A Biblical view of who believers should vote for.

WHO will I vote for?
I will vote for the most pro-life candidate, because God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Prov.6:17).
I will vote for the most pro-Israel candidate, because God blesses those who bless Israel & curses those who don't (Gen.12:3).
I will vote for the most pro-debt reduction candidate, because the borrower is servant to the lender (Prov.22:7).
I will vote for the most pro-work candidate, because God says if a man not work let him not eat (2Thess.3:10).
I will vote for the most pro-marriage candidate, because God is for marriage as defined in Genesis 2:24.
I will vote for the candidate who most closely believes government's purpose is to reward the good & punish the evil (Romans 13).
I will vote based as close as I can on God's Word (2Tim.3:16).
Knowing that whoever gets elected, God is the one who puts all men in authority (Dan.2:21)!

Convictions from the God of Life

As many of you know, who are friends with me know, The Lord convicted me a year ago of the evils of abortion and showed me that I needed to stand up and fight out against the injustice just as Fredrick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr. did. I was shown not only how it was wrong according to the Bible, but also how it was wrong from a scientific and biological point of view. I have been attacked and threatened ever since and have lost many "friends". Yes that upsets me, and if it were of my own choosing there was no way in the world that I would choose to go down this path of stress,insults,threats, and violence. But I chose to live my life for Christ, and allow him to use me to further spread the glory of his kingdom. Why he chose me to do this I do not know, but I DO know that shedding innocent blood is wrong. During my Freshman year of college at Mississippi State University I became involved with our Students For Life group on campus. It was started by a Summit Grad, and after she graduated she passed it onto another Summit Grad. Right before I Went to summit in May, the president at that time, who graduated that month asked if I would be interested. I turned it down because I didn't feel like I knew enough. After attending Summit and learning from Dr Mike Adams and Scott Klusendorf, I felt like God was calling me to do more. I contacted the former president to see if she had found anyone to replace her yet. She told me no and asked again if I wanted to do it. I accepted. Since I have been president of the MSU chapter of SFL, we have had a SFLA rep meet with us and give us advise and ideas of things to do. A couple months ago I was contacted by a lady who was on the board of a group that was planning to open a "Crisis Pregnancy Center" in our town that was geared towards College Students. She wanted us to help promote it. Well, they plan to open the Pregnancy Care Center this spring. it is gospel based and geared towards single college mothers(although all women are welcome). It will be completely free of charge and they will offer free pregnancy testing, counseling, and the new OBGYN is working as the medical doctor free of charge. this center will help pregnant mothers and mothers after pregnancy. they will provide counseling for the expecting mothers, new mothers, and post abortion counseling. all done from a loving Biblical approach. The same people opened one identical to this one in Alabama a couple years ago and through their services and counseling to women in crisis, led over 300 women to Christ! I know God has great plans for this one as well. They are having an event to announce their plans to the community and share their plans as well as accept any donations this Thursday at 7. They have asked me to say the opening prayer for the event. I am a bit nervous, but I know God will help guide me to say the right things.

This was for you Freckles...

This is long overdue, but I took this at the top of Red Mountain in Colorado. Climbing this was physically the toughest thing I've ever done in my life. But before it ended, I told you I'd climb a mountain for you, and that promise was my only motivation to keep climbing! I'll Miss you...

A short, but long defense against Abortion. (From a recent convo I had)

This is a response that I wrote towards a young sophmore high school girl who told me that I had no right to say that abortion is wrong, and that I was hateful towards women for saying that they shouldn't get abortions.

I'm quite proud of this comeback, but I know that it wouldn't have been possible if not for the privilege God blessed me with of attending and graduating Summit Ministries. A place where I not only grew to understand God's word better, but where I learned more about the anti-Christian issues in today's society, including abortion. So without further ado, here is the thoroughly thought out and researched response.


I cared about it way before the proposition came up, and that, frankly, has nothing to do with this issue. But I didn't start being vocal about it until I felt God calling me to stand up for his children and the atrocities being committed. (If you don't believe in God and/or the Holy Spirit working in people's lives, that's cool, but that's what led me to be more vocal about it

I don't set out to offend people. People have mistaken my tone as a hostile tone before, but it never has been such. I have friends in those situations. And I don't condemn them or treat them badly. They have come to realize that they were lied to by the doctors who tried to give them the abortions. The doctors talk over the heartbeat and refuse to show them ultra sounds.... I'm not trying to make people feel bad, because like my friends, most people who have undergone abortions were tricked and lied to. Ever since Roe v Wade, (Roe has since become a pro life advocate after realizing what the procedure actually does) the numbers of innocent lives lost have been way higher than that of those caused by Hitler or Stalin. 

