The quandary of Christianity

If I pray for my football team to win because our quarterback is a Christian, and you pray for your team to win because the coach is a Christian, which prayer should God answer?

If my team ends up winning, does that mean God heard my prayer and not yours? Does that mean I had more faith than you?

Maybe the best thing that could happen would be the game end in a tie. Now that would be funny.

If I ask for a discount for something because it's for the church, isn't that the same as using God's name in vain? Why would you want a discount "JUST" because your a church?

 When a church calls and says we need such and such for an event but we don't want to pay because we are a church, what should the answer be?

Does that answer change if the church is a multi million dollar building?
Does that answer change if the church has over 1000 members?
Does that answer change if each pastor is driving a Cadillac?

If you and I agree that it is God's will for us to work together on something, but then you think God tells you to go south, and I think he tells me to go north, which one of us is willing to not follow God's will? (Probably the one of us with the weaker personal will, that person will succumb to the other and everyone will call it good in the end).

So if God is telling you to do something that is going to cause anger, hurt, pain, grief, or even just some disappointment is that really God's will?

How does one really know God's will? That little voice? What if that little voice is the angel of light (satan) whispering in your ear, and what your hearing is something that will cause pain, destruction, and division? Still think that's God's will? (cue: Steve Taylor - Guilty By Association).

Do you truly think that giving God your last 200 bucks is going to earn you riches? If you do then giving it away is sinful in the first place, because your not really giving anything, your only expecting something as a result of your action.

I am sometimes consumed by the quandary of Christianity. I am often times amused as to what people call God's will. I am always afraid of the results of how any of these situations turn out.

We throw these phrases around and don't really know what any of it means. We get stubborn and stick to our guns, because WE JUST KNOW that God told us something, even though in the background things are getting sticky. We don't have the courage to say, this is MY WILL, and I want to do things this way, oh no, that's way too non-Christian like, when in reality it would be more Christian like, because it would be the truth.

Some use God as their rock, other use the rock to hide under and call it God. I'm not judging here, I post this today because this used to really bother me. These situations drove me away from God, church, etc for many many years, it became a huge source of my doubts. I have finally come to grips with we are ALL fallen, and I let it slide by me, and hope that my transgressions will slide by you. However I do fear for those that aren't quite there yet, for those that are where I was 10 years ago. I fear that they will see this "quandary" and it will DRIVE them away. I beg of you to not allow that to happen. Remember we are to follow God first, and just because someone says God this, or God that, does not mean it's really God talking. 

I only have one answer to any of these questions, however I'd love to hear any comments or offerings you may have on the subject. My answer is this - A Man Leaves His Darkness When He Follows The Son!  Now what is yours.

When I first watched this video clip, I thought "ah, here we go, another person trying to disprove, and knock down Jesus". I mean after all it's becoming so common these days you see it, or hear it almost daily.

Then I watched it again, and I paid a little closer attention to some of the things Reza says and I began to think. (and we all know where that leads..............).

First off we must consider that the Romans didn't actually condemn Jesus to crucifixion. The Jewish people, or more specifically the RELIGIOUS leaders of the Jewish people condemned Jesus to crucifixion. At the time they were under Roman rule, so they had to have the Romans perform the crucifixion, but even Pilate is quoted in the bible as stating "I find no fault in this man". (John 19:6).

Next let's consider that it is believed by most that Mathew actually wrote Mathew. John wrote John, along with I John, II John, and Revelations. Mathew was a tax collector, I highly doubt he was illiterate. As for Mark and Luke I'm haven't done the full research on that, so I won't question the statements on those two books. We also know that Peter wrote I Peter, and II Peter, and Peter was with Jesus during his life. Peter was the "rock" that Jesus said he would build his church upon.  I don't mind facts being thrown at me to question my beliefs, I welcome the challenges of my belief, however please give me facts that are true, and not opinion.

Now let's consider Reza's statement about Jesus being an American icon. Whoa.............I've been saying this for a very long time. The Americanization of the Christian religion is probably the number one reason that people don't believe in Jesus or God. In American we equate "righteousness" with church attendance, we equate "holiness" with the good deeds we do or don't do, we equate the growth of our religion by the numbers in our offering plates or butts in our pews. This isn't what Jesus was about at any point in any scripture. It is unfortunate that many conform to "Christianity" and forget about the Christ along the way. Why do some people do what we call "backslide"? Well maybe they never "forward slide" in the first place. Having a personal relationship with God, and following his Son is totally different from finding "religion". In America we don't always teach this, in America this is something that is very unclear. In America this leads to people falling away and writing books like Reza's. In America this is a tragedy, and one that I hope we soon learn from. Our religion is failing us daily, the things we call sin are creeping into society more and more every day even though us religious people are calling it evil. In America I would hope that missionaries from lands far away come to teach us what it is really about to die to ourselves, surrender our lives, money, and actions to follow Jesus.

When Reza mentions that he doesn't care about the people he upsets in writing his book, I sense a bit of arrogance. Arrogance is not a Christian trait, however when we have searched for answers from Man, we tend to be arrogant about what we learn. In comparison, when we search for answers from God we tend to be humble.

I also enjoyed the bible not being literal portion of the interview. This is what most people say when they are arguing about the bible and it's meaning, or truth.  I just saw on TV a scientist talking about King David not being a real person, then on Monday I see a news article from Israel that states archaeologists have found one of King David's palaces. The bible is literal, but there are also other levels to the bible that aren't quite as literal, it's really what makes the bible the most unique and compelling book ever written. It's been studied for thousands of years, and yet it can't all be understood, but it can be understood on some level at the same time. The Pharisees and priests of the Jesus' day tried to trip him up with literal translations of the bible, so yes they read the bible literally.

His late comment on interfaith relationships is quite intriguing as well. To me I would hope that faith based relationships would end all together. Our divorce rate is well over 50 percent, so obviously that doesn't work. As for interfaith, I think what he's saying there is inter-religious, or even non religious. If you take all the religion out of your life, follow God, and marry the woman/man of your dreams that is a good path to a great life. My point being, religion always fails. Always.

