CSS - Cannot Stay Silent

Wretched Radio Break Dancers

2009-06-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

A very creative fan of Wretched Radio was inspired to blend the worst song ever with some clever video editing to create this fun an funny youtube clip.
Mike, the creator of this clip has his own blogspot at http://wretchedsinner.blogspot.com/

Even Mia Farrow gets what NBC cannot grasp

2008-08-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Day 8: The Closing Ceremony

Even Mia Farrow gets what NBC with their crass little jokes and feng shui segments do not even begin to acknowledge they are willingly, complicit to the revision of the realty that is China.

Psalm 19:1

2008-08-03T14:44:00.001-07:00

Psalm 19
1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.
4Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern {his} errors? Acquit me of hidden {faults.}
13Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous {sins;} Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
(NASB)

Founders Ministries Blog: A display of divine greatness and mercy

2008-07-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Founders Ministries Blog: A display of divine greatness and mercy
This is the direct link to Pastor Tom Ascol's blog on his being struck by lightening and escaping relatively unscathed. This man is clearly dedicated to His Lord, had right theology in place going into a this trial and it is being strengthened in this trial. I posted the blog below before having read his post and after reading his junior pastor Timmy Brister's blog requesting prayer for him. It was the second to the last thing I read before I finally got to sleep last night and I was so very blessed that I had. I highly recommend reading his blog post!
God bless
Jackie G.

Trials put in perspective

2008-07-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

I just read a blog post from Pastor Timmy Brister @ Provocations & Pantings
The short version is his Sr Pastor had been dealing with a back injury and then the issue was compounded on Monday night when he was struck by lightening while (along with police officers who had responded to his home.) investigating his home alarm going off and finding two unlocked vehicles which the officers encouraged him to go down and lock. In the process of locking one of the cars he reached for the handle of the car and both the car and he by contact were struck by lightening. The officers immediately responded and he was attended to by paramedics but refused further treatment at the time. He was checked out the next day by his physician and he is now suffering after affects of the lightening strike. Please join me in prayer for this faithful man and servant of our Lord. If you would like to read Pastor Ascol's take on the events of that night please go to Founders Ministries Blog - A display of divine greatness and mercy

What is at stake in Election 2008

2008-07-17T20:27:00.001-07:00

It is my sincere hope that the people planning on voting in the 2008 elections (especially the presidential election) will be informed voters. Not just vote a party line, not just vote a catchy slogan, not just vote based on what celebrity is endorsing or not endorsing a candidate. Be informed, know what you believe in on the issues and know what the candidates believe in and have voted for.
The most critical issue of the 2008 election will not be the price of oil, it will not be immigration, it will not be secure boarders, it will not be the war in Iraq or any of the other places we have men and women stationed and serving valiantly, it will not be higher or lower taxes, it will not be pork barrel spending, it will not be any of these important issues the most important issue will be the issue of life.

Check out some of these web sites and educate yourself about what is truly at stake.
Bound4LIFE - MySpace Profile

Bound4LIFE - Main Web Site

Abort73.com - MySpace Profile

Abort73.com - Main Web Site

Abortion Truth
Warning: They have graphic pictures and information regarding abortion be aware of this before you follow the link.

From AbortionFacts.com read about abortion they address both the pro-life & pro-choice side of the issue.

Quote from abortion survivor Gianna Jessen - Today, a baby is a baby when convenient. It is tissue or otherwise when the time is not right. A baby is a baby when miscarriage takes place at two, three, four months. A baby is called a tissue or clumps of cells when an abortion takes place at two, three, four months. Why is that? I see no difference. What are you seeing? Many close there eyes... Read her own account of her failed abortion @ Abortionfacts.com - Survivor Story - Gianna Jessen

A solid site for medical facts regarding abortion and other issues such as abstinence, std's, stem cell research and so on is Physicians for Life

Inform yourself on all the issues - this is the issue that informs all my voting decisions what is yours? Know before you cast your ballot.