I agree with you completely, I as a male, have no right to tell a woman what she can and can't do, and if she should or shouldn't get an abortion. That makes perfect sense and I agree with you completely, if the unborn are Not Human.

 I base what i say on scientific evidence. I  know from scientific research that abortion doctors will not perform a surgical abortion until at least 7 weeks. The child's heartbeat can be heard at 4 weeks. They are undergoing human development, just as we all do until we are fully grown, they are just at a different stage of development. Which factor makes them "terminate-able"? Size? Level of development? Environment? Or Degree of Dependency?  

Scientifically, we know that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings. Leading Embryology Text books confirm this (TW Sadler's "Langman's Embryology", Keith L. Moore's "The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology", and O'Rahilly,Ronand,and Muller, Pabiola, Human Embryology and Teratology. Just to name a few) 

I'm all for women's rights. Women should be allowed to have all the same rights as men. It's the woman's right to have sex with whomever she wants. But by making that choice, she is risking getting pregnant. 98% of Abortions are performed on women who accidentally get pregnant and simply don't want to have a baby. This meaning that these 98% willingly chose to have sex and risk getting  pregnant. Just because they made a mistake of getting pregnant does t mean that they have the Right to kill their child. Murder is never the answer.

The point of the matter is: is the unborn human? (or, at what point does it become human?) If it is human, then my point and the comparison I originally stated are valid, but, if the Unborn is NOT human, then all your points are valid. But if it's not a human, what is it???

Final point: there isn't reason to bicker and insult each other over a scientific issue. The point that we debate over is simply: is the unborn human?/at what point does it become human? 

   
Done

A True Love...... Lost

A year ago tonight the love of my life came to watch my last Summer Scholars On Stage performance. I've never felt better while acting on stage than I did that night, knowing that she traveled that far to watch me. Being here brings back memories of her. I do miss you love, living in a world without you is the hardest thing I've ever done. I live everyday one step at a time, trusting only in the Lord to guide me through. Not a day goes by that I don't miss you. I knew that You were the one, you were perfect in every aspect. You exceeded my highest Biblical standards of a Godly wife. I adored you and loved you, and I still do. We had planned a future, marriage, a family, raising the family in God's word, and growing old together. I would be always at your side protecting you and comforting you, and you would always be there to support me. Our kids would be raised to learn God's word. One of the greatest honors a parent should have is knowing that they raised their kids in the faith and that their child is living their life to serve the Lord. I knew that with you teaching them on  a daily basis, that would be true. You're the only one I'll ever trust enough to do that. Nobody can ever compare to you. You were the highest of Biblical standards for a wife, a true Proverbs 31 woman. I would do absolutely anything to have you back! The world isn't the same without you. You were the only girl I ever loved, and you will forever be that! I pray that God will continue to help me through life and learn to move on without you. It's been 4 mouths since it happened, and my feelings are still the same. Before it happened, I promised you I'd climb a mountain for you, and even though you were gone, I kept my promise. It was one of the most strenuous things I've ever done and took me twice as long as most, but that promise I made to you was the only thing that kept me going.  I will always love you freckles, always....

Mississippi: First Abortion-free State?

Today's post will be a mixture of joy and annoyance. And in the respective order. 

In effect today is a Mississippi law that requires anyone performing abortions at the state's only clinic to be 1.) a certified OB/GYN, and 2.) a doctor with privileges to admit patients to a local hospital. This very well could lead to Mississippi being the first abortion-free state. 

This is a very good thing, because Mississippi has a very high teen pregnancy rate, which means, with no abortions, girls will give birth to their kids instead of killing them. Thus cutting back the number of deaths each year. 

Now, some of you might be thinking: abortion isn't killing! To that I say: yes, it is. 

Scientifically, we know that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct and living  human beings. Leading Embryology Text books confirm this
(TW Sadler's "Langman's Embryology", Keith L. Moore's "The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology", and O'Rahilly,Ronand,and Muller, Pabiola, Human Embryology and Teratology.) Just to name a few.

*So scientifically, abortion is taking the life of a defenseless human.*

Now here comes the annoyed part. 

This made national news and liberals and lawsuits are already flying against it. MSNBC had an interview posted with Dr. Willie Parker, a black OBGYN from Alabama.  He made a statement that shocked me (not really):

 "Abortion is healthcare!"

