Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Once again Mr. Pope displays a shocking lack of knowledge of Christianity by stating that there is no hell. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ showed his disagreement with Mr. Pope in Matthew 25:46. If you search for the interview that Mr. Pope came out as an annihilationist you's see a WHOLE LOT of articles from the Vatican stating that Mr. Pope just might not have said that. They don't say he DIDN'T say it, they just say "he might not have said that" 

Do I believe he said that? Yes I do, I've been expecting this. Mr. Pope has a history of spewing gaffs and bad theology. Mr. Pope has a habit of telling his audience what they want to hear, and the truth be damned. This time he was speaking to a 80+ year old atheist who wanted to hear that there was no hell. Just recently he called on his followers to openly battle Satan, and nowhere in the bible are we allowed to do that, we are to hold fast and wait for Jesus. Right after his coronation Mr. Pope announced that the whole "I am the way" thing was wrong that that no one really needs Jesus to be saved. He even claimed that if a Christian cannot hold to the perfection of Jesus it would be better if they were an atheist condemned to a hell he doesn't believe in.

The Roman Catholic Jesuits are now teaching at their College of the Holy Cross that Jesus was a female who dressed as a man whose crucifixion was a masochistic sexual relation with God. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up, even though Professor Liew made it up

Way to go guys! The Vatican finally picked up on something that Protestants have known for centuries: Solus Christus. Could the other four Solas be on the Vatican's radar?  (We can hope!)

Speak Before They Go

The reason why I've been absent for the past couple of weeks is because my mom passed away. and I was busy attending to all that comes with that. I was lucky enough to have a chance to speak with her over the phone just a few hours before she graduated and I was faced with the question: What do you say to your mother knowing that she is in her last few moments of life? But wait - before you answer that, keep in mind that she is so lost in dementia that she has no idea who you are and the sight of you scares her because she's afraid of strangers.

Yes, the right thing to do is talk to her about accepting Jesus as her savior, to love and trust him. Her husband of 60+ years, my dad, was saved on his death bed, something I will be eternally joyful about. But as for mom - she wasn't mom any more, she lost her nouns years ago, and the proper nouns were the first to go so Jesus was just another word she couldn't understand. She wouldn't have known who or what we were talking about, in fact she believed she has lived in a Florida nursing home her entire life.

But she did remember her trip to the Colorado mountains, so that's what I talked to her about even though she had no idea who I was. Don't get me wrong - we did talk about Jesus at length a few years ago before she began her slide into dementia, and her love and faith in Christ Jesus was strong and hot. He was everything to her.

This kind of love and faith in Christ was almost surprising to me, because mom was Roman Catholic Über Alles. A woman steeped in Roman Catholic tradition and indoctrination who for many years put every iota of her faith in the papist Catholic scorecard of works; eucharist, confession, tithing+, holy days of obligation, rosary, novenas, stations of the cross... In the end all that frippery did nothing for her, and just like dad, it was the acceptance of Christ as their personal savior that saved them. The parish they attended for years turned their back on both of them and ignored them in their final years of life. I guess the priests and deacons were too worried about collecting money from the living to care about the dying, ain't that right St. Sebastian Catholic Church of Sebastian FL?

And now both of my parents are gone before us, we who are left behind will mingle their ashes together and inter them in a spot that they loved. It is their camping spot on my grandfathers farm among the tamarack trees and the remaining cherry and apple trees of an orchard that was long ignored by the time grandfather purchased the farm. (You can't believe how tall a cherry tree can grow!) And that will be it, hopefully for my sisters there will be closure, "Ma Evans" and "Peepin' Wally" will be gone.

I've been pondering it, and this whole closure thing, I don't really understand it, but then I'm Christian. To pagans there are ghosts and spirits and the pagan beliefs held by the poor pagan torture them into thinking that these ghosts of dead people are still around, observing them and giving them signs. My sister thinks that when she finds a penny on the ground it's a sign from dad. Our dad wouldn't use a penny as a sign, he'd use a bullhorn "DON'T LEAVE YOUR (STUFF) LAYING AROUND THE LIVING ROOM!" When you believe that you're seeing signs and wonders from a dead person's spirit, and blithering nonsense like reincarnation how can there be closure?

Wretched Wednesday - The Theology of Chairs

I've run into plenty of Cringe Worthy theology from both non Christians and Christians alike and most of it comes from not understanding the whole meaning of the text. For example I often hear "an eye for an eye" used to say that a believer is justified to use physical violence for an imagined slight. 

Quite often in the past I've mentioned the 20/20 rule of using a bible quote, to read 20 verses before and after a bible verse that you want to use to insure you are using it in context. However this is just a rule of thumb - how often have you heard that 2 Corinthians 6:14 means that a Christian shouldn't marry a non-believer? The 20/20 rule won't discount that theory, but you have to dig deeper to understand that it isn't marriage device. You have to read 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 to fully understand what God's plan is for theologically mixed marriages.

Random Bits

It's been a weird busy year so far, but the Lord is there to brace me and my family up. First, son #2 shattered his leg snowboarding causing compartment syndrome and DVT blood clots, then son #4 got hit from behind while sitting at a red light by a woman with no insurance and stolen plates on her car. (and she was defiantly not in financial straits, she could easily afford insurance and plates). On top of all that the flu hit and this year it was bad. Mrs WideAwakeChristian had a 100°+ temp for a week and when the flu released it's grip on her it turned on me.

We all made it through with the Lords strength and are continuing to press on, so with that, a reminder: If you show up Sunday ready for Sunday school but the class room is empty and the sanctuary is full, you clearly forgot to set your clock 1 hour ahead.

A man enters a Texas church with a gun and threatens to hold congregants hostage. A church member wrestles the gun away from the gunman. The cops arrive with guns a' blazing. Guess who the cops shot. Go on, guess

Benny Hinn is using the death of Billy Graham to raise money

Destiny, dream, break through, divine, prophetic, anointed,  these words aren't just meaningless jargon, these are Money Making Charismatic Buzzwords! that are causing millions of people to loose their minds

Take the catchers away!

Religion of Intolerance Update - Homosexuals force another Christian business to close

Wheaton College’s decision to stand up to an illegitimate government mandate (read: Obama) leads to a victory for religious liberty.

Wretched WWUTT Wednesday

Todd Freil discusses what I've discussed quite often in the past in my own posts and in WWUTT Wednesday post - Should a Christian commit herbicide? There is one point in both videos (You'll get the "both" reference when you watch it) where Galatians 5:19-21 is mentioned. WWUTT and Todd discuss that big "Laundry List 'O Sins" and Todd talks about a sin that is different than the sin that WWUTT points out.

I myself pick out a sin from that list that can be applicable too: Idolatry. Living in Colorado you soon learn that Marijuana is not just a danger to the environment or your health, it's practically worshiped here. It was always the unofficial Colorado state tree, but when this foul thing became legal it became the official Colorado demigod. Just to question its miraculous "healing" powers is akin to heresy and folks get very very upset if you question their idol. Foaming at the mouth upset. To be honest I can see inquisitions being formed to purge those who question the glorious weed. And the social destruction it has caused this state is incredible. If you want to explore the joys of hepatitis A, B, or C just come on up and hang out with the poor souls addicted (yes addicted) to the unholy weed.

Injecting Jesus Into Everything

Daily Wire reporter Matt Walsh is told by his readers that his writing is too religious, this is his response;

One of the most common complaints I hear from readers is that my writing is too religious. Borrowing a phrase from an email I just read, I am guilty of “injecting religion into everything.” I need to “tone down the religious talk,” according to a guy on Twitter. “Please cool it with the Jesus stuff,” someone else recently told me. I was informed by many people that the piece I wrote last week about fathers was “ruined” because I “brought God into it.” Some of the commenters here have given me the moniker “Pastor Walsh,” because only pastors talk about religion, I guess. I have even noticed, unsurprisingly, that many of the people who lodge these complaints often declare themselves to be Christian. In America today, nobody hates hearing about Christianity more than a Christian.

Rather than ignore these criticisms, I thought I might try to explain why I don’t plan on toning it down. In fact, I’m headed in the opposite direction. The reason is very simple: I really do believe this stuff. I have often been pretty bad at living and acting according to my belief — I am no expert when it comes following the teachings and making all of the sacrifices a Christian is called to make — but no matter my personal weaknesses (which are many and daunting), I still believe it all.

When Scripture says we are fighting not against “flesh and blood” but “the powers of darkness,” I believe it. And when it says that the Devil is prowling the world “like a lion seeking someone to devour,” I believe that, too. And when Revelation tells us about the war between Michael and the angels of God against Satan and his minions, I believe exactly what it says. I have sometimes wished that I didn’t believe any of it. I have even had terrible times in my life when I have tried not to believe it. But I still do. I believe it for the simple fact that it is true, no matter how I happen to feel about that truth. It just is. That’s all.