Sibling Rivalry: the FANchise!

I wasn’t going to do this, but Caleb forced my hand. I’ll explain.

My older brother Caleb and I are fantasy football freaks, as it were, and have recently been introduced to a new concept of fantasy football; a new concept of sports actually. A few former NFL players and some networking moguls decided to purchase an arena football team and then give it back to the people. What that means, is that the fans will control the team. Excited yet? Wait- there’s more. The fans will decide everything, the city the team is from, the team name, logo, mascot, coach, players, even down to the plays called in the games! Wow! What an oprotunity. What an idea!

The team will officially launch next season in 2017, but now, the owners of this team are building a franchise of fans,(hence FANchise). By sharing the website url and getting people to sign up, the owners are building a huge fan base already. But, there is still more. The top 100 fans, (the ones who have occupy later the most points, which are earned by sharing and reffering the website to others), will be given rewards, (eg: autographed merchandise, tickets, 2x voting power, etc…), the highest reward goes to first place, to whom is given a position on the advisory board!

This is a new and brilliant concept for sports. Giving the fans what they want, but also getting them involved in the game on a new level. How can a few marketing geniuses and two or three Pro Bowlers gather this much support and get this many people behind a common cause, and the Church of God cannot. Maybe we’re just thinking wrong, maybe we need to start changing the way people think about God, like these people are changing the way people think about sports. Just a thought…

Anyway, Caleb and I have been vying for the top spots in this FANchise competition and I saw that he posted it on his blog… Well, I couldn’t let that pass without at least letting you know about it. Really though, it is a great opportunity to make a difference in the sports industry. At least to get your foot in the door, build relationships, and show the love of Christ to a whole new world. Anyway, it’s fun, and I’d like to ask you all to help me out.

You can help by signing up for a free account with your name and email address. 

Click the following link to visit the site: FANchise.com

The site will send you a confirmation email, and when you click on the link, we both get points. Even if you’re not into this kind of thing, if you sign up, I get points. Remember, whatever you do, even if it’s fantasy football, do all to the glory of God. Find chances to reach others for Christ.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

To Those Who Fear Death

There are many kinds of fears we can feel at the thought of death. Sure, there are many ways to die, and everyone eventually will die; but there are different reasons that people fear death.

There are some people who fear death because they fear what comes after. There are some who fear death because they don’t want to leave the earth yet. There are those who fear death because they are afraid for others who may never hear of God’s love if they aren’t there to tell them. If you don’t fear death for yourself, or for others, you are secure in your salvation, your eternity is certain, but you believe God saved just you. God didn’t save you to sit. God saved you to share. Some Christian are doing nothing for the kingdom, they don’t fear death because neither life nor death will matter to them…

Let me tell you something: if you don’t fear death, some Christians wish God would just give it to you. If you aren’t actively serving Christ with your life, you may be saved, but you are not a Christian.

Christian means “Christ-like”, or “little Christ”. To be a Christian is to be like Christ. If you claim to be a Christian, but are not afraid for people who will spend eternity in Hell if someone doesn’t tell them the gospel, you are not like Christ. Saved is what you are, Christian is what you do. Christianity is an occupation, not just a designation. 

Be like Christ. Fear death for others, but not for yourself. Be secure in who you are, but fear death for a lost world.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

MRM: Gifted Hands

Today it is Movie Review Monday, and we’re going to take a look at the worldview behind the movie Gifted Hands.

Gifted Hands is the Ben Carson story; the story of his life, from the hard life of a young boy in a single parent home just making it by, to the most renowned neurosurgeon in the world.

The Worldview:

Ben Carson had a hard childhood, and the movie uses that fact to push his character to the man he eventually became. 

The movie has his past influencing his future. A TV game show is his incentive for learning and he doesn’t like being made fun of in school. The motives are selfish. He doesn’t learn because he wants to help people. He learns all he can so he won’t feel like a loser and won’t disappoint his mother.

