We're Not Worthless Machines? What a Relief!

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."

Earlier, God said "let us make man in our image, after our likeness." After this, He proceeds to set man in dominion over the animals. Because man is made in his Lord's likeness, there are certain things that are true about him. (1. Man has a will and volition that is coupled with intelligence and self-awareness. This is something that is true about God that cannot be said of the animals. (2. Man has dominion over the earth. The Lord gives him this in Gen. 1:26 and in the Noahic covenant. (3. Man makes moral judgements. We see this in the Fall and men have been doing since the beginning of time. Animals have no concept of morals. (4. Man has inherent value. The last one is the most pivotal of all. If man is made in the image of the Lord, killing a man is an act of rebellion against God. No, you didn't kill God, but if someone set fire to your image and jumped up and down on it, what do you think their opinion of you is? But also, man himself has inherent value. Amazingly enough, the deist Thomas Jefferson got it right when he said that man is endowed by his God with certain unalienable rights. This means that the value God created man with demands certain responses. This means a respect and love of human life.

This the true foundation for what the world calls "human rights." If man is simply an advanced animal, he has no rights. Random chemicals interacting don't have any inherent worth. That's all the human being is under an evolutionary system. There are no human rights! The universe owes us nothing. Man is worthless. Human rights have to be founded on an absolute. Evolutionists don't have this foundation and are simply stealing the idea from Christians. The logical end of atheism is Stalin' communist regime and Hitler's dictatorship. No truth, no rights, no morals. Nothing.

I'd also like to briefly note that Evolution fueled one of the things that atheists detest most. Slavery? Yes, it existed before evolution, but there was a difference. It was simply a social system. With evolution, it was more. In an evolutionary system, blacks are inferior to whites. The white man had the duty to subjugate and "tame" the lesser animal. This concept was the product of evolutionary thinking. After all, man's just an animal, right?

God Bless,

Stanley

In God I Trust

Well, today is President's Day. I hope that you felt blessed today. Yes, it's a minor holiday, but it's also a much needed break from work and school.

As we commemorate our presidents, I can't help but contemplate what our earliest presidents would think of the world we live in. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Q. Adams, and Andrew Jackson composed the first 48 years of our country. If they were magically transported to our time, what would they think of our president? What would they think of our laws? What would they think of our culture? What would they think of our media? The thing that saddens me the most is that I think they would be filled with sorrow. However, I don't think they would be surprised. They knew that men were depraved.

America's decline is slow but steady. I don't see that changing. Only in God's grace are we preserved. I envision the mighty towers of our land crashing into the sea and the American flag slowly descending into the abyss, but God is still here with us. God is not in a government. God is not in a Constitution. The amazing thing is that America and the Constitution have been an incredible means whereby God has blessed His people and the earth. But it was only a means. I apologize for being vulgar, but God has no sacred cows. In His grand plan, America is another blade of soft sea grass. God has artfully manipulated the machinations of sinful man throughout history. Despite the people's blindness, the Lord will remain faithful and bring His plan to fruition. In the Old Testament, we see how weak the Israelites were. Yet, who are we to judge? We are even greater offenders!

The image that I described earlier may be terrifying. But, I find peace in it. Those towers are worthless. They will all be ground to dust. My Lord will not. There is nothing the liberals can do about it. No law Mr. Obama wants to pass can ever come close to separating me from my God. The liberal media can rage, but the Lord looks down from heaven and laughs. He laughs! He thinks they're a joke! Why do we tremble? Why do we get up in arms? They're throwing ping pong balls at our bank vault. God be praised. So to every statist, liberal, Mr. Obama, communist, and "social activist" I say, "Go ahead. Go right ahead. Take away my 'rights'! Burn the Constitution. Take God out of our pledge. Remove prayer from the schools. The price will be visited upon your head sevenfold. You will give the Lord an account of what you did. Nothing you do can ever take Him by surprise. You place your hope in the state and I pity you for it. Your savior is weak and fickle. Mine is strong and faithful. I pray God saves you from your delusion."

God bless America. We need it.

~Stanley

I Believe Tattoos Are Unwise

The topic of tattoos has been controversial amongst Christians for a while. Now, there are many Christians who have tattoos and that's what makes this subject so sticky. Frankly, I believe that the Bible is largely silent on the subject. Many point to the verse that says that Christians are the temple of God. This is true. However, this verse names no specifics and that's why I am inclined to believe that this is a matter of Christian liberty. It is a matter of wisdom, not right or wrong. In short, I am convinced that tattoos are not wrong, but are simply unwise.

Now there are ways to make tattoos wrong. Content can always change an issue. I won't take offense at your desire to tattoo your name in japanese on your arm, but I will take offense at naked women and blasphemy. The same philosophy governs my consumption of music. What makes music wrong is content, not the sound (An evil note? Obviously a guitar note. :P).

