Normal Biblical Christian

Cosmic Evolution Teaches, "In the Beginning Nothing"

2009-07-20T13:44:00.001-04:00

Why I believe that Jesus of Nazareth created the universe

2008-06-01T14:37:00.001-04:00

Hi guys. I wanted to share with you a few reasons why I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed God in the flesh. I love you all and pray that these truths will change your heart, causing you to come to know Him personally and savingly.

First, I must tell you why I believe Jesus was a man "in the flesh". The reason I believe Jesus was a human is because He had a date of birth. He went from being a zygote to a fetus to an infant to a child to a boy to a fully grown adult Man. As a child He had to learn to walk and talk like the rest of us. Throughout His life He ate and slept like the rest of us. He walked, talked, cried, loved, became angry (always righteously), became grieved, distressed, He rejoiced, marveled, became tired, hungry, thirsty and worked a job (carpenter) like the rest of us. He had a mother, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles like the rest of us. He was a man; a one hundred percent flesh and bone human being.

And now, here are some reasons why I believe that Jesus pre-existed His humanity and was and is one hundred percent divine:

His birth

Out of the billions and billions of us who have been born into this world, He was the only one born of a virgin. Think about that. Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. No man was involved in any way in His conception. There was just a young teenage girl and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The way He spoke

Jesus never speculated or deferred to anyone else; He always, without exception, spoke with absolute authority. He never quoted a rabbi or religious leader. He just said what He had to say and thats it. He never said, "I think...", "Well, maybe...", "I hypothesize that...". Words like "possibly" and "probably" were not a part of His vocabulary. Even when speaking of the Bible He spoke with authority. For example He said things like "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery'. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

The things He said

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?

The things He did

Jesus of Nazareth gave sight to a man who had been blind since birth. He cured lepers with a touch, cast out demons with a word, and had compassion on the hungry multitudes and fed them with a few pieces of bread and fish at least twice. He commanded a paralytic to rise, take his mat, and walk home and the paralyzed man did it. He raised Lazarus, who had been dead so long his corpse stunk, from the dead. He walked on water, turned water into wine, and commanded the winds and sea to be still and they obeyed Him. Did you know that it is believed that on any given day Jesus of Nazareth did more miracles than all the miracles of the Old Testament combined?

He also forgave sins; something only God can do.

His sinless life

Jesus never once sinned. He was perfectly holy and righteous in thought, word, and deed. He was tempted in every point like the rest of us, yet without sin. He was actually able to say "I always do those things that please" God. Can you say that? He was able to say to His most ardent opponents and skeptics, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?", to which they had no response [and still don't]. He was the perfect Person; completely impeccable and absolutely blameless. "The wages of sin is death" but because Jesus never ever once sinned, not even in thought, death had no claim over Him.

His claims about His identity

You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

Then the Jews said to Him..."You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”...
Jesus answered, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple,going through the midst of them, and so passed by. click here for context

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father...

I and My Father are one.

His power over the grave

Not only did He raise dead people by the power of His word but He also promised that He would lay down His life only to raise Himself up from the grave three days later:

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

His death

He is the only sinless Person who has ever lived who on behalf of others willingly died the worst possible death: crucifixion [the word excruciating is derived from crucifixion]. The charge for his death was "Jesus King of the Jews". Jesus, who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Even up on the cross He forgave a criminal who was being crucified next to Him and promised him, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, while He shed His blood on the cross, the sky was darkened. The last thing He said on the cross before giving up His spirit was "It is finished." Immediately after He died,the ground shook and the veil in the Jewish Temple which divided the holy place from the most holy place, was torn in two, from top to bottom (signifying that now sinners can enter the most holy place through the blood of Christ). Truly, His was a supernatural death whose every detail was a fulfillment of tons of ancients prophecies.

His resurrection from the dead

Jesus of Nazareth conquered death. Three days after He was crucified like a common criminal, He rose from the dead just like He said He would. The Father confirmed and validated Jesus' words by raising Him from the dead and then showing Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by Paul. Jesus rose from the dead. There is a Man in history who was killed who on the third day rose Himself from the dead and this was seen by hundreds of witnesses!

His ascension into heaven

Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead and walked and talked and ate with His disciples, He ascended, bodily, into heaven in front of many witnesses. They literally saw Him being raised in the clouds back to heaven.