You see religion is man's attempt at being good, at establishing guidelines as to how to live a good (by our own standards) life, and to get to God. Jesus (salvation, the Gospel, the good word) is God's way of getting to man. It's easy to be perfect when you establish your own definition of perfect, it's not so easy when you are trying to compare yourself to a sovereign God. No worries there though, God knows we aren't perfect, that's why he died for us, so he could have the relationship with us that he desires, and hopefully that we desire.

It amuses me that these things hit the media, when there are just as many intelligent men and women, some of them scientists even that can prove the theories of Jesus, God, creation, etc. However those people and those arguments never seem to make main stream media. I guess it's just not as shocking, or not as popular. When you do stop and consider that the God of all creation cares about you enough to want to have a relationship with you, well I think that's pretty shocking and amazing.

So if you listened to the video, and read this post you probably have ideas and opinions of your own. I would hope so anyways. Feel free to leave comments even. I would also hope that you would understand the difference between religion and relationship, between science and belief, between knowing and thinking you know, and mostly between Jesus as the man that walked the earth, and Jesus as the Son of God. My answer to the video in 3 and a half minutes would be the video posted below.

Divide and Be Conquered

Divide and conquer. It's the oldest trick in the book. Adam blamed Eve and the division began, it was part of the fall. Today we have left vs right, husbands vs wives, parents vs kids, gays vs straights, and churches vs churches. If we are divided we will fall...........it's a basic principle of human existence and it's been true since the fall.

President Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying "together we stand, divided we fall". I'm sure someone said it before him, but hey that guy wasn't Lincoln so the credit goes where it goes. But wait a minute.............doesn't the Bible say something along those same lines?

Let's see, 1st Corinthians chapter 1, verses 10 through 13. Since your probably not going to go read that right at this moment, let me share it with you. 

¹⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
¹¹ For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
¹² Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
¹³ Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?



OK, so I guess it does. And for good reason too. It is soooo important. This has really been on my mind for oh the past like 5 months. When I walked out of the store that day, looked at the mountains and said something like "yeah, OK, you are real, and you won't leave me alone for some strange reason, you've blessed me beyond what I deserve and I want to give back to you, please show me the way"  Then late that day I thought about what I had just said to God and remembered all the reasons I hated church and christians............I had to make myself a promise.........."PEOPLE WILL NOT STOP ME FROM DOING THIS!". This aint' about who anymore, I let it be for so many years, it's about God and just giving it all to him because of what all he has given for me.

So back to the united part. I'm a little bit on the angry side today and it led me to write this, (you know, channell your anger type of thing)...........it may or may not make any sense to anyone that reads it, but it sure is calming me down.

You see the world watches Christians.........better yet Christians watch Christians...........and what they see is a bunch of buildings on every street corner in America. They think the big ones are the ones that are doing something right. The small ones, well they must be poor or old fashioned cuz they never grew up. The old ones......well must be a family church but I bet the acoustics are amazing. And that's just what the Christians all think.  The world just looks at it like a place to avoid especially on Sunday mornings.

Then there's the people that go to those church buildings. The big ones have the nicer cars in the parking lots so there's money there. The small ones usually has a big ole Cadillac in the parking lot, must be the old time preacher. The old ones, the cars are all dirty and there's only a few, but that's OK cuz they all know each other anyways.  The world doesnt really see any of those cars cuz they stay away........especially on Sunday mornings.

My point here is this: we judge, we divide, we assume, we gossip, we divide, we don't support, and eventually we will fail. Actually we are already failing. It's kind of hard to convince someone that Jesus loves them when we don't love each other. How are we supposed to be the light if we keep our light hidden under our very own roof and never let it shine anywhere else.

Why does a brother judge a brother? Why can't one church promote a special event or happening at another church. Why don't we ever come together to support each other. Why do we gossip about what's going on at the other church? We are a divided body. Some of us are following Paul, some Apollos, and others Cephas, when we ouhgta be following Jesus.

Well their music is too loud, or their preacher is too boring, or their kid ministry is too lame. OK, those are great reasons to be or not to be a "regular" attendee at a particular church. But that is NOT a reason to not support that church, or to take it a step further and discourage the support of that church.
We all have different tastes and likes and that is a positive reason for having options when it comes to going to church BUT, we are all part of the same body of Christ.

If we can't all stand together, we sure can all fall together. If we are so afraid of members going to another church for a visit and then never coming back, we might want to look in the mirror and see why they'd want to leave in the first place, cuz I promise you, no Christmas program is that good.  If we decide that we are following God's plan for our church and a member decides to leave, then maybe that person's plan from God wasn't the same as our churches plans. It doesn't make one right and one wrong, it doesn't mean that we "lost" anyone. It should mean that God's plan is being followed by all parties and in that we support and love each other. It should mean that we have now extended our ministry of our church beyond our own doors and God's will is being done because of it.

 I found a church that made me feel welcome like a lifetime member after only being there a couple of times. I sensed the love, I felt the fire for God, and the judgement part that typically comes with a church environment seems to be missing. Oh, it's not perfect, and I'm sure things will pop up, but if I keep my eyes on the leader (not the pastor, but God) then those things will roll away like water under a bridge.  That doesn't mean I won't visit other churches, or support other churches. The work I do allows me to be blessed by serving with other ministries and churches, and I love that. I wish some of these places had services or events on weird days like Mondays, or Saturday mornings so I could go back and be part of them more often. (that's a subject for another blog........)

Eliminating divisions among God's people is a burning fire deep inside me. I have seen these divisions keep some people that I truly love away from church altogether, and unfortunately because in America we so associate church attendance with God following, these people also turn away from even trying to follow God. The truth is there is NOT a single church in the world that will get you to God. If they say they are you best run away.............fast.  And the other truth is you don't need church to be a child of God. You don't need church to get to heaven. You don't really need church for anything. It is nice to have a place to go that supports you in your work efforts for Jesus. It is nice to have a place to go to and be around like minded people. It is nice to have a place to go and be taught about God's word and to discuss it. But these things are benefits of being a "Christian", they are not requirements to being one of Gods children. And if we are a part of one group of folks for a long period of time, without expanding those boundaries, then we have become isolated.............it's pretty dern hard to "go into the world" when your stuck in isolation.