The tattoo originate from tribal markings and piercings. Pagan tribes used extensive body ink as well as body piercing as part of their religions. It was a ritual that was pivotal to their animistic beliefs. Is this really wise to associate ourselves with such origins? Now, considering I'm such a fan of rock music, which clearly had less than godly origins, this isn't a rock solid argument. However, I believe it needs to be taken into account. The origin of tattoos in the world was from pagan rituals, but the origin of tattoos in America is the prison system. I believe this a compelling argument. Inmates began to get tattoos and it spread to the outer culture. Are these people we want to emulate? Also, tattoos are considered a sign of being lower class or unprofessional. Employers want someone who looks clean cut and professional. You can debate the merits of this all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that it's the case. Tattoos are associated with rebellion. They are also permanent. Is it wise to make permanent decisions like that especially at a young age? All of these facts convince me that getting a tattoo is unwise. Now, if you want to make the choice to get one (maybe you're getting something tasteful), go ahead. It's absolutely your choice. However, consider the factors of why you want to get one and also what the consequences will be.

God Bless,

Stanley

You Call That Love?

As Valentine's Day approaches, I am tempted to feel bad about myself. All those people with someone special. All I do on Valentine's Day is sit home and watch History Channel. But then perspective comes in. A relationship at my stage of life is pointless. I'm fine with where I am. It's just society's pressures that are making me feel inadequate. Then again, what exactly is society pressuring me to do? To love? Oh, is that what you call that? I thought that was fuzzy feelings or lust. Either one will do. My point is this: the world doesn't know what love is. Christians say, "That's easy. God is love!" Yadda yadda. What does that REALLY mean? We often spout random cliches just to avoid actual meaning.

God is true and endless love. And this isn't just fuzzy feelings or vague sense of affection. No. This is real, intimate and personal. Love has to have an object. We are that object. The reason we know this is because He proved it to us. There on the cross, Christ showed us true love. Love is sacrificial. That is the thing that the world doesn't understand. They don't understand that true love waits for sex because that's sacrifice. It's a sacrifice to protect something of value. The world doesn't understand that you still have to love your spouse when those fuzzy feelings go away. You don't get to leave or give up when you get bored. This is the love that the world teaches us!

Christ says that, "if you love me, you will keep my commandments." This is another key aspect of Biblical love. Biblical love isn't based on feelings or lust. It's based on action and commitment. If someone truly loves you, they will show it and not merely say it. It's like the example of Caleb's daughter. Caleb made the young men of Israel an offer. His daughter Acsah in return for the capture of the Canaanite city of Kiriath Sepher. Othniel took Caleb up on that offer. Othniel trusted the Lord and furthered His kingdom by defeating the giants in the land. This was a powerful demonstration of love. He laid his life on the line for her. It's like every fantasy story. The hero has to face the dragon and slay it. He has to go through his darkest hour for her, because he knows she's worth it.

Yes, God is love. But God isn't the kind of love that the world knows. It's beyond their comprehension. The love of the Lord is deep, personal, sacrificial, and most of all, unmerited.

God Bless,

Stanley

A Wristwatch Saved Harold Crick

My favorite movie of all time is "Stranger than Fiction" starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, and Dustin Hoffman. It's magnificent. Every character is so vivid, interesting, and well acted. The story is just absolutely perfect. You have to watch it to believe. Yes, I sound like a raving fan-boy, but this movie genuinely is a masterpiece.

The last line of the movie is "A wristwatch saved Harold Crick." There Harold is. He's a bloody pulp prostrated in the road. We KNOW he's dead. But wait! He's still breathing! Yes, his wristwatch embedded itself into his arteries, saving him from bleeding to death. It's tempting for people to think of Christ as that wristwatch. We're dying and Christ is the last resort that saves us. This thinking is prevalent in the American church. This idea is dangerous and wrong. If there is some good, no matter how small, still left in man, then he isn't completely dependent on God. This simply is not the case. Romans 3 says that "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.." Man is hopelessly drowning in sin. God is no wristwatch. God gives life. Not simply saving life.

Ephesians 2:1-9

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God requires only faith and yet He gives us even the faith! None of salvation is our work. To think so would be blasphemously arrogant on our part. Now, the faith is an actual act. Faith is a product of flexing of volition. Paul tells us that this is a gift from God though. The key to understanding salvation is always understanding God's role and our role. God is the sovereign initiator and enactor, but we are the one being changed.

This is why I hold to predestination. Predestination puts the power back in God's hands and away from man. Man is no longer acting towards God in faith with God merely responding. Now, it's God initiating and man responding.

^{Ephesians 1:4-5}

4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Be blessed and thankful for God's mercy. We're dead without God, but He loved us even while we were dead. While we were rebels.

God Bless,

Stanley

Since When Is Homosexuality The Worst Sin?