I apologize for the broken links they have now been corrected. Jackie - 07/19/2008

Self Centered Pray vs. Christ Centered Prayer

2008-06-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Before we eat a meal (if we pause long enough) we will pray: Lord thank you for this meal we are about to eat and bless it to the nourishment of our bodies, Amen.

I just read this beautiful prayer in The New England Primer - Circa 1777
(I updated the spelling to 2008)
The Infant's Grace before and after Meat.
Bless me, O lord, and let my food strengthen me to serve thee, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
I desire to thank God who gives me food to eat every day of my life. Amen.

Which prayer honors God more and keeps the focus where it needs to be and should be??

What was Damon Wayans thinking?????

2008-04-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

I just watched one of the most horrible MySpace video's I have ever seen posted on the wayouttv channel on YouTube this channel is a creation of Damon Wayans I DO NOT recommend anyone watching the video "Abortion Man" that they have posted. It is demeaning to the black community and more importantly to the unborn child. I have added Damon Wayans to my prayer list if he truly feels the video was funny (shudder) and the content are fair representation of what is/should be happening then God have mercy on him.
If you choose to watch it you may want to wash your ears and eyes out with this video which I found on www.blackgenocide.comHappy Birthday

..

While I have no idea what the theology of Flipsyde is (I would say they have some notion of God mixed in but not real clear listening to their other video’s) at least they recognize abortion for what it is the murder of a child.
Abortion is murder - not a choice it is a life being ended when it is most defenseless.
Planned Parenthood has intentionally set up shop in the black community to commit genocide on the most defenseless segment of the black community.
The following is a quote from blackgenocide.org
"Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in America. 78% of their clinics are in minority communities. Blacks make up 12% of the population, but 35% of the abortions in America. Are we being targeted? Isn't that genocide? We are the only minority in America that is on the decline in population. If the current trend continues, by 2038 the black vote will be insignificant. Did you know that the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, was a devout racist who created the Negro Project designed to sterilize unknowing black women and others she deemed as undesirables of society? The founder of Planned Parenthood said, "Colored people are like human weeds and are to be exterminated." Is her vision being fulfilled today?"

Sand & Stone

2008-04-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

I do not know who the author of this is; I came across it on my NASCAR forum and really liked it and wanted to share it. Hope you enjoy it and maybe take it to heart.
---------------------------------
TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE'

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED
'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT'

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

TAKE THE TIME TO LIVE!

DO NOT VALUE THE THINGS
YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, BUT VALUE
WHO YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE!

'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

Remembering VT A Year Later

2008-04-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

It is to easy to forget we move from one horror to the next with seemingly no respite and amplified by the 24-hour news channels with nothing else to do.
Our hearts become hardened what was once outrageous becomes "just another mass killing".
Pray for our country where we have removed God from the public arena and made Him and His standards a by word and then are shocked when our citizens are unrestrained in their worst desires and behaviors.
Pray for the families and friends of the victims but I would ask that you also pray for the family of Cho Seung-Hui they did not raise a monster they raised a son. His family not only lost a son that day they became the focus of much anger because he was gone and the rage had to focus somewhere.
He is responsible for what he did, not his parents, not the system, which I acknowledge failed in many areas.
But ultimately we each stand in this day and eternity accountable for what we have done. If we have not repented of our sins and put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary then we will give answer to God for our deeds before a righteous and Holy God who grades on a His standard of perfection and not on any curve or comparison scale. If we are willing to humble ourselves, admit that we are not good people which is so very hard to do after all I'm not as bad as Hitler / not as good as Mother Theresa but somewhere in the middle - which is exactly how I used to think. Before I saw myself in the mirror of God's law and realized that I had broken every one of His laws in either word, thought and yes many in actual deed and that He who had been so kind as to bless with me with the breath of life had every right to punish me and send me to hell for eternity to satisfy justice. But, He has been so kind as to provide a means for justice to be satisfied and our debt to be paid in His own life's blood through His Son Jesus Christ. That we may be forgiven and enter into a relationship with Him.
The only thing that can transform an individual or a nation is the redeeming power of Jesus Christ.