I have a question: How? I was under the impression that healthcare was to help your health be better. 

According to a medical dictionary Healthcare is:

"the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions."

So, from a strictly scientific & medical perspective, abortion is NOT healthcare.

It is, in fact, the complete opposite. 

You also might have wondered why I specified the man's race. Well, he is a black man, and I find it ironic that a black man is supporting abortion in America, when the sole purpose of its starting in the US was to eradicate the black race from Harlem and then the rest of the US. Margaret Sanger (Planned Parenthood founder & American abortion advocate) was a racist with ties to the Klu Klux Klan. Many times she talked about how blacks were a lower class of humans and didn't deserve to live. Other Planned Parenthood  directors and board members had ties to and were admirers of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. One even was invited to speak to Nazis about abortion and eugenics and how to "weed out" the undesirable classes of humans(Jews, Blacks, ect...). Since then, Planned Parenthood has tried many different ways to carry on their racist agenda. 

What black person in their right mind would support abortion? 

Well, as you can see, I'm joyful about the law being passed. One reason being that the Governor that passed it, Phil Bryant, was the man I voted for in my first real election. 

But I'm also annoyed that so many people are upset and against this. 

Whether they know it or not, the people against it,  are supporting the slaughtering of many innocent human beings.  
 
 I pray that Mississippi will stand strong against them! 

Life is Short, Good Samaritans, & State Farm

Yesterday I was reminded of 3 things.
1. Life is short and can be taken from us at any moment unexpectedly. 
2. There are still good people in the world
3. Some State Farm agents are still true to their slogan.

Around 4 pm our house phone rang and my mom answered it in the kitchen. I was 2 rooms away, but could still hear her. "What?! Where?! Are y'all okay?!" I ran in the kitchen and she was still on the phone. I asked her what happened and she said that my grandparents had been in a bad wreck in Macon, MS (about 45 minutes from my house). They were both okay but the car was torn up. We jumped in our SUV and quickly drove to pick them up. It was the year anniversary of my great aunt Bobbie's death. My grandparents had gone down to my grandfather's hometown to put flowers on her grave. They were driving home on a 4 lane highway. There was an intersection in the highway, but only the crossing road had a stop sign. My grandparents were on the highway, when all of a sudden, from the crossing road, come a car flying past the stop sign. Not only did the car run the stop sign, he sped across 3 lanes of traffic, hit my grandparents car, and finally hit & knocked over the stop sign on the opposite side of the highway!

Luckily, my grandfather was able to swerve to avoid any further damage. He and my grandmother were both okay, save for a bruise on my grandmother's arm. While they were standing outside their car after the wreck, a nice lady drove up and let my grandmother sit in her car with her and then drove her to the hotel (the wreck was right in front of a hotel), got her some water, and stayed with her until my grandfather had finished business with the insurance and police. The lady did not know them, yet stopped and helped out of the kindness of her heart. A genuine "good Samaritan"! When my grandfather and the State Farm Insurance agent got to the hotel, the lady left. The State Farm agent stayed with my grandparents until my mom and I arrived. The agent was the nicest and most helpful old insurance agent that I've ever met! He treated them like he knew them, which he didn't. I guess their motto is correct: "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There" =)

Even though nobody was seriously injured, it was a shocking jolt of reality that made me realize that no matter what we do or how safe we think we are, our lives can be unpredictably taken. It makes me think about the important things in life, and what I want to accomplish before I die. When I die, I want my life to have meant something. I want to have made a difference in people's lives. I know that if I continue to live my life for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then I can accomplish those goals. We needn't worry about the little things, for we need to focus on God.

Matthew 6:19-34 talks about where our focus should be and what we shouldn't worry about. 

• 6:19-21 says:

  “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

• 6:30-33 says:

  "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." 

In conclusion, I was reminded of 3 things: life is short and can be taken from us at anytime, there are still good people in the world that do good things to help others, and some State Farm agents really o stick to the motto! 

