Are You a Good Person?

If heaven existed, do you think that you should be allowed entrance based upon how good you are? Most atheists for example are adamant that they are good people. They have to believe that because their mantra is, "I don't need God to be a good person." But don't we have to ask, according to what standard should we measure ourselves to make our evaluation accurate? For example:

. How many lies have you told in your life? The average person tells at least five lies per day. What do you call someone who has told countless lies?

. Have you ever stolen something in your life? Have you taken something that doesn't belong to you? What do you call someone who steals?

. Have you ever used God's name in vain, or without respect? That's called blasphemy. What do you call someone who uses God's name lightly or in cursing?

. Jesus said, if you look at another person with lust in your heart, imagining having sex with that person, you are guilty of committing adultery. What do you call people who commits adultery?

Our Creator says that He is the standard by which we measure our level of goodness. Not Gandhi, no Hitler, not your neighbour and not yourself.

By your own admission you're a lying, thieving, blaspheming, adulterous person in your own heart, and that's only reviewing four of the ten commandments. How then can you consider yourself to be a good person, good enough to be allowed into the presence of a perfectly Holy Creator God?

A good Judge must see that justice is done, that wrong is punished and that those on the side of wrong are removed from those who long and choose to do right. Because the price for your sins were paid for by Jesus (God the Son), God the Father who is perfectly Just can legally dismiss your penalty.

Jesus said, “The price of sin, the wages of sin, the consequences of sin is eternal separation from God and everything and anything that is good. We call that separation “Hell.”

Because that reality is so horrific God put in place a plan, whereby the penalty of sin would be paid at His own expense. Jesus paid the price for you sins and He said that if you would seek His forgiveness and obey Him out of gratitude for His enormous love, you can avoid hell and spend eternity in heaven with Him.

What kind of a person would ignore and/or reject that kind of offer?

Atheists Save the World

This is the last segment of a series on secular efforts to save the world. They've included:

- Science
- The combination of wide-spread, higher education and stupendous wealth

- Then it was sex without the perceived confinement of marriage.

- The coerced celebration of the sexually disoriented.

- Easy divorce

- Feminism
- The pursuit of everything.

- The condescending attitude of tolerance.

Isn’t it time that you find the courage to counter your culture and get on board with your Lord and Creator? Accept His offer of love and forgiveness, so that you might then extend His authentic love and kindness to others.

God's solution to the problem of society’s evil is His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus offers forgiveness, freedom from real guilt and eternal peace. That in essence, is the heart of the Christian story. Countless examples of violent criminals, drug addicts, lost and lonely individuals who have turned their lives over to Jesus and entered society as helpful agents of positive change attest to the effectiveness of doing life “God’s way.”

I remember a family member saying with a turned up nose, “But it’s mostly poor people who are Christians.”

She’s probably right.

Have you ever wondered about that or been bothered by that?

The apostle Paul wrote, “Have you ever noticed brothers and sisters in Christ that most of us who have turned our lives over to Jesus are nobodies?”

Why is it most often those on the fringes of society that seek and find Jesus? Because they are the ones who have been stripped of any delusion that this world in it’s present form has something of value to offer. Most of us who have decided to follow Jesus have been creased by life and the crease is permanent-press.

We do not worship a deistic God. He is not an absentee landlord. We worship a God who came down not just to our civilization. He came into the mess that we, ourselves created. He lived with us then, and continues to live with us now, in our spiritual squalor. The New Testament says, “He tabernacled with us. He pitched His tent among us.” He experienced what we experience. He didn’t stay out in the suburbs or out on His country estate. He came downtown and slept in the ally with us. He ate out of the dumpster with us. He took the burden of life upon himself to show us that it could be done. Jesus came to earth to show us how to clean up the mess that we had made. 

Atheists Save the World

I've been doing a series on secular efforts to save the world. They've included:

- Science
- The combination of wide-spread, higher education and stupendous wealth

- Then it was sex without the perceived confinement of marriage.