That said VT has a list of those lost that day with approved biographies at
VT - We Remember

Funny thing is...

2008-04-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

The funny thing is that before I was born again this would have been totally accurate; except for the Jimi Hendrix picture... never was a big fan of his. Personally Stevie Ray Vaughn by far and away smokes Jimi Hendrix as a guitarist.
Now my biggest focus when I'm listening to music turns to whether or not it is theologically accurate first and then if it sounds good... Okay, God is changing me but I'm still a background music listener and only God can change that!!! That said I just misspelled "it" so it is time for bed!

What's your genre?

Classic Rock

You're pretty chill. You like to sit back and listen to people jam on the guitar. You might like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Eagles, Lou Reed or The Doors.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Men loved darkness...

2008-04-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

Posted on 11/27/2007 on my other blog space.

(Joh 3:19) And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Last night before going to bed a made a quick check of the news on foxnews.com and within seconds found two articles on a natural parent and a step parent involved in the death of a child. Not the accidental death of the child but a death that involved the child being brutalized by those responsible for the child's care before it died. The very person this child should have been able to run to for love, comfort, and safety was the person depriving the child of those very things to the final brutal end of depriving them of their very lives.

In a quote from the story on Baby Grace the child whose body was found in Galveston Bay we show more empathy for the memory of the child then the child received in her brief brutal life

Quoting the article: sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said Tuesday on CBS' "The Early Show." One of the things authorities are looking at is whether or not there was a pattern of abuse against the girl, he said.

"In a little over 20 years of doing this, I've seen a lot ... of heartbreaking cases," he said. "I think this one certainly still remains in our hearts and always will."

This is quoted from the Fox news article that can be viewed at Baby Grace Story at Fox News
the second story is equally brutal do you need to read it to grasp the evil? I don't think so; I think we can understand evil without reading each brutal detail. We do not need to immerse ourselves in evil to comprehend it's nature.
I only post the link to the story since I used a quote from it. Our morals, our compassion, our system have become so skewed and lacking God that our children are paying the ultimate price.
I should not be shocked we have long held no value for human life before it leaves the womb; we have begun to devalue those who are at the end of their lives by endorsing the "right to die". Is this not just the natural extension of a climate that does not value life? After all we are an accident of time and chance in the current world view. We have removed God from every aspect of life - our schools, our homes, our government, our view on the very nature of who we are and how we came to be.
(Gen 1:27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
(Psa 139:14) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Psa 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

A product of a Christless Society

2008-04-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

Originally posted Dec. 7th, 2007 on my other blog space in response to the actions of Robert Hawkins who killed 8 people in a mall in Omaha.

"I've just snapped. I can't take this meaningless existence anymore I've been a constant disappointment and that trend would have only continued." This is a quote from the suicide note Robert Hawkins left before killing eight people in a mall in Omaha and finally killing himself on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007
This one sentence left me so very sad and spurred me to think about all the people I meet on a daily basis and do not share what Christ has done for them. Will they step into eternity without repenting of their sins, turning from their sins and putting the trust and faith in Christ because I am disobedient and do not tell of all Christ has done.

This young mans words were chilling but even more so they are convicting words. This young man had been deeply troubled for years by all accounts; now I have to stop here and add some things - "deeply troubled" let us not mince words he was a sinner as we are all sinners.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Because of the fall we are all born with the sin nature through Adam. Romans 5:12 tells us "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

God's standard is perfection; he not only judges our deeds but the thoughts and intents of our hearts. He sees our every sin, even those we think are secret. Nothing can be hidden from God and we will all give an account to God; the Bible tells us so in Hebrews 9:27 And it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment.
Psalm 69:5 O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 19:9 "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous all together."

We do not have a problem as human beings that psychology is able to solve - we have a sin problem that can only be solved by repenting of our sins, turning away from them and putting our trust and faith in the person of Jesus Christ and the atoning work He did on the cross.