So I urge you to support one another. Pray for each other, show up at a different church once and awhile and hug a person or two, let your congregation know about the happenings at other congregations, love one another. Paul said that he "beseeches" in "the name of our lord Jesus Christ that there be no divisions among you". Think about that..........he declared something in Jesus' name. Ya think he was serious there? I do. I think he saw then what we see now. Trust me when I say your church is nothing more than a building, and if you think for one moment you have any more importance than that, then you've missed the boat. God doesn't need you (but he does want you). God doesnt care how big, small, or great sounding your church is. God doesn't care what church you go to. God doesn't move in some churches and not others, he moves when people allow him to move within themselves. I hope you allow God to move within you, and in doing so you just stop this church game. Love one another, support one another, the world (and Christians) are watching you.


Finally, if you read this and your thinking..........."yep, that's why I stay away from church". Well first off, let me tell ya, churches are made up of people, and people are people.........we all do some pretty dumb stuff while thinking we got it all figured out.  If you let people be the reason that you don't go to church, I'm ok with that. People can be very hurtful, prideful, arrogant, rude, obnoxious, and all those other things that just bug ya. But if you let people be the reason you don't believe in God, or dont' follow God, then let me beg of you to reconsider. God loves you (and us crazy christians too) despite ourselves. He wants to change you, he wants to be real in your life, he wants to bring people into your life that have a real love of God in them, even if they ain't perfect. He wants to love you just the way you are with all of your imperfections. See that's why Christians aren't perfect, cuz God loves us just the way we are, he doesn't wait on us to get our act together to welcome us home, he welcomes us home and then quietly helps us get our act together. The forgiveness is there, we just have to accept it. If you'd like to accept it or even just chat about it, email me or leave a comment.

I have a burning desire to be used by God to bring Christians together, I'm not a prophet but I think the time is coming when churches will be persecuted to the point of most of them going away.....but even if I'm wrong, I still want to see us join together for the good of God, in this the world will know that we are God's people.

Love one another................



dP

Who loves like that?

Gotta get this out.

In the middle of the ultimate betrayal I hear the words......."I still love (insert name or pronoun here)". How does one love like that?

With anger brewing from the heart and the mind meddled in madness the thought of still loving is what comes out of the mouth. How does that happen?

In the middle of the confusion and in the confusion of all the questions the feeling of forgiveness is felt within every word that is spoken. Who is able to express such a feeling at such the time?

During the questioning as to why a choice or lack of choice was made, understanding is expressed and no accusations are made. Who is able to have that depth of forgiveness?

The pain has to be unbearable. The betrayal is extreme. When one that you trust to never betray you is the one that betrays you, this my friend is the ultimate form of betrayal. How does one submiss anger at such a time?

A single action of betrayal can cause a lifetime of hurt, so what does a lifetime of betrayal cause? How does one not instantly seek revenge?

The selfishness that has existed has caused pain to many, anguish to some, and hurt to all. How does one not be selfish at this time? How is not getting even make things equal?

When turning the other cheek is only going to bring more pain, who turns the other cheek?


I know the answer to all of these questions. And I have discovered a love that I have always known but never in the way that I came to know it today.

I only hope that somewhere, sometime, in someway I am able to love like that.

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My anger consumes me. My frustration weakens me. My pain causes numbness. My confusion leads me to even more frustration. My hurt is deep, it's a knife that is cutting through the foundations of everything I've ever known or believed. The sense of betrayal shuts my mind down because isolation is the only place of solace. I seek refuge in music but the songs are too simple. I seek refuge in seclusion but the voices in my mind are too loud. I seek refuge in my anger but the heat from within is a flame that I cannot control.
.......................................................................then I think of the love I've seen today and I release a long breath of air that I did not consume. That love takes nothing away from my being, but it makes everything well within my being.


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I will be strong
I will be patient
I will be angry
I will be hurt
I will love
I will wait
I will pray

I cannot stop any of these from happening. The circumstance demands that they all have to happen. I will allow them to happen, and I will ponder the love that I have seen today.


-dP-

Monday Moanin' (4)

• Bone Prophet show was amazing. Very polished band. Good energy. Very professional. Not alot of message time, but the message they gave was simple and direct. If you missed this show you need to find a way to see them live. Truly one of the best bands around, signed or unsigned.

• Ready to retire the shokjok name. It's lived it's course, died, came back, died again, and has just gotten beyond meaning...................need a new dj name.

• When I started djing you came up with a radio friendly name. Like Arthur P, or Kid Costan, or Doug Podell. Then later the dj so and so stuff came along,  such as dj beatmixer or dj funtime. Never understood the dj before the name part, I mean if your djing they obviously they know your a dj. So should I go back to a stage name. (way back when -high school days- I used Dave Jacobs)(get it? initals are d and j...haha) or should I come up a new dj so and so name? I shall ponder and then have a retirement party online.........to finally lay the dj shokjok name to rest.

• Never really "loved" the shokjok name, but it was kind of handed to me and I came up with some pretty good marketing themes for it. My favorite was to yell out it's the "shokjok with a little bit of Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddddddd   Rooooooooccccccccckkkkkkk!"  (those were fun times). But if I need anymore proof that it's time to retire the name, Kid Rock is country now...

• So is it Dave Jacobs? Or DJ Clarus?  (as in Clarus Promotions)

• Clarus - did you know that the word clarus in latin means clear, bright / renowned, famous, illustrious. Just like I like the music to be, clear, bright, renowned and illustrious. (the famous part isnt so important but it is fitting for a promotions company). In Roman times it was the name used by many saints. So I feel I have the perfect sound production, audio entertainment, and promotions name. (but that's just me.................) Most people say "huh?" what's the name again?" how do you spell that?"

