Quick Update

have you noticed a trend here? It takes about a week between posts. This is normally when I get a phone call from Craig saying something along the lines of, "Whats up with you?".

Well I am going to tell you whats up with me. It is called, World of Warcraft. Thats right. I reopened my account because I had an urge to play again. I convinced a friend of mine from work to turn his back on also.

There you have it, and while some may mock me, they have probably never played before. Those that do play, "For the Horde!"

A Thief's Thoughts

Many of us know the story of Christ's death and resurrection. I would like to take a moment to take a look at this from another perspective, as we celebrate Christ's victory over death today.

Christ was hung next to two criminals. One didn't believe in His purpose, and one did. The one who recognizes Christ, while looking death in the eyes, cries out to the Lord, and the Lord provides. This is a man who lived like the world his whole life, but God is forgiving, and tells him that he will be with Christ in heaven, while the other insults Him.

Matthew doesn't mention the two criminals, Mark mentions them, but nothing more; Luke is the one who brings us this story. Luke 42 & 43 are what I find to be truly important.

"Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

A few things stick out to me in these two passages. The first, he prayed no prayer of salvation, it was his heart that Jesus read. The criminal recognized that his own sins put him on the cross, but Christ was there because of other peoples sins (those that lied about Him to kill Him, I dont know if he really understood like the disciples).

Secondly, Christ tells him that "today you will be with me in paradise." Today. Crucification wasnt a one day deal. Its not like the hung you on the cross in the morning, and you died in the evening. A person would last up there possibly a week. The soldiers would come by and break your legs so you could no longer lift yourself up to breath... then you suffocated yourself. If that wasn't enough, to make sure you were dead, they would plunge a spear into your side, imagine if you were still alive!

This sounds an alarm to me because I dont know if this criminal actually died that day with Christ, or not. While a horrible thought, I would like to think that the criminal survived longer than that. Not for the torture aspect of it, but because IF he did, it would tell me that in anguishing deaths, Christ takes the person before the body dies.

I had a poll a while back that asked what your thoughts on this were. The majority said that our soul wasn't taken to heaven until the body dies, after reading this, do you still believe it? Do you believe that the second criminal died that same day as Christ?

Forgiveness

So I see it appropriate to bring this up, as it is not something that I often think about. After commenting on Timm's blog during the Suicide topic, I believe it is important to mull this topic over.

The verse is Colossians 2:13-14: " ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."

I imagine this is where we get the analogy of the the two cliffs and the cross connecting them, illustrating how Christ's death is needed for heaven. I could be wrong.

While this verse shows that Christ has forgiven all sins, past, present and future, to assume that everyone receives said forgiveness is outright. If this were the case, then everyone would be without sin, and thus everyone would go to heaven. We would have no reason to change our lifestyles because God forgave all.

Forgiveness is given through repentance (Acts 2:39) and through belief (Acts 13:38). Forgiveness if provided through the death and resurrection of Christ (Eph 1:7)

While everyone has access to it, it doesn't mean that everyone will request it. And I think we are all on the same page up until now.

The question would then be, once we accept this gift, and believe in Christ's sacrifice, do we still need to ask for forgiveness throughout the rest of our lives, and what happens if we don't?

The Lord's prayer, which is the example Christ gives the disciples (found in Matthew 6:9-13 & Luke 11:2&4) teaches us to pray for forgiveness. As Christ's life is an example, we know He prayed daily, waking early and finding solitude. Why would Christ teach us to pray for forgiveness if it is not needed?

While I believe that forgiveness is absolutely necessary, and I believe there is no sin in heaven, I also believe that asking for it daily, even minute by minute is needed. Is that to say that we will not be allowed in heaven if we do not have a clean slate when we die, or Christ returns? Absolutely not.

How this all works? beyond me.

Another Media Post

I have wrote before about the rise of "super powers" in all the comic television, but now I am starting to notice a new trend. We have all scene the previews for Will Smith's movie, I Am Legend, but have you heard of "Children of Men" or 28 days/weeks later? Theres another movie coming out soon too that falls along this same line. The end of the world.

We lasted through all the alien style movies, without ever meeting aliens, however this new series about how the world ends, and those survivors might just be something we face.

I believe that this is all building up to the final days in 2012. I believe that God is preparing the world with as many possible excuses there can be for the rapture, or disappearance, or death. See many people believe that we will all disappear, and that nothing will be left behind of our bodies, however the Bible says we will get new bodies.

Will the scientists find out that it was all some kind of disease? A type of cancer? What kind of speculation will be out there when so many Christians leave this world? How are you planning on informing your family and loved ones why you are gone? Do you mention it to your family?

Even if you do not believe my theory about 2012, but you believe that no mans knows that day and hour, have you informed your family that there will be a random day that God returns and takes the Christians from this world, and that if that happens they need to understand why? Many Christians believe in the Bible, but not so many believe in the "supernatural" part. You know, that parts like Jonah being eaten by a fish, or maybe the parting of the Red Sea, or maybe even that Christ rose from the dead. The Rapture falls into this supernatural catagory, and many people seem to feel foolish to talk about its possibilities.

Well I hope it doesn't catch your off guard, as it will the non-believers. Be Prepared, God has sent the message, know and understand.

For those daily readers....

Okay, so i have not been posting much lately, so I wanted to throw something up before I head into work today.

Happy Birthday Dad! I hope you had a great time this weekend, I know we enjoyed having you staying with us.

Dad came down on Friday and stayed the night. Saturday was his birthday, and so we had a couple people over to celebrate. We grilled up some good eats and had a good time. The weather was great for it.

Sunday was good too. Went to church, came home and worked a little on the Chevette. I got the backseat put back in, and then took it out for a drive. I still have a lot of maintenance to do on it, but I love that car. In the evening we went to our Crown Financial group. So far the class material has not been that exciting, however the group discussion and new friends has been great.

So that was the weekend, I know this isnt my typical post, but again, I just wanted to get something up on here so people knew it was still active.

I broke it, fixed it, and repeated the process

I broke my computer, and then I got sick and tired of trying to fix it, so I burned it.

Well, kinda, I actually burned up my oldest one, which was going to be thrown out anyway, and I needed a picture for this post that would capture my true emotion concerning how I spent my Saturday... this one does it nicely.

I spent a straight 20 hours trying to fix a problem I was having. About a third of the way through the project, I realized I lost everything on my main hard drive. About half way through it, and after I had formatted my main drive, I realized I didnt actually lose what was on the hard drive, I just didnt properly load the Sata drivers into stupid Windows... So I formatted my drive for nothing.

Its all back up and running the way it should now though. For some reason God wanted me to spend all day fixing this machine. At least I got to burn up my old computer, that was fun.

Dmitry Medvedev Win by 70.2%

Dmitry Medvedev cut gas supplies to Ukraine, the second energy stand off since 2006, meanwhile police detained the protestors in Moscow.

The moves came just hours after Mr Medvedev, who took 70.2 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s election, said he would take charge of Russian foreign policy after his May 7 inauguration, but pledged to continue the course of his mentor, President Vladimir Putin.

Several hundred members of pro-Kremlin youth groups including Nashi, or “Our Own”, also marched towards the US embassy in Moscow to protest over US foreign policy towards Kosovo and Iraq. The youths carried slogans including “Russia Forward” and “We will stand beside our country”.

It looks like Dmitry will be following closely behind Putin, and wearing the same shoes.

Story here

Understanding the Cost

Its hard to fully understand the greatness, or vastness of the oceans until you look out from the middle of them, and realize your surrounded for hundreds of miles.

I have had the great opportunity of witnessing this. When I was in the Navy, on board the USS J.F.K, I would go stand on the bridge and gaze our over the waters. I remember thinking that if I fell, or was pushed, no one would know. They wouldn't find me, they probably wouldn't even know until they realized I wasn't working.

I treasure those moments, staring out into the darkness, hearing the ocean crash against the hull. I often miss having that opportunity, and sometimes wish I was still enlisted so that I could experience it again. Its just one of those feelings that you cant fully understand until you have experienced it for yourself.

I believe that Christ's sacrifice is the same thing. We will never see Christ on that cross, dieing because of our sins. We know it has happened, and we can appreciate it, but it is not the same. Seeing someone die, for us, is not something common. This great gift is accepted, even though it is not received in whole.

The crowds jeering at Christ, the screams of pain as the nails ravage His skin, the Romans mocking Him as if He were just another criminal. What if they became Christians? What if they understood who He was? Could they bear knowing who they killed? Would it change their life if they did? Does it change yours?

After researching the tribulation, I have felt the urgency to share Christ with everyone. I want to warn everyone whats going to happen. While many may not believe the theories surrounding the 2012 rapture, I feel that the war will serve to convince some. The war that destroys Israel, and gives way to the anti-christ in 2010-2011 will show proof.

I pray that God can use my writing to warn those who will be left behind.