Now back to the young man who found the only solution to his pain, anger, sense of failure, and "meaningless existence" was to go into a mall and kill eight other people before killing himself. He had been through all the world system had to offer: treatment centers, group homes and foster care. I wonder if along the way any one shared our sin problem and what Christ had done to rescue us with him. We don't know and we may never know, as it is not being reported.

The response of some of his grieving friends is to lash out in anger; I can only imagine that while they may not have the same backgrounds of treatment centers and foster homes they most likely do share his nihilistic world view. Lives without meaning or purpose; if we are all a cosmic accident and this life is all there is… than this outcome is not shocking nor should we be shocked by it.

However, we are not a cosmic accident we are the creation of an amazing God.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
Psalm 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Creation and most especially mankind were created for the purpose of demonstrating the attributes of God and giving Him all the glory. We will glorify our creator in repentance for our sins, turning from our sins, placing our trust and faith in Jesus or by spending eternity in hell as a just sentence for our rebellion against the God who has been so kind to give us a means of salvation, the very breath of life in us and all that is or ever will be.

I am not a cosmic accident and neither are you dear reader;
time + chance = nothing or said more accurately
nothing + nothing = nothing.

If I told you over a period of thousands of years the computer you are reading this blog on evolved from swamp mud to the functional computer you have in front of you; you would think me insane.
But, we are infinitely more complex than a computer and yet our children have been taught for decades that we evolved from goo.
If we just evolved from goo and there is nothing after death because there is no God than it is indeed a bleak existence we have.

This is exactly what are children are being steeped in an educational, entertainment, social and governmental system that tells us there is no God. That there are no moral absolutes and we much each follow our hearts, yet the Bible tells us that our hearts are wicked.

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
We have had so many of these horrific events that we can no longer keep track of them. How many have happened in just this year? Can you remember them all? Do you remember where? How many died? When it happened? With the advent of 24-hour news we take in every grisly detail over and over until we have become numb, hardened, calloused, indifferent and certainly no longer shocked and outraged that some one would end the lives of others at a whim that only the killer can understand or explain.

Nine people including the gunman stepped into eternity during this one event on Wednesday; how many of them knew where they were going if they died? How many of them had a Christian friend who was showing Jesus by example, or building a relationship before daring to share the answer that dying men and women so desperately need. Waiting for the right time to have the actual conversation with them about sin, repentance, turning from sin, trusting in and having faith in Jesus Christ and the difference it would have on their eternity. No one is hell by mistake any more than any one is in heaven by luck or good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Our good deeds (works) are the result of gratitude for all God has done for us in saving us, giving us the breath of life, health (even poor health – which gives us the opportunity to cling to Him). Our good deeds are not a means of purchasing our salvation. That has already been done on the cross of Calvary by the only one who could do it; Jesus Christ – Son of God, The Word Made Flesh, fully man and fully God, the second person of the trinity. One God three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I challenge myself and you my fellow Christians that we should not being living a passive life for Christ but an active life; serving at church, giving money to worthy Christian causes, giving to the poor and the needy are all good things but they are not the main thing we are command by scripture to do. The main thing is always the main thing Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

I write this from a place of complete conviction, I work out in the world with people I supposedly like and care for - how often do I boldly but loving share the truth with them? Not often enough, who will step into eternity that I meant to share with but well ummm just never got around to it? Again no one will be in Heaven or Hell who does not belong where they are; our God is a sovereign God we just miss our reward and chance to participate in God's redemptive plan when we are more concerned with what people will think than what our God has commanded us to and will judge us for (our works and our rewards not our salvation.) Once we have repented, turned from sin and put our faith and trust in Christ our judgment is no longer for our eternal destination ; Jesus has assured our place in heaven through his loving kindness and great mercy.

To my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ I challenge you as I challenge myself - share the glorious Gospel of Christ with those who are facing eternity without their sin debt paid for.