His fulfillment of prophecy

There are hundreds of ancient Jewish Messianic prophecies which were fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. Everything from the time, place, and manner of His birth to His ministry and identity to His crucifixion and resurrection was predicted hundreds to thousands of years in advance! Jesus Himself frequently pointed to this. He said,

"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.

click here to see some of the prophecies for yourself

He forgave and saved me

Among other things, Jesus Christ is known for turning God-hating wicked sinners into God-glorifying saints and I submit to you my life as a clear example of this. Three and a half years ago I had zero interest in the things of the Lord (not enough to read this article thats for sure). I enjoyed drunken parties. I enjoyed all sorts of perversions. I used to love getting high. I enjoyed and was entertained by immorality and violence. I, just like the woman caught in adultery who deserved to be stoned to death, was a guilty sinner utterly deserving of death and hell. But then Jesus came into my life, changed my heart, and instead of condemning me, forgave me and then commanded me, "Go and sin no more". My testimony is this: Jesus of Nazareth forgave me of my sins, which were many, and gave my soul indescribable, all-satisfying joy and rest, and secured my place eternally in heaven. He changed my heart. What I once enjoyed and sought I now hate. What I once hated and had no interest in [God, truth, Jesus] now brings me pure joy. I, along with millions of others throughout history [some whom you know], have personally experienced His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and transforming power and can fully attest that this Jesus was and is not only the Savior of the world... but the Lord God Himself... in the flesh.

Conclusion

These are some of the reasons why I believe that Jesus Christ was and is the God of the universe, the One to whom we must all give account someday. The Bible clearly reveals Him as the Judge of the living and the dead. My hope is that you will come to cherish Him as the treasure and joy of your life and be saved from wrath through Him. And now I leave you with a question from Jesus Christ Himself:

Who do you say that I am?

Mormons!

2007-01-03T19:31:00.002-05:00

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
Jude 1:3

Yep... I had an encounter with Mormons yesterday. This is how it happened...

It was about 7:30PM, I had just gotten home from work, and felt the call to go to Main Ave to share the Gospel. There I was passing out tracts to people when I saw a couple of Mormons coming up the street. Mormons are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, very polite, kind, and sincere in their faith. With that said, none of these qualities can forgive someone's sins, only the blood of Christ can do that.

I gave one of them a tract and immediately he smiled and said "Thanks, I also have something for you." We exchanged literature. He saw that what I gave him was a Ticket to Heaven so I asked him, "So what do you believe someone must do to get to Heaven?" His basic response was that a person must 1) believe in Jesus Christ 2) repent 3)get baptized 4)receive the Holy Spirit 5)produce good works. YOWZA! That is a works-based salvation which the Bible condemns. So I asked him what would happen if a person didnt have time to do all that, "What if I only had 3 minutes to live? What would you tell me?" His response included the prospect of having a second chance to do all those things in the afterlife. I told him, "Sure doesnt seem like the rich man in Luke 16 got that second chance. Or did he?"

A little later on I mentioned something along the lines of whether Hitler also received that second chance; Elder Quincy's response was that repetitious murder was too big a crime to be forgiven. I took the opportunity to ask him whether he had ever hated anyone which God sees as murder. He had. After some probing, I realized that both Elder Quincy (age 19) and Elder IforgothisName (20) were self-righteous (they thought they were good people) so I proceeded to walk them both through the law of God in hopes that it would bring them a fuller understanding of the gravity and depth of their sin. Most specifically I expounded on the gravity of blasphemy. I told them that blasphemy was probably even more serious than murder "for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." They admitted to being guilty of breaking Gods laws and deserving of God's punishment but quickly mentioned "Thats why Jesus came... so that we can be saved."

This is when things got interesting, I told them that I was a Christian and asked them whether or not Mormons and Christians believe in the SAME Jesus. They said we do, which is NOT true. After much talk, this is the recap of what we concluded in respects to the nature of God and the Gospel:

Mormons

Three gods (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit) who exist among other gods
God was once a man who became God
Jesus came into existence after the Father
Jesus is the brother of the devil
Salvation is by faith after all we can do

Christians

One God who is Triune (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit)
God is eternal
Jesus is God who is eternal
Jesus created ALL things including the devil and hell
Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works

One particular passage that they had an especially hard time dealing with was John 1:3. Here it is in context:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

This means that Jesus of Nazareth is the Creator of ALL things. Amen.

This is what I was going for: I was trying to get them to admit that Mormons and Christians believe two different Gospels. We believe in two different natures of God, two different Jesus', two different plans of salvation. In essence, two different Gospels. Once I got them to agree to that... We turned to Galatians chapter 1:

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him, that called you into the grace of Christ, for another gospel. For this is not another; but there are some who trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But should we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again: If any man preach any other gospel unto than that which ye have received, let him be accursed!
Galatians 1:6-9

YOWZA! Did you read that? Re-read it please. Notice how it says that even if an angel from Heaven... (Picture that for a moment. Imagine looking up and seeing a beautiful magestic angel in the sky! How do you think you would react to that? People usually get scared when they see that.) Anyhow, the Scripture says that even if an angel from Heaven preaches to you any other gospel than the one the apostles preached, let him be accursed. When it says "accursed" it means that the preacher of this false gospel shall be damned to an eternity in hell. What makes this extra interesting is that that is exactly how the founder of the Mormons, Joseph Smith, claimed to have received his "gospel"... from an angel named Moroni.

