I finally made it back to New Orleans. I moved here originally 2 weeks before Katrina. Hopefully this time I will stay.
I have heard a lot of people tell me that Katrina was God's judgment on this perverse city. Maybe so, but not necessarily. God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Either way, none of us deserve God's mercy.
Who can judge right from wrong, better from worse? God. If He decided to condemn this city, then so be it. Now we as Christians have to step up and evangelize...not condemn.
Judging and Condemning: God's Job
Evangelizing: Our Job
Having mercy on those who do not deserve it: God and His followers
Are you a follower of God, or do you try to play God?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Destructive Behavior
Why do some guys enjoy breaking stuff?
I must admit demolition with a sledge hammer can be fun. People pay good money to go to Demolition Derbies and Monster Truck shows. I suppose the problem comes when people commit vandalism. It is usually teen guys who do not respect other's belongings. Some guys simply want to mark there pressence. "I was here." That reminds me of dogs leaving their mark. Other guys simply want to exert their strength and show off their power. Take up a sport please!
Where I am working now there has been hundreds of dollars worth of destruction. Every time it happens we figure out who is guilty and they have to pay for it. Every time I ask myself, "What were they thinking?!" Did they think destroying a piece of property would go unnoticed?
I think the root problem comes from apathy. The property does not belong to them so it does not matter if it gets destroyed. When we quit caring about other people we have really lost something. We should always be considerate of others and remember that God was very considerate of us when He sent His Son to die for us.
In my previous post I talked about girls being so critical. Sometimes they care too much. Why do guys tend to care so little? Any demolition stories or discussions on apathy you care to share? Comments are open to everyone.
I must admit demolition with a sledge hammer can be fun. People pay good money to go to Demolition Derbies and Monster Truck shows. I suppose the problem comes when people commit vandalism. It is usually teen guys who do not respect other's belongings. Some guys simply want to mark there pressence. "I was here." That reminds me of dogs leaving their mark. Other guys simply want to exert their strength and show off their power. Take up a sport please!
Where I am working now there has been hundreds of dollars worth of destruction. Every time it happens we figure out who is guilty and they have to pay for it. Every time I ask myself, "What were they thinking?!" Did they think destroying a piece of property would go unnoticed?
I think the root problem comes from apathy. The property does not belong to them so it does not matter if it gets destroyed. When we quit caring about other people we have really lost something. We should always be considerate of others and remember that God was very considerate of us when He sent His Son to die for us.
In my previous post I talked about girls being so critical. Sometimes they care too much. Why do guys tend to care so little? Any demolition stories or discussions on apathy you care to share? Comments are open to everyone.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Vendictive Wanch
Most of the teenagers I work with are guys. Lately I have been working with some young ladies for a nice change. One thing I have noticed different is how girls talk about each other behind their back.
Ouch. That's backstabbing.
The other day one girl mentioned that she hated another. When I implored as to why she hated her, I found out that she was jealous of how much faster she was loosing weight. They were both trying to get their weight down, but the other girl was having better luck. Jealousy gets us nowhere. Why not be happy for her? Don't be vain.
Another chick is in a position of power. She can do things for people without them even knowing who did what, but because she doesn't like some people she does not want to do for them what she is supposed to do. Luckily for the little people under her she has an honest team that won't let her be dishonest. Some of the people she simply did not like the way they looked despite never meeting them.
If people know you are vindictive they will only tell you what you want to hear. They will not be honest with you. Also you will be the center of strife. It is pretty greedy to ruin other people's day just to get some attention. Is that the reputation you want?
"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Proverbs 26:20-22
Ouch. That's backstabbing.
The other day one girl mentioned that she hated another. When I implored as to why she hated her, I found out that she was jealous of how much faster she was loosing weight. They were both trying to get their weight down, but the other girl was having better luck. Jealousy gets us nowhere. Why not be happy for her? Don't be vain.
Another chick is in a position of power. She can do things for people without them even knowing who did what, but because she doesn't like some people she does not want to do for them what she is supposed to do. Luckily for the little people under her she has an honest team that won't let her be dishonest. Some of the people she simply did not like the way they looked despite never meeting them.
If people know you are vindictive they will only tell you what you want to hear. They will not be honest with you. Also you will be the center of strife. It is pretty greedy to ruin other people's day just to get some attention. Is that the reputation you want?
"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Proverbs 26:20-22
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
thems fightin words
So what does the Bible say about fighting? Turn the other cheek.
Yes "turn the other cheek" is in the Bible. If you read it some you would probably know that.
Many teenagers get in fights over the silliest things these days. They feel that they have to prove themselves, even if someone simply bumps into them. You are not a man based on how big and bad you are, or how many people you have beat up. You are a man based on your character. Do you keep your word? Do you shoot your mouth off over the pointless things? Proverbs 12:16 tells us a little about the wise man and the fool. The wise man overlooks little things, but you can tell a fool by his mouth. A fool does not know when to hold his tongue. Mouthing off gets a lot of teens in trouble. Do not be a fool. Know when to shut up. If you fight a lot you will eventually find someone bigger and badder than yourself. Its better to pick your words wisely and fight as little as necessary...but is it necessary?
There were many wars and fights in the Bible. Fight to protect the innocent. That is the only good reason I can find to fight. There may be a few other instances in which it is right to defend something. The only fight I recall Jesus getting into was in the temple. He drove the money changers out telling them that they had turned God's house into a den of thieves. He defended God's Holiness.
When you find yourself ready to fight, stop and ask yourself how important the issue is. Will it matter in ten minutes who was right and wrong? How about ten hours? Ten days? A year? Use these questions to gauge yourself. It probably is not worth fighting over. This is also a good scale for worry.
I prefer to be the strong quiet type.
Go in Peace.
Yes "turn the other cheek" is in the Bible. If you read it some you would probably know that.
Many teenagers get in fights over the silliest things these days. They feel that they have to prove themselves, even if someone simply bumps into them. You are not a man based on how big and bad you are, or how many people you have beat up. You are a man based on your character. Do you keep your word? Do you shoot your mouth off over the pointless things? Proverbs 12:16 tells us a little about the wise man and the fool. The wise man overlooks little things, but you can tell a fool by his mouth. A fool does not know when to hold his tongue. Mouthing off gets a lot of teens in trouble. Do not be a fool. Know when to shut up. If you fight a lot you will eventually find someone bigger and badder than yourself. Its better to pick your words wisely and fight as little as necessary...but is it necessary?
There were many wars and fights in the Bible. Fight to protect the innocent. That is the only good reason I can find to fight. There may be a few other instances in which it is right to defend something. The only fight I recall Jesus getting into was in the temple. He drove the money changers out telling them that they had turned God's house into a den of thieves. He defended God's Holiness.
When you find yourself ready to fight, stop and ask yourself how important the issue is. Will it matter in ten minutes who was right and wrong? How about ten hours? Ten days? A year? Use these questions to gauge yourself. It probably is not worth fighting over. This is also a good scale for worry.
I prefer to be the strong quiet type.
Go in Peace.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Is God Real?
People often ask whether or not God is real. It is human nature to question things. The whole concept of God goes against the idea that seeing is believing. Perhaps people are just looking in the wrong direction.
When people ask me to prove God's existence, I ask them to tell me where the world came from. Some scientists say that it just happened by accident, but science says that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Must not take much to earn the title "scientist." The fact is, God created the laws of the Universe, and therefore He can also break them or bend them. It takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang Theory than it does the Creationism Theory.
Another good rhetorical question concerns miracles. Where do they come from if God does not exist? The most common answer to this question is that people fake miracles. Yes people fake miracles. You should not believe everything you see on TV or read on the Internet. People also fake Drivers Licenses. Should you never trust a person's identity based on their license? Not all miracles are fakes. Look at the situation. Is it a televangelist begging for money who performed this "wonder" or was it a street magician? Following some of the miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible, He told the person to go and tell nobody about it. He did not want hoards of attention from His miracles, rather He was more concerned with people's souls. Fact is I can introduce you to someone who was dead for ten minutes and the nurse who confirmed it. Why is He still alive? There were a lot of people gathered there praying for a miracle.
Need more proof that God exists? Try talking to Him. He will answer. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. God typically chooses how He answers so pay attention and don't be surprised. Ask people about their relationship with God. There are a lot of people who talk with God on a regular basis. Ask them about their conversations. Testimony is one of the most powerful things...after all it is acceptable in the court of law too.
When people ask me to prove God's existence, I ask them to tell me where the world came from. Some scientists say that it just happened by accident, but science says that matter cannot be created or destroyed. Must not take much to earn the title "scientist." The fact is, God created the laws of the Universe, and therefore He can also break them or bend them. It takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang Theory than it does the Creationism Theory.
Another good rhetorical question concerns miracles. Where do they come from if God does not exist? The most common answer to this question is that people fake miracles. Yes people fake miracles. You should not believe everything you see on TV or read on the Internet. People also fake Drivers Licenses. Should you never trust a person's identity based on their license? Not all miracles are fakes. Look at the situation. Is it a televangelist begging for money who performed this "wonder" or was it a street magician? Following some of the miracles that Jesus performed in the Bible, He told the person to go and tell nobody about it. He did not want hoards of attention from His miracles, rather He was more concerned with people's souls. Fact is I can introduce you to someone who was dead for ten minutes and the nurse who confirmed it. Why is He still alive? There were a lot of people gathered there praying for a miracle.
Need more proof that God exists? Try talking to Him. He will answer. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. God typically chooses how He answers so pay attention and don't be surprised. Ask people about their relationship with God. There are a lot of people who talk with God on a regular basis. Ask them about their conversations. Testimony is one of the most powerful things...after all it is acceptable in the court of law too.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Is Oral Sex Okay?
If you are asking this question you probably already know the answer in your heart. Let me reaffirm it.
Oral sex is sex. The only difference is the physical orientation. One person arousing the genitals of another is sex. Sex outside of marriage is a bad thing. If the two of you are married: have at it, just keep it behind closed doors please.
Many teenagers long for a sexual experience. They see oral sex as a way around God's command to keep the marriage bed holy. Read the definition above... it is still sex.
"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." -Matt 5:28 (KJV)
If lusting after a woman is adultery in God's eyes, then I think taking it a step further would be much worse. FYI: Adultery is sex outside of marriage. If your not married, sex is adultery.
Go ahead and ask me why sex outside of marriage is such a bad thing. Please.
(hint: rich divorce lawyers)
Oral sex is sex. The only difference is the physical orientation. One person arousing the genitals of another is sex. Sex outside of marriage is a bad thing. If the two of you are married: have at it, just keep it behind closed doors please.
Many teenagers long for a sexual experience. They see oral sex as a way around God's command to keep the marriage bed holy. Read the definition above... it is still sex.
"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." -Matt 5:28 (KJV)
If lusting after a woman is adultery in God's eyes, then I think taking it a step further would be much worse. FYI: Adultery is sex outside of marriage. If your not married, sex is adultery.
Go ahead and ask me why sex outside of marriage is such a bad thing. Please.
(hint: rich divorce lawyers)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Suggestions? Comments?
If you have any topics that you would like to discuss please let me know on this THREAD.
Topics can come from Apologetics, Spiritual gifts, Life Purpose, Church, Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, or anything else scriptural. If I don't know the answer, I can at least find some information on it.
As far as the End Times go? I am somewhat confused about the End Times myself. I know that God will provide refuge for His children during the Tribulation. I don't know for a fact whether or not that will be in Heaven. I have yet to see the word "rapture" in scripture. Noah was raptured (more or less) or delivered from the destruction, but God did not call him up to heaven.
I am here to answer your difficult Spiritual Questions, whether or not you are a teenager.
Topics can come from Apologetics, Spiritual gifts, Life Purpose, Church, Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, or anything else scriptural. If I don't know the answer, I can at least find some information on it.
As far as the End Times go? I am somewhat confused about the End Times myself. I know that God will provide refuge for His children during the Tribulation. I don't know for a fact whether or not that will be in Heaven. I have yet to see the word "rapture" in scripture. Noah was raptured (more or less) or delivered from the destruction, but God did not call him up to heaven.
I am here to answer your difficult Spiritual Questions, whether or not you are a teenager.
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