For those of you reading this who are not a Christian I plead with you to examine yourself in the light of God's standard He will judge all those who have not repented and put their faith in Christ by the standard of the ten commandments – including every thought, word and deed; realize your sinful state (same as the rest of us) tell God you are sorry for the sins you have committed against Him (we can hurt other people with our actions but our sin is always against God – He is the offended party because of who He is and because it is His laws we are breaking.) Turn away from your sins; place your trust and faith in Christ (as you would a parachute on a plane that was going down at 30,000 ft) and become a Christian.
Today is the day of salvation 2 Corinthians for He says: "IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Once you have repented of your sins, turned away from them, put your trust and faith in Jesus as your Savior you will be what the Bible calls born again. Jesus explained it to a Jewish man in John 3:2-6
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

We have already been born of water when our physical bodies entered this world through our mothers womb – our spirit is born through repentance and faith in Jesus.

Jesus goes on further to explain to Nicodemus and us in John 3:7-8
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Now we approach the scripture that is familiar to nearly all people John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus continued to explain why He had come and what He would accomplish on the cross in John 3:17-21
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Once we have recognized our sin, repented of it and put our trust in Jesus Christ through faith alone and that faith is not even ours; God in His mercy gives it to us we become born again and new creatures as the Bible explains in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

God changes us; because of our new life in relationship with Christ we no longer love the sins we once loved and we now love things we once avoided at all costs such as church, reading our Bible and being around Christians. Those things that we used to do we have a new attitude towards them; our behaviors do not change over night but our attitude towards sin and our eternal destination change in the instant we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus.

If you are not a Christian I encourage you to go to the web sites listed below – if you are a Christian I encourage you to go to these websites also. You will be challenged and find resources that can help you grow as a Christian and in sharing the glorious good news that God has been so gracious to purchase for us with His blood on the cross at Calvary.

Take the good person test at Good Person Test

Once you have done that you can go to LivingWaters.com Save Yourself Some Pain

Heath Ledger and the Dark Knight

2008-04-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on 02/07/2008 on my other blog spot.

My Christian brothers and sisters,
I just want to through this out as food for thought... And before I say what I am going to say there was a time when I would have been anticipating the release of this movie and just waiting for the chance to go see it. That said...

The role of the Joker in the upcoming Batman - Dark Knight was disturbing enough to young actor Heath Ledger and also probably combined with other circumstances in his life that we have no way knowing or reason to know, that he was taking a variety of prescription medication to deal with the effects of the character on his pysche. I have read article after article that point to his inability to sleep and the disturbing aspects of the character on him... That said this young man has tragically stepped into eternity I will not be so presumptuous as to say what his eternal destination was. I hope that at some point the Gospel had been shared with him and he had responded with repentance and faith. He has left behind family, friends and most importantly a small child who will grow up without her father and least importantly legions of fans.

All of that to say this - is this a movie that we want to set before our eyes?
Romans 12:9
Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil.
Cling to what is good.
&
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

I urge you beloved be guided by the Word, your conscience and the witness it will be when deciding to see this (or any other movie.

Testimony Part 1

2008-02-10T00:27:00.000-08:00

God was so kind as to save me.
I did not know God didn't much care either I figured I was mostly a good person and I'd do okay compared to other people when I had to stand in front of Him at my judgment day after all I'd never killed any one. I was just living my life, enjoying myself, going my own way and doing what I wanted without regard for the costs to any one around me. But still compared to you know Hitler I wasn't that bad.

I will not go into great detail other than to say I gave myself over to great depravity and violated God's 7th commandment not to commit adultery which Jesus further clarified in Matthew 5:28 to include looking upon a woman with lust is adultery.(Women are not exempt we are no less guilty of adultery when we look upon a man with lustful thoughts.)

I broke God's law in word, thought and deed... ended my marriage, probably could have ended up dead but God preserved me and saved me. I had violated every one of the Ten Commandments in either word, thought and deed - some only in word and thought some in all three.

Even murder because again in Matthew Jesus clarified how God views murder - it is not just the action but the thought, that hatred we nurse in our hearts and minds, that split second hatred for a stranger when they cut us off in traffic - God sees it all and it had condemned me in His sight as a lawbreaker. He had every right to smoke me where I stood - but He didn't instead He put people in my life who prayed for me, who told me about Jesus, about sin, about God and forgiveness.