So I did my best to reason with them to repent of their sins and put their trust in the Jesus of the Bible! I told them that the created Jesus who is the brother of Satan cannot save anybody. That they must trust the Jesus who is Creator of all things in order to be saved. I pleaded with them that if they didnt repent of their going after false gods the wrath of God would remain upon them and they would surely lose their souls. Did they repent right on the spot and believe? I wish that I could tell you that they did but I cant. But glory to God that one more seed was sown!!! Please pray for Elder Qunicy and Elder IforgothisName, that the Lord will grant them repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus.

As an aside. Here is a verse that could have helped me in our discourse:

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isaiah 43:10

Who can this be?

2006-12-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Mark 4:35-41

The Godfather of Soul, Dead at 73

2006-12-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

The news reports that James Brown had been very sick for months with a bad cold, cough. After attending a dental appointment he was advised by his dentist to see his doctor. After doing so, he was admitted to the hospital in which he died of congestive heart failure related to pneunomia. He was 73.

I would like to comment on, not specifically the last words he ever spoke, but on the last words he ever heard.

"The gravity of his condition was apparently not lost on Brown, who finally alluded to it late Sunday, Bobbit said. "He told me ... 'I'm going away tonight,' and my statement to him was, 'I don't know where you're going, because wherever you go, I'm going with you, unless you're going up there or over there, and I'm sorry, I can't go there with you.'

excerpt taken from CNN

What do you think James Brown's friend meant when he told him that?

Shortly after, James Brown the "Godfather of Soul" passed on into eternity to meet his Maker, God the true Father of souls. Sad as it is my friends we will all go away someday; some of us much sooner than later. Whether we like it or not we all have an appointment with death, but as James Brown and his friend alluded, that is not the end. The Bible says that "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" Hebrews 9:27. And after the judgment each and every one of us will go to one of two places: "up there" which is Heaven, or "over there" which is Hell. I have no idea whether or not James Brown was prepared for his judgment but the question of the day is: Are YOU?

Here is what the Bible says about that fateful Day:

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15

My friend, is YOUR name going to be found written in the Book of Life? Is James Brown's name on that Book? I dont know, God does and by now James Brown does too. But my friend what I am concerned with right now is this:

Will YOUR name be found written in the Book of Life?

Go here to find out.

Ashley hears the Gospel

2006-08-05T02:42:00.000-04:00

This is an encounter I had with a young lady name Ashley. This took place on Main Ave in Passaic NJ sometime last winter. The audio is not that great...and she slips up and drops the 's' bomb but its barely audible, like I said the sound isnt that great.

Drive-Thru Theology

2006-07-10T13:41:00.000-04:00

It is always a great idea to have tracts in your car. Tracts stashed in your car are perfect for giving to toll booth workers, people you ask for directions, gas attendants and drive-thru workers!

Just today I gave one to the McDonalds drive-thru guy while picking up some early morning breakfast. After I paid, I handed him a Ticket to Heaven tract. Now, usually people will just take them and I'll be on my way, but every now and again you will get someone who eagerly takes the tract and begins reading it right then and there. As he inspected it, I told him what it was and he responded that he already had a ticket to heaven. When I asked him what was his ticket he told me, "The Lord, who is in my heart." I asked, "So you're a Christian?!" He told me that he was a Roman Catholic so I asked whether he had been born again (John 3:3). He asserted that he was. He called himself a born again Roman Catholic. Now this is when things got really weird. I said, "Yeah man, thats our only ticket to heaven, our Lord Jesus." He responded with, "Not Jesus. His Father."

So this took us off into a discussion as to who Jesus really is. He said that Jesus was the Son of the Father and Mary, that He was created, and that the true Lord is God the Father. I urged him to make sure he was believing in the right Jesus because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that Jesus Christ is in fact more than just the "Son of Mary". I referred him to John 1:1-14 which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" and "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." Those verses make it clear that God, the Creator of all things, became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the Lord of lords, and King of kings. I also pointed to the verses where Jesus told Phillip, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father," and "I and the Father are One" and "Before Abraham was, I AM. "I AM" is the same name by which God identified Himself to Moses and the children of Israel. Still he insisted that Jesus was just "God's Son and not God Himself." I then reminded him that the Holy Trinity (which I assumed he believed in being that he was a Roman Catholic) teaches that Christ is Himself God. He wasnt hearing it.

As his co-workers urged him to get back to work, I urged him one last time to make sure he was believing in the right Jesus. The Bible makes it clear that if you don't have the Son, you dont have the Father. Then we said our good-byes and I moved forward to the second window to pick up my McGriddle. Who knows? Maybe now he'll go home and crack open his Bible and see the truth of who Jesus really is?! Remember, it isnt our job to convert the sinner's heart, it is to point them toward the Savior. I pray to God that He will open that guy's understanding and lead him safely into the arms of the true Jesus of the Bible, the Lord of the universe. This would not have happened if I didn't carry tracts in my car!

