stop those catastrophes. We should rather wonder why we don't see more, why we have been thus far successful in thwarting the major terrorist plots of the world, why natural disasters don't occur every where, every day.

I am comforted that not a single person died in these events that would not die eventually. It is appointed once for a man to die, and then the judgment.

If you face God today, would He be justified in sentencing you to Hell? The Book of your Conscience has recorded every thought, word, and deed and it will be opened as you are prosecuted. What will you offer as defense?

God knew that there was no loophole or attorney you could find to save you, but because He loved you, not that you loved Him, He became manifest in the flesh as the man Jesus Christ, where He lived a perfect, sinless, blemish-free life and offered Himself up as the payment for your sins on the cross at Calvary. You broke the law and He paid your fine.

When you stand before the Judge of the Universe, you can be absolved of your transgressions because your fine has been paid. The only requirement is that you repent of your sins, in other words turn from sin and thirst after righteousness. Once you have done this you will know that you are forgiven, you will be born-again into the family of God, an event as substantial as the first time you were born into the world.

As death and destruction come your way, you will not wonder why God allows it to happen, but rather why He has postponed the inevitable and most importantly, why He would see fit to save a wretch like you, that while many were dying you were given the opportunity to repent or perish.

Favorite Bible Passage

The following is a responce to Brian McLaren's favorite Bible passage, the Sermon on the Mount (namely the pieces that agree with him).
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I am always weary of the chapter/verse break-ups in Scripture, as they are not God-ordained and in several occurences quite poorly placed. For example, see the breakups between Hebrews 4,5,6 and especially the breakup between Genesis 1,2. Certain verses seem like they can stand on their own, like John 3:16, but we have seen a cult grow out of that beautiful verse because it has been taken without context.

So it is difficult for me to choose a few verses or even a passage to call my favorite. When I think of one, such as the passage of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), I realize that it needs the context of the rest Bible in order for me to exposit on it.

While Ephesians 2:8-9 are a succint summation of soteriology, without the accompanying chapter 2 and the entire letter to the Ephesians, it is hard to know if you can understand the intended meaning.

Paul beautifully gives a brief summation of the Gospel in the beginning of Galatians, but as Paul is wont to do, he backs up the beginning with the rest of the letter.

I could go on and on, Acts 12, Luke 18, Genesis 3, Genesis 1, Genesis 6, Job 40...insert also the other 1183 chapters of the Bible.

There is one passage that I feel is a beautiful command, it does not contain the full Gospel or strong basis for theology, but it is written to the saints and is one of the most powerful verses in scripture. It is found at the end of Chapter 2 in the 2nd letter to a Pastor named Timothy, Paul's last Epistle.

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

This passage could consume the mind for days if not weeks if not months. The theological themes written into it are as deep or as shallow as you look. I will do my best to summarize it in a pithy article without losing too much.

The beginning is not particularly important to unbelievers, but lays out a lifetime of growth for the child of God. The most important phrase in this verse for unbelievers is "oppose themselves".

This is similar to when Christ asked Saul of Tarsus why he kicked against the prods, symbolizing Saul as a beast of burden prodded forward but being stubborn. Saul's Rabbinical teaching and his knowledge of God's Law should have driven him towards repentance and the Messiah, but his pride kept him opposing himself and his knowledge.

These Law's are still in place today, they were written in stone and are unchanging. Ask yourself if you kick against the prods,
-Have you ever told a lie? If so, then God sees you as a Liar.
-Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you? If so, then God sees you as a thief.
-Have you ever taken God's name in vain? If so, then you are a blasphemer and God will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
-Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Whosoever looks with lust has committed adultery already in their heart."
-Have you ever looked with lust? God sees this as adultery of the heart. He is concerned with the intentions of the heart, not just the actions.
-Have you ever killed anyone? Similarly Jesus said that if you are angry at someone, you are in danger of just as much judgment as if you had murdered them.

These are just five of the 10 Immutable Commandments. If you have broken them then the Bible says that your punishment is Hell. To quote one verse, Revelation 21:8 relegates lawbreakers to the fire, ending in "all liars will have their place in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone."

It is the God's servants' duty to attempt to show you the truth of this impending judgment; that there is none good but God, that whoever says they have no sin is a liar, and does not have the Truth abiding in them.

The Bible is adamant that if you have not been purchased into the family of God, then you are a child of the devil, a child of wrath. A popular colloquialism is "I would sell my soul to the devil for..." But this verse in 2nd Timothy informs us that our soul is not ours to sell, that it has been freely given to the devil through transgression. Not only so, but in our unbelief and acquiescing from the truth, we do the will of the devil, which is to keep souls from being redeemed to God.

The beauty of this passage lays in the middle. "That God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth." There is a way to life, even after all of the damage we have done to God's creation and kingdom with our transgressions and pride.

Paul tells us that there is a repentance that leads to life. If you'll approach God with sorrow for transgressing His laws, confess every sin you can remember, and cry out to Him for mercy, He will forgive you, because He can, because He will lead you to a knowledge of the Truth.

The Truth being that God became manifest in the flesh, as the man Jesus Christ, He was born of a virgin and lived a perfect, sinless life. He was tempted but He didn't succumb, He was beaten but He didn't break. He offered Himself up on a false charge to be the propitiation for our sins. He hadn't earned a single lash of the whip, but took your punishment upon Himself. He was hung on a cross outside of Jerusalem, a punishment so heinous that it was soon outlawed. Upon that cross He suffered not only earthly pain, but the pain of being abandoned by His Father in Heaven. His death paid the debt that our sins had amassed.

Pray to God that He grant you repentance leading to the knowledge that in Christ's death you are absolved, you are redeemed, you are forgiven.

And it will be so.

Save the Babies

I really got mad at a pro-death article tonight, so I'm venting and hoping that somehow this blog serves to save at least one life. This is the greatest apologetic I've ever heard against abortion...and I don't know who to attribute it to, whoever wrote it probably won't mind if you and I use it:

Women have rights. You will rarely find someone to disagree with you, and people that support abortion often flee to the rights of women. These are the very same rights as men. As Mr. Jefferson put it so well, the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of property and happiness.

But the question is, when do those rights come to fruition? I believe it is when a woman becomes a woman.

I believe a woman becomes a woman and earns all of the same rights as a man at the age of 18.

No, I'm kidding. Actually it's younger, 13.

You probably still don't agree; I am still being coy.

She has the same rights as a man the moment she becomes a woman.

When is that? Conception; two X chromosomes get together and she earns the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of property and happiness.

If you want to deprive this precious little girl of any of her rights, well then thats between you and God.


When I heard that the first time, I was amazed at how clear and persuasive this argument is. People that really hate God will still be able to find a way around it, but it is aimed at the tenderhearted.

But I can't leave it at that. If you have had an abortion, God will forgive you, Jesus has washed our entire past, and God the Comforter will grant you peace. In almost all occasions, sanctification is the greatest news, but not necessarily so in this case, if you'll read 2 Samuel 12:16-24, we have hope that this wonderful baby will be awaiting your arrival in Heaven. As David put it, "I shall go to him," and you will be reunited, but even more beautiful, Jesus called the little ones, "angels that always see the face of my Father in Heaven." (Matt 18:10)

Thank you for reading.

The Purpose of this Blog

When my friend and brother in Christ, David Wheaton, suggested I start a blog, my first reaction was...what would I write in it? At the time I was (still am) internet preaching at the Washington Post, leeching off of their readership of unregenerate wrong(left)-wingers in hopes that one or all of them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

It was during one of these preaching events that I realized I needed an archive to fall back on for common questions that came up. Such as the sinfulness of sin, the religion of evolution, the Garden of Eden, works righteousness, total depravity, and lately I've been using this blog to record various open-air and rough-drafts of church sermons.

I am not very interesting, and I have no agenda seperate than saving souls. I wish this blog could be more loving, but it is not geared towards my brethren (brothers and sisters) in Christianity, but rather towards the unregenerate. As some of my church-family have begun to read this blog, as well as believing friends and those from Adventures in Christianity (adventuresinchristianity.com), I've been debating turning this blog more towards believers...but I have scrapped this idea because while edification of the saints is important, this is an outreach blog and not for edification. This is my personality, while I love to fellowship as well as comforting believers, my calling is seeking and saving the lost, the Lazarus' of the world (See Luke 16).

Even still, I don't want to abandon my Sanctified readers, so in the upcoming weeks I am going to write a few entries on sharing your faith. Sharing your faith is not a gift, there is no such thing as the gift of evangelism, and if there were, I wouldn't have it. Rather there is a COMMAND for evangelism, and God has given us the secret weapon, called the conscience, and most Christians don't know how to use it.

It is my hope that I can share the operating parameters of this weapon and still maintain an evangelon blog.

Thanks for reading, I never expected to have a recurring readership, I expected heathens either seeking living water or trampling pearls.