Jeff's Wazsupp?!? Blog

The Truth about SEX!

2007-03-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

For those parents who would like some solid statistics when helping to steer their kids towards living a life with sexual integrity, or for you students who want the truth about the realities of our society's new epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (S.T.D.'s) and what may happen to you if you choose to do something sexually with someone else. If you question any of these statistics, you'll have to take on the organizations that published the results. I got my data from the Centers for Disease Control, the 2005 ASHA State of the Nation Report, the 2005 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, which many of these links are listed on the Students Against Destructive Decisions website (www.sadd.org)..... Ebrace yourself!

First off, you must understand this: The medical definition of sex is "genital contact of any sort", any skin-to-skin contact in that region. Many teens, and even some parents think that sex is merely intercourse. The problem with that is, over 11 million new STD infections occurred in 2005 among adolescents and teens alone!. The majority of these cases were with adolescents who said that they "didn't have sex". (sound familiar parents?) In order to stop this epidemic of S.T.D.s, and help the next generation make safe decisions with their body, mind, and soul, we must take a stand that sex is much more than just the act of intercourse, and that there is no longer any form of "safe sex". The main worry for most of you growing up was not getting pregnant as a teen. In this day and age, getting pregnant isn't that bad of thing to happen compared to the alternatives. Read on and you'll see what I mean.

SCARY, BUT TRUE STATISTICS:
12,000 youth between the ages of 11-19 will contract an S.T.D. in the next 24 hours! In many cases, these diseases go unnoticed and are dormant in the body for 3 years later showing up as cervical, ovarian or even testistical cancer. Infertility among girls over the age of 11 has increased 500% just in the last ten years! Because the infected do not exhibit initial symptoms for many years, they do not know that they have an STD, thus continuing to spread the disease to others thinking that they are disease free.

The 2nd leading cause of death, just behind breast cancer, is by undiagnosed sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The two fastest growing STDs are viruses by the name of Herpes and HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). These diseases are incurable and are spread by merely skin-to-skin contact. You just touch someone now in an inappropriate area and you can get contract a virus like HPV that has been recently proven to cause nearly all cervical cancer. In 1999, more women died of cervical cancer due to this STD than AIDS. HPV is now the single most common STD in America, and the deadliest.

1 in 2 youth, 50%, who choose to have a sexual encounter with another person will contract an STD! If this isn't an epidemic, I don't know what is...You could be killing your child by not standing up and leading the charge in helping them to be abstinent until marriage. It only can take one time, one bad decision, and your child's life and well-being is altered forever.

1 out of every 4 youth over the age of 11 who has engaged in a sexual encounter is infected with an incurable virus such as HPV, Herpes, or HIV. Half of all new HIV infections now occur among adolescents. Read that again, and let that statistic set in for a moment. 25% of our youth who decide just once at a friends house or a class party to "mess around a little bit" will contract a virus that will infect them for the rest of their lives, which may not be very long depending on the virus. From the years 2000 to 2004, there was a 42% increase in teenagers and young persons who were infected with HIV.

There were just 5 known STDs in the 1950's, there are over 30 today!
Parents, this is not the same culture in regards to diseases and sexual activity as when you were growing up. I've talked with many police officers both in my suburbian hometown and in the city where I'm employed, and their accounts of junior high incidents that involve explicit sexual activities at house parties and even at school is almost unbelievable. Middle School students are having "rainbow" parties at there homes where the girls put on different colored lipstick and then perform oral sex on all the boys to see who has the funkiest looking rainbow when they are all done. It's a contest, and they don't think it's wrong because it's "not sex". I know this is difficult for you to believe, but it's happening. Do you really know what's going on when your child goes over to their friend's house? How well do you know your child's friends and their parents? Most parents are decent individuals, but too many make the mistake of not checking in on the group and leave them alone by heading off to bed early when they have the responsibility of staying up to observe all aspects of their child's party down in the basement.

Condoms have been proven to provide absolutely NO safe protection for incurable viruses of Herpes, HPV, or HIV.
HPV and Herpes is contracted by skin-to-skin genital contact. It would take a pretty large condom to cover every single surface of the entire genital area. If that was possible, which it's not, HIV can easily be transmitted while using a condom because this viruses' molecular size is so small that it passes right through the condom wall. Condoms and "safe sex", this has been one of the biggest lies ever taught through our school system and to this society. Set the record straight parents, teach abstinence and sexual integrity with your kids. Their lives depend on it!