Drive-by Tracting

2006-07-06T15:35:00.000-04:00

It was my turn to get lunch for the guys and as I was leaving the deli and walking to my car I couldnt help but notice some cars with their windows open just calling
for me to tract them. Hmmm, what to do? I mean, the last thing I need is to look suspicious by someones open car window. I reasoned to myself that I had the perfect tract for someone to mysteriously find in their car seat, how could I pass this up? "Just do it Adiel!" I said to myself. So I rush over there and slide some tracts into their drivers side seats and then immediately get into my car and start pulling away when... I see a man stepping out of the deli screaming something at me. I thought, "Great! I got caught! Now what?!" He runs over to my car yelling for me to stop as Im trying to leave the parking lot and catches up to me. "Here we go", I thought. I opened my car window and the man says to me, "Hey man you left your food on top of the car!" Ha!

The Coming Day of Judgment

2006-03-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

God [has] appointed a Day in which He will judge the world, and we sigh and cry until it shall end the reign of wickedness, and give rest to the oppressed. Brethren, we must preach the coming of the Lord, and preach it somewhat more than we have done; because it is the driving power of the gospel. Too many have kept back these truths, and thus the bone has been taken out of the arm of the gospel. Its point has been broken; its edge has been blunted. The doctrine of judgment to come is the power by which men are to be aroused. There is another life; the Lord will come a second time; judgment will arrive; the wrath of God will be revealed. Where this is not preached, I am bold to say the gospel is not preached. It is absolutely necessary to the preaching of the gospel of Christ that men be warned as to what will happen if they continue in their sins. Ho, ho sir surgeon, you are too delicate to tell the man that he is ill! You hope to heal the sick without their knowing it. You therefore flatter them; and what happens? They laugh at you; they dance upon their own graves. At last they die! Your delicacy is cruelty; your flatteries are poisons; you are a murderer. Shall we keep men in a fool’s paradise? Shall we lull them into soft slumbers from which they will awake in hell? Are we to become helpers of their damnation by our smooth speeches? In the name of God we will not.

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Say Cheese

2006-03-24T01:14:00.000-05:00

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 1 Thessalonians 3:10

The Lord has blessed me with a job. Thank God. I needed it so bad. Its been so long since I have worked. And its something that Im kinda interested in so lets see how it works out! Whats the new job? You guessed it: Photographer! Whoda thunk it?! Whats He preparing me for now? Stay tuned to find out.

EDIT: After just 1 day of training at the Photographer job, the Lord graciously opened up a new door of employment for me. A friend of mine, Ken, offered me a job at his father's company. For 3 months now, I have been working as an engineer at a telecom. Ha! Whoda thunk it?!

Show Me a Sign!

2006-03-24T01:08:00.000-05:00

Too Chicken to Share Your Faith?

2006-03-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

Too chicken to go out into the streets and strike up a conversation with a total stranger about their eternal destiny? What about just giving them a Gospel tract? Its easy, you just smile and say, "Hey, did you get one of these?" Well, how about this: Are you brave enough to talk to someone online about their need for a Savior? Come on, you can do it! Its easy! Myspace has millions of members who know nothing of the Lord... you can make a page proclaiming the Gospel and then just start adding friends to share with!

This guy "randomly" IM's me asking me who I am because I "somehow" got on his buddy list... (note: the conversation is edited for length)