• DJ Grand Mill playing a show in Kingston TN tomorrow, I think I'm going.

• Evolution vs creation debate is a very tiresome debate. They've got science I've got faith. Science changes over the years, faith doesn't. They don't see that science changes though, they look at is as we've advanced. But if we've advanced to the point of knowing it all then we will quit advancing, thus the end is near. Faith tells ya that if you look at the shape of the world today the end is near..........so maybe we're not all that different in that area. Wonder what science will tell us is fact in 100 years. I mean there was a time that the world was flat, the sun went around the earth, Pluto was a planet, and dinosaurs we're "believed" to have existed. Science can't prove or disprove God, it still takes faith even in this highly technological advanced world that we exist in.

• I have my first paid writing gig coming up this weekend. Kind of excited, kind of nervous.

• Do you ever pray and NOT ask for something?

• If you charge a fee for your ministry, such as an appearance fee, is it a ministry or your job?

• If you ask for a donation you're thought of as having ulterior motives. So where's the balance? I don't know, just wondering. Your comments are always welcome.

• And God's lesson to me for this week has been about fear. Fear can conquer us if we let it. Fear can stop us before we get started, or stop us in our tracks. I need to learn to overcome fear, because that is how my faith will grow. One goes hand in hand with the other. More faith equals less fear, less fear REQUIRES more faith.

-dP-

Out Of My Mind On a Monday Mornin' (3)

• Was fortunate to see one of the most "real" live shows ever. The Shine Effect and DJ Grand Mill. Just really "real" people. Yes they were performing but you could just feel that the performance wasn't about the "show" but about what was "real". One of those moments when you just think, "wow, I'm happy to be right here, right now".

• Kinda like that new song by Plumb. Need You Now.

• I think that God knew he was going to die for us BEFORE he ever created us, yet he created us anyway because he knew he loved us BEFORE he created us.

• I also think that God wanted to have a relationship with us, and that is the reason he allowed us to fall, so that we could have a relationship with him through his son, Jesus. He knew that was the only way to have a true relationship with us, and break down the barrier between the Creator and the created.

• Humans cannot have relationships with their creations. Oh, we can interact with our computers, and our devices, but those devices cannot do or give anything back to us unless we tell it to. Our devices have ZERO choice in the matter. Us humans have a choice in the matter, and that choice through Jesus allows to have a relationship with our creator.

• Maybe those things are simple to you, but to me they amaze me to consider everytime I think about it.

• Atheism is a religion, no different than christianity, muslim, deity, etc., etc. An absence of god is the God. As Bob Dylan once said "You Gotta Serve Somebody". The choice to believe or not believe in God is given to you by God, which is the strangest kind of love that I can imagine, but nonetheless it is a love that we should all strive for. Yes God does love the atheist.

• Ever notice how greed and ego seem to go hand in hand?

• I don't think the U.S.A. is the most hated country in the world because of who or what we are, I think it's because we support Israel. Israel is the most hated country in the world. Always has been, always will be. It's God's chosen people, of course the world and it's ruler is going to hate it.

• For some this is reason enough to petition our leaders to stop supporting Israel. Wouldn't you rather be hated for supporting God's people than accepted for not?

• I think I'm one of the last people in the world that does not have an Itunes account. I think I'm going to have to finally give in and obtain one. Why one company controls so much of the music, or at least the distribution of the music seems unfair to me, but it is what it is and if I want to get my hands on some of this new stuff coming out, I'm going to need an Itunes account................pity me...........I feel very sad about this.

 

dP

God Loves Atheists

I must admit I hate atheism. Before I go any futher, it's not the atheist I hate but the idea that a human being could not believe in God. I have a deep caring for atheists, I just hate the atheist religion. (yes it's a religion.......the same way all religions are religions)

First off, how can someone believe that there is no God? How can you look at a newborn baby and not even think about God? How can you stand on a mountaintop and not at least consider God? How can one stand on the seashore and not gaze in wonderment at how that came to be? How can anyone not believe in God?

I guess the first answer that is religion. Religion sometimes makes me question God, but then all I have to do is reconsider the amazement of the universe and those thoughts quietly fade.

There is a news article on Google news today about an atheist church in Britain that is growing so fast they have already outgrew their building. OK, let's consider this. First off it's Britain, a historically very christian country. Then let's consider that this made the main page of Google news. When is the last time a christian church made the main page of Google news? When Pat Robertson said something "out there", when a pastor embezzles millions from his congregation, or when a church sues another church over it's name? Yep, that's pretty much what the world sees in christianity, and the christians so called belief in God. Kind of makes it easy to understand why one would not believe in God.

Atheists often state that they have morals, and they are "good" people, they just don't need to believe in God. Well to that I say hogwash. If you take away the bible, you take away the morals. Morals of man change over time. Consider that it was once OK to have slaves, consider that homosexuality used to be considered a disease. Yes Mr. Atheist, you can have morals and thank God that still yet today man's morals state that it's not OK to kill, steal, or hate, however morals change with time unless you follow the morals of God. Scientists have suggested that a pedophile is not much different from a homosexual person. Kids is their "turn on", just like gay men are turned on by men. (I'll post the news link at the bottom). 30 years ago when I was a child, being gay was considered wrong by the majority, today it's widely accepted and even Pastors and church leaders are gay, I wonder if 30 years from now it will be OK for an adult to date, marry, or have sex with children. Before you say that's ludacris, consider what I just said about the homosexual lifestyle from 30 years ago. My point is, that man's morals change over time, and they will always change AWAY from God, if we aren't believing in, or following God.

Life itself. If life is not a gift from God the creator then life has no meaning. You can do all the good in the world that you want, but when you are dead, you are just dead. If life has no purpose other than to "get through it", then how is life precious. If life is not a gift from God, and it just happened, then nothing matters, it just happens. We could blow ourselves up tomorrow and destroy everything, it's OK though because it was all a random mistake anyways.

