Soul Hacker

Incredible Personal Libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:15:00 +0000

For me, the library is the ultimate man cave. It is the place of imagination, study, research, and where the greatest sermon's in history have been composed. The point of a library is not knowing what is in all the books, but knowing how to access them when the time comes. Here are four magnificent private, not public, libraries which will inspire awe.

Charles Spurgeon's Library

If you don't know who Charles Spurgeon is, then you don't know the author of more printed work than any author in history. Charles Spurgeon has more material still in print than Shakespeare. What did he write you ask? Sermons. This is his personal library. It contained 12,000 volumes.

Spurgeon in Study

It is estimated that he read one book a day from the time he was 20 until he died. He also prepared at least one sermon everyday, and he did so the night before he preached. Spurgeon is regarded as the "Prince of Preachers," and his library alludes to his intelligence. His favorite book was "Pilgrim's Progress," which he had read over 100 times by when he reached 18. His library was spacious, manly, and most importantly full of books! Spurgeon never attended college or seminary, but had a vocabulary of 25,000 words (equal with Shakespeare. A normal person has a vocabulary of 15,000 words.)

Alberto Manguel has 30,000 Volumes

What do you do when you live in a Monastery for 7 years in the middle of a village with only 10 houses? For starters you probably get an amazon.com account, and secondly, you read. This is what Alberto has spent his life doing, and amassing an incredible library to boot.

One Room of the Many

How did Alberto do it? First, he never lends books. I've learned this the hard way. If someone likes a book he will buy a gift copy. Secondly, there was no rhyme or reason to his madness. He would simply get books that he was interested in. He does not order them according to ISB number, but according to his liking. One room alone are Murder Mysteries. Each room has it's own flavor. He is the author of several books including Libray in the Night: A history of Libraries.

William Randolph Hearst

If you happen to inherit a publishing company from your wealthy father, and then you expand it to own 30 different newspaper, you could probably have a library like Mr. William Hearst. He was twice elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but ran unsuccessfully as mayor of New York City. I don't imagine it bothered him much though, because he had a place like this to go back to.

Hearst Private Library

Once you were bothered because all your friends were crowding the "house" library, you could whisk away to the "private" library. Yes you are right, being a Media Mogul would have been extremely taxing socially and mentally, so indeed one would need TWO libraries.

Insert Drool Here

I saved the best for last. Presenting possibly the most awesome private library in existence: that of entrepreneur Jay Walker. You can view the wired.com article about his library here. Among his treasures, is an original edition of the Guttenberg Bible - the first book from a printing press in history.

3,600 Sq. feet of Awesome

Every man and woman needs a place where they can retreat, and delve into the study of things which transcend moments. Your place of solitude may not be as magnificent as these specimens, but what they can be is uniquely yours.

I hope you have been inspired by some awesome libraries. As for me, the focal point of mine would be my Great-Grandmother's family Bible - from 1883. Now, go build your library.

Hebrew Word Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:23:00 +0000

This video will Blow your Mind

Why Sola Scriptura?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:28:00 +0000

What does it mean to be Protestant? What does it mean to be Reformed?

1 Timothy 4:13 - Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

Sola Scriptura - "Scripture Alone"

The reason Paul was instructing Timothy to be devoted to the reading of Scripture is because it alone is sufficient for the guiding of the church and for man. Jesus actually rebuked the Pharisees for allowing their traditions to dictate their use application of scripture: Mark 7:8 "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

What happens when Christians allow tradition, science, or any other man-formed philosophy to guide our life in higher place than scripture? The answer is a lot of bad things. I wanted to give a brief synopsis of 7 examples that show the difference in Protestant Doctrine (governed by Scripture Alone) and non-protestant doctrine (governed by tradition and not scripture alone.)

(1) The Bible teaches that the office of bishop and presbyter are the same office (Titus 1:5-7), but tradition says they are different offices.

(2) The Bible teaches that all have sinned except Jesus (Romans 3:10-12, Hebrews 4:15), but tradition says that Mary was sinless.

(3) The Bible teaches that Christ offered His sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 7:27, 9:28, 10:10), but tradition says that the priest sacrifices Christ on the altar at mass.

(4) The Bible says that we are not to bow down to statues (Exodus 20:4, 5), but tradition says that we should bow down to statues.

(5) The Bible says that all Christians are saints and priests (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Peter 2:9), but tradition says that saints and priests are special castes within the Christian community.

(6) The Bible says that Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), but tradition says Mary is co-mediator with Christ.

(7) The Bible says that all Christians should know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13), but tradition says that all Christians cannot and should not know that they have eternal life.

The list you just read is an example of dangerous theology which can develop apart from scripture. I encourage you, no matter what denomination you are a part of, to dig into God's Word, and let it illuminate your life.

John 8:32 - "and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

(This list can be found at http://www.the-highway.com/Sola_Scriptura_Godfrey.html )

Does the Bible say the Earth is Flat?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:39:00 +0000

The Astronaut sees a Circle

Look at the image above and what shape do you see? No, not what shape do you know. What shape do you see? Answer - a Circle.

One "error" that some claim in the Bible is that it refers to the Earth as "flat" or as a circle. Let's look at a few of those scriptures they reference and then examine them.