its ADieL: Do you mind my asking... What do you think happens when someone dies?
Skater Pat: Well... I think we get reincarnated.
its ADieL: Really? So how does that work?
Skater Pat: We die; our souls go to new life.
its ADieL: As a new person born into the world all over again?
Skater Pat: Well, depending on how good of a person you were in your former life.
its ADieL: So u mean there are levels depending on how good you were?
Skater Pat: Well sure
its ADieL: Thats interesting.
Skater Pat: Just like Christians judge whether or not you were good enough to go to heaven or hell.
its ADieL: So how did u arrive at that conclusion?
Skater Pat: I think a lot about it.
its ADieL: But i mean like... what convinced that thats what actually happens?
Skater Pat: It's just a theory. I don't know what happens, nobody knows.
its ADieL: So let me ask you this, would you consider yourself a good person?
Skater Pat: Sure.
its ADieL: By what standard?
Skater Pat: I havent killed anyone. By my standards.
its ADieL: Im going to ask you a few questions to see if thats true. (I opened up God's Law like Jesus did in Mark 10:17-22 to bring him the knowledge of sin. He admitted to breaking many of the commandments.)
its ADieL: If God were to judge you by that standard, would you be innocent or guilty?
Skater Pat: Well by a Christian standpoint I'd be guilty.
Skater Pat: But how do I know that God even exists?
Skater Pat: I know faith is a big part of Christianity. I know, I grew up with it.
its ADieL: Well, I dont think believing in God requires faith... I think relating to him requires faith but not believing in him.
Skater Pat: Right... so are you Christian?
its ADieL: Dont u think that creation proves that there is a Creator?
its ADieL: Yeah, I am.
Skater Pat: That's good.
its ADieL: Heres the thing Pat, and I would love your opinion on it...
Skater Pat: Add me as your friend on myspace... OK
its ADieL: I will in a sec, OK
its ADieL: But heres the thing...
Skater Pat: K
its ADieL: If there is a God who is good and cares about justice and youre found guilty of breaking his laws; would you go to heaven or hell?
Skater Pat: Hell. Most definately.
its ADieL: Yeah, and thats exactly what the Bible says. God says that no adulterers or thieves will go to heaven and that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.
its ADieL: Thats horrible. Doesnt that concern you?
Skater Pat: I don't think about it.
its ADieL: Yeah its something that most people, including me at one point, would rather not think about cause its scary and very sobering. But isnt it true that you might die tonight? (God forbid)
Skater Pat: I know.
its ADieL: So if you died tonight you would go to hell for sinning against a holy God, thats horrible bro.
its ADieL: OK, so u said you grew up Christian, tell me... What must a person do to get right with God?
Skater Pat: Ask for forgiveness.
its ADieL: And what else?
Skater Pat: Pray to him.
its ADieL: Hmmm, think of it like this...
Skater Pat: K
its ADieL: Imagine if you stood before a judge, guilty of breaking some serious laws, and the law demands that you pay a $500,000 fine. So you look at the judge and say "Im sorry and I will be good from now on." Will that judge let you go?
Skater Pat: Well God is forgiving. Jesus died for our sins right?
its ADieL: Oh, OK. Now youre saying something new. Its like this...
Skater Pat: If God wanted us to be perfect there would be no sins? I just don't understand bro.
its ADieL: A good judge will not let a guilty criminal go just because he is sorry. Of course he should be sorry, he broke the law. But if someone pays the criminals fine, then the judge can let him go because justice was served. Does that make sense?
Skater Pat: I understand.
its ADieL: 2,000 years ago Jesus, God Himself, died on the cross to pay your fine.
Skater Pat: Yep.
its ADieL: 3 days later He rose from the dead.
Skater Pat: OK.
its ADieL: So this is what we know: God is holy and good and will punish lawbreakers... but He would rather give them mercy, so He died in their place to provide them a way to be forgiven. Here is the most important question of all...
Skater Pat: OK
its ADieL: How do u access this forgiveness? Do you know how?
Skater Pat: You accept Christ into your heart and believe that he died for our sins... right?
its ADieL: Thats part of it, you must also "repent".
Skater Pat: Repent
its ADieL: Which means... dont just confess your sins to God; but confess and forsake them.
Skater Pat: I do every night when I pray to him...
its ADieL: And then dont just believe in Jesus; but trust Him with all your heart. In other words, come to the end of yourself and your sinful ways and throw yourself at Gods mercy trusting only His death on the cross for your forgiveness.
Skater Pat: I see what you're saying.
its ADieL: If you do that, God says that He will forgive all your sins once and for all and give you His Spirit to guide you in your new life.
Skater Pat: 8-)
its ADieL: Its called being "born again". Jesus said that unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Pretty awesome offer right?
Skater Pat: Def
its ADieL: And then when you die and face Him you will go to heaven; not because you were a good person, but because u were a bad person that was forgiven by God Himself. Does all this make sense to you?
Skater Pat: Plenty sense.
its ADieL: So tell me, what on Gods green earth is preventing you from repenting and surrendering your life to Him right now?
Skater Pat: Faith.
its ADieL: What do you mean by that?
Skater Pat: These past years I've questioned my faith in God. I just don't believe as much as I used to.
its ADieL: Did u know that prophecy proves the Bible?
Skater Pat: What?
its ADieL: Thousands of things written in advance being fulfilled. Heres an example, who do you think this is talking about?

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Skater Pat: He's talking about us and our sins.
its ADieL: But what person in history is this talking about?
Skater Pat: Jesus.
its ADieL: Are you convinced that its him?
Skater Pat: Yes, that's him.
its ADieL: Its pretty much an eyewitness account right? Very specifically detailed. Here is the catch... You ready?
Skater Pat: Yes sir.
its ADieL: That was written by the prophet Isaiah over 700 years before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.
Skater Pat: So his death was forseen?
its ADieL: Yeah. Not just that; His whole life. Wanna see another one?
Skater Pat: Cool. Sure.
its ADieL:

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Skater Pat: Jesus.
its ADieL: Yes... What about this one written by King David, Psalm 22, written 800 years before Jesus:

For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

Skater Pat: Wow!
its ADieL: It is really real. But the best way to know is by being born again. God promises to give you His Holy Spirit as proof. You'll actually know when you pass from darkness to light, from death to life.
Skater Pat: I see.
its ADieL: So we talked about alot. I say you should just contemplate on this bro. Think about ur sins, not thanking God for everything He gave you, lying, stealing, lusting, loving other things more than the one who gave you life, etc, think about what God says your sins deserve, hell, and then think about your God dying on the cross to save you. He demonstrated His love for you by dying for you to save you. The thought of this will break your heart and cause you to call out to Him in repentance and faith and He will save you.
Skater Pat: Well Adiel, I appreciate everything man and I def will think about this. Trust me, it's been on my mind. I just need a push into the right direction and I think talking to u was no accident.
its ADieL: It definitely wasnt an accident.
Skater Pat: God wanted you to talk to me about him.
its ADieL: God knows what He is doing.
Skater Pat: So thanks man.
its ADieL: Yeah bro, youre very welcome and I will be praying for you.
Skater Pat: Thanks man... Ttyl
its ADieL: See ya.

Examine Yourself

2006-03-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" Matthew 7:21-23

This has got to be one of the most frightening portions of Scripture. Notice how these are people who profess to be Christians yet their fruits reveal otherwise. These people thought they were children of God even while doing the deeds of their father... the devil. How is your Christian walk? Remember, you can fool your family, your friends, and even yourelf; but you can't fool God. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Better now, while there is still time, than in that dreadful day. So what are you waiting for? Examine Yourself.

Jehovah's Witness

2006-03-18T12:06:00.000-05:00

Woke up early today and while surfing the net I hear my doorbell ringing. Who could it be so early on a Saturday morning? You guessed it... Jehovah's Witnesses! Here weee gooooo...

So I opened the door to receive two men in suits that want to hand me some Watch Tower literature. I invited them in but they said they were in a hurry. (Turns out they spoke to some of the people in my family before and I guess they already knew we were Christians) Anyway so I started asking them questions to see, from their point of view, what it is exactly that they believe. I asked, "So what must I do to be made right with God?" They told me that it required much in depth study of the Bible and trying to obey what it says. So then I asked them if they had "studied enough and done enough good to already be right with Him?" They said that they are trying. Well actually it was just one guy that was talking to me. So he said that he was trying. I asked him if he was a good person and he said that he wasnt perfect... that noone is (I agree). So then I took him through the Law and asked him if he would be innocent or guilty should God judge him by those Commandments. He told me that "God forgives." I was like, "Great! So tell me what I must do to be forgiven because I too have broken the Laws and Im worried about my eternal destiny!" He couldnt tell me! He said that he asked God for forgiveness and is now trying to do the right thing by speaking to people like Paul did. I explained to him how a "good" judge will not let a guilty murderer go free just because he asked for forgiveness and promised to stop killing. The trainee Jehovah's Witness agreed, his name is Juan. I also reminded them that nowhere in Scripture does God promise us even one more minute of life... So it came down to me asking him, with much love and concern, "Friend, so what are you bringing me? You guys are just like me, we have broken those Laws and the Bible says that the wrath of God abides upon us. If you were to die today you would be found guilty and suffer Gods punishment as would I. Please tell me what I must do to be saved! Dont just leave me here on my way to hell! When Paul went from town to town bringing the word of God did he just leave people on their way to hell and suggest they study?" (No! This is what he did---> Acts 20:20-21) They said they didnt know but would come back; so we scheduled a meeting for early next Saturday. Please pray for them!! Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin and the judgment to come. Their names are Juan and I forgot the other one's name.

By the way, here is an interesting sermon on how to deal with Jehovah's Witnesses---> click here

Mom and Teen

2006-03-17T20:22:00.000-05:00

Had some interesting encounters today. Here are a couple:

After passing out a couple Million Dollar bills I see a lady telling her kid to pick one up from the floor. (I dont know if someone threw it out or dropped it... it was pretty cold and kind of windy) So I informed her that I was the one passing them out and joked that they are indeed not real but were instead gospel tracts. Then I asked her what she thought happens when someone dies. She said she didnt know, that she thought maybe heaven. So I asked her if she considered herself a good person. She said, "I dont have to go to church to be a good person. Even though I dont go I still do good and pray to myself." I joked "You pray to yourself?" She said, "Oh. No, I pray by myself at home." So I asked her if she kept the Ten Commandments and walked her through some of them. She admitted that she was a lying, thieving, murderer at heart and that she would be guilty on Judgment Day but that she still thought she would go to heaven. While reasoning with her about how a good judge must punish guilty lawbreakers, I asked her if she thought God was good. She said that God was good but also did evil. So I gently pointed out to her that if thats her idea of God that she was guilty of violating the 2nd Commandment, she had formed her own version of God. The Holy Spirit was really working on her heart because at that point she stopped justifying herself and realized that she was headed for hell. (Romans 3:19) I asked her if this was something that concerned her and she said it was. I asked if her if she knew how to get right with God and she said, "No, wont you please tell me?" So I told her that was the reason I came to her, to tell her the Good News! I explained to her how God became a Man, Jesus Christ, and died on the Cross in her place. That even though she broke God's Law, Jesus paid her fine... and that 3 days later, He rose from the dead. Then I told her to repent of all her sins and put her trust in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and that He would forgive all her sins once and for all and grant her everlasting life. She thanked me for talking to her and told me that no one had ever explained to her why it was that Jesus died on the Cross. I offered her a New Testament but she said that she had a Bible at home and was going straight there to read it. Amen! Please pray for her!