Tolerance and Religious Persecution

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard of a case that the Alliance Defense Fund was taking in New Mexico. A Christian couple owns a photography studio in NM and a lesbian couple approaches them and wants to hire them to photograph their "Commencement Ceremony". (In NM, Gay marriage isn't legal and isnt recognized) the Christian couple politely declines to take the job because it goes against their religious and moral values. The angry lesbians then commence to suing the small privately owned studio for discrimination! The couple is fined $7000 for their "intolerant" views. The ADF is now taking this case to the state supreme court in attempts to protect the religious freedom of the Christian couple. Now, an analogy to this situation: Would a photography studio owned by animal rights activist be wrong to refuse to take pictures of a hunting group's taxidermy animals? NO! It goes against their beliefs! Is that intolerant? I don't think so! Michael Hamblin states:

"... what does it mean to be "tolerant" or "intolerant?" In the past, tolerance meant that other people have a right to their opinion, and the right to express themselves, and that even though we may disagree with their opinions, that we can tolerate their view and live in peace, with the understanding that all people are working toward truth. In recent years, however, tolerance has come to mean something radically different, that tolerance should be never saying that someone else is wrong. All value judgments are viewed as intolerant, except of course, the value judgment that says "value judgments are wrong." Rather than tolerating other people's opinions (or perhaps, learning from them), many people have come to believe that "Judge not, lest ye be judged," and hence not making value judgments, is the basis for tolerance.
In an intolerant world, rational dialogue gives way to argument by insult. As Greg Koukl notes, "Most of what passes for tolerance today is not tolerance at all, but rather intellectual cowardice. Those who hide behind the myth of neutrality are often afraid of intelligent engagement. Unwilling to be challenged by alternate points of view, they don't engage contrary opinions or even consider them. It's easier to hurl an insult-'you intolerant bigot'-than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it. 'Tolerance' has become intolerance." When thoughtful principled arguments can be refuted by insults or speculation about hidden motives (a hermeneutic of suspicion), rational discourse breaks down.""

The point being, the Christian couple has religious and moral values and as a privately owned business, they have the right to accept or decline any client they choose. They have the right under the constitution to religious freedom. They have the right to live their life without fear or without being persecuted for their beliefs.

As a Christian, I am tolerant of others beliefs. Even though I might disagree with them on their beliefs, I am called by Christ to treat them with kindness and compassion. I can still love and be friends with them regardless of their values and ways of life. But IF their ideals threaten me or the lives of others, I will not hesitate to fight back!

I have friends that are gay and I don't treat them or love them any less than I do my straight friends! The Bible calls us to treat others lovingly and kindly. Hate speech, animosity, and violence isn't an acceptable way to treat people you are called to love.

A Review of My First Year Of College

This school year has been an odd one, to say the least. I just finished my freshman year as a Communication Broadcasting Major at Mississippi State University. The work load was easier than all 4 years of high school, so in essence, it was fairly easy! I defeated my long time foe, Algebra! After fighting against it for almost 8 years, i finally defeated the satanic language and I do not have to deal with it ever again! YES! *does the I passed algebra dance*

As many of you know, my dream has always been to go into the film industry. Ive always wanted to be a film director like George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. I am obsessed with movies and want to use that obsession to fuel my job. Well, about the time i started college, my then-girlfriend told me how she had her mind set on going to college and going into a field she had always dreamed of doing, but she realized that that was what SHE wanted, but she wasn't sure if it was what GOD wanted. So, after much thought and prayer, she realized that God was leading her in a different direction, and to this day, he has continued to bless her in that area. This got me thinking, I wanted to do film and be a film director, but was that what GOD wanted me to do? I prayed about it and turned my future over to the Lord, I know that he will provide for me and will lead me in the direction that he wants me to be in. I know I'm gifted in the Communications area, but I'm not sure about the specifics. I know that he will make his will for my life known to me when it is time.

Along with all that, in January, I started applying for jobs around campus. I took my resume into the Mississippi State University Television Center and filled out an application. after a week, my mother convinced me to go back there and follow up on the application. So I did. Much to my surprise, they had been very impressed with my resume, and hired me that day! I started working there the next week! I was overly thrilled! The Lord had blessed me with a job that, not only fit my skill set, but was also one I enjoyed doing. Every week I film a nationally broadcasted Agricultural News program called Farmweek.  I also get to film various events and speakers around campus along with ballgames. Since I started in January, the only sports games I've been able to film have been MSU Baseball, which is somewhat boring, but i get free food and drinks in the press box and I get to film from the home dugout! This weekend I get to film the MSU graduation ceremony, at which, the United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, is speaking at. 