Recently, I had a fantastic discussion with a friend of mine about homosexual suicide rates. It is a horrible testament to the American church that homosexuals are 3 times as likely to commit suicide. What does that say about us that we pick them out specifically to vilify? Conservatives are often categorized as homophobes and discriminatory against homosexuals. The sad thing is that this is true. Yes, some of this is due to the fact that we believe this it's wrong. There is a kernel of truth to it. However, I've used that excuse long enough. I refuse to make excuses for the right wing any longer. They are absolutely horrible and vicious to homosexuals. (I don't say gay, because I don't like how they've hijacked a perfectly good word.)

Yes, the Bible is clear on the subject of homosexuality. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed for their sins of homosexuality. In Revelation, St. John lists "sodomites" as one of the sins that will be indicative of the damned. In Romans 1, Paul talks about the product of distorting God's reality. He says, "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. [AIDs])" It's a sin. So is pride, greed, lust, and fornication. Your point? There is no reason to pick out homosexuality as this super sin that means we should hate someone. Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Sin is no reason to hate another human being. If anything, it should be a reason to love and disciple them.

It would seem to me that one reason why homosexuality is so hated is because it's misunderstood. Personally, I've never been tempted towards it. I think women are mesmerizing and I'm proud to say it. So, I really can't understand what it's like to struggle with that sin. The fear of the unknown is one of the strongest fears in man's psyche. We need to get past that and stop treating homosexuals like sub-humans. They are people who are struggling with sin same as us. Let's not pat ourselves on the back and think how righteous we are. The temptation towards that is strong but we need to remind ourselves to tend to the logs in our own eyes before we remove the specks in theirs. In short, let's be firm in our stance that it's a sin, while being loving and discipling those who struggle with it.

God Bless,

Stanley

YouTube and the Nature of Fame

YouTube is my nomination for most revolutionary product of the 2000's. Yeah, that's a pretty big claim, but I honestly believe it deserves it. YouTube only came out in 2005 yet it's already one of the most influential websites in the world. It's the home of countless videos, music, and now ads. It has streamed live concerts and provides public domain movies. However, I think the greatest thing that YouTube has given us is exposure. Never before have people had the means at their fingertips to become overnight sensations. Never before have some many people been able to reach so many others. Never has fame been more rapid. In the old days, film was for the rich boys and it was a costly luxury! In our age with cell phone cameras and camcorders, video has never been easier. And now, spreading that video has never been easier. People such as Nigahiga, Ray William Johnson, and Tobuscus are all individuals who have used this public forum to their advantage. With a free and simple means to share their videos, there is nothing holding them back. And there is nothing holding back anyone else either. It's just incredible to consider the many YouTube sensations that have risen and fallen over the years. They're countless! Yet, they're normal people just like you and me. Although, with fame so readily available, it has also cheapened fame. If anyone can get famous, is it really that great? People still pursue it though. Clearly, it's still desirable. I don't think fame will ever be undesirable. YouTube simply gives more people the chance to pursue it. That's what YouTube has given us. Average Americans have an advantage and opportunity that is unique to this generation. I absolutely think the pros outweigh the cons. So, long live YouTube and long live opportunity!

God Bless,

Stanley

This Is How I Quack

Last summer, I went on an incredible canoe trip up in Canada. For two weeks, I drove to Canada and camped with my brothers in Christ. During that time, I made many new friends, had tons of fun, and reveled in the beauty of nature. But lately, another aspect of that trip has begun to assert itself in my mind. It's called the duck analogy. On this trip, the guys conducted a nightly Bible study. One evening, our group leader Dave compared Christians to ducks. That's odd. Yes it is. Like I always say, let's think it through. Ducks have a very defining trait that everyone can recognize. It's the quack right? Of course it is. But what if someone were to claim that he's a duck and yet never quack? That would make him a hypocrite! Well, the Bible says that there are things that define Christians. Christ says that good trees bear good fruit. The mark of a true Christian is following God's will and banishing sin just as the mark of a true duck is its quack. So, as we attempt to combat sin in our daily lives, let's not just focus on the commands but on the inward reality. As I am tempted to sin, I tell myself that I'm going to quack. By not sinning, that's how I quack. I know I'm a duck, and it's natural for me to quack. So when I'm tempted not to, I just remember that quacking is a part of who I am. Maybe you want to meditate on this concept. I would encourage you. It's really profitable. Just remember that you are a duck and quacking is just what ducks do.

God Bless,

Stanley

P.S. I have recently begun work on a new short story. It's about a russian aristocrat who's father dies and wills him an enormous estate. The young man is overwhelmed as he must care for his siblings and his new estate. However, his siblings aren't making it easy. They have some issues. (Vanity, resentment, pride...) I've laid TIAOMEIAS aside for a little while. I need to reevaluate it. I'm just not sure where it's going. I'm also finishing up editing a story that I wrote a while ago and never really finalized. Expect that one sometime soon.