I also got the chance to speak to a bunch of teenagers. One of them sticks out: After walking him through the Commandments I saw that he was really convicted. He realized that he was headed for hell and needed God's forgiveness so I shared the Good News of Jesus Christ dying for his sins and wanting to save him. After explaining to him that he must be born again and asking him if he understood what that meant... I asked him, "So whats stopping you from repenting and receiving Christ right now?" He said, "My friends." His other friend said "Society." So I told them that Jesus said that if your eye causes you to sin, to pluck it out and cast it from you because its better to go to heaven half-blind than to go to hell with both eyes (Matthew 18:9) and asked him, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" (Matthew 16:26) Then I reminded them that they might die tonight and if they died in their sins they would end up in hell. He was very convicted and seemed on the verge of tears so I pleaded with him to repent and receive Christ in the privacy of his own heart or to lock himself in his room when he got home and get right with God tonight. May the Lord grant him repentance and draw him towards Himself! Please pray for this kid!

I also got the opportunity to meet up with another Christian. We fellowshipped for about 15 minutes. I encouraged him to seek and save the lost and exhorted him to do so soon because there is only a certain amount time.

Kirk and Ray on ABC's Nightline

2006-03-17T17:15:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited about Ray and Kirk's interview on Nightline tonight. Millions of people will hopefully hear the biblical gospel for the first time or maybe be lead to the Way of the Master site and take the Good Person Test. The segment featuring the ministry is scheduled to air tonight Friday, March 17 at 11:35 pm PST. Please note that Nightline may come on earlier or later in your time zone. Check your local listings. (To check local listings online you can visit AOL Television Listing pages, select your area, and then type in "Nightline" in the search box. From there you should easily be able to see when Nightline comes on in your time zone.) Please pray for this!

Edit: Here is the video of the full interview. I thought it was great. Tell me what you think of it. Click here to watch the interview.

Gambler and Jose the Sanitation Worker

2006-03-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

These encounters took place on Oct 29, 2005:

My Professor gave us a 15 min break today... so I hit up the NYC streets! These were my two encounters.

First: A gambler. I took him through the Law and he confessed to being a lying, thieving, blasphemous adulterer at heart. He said that he would be guilty on Judgement Day but still believed he would go to Heaven as long as he repented before he died. I put him in the court room amd showed him that repentance wasnt enough... he still had a "fine" to pay. ("For the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23a) He didnt know the way of salvation so I explained to him about Jesus and what He did on the cross. I told him that he needed to not only repent but to put his trust in the Savior. He told me it made sense to him. Basically, it came down to him saying something like, "But if I do that then I cant do this (in reference to betting on horse races or something!)" So I told him that by not getting right with God he was making the ultimate gamble; spending eternity in hell. Pray for him.

Second: I approached Jose, a sanitation worker, with the "Million Dollar Question"... an IQ Test. He got it wrong but found it pretty funny. So then I gave him another chance at the Million Dollar bill... but this one is called the "GoodPersonTest." He said that he did in fact consider himself a good person so I asked him if I could ask him a few questions to see if he really is. I informed him that I would be asking him about the Ten Commandments to which he replied by naming the ones he knew, "Dont lie, Dont kill, Keep God first." So I told him, "Those are great, have you kept them? Lets see... have you lied?" He confessed that he did and was in fact a liar. I told him that God saw hatred as murder to which he also confessed to having been guilty of. And finally I informed him that he obviously hadnt kept God first if he was going around breaking His commandments!

He said that he felt he would be guilty on Judgement Day but... that God forgives. So I put him in the courtroom. He quickly saw that he would be guilty and a good judge would have to punish him, so he confessed that he was headed for hell, a fact which greatly concerned him. So I asked him if he knew what God did for him so he wouldnt have to go to hell... He responded, "He gave me life, and a son?" I told him that God was indeed great for giving us life and other good things, but then we went ahead and sinned against Him... I told him that God had provided a way for us to be made right with Him.

I shared the Good News with him. He said that he had accepted Jesus when he was young but wasnt living for him, but I could see that he was visibly shaken with tears welling up...a little.. So I told him that salvation isnt something you want to play around with, its something you dont want to be wrong about so I suggested he should "rededicate" his life to the Lord.

And he did! He prayed right there! He asked God for forgiveness, asked Jesus to save him, and told Him that he didnt want to live for himself anymore, and instead wanted to live for Him from now on! Then I prayed with him and gave him a Save Yourself Some Pain booklet and a Gospel of John and suggested the he find a Christ-centered Bible believing church to attend.

Then... back to class.

The heavens declare the glory of God

2006-03-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

(AP) -- By the faint cosmic glow of the oldest known light, physicists say they have found evidence that the universe grew to astounding proportions in less than the blink of an eye. In that trillionth of a second after the big bang, the universe expanded from the size of a marble to a volume larger than all of observable space... From The Big Bang's 'smoking gun'- CNN.com

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old... Professing to be wise, they became fools... Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Genesis 1:1, 2Peter 3:5a, Romans 1:22a,25)

My Story

2006-03-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

Work in progress...