This year has been different because I have been with my first girlfriend for a little over a year and a half. She was an amazing, beautiful, talented, caring woman of God. She was without a doubt the most Godly woman I have ever known. While dating her I grew closer to God than I ever have. I adored her and loved her with all my heart. She had a way of seeing who people really are. I know I'm not attractive. Im short and overweight. But she saw through me, she saw that I was a man seeking God's will and that i was a sweet caring person. She claimed that she didn't care what I looked like, she loved me for who I was in my heart, and that i fit all the biblical aspects of a Godly man.........well, her parents didn't think as she did. They kept telling her that they did not like me because i was not good looking and because I was not athletic. Her parents tried so hard to get her to leave me, even going as far as trying to convince her to cheat on me with a guy she hardly knew, just because he was good-looking. Only a few days after that, she stopped speaking to me, and a few days later, she broke up with me. Over the period of a week she gave me three completely different and conflicting reasons as to why she left me. To this day i still do not know what happened, or what made her so suddenly stop loving me. This being my first breakup, you can imagine that I was quite hurt. I have been through a lot of pain in my life mentally,emotionally, and physically. But all the pain i have endured throughout my life cannot even come close to comparing to the pain this breakup had caused. I literally felt like my heart (Or rather, my entire inside organs) was being ripped apart. I prayed and cried myself to sleep for weeks. It hurt even more not knowing what happened or what i had done, I still loved her, and she claimed she still loved me.....I was in agony. The only way out of the pain that i could see was to take my life. I know this sounds stupid and coward-like (I once thought that as well) but the pain was so much, I just wanted to be at rest and be painless. BUT  I remembered that I had a loving God, and that he promised that he would never give me anything I couldn't handle. (Throughout the year and a half that I was dating her, I prayed every day that if it was God's will for us to get married, then let it be, but if it wasn't, that when we did break up that he would grant me peace and comfort me to move on) I once again went to the Lord in deep prayer. I told him that I realize that he has a plan and a reason for everything, and that everything he does for me is to make me stronger. I told him that, despite what I desired for my future, I was going to let him take the wheel of my life and lead me towards HIS will for my life. I once again asked him for peace and to help me continue living life. After about a month after the breakup, i realized that I was no longer sad and depressed! Although i still missed her terribly and wanted her back, I realized that I was at peace with the situation. The Lord had answered my prayers! Although the answer was not what I desired, he gave me peace and encouraged me and comforted me to keep on. 

Not knowing what my future holds, I continue living my life for him and following him. I have been involved in a campus ministry where we get to go out and share the gospel with random people on campus. Despite what most people think, there are a LOT of people who do not understand the gospel/how to get to heaven and have a great misconception about the Bible and Christianity. Ive been blessed with the opportunity to share the gospel with several people and sometimes the circumstances surrounding those sharings, have been obviously God directed. I see no other way other than God's hand that could've led those people to me or brought me to them. It is simply amazing! I realized that my life is not about living the way I want to live it, it is about living it to serve God and to bring others to the Lord.

Ive had many ups and downs throughout the year, and the Lord has been there with me every step of the way. And I have learned to praise him and trust him in the good times and the bad times.

I want to leave you with the lyrics to a song that I heard on the radio the day before my breakup, which has helped me and comforted me throughout the entire situation. The song is By Steven Curtis Chapman, entitled: "Long Way Home".

I set out on a great adventure
The day my Father started leading me home
He said there's gonna be some mountains to climb
And some valleys we're gonna go through

But I had no way of knowing
Just how hard this journey could be
Cause the valleys are deeper
And the mountains are steeper than I ever would have dreamed

But I know that we're gonna make it
And I know that we're gonna get there soon
And I know that sometimes it feels like we're going the wrong way
But its just the long way home

I got some rocks in my shoes
Fears I wish I could lose
That make the mountains so hard to climb
And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes

There's a bag of regrets,
My should've beens, and not yets
I keep on dragging around
And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay them all down

I know that day is coming
I know its gonna be here soon
And I won't turn back even if the whole world says I'm going the wrong way
Cause its just the long way home

When we can't take another step
The Father will pick us up and carry us in His arms
And even on the best days, He says to remember we're not home yet
So don't get too comfortable
Cause really all we are is just pilgrims passing through

Well, I know that we're gonna make it
And I know that we're gonna get there soon
So I keep on singing and believing
What all of my songs say

Cause our God has made a promise
And I know that everything He says is true
And I know wherever we go
He will never leave us
Cause He's gonna lead us home

The Unforgivable Sin

This is a subject that I've studied over many times, and recently, at the request of an old friend, I decided to type it all up.

First things first: Salvation

The Bible says that we all are guilty of sin, the penalty of Sin is death and eternity away from God in Hell. (ex. God saw that we were all drowning and even though we crashed the boat, it's our fault and we deserve to drown, but he sends a life raft to save us, but many choose to hold onto it and be saved, and some don't.) that life raft is Christ.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith in Christ, and not of your own doing, it is the Gift of God, not received by doing works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

"Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:5-6

"For God so loved the World, he gave his only son, and whoever believes in him, will not go to Hell, but will spend eternity in heaven" - John 3:16

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved? "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" Acts 16:30-31


All that being said, it is clear in The Bible that the only way to get to heaven is by believing that Jesus was the son of God and that he died for our sins and rose again. Nothing that we can do gets us to heaven.


Now, how do we know that our place in heaven is secure?

John 10:28 - "I gave them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand"

Ephesians 1:13-14 - "You were also included in Christ when we accept the truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed you were marked in him with a *seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a **deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory"

*The time of "sealing" coincides with the time of believing. A "seal" indicates possession and security. The presence of the Holy Spirit, the seal, is the believers guarantee of the security of his salvation.

**The "Deposit" mentioned in this means a down payment. The presence of the Spirit is God's pledge that our salvation will be consummated


Many people ask about the "Unforgivable sin" and if all sins are forgiven, what happens if we do this?
Mark 3 and Matt.12 talk about the "unforgivable sin". They explain that the only unpardonable sin is "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit"
Further studying shows that, technically, according to the Scribes, blasphemy involved direct and explicit abuse of the divine name. This sin cannot be duplicated today, because it only applied to the people who directly denied Jesus when he was alive, who saw the Holy Spirit work through his miracles. We cannot repeat this sin now, and there's now no sin that takes away our salvation.

A lot ask about suicide victims going to Hell, no where in the Bible does it say that!
Here is a site that has that topic nicely laid out. I suggest you wear read it:

http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=228

"Some people believe that all who commit suicide go immediately to Hell. However, the Bible never says if this is the case. The Bible is silent on this issue. God probably did not address it in black in white for a good reason. If we knew that we would still go to Heaven if we killed ourselves, there would probably be a lot more suicides taking place than there already are. However, if we knew that all who killed themselves were automatically banished to Hell, no matter what their situation, it may be too much for the grief-stricken family and friends to bear. Murder and suicide are not unpardonable sins. The only unforgivable sins are rejecting Christ (Mark 16:16) and blaspheming the Holy Spirit."

Mark 3:28-29 reassures us that we will be forgiven for all our sins.
"Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation"

How Good?

How good do you have to be to get to heaven? Mostly good? How much? 51% good 49% bad? The Bible says God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for it; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Beginning to Minister to the world!

So lately I've been learning how to go out and witness to people. My college ministry group called Phase 2 has been going out on campus in pairs and talking to random people about Christ and heaven. We've encountered some rude people, some people who just weren't interested, and some people who were interested. It's been an amazing learning experience and I've gained a lot of knowledge. I've really seen how God has been at work! God brings us people who are searching for him, and its just too much of a coincidence sometimes! It HAS to be God! Here is one of these instances.

Today, my good friend Andy and I were meeting for our weekly Bible study. We usually meet in the chapel or outside the chapel, but the AC was off in the Chapel and it was too humid outside. So we went in the Student Union to the "Dawg House" to meet. Well, there was a group of about 10 or 15 black adults in there and they had just started an African American Studies club. They asked if we wanted to join in, and me, always trying to be silly, asked if I had to be African American to join. They laughed and said no. And I told them thanks for the offer, but I was meeting for a Bible study. Andy and I say down and began talking. I had just finished up reading the fourth chapter of Galatians. Paul was reprimanding the church of Galatia for being tricked by the Judaizers into thinking that works get you to heaven, rather than faith. Well, behind us the African American Studies Club Had finished up their meeting and were leaving the room. All of a sudden a tall big boned older black man came and sat at our table. He asked if he could listen in in our Bible study. And we sad he was more than welcome! He sat down, and for the first time I got to share the gospel with someone. Andy gave him some analogies and showed him some passages in the Word and while he was doing that, I sat in prayer, praying that God would really work in this guy! The guy was very understanding and reasonable! He said he had heard many different ways to be saved, but he knew that if the Bible said it, it was true! We got his name and told him we would pray for him. We found out that he was a history professor with his PHD and the Director of African American Studies at MSU. It was amazing! God just brought him up to us and presented us with the opportunity to share the gospel! As much as I want to take credit and brag about doing it, I can't, because I saw that it was truly the Lord's hand that did it all. It was amazing! 

The World's Greatest Lie: You get to Heaven by being Good

I want to address something that has on my mind lately regarding heaven. I have heard this subject called "The World's biggest lie" and even though it sounds over the top, it really is one of, if not the biggest lie ever invented. The sad part about the lie is 1. Most of the world has fallen for it, and 2. It is a matter of life or death.
You may be asking yourself, what is this big lie? Well, the lie exist in many different variations, but the most common two are that "You go to Heaven if you're good" and that "you get to heaven based on your good works". Sure, your grandparents and parents may have fed you that lie as a child, and almost every Hollywood film uses that lie to comfort people. But the fact of the matter is: Going to Heaven has absolutely nothing to do with how good or how bad you are! Sure, Heaven is associated with "good" and Hell with "bad", but truth be told, many "good" people will go to Hell, and many "bad" people will go to Heaven.
First off, nowhere in the Bible is it said that being good gets you to Heaven. What does God say is the requirement to enter into Heaven?
In Psalms 15 David asks God:
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?"
And God answers:
"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken."

Wow! So to get to heaven, I have to obey the Ten Commandments? I have to be perfect and sinless? I'm pretty sure that I've broken a lot of the commandments! I guess I'm going to spend an eternity in Hell.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

It is said in Romans 3:23 that "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". That means that everyone has sinned, and thus do not meet God's requirement to enter into heaven. In Ecclesiastes 7:20 it says: "There is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and is sinless" So in reality, it is fair that we ALL deserve to go to Hell! But, because God is a merciful and loving god, he gave us a second chance. God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to Earth to live a sinless life, to die for ALL sin, and to raised from the dead to further prove that He was God. Though he was fully human, Jesus was also fully God, God in the flesh, his miracles were done as a way of showing people who he really was.

*Side note: (He had a mass following of believers and because he claimed to be God, the Roman Empire was threatened by that. They wanted him dead, so they, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees (Jewish political & religious leaders) tried to find fault with him. They wanted to find something they could charge him with, so that they could arrest and kill him. But because he was God, thus making him sinless, they couldn't find anything to use against him. )*

In John 14, Jesus is meeting with his disciples about going to heaven to prepare a place for believers, when Thomas (often called doubting Thomas) asked Jesus: "How will we know the way [to heaven]?" Jesus answers: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody come to the father except through me!"
In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus, a Pharisee: "Good loved the world so much, that he gave his one and only Son, and that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
When Jesus died on the cross, he shed his blood and died for ALL sin! He paid the price of death so that we could spend eternity with him in Heaven, if we believed in him! Before he died, hanging on the cross beside Jesus was a thief. The thief realized who Jesus was and admitted that he believed in him, Jesus pardoned him of his sins and assured him that he would be with him in Heaven that day (Luke 23:39-43). Now, this thief, who was clearly a criminal, did not have time to be baptized, do good works, or anything. He simply BELIEVED and put his faith in Christ, and he was admitted into heaven.

In Acts, Paul and Silas were imprisoned because of teaching the gospel. Their prison guard asked: "What must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas answered: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved"

In Ephesians, Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus: "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through FAITH. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it." So, in other words, because of God's grace (sending Christ to save us), we have been been made righteous (made right) in the sight of God. This has nothing to do with any work you have done, but is a gift of God, so we can't brag about doing anything to have earned it.

I urge you to read the book of Galatians, it is a letter Paul wrote to the Church in Galatia reprimanding them because they have fallen under the assumption that they must obey the law (do works) to earn their way into heaven. They were already saved, but had been deceived by false teachers into believing the "Great Lie". Paul sets them straight. At the end of chapter 2, Paul makes a very powerful statement: "If keeping the law (doing good works) could make us right with God, then Christ died in vain!" WOW! That's intense! It's true, if we could get to heaven based on doing good things, what was the point of Christ dying? There isn't! We can only get to heaven by believing in Jesus Christ.

One of the big passages that is used out of context to back up the "Great Lie" is in James 2. James is talking to a group of Believers about what they need to do after being saved. He tells them that they need to do good works to bring non-believers to Christ. He tells them that "Faith without Works is dead!" If read out of context, this looks as though James is saying that your faith is useless without doing works, but that is not at all what he is saying! Since he is talking to believers, and their salvation cannot be lost (John 10:28-30), he is telling them that in the eyes of man, their faith without works is useless, because they have not shown the attitudes of Christ and have not lead anyone to Christ. Thus meaning their faith is useless to others. It is very important that when reading the Bible, you read it in context and in its entirety

One illustration that I often use is that the world is a sinking ship. We are all on our way to death by drowning. God saw that nobody would survive, so he threw us a giant Lifeboat (Jesus) to save us. He proved that it is really a Lifeboat, and many people climbed aboard. But many people refused to believe it was a lifeboat, so they didn't grab on. God gives us free will, meaning we have the choice to choose him or not. But he only saves those who chose to believe the facts. The rest of the people who refused Christ will spend eternity in Hell. You can do all the good works you want, but as long as you dont have faith in Christ, you will surely burn for eternity. The wages of Sin is death, so this is completely fair.

We are supposed to do good works as a way of showing our love for God, not as a way of earning salvation. As you can see, "The World's Biggest Lie" has been around ever since Jesus was living. It is clear that you can only get to heaven by believing in Christ. The statements that "You go to Heaven if you're good" and that "you get to heaven based on your good works" are lies straight from the pit of Hell

A Free Country Under Oppression

"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime & pure, and which denounces against the wicked eternal misery, and which insured to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments."
-Charles Carroll (My Ancestor)

As he stated above, a Republic, which is what we have, cannot exist without the morals (such as that of the Christian religion) cannot survive. When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence 234 years ago, they were forming a Nation Under God. A nation that was built strongly on Christian values and morals.
We had just finished fighting a war to gain our independence from the King of England, and many brave men gave their lives so that we may be free. But today, ladies and gentlemen, that freedom is slowly being taken away! And if we dont do anything about it soon, we will no longer be free!

Our government, for at least the past 60 years, has been destroying the very thing that we fought for! Our government kills good people, lets their citizens die (when they could have helped them), lied to the nation about serious threats, and has taken away our rights.

Freedom of speech is becoming less and less of a freedom. We cannot say anything publicly without having people getting furious at us and calling us un-American. If we say Merry Christmas, people get mad and call it offensive.

"I Miss God in my country! I remember when everybody cared! I remember when everybody would say merry Christmas to everyone! But now people say 'Happy Holidays!' because they dont want to offend people! The overuse of the word Offensive is driving me out of my mind! I mean, what part is more offensive? The Peace on Earth, or Good Will toward Men? Why is it only Christmas that they say 'Happy Holidays' in? There are plenty of other holidays In February, and they say what it is: 'Happy Valentines Day! oops! Do you believe in love? Ill just say Happy Holidays instead!'. People dont say Merry Christmas because it has the word Christ in it, and after 2,000 years he's still intimidating people! When a religious person says 'I am the way', people dont want to hear it! Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my country whether you like it or not! Christianity happened to be the belief system of 99.9% of the Founding Fathers whether you like it or not! Every Founding Father said that the Bible would be a basis for the laws and the ethics in this country whether you like it or not! Its the World Views that have let this insanity happen" -Brad Stine


I want our country to be as it was intended to be. the way that the founding fathers said it SHOULD be! But our government is far from that! and we should turn it back the way it was! and according to the Declaration, we have the RIGHT to do so!

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." -The Declaration of Independence

Many people will say that because I'm saying this, I am going against our country and that I am unpatriotic. Well, my friends, I am a Patriot! I love our country! I just want it to be as it was! all these politicians are the unpatriotic people! They are going against what we were founded on and what we as a country were meant to be!

God Bless the United States of America

Heaven

When I pass away from this painful world and go to heaven, I expect that it will be quite a breath taking sight to see. As I approach the great white throne of Judgment I stare up at the bright light beaming from atop the throne. I hear a booming, yet comforting voice saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” The light shines brighter and engulfs me, then fades away. I then see glimmering gates of pearl sitting on the fluffy redish pink clouds that are the floors of the kingdom. The pearl gates are connected to walls made of beautiful jasper. An angel stood by the gate and as I walk towards it, he opens the gates for me. I walk through the gates and before me stands a gleaming city of gold; its foundation is beautifully decorated with gorgeous precious stones that shine internally. I look down and see the streets are made of transparent gold, as smooth and as clear as glass. White doves flew gracefully above me. In the center of the holy city stands the throne I had seen before, God’s glory magnificently shines down from the top, lighting the whole city. Flowing from the throne is a glamorous stream of water, as clear as crystal. The sound of the running water and doves chirping is soothing. I hear the joyous sound of my fellow brothers and sisters singing praise to the Lord. In this marvelous city there is no pain, there is no fear, there are tears, for all is good and all is well.  I look around with amazement and am thankful that I made the choice to give my life to Christ when I was a boy. I am finally home, and I shall rest here for all of eternity.