Isaiah 40:22 - He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
Job 38:14 - The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.
Proverbs 8:27 - When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he drew a circle upon the face of the depth:

Let's examine this verse by verse, to see if we can discover any literary devices that the Bible is using.

Some people think that the bible is simply a history book. We must understand that their are various types of writings within the pages of the Bible. There are: history, prophecy, poetry, song, letters, wisdom, and Gospels. In the case of Isaiah, we see the literary device known as a metaphor. Now the translators give clues to this when it says "people are like grasshoppers," and "heavens like a canopy." What is interesting is that in the Hebrew, the word like is not actually there. It was added to show you that of course, people are not actually grasshoppers and the heavens are not actually a tent. So this whole phrase becomes a metaphorical phrase. Does God literally sit above the Earth? No, because God exists outside the dimension of space and time in a place called Heaven that is immaterial and eternal. This is why all scripture must be taken in context.

Secondly, Job says "the Earth takes shape like clay under a seal." If you have ever seen a clay seal, it is flat . Let us look at the beginning of the phrase. At the start of verse 12, it says, "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it's place?" It then says in verse 14, "The earth takes shape like clay." The context of the passage is in reference to the light of dawn shining on the surface of the earth. I have used wax seals on envelopes. As you burn a candle and drop wax on the envelope, it is a simple rounded hump of wax. But after you press the seal into the wax, the design of the seal is imprinted upon it. Therefore, the wax has now "taken shape." Under the blackness of night, the earth looks formless, but as the light of dawn hits the earth, it takes shape, showing all it's beautiful landscape and scenery. Job is referring to the differences in landscape and not to the flatness of the land.

Thirdly, Proverbs says he drew a circle upon the face of the depth. That is how it is translated in the King James. The NIV says it differently: "I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep." Interesting; horizon brings a completely new picture than circle. The word "drew" is the Hebrew word "chaqaq." It means - to cut in, inscribe, decree. Proverbs is referring to the teleological account of creation; not in a natural sense, but in a supernatural sense. God "decreed" the horizon into existence. God "inscribed" the boundaries of the waters. God "cut in" the "compass" of the deep. Scripture is so much richer than people take it to be. Too often, an atheist will pick up a translation and not understand that there are limits to which one English translation can convey the original meaning of a thousand-year-old manuscript of the greatest document in history.

So before you make a quick judgment after you have read one verse that seems like an error, be sure to check the context, the language, and the possible literary devices being used.

The "Circle" of the Horizon

How to Witness to a Jehovah's Witness

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:57:00 +0000

If you live in suburbia, and not in a heavy metropolitan where soliciting is now allowed among Apartments and such, then you have probably been visited by a Jehovah's Witness. One thing is for sure: they are adamant for spreading their message. Of course they would be, because they believe only 144,000 will make it to heaven; so the more they evangelize, the higher their chances of being found righteous. This is what you call salvation by works.

Click here for a brief synopsis of the Jehovah's Witness Faith.

The Jehovah's Witnesses normally won't tell you this when they are at your doorstep, but their version of the Bible is a version only used by them. (I won't even call it a translation because it has so many fundamental errors), but their title for it is the New World Translation. Let me just briefly mention that the founder of their religion, Charles Taze Russell, claimed to have translated the Hebrew and Greek New testaments, but under oath in court, could not recite either alphabet! Why is this important? Because they changed and added scripture in their "translation."

Here is what John 1:1 says in their translation:

"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was a god."

Now, if you didn't immediately notice an error, I will assume you are a new Christian, a non-Christian, or maybe you are a Jehovah's Witness who has stumbled on this page.

Let me show you this verse in the King James (used for commonality):

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Now you notice that the definite article "a" is not present in the scripture before God in the last part. How do we know that this is the proper translation? Because we have the advantage of having a plethora of Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament available. You can actually buy a copy of a Greek New Testament by clicking here. You can also view the Greek Scripture right now by going to:

http://biblos.com/john/1-1.htm

You will see that the original Greek actually presents the last part of the verse like this:

"and God was the Word."

There is NO way it could be translated "a" god because a phrase would not have said, "a god was the Word."

This flaw in their text leads to herresy such as not believing in the trinity, a rejection of the equality of Jesus as God, and the ability to change other scriptures just as well to make them say anything they want to say.

Whenever a Jehovah's Witness comes to my house, I pull out my Greek Testament, and show them in the original scripture, that "God was the Word." Then I ask them to go back to their Kingdom Hall, and ask their leaders why Charles Taze Russell could not recite Greek, yet claims to have translated the New Testament.

The Robot that Made Itself

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Joe Made Himself

Imagine you walked into the forest and found a watch sitting there among the leaves and the dirt. Would you first imagine that the watch made itself? Of course you wouldn't. Why? Because you can clearly see that the watch has a designer. Anything with design shows evidence of a designer. This is the basis of what is called the Teleological Argument for the existence of God.

First of all, this goes against all logic. What can make itself? According to the boundaries of time and space - NOTHING. Your next logical question is, "well how could God have made himself." This
is easy. At the big bang, time AND space were created. Because God is spirit, he exists outside the boundaries of time and space. He is immaterial (spaceless) and eternal (timeless). So it logically necessitates that the first mover is one which could create time and space: an eternal being with no beginning.