- The coerced celebration of the sexually disoriented.

- Easy divorce

- Feminism
- The pursuit of everything.

- The condescending attitude of tolerance.

We Christians, on the other hand are not innocent of making a mess of things.

The desire to exclude those who live in opposition to God's will lacks love for that person. To tolerate the sin shows a lack of courage to love those same people. Out of love Jesus rejects both exclusion and tolerance.

Jesus' love continues, even when it’s called judgemental. Jesus’ love doesn’t just tolerate one’s acquaintances or even one’s enemies. Jesus’ love looks past the ugliness of your hidden thoughts, and the sanctimonious posturing about your tolerance. Jesus flat out rejects human plans that are destined for failure and says, ‘Come to me, all of you who are loaded down with life’s cares, and I will give you rest for your weary souls. I will give you peace beyond comprehension. I will guard your hearts and your minds and I will liberate you from anxiety.’ And so, followers of Jesus are able to say, "I love you too much to merely tolerate you. You’re far too important to God for me to just accept your sin in the hope that you will extend the same degree of cold-hearted, self-serving hypocrisy to me."

Jesus’ love invites you to come in from the cold. In response to jeering and mocking, Jesus’ love says, "I will go beyond tolerance. I will be good to you on every level, even to the point of honesty. I will passionately seek the best for you even if you see me as your enemy and hate me simply because you don’t like to hear what I’m saying." The best part about all this is that unlike those who are wise in their own eyes, Jesus is able to deliver on His promise to bring to you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Atheists Save the World

Have you ever wondered about the tsunami like tide of evil that is sweeping the Globe? Are you staggered by evil's power to shred society, collapsing nations? Not a Newscast goes by without the mention of corruption. And do you notice how no race, gender or age group is exempt from the power and influence of evil? It ruins families. It destroys homes. And most of all, it causes humans to do all they can to ignore it, despite the way evil corrodes the quality of everyone's life.

On the other hand, those who refuse to call evil for what it is, have grand plans for healing society's ills. Space does not allow a full discourse of the “cures” that have so far been explored by secularists but there are a few that are worth noting. 

Another of the more infamous secular efforts might include:

- Science
- We were told that the combination of wide-spread, higher education and stupendous wealth

- Then it was sex without the perceived confinement of marriage.

Atheists describe Christianity as being “out of touch with modern society.” I can't argue with that. I remember wondering about our children's future to a friend who said, “Don't worry. They'll be normal.” and my thought was, “I pray to God that they'll do a lot better than that.” Around the world, two main consequences have come with being in touch with modern society and the coerced celebration of the sexually disoriented.

The first consequence is an outright delusion regarding the epidemic of STD’s including HIV. One educated but misled columnist wrote that it’s not screwing around with strangers, or taking part in the death culture of IV drug use that’s spreading AIDS, it’s "ignorance and poverty." That comment is an insult to the informationally and financially impoverished!

The second consequence is that everyone, even those who are opposed to it, are forced to financially support the extermination of the most defenceless people in our society, all in an attempt to hide the guilt, fear and corrupt self-love of the more powerful segment. Don’t get me wrong. I’m strongly pro-choice. Dear God how I wish that people would exercise, not their right, but their obligation to choose whether or not to have a child. But that choice needs to be made before conception, not after. Sadlyl, being responsible would kill the romance of the affair, or the drunken sexual encounter, so we kill the children instead.

Someone wrote today that all people should support a woman's right to decide what to do with her body. I agree. What a woman doesn't have a right to do is hire a hit-man to tear to shreds the body of the baby, or to suck out the brain of the baby that is growing within her; a baby with her own blood-type, her own brain waves, her own finger prints, her own digestive system, her own heart beat and her own genetic code. The baby is NOT the mother's body!