I would think that being an atheist would be a lonely and depressing choice of living. Most atheists say that is not true, that they are quite happy. Well I'm the happiest too when I choose to ignore my responsiblites and act as if life was as simple as when I was a 6 year old kid. If you don't have a right or a wrong, there is alot of freedom in that. If you have only heard the "thou shalts" and the "thou shalt not" from religion, well there is a lot of bondage and baggage that goes along with that.

If you have heard that God loves you. That God IS love. That God loved you so much he MADE you. That God loves you no matter what you have done, or what you might do, well that changes things a bit. If you can accept that love, and then love in return, your man made morals no longer matter, now you have a purpose for everything. You live a good life because you love he who loved you first, because you want to. No different than when you fall in love with your life mate. You love him/her so you live your life according to a way in which reflects the love that you have. It's hard to love someone that you don't belive in, I understand that. But God says it's OK to try him, to test him, (1 John 4:1) why does he say that? Well probably because he knows that you too will come to an understanding that he is real, and that will cause faith and faith is what it's all about. Believe in God, love him that loves you and the whole world, scratch that, the whole universe changes.

I've heard christians say about atheism, "well if I'm right I'm OK, if they are right I'm still OK". What kind of attitude is that? I mean no wonder there are atheists if that's the view we take. Jesus said to love one another. He said it many many times, over and over again. I think he might of meant that. If we loved each other with the love of Christ, I think it would be the God churches that would be over flowing and the atheist churches that are emptly on Sunday mornings.

If you don't believe in God, in my mind that's OK, but only if you take the time to really consider the other option. (that there is a God). I spend my fair share of time thinking on both sides of the subject, so I'm not asking anything of you that I don't already do. Remember you can be the best person in the world and not ever meet God, the only sin that sends you to hell is the sin of rejecting God. God loves you so much he cannot stand the rejection and he will cast you away. The same way you would send someone away that broke your heart so many times that you just couldn't take it anymore.

Look at the mountains, look at the babies, look at the perfection of Earth and the way that life exists and can only exist the way that it does, and then consider for just a moment..............God. Then stop and think how God loved you so much that he knew he was going to die for you before he even made you.


link to news article: http://gospelsower.com/  (scroll down to about the middle of the page)

dP

Outta My Mind On A Monday Moanin' (2)

Let's start out today with some thoughts and observations from the debut of last nights TV show "The Bible".

• I thought the show was going to be epic. I was a bit disappointed

• The special effects were a bit disappointing as well

• After I got over the fact that this was a story book type of show, and there was not going to be any true meaning revealed, I found myself paying attention to the story. I realized that they left a few details out

• An angel yelled out to Abraham before he was about to sacrifice his son, he didn't just appear on the mountain. Also, Abraham took two men with him as he made his way out to the mountain to prepare the sacrifice of his only son.

• The Israelites walked across the Red Sea on DRY land, it's only stated like 3 times in the bible. I think God really wants us to understand it was DRY land, not the mud on the TV show. (CC DeMille got it so much better.......and that was over 50 years ago)

• No mention of the golden calf at all. Weird because Moses broke the tablets and ended up having to go back up the mountain and get them from God a second time.

• They did touch on Joshua being the one to finally lead the Israelites into the promised land, but they failed to show why it happened that way. Moses disobeyed God, and God punished him by not allowing him to make it to the promised land. However God did show Moses the promised land so that Moses would die knowing that they had made it and that God had kept his word.

• The angels that appeared to Lot? What in the world was up with that? I didn't know they we're even supposed to be angels until after that entire scene was over. An Asian and and African as angels? I mean angels arent any race, I mean like they are angels. But I guess if your going to portray them as people, somehow you have to include it in the story that these are angels so we know. Imagine someone watching that who has no idea of that story.

• What happened to Lot after the burning of the city of Sodom they did not show. Probably too graphic for "family" television, but it's in the bible if you want to look it up. (Yes I just said the bible might be too graphic for "family" television")

• I pondered if maybe God didn't just use the plagues to convince Pharoah to let his people go, but also to SHOW the Israelites that indeed he IS God, and indeed he is going to set them free, so that they would believe.

• And isn't it funny how God is only as real to us as the last miracle or experience we felt. Just like the Israelites thinking that God had brought them out of Egypt only to let them die at the banks of the Red Sea, sometimes we think that God just forgets about us and that he has left us hanging......................but in the end.................if we are patient.............and pay attention...........the Red Sea will open for us too.

• I also was bummed that they didn't show the manna from heaven. God provided daily. He told them to only take enough for a day at a time, and for two days on Saturday. (I say Saturday to keep it simple, but the day before the sabbath, God gave food for two days because he didn't send the manna on the sabbath). It makes me think that God doesnt cook on Sundays.........

• Just like us regular folks of today, some of the Israelites would gather up more food than they needed...........and what happened to it? It spoiled, and stunk up the whole camp.

• Maybe we don't need savings accounts, and financial advisors, maybe we really should live day to day and learn to truly trust God. I bet we'd see more miracles, because I know we'd all learn to have more faith.

• I think the Egyptians felt that the water in the Red Sea had stayed back long enough that it was an act of mother nature, and it was OK that they tried to cross too, about that time God reminded them that he did it.  I think we often forget that "mother nature" is God's hands at work.

• Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that Ihsmael and Hagar left Abraham and went to Egypt? The same Egypt that years later would enslave the Israelites (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's descendants) for 400 years. There's a lesson there, I will be studying it.

• One lesson to learn, when God tells you he's gonna do something, don't force the issue. (see: Abraham and Sara agreeing that Abraham should just have a son with the maid since Sara was getting old and they were tired of waiting).

Ok, so today's blog ended up being mostly about the TV show "The Bible" from last night, but then again I did watch the show, it got me thinking, and I think someone needed to fill in the blanks. Thanks for reading, now go read Genesis. You will be amazed at how much information is in that book. History, life lessons, and answers to so many questions which science has never been able to disprove.

dP

Question Everything

Would you go to jail for your faith?