Parents, your student wants you to guide them in this area, even if they wouldn't admit it to your faces. It was reported in the New York Post, September 30, 2003 that 88% of teens say that it would be easier to postpone sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancies and STD's if they were able to have more open conversations with their parents on this subject. 60% of these teens admitted that their parents, not their friends, are their primary role model for responsible relationships.

Step up parent(s), be the parent and set some boundaries in your home that will help promote sexual integrity with your kids. It's time to stop trying to be your kid's buddy and pal, God hasn't called you to be that to them. You will answer to God for what kind of parameters you set in your home and how you loved your children. Much of today's sex is driven by media on t.v., video games, radio, and magazines. It's not easy to take a stand and say to your teenager "Do you think that t.v. show gives God glory and helps you to be a man/women of integrity", or "Does that video game glorify God, does it exemplify Godly characteristics?" If the answer to these few questions is no, then it takes courage on your part to take a stand with your teenager. By doing so, they might not like you, but that shouldn't be your motivation in raising your children. You are loving them by giving them character parameters, take a stand, you and even they in the years down the road will be very glad that you did. They will thank you someday for it....

In your attempt to do something, turn to God in prayer for His strength and wisdom on how to go about such a task of implementing the boundaries that will help your kids have sexual integrity. Also, get some resources like Greg Speck's awesome book entitled "Sex, it's worth waiting for" and hand it to your teenager. I've read many of these books and I've never seen one that my 10th grade son couldn't put down and stop reading. Greg came to our church a few weeks ago and we recorded his message to parents and their students. If you would like to listen to this or even watch this phenomenal presentation on implementing sexual integrity in your home and with your teenager(s), you can stop by my office and sign out a copy to view with your student at home or listen to in the car. This will open the door to having an on-going conversation on sex with your kids that they so long to have with you.

If you have questions about any of this material that I wrote, you can contact me at work at 952-898-9341 or email me at jlexvold@princeofpeaceonline.org.

Praise The Lord!!

Jeff

Meeting Others On Their Turf

2006-09-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a great summer! I sure did...
Highlights for me were going to Wisconsin Dells to the waterparks with my family, going up north to the Apostle Islands to celebrate my anniversary with my beautiful wife, and hanging out with about 250 of you at Camp Ingham and Sonshine Festival.

If you haven't checked out my previous blogs, it's real easy, just press on them and scroll down.
E-mail me at any time at jlexvold@princeofpeaceonline.org. Hope you enjoy this blog.....Jeff

One thing that continues to amaze me is the kind of impact or affect that our actions are able to have when we go out of our way to do something kind in Christ’s name for someone else. Have you ever done something for someone else that meant so much to them that it influenced their walk with God and their love for the Body of Christ, the Church? I’m not talking about things that you would do for money or for recognition, but those times when you go out of your own little world to meet someone on their turf to love on them as Jesus would have. I have to share what happened this past spring when I did this, and I’m not sharing this as to lift me up in any way. My hope is that this story will reveal how God can work in miraculous ways, even through a hammer, nail gun, and some sweat.

Every year I ask new parents from the incoming 6th grade class to consider being on the adult MSM Leadership Team. If it wasn’t for this team of a handful of volunteer parents who meet with me every other week for a couple of hours throughout the year, Middle School Ministry would not be the magnificent ministry that it is today. After a meeting with all the 5th grade parents, a mom who was still in the stage of checking Prince of Peace out came forward to inform me that she would be interested in sitting in on a few of the MSM Leadership meetings before she made a solid commitment in the ministries that we were offering her and her family. With our next MSM Leadership meeting not being for another couple of weeks, I invited her and her family to join the Leadership Team that Friday night as we were gathering for our annual spring cookout over at one of the Leader’s homes.

Friday night came, and as always, it was a grand celebration as the six of us, this mom, and our families all gathered for scrumptious food and fun. In acquiring why her spouse was not able to attend the party, she informed us that he was attempting to tear off all the shingles on their home and that he would be working all weekend long with a scarce crew of volunteers and friends. She didn’t know this, but before becoming a full-time youth minister, I owned my own roofing company. I enjoy roofing, and still am able to take on four roofing projects a year as my schedule permits. When I found out that he had never roofed before, I immediately felt called by God to help this guy out, even though it meant dropping any plans that I had already had for the weekend. A husband of one of the ladies on the MSM Leadership Team said that he too could help this family with the whole roofing project.

Saturday morning rolled around, I picked up my new partner and went down to Apple Valley to this family’s home. When I got there, the entire roof with the old shingles had been torn off. Immediately I thought that the seven guys who were all up on the roof must all know what they were doing because nobody in their right mind would tear off an entire house under cloudy skies leaving it wide open for rain damage if they weren’t all skilled in knowing how to properly prep it and in a quick way. After a few moments, I discovered that the one guy who was looked upon as the only one who supposedly knew what he was doing actually had only roofed once. The rest of the guys were taking instructions and guidance from him. I went from being just another helper on the roof to the expert showing others what to do and how it properly should be done. Thank the Lord that rain did not fall that weekend and that after many hours and days of hard work we were able to finish roofing their beautiful home without any unexpected incidents or trouble.

It was a good feeling to be able to help this family in a project where I was actually able to use some talents that the Lord had blessed me with. The older I get, and the longer I pursue living the life of a disciple for the Lord Jesus, the more I long to possess various spiritual gifts and a Christ-centered heart. In my pursuit to further my spiritual walk with God, I’m reminded of 1Corinthians 14:12 that says “since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try (first) to excel in gifts that build up the church” (parenthesis show emphasis). Because I was willing to meet this mom and her real needs on her turf (actually it was on her roof), the body of Christ, or church, was built up in even a stronger way. A few weeks ago I was informed that it was this single act by a few of us helping them with their roof that assured this family that they were definitely at the right church and with the right people who would befriend them in their walk with the Lord Jesus.

Every single one of you has been blessed with different talents and gifts that are able to further build up the body (church) of Christ. In no way did I think helping a family for a few days with their roof would have such an impact. That’s one of the amazing things about God, He takes our small efforts of kindness and love and enlarges them in a way that we would have never imagined. Thank you, Father God, for the few talents that you have given me, and for getting me off my rear end to use them to bring you glory. Lord, please help all who read this to see a way that they can love on someone else in the days to come. May this act of kindness bring you glory and build your kingdom here among us…..Amen.

In what ways could you bring love and talent to someone else on “their turf”?

What is one thing that you could do for someone else today, or this week? What’s stopping you? Do it anyway….in Christ’s name!

Much Fiction in 'The Da Vinci Code'

2006-05-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Fact vs Lots of Fiction

The book, when it was released in 2003, has sold over 40 million copies. The movie on its first weekend in theaters grossed over 100 million dollars. I don’t normally concern myself with fictional books or movies, but in this case, we as followers of Christ must take some sort of action for the false claims that this author states as being “true” regarding Jesus and the Christian faith. To tell millions of people all over the world that something is "true and accurate" when it's not is WRONG!

He makes false claims throughout his book in which the movie is based upon. I've chosen the 10 most outrageous "truth" claims that he bases his story on for us to analyze with the actual FACT to each one. The movie ends with the words “Seek The Truth”, I agree! You sure aren’t going to find much truth though in ‘The Da Vinci Code’. (Most of this information in this blog came from a few different exerts by Alex McFarland and Carl E. Olson) There are some great articles with even more information on Focus on the Family’s website where this came from.
Go to www.go.family.org/davinci/archive.cfm for even more info.
Here are some of those claims that Brown makes in his book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ regarding Jesus and the Christian faith. We who know the truth have to stand up and say something, otherwise people who see the movie or read this book could easily take Brown’s word and believe these false claims about Jesus as being true. What are these claims? Read on…
At the end of this, I will give you a few suggestions of how we, as followers of Christ, can use this movie/book to further the Kingdom of Heaven rather than allowing it to stain Christianity, the truths of the Bible, and Jesus our Lord.

1) Brown’s claim: The Bible has been extensively rewritten and revised. Therefore, its original meaning has been lost. The Christian Scriptures "evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions." (DVC, p. 231)

FACT: "Countless translations" is an overly vague generalization and exaggeration. Translation issues for the Bible are not different from translation issues for any other document, and cause no more difficulty. There are difficulties in translating the Bible from ancient Hebrew and Greek to any modern language, but the scholars who have done this do it with diligence and strict guidelines.

2) Brown’s claim: "Fortunately for historians . . . some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate (word for destroy) managed to survive. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert." (DVC, p. 234)

FACT: According to Dr. Paul L. Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, Constantine was never involved in any attempt to eradicate any gospels. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 and contained no gospels, nor any reference to Jesus. They contained portions of every Old Testament book except Esther and commentaries on the Old Testament. The Qumran community, which wrote or preserved these documents, had nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity.

3) Brown’s Claim: "The Bible, as we know it today, was collated (put together) by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great." (DVC, p. 232)

FACT: Around the year 330 A.D., Constantine became ruler of the Roman Empire. Through a series of events where he became successful using the Christian cross in defeating his enemies in his battles, Constantine declared Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire. Whether Constantine was a true follower of Christ or not, he definitely was not a pagan as Dan Brown declares him as. He did not collate or formulate the Bible at all. The entire Old Testament was compiled even before the time of Jesus. The New Testament began to be recognized by the end of the 1st century, and by the 2nd century (150 A.D.), church leaders were inserting quotes from the four Gospels into their teachings and writings.

4. Brown’s Claim: The Bible was "hodge-podged" together over time and is not trustworthy. "The Bible is the product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times." (DVC, p. 231)

FACT: If men wanted to create a new religion, they would never choose one with a God/man as its central figure and a resurrection from the dead as its foundation. (1 Corinthians 15:14, Ephesians 2:20). Further, if men had produced Christianity, it would be man-centered, as are all other religions. In other words, man would earn his way into heaven through his good deeds. Man would then get the glory. In contrast, the Bible declares that man cannot work his way to God. There must be a substitute or sacrifice that is acceptable to God to pay the way for us. Jesus Christ is that perfect substitute — the one and only way to God. Therefore, God gets all the glory. (Isaiah 64:6, Philippians 3:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18) Dan Brown just may want to reconsider his claims against God’s Word that it is not trustworthy, who sounds like the pagan now?

5. Brown’s Claim: Many "gospels" existed recounting the life of Christ, some of which were suppressed: "More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John among them . . . " (DVC, p. 231)

FACT: The "gospels" to which Brown refers are the Gnostic gospels. They were written from about 250-350 A.D., several hundred years after Christ lived. They were written to reinterpret the life of Christ and His teachings, based upon Gnostic philosophy. They were never considered for inclusion in the New Testament because, says Eusebius (a 2nd Century Roman historian), they rejected the entire Bible except for some of Paul’s letters in addition to most of the truth claims stated in the Apostle’s Creed.

6. Brown’s Claim: Christianity as we know it was "invented" by people, rather than revealed by God. "At [the Council of Nicea] . . . many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon — the date of Easter, the role of the bishops, the administration of sacraments and, of course, the divinity of Jesus . . . [U]ntil that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet . . . a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal." (DVC, p. 233)

FACT: First off, the Council of Nicea in the year 325 A.D. debated only one issue: Was Jesus coeternal with the Father? None of these other things were even discussed as described by Eusebius the historian. There is plenty of evidence that the early Christians, including his followers and even skeptics, believed that Jesus of Nazareth was truly divine. Although Jesus' disciples were fearful skeptics who initially did not clearly understand who Christ was and what He came to do, after the resurrection they willingly sacrificed their lives for proclaiming that He was indeed God in the flesh. (John 20:19-28, 31; 2 Peter 1:16-18; Philippians 2:5-11). ‘Jesus is Lord’ – Romans 10:9.

7. Brown’s Claim: Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. "One particularly troubling earthly theme kept recurring in the [Gnostic] gospels. Mary Magdalene. . . . More specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ." (DVC, p. 244)

FACT: None of the Gnostic gospels contain any references to a marriage between Mary and Jesus. There is no support for this claim in the Scriptures or in early church traditions. In 1 Corinthians 9:5, Paul defended his right to have a wife (even though he was unmarried). He cites as support the other apostles, the Lord's brothers and Peter. If Christ had been married, Paul would most certainly have cited Him as conclusive support for being accompanied by a wife.

8. Brown’s Claim: ‘The Da Vinci Code’ book is based on fact. "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." (DVC Page 1)

FACT: Contrary to the book's claim that early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex, the Old Testament carefully defined and steadfastly condemned sexual immorality — especially the pagan practice of bringing sex into public worship (Leviticus 10:10-21; Deuteronomy 23:17-18; 1 Kings 14:24).
The novel contends that Leonardo Da Vinci painted Mary Magdalene in replