Gay marriage and our call to love one another

This isn't going to be a popular post, especially among my Christian friends. Let me start by giving my position on the topic of gay marriage: It's wrong to be gay, and in the Biblical aspect it's wrong for gays to get married. Homosexuality is a sin. Flat out, no ands ifs or buts about it. I personally find it to be disgusting. Now let me get to the heart of why I'm writing this post: We, as Christians, are suppose to love everyone. I'm going to go into detail about a few concerns I have about this topic, and what I feel Christians are missing. I will also say, my opinion on this has changed drastically over the last year.
First, let's deal with the political nature of the issue. Most Christians, by either moral or fiscal reasons, usually identify with Conservative/Republican parties. In politics, people like to agree with some things, then disagree with other points within the same structure. This comes to mind when you look at religious freedom in this country. People do not have to agree with us on religion. Heck, they may be the complete opposite of us on every issue. Does this mean they should be treated differently? No. If someone is gay, we may not agree with it, but it's not our choice. We can witness to them, talk to them about our concerns, but ultimately, they do not have to side with us. This difference in opinion shouldn't keep them from having the same rights as us, this is America people. Atheist, satanist, and Christians all live around each other, and none trump the other as far as being an American citizen. Marriage to some people, is just the unity of two people who love each other, and has nothing to do with religion. I know this is difficult to hear, but WE DON'T CONTROL EVERY ONE'S CHOICES. If a gay couple want a piece of paper to give them the same benefits (Health care, POA) I have no problem with this. They are not saying they are married in the Biblical sense anyways.
We are called to love thy neighbor, When did it become OK to judge/hate others due to the way they sin? Most Christians believe that all sin is equal. If this is the case, Homosexuals are no different than us, so how can we judge them with such harshness? You don't have to agree with someone to respect and love them. This is what we should be doing. You can witness and spread the Holy Word without disparaging and ridiculing the very people to which you are hoping to reach. Do you want "Joe" not to be able to get health care just because he is gay? Where's your compassion? This is a hard concept to grasp, I know, I deal with it constantly. I use to be completely against anything about homosexuality. I still disagree with it, I just think we forget to show love in the way that we should.

Sin is sin. We are all guilty. We are blessed to have a loving and merciful God. It's time that we stand together and stop being so divisive. You and I are not the Judge or the Jury, we are all children of the same Father.

Tiny Hearts and The Savage

Let's get to the absolute basics in this post: The right to live. I've seen multiple posts on Facebook and around the web on this in the last few days and have decided to write about it. Abortion is wrapped into politics and religion, and I intend to explain that it is wrong in ANY circumstance. I know some people will not like what I'm about to say, as I feel strongly about it, so please read on with caution. Usually there is three reasons for abortion: Inconvenience, medical abnormalities, or rape.

Inconvenience....this is tough to talk about because I can get really emotional about it. Politically speaking, women should have the choice in what goes on in their body and such. Obviously, this is a vote getter for liberals, making sure they lock in the women rights groups. Religiously, abortion is frowned upon due to it being the murder of a child. These are very opposite view points, but as I am a Christian, I will go with that aspect. I get it. You are a teenager and you don't want to deal with this...it was an accident...you're just 15, have your whole life ahead of you right? GET OVER IT. Mistakes happen, but let me assure you that human life and creation is not one. This is God's work. A child shouldn't be murdered because you don't want to deal with it right now, or because you don't like the guy who got you pregnant. You do not have the RIGHT to decide whether or not you should have to "pay for the mistakes you've made." Don't have sex if you are worried about this...It's that simple.

OK, so you've had an ultrasound and they are saying there is a chance of some serious medical conditions..It would be easier (and cheaper, too) just to abort and try again later, right? Good grief...When did we start killing people because of this? Chances are just that, chances...They could overcome it, and go on to live a normal life....Even if this is not the case, the amount of time they are here with you and the amount of love given would be invaluable! These things happen for a reason. Maybe it's spiritual growth. Maybe it's learning to love everyone, in all circumstances. "5 years of testing and hospital visits is just torture on the child, I would never do that to them." This isn't about the child...THEY WILL LOVE YOU REGARDLESS. This is about point number one, which is that it's an inconvenience to YOU. You are worried about your well being. It's hard, but not an excuse for abortion. You can find others who have/are dealing with this to help you, or better yet, call on the Lord for peace and resolve.

Rape is a despicable crime. I'm not about turning the victim into a suspect, but hear me out: It's still not OK to abort the child! The child is a constant reminder of the extremely personal, disgusting person who impregnated you. The 9 months of medical bills don't help either. This situation will test your walk with God more than anything, I think. This happened for a reason, and you have choices: Abort, have and keep, or put up for adoption.  Let's look at the last two. Just because the child was a product of rape, doesn't make them any less of a human being. After having the baby, you could find out that you still love it and care for it nonetheless. You could give it to a family who cannot have a child, blessing them for a life time. Either way, the child lives and gets to experience life and love. This is amazing. Because of your sacrifice, a flower blooms out of the ashes! Love is powerful. It shapes our decision, it helps us make the difficult choices. Abortion in this situation does nothing but get rid of the pain that another has caused you. I know this sounds unsympathetic, but this child's life is more important that your emotions. If you surround yourself with good, loving people, and lean on God you can get through this, and be better for it!

Let me close with something that will blow your mind. Think about if your parents were to come to you today and tell you that you were the result of a rape (your father is not your father). Let that sink in for a moment. Would that nullify all that you have accomplished? Would that change all of the things you have experienced? Would that change the love you have for your family or God? Because of your mother's unselfish ways and great sacrifice, you are here, enjoying the world! If you were aborted, think of what you would have missed: playtime at the park....snuggling with your mom when you were sick....first day of school...your first kiss.....sunsets...springtime in the south...your marriage day....the birth of YOUR first child.....This should bring a tearful realization to you. This is important stuff! If you have had an abortion, God still loves you...I pray for you, because I couldn't deal with the pain of knowing that I have killed an innocent child.

A Conversation With My Demon

I'm worth more than this. You're nothing. What have I done to deserve this punishment? You don't deserve anything but pain and suffering. Why can't I shake this self doubt? What have you accomplished? What value are you to this world? I made progress today! You still failed, multiple times, with great ease. Why do these temptations get the best of me? You're guard is quickly penetrated and the very fact that you think you can defeat this is laughable. I love my family and friends, they are always there for me. You're alone, everyone is too busy for you and your issues. I want to share my faith with the world. You are no example to anyone! Your constant short comings show you for who you really are! But I'm a good person, I am. You are disgusting, vile, repulsive. I try to be a great father. Your children could do better. You have already let them down. It's been a while since I've had a drink. You should drown in the fact that alcohol ever had a grip on you, weak! I'm stronger than I once was! You are easily defeated! Your wife could be with a someone who is twice the man that you are! You work a meaningless job with average pay! Oh, the mistakes you've made are too numerous to count! No grace can find you in this dark place. You've drifted to depths unseen, too far gone for an outstretched hand! Why bother trying? Accept the fact that you will make absolutely no mark on anything! You worry about your happiness when others are starving and dying.. Selfish is what you are! Accept that your sins define you, that you deserve nothing short of separation from everything that you love and hold dear. My name is Darkness, and rest assured I will always be behind every moment of your life, waiting to consume you at your weakest hour! ::::Silence:::: I am made in His image. I was born to love. I'm flawed, but my flaws do not define me, my perseverance does! I'm a battle tested warrior. When I fall, I stand again. You cannot defeat me, I'm FEARLESS. Darkness always gives way to the Light. Through Grace and Mercy, I take up arms with the Undefeated One. The Creator of all things. Oh Lord, your love prevails!

The Bible on History, thoughts

I'm doing a short post today just to give some quick thoughts on History Channel's The Bible. Let me start off by saying that I am not a Biblical Scholar and these are just my opinions. When I saw that they were doing this miniseries, I was excited as it gave me a chance to revisit these stories in amazing HD and modern technology. I read interviews with the producer (who also did Survivor among other things) and he made it clear that he wanted to be as accurate as possible. He stated that he consulted Biblical Scholars and historians, and while he could not tell every story, he wanted to tell the important ones in detail. On the face of it, this show looks wonderful. Graphics are great, big budget type of stuff, but this was to be expected. At times, the acting is OK. I find that about 80 percent of the time, the acting is awful making Christians almost seem crazy and delusional. Chants of "FOR ISRAEL!" and "GOD IS WITH US" in every excursion and situation are almost unbearable. This seems strange to me, that with such a big budget, they couldn't afford better actors. I was bored to tears watching Samson and most of the entire second episode. These are all just secondary complaints, however, because there is something more important that bothers me here.  Accuracy. Let's be honest, the Bible can be interpreted in different ways, this is obvious. My problem is the blatant omission of certain things from almost every story. Things that are in plain text in the Bible, things that are relevant, removed or omitted for one reason or another. Why not mention why the Angels were being followed in Sodom? Afraid of offending the LGBT community? The possibility of offending someone shouldn't allow the producers to distort the story, this causes them to lose credibility with me from the first episode. Other things such as Moses's appearance not changing after seeing God (as well as not being asked to remove his shoes, being on Holy Ground) are brought to mind. This all leads me to one opinion, this is about ratings and money. I'm sorry, I know some of you are going to be upset with this, but it's just how I feel...can you go 10 minutes in the show without seeing a blurb at the bottom of when you can buy this on DVD and Blu-ray? They even made books that are suppose to be study guides to go with the show, which you can also buy. I'm glad that they did the show, and maybe it will reach someone, as I hope it will. The bones of the stories are there, and it can be entertaining at points, and I believe that anyone can get something from it. I just feel that, given this great opportunity, it could have been done better. Just because it is about the Bible, doesn't mean I can't disagree with people who say it's the greatest show ever.

When worms ate holes through my brain

 

So does the thought of worms eating brain meat bother you? You may not want to read the rest of this post if disgusting stuff makes you sick. Something that has been on my mind for the last few days is lust. Lust can be difficult to deal with because it can be as simple as a glance in at the mall to the most extreme cases of sexual conduct. Most people struggle with this in some form or fashion, and let's be clear, it's a sin to be sure. Glancing at a girl as she walks by and thinking something sexual is just as bad as looking at porn. This is dangerous because lust is insidious and can cause damage to your relationships, your emotions, and your walk with God, and you may not even realize it. It's nasty and can become an addiction of sorts. I've been there (as most guys have been at some point) and it is a really hard habit to quit, especially getting rid of fleeting thoughts when just seeing people in public. Online porn has made this issue even worse in the last 10 years for people. When the tempation is so strong and it's so easy to satisfy it, why not, right? Some people do this daily. It's like a disease to them. Online is free and can be done in the privacy of your own home. Just satisfy the want and deal with the guilt later. Porn is the worst form of lust that I can think of. God made us beautiful, but not to be looked at and desired like vultures to a rotting corpse. The problem is that if you are not in a good place spiritually, you have almost no reason to care about the consequences...This ruins marriages people....This ruins families..THIS IS SERIOUS. The answer is extremely easy and I couldn't believe it when I figured it out: LOVE.. There are three facets to this solution. First, the true and undying love of God should be enough to fill any void that might eat its way into your brain and heart. Secondly, if you are lucky enough to find someone to share your life with, that love should satisfy! Finally, I believe it's the love of your fellow brother and sisters of this world...That love should lead you to not want to disgrace them and to show the type of respect for them as if they were your own family. I found my true love, married her, and now have the perspective that I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her...She's the only sexy lady that I want to know. My love for her trumps any sinful desire that may arise in the form of a lusty temptation. While I know that not everyone has found their love in someone else, it can be found in God. Be happy with your Walk, yourself, and your life and you can destroy these temptations with an ease that may surprise you! I know Christians don't like to talk about this topic. I went to a service at (church not to be named) and the speaker talked on this topic...He talked about his personal struggle with pornography. The crowd was silent. The tention in the room was thick. People were shaking their heads. All this guy was doing was being honest, but his own church didn't want to hear it. We have got to start talking to each other. Life isn't scripted like a contempary Christian song. We need to be able to share our struggles with each other without be judged for it. We should want to help each other through tough times. I'm always here for any of you. I'm an extremely flawed person, but I won't look down on you if you can do the same for me. Lust is just one sin, among others, that we can defeat together with the help of God's Grace and Mercy.

Emery, Wolves at The Gate, The Seeking.. Coming to Greenville May 3rd at the Channel

In one ear, out the other

After much thought and prayer, I decided that with my first non-introductory post I would write about something that is really close to me, but not that serious in the grand scheme of things: Music. I plan on hitting the hard subjects like Politics, Alcohol, Lust and the like in the coming days, so hang in there with me. I felt the need to talk about this because music is so multifunctional. It can reflect the mood you are in. It can be a way to relate to others. It can soothe and calm you in rough times. It can also just be fun. It is an important facet of all of our lives (most anyways). Now, I will say that I don't ever listen to the radio....EVER...I've found there is absolutely nothing of substance to be found on public radio. Not only does it fully display what is wrong with America, it does so in such a blatant, almost flamboyant way. Most who know me know that I've always like harder music..When I was in middle school and into my freshman year in High school, I was listening to the likes of Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Korn and such. In 9th grade, I hit a crucial point with my walk with God. I was feeling the need to stop listening to such bands, but keep my passion for music intact. I switched to the underground Christian/positive rock scene. The first couple of Cds I got where bought for me by my mom at my request. Blindside's self titled CD, POD's "Fundamental Elements of South Town, and I believe a Switchfoot CD. I enjoyed these, but wanted more...I dug deep into this genre, hoping to uncover gems that I could witness with..I found Thousand Foot Krutch, Underoath, Relient K, Five Iron Frenzy, MXPX, Spoken, Skillet (Before they were popular). I made mix tapes, gave them to friends, and generally only listened to these types of bands. Some people liked them, others didn't. I was known for listening to "weird" music when people rode around with me in the Mustang. It was fun. Most importantly, it was something I felt like I could contribute with by strengthening my witness to others..I had people who were not too thrilled about it though. "It cannot be Christian music with all those guitars in it, all that screaming...all that noise is of the Devil." Some didn't care about the lyrics, rather the fact that maybe their church didn't agree with it..I remember one instance at Washington Avenue Baptist Church where me and some friends were listening to Relient K, arguably one of the most christian group of guys making music, in a room after a service...Just some youth hanging out, fellowshipping and such...A group of gentleman came by the room and were visibly angry with us, telling us to turn that "crap" off in the church. Ignorance is not appealing to me. This made me angry, but mostly strengthened my resolve to make this kind of music more popular and accepted. Some people's mind cannot be changed, however, so you have to pick your battles. Now, for me to elaborate on why this is so important to me. I've always listened to some secular music, but once I fell in with the a bad crowd in my late teens, I was more drawn to it...Music about partying, music about getting revenge, about being angry and hateful..I always had this nagging feeling though, and this music never satisfied my soul like previously..I found myself coming back to some of the positive Christian music from time to time. Some nights, this music literally saved me from making a horrible decision or getting into real trouble. It spoke to me like a human being. I dare to say that God realized this may be the only way to really get through to me at this time in my life. I spend many dark days with this being my only comfort. I couldn't just talk to God, I was too weak and too disconnected. But I felt that, especially in hindsight, that He was speaking to me.. "Don't wander to far, My son."  I'm 28 now, but still have a great passion for music. 99% of what I listened to is classified as Christian or Positive (Christian morals and principles without specifically mentioning God). I will still sit down with anyone and have discussions about it and make recommendations for substitutions for current bands they may be listening to. I don't care too much for contemporary Christian music, as it seems so watered down and void of true emotion. Seems like a lot of it is for the money, and the lyrics are so thoughtless and generic. If that is your thing, that's great, whatever floats your boat and helps you is awesome. I've found that I typically enjoy the hard, screaming genre, and here is why: I feel the passion..I can literally feel the difference Christ has made in the band's lives...Look up lyrics to any FOR TODAY songs...It is modern day preaching through music..The lead singer screams your face off, but  I love it. When I go to work in the morning, I play songs on my IPOD to set my mood for the day. It's my way of praise and worship. Sometimes I cry. I'll feel like I'm inadequate to God...undeserving...and I am...But I know that this is just one simple way that I can show some sort of devotion.. I'm going to end this post with a list of Bands that have helped me through the last couple of years. I'm always up to hearing new music, discussing and debating song meanings, and helping others discover new music. Please feel free to contact me on any of this. I am hoping, like with all of my blog posts, to create a forum for open discussion on this stuff.

Rock: Send By Ravens, I am Empire, Red, The Almost, Anberlin, The Classic Crime, Flyleaf,  Thousand Foot Krutch, Nine Lashes, Run Kid Run, Search The City, Secret and Whisper, Showbread, Skillet.

Punk/ Pop Punk: Flatfoot 56, MxPx, Relient K, Everyday Sunday.

Hardcore/ Post Hardcore: Norma Jean, Wolves at the Gate, Fit For a King, The Overseer, My Heart To Fear, Demon Hunter, Underoath, The Color Morale, For Today, I the Breather, Gideon, Thrice, Haste The Day, Oh Sleeper, August Burns Red.

Rap: None, can't stand even a second of it any more..I'm sure there is good, positive rap out there, I just don't care.