Out of 12 disciples, 1 committed suicide (the betrayer Judas), 1 died of old age (John the revelator) and 11 were killed for their faith and their ministry. Would you die for God?

The masses followed him from place to place listening to his message, then the masses later on yelled out "crucify him". Do you follow the crowd?

Did you ever pay attention in the bible where Jesus was talking to his disciples and explaining to them about his upcoming death, and told them, no demanded to them that they obey his commandments; then at the end of that speech he gave them the commandment:  "love one another". Do you love like that?

Why have I never heard anyone preach or try to explain the part of the bible where it tells of the saints being resurrected at Jesus' death and going into the land? What is that supposed to teach me? I want to learn about that.

Was Jesus homeless? I mean in an earthly sense? Does the bible talk about his "house" or "home".  Would you listen to a homeless man on the corner talking about love and sacrifice and being a servant? Would you give him the time of day?

How does a church report 6 million dollars in donations and only 500k in missionary work, or 200k towards feeding the hungry. What happened to the other 5.3 million? Are you posting this because your proud of your work? What about the verse that says give everything to the poor and go into the land? Do you think God cares about your annual report? I mean how do we miss the point so badly?

Maybe no one follows christianity because christianity is just as wrong and foolish as any or all of the other religions. Do you follow your church? Or do you follow God?

Why are there so many churches? With half of them empty?

Is a big church a better church? Does size mean anything more than just size?

If your thinking right now that I have an issue with churches, it's because I do. Jesus didn't tell us to meet up once a week at our little country club, he told us to go into the world. Well I'm not a real smart guy but as far as I know it's very difficult to pick up a building and move it around into the world. Don't get me wrong church has it's place, it's our hospital, our fueling station, our way to hang out with other sinners just like us and be loved while we love, but if church is about size, numbers, or anything OTHER than the advancement of the gospel...............we've missed the mark.

Why are angels and UFO's and paranormal activity shows so prevalent on TV these days?

Why in the 70's were dinosaurs still up for debate?

Has anyone found Bigfoot yet?

Why do most near death experiences report seeing a bright light? Ever read that scripture that says the devil is an angel of light? Does that worry you? (kinda hoping I don't see a light when I die)

How is it that evolution is still taught, when science has basically proven that it can't happen that way.

How is it we know the earth is 6 billion years old or so, but we can't figure out how old the Shroud of Turin is?

Why do we even care about the shroud of Turin? IF it is Jesus, it still won't make the world believers, they'd just all go and worship the shroud instead. (I only bring this up because there was a Discovery channell show on about it the other day.............the show made for a very good nap.)

Ever think of the irony in the fact that scientists have spent gazillions of dollars looking for the god particle? Does it remind you of the tower of Babel? (Nothing really changes..................)

If you would like to ask some questions or provide some insights..........feel free to comment. I do not ask these questions to cause doubt, division, or because I think I know anything. I ask these questions because the answers are in the bible and hopefully you will be challenged to seek the answers for yourself.

And thanks Dad for teaching me to question everything. It really messes up the comfort zone sometimes, but it does help me to discern between truth and accepted truth.

Monday Moanin'

Bob Talbert was a writer for the Detroit News back when I was a kid and delivered papers. He used to write a column on Monday mornings, called "Monday Moanin". In it he would just write random lines about random things. Kind of like a week of Facebook posts in one column (except this was decades before Facebook). It was typically the only thing in the paper that I would read besides the sports section.


Here is my first installment of out of my mind on a Monday Moanin'. (with all respect to Mr. Talbert)

• I have been amazed each time this past week that I have read that Danica Patrick is a role model for young women. The type of amazed where you shake your head in disbelief as to what you just read or saw. 
   
    
• It's not really about gun control it's about the taking away of our rights. This is when people say well they aren't taking away the rights to own guns, just the really bad ones. I then say when did our government become our judge? Who are they to say what is a good gun and what is a bad gun. At that point I note, once a portion of one right is taken the away the seal has been broken and more and more rights or even portions of rights can then be taken away much easier, with less and less of a fight. 
   
    
• Overhead an elderly lady standing in a check out line describing what her health care has become. She called it "euthanasia".  I hung my head and thought about how much that has to be a burden to her. How she might be feeling too old to be relevant, and that her government agrees so they are getting rid of her and her type slowly. Then I thought about my parents.......................
   
    
• Question your government, or your government will act without question.
   
   
• My favorite tweet of this past weeks was: Don't go to church, BE the church.

• Too many churches are like clubs, if you don't fit the profile you don't belong. Thank God EVERONE belongs in Jesus' church.
  
   
• Watching Mike Murdoch is like watching a train wreck. It is SO bad, yet I can't seem to stop watching. I wonder if the audience is paid to set there and look like they believe the stuff.
  
   
• Is there anything more wonderful than young people doing things for God? Is there a faith that is any more pure than that of a young person. (reminds me of Jesus saying that we all need to be as children to enter the kingdom of God).
  
   
• Isn't it ironic that once the major companies bought up all the christian record companies that christian music became so much more main stream, and widely accepted?
  
   
• Does anyone write protest songs anymore?
  
   
• Does anyone protest anymore? Or do we all just call talk shows and complain?
  
   
• Have you ever pondered the thought of Jesus as a boy? Did he play ball? Did little girls flirt with him? Did he skip rocks across the river? Did he climb trees? God became human, Jesus didn't go from the manger to 30 years old over night. The bible doesn't talk alot about it, but Jesus spent time as a little boy. Isn't that an amazing thing to think about? Listen to Rich Mullins' song Boy Like Me, Man Like You.
  
   
• Can you imagine Jesus having the scriptures read to him as a boy? The same scriptures that he helped to write. Wonder what he thought?
  
   
• Why is the devil red? Why are angels usually babies? Why does Jesus look like a white guy with long hair. Why does Jesus have a piece of cloth around his mid section in pictures of the crucifixion? Western images that block out reality.
  