He also in a kindness which I did not deserve demonstrated His love and His forgiveness towards me through my husband. I hurt him in unspeakable ways, and he forgave me without condition and received me back as his wife. He never rubbed my nose in all the vile things I'd done. He took me back and we moved forward. He had committed his life to Christ and through the Holy Spirit abiding in him he was able to forgive those things and never bring them back to me.

I repented of my sins,in repenting I agreed with God that I was not good, that I was a sinner a lawbreaker, apologized to Him and turned away from my sins and turned to God and put my trust in His finished work on the cross.
At that moment I became born again, see John 3:1-8 (all though the whole chapter is very rich actually it's really hard to stop once you get started digging in.)

But even repenting and having faith was not something I could do, the Bible teaches that the faith we have to be saved isn't even ours see Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

There is nothing that I bring to the table that made me worth saving, there is nothing I could do that would pay my debt as a lawbreaker. I am saved because of Him, for His glory, my salvation is not and never will be based on me being a good person. (Because there is no such thing - Romans3:10-18 specifically verses 10 & 12)

When I die I will go to heaven not because I am a good person, not because I did good things and not because I was a "Christian" I will go to heaven because I was a very bad person who deserved hell and God in His mercy, goodness and love, satisfied justice by giving His only Son to become flesh, live a sinless life, poured out the wrath that was due me and every other sinner-lawbreaker on His Son the only one who could pay our debt, die a criminals death on the cross and rise again on the third day defeating sin and death. Because He gave me the ability to repent, He gave me the ability to put my trust and faith in Him.
He was the perfect sacrifice unlike the OT sacrifices which only covered over sin - the shed blood of Christ obliterated our sins, washed them clean. (Isaiah 1:18)
When we repent and put our trust and faith in Christ we are justified, God no longer sees sinners who have broken His laws and sinned against Him but the righteousness of His Son. Justification is where my sins are traded for Christ's righteousness and this is what gives me the ability to stand in front of a Holy God and not go straight to hell for the sins that deserve the penalty of death and hell.
Once I was justified by faith in Him I was as forgiven as I will ever be. Christs death on the cross covered all sins past (every thing is in the past) present and future - because even though I'm born again I still sin. (Now knowing I'm forgiven all my sins past, present and future does not give me the liberty to continue in sin. (Romans 6:1-5) My flesh is at war with my spirit, my spirit wants to please God, my flesh wants to do what it has always done and please itself. (Romans 7:13-25)

That is how God saved me from sin and the penalty of it which is death and an eternity in hell. I am saved solely by His grace - any good work I do is out of gratitude for what He has done for me. I am in no way able to add to what Christ did in dying on the Cross, raising from the dead and conquering sin and death I have nothing to offer; in fact the Bible tells me exactly what God thinks of the any work I do with an eye towards "earning" any part of my salvation in
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Reader if you have never heard the Gospel presented this way I pray that you would give it consideration; especially if it goes directly a religious system you have been raised in. Biblical Christianity (not a denomination or religion) is the only thing that deals with the question of or sin. The Bible is a progressive revelation - showing us God's character, nature, loving kindness and the plan for redemption that He purposed before He created anything, knowing it would be subject to the fall through Adam's sin.

What I am sharing with you may be a radically different perspective than what you have been taught as you were growing up and I don't take lightly what I am sharing here.
I would ask that you give it serious thought, read the verses that I've cited here. Read the chapters around them to get the context. Check out the "good person" link on my profile; it is an interactive way to go through the Ten Commandments. Check where you are in light of God's standard which is perfection... I urge you to not ponder to long the Bible tells us that we do not know when we will die but it is a certainty that we will die. Luke 12:20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' The Bible also tells us not only that we will die but what will happen when we do die in Hebrews 9:27-28 And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this is the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
The time only time you have to make this decision is before you die 2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.

Consider carefully how you want to stand before God on that day; in your own righteousness or washed of your sins and clothed in Christ's righteousness.

I will post part two of my testimony to His grace and loving kindness as soon as I am able.. but for now I must sign off.