The Conservation of Mass states that "matter cannot be created or destroyed." So where did all the matter in the universe come from? Well that is an interesting question; one that even scientists can not answer. If you will google the term "ex nihilo," you will find that the most prevalent theory among scientists declares that the universe was made "out of nothing." This is logically impossible.

This brings me to an argument that I devised, based on the Big Bang and the currently observed design in the Universe:

Premise 1 - The Universe has an Order
P (2) - Explosions create Chaos
P (3) - The Big Bang was an Explosion
P (5) - The order in the Universe can not be a result of the Big Bang

or a simplified version looks like this:

Explosions create chaos
The Big Bang was an Explosion
The Order in the Universe is not the result of the Big Bang

I don't know if when you were a kid, maybe you took a small explosive like an M-80, and put it amongst some pieces of paper in a shoebox. Once you lit the fuse, did a house of cards ever erect itself? No. Explosions create dis-order not order. All the design that you see in the universe; your eye, your ear, the solar system, your lungs, the trees...etc. - are result of a designer.

Here is a cartoon I developed to show the fallacy of a designed object believing that it was the result of an accident -

When Robots Question their Existence
by: jessetheradical

In conclusion - God's existence can be proven by the fact there is design in the Universe. What evidence is there that a building had a builder? - The builder itself.

What evidence is there that a painting had a painter? The painting itself.

All design is in itself the evidence that the Universe had a Designer.

And there you have Teleology in a nutshell.

(This is a follow-up in a series about Proofs of the Existence of God. To see the first in the series, Click Here.)

Why Christians should Homeschool.

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Let me say this: I love teachers. I love public school teachers. Some had great influence on my life and I still consider great friends. This is not about them. This is a battle cry to parents to restore the God-given purpose in their home that the government has wanted to take away.

This list could be 3 times as long. I don't have enough time to write it all. Maybe there will be updates or revisions. But for now - a Manifesto on the Biblical Principal of Discipleship within the Home.

Reasons why Christian Parents Should Homeschool:

Education is the job of the parents, not the job of the government

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Religious Education is not provided in the public school.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Kids in homeschool are smarter.

If you look at the test scores above, you will see that the "average" public school student scores in the 50th percentile. However, the "average" home school student scores in the 80th and above percentile on standardized tests.

Students are taught to teach themselves.

Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire - (Commonly attributed to W.B. Yeates) You have to ask yourself what is the goal of your child's education? In public schools, they are taught information, then asked to regurgitate information, resulting in a really bad method of life-long learning. In most home-schools settings, children are able to learn according to their own methods, and it provides time for interest, creativity, and more free-reading time. "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day: Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime."

Children should not have hours and hours of homework.

I can remember in high school, catching the bus at 6:10 in the morning, which means I work up about 5:15. Then I would be in school all day until 2:45. After that would be baseball practice or games till sometimes 8:00 at night. And once I got home, my family had already eaten dinner so I would eat by myself. Finally, I would have to stay up till 11:00 o'clock studying and doing projects. <----- This is stupid. I want my childhood back, where I could have enjoyed this phase of life. I ended up falling asleep in almost every class because of this type of schedule. Now, I had friends who were home-schooled and guess how long it took them to complete ALL their work for the day..... 3 hours. They would start their work at 9:00 and finish by 12:00. Then they would have the rest of the day to BE A KID. Why is it that a kid spends ALL DAY in public school, and is STILL assigned homework. Do they not know a kid has to mow the yard when they get home, or help their dad fix their mom's car, or go to ball practice, or help take care of their little sibling. Public School has killed the family unit, by creating so much extra in life and so much pressure, that what was once the purpose of the family is now owned by a Corporation known as the Government.

Jesus called us to make Disciples, not college Graduates.

Your job as a Christian parent is to raise up a child who will be a disciple and make disciples. If you need evidence of this, please reference Matthew 26:18. A normal Christian family gets maybe 3 hours of Christian instructing a week: Sunday School, Sunday Service, and maybe Wednesday nights. But for 40 hours a week, the Government has dictated what your child should be learning and this includes: Evolution, "Sex - Education", and that the Bible is not the most important book in all history. The best sex-education your child can receive is seeing their mother and father in a faithful and monogamous relationship.

You are the Most powerful influence in the life of your child

There is more to education than books, test, speeches, and projects. Subjects like character, prayer, morality, and and servanthood are ultimately more advantageous to the career of life of your child than science and math. One of the smartest man I ever knew was a successful business man. He married an incredible lady who is currently mayor of a bustling town. He was the most faithful servant at the church he attended, and was well known throughout the community for his heart, ethic, and love for Christ. Most interestingly of all; He could not read. In no way am I advocating illiteracy, but I am saying that the qualities that carried this man through life were not based on Education. They were based on virtue.

Your child needs virtue more than they need the APA guide for style and grammar. Your child needs your constant and visible example in their life more than they need to know when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. All of those other things are valuable, but they are secondary to God's primary purpose for you in the life of your child - "Training up a child in the way they should go."

I'm sure there will be a lot of feedback on this, and a lot of disagreement. This is my heart and what God has laid on it. Ultimately, we give an account of what we did with what the Holy Spirit has shown us.

