The History Channel: Contradiction On Cable

The other day I was sitting around watching Cities of the Underworld on the History Channel, a station that I love and hate. On this episode they are looking at the underworld of Jerusalem. Now when it comes to religion, the History Channel is another one of those channels where you’d be wise to get your information somewhere else.
    The thing that is just so ’head scratching’ (I guess that would be a good word) is that they are looking at the underworld here and talking about archeology and all that kind of stuff. (I won’t note the thousands and thousands of archaeological evidence that they and tons of other people, channels, etc ignore when doing archaeological stuff on Biblical subjects....that’s not what this is about). What is amazing is that in the same conversation, the same talk, that they will question the Bible and it’s accuracy, yet at the same time use it as a reference for what they are discussing. And I don’t mean in the sense that "this is what the Bible says," but in the sense, "we know from the Bible that so and so had so and so."
     There’s even the nice line that Meggiddo and the battle of Armageddon is where "Jesus and Satan duke it out." Just so we all know, that is not what happens in Revelation or at the battle of Armageddon.
     This isn’t the only mistake that the History Channel makes when it comes to religion. On another show I watched just the other day, I do believe it was Battles of the Bible, they talk about the military strategies of Biblical battles. One ’battle’ they talk about is between the Egyptians and the Israelites when they left Egypt. (Just so we all know, there was no such battle. There was the Israelites leaving Egypt, guided by God, and the Egyptians chasing after them). Of course in this whole show not one time do they consider the possibility that God was with the Israelites and that there were supernatural forces working  in the midst of the two peoples.
    This just shows what God Himself has told us, the world does not know Him. In everything, they try to naturalize the works of God in whatever outlandish way possible as long  as they can erase the possibility that God is real and helping a people that are known first throughout the world as a people of God.

Bicycling Idiots & My Right To Hit Them

Just last week in Tulsa, there was a woman that was hit and killed while riding her bicycle. On top of that, the man who hit her drove off. Thankfully the cops found before the night was over. I'm sure she was riding in accordance with the law and mean no disrespect to her or anyone else who has been injured or killed while properly riding their bicycle.
   However, in the past few weeks, I have seen more morons riding bicycles than ever before. This morning on the way to work I had an idiot, yes, an idiot decide that the "do not cross" sign meant everyone except him, as he continued down the sidewalk, and across the road where traffic was driving. That traffic was me-followed by many other larger, heavier vehicles.
   Common sense should tell one that in a battle of a 40lbs  vehicle (give or take) and a 2 ton+ vehicle, you don't want to challenge the 2 ton one if your on the 40 lbs one......and an idiot. But then, common sense is lacking in this breed of humanity.
   I do not understand it here. We have sidewalks all over, yet the bicyclist ride on the road. I do not know of any law prohibiting them from riding on the sidewalk. The other day I had to sit behind one such idiot as they thought they could go as fast as a car. Of course they were never proven wrong in a way they would understand-namely a car going faster than them in the same lane, in the same mass of space.
   I used to ride my bike all the time, especially in college. Of all the rules there were, I knew one very well. I'm a bike, you're a car. You win.  

News & Notes From Around The Web

I heard this morning on the local morning show that Ellen Degeneres is going to be the new judge for American Idol. I really don't care, I don't watch the show. If satan was the host then maybe I would care a little more. But then again, maybe he is. It is American IDOL. I kid. I kid.
However, this does make me wonder: If I was a homosexual, could I get a job as a judge on a top rated TV show. I mean, we all know it has nothing to do with her qualifications. And adding a homosexual does make the show a little more gay-friendly-especially since the contestants wait until the show is over to come out of the closet, thus destroying any hope of pulling in the gay demographic for that season.
Honestly though, look at the qualifications. Ellen has been a stand up comedian, had her own comedy show, come out of the closet, destroyed her own show because 'comedies can not survive on gay alone' (don't even bring up Will & Grace), then went on to have a successful daytime talk show. In none of her experience has she sung, been a music producer, started a band, or managed a singing act. But she hasn't missed an episode of the show since it came on. If that's what it takes to get on a show, I want to take Kutner's place on this season's House MD.
Honestly though, if business executives, store managers, sports team higher-ups, or anyone else in the employment field ever hired someone for a job on the same amount of lack of qualifications as American Idol has for Ellen, that person would find themselves looking for a new job. Why? Because the idiocy of hiring someone with no prior experience for something such as a music critique show, reeks of stupidity. Of course, if the only reason they did hire her was because she is gay, to draw the demographic, think of how well that would go over (if it is true). The homosexuals would be offended, well some, for a TV show just trying to 'buy' their viewership, and the rest of the world would be offended as well, or at least should be. It is illegal to fire someone almost solely on the basis of being a homosexual, but it sure is alright to hire one on it.
Elsewhere around the web Hugh Hefner is getting divorced. Didn't see that coming. Studies have actually shown that men who look at pornography alot find their wives, significant other, less attractive no matter how beautiful they are. But then again, any marriage built on sex, and between a 70 year old and a 20, maybe 30 doesn't really seem to stable to begin with. No telling how many people's lives Mr. Hefner has ruined with divorce, molestation, rape (all which studies have proven pornography can be tied to), but hey, at least we can stick it to him by ruining a few marriages.
That's all the time I have now. Next time-something more interesting....hopefully.

Technorati Tags: current affairs, news, gossip, entertainment, idol, hollywood, playboy, hefner, marriage

What I'm Doing At Work

    I just wanted to take a moment and let everyone know what's going on at my work, because I have a pretty good job. If you didn't know, I work at Randall Grier Ministries (www.randallgrier.org) located in Tulsa, Oklahoma (actually Broken Arrow). My job there is Director of Media and Communication. Most recently we just started a facebook page, (which you can be a fan of by searching for us on facebook).
    I am amazed though at the wide array of resources that we have at RGM, a fine example of what any ministry should have honestly. We have weekly podcasts, free study resources-Bible Studies, archival newsletters, various teachings, In Him Scriptures and other scripture references for prayer. We even have special downloads of full and complete messages, as well as specials on products that regularly change.
   But anyway, enough of plugging the site. However, I believe any good ministry needs to include such things, and even more. But we've just started our Facebook page a few weeks ago and have been using facebook for one reason and oen reason alone: To get the Word of God out to people. I know some people have a facebook page to keep connected with friends, family, etc, but we have one for the sole purpose of reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we do all that other stuff, great. But that's not why we're on facebook. We're not there to make money, yet we advertise our specials. We advertise our 'Escape From Hell' book for $5, shipping included, which usually sells for $8, plus shipping. Is it to sell that product? No. It's to get the Word of God out.
     Sometimes ministries forget that's why they're here. Many Christians forget that's why we're here. It's to get the Word of God out. Everything else is secondary. If we could remember that, thinsg would be a lot better. Now I know it takes money to get the Word out, but if we're following God and doing what He has directed us to do, the money will be no problem. 

Remembering The Dead

    Today is the memorial for Michael Jackson. Today many will remember him for all the "good" he's done in the world. By "good" I mean all the times of entertaining he's done. Fans will remember him as a great man, yet not really have known him past the records or CDs they've listened to, the music videos they've watched, or the concerts they've attended. They won't really have known him, just a small piece of joy, happiness, or uplifting, or a good time he's given him.
    At his service, the minister or whoever oversees it will say a few nice things about him. Hopefully they won't, as they say, "preach him into Heaven." But like most memorial services around the world, they'll try in some form or fashion. And like all of his fans around the world, they'll remember the good things he's done, while overlooking with blind joy the bad things. People will forget the allegations of child molestation, the fact that he paid off a little boy to be quiet, or the fact that he thought it was okay to sleep with little boys. People will forget this, mostly not to "tarnish the memory" of the king of pop.
    But the fact will remain, they will ignore the bad, focus on the good, and give fans, friends, family, a biased look at his life. They will ignore it all, as if it didn't happen, and celebrate him as if he was the greatest person in the world. They will ignore that he destroyed lives. He will be "preached into Heaven." But sadly, if his final moments were lived like the rest of his life, the preaching will be the closest he will get. The whole world will ignore the truth: that he caused pain, and that his eternal home is not in the wonderful place they think it is.
    He could be there now however, but if his last few moments were like the rest of his life, doubtful. But the world will not know that, because it prefers a biased, tarnished perspective that is filled with half-truths that are more appealing to their eyes, their ears, their flesh and desires, than the truth that might make them think, and act a little differently than they want to. Than their flesh wants to. And this is life.    

Patience Is No Longer A Virtue

I was driving to work this morning, listening to the radio, and on radio station there played this commercial with the tag: "Don't Wait For Tomorrow With Today Lending." I've been taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, and if you know anything about Dave Ramsey, you know he is the arch-nemesis of debt and borrowing. So, partially my mind was already in this state or frame to focus in one things like this. At the same time, it's also just how I am. But this commercial, this business, is basically saying, "Why wait and save to get something? Have it now."
     Gone are the days when people took pride in what they had because of the sacrifice they put into getting it, not the sacrifice they put into paying it off. We don't realize that in America anymore. And that's truth as Dave Ramsey shows you when you take his classes. Not in the facts and figures of today, but looking at the history of our fathers, our grandfathers, and our great grandfathers--they would sacrifice not to borrow, to pay in full, in cash before they got whatever it is they wanted.   
     The same is true in the church world, our whole society. We are a microwave, we want it now, society. We can't be patient and wait on something.But that's how God is. Look up how much the Bible talks about "waiting on the Lord." In our culture today patience is no longer a virtue, it's an inconvenience. But it's still a virtue with God, it's still a good charter trait with Him, one that all of us need to learn--not just so we can move ourselves a way from the billion dollars of debt we Americans have (put on by ourselves, not the government), but also so we can put ourselves in a position to receive from God and fulfill our purpose in this life. 

The Church Today.....or yesterday actually.

       I went to a different church this past Sunday, not my usual. Actually, it was the church I used to go to, then God told me I needed to go somewhere else. As I went back to visit, I could see why the Lord moved me from that church. I'm not saying anything against this church, just that it's not where God wanted me to be. But I could see why. A wise man once told me there are two kinds of churches--1.) informational churches, and 2.) revelational churches. And you want to go to the revelational churches.
    But this past weekend I didn't. I went to an informational church. As I sat in service, with their guest speaker, apparently someone they approve of, otherwise he would not be given the ear of the entire congregation, I began to wonder if this man, who had good things to say, was even a Christian. Now why do I say that?
    He took the podium around 11:30 and not until 12:00, 12:05 did he quote his single scripture.  And that scripture was expounded on for less than seven minutes, to which he went back to talking on something else, and then closed. In this service though, the majority of what was talked about was what you'd expect at a motivational seminar or something of that sorts. He gave all sorts of statistics and psychological findings and opinions, but not until half an hour into his message did he even bring up the scriptures.
   This is what is wrong with the church today. We are too busy quoting so and so and spouting off statistics and what this and that has found instead of saying what the Word of God has to say on an issue. God is not against finding and statistics as long as the align up with the truth. But He is against those things taking precedence over the Word of God, which it did in this case. The only way that the church is going to get to where it needs to be, where God wants it to be, where we must be for the last day harvest of souls, is to put the Word of God first, to put obedience to the Holy Spirit first, and to put God first--not just in our church services, but in our everyday life.
    Now I'm sure the church I attended does not do this every week. I know they didn't when I went there every week. But it was one more opportunity that slipped through the fingers of the church to speak into the lives of those who came--some who might not come back again. And it's not statictics and psychological finds that get people saved and sets them free--it's the Word of God.