   
• And I leave you with this: ACTS 14:8 (NIV)  In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed ¹⁰ and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.   {That man had faith, I want to have faith like that}.  

You aint' nothin without love......

God has been speaking to me about love lately.

Like love your enemies, love strangers, love when your crabby, and love when your just not feeling it.

That all sounds so cliche, but I've been thinking about it in a different light lately. We all like to think that we love. But then again we all have our ego's that protect us from the truth about ourselves. When is the last time I smiled at someone just because? When is the last time I gave money to a homeless guy on the street, even if I felt they we're going to use it on alcohol or drugs? It's not my place to judge what they do with the money, or justify not giving it to them because they might use it for bad, it is my responsibility to love. How bout handing them a 5 spot and then asking them if I could pray for them? A stranger? Right there on the street...........a guy that smells and is dirty? Hand him a 5 spot (or more) and then ask him if I can pray for him? Me? I should do that? Well in a short answer..........YES.

Isn't that what we are commanded to do? Isn't that the only thing Jesus said we should worry about? Loving others. Feeding the poor and the hungry.........

I spend more on cable TV than I give to homeless charities. I spend more on cable TV than I give to hungry people.

As members of the club USA we have it pretty nice. Even our minimum wage workers make more money than most do in third world countries. Times are tough all over, that is a true statement, however loving doesn't cost a dime. I've been feeling like I want to do more for God, when in reality anything is more than what I'm currently doing.

I've been learning to be nicer to people, this is a tougher thing to do than some would imagine. I grew up in the cold hard life of Detroit Michigan, where people just aren't typically very nice and if they are you wonder what they are up to. It's not just the living in the south thing, it's a heaviness that has been upon my heart lately that I should love more. Smile to strangers, talk to strangers (very tough for me, as I'm quite a private person). Give more to those that need, and just love. Not preach, not argue, not question.....................just love.

I'm inviting anyone that may read this to do the same. If God is Love........(according to the bible), then when we love we share a piece of God with that person. Some take great pride in the number of souls that answer their altar calls, some take great pride in the songs they write and sing, some take great pride in the "work" they do for the church, but God said to love. Just love and he takes care of the rest.

What is it that most athiests say? Don't tell me or teach me that there is a god, SHOW ME! How do you show? You LOVE!

..........dP

(You can be a righteous rocker, or a holy roller, you can be most anything......but without love you are nothing, you are nothing without love) - Larry Norman

My First Visit to New Orleans

I was fortunate to be able to visit the city of New Orleans over the past weekend. I was invited down to dj a wedding for a friend, and while that was the main reason for traveling to New Orleans I was also able to take in a bit of what the city has to offer and to see. Here are some random thoughts on my first visit to New Orleans, Louisianna.

• Traveling to Louisianna through Mississippi from Tennessee is a very long and steady decline. I knew that parts of New Orleans is actually below sea level, but traveling on the roads and experiencing the steady decline was a eye opening experience.
• The landscape is very flat and very wet. Swamps are just for the TV shows, they have alot of swamp area, and weltands
• Shell oil company has quite a few oil pipelines running along the shore lines of the southern tip of Louisianna. We all think about the oil we get from the middle east, but we pump alot of oil from the gulf of Mexico.
• You would think with the Shell oil pipelines that gas would be a bit cheaper than in other parts of the country, however the opposite is true. Gas for the most part was consistently the same price through out the entire road trip, with Tennesse having the cheapest gas that I purchased. Shell gas stations all seemed to actually be HIGHER in price than most other gas stations. On one corner I observed that a Shell station was selling gas for 16 cents MORE than the Exxon station right across the street.
• People build their houses along the coast with some major stilts. But then again some don't. I was wondering why some would and others would not, how would that make sense?
• We as Americans may be in a recession, but you would never know it when you pass by the shops in New Orleans and walk Burboun street at night. People everywhere spending money.
• Katrina still has marks on the city. Most of the "affluent" areas have been rebuilt and they all look new and pretty, but the "inner city" is still quite devasted. We even saw a childs play set still lodged in a tree top (it's been over 7 years).
• The highways that we're taken out are new and rebuilt, so for the most part New Orleans has some very nice road ways.
• The road over Lake Pontchartrain is quite an engineering miracle. How they do that I will never understand.
• Beads are everywhere. People decorate their porches with them, place them on tombs in the cemetaries, and even decorate the trees with them.
• It's amazing that there are stores that just sell beads.
• A tour guide informed us, that beads have no spiritual or historical relevance, that they are used for what we all know as Mardi Gras, or for placing in random places as decorations, and they are mostly made in China is sweat shops..........................
• So these folks in China make beads in sweat shops so we can get drunk and throw them at people............................
• Alcohol is everywhere, it's got to be one of the biggest economical currencies because it is everywhere. It's even legal to walk the streets with a drink in your hand as long as it's in a plastic container. You can take your drinks from bar to bar, this is very strange to someone that grew up in Michigan where alcohol is controlled like it's some big government gift to the people.
• The cemetaries are very interesting. They bury their dead in above ground tombs. The dead are there for 366 days and then the next dead person is placed in the tomb. The 366 days is so that your remains are not disturbed on the day that you died. I was told that the tombs become like an oven in the Louisianna heat, bascially making for a long slow cremation. When the tombs are opened after the 366 days the only remains are typically that of dust and dirt. This causes one to remember that we start out as nothing, and when we are gone we become nothing but dust. One more reason to take care of the spirit inside of us all, our bodies are just dirt walking.
• The reason for being buried in tombs are twofold. Some say it's because of the water tablet in the area and "flooding". If the graves all flooded there would be bodies everywhere. The other reason given is that it was brought over by the Irish and French. In doing some quick research I found that both reasons are fully supported, so the real reason is probaby a combination of both.
• Voodoo looms large in the area. The voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is supposedly buried in a tomb in cemetary #1. People leave her beads, rocks, coins, and Jameson bottles ( I assume she was Irish). People also put three (xxx) x'es on her tomb in hopes that she will grant them a wish. It's crazy to me that people have no problem believing this but question God.
• The Superdome seems (ie looks) smaller than the Silverdome, but I was told it's not. .
• New Orleans was quite clean considering how many people there are, and that visit. Cops we're very noticeable so you felt safe. Not many beggars in the french quarter (I'm sure that's on purpose).
• Cab drivers are quick. They don't like to go to the south bank of the river, but they will if you tip well. Crossing the Mississippi river on a ferry is much more fun than in the back of a cab.
• I was a bit dissapointed that there wasnt more street music, and only two bars (that I found) playing the New Orleans style of music. We mostly heard classic rock cover bands, while I was hoping for some Louie Armstrong and Fats Domino. But then we weren't there during Mardi Gras and we we're told that you see more of it during that time.
• The ride home saw us taking a ride along the gulf coast. I had never seen the gulf before, so this was a ride with a purpose. I was able to walk on the white sand beaches and stick my finger in the water. Gathered a few sea shells and took lots of pictures. The only surprsing thing to me during this portion of the trip was the amount of casino's in Mississippi along the gulf coast. I mean I'm talking like a casino every 3 or 4 miles. It's like Vegas on the water. Weird, neat, and interesting we're the words that kept coming to mind. I also wondered why I don't hear more about this, like we do Vegas.

I enjoyed my time in NOLA (as it's abbreviated). I am glad that I got to scratch it off my bucket list. If your ever going, take alot of money, and plan to walk alot to fully take it all in. It's a party town that is for sure, but there is also a ton of history there and that was the most enjoyable part of my visit for me.

The Top Christian Rock Songs Of All Time

Stealing this from the Righteous Rock Radio website, since they are taking it down to begin their weekly countdowns.

TOP CHRISTIAN ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME

• 25 - I Need A Miracle - Third Day (it's too new to be any higher, but someday I think it will
• 24 - To Hell With The Devil - Stryper (they infiltrated the other side with this song)
• 23 - Light Your Candle - Steve Camp (summarizes what his music and ministry is about)
• 22 - Shotgun Angel - Daniel Amos (just a great country driving song)
• 21 - Addey - DeGarmo and Key (one of those story songs that could of been written by Dylan or the Eagles)
• 20 - In The Kingdom - Whitecross (the definitve song for the genre)
• 19 - Judas Kiss - Petra (why are you looking for the devil when you should be looking for the Lord?)
• 18 - Built For Glory - Lost Dogs (great coffee shop type song that keeps it all in perspective)
• 17 - We Were All So Young - Randy Stonehill (song about the Jesus Music movement, w/ Larry, Keaggy, and more)
• 16 - I Love - Malcolm and Alwynn (how can you not be happy when you listen to this one?)
• 15 - Great American Novel - Larry Norman (how does one write a dated song that is relevant 30 yrs later?)
• 14 - The Vow - Geoff Moore (a serious song about a serious subject done so softly)
• 13 - God Gave Rock N Roll To You - Petra (even Kiss likes this song)
• 12 - Hero - Steve Taylo (can't put the whole album on here, but it was a first of its kind)
• 11 - Six Sixty Six - Larry Norman (prophetic or poetic or both?)
• 10 - Shine - Newsboys (make em think somthing's up)
• 09 - Best Thing - Big Tent Revival (powerful)
• 08 - Six Six Six - DeGarmon and Key (wastn good enough for MTV, but it's good enough for me)
• 07 - Flood - Jars Of Clay (has there ever been a bigger cross over hit?)
• 06 - He Will Listen To You - Mark Heard (from the first lick this song captures you)
• 05 - I Believe In You - Bob Dylan (a beautiful proclamation of faith)
• 04 - Keep Me Runnin - Randy Stonehill (if theres ever been a perfectly produced song this is it)
• 03 - Jesus Freak - DC Talk (in you face, grunge, rap, rock, a message, they took over the genre with this one)
• 02 - Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music - Larry Norman (arent we all glad this was asked)
• 01 - The Outlaw - Larry Norman (one of the best descriptions of Jesus' life ever put to paper)

New Vinyl

I found the creme de la creme when it comes to christian rock records online at Ebay. Randy Stonhill's Born Twice. Rumored that only about 400 copies were ever made. I was able to purchase one with a "promotional use" only stamp on the cover. Then just yesterday I found one of the most rare Larry Norman albums, "Street Level". Before Larry re-issued this album on CD, it used to trade among collectors in the hundreds of dollars (now you can find it for around 35 bucks). I was fortunate to find it in a record store for 7 bucks. I'll be converting both of these albums to digital for some airplay time. Just mentioning this because before the age of the internet, these albums we're very difficult to come by............and I'm feeling fortunate to have both in my collection now.

Station Update

Upating the music library, and trying to get some organization to it. The radio station should be online by tomorrow at the very latest..........this is getting tedious.

Been A Minute

Well, it's been a minute. I am in the process of hooking up with an online radio station where I will be djing and hopefully writing a blog. So in the process of trying to set up a blog, I find this, my old blog from way long time ago.

Since my last post I have moved to Tennessee. I have obtained work with a audio production company. I run sound at a bar a few times a week for money, but the good money and the fun is when we do special events and shows. I don't really like the bar biz anymore but it pays the bills and beats the heck out of 9-5.

I also do some Ebay trading, mostly PA equipment and music or music memorabilia type stuff.

I am just starting with this radio station, and I hope to be a bit more current on posts, and I also hope to get back into writing for Examiner.com

This station should be a fun station. Christian music, mostly rock but some other genre's too. I'll be doing the classic christian rock show. If I'm gonna dream big, I hope I get this started and some radio station(s) picks it up for distribution. I mean classic rock is extremely huge still...........why not the classic christian music too?

Stay tuned...............................
Oh and visit www.3r-radio.com in the next few days. It should be up and running by early next week.