How to Link a QR Scan Code to your Website

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 +0000

It's the best thing since sliced bread. Well not really, but QR codes make you feel like a special agent once you pull out your smart phone and scan it to pull up "secret" information.

You see them everywhere these days. It reminds me of those images on the boxes of cereal where you had to get the special red glasses to see what was contained in the image. There is something mysterious about QR codes. For a long time I felt out of the loop, because I didn't have the App to scan for these.

Well recently, as I was creating some promotional material for my church, I thought it would be a neat idea to engage the younger population by linking a QR code to our church's website.

You can link a QR code to anything: a youtube link, your twitter account, or even a pop up text message.

First, if you don't have one, download a scan code app. On my iphone, I am using ScanLife.

Now let's give it a shot. Scan this image here - Before you start thinking how lame that was, just imagine the places where you can put these: on the back of business cards, on church bulletins, on Gospel Tracts, on tickets for events, on promotional material.

Like I said before, people want to know what the code links to because they feel left out if they don't. Now of course, only those who can are those with smart phones - which equals the majority of people under 50. So I think you will be ok. The other thing to do is list a link or a recommended app to download to view them.

Ok, ok so I am done talking. So how can you make these? In order to find out you are going to have to scan the last item on the page.

You see? You couldn't resist could you? The power of QR codes.

Why BIG Churches are afraid of small Churches

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

The MegaChurch has a Mega Problem

I pastor a Small Church. The average congregation in the United States is 100 or less. Our average attendance has increased from 80 in August to 115 in December. Thankfully we are a growing congregation, but still small by any measure. And this is a good thing.

You see, over the past few weeks, we have seen several new members join. 13 to be exact. (but who's counting? actually I am) I have been pastor there for 13 weeks. So if you are not a math major let me help you. We have been averaging 1 new member a week. Wow that's great you might say!! Well it's great for us, but the funny thing is, several of these new members have come from BIG churches.

One family started visiting a few months ago. They really liked the music at their church. However, since they had been visiting our church, no one had contacted them to say they were missed. No one had contacted them to see why they had not been there. Now I know what you are thinking. Are big churches supposed to keep track of everyone that goes there? Whether they should or not isn't a question. The problem is - THEY CAN'T. Exactly you say, that's why people should be connected into a small group and find fellowship and accountability within a close knit community. So let me throw you a bone here - The Church IS the close knit community.

If a church is too big to follow up with it's members and get them plugged into a small group, then it's too big.

Here's the example of another family. When they heard a "young" preacher was coming to the church, they stopped coming. So they started visiting a "bigger" church with an "experienced" pastor. After several weeks, this couple comes back to our church. I start to get to know them and the conversation they have with me is that they wanted to be in a church where they felt needed and wanted. They said the Pastor of the bigger church seemed to not care if they came there at all.

I'm not saying it's the Pastor's job to follow up with every visitor and recruit, but if this is what is communicated from the Senior Leadership from the church, I can only imagine what is being communicated by the other members. Attitude reflects leadership.

Maybe I'm naive but I want any member of our community who is able to get plugged into what God is doing through our church. And then I want to equip them to be spreaders of the Gospel and disciple makers within their own niche communities.

So you ask - do you expect all churches to stay small? No, I expect them to multiply. There will be more posts coming about that in the future. But for now I can say that big churches are missing out on a few things: attention to care, follow-up with non attenders, and accountability.

So, if there is anyone else who goes to a church where they don't know if you are there or not, there is a small church in your community that would LOVE to see you next Sunday.

Which Translation does God use?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Fröhliche Weihnachten - (German)
Joyeux Noel - (French)

Buone Feste Natalizie - (Italian)

Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan - (Chinese)

What do these all mean? MERRY CHRISTMAS. But someone had to translate for you because they were in a different language. A language that we didn't understad. A translation is when someone takes a Word you don't know, and puts it in the language you DO know.

The Bible says in John 1:1 that the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. But there is a problem, because you and I don't speak the language of God. So God translated his word for us by putting his WORD into a language we could understand.

John 1:14 says "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God sent his Word into the language that we could understand - skin and bone.

If someone ever asks you, "Do you believe in the Inerrant Word of God?" Say, "Yes, his Name is Jesus."

Next time you hear someone at a restaurant speaking a language you don't understand, just remember, without God's translation of Jesus, we wouldn't understand him either.

Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad

(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

Christ in Chanukah

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:29:00 +0000

8 Candle Menorah

Finding Christ in Chanukah

John 10:22 - 30 (Jesus at Feast of Dedication) - So where does the Feast of Dedication come from?

Feast of Tabernacles was largest feast of Israel - Lev. 23:42-43

Celebrates God dwelling with men

When we looked at the timeline for the birth of Jesus, it most likely occurred in the fall during the Feast of Tabernacles

Feast of Dedication became more Celebrated because of it’s Miracle

Celebrating a new“Temple”(Happened during the 400 years between OT and NT)

Chanukah called Feast of Dedication

Also known as the “Festival” of lights

The tradition goes like this in 171-164 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanus made a royal law that the Jews are to bow down and to offer sacrifices to Zeus. Soldiers came from the village of Modiin with a statue of Antiochus and took over the temple and erected a statue inside the temple. Jews were forbidden to observe the Sabbath nor study the Torah (Antiochus had Changed times and law). A family named the Maccabees with their father Mattitias gathered a small army against the Syrians, Maccabees in Hebrew means Hammer. Mattatias with his 5 sons John, Simon, Judah, Eliazer, Jonathan began to fight. When Mattatias fell ill and died, the leadership went to his son Judah who would lead the army. The Maccabees with Judah as their leader led a few thousand Jews to fight in the hills and defeat 20,000 Syrians. News of the defeat preceded them so as they came to the temple it was vacated left empty and ransacked.