Atheists Save the World

Have you ever wondered about the tsunami like tide of evil that is sweeping the Globe? Are you staggered by evil's power to shred society, collapsing nations? Not a Newscast goes by without the mention of corruption. And do you notice how no race, gender or age group is exempt from the power and influence of evil? It ruins families. It destroys homes. And most of all, it causes humans to do all they can to ignore it, despite the way evil corrodes the quality of everyone's life.

On the other hand, those who refuse to call evil for what it is, have grand plans for healing society's ills. Space does not allow a full discourse of the “cures” that have so far been explored by secularists but there are a few that are worth noting. Another of the more infamous secular efforts might include:

- Science
- We were told that the combination of wide-spread, higher education and stupendous wealth would cure our ills

Then it was sex without the perceived confinement of marriage. Remember the freedom that was promised with that lie? For awhile, thankfully a short while, open marriages were touted to be the cure-all for – ya – struggling marriages. Only the perpetually gullible saw bliss on the other side of that disaster. In the Netherlands where atheists have had a head start over North America in shaping societal norms, they’re finding that open and legalized prostitution has actually led to the degrading of attitudes toward women. Who would have thought that might happen? (sarcasm) Certainly not atheists. They’re also finding that rather than eliminating organized crime from the sex trade, organized crime has actually increased since the legalization of men buying women’s bodies. Who would have guessed? Not atheists. By removing the taboo against drug addiction, legalizing drug use has increased crimes usually associated with drug use and drug addiction. Could anyone have seen that coming? Not atheists. In the Netherlands where atheists have had a head start over North America in shaping societal norms, euthanasia groups (Levenseinde or “Life End”) are now making house calls. Door to door killing teams free of charge (Sigh). Really, when you think about it, when health and wealth are gone – what's the point?(again sarcasm). 

Alphabet Sex

We've got G's and L's and B's and T's and P's and A's and C's. Every sexually disoriented person and group on the planet is scrambling to not just be recognized but celebrated. Who can even guess how many letters will be added to these “special” groups over the next twenty years?

Not only are we profoundly spiritual and relational beings, we are profoundly sexual beings as well. So powerful is this drive that a few people will even deny the existence of Creator God rather than say “No” to their sexual desires. And they do this under the guise of, “Anything that feels this right can't be wrong.”

Brilliant!

As with spiritual and emotional health, sexual health is integral to the health of society, families and individuals. That's why, when emotional needs become sexualised, the person, the family and the community suffers. It seems there is no end to which we will go, no fantasy too degrading that humans won't attempt to satiate them.

Ask the young woman who's had an abortion how the relationship with the father of the baby was affected. Ask what it did to her parent's relationship. When our sexual self is not used responsibly, emotional and spiritual pain is inevitable.

Ask any of the 100's of clients I've worked with whose porn addiction destroyed their marriage. Ask how the damage of this perversion refused to be confined to his wife. Instead it infected his relationship with all women.

Ask the women who use sex to get the feeling of being loved. Ask the men who pretend to love in order to get sex. Ask these people who use and abuse each other about having to put on yet another layer of emotional protection when these relationships end.

Personal preference and victimless “sin” are often used as an excuse for sex without boundaries. These debased individuals don't realise that sexual sin is far, far from being victimless. How we use our bodies impacts society far beyond the confines of our bedroom.

Sexual intimacy is not about the individual.

Sexual intimacy is about everyone!

Used as directed sexual love is an amazingly beautiful thing.

Used as our natural self demands, sex is profoundly harmful. Sadly, when our corrupted self-love is the driving force in our lives, we really don't care what happens to anyone else. 

Atheist Technicalities

We're now into "morals on the go" where atheists must ask, "But how about this situation? Is this ok to do?"

Hugo is no different.

First of all the term "atheists" (which you say is a gross generalisation) is directly from Greta's blog. She includes all atheists in her guilt free fornication.

God says that for the protection of marriage, of the children and of society in general, sex is to be reserved for marriage and marriage is to be till "death do us part." While non-Christians can technically go do as they please, "morally correct sexual contact" for Christians or non Christiains takes place within the context of marriage. Of course the "acts" need to be consensual and not demeaning to either partner even within marriage but all things being equal, God created us profoundly sexual beings and He meant for us to enjoy it within those guidelines.

Those who rebel against their Creator also rebel against His guidelines and so we have what we have.
Divorce by the millions.
Abortions by the tens of millions.
Children abanondoned by one or both parents.
People using each other as sexual objects and the emotional fallout that comes from that.

Atheist / pagan utopia.

Who could ask for more?

Sexting Is Cool?

A friend told me today about some politician in the States, married for less than a year who was caught sexting with several women, none of whom were his wife.

That’s not the worst part.

The sad thing, the tragic thing is that, as my friend told me, most of the people interviewed on our local news channel said that in their minds, sexting by a married person or with a married person is not adultery. A few of the women who spoke with the roving reporter said that sexting was in fact best when done with someone who is married. “It adds to the excitement.” I doubt if one of the women was atheist Greta Christina but I'd be surprised if she didn't agree. Guilt free adultery is highly prized by atheists. At least that what they brag about in their surveys.

To those who say the Bible is out of date, I say, it is becoming more and more relevant by the hour. The worship of sex puts Temple Prostitutes well within our reach. Our empty souls have placed sex at such a demand that we can’t even avoid a plague of STD’s. We’d rather kill tens of millions while waiting for a miracle pill than risk appearing uncool by suggesting that perhaps casual sex is not such a good thing. Society is moving inexorably back into ancient times, not just by the increasing brutality inflicted upon humans by humans, but especially as it pertains to the increasingly low view held of women. There are more women sold into sexual slavery today than at any other time in history. And modern women seem more than willing to play that role, somehow seeing their sexualised selves as progressive.

Of course sexting is adultery! You are giving to another person what rightfully and exclusively belongs to your spouse, i.e. your emotions, your soul, your love. Every moment a person spends lusting after another person is a moment that is stolen from your partner.

Why would you want to become involved with a man or women who is so self-absorbed, so self-obsessed, so selfish, self-centred and cruel that s/he would do that to h/her spouse? That’s what you call exciting? To spend time with a moral invalid?

What does that say about you and your emotional and relational stability?

Any emotionally, spiritually and relationally healthy individual would respond to your sexting offer by saying, "Why would I want to be with someone who is so self-absorbed, so self-obsessed, so selfish, self-centred and cruel that s/he would do that to my spouse?"

Unless you have the most pathetic of marriages (open) where you are both so self-absorbed that you stand no chance of being faithful to each other, sharing your body, mind and soul with another, even as a fantasy (which is really just electronic foreplay) is the very definition of cheating.

And for those who say it isn’t cheating, let them find out that their partner is doing it with someone else and then ask them the same question.

I think sexting is pathetic - it's just another example of two human beings using each other for selfish means. This is not something we need in a world where the overall level of love diminishes exponentially by the day.

Atheists and Guilt

A recent study concludes that atheists have better casual sex than Christians involved in the same behaviour. This is because atheists, who make up the rules as they go, can convince themselves that causal sex is a good thing. Even HIV and other STD’s can’t stop those with no guilt. Their focus is totally on developing a pill that will allow the good times to keep rolling.

Good times - you know, where men use hints of impending love to get sex, and women use sex to get the illusion of being loved.

Good times - two people using each other.

Now until this particular study, all previous studies showed that for those who were married, Christians consistently voiced better sex than non Christians because Christian marriages provide both men and women with greater physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy. That of course was no surprise to Christians because most of us were able to compare pre Christian sex to sex as Christians. The former was third rate compared to the latter.

On the other hand, it’s also understandable that atheists wouldn’t experience as much guilt as Christians during extramarital sex. When the atheist cheats on his wife, there’s no guilt because he’s concluded that “It can’t be wrong since my wife is such a bitch. Really, the marriage is already over.”

And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.

An atheist would enjoy (not as much guilt) screwing around with her neighbour’s husband more than a Christian committing adultery, because to an atheist, “Anything that feels this right can’t be wrong.”

And if an atheist concludes that something is right, then it is right.

Correct Hugo? No guilt for you and your girlfriend?

Moral relativism is the way to go. Right - Hugo?

In atheist world, if enough people in a social group say something is right, then it becomes right.

Doing Sex Right!

“When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home learning how to make his wife happy. ”
Deuteronomy 24:5

From the perspective of Marriage Counselling, that is really, really good advice. We men are notoriously poor lovers. That’s mostly because we’re profoundly different than our wives in our sexual needs and expectations. And because we’re so selfish and self-centred, a year is just barely enough time for men to become the kind of lovers their wives need and deserve.

In an episode from “The Office” Michael says, “I like sex, particularly near the end.”

That pretty much describes the dilemma right there. Some women are like Michael. Others, in a desperate, pathetic, pitiful need for male attention and approval, attempt to mimic the sexual desires and habits of men. Regardless, nearly all men are terribly goal oriented when it comes to sex. They want to get to the good stuff as fast a possible. This is especially true if they’ve spent years immersed in porn and masturbation. When that’s the case, men come out believing that they’re pretty good lovers since their fantasy partner is always deeply satisfied. While women are certainly capable of strong fantasies, their desires within the context of a marriage are simply different than men.

Instead of Michael Scott’s idea of sex, a woman is more likely to say, “I like sex, particularly the actions throughout the week or day leading up to intercourse. When that’s happened I like sex at the beginning and during intercourse. When that's happened, I really like sex at orgasm and especially the holding afterward.”

Michael Scott may have funny lines but . . .

I’ve long noticed and it’s well documented in study after study that those who have a strong spirituality within the context of Christianity report a superior sex life compared to those adrift in the secular realm. There are many reasons for this but one of them is -

“Researchers who have studied the neurochemical processes in the human brain have noted that the passion leading to spiritual fervour and the passion leading to sexual activity stem from the same kind of physiological chemistry. Though in distinct but parallel channels, spirituality and sexuality are separated by a wall thin enough for a strange osmosis to occur.”
Marshall Shelley, Leadership Magazine.

Don’t depend too much on that osmosis. Take the time to learn how to make your wife happy. Jesus took special care to include women in the founding of His Kingdom and there are several dozen verses in the Bible (including the one above), where men are told to adjust our thoughts, attitudes and behaviours so that we adapt to the special needs, longings and desires of women.

Get it right man and quit pretending that you know it all when in reality, you know next to nothing.

Abstinence Education

Honestly? I don’t think people would have any problem with teaching kids that having sex before or outside of marriage is a bad idea if their Creator / Bible hadn’t said it first.

We know about the physical risks:
AIDS, cervical cancer from HPV infection, herpes simplex type 2, gonorrhea, syphilis and other STD’s, permanent injury and/or death during too-young childbirth, a higher incidence of birth defects during too-young gestation.

We know about the psychological risks:
Males use the promise of love (a lie) to get sex. Females use sex to just hear the false promise of love. Putting on layer after layer of emotional protection to lessen the hurtful impact of using others and being used by others. Lying to oneself to make abortions seem ok. Destruction of families from adultery. Violence of every type and variety due to jealousies triggered by adultery. Young women living in poverty, unable to finish their education.

We know the dangers of casual sex, but when saying “no” is tied so closely to moral restrictions, moral restrictions taught by Christianity, well, we’ll do the opposite if it will prove to ourselves that we are not controlled by anyone, let alone our Creator.

We know the dangers of casual sex, but when saying “no” is tied so closely to moral restrictions, moral restrictions taught by Christianity, well, we’ll even sell our children to the entertainment industry to be sexualised at a younger and younger age every year if it will prove to ourselves that we are not controlled by anyone, let alone our Creator.