Even though I went to Church since I was a kid, I "backslid" tremendously when I went to college. Nowadays, I dont even believe there is such a thing as "backsliding". I am becoming more and more convinced that I was actually a false convert my whole life! I dont think a true Christian can "backslide" the way I did. Surely I was one of those "believers" Jesus mentioned in Matthew 7:21-23. Anyway, once I reached college, slowly but surely I grew further and further away from the Lord. Before I knew it He was in none of my thoughts. For years, I completely turned my back on Him. I practiced all sorts of sin-- lying, stealing, blasphemy, drunkeness, adultery (Matthew 5:27-28) etc-- with little to no remorse. I foolishly enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season. I lived contrary to God in every which way never really questioning my "salvation"! At one point I didnt even care what happens after you die and wasnt totally convinced in the whole concept of heaven and hell etc. (In college you get bombarded with the religion of evolution)

Thanks be to God, I went through some bad times in my life which had me questioning everything. Life just didnt make sense to me. I just couldnt see the point. I became extremely depressed with my wasteful, meaningless, random existence. So the tough times coupled with the meaningless that life had become plus some health problems I was having finally drove me to the edge. I was losing it. I became bitter and mad at the world. I became convinced that I would soon die and kind of even welcomed it. It was at this point, when I hit rock bottom, that as my last resort I turned to God and called out to Him for help. He was my only hope. While reading the Bible and calling out to Him with all my heart...

God gave me a glimpse of who He is. I encountered the living God. I mean, I always pretty much believed He was real (creation proves a Creator... DUH!) but I guess I didnt know He was real real. I didnt know I could actually know Him. One glimpse of Him and I was overcome by an overwhelming sense, almost to the point of death, of my own sinfulness. God revealed to me who I truly was, which made me feel utterly disgusted with myself. I was an enemy of God who had betrayed and commited spiritual adultery against my Creator. My own conscience agreed with God in that the just punishment for my crimes would be hell. How could I escape condemnation? This is when Jesus' death on the Cross for the first time truly made sense to me. God, who dwells in unapproachable light, came in the flesh and lived on this very earth as a Human. He ate, slept, walked, and talked just as you and I, except without sin. Then He took it upon Himself to take my place and suffer my due punishment. He took my condemnation upon Himself by dying on the Cross and shedding His blood, which is what the Law called for, in order to bring me back to Himself. Then He rose from the dead thus defeating death. What an amazing God!

Well, this just made me feel even worse. God was far more loving, kind, merciful and gracious than I ever thought possible. Not only was He willing to forgive me, but He died to forgive me. What?! This was the awesome God that I had turned my back on and whose sacrifice I had trampled underfoot. You see, I had known about Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sins since I was a kid. I even believed it. But now thinking back, I dont think I had ever looked at it as if it applied to me personally. I always believed that I needed a Savior because I was a sinner by default like everyone else. I believed it and accepted it. Yet, I willingly turned on Him and did horrible unspeakable things against Him. Could He/would He take me back? I felt unforgivable. I agonized over my rebellion for days. Woke up early one morning, got up, opened my Bible and God spoke to me. I read the story of the prodigal son with tears in my eyes. That was when it clicked. It all made sense. I, Adiel, was myself a guilty sinner who had openly betrayed my Creator. God would have been completely right in sending me straight to hell yet He chose to give me mercy instead.

This whole process happened during a period of a couple of weeks. Every day I would confess my sins one by one and utterly forsake them yet it was this particular morning when I knew that God had not only forgiven me but He did it with open arms and overwhelming love. Jesus didnt just die to save sinners... He died to save me... the chief of sinners. It was my sins that put Him on that Cross. So for that reason,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I was born again. I knew that I had passed from death to life. I had passed from the realm of belief into the realm of experience. The Lord heard my prayer, forgave my sins, and gave me the promise of His Holy Spirit. I've been rejoicing in my God ever since.

Immediately after the Lord so graciously saved me I began sharing my faith. How could I keep my mouth shut about my encounter with the living God of the Universe? As soon as I knew that the Bible was indeed true and I had just inherited eternal life... I realized that all my friends were condemned to eternal death. So I went around eagerly telling all my friends about how prophecy proves the Bible, how God chose Abraham and made a nation out of him in order to prepare the way for Jesus, how the universe is so intricately complex that it screams out design etc. I was so sure that they would drop to their knees in repentace and faith towards God but instead I was received with the condescendingly frustrating line of all lines, "Im glad you found something that works for you." Aghhh! I seriously felt like I was in the Twilight Zone!

A couple of months later the Lord lead me to the Way of the Master. The Way of the Master is a ministry which equips Christians to share their faith simply, effectively, and biblically... the way Jesus did. Thats when I heard Hell's Best Kept Secret and was absolutely blown away. With that teaching the Lord equipped me and now has me proclaiming the good news to anyone who will listen.

Thank you Lord for your great love and amazing kindness. You alone are worthy to be praised! Thank you.

Hell's Best Kept Secret

2006-03-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

Why do 80-90% of those making a decision for Christ fall away from the faith? What is the principle that Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, etc., used to reach the lost? Why has the Church neglected it? Don't let anything stop you from listening to this incredible teaching.

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