Start of Chanukah - Supposedly, when the Jews rededicated the Temple and wanted to rekindle the lampstand, they found only enough oil for one day. It would take 8 days to make a new supply they decided to kindle and burn the remaining oil, a miracle occurred as the oil that was enough for only one day lasted for eight days ... thus, the term representing, "the Feast of Lights. This is why the Chanukah menorah has eight candles instead of the seven the temple menorah has, 8 candles to commemorate this miracle.

Today, Chanukah is more celebrated than the feast of Tabernacles,

Birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas

God dwelling with men

John 1:14 - “The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.”

The word “dwelt” literally means tabernacled or make one’s tent.

In the Old Testament God sent his presence, but in the New Testament God sent himself. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”

He IS the new temple

John 2:19 - Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

John 8:12 - “I am the light of the World”

In Christmas we have a fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles and Hannukah

Christian Dubstep = GODSTEP

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

I love dubstep. I love Jesus. I love young people on fire for Jesus.

I love it when young people who are on fire make dubstep about Jesus.

This song was made by a friend of mine, who is an up and coming DJ/ Singer, Song-writer.

Prepare to be amazed.

Why Definitions are Important.

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

8 Week Old Homo Sapien

Laws can only be understood within the context of the words they are written with. Words can only be understood within the context of the definitions society understands them by. What happens when people are confused by definitions, is that we can create logic or theories that defies everything else we previously understood about the world. I present an example of simple words, which now have no meaning at all.

Definition of Homicide: the killing of one human being by another.
Definition of Kill: to deprive of life in any manner.
Definition of Human Being: a member of the species Homo sapiens.
Definition of Homo Sapien: the modern species of humans, the only extant species of the primate family Hominidae. (not dependent on age but on genetic makeup. From the moment of conception the living organism is considered human)
Define Life - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganicobjects and dead organisms.
Define Deprive - to take something away from.
Homicide Explained: the killing (taking away of life) of one human being (any homo sapien).
Define Abortion - See definition 1.

God can Use Anything and Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Seven years ago, an 8th grade young man in the youth group I was pastoring came to me with a problem. He was friends with a senior in high school who he respected very much. The only problem was, this senior was an Atheist. My young friend who I will call "David" (aka teenage boy confronting giants) came to me asking for advice on how to reach this atheist with the Gospel.

First of all, we committed to praying for this senior. Secondly, after hearing about this senior, my friend David told me he was very intellectual, but also open. On my bookshelf, I had a book by Ray Comfort called "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists." This is a somewhat humorous book but also an intellectual look at the logic of Atheism. I told my young friend David to give this book to the Senior, and to keep on loving him as Jesus would love him. You may think I'm a bad person, but I actually forgot about this whole incident.

That was until Monday night. I received a call from my young friend David (now on his way to the mission field). David discovered his friend the Senior from a long time ago on facebook. But he was shocked. This open atheist now is a Christian. And get this - he's studying to be a Preacher! Glory to God!

I don't know any part of the story of when this atheist came to faith in Christ. But I do know that when
David gave him the book, the Senior was sincerely thankful that someone cared more for him than just "being his friend," and cared enough about his eternity to do something.

It is funny how many stories I hear like this, and it reminds me of Isaiah 55:11 -

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

ANYTHING done in the name of Jesus, wether it is giving someone a book, sharing with them a scripture, sending them a facebook message, or praying for them; God uses it ALL to bring about HIS salvation in the heart of the believer. Sometimes we think maybe something as a Gospel tract would be so insignificant that we don't use them. But I know story after story of someone coming to Christ because someone cared enough to hand them a Gospel tract. You see, nothing is insignificant when it comes to God' kingdom.

1 Corinthians 3:7 tells us -

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

You may be the one who plants a seed. You may be the one who waters a seed, but none the less, God will use all of those to make things grow.

Now, Go plant some seeds.

Poem for my Wife

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

from the top

of your head to

the soles of your

feet, I am in

love

with everything

about you. your skin

becomes my satin sheet.

your smile is so radiant that

it has burned an impression

in my mind. your laughter

becomes an orchestra

that serenades in the

chambers of my

heart. at the

core of my earth

flows a molten hot

magma of melted me. you

tamed my timid heart into a

stallion that rides for purpose.

i can't find my way back even

if i wanted to because this

wilderness challenges

perception, inception,

belief, reason

leaving only

you me.

Who was Saint Nick?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Nicholas of Myra fighting against Persecution

Santa Clause. Chris Kringle. St. Nick. The mythical character goes by many names, but who was he? The answers will surprise you.

In 280 AD, a young man named Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in the city of Patara which is now in the area of the world called Turkey. His parents raised him in the fear and admonition of the Lord and taught him the "sacred books" from the age of 5. His parents died while he was still young, forcing him to grow up quickly and now being responsible for a fortune.

Saint Nick became known not because of what he fought for, but because of what he fought against. Seeing that he was wealthy, St. Nick started by fighting against poverty.

The most famous tradition attributed to St. Nick is when he discovered the unfortunate plight of a father with three young girls in a very impoverished situation. Because the father did not have any money to pay a dowry for these girls to be married, they would be subjected to being sold into slavery and enduring a life a abusive servitude. The legend says that when St. Nick heard of this situation, he threw a bag of gold into the windows of the family's house to pay for the oldest girls dowry. The next night (some traditions say the next year) he threw another bag of gold. The father was so overjoyed and wanted to know who this generous mystery man was, so he stayed awake the 3rd night until he heard the bag of gold after it was tossed in the window. Upon running out the door to catch the midnight giver, he discovered young Nicholas, who told him not to tell anyone what he had done. Wanting to keep his giving secret, he claimed that all the glory belonged to God and not to him. Of course the father could hardly contain his excitement from the awesome acts of this young miracle, and began spreading the tale of the midnight giver known as Nicholas.

Some traditions also say that he threw the money down the chimney, or that he placed the money in their socks which were drying by the fire. But none the less, the tales of Nicholas the giver began gaining momentum. As children heard about this, they would leave their shoes out by the door so that Nicholas could place coins in them to be found at the morning. If you really want to play St. Nick this year, give gifts to children in need and not just your own.

Secondly, Nicholas fought against paganism. When he was a teenager, he made a trip to Egypt. After being exposed to the polytheistic religion of the Egyptians, he returned home with a new zeal for the Lord and desired to enter into Christian Ministry. After spending time at the Monastery of Holy Zion near Myra, he was elected bishop of Myra and ordained. Quickly he became known for his holiness, passion for the gospel, and contagious zeal for the Lord. It is said that he challenged the old gods of paganism at the principal temple in his district who was Artemis. Interestingly, she was known as the god of "the hunt." A correlation to the Yule god of war and hunt "Odin." Mythology had it that Odin would ride through the sky on a magic horse with 8 legs (8 reindeer?) during each winter, and that Odin would reward kids based on their behavior. Children would also leave out food for Odin's horse. Odin was known to be able to morph into different animals or shapes, so Odin could morph down the chimney to leave presents for good children. The Real St. Nick fought against the paganism that parallels what he would be remembered as later in European and American culture. Upon the Christianization of Germany, the legends of St. Nick morphed with the pagan god Odin and became what we now have today as Santa Clause who flies through the sky rewarding based on behavior. The real St. Nick didn't give based on goodness of children but gave based on the goodness of God.

The fight against paganism continued as emperor Diocletian directed in 303 AD the persecution and imprisonment of Christian leaders who would not deny the name of Jesus. Saint Nick was locked up and while in prison, he was tortured for his allegiance to the faith. Stories of his faithfulness trickled out of the prisons as he became known as one who would take whatever punishment dished out, and never forsaking his Lord. When Constantine ordered the cessation of the persecution, Nicholas returned to the town of Myra and was hailed as "Nicholas the Confessor." He did not bear a jolly round belly and fur, but he bore the marks of persecution and confession. The red on his garments was because of blood shed in allegiance to his Savior.

Lastly, Nicholas fought against heresy. One of the most interesting stories connected with St. Nick centers around his role during the Arian controversy. Arianism was declared heresy at the Council of Nicea, as it asserted in contrary to John 1:1, that the word (Jesus) was a created being and had not existed from all eternity. One tradition mentions St. Nick actually attending the council of Nicea in 325 AD when Arianism was rejected. It is reported that Nicholas got into a heated debate with Arius about whether there was a time when the Word did not exist. Nicholas strongly disagreed, so much to the point that he punched Arius knocking him to the floor of the council. He was passionate about the preservation of Christian Orthodoxy. Santa Clause IS coming to town, and the heretics better watch out.

If you really want to be St. Nick this Christmas, fight against the things which he did: against poverty, against paganism, and against heresy. If your desire is to share Christ's love like he did, we must be willing to endure the persecution that he did also.

Wisdom from the Wise Men

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Matthew is the only Gospel that presents the story of the Magi (or wise men) who visit Jesus. Starting in Matthew chapter 2, we read of 3 men traveling from "the east" who were studiers of the stars (astrologers). Some biblical scholars believe these men could have been from the Zoroastrian religion somewhere in Persia. Following the star to Jerusalem, they meet King Herod, but then find that the star directs them to Jerusalem. After meeting this baby King, they are warned in a dream to avoid Herod, so they go back home a different way from how they came. Here are some simple wisdom keys we can learn from the Wise Men.

Mysterious dreams from God are more powerful than the clear words of Kings.
Many saw the star, but only a few paid attention to where it was leading.
Who gives gold to a baby? The same wisdom that worships an unseen creator.
If the wise men were from Persia, the journey would be at least 1,000 miles. What's your excuse next time you miss Sunday School?
Don't arbitrarily worship an uncommon King.
Stars shine in the night. It was during the dark that God guided them. Don't fear dark times.
They looked for Jesus among the religious leaders, but found him among regular people. Where is your Jesus?
They didn't know theology. They just knew he was King. You don't need a degree to worship.
The wise men didn't come to seek; they came to worship. Seekers want entertainment but worshippers want a King.
God will always give a sign that leads to Jesus: His Word, His Spirit, His Love.
They went home a different way then how they came. Jesus will make you take a new road.
Studying natural phenomenon gave them an indication of the supernatural. Science will always lead to the Creator.
What's the best way to worship Jesus? Bring whatever gift you have.
The only way they saw God's sign was by looking up. You'll never see God's sign by looking at yourself.
A baby didn't need gold. God doesn't need your gift, but he wants it.
You visit a baby by getting low on your knees. Humility is the best seat in the house. Still true today.
When in the presence of a king, you forsake your personal dominion.
You don't travel to a King for what you will get. His presence is gift enough.

During this season remember that the first Christmas was celebrated by the GIVING of gifts in honor of Christ and not by GETTING gifts. Let everything we do be our worship and our gift to a Holy King.

Real Life Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:08:00 +0000

The problem with dictionaries is they tell you what a word technically means but not what it actually means. So I will be starting a series called "Real Life Dictionary." Here are some words and there actual meanings. Listed first is the definition and then the word.

Place to store dead batteries. (Flashlight)
Beautiful girl that takes all your money. (Daughter)
The thing you do the day before dental appointment. (Flossing)
Time of year when you accumulate a lot of junk. (Christmas)
Doing things you don't want to do but acting like you enjoy it. (Marriage)
Magical place to make laundry disappear when guests visit. (Under Bed)
Place to find old thank you cards. (Bible)
Where the possibility of anorexia is extremely low. (Baptist Church)
Equivalent to a four letter word in most churches. (Evangelism)
Guy who makes a list and only checks it once. (Chuck Norris)
Location to store fallen leaves until disposal. (Yard)
Sits on your desk just for looks. (Dictionary)
Game where the largest percentage of players are bad. (Golf)
Person that only speaks one language. (American)

What is your favorite "Real Life Dictionary" word?

31 Nights of Christmas Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

You might think I've been bah-humbug about Christmas, but that is not the case. I love the family nature of Christmas events, especially watching Christmas movies together. These movies can be used to actively teach about questions by judging what things were properly or improperly portrayed about the real meaning of Christmas.
I asked facebook friends what was their favorite Christmas movie, and we came up with a pretty extensive list. This list is ordered starting with ones that are some of my top favorites, and then tapering down to ones I've never heard of before. Normally we try to watch (or at least have playing) a Christmas movie every night starting on Thanksgiving. So here she goes:

Elf
It's a Wonderful Life
The Polar Express
A Christmas Story
Family Man
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Nativity (had several votes, I've never seen it)
The Santa Clause
Miracle on 34th Street
Charlie Brown Christmas
Scrooged
A Christmas Carol
The Christmas Blessing
The Christmas Box
Christmas Shoes
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Jack Frost
Jingle All the Way
The Walton's Homecoming (worth checking out)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (I am just simply presenting the list from friends)
Christmas with the Kranks
Four Christmases
Fred Claus
The Little Drummer Boy
The Grinch (Jim Carrey)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Mickey's Christmas Carol
The Nutcracker

Honorable Mention - Ernest Saves Christmas

Which is your Ultimate Favorite Christmas Movie?

Putting Christ in the Christmas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:21:00 +0000

CLICK TO LISTEN TO MP3 SERMON

The Reason(s) for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Listen to MP3 Sermon Here

10 Things to Do in a Minute

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:52:00 +0000

What would happen if you focused your whole being on accomplishing something each minute. What if every minute was not just something passing by, but a new challenge to be successful? Your clock does not keep track of time; it keeps track of opportunities. Every minute is a new one. Here are some ideas to get you jump started on taking advantage of minutes.

Call your grand-parent that you haven't talked with in 3 months.
Write a thank you note.
Organize as many books as you can (in a minute)
Throw away as much trash as you can
Delete as many emails as you can
Read a Psalm/Proverb
Write out a list of things you need to accomplish today
Look your child in the eye and tell them you love them
Schedule a lunch appointment with a friend
And the best way - spend 60 seconds simply talking to God.

Now, what can you do with 1 minute?

Jesus on Homosexuality

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:50:00 +0000

I have heard a lot of people say that homosexuality is ok because Jesus never mentioned anything about it. Even though the Bible talks about homosexuality several times, their argument is, Jesus never talked about it so it must be ok. In that case, Jesus never talked about killing cats either, so that must be ok too. Sorry I don't mean to joke about such a serious topic.

I love homosexuals. I have a friend who is currently being set free from the homosexual lifestyle and following Christ. I say that because he is on a process of sanctification. He didn't just wake up one day and decide to be gay, and he didn't just wake up the day after trusting in Christ as Savior and no longer have the urges that he was living with it. But he is trusting Christ along the journey and repenting of all sin.

But that is beyond the point, and the point is to see what Jesus said about homosexuality.

"but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:28

I know what you are thinking, this doesn't mention homosexuality either. But let us look at what it does mention. Lusting after a woman is the same as committing adultery. So what is adultery? Adultery is SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE. What was Jesus' implied, understood, didn't even need to be stated concept of marriage - IT WAS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. Sorry for the over-emphasis. I'm not yelling, just making sure my point is clear.
So here we see Jesus saying that anything outside the realm of a married man and woman having sex is adultery. Homosexuality is clearly outside the realm of marriage.

When the Physical Father isn't Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:52:00 +0000

By guest blogger Hunter Miller.

I know there are people in this world that can relate to this post, and I truly hope that it is capable of encouraging and strengthening someone's heart - today on Father's Day.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because they got locked away.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because their father passed away.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because they walked away.

Whatever the case may be, My desire is that you understand that your physical Father is not in the present as much - So that your spiritual Father can be more present in the future of your life! Through all of the events of our lives, Yahweh's desire is that we turn to Him and magnify Him for His almighty attributes. Where you find fault in your physical Father, There is support to be found in your Spiritual Father. Follow me as I explain..

Perhaps your physical Father left you at a very early age in your life.. Yahweh can use this event to grant you more time to focus on Him. Yahweh will provide peace and understanding for the questions that we all have had. The tears, anger, and pain is not required every year on Father's day. Those come when we let a depressing spirit attach to us (from the devil). The devil wants you to focus on yourself, your mistakes, your failures, your losses, and your shortcomings. The devil will send messages to your mind about could of beens, would of beens, and should of beens. In all reality, We should be filling our heads with thankful fors, praise fors, and strengthened fors.

Perhaps your physical Father left this world, leaving a void in your life on a day like today. Yahweh can provide all the attributes of a physical Father, and more, if you are willing to accept His tender touch. When your in need of a pick-me-up, He will send down a blessing of encourgament. When your going through a hard-time in life, He will be there to hold your hand and walk with you through the storm. When you need someone to hug and cry on, He will be there waiting to wrap His arms around you and cover you in His love. When you want to feel the Fatherly joy and laughter, He can give you a presence to bask in that will leave you feeling unexplainably happy.

Perhaps your physical Father went away for a while, for something he did - Placing doubts, lost memories, and voids in your heart. Yahweh can provide assurance and knowledge of the characteristics that a real Father should hold. Yahweh will protect you from all the evil in the world, through the thick of night and the light of day. He will raise you to be strong and wise through His promises. He will teach you to hold your tongue when the temptation is right in your face, and how to stand your ground when the devil knocks at your door. He will teach you how to treat a companion, with love, compassion, trust, honesty, morality, and equality. He will not hold your physical Father's mistakes against you.

In the midst of Father's Day, I ask that you do not find the negative viewpoints on today - Rather, find the positive viewpoints and seek to notice the blessings that God has sent into your life. Whether they seem small, dig deep into them and notice the real depth of Yahweh's love for your life.

Once again, I hope this note was able to strengthen and encourage you - As it is thought's that have encouraged me!

Secrets of a 600 lb Bench Press

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:52:00 +0000

The following information was shared to me from Davin Adams - the strongest man in NC and ranked 3rd strongest man in the USA among Raw Bench Press. Here is Davin benching 600 lbs (Steroid Free):

Davin is a normal dude. Not a roid head, but a simple farmer, who is almost literally, strong as an Ox. I asked Davin about some tips, since it is rare that you get to meet a man that strong. Here is a simple list of things he does every day -

Eats 2 bananas during every workout
Drinks a glass of OJ and a glass of Chocolate Milk directly upon waking up
Eats sushi every day for lunch (he says this is one of the most raw and natural forms of protein for your body to absorb)
Eats fish twice a day (breakfast and dinner, doesn't include the sushi for lunch)
Takes fish oil supplements
Takes glutamine during workout which practically eliminates soreness.

His workouts are simple also. He lifts chest twice a week, but he does it with intensity. Do this workout like it should be done, and you will not want to do any more. The workout is made of a heavy day and a light day. My figures below are based on someone who is currently bench pressing 250 (this is what I was pressing before going into the hospital) By the way, he normally does between 6 and 7 sets to warm up. Starting with 135 and then working up in 90 lb increments. This is a big factor in allowing the muscle to perform properly.

Heavy Day -

Week 1: 8 sets of 5 with 80% max (200 lbs)
Week 2: 8 sets of 4 with 85% max (212.5 lbs)
Week 3: 8 sets of 3 with 90% max (225 lbs)
Week 4: 8 sets of 3 with 95% max (237.5 lbs)
Attempt for new max

Light Day -

1 Set of between 10 - 15
1 Set of approximately 20
Both are done to maximum rep, so for first set, choose a weight that will not allow you to do more than 15
Next week reverse. Lighter first, then heavier 2nd
3rd week, add 5 lbs to both.
After the two sets - then do 1 set of pushups till failure
1 set of dips to failure

Davin says he has seen more people increase weight more quickly on the light days than on the heavy days.

The post title is kind of misleading. These are not really "secrets." The reality is, most will not bench over 400lbs, and a great goal for the average joe would be to work to 300. These techniques will work regardless of what weight you are shooting for. The actual secret is: hard work, good diet, lots of protein, plenty of water, plenty of sleep, and proper technique. So, don't do everything in this list, but maybe take 1 or two things away that you can incorporate into your current routine to make you better.