Carson falls into the wrong crowd. He develops anger issues, a short temper, and a pride that gets him into trouble. This drives him so far that he nearly knifes a kid. Then, there is a turning point in the film where he breaks. Everything he had done up to that point had brought him to a brokenness. He recognizes God without naming him, and asks him to take away the pride and the anger.

What it Should be:

Credit for the transformation in young Carson was offered to God, but not attributed to God. Carson’s motives for learning to become a neurosurgeon seem to be entirely selfish. He wants to see and experience the magic of the brain and its intricacies. Carson, even after his change, as miraculous as it was, is still not living for the glory of God. He lives as a Christian, upright, cheerful, offering prayers and thanks to God in his life. He even says once, in anticipation of the biggest operation of his lifetime, that he prays every day.

Summary:

I was grossed out by the surgery scenes during the last 30 minutes of the movie, and actually commenced to writing my thoughts down during such scenes to divert my eyes. It’s amazing what surgeons do and what Dr. Carson has done… But, I just don’t want to have to see it. God created the most amazing thing when he created the human body, specifically the brain. He is amazing, and though they speak of the awesomeness of the brain, they lack to speak of the awesomeness of the one who created the brain. God is the great physician, and the gifted hands of Dr. Carson were formed by Him. 

The movie is great, and Cuba Gooding Jr. was stupendous! Though it’s not my favorite genre or style of movie to watch, I enjoyed it, because it was driven by a story, not just a character. I enjoyed it because it had a strong message, I just think it had an incorrect motive.

The purpose of this film was to encourage people to live beyond social expectations and exceed the marks set for them. But what good is an exemplary life if it is not lived for Christ. The story was good, but the glory was God’s, and this movie robbed some of God’s glory by giving credit to Carson for the miracles his gifted hands wrought.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist 

Missions Update

This is the first unit of Hope Children’s Village, an orphanage in Uganda, Africa. Our ministry has been partnering with Ugandan nationals to do great things for God in Uganda. You can learn more about my family’s mission work in Uganda, and about the country itself at our new website that I helped build: www.buildingwithhope.com

The pastor whom we work with in Uganda, his name is Sam, was in a very serious motorcycle accident yesterday. Sam was driving on his motorcycle and another man, whom witnesses say was trying to show off for his girlfriend, hit Sam’s cycle with the one he was driving. Now, at this point, no one was seriously hurt, but the two men were sitting on their cycles and things were getting heated between them. Then, from nowhere, another motorcycle crashed into both of them.

The last we knew, Sam was unconscious and taken to a hospital nearby. The hospital said that he may have broken ribs, a possible concussion of some kind, and a broken wrist. He also may have some internal bleeding in his head. However, this hospital didn’t have an X-Ray machine or a CT scanner. While Sam was at the hospital, his wife, Ruth called our missionaries on the field there in Uganda, the Sutton Family, and they immediately went to be with Sam at the hospital.

Since that hospital didn’t have the proper equipment to help Sam the Suttons drove him to a hospital that did. But the power wasn’t working at that hospital, and they didn’t have a generator to power their X-Ray machine or CT scanner. So, the Suttons drove Sam back to the other hospital, which did have a generator, but just didn’t have any of the proper equipment. Currently, they’re waiting for the power to return, and the hospital with the generator is keeping Sam stable.

Mom did get an email from Sam yesterday afternoon, so he is conscious, he thinks he has broken ribs, he says his head hurts, and his left wrist hurts as well. The situation isn’t good, but it could be worse. Keep Sam in your prayers as you pray for the ministry work going on in Uganda, Africa.

You can find out more about the Suttons and their ministry in Uganda at www.suttonsonmission.org and you can follow our ministry page on Facebook for more updates on Sam.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

The Response to the Savior

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 

And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 

Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

–John 1:40-46

Observe how these disciples react to the funding of Christ. Andrew heard of Him by the testimony of John the Baptist and followed Jesus, because John shared the truth of Christ with him. When Andrew, a follower of John the Baptist heard and followed the Master, he immediately goes to share the truth of Christ with his brother Simon. The next day Jesus seeks out Phillip and calls him to follow Him. Phillip does, and after discovering the Master, he immediately seeks out his brother, Nathaniel.

The reaction to Christ in the first disciples, is a direct and impossible urge to share Christ with others. When Christ comes in contact with your life, it affects everything and must be shared with others. One of the evidences of being a true disciple of Christ is an irrepressible urge to share the truth of Christ with everyone. It’s a simple invitation that Phillip gives. It’s not the invitation to go to church, to become a Christian, or to join a Bible study: the invitation is to come and see. That’s it, just come and see that it is true. 

Share the truth of Christ with others today.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist 

How to Build a Bus! – episode 3

So, this was the bus when we came to Freedom Mission, (I told you about Freedom in the last post). 
     

Not only are lives changed at Freedom Mission, but everything those lives touch is changed as well. Below is a picture of the bus after Freedom; and in just 4 days, look what God…and a little elbow grease has done. 

  

The base floor is completely finished, the wall have been put in as well as the middle section of the ceiling. Not only inside, but there was much accomplished on the outside as well.

It’s amazing what God can do with willing hearts and skilled hands. These guys are awesome! A missionary friend of ours had the brilliant suggestion that the guys who helped build the bus sign the floor they put in. Now, even if it’s covered over, these guys and their work will always be with us wherever we go. Freedom will always be a part of that bus. The bus was signed by the hands of the master builders just as it was given the stamp of approval from The Master Builder himself.

Even Bro. Wayne left his mark on our bus, much in the same way he has left his mark on our lives.  The progress made at Freedom is a blessing to my family and our ministry. It was great working with the guys of Freedom, and so much was accomplished during our time there. I pray God blesses those men for their investment into His work, and that He blesses the ministry of Freedom to help more men and women find their way to Him.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist 

Freedom

Freedom Baptist Church, (or Freedom Mission), is a Christian rehabilitation center for recovering addicts. Freedom Mission is located in Logansport, LA and run by a man named Wayne Jones. Bro. Wayne, as we call him, is the southern, grandfatherly type, but he was also once a pretty bad dude like the guys and gals who come through the mission. He can relate to them, but more importantly, he knows how to handle them and how they think; he is the best person to help them mend their ways and he is a powerful man of God.
Every year in March, Freedom has revival for 4 days. For the past 19 years my family has been coming to sing at this revival and partner with the ministry of Bill Britt. Bro. Bill is an evangelist who has been preaching revivals at Freedom almost as many years as we have been singing them. It’s always a powerful and spiritual time for our family, that’s why we keep coming back. Freedom is one of our favorite places to be; and though it is not a gold mine of money for us, we are always taken care of.
Bro. Wayne found the cure for his life, the only thing that could set him straight: the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. He is now giving that to the folks at Freedom. Before every meal at Freedom Mission, and even when our family and Bro. Bill go out to eat with Bro. Wayne, everyone has to say a Bible verse before they eat. It’s a tradition, and it’s a constant practice at Freedom Mission. Even if there are those who only ever say “Jesus wept” every time, they are still hearing and speaking the Word of God everyday, at least three times a day.
Freedom’s Bible Conference, (which is what they call the revival), is a time of invigoration for my family. All year long we are the ministers, allowing God to use us to provide a blessing to others. At Bible Conference we are ministered to. 

It’s a refreshing and revitalizing time. It’s a place where we get the opportunity to really change lives and see lives changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I’ll tell you this: you will never find nicer, more sweet-spirited people than those at Freedom Mission who are in the program because they want to be.
Some of them are there because it was a choice between Freedom and prison. Some are there because their family sent them there, and some are there because the truly want help… They want freedom, and they find it here. No one pays a dime to be at Freedom, and they work to earn their keep: in the garden, on the upkeep of the Mission, and doing odd jobs for Bro. Wayne and other. Freedom survives on the donations and support of local churches and businesses.

It’s a blessing to know that we can find Freedom from this life and its snares and addictions. Freedom in Christ. Freedom Mission has become a part of our lives. Freedom has become a part of our lives. There was never a more glorious thing to ever be heard or ever be seen, than a life lost in darkness to be set free.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

The Invisible Sin

I’ve heard all of the arguments for and against the topic of homosexuality; and quickly to clarify: I will not use the word “gay”, when referring to this topic because I value the meaning of words, and the word gay has always meant care-free and blissfully ignorant. I’m going to lay before you today why homosexual individuals have nothing to be care-free or blissful about. Why? Because God says its wrong.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
–Leviticus 20:13

It’s not saying here that if two guys sleep in the same bed that they are cursed and damned. It’s saying that if any man, with willful intent to pervert the will of God, undermines the innate role of a man in creation, he is accursed of God for his sin and blasphemy. Blasphemy is telling God that He can’t do something, that He was wrong, or that He is not powerful enough. What is homosexuality besides a malicious assault on God’s power, His plan, and His creation(you).

You might say, “Well the Bible only says don’t lie with them.”. That’s because God assumes we know better by now. He doesn’t back up to the beginning and say “Okay, now I created a man and a woman…”. No. He shouldn’t need to. When you’re in Calculus, your teacher doesn’t back up and say, “Okay everybody, 2 + 2 = 4.” No! We should know that already! God already told us who we are, (male and female), we have identity in our gender, in our innate and unchangeable nature. You can’t change who or what you are, it is physically impossible. God doesn’t have to go back and repeat himself, we should know better. Sodom and Gomorrah burned in fiery brimstone for the perversion of God’s intention for men and woman.

They were born with homosexual tendencies.

I was born naked, screaming, and red all over. Before I could speak, walk, or think rationally, I was a liar, selfish, prideful, and a thief. I took what I wanted, called people to cater to my every want and wish; I was a sinner as a child: born sinful and wicked. Since then, I’ve grown up and moved on. Really people? Are we going to blame God for the fact that we’re sinners! What! We don’t choose the situation into which we are born, but we all are born with one thing in common: we’re sinners. Some may be more apt to fall into the temptation of lust, or theft, or drugs, and some may fall to the lewd perverseness of homosexuality. It’s a sin, a sin that Jesus died for.

I can’t do a post on this if I don’t hit on the most common battleground: Sodom and Gomorrah. What was the sin of the twin cities? Why did God wipe them off the face of the earth?

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
–Ezekiel 16:49-50

Those Christians who are not opposed to the homosexual lifestyle interpret this verse to mean that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were unkind to strangers… Wait, what? Are you kidding me! If that alone was their sin, and for that they could infuriate God to the point of utterly destroying them, then every city in history should have been destroyed. Does God deem unfriendly conduct as worthy of death? No. The verse goes on to say, and some conveniently overlook this: And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Did you notice that this sentence is the start of a new thought? This sentence is not continuing the list of the previous verse. The list is of their iniquity, that led up to the killstroke, the effects of the sin that destroyed them. Starting at the word “and”, God tells us the reason He destroyed the cities: they were haughty(prideful), and committed abomination before God: therefore He took them away as He saw good.

Abomination means something disgusting. If God considers your actions disgusting, they are wicked and in direct contempt and contortion of His perfect creation. Abomination against God is punishable by death and destruction. Homosexuality, to any extent, in any capacity, is sin, wickedness, and abomination before God and man alike. It bears no benefits to humankind and is contrary to the nature of humans. We were created to be, not to become. We are what we are, nothing and no one can change that. We all are sinners.

Every one of us is despicable to God, He cannot even look upon us. Yet, He so loved the world. He so loved you and me, homosexuals, pedophiles, rapists, murderers, slave traders, drug dealers, thieves, liars, fornicators, the angry, the avengers, the prideful, the deceitful, the ungodly… That He gave His only son to die for them all. Sin is sin, and God is God. He loves the sinner, but hates the sin. We can’t do that. We can’t separate the two because we can’t see the person inside. We can’t love sinners, but we can take them to the one who does, He can love them through us.

God alone can change who we are. His change is the only change that will do us any good. We already start evil, we can’t possibly get any better in our own strength, and we can’t become any more a sinner than we are. But, when we were dead in our sins and trespasses, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

As always, thanks for reading.

—the anonymous novelist

What is Our Ending?

We are born, we live, we die. Those are the facts of life. They are absolutes. Even in the rapture, the physical body dies and the mortal transcends the barrier of eternity.

We see the here and now, we live in our present circumstances. We are a piece on the board game of life. We can’t see the end result of our journey, but God can. God orchestrates the movements of men, He sees the end result.

We are humans, made of atoms, born of dust, spirit, soul, and body, doomed to die, doomed to live in death. We exist, we live, we die, what else is there? Nothing… For a sinner, for a human being, death is the ending. We cannot see beyond, we do not know tomorrow, we don’t even know the next second. Our eyes have limits, our mind has limits, we can only see what we can see. 

God: He exists, He is, He was, He will be. Infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, above all, in all, through all, before time, He is. God can see beyond. His eyes are without limits, His mind has no limits. He can see what is to come. The future belongs to the one who sees the ending. What is yours? Where will you end up, what will be the result of your existence?

Here it is, the secret of life: where you are will determine where you will be. What you do now will define who you are, and how you will live out your life. So, live your future now, and your horizon may be glimpsed through the eyes of faith. Trust God with your future and you may find that He gives you a brighter vision, a longer line of sight. When you trust, when you live now, when you look ahead in faith, you can see the prize, the finish line, the ending.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

MRM: Princess Cut

Princess Cut is a relatively new Christian film made by Watchman Films and directed by Paul Munger. The film is centered around the life of Grace, a young Carolina girl in her 20’s who has issues with her “love life”. Grace is the stereotypical, “play the field” kind of girl. She is easily attached to men and is weak-willed against charm and allurement. She takes a few hard knocks and decides to give up the whole “dating thing”, but… She finds that she can’t. Falling prey to the designs of a young coffee bartender, she is again ensnared in an emotional prison.

This story is one that resonates well with young people, but also with some single adults who just haven’t found Mr. or Mrs. Right yet. It’s a story of a girl who longs to be loved, but searches for love in the arms of men. The arms of men may be strong, but you can’t always count on them to be there to catch you; Grace found this out the hard way.

How it Got its Name:

A Princess Cut is a specific cut of diamond used in making jewelry, particularly rings. Princess Cut is the second most popular diamond cut next to the Round Brilliant. In the case of the film, Princess Cut symbolizes the stability and security of marriage for giving your love to someone who will keep it and cherish it. 

The Intended Worldview:

All Grace wanted was to be wanted and feel safe and right before God, her parents, and herself. She trusted in the Princess Cut to give her the peace and security of a love that stays; but she pursued that love in her own way and by her own wisdom. The movie was about trusting your parents with your heart, and pursuing God’s love rather than man’s love. A wedding ring is a worldly symbol of commitment and possession; when you wear a wedding ring it means you belong to the other person and they belong to you until death parts one from the other. At least… That’s what it should mean. 

The Hidden Worldview:

To trust in a wedding ring, to desire that ring above all else, to seek and pursue that ring in our own strength is robbing God of His glory. God has the ultimate chance to bring glory to Himself through providing for us the perfect person to spend our lives with. When we try to bring this perfect plan about on our own, we fail and mess up everything. God’s perfect plan for marriage includes Him being the biggest part of both of the individuals lives; and when they can understand who Love is, they can then show love to each other.

God is love, so why do lovers seek after the world. God is the opposite of the world. God is righteousness the world is sinful, God is just, the world is cruel, God is love, the world is hate. 

Quality:

Okay, so I’m a little biased because I knew so many people in this film, and knew of many others. But, Dan Stibral and Torry Martin were amazing. The comedy angle they brought to the film helped break up the drama and refocus the audience to the point and purpose of the movie. The filmmakers took on a hard topic and one many people struggle with, and they nailed it. Sure, the acting may have been a tad spotty here and there, and the movie may drag a little if you’re not a drama and love story enthusiast: but it’s a great film with a great message. I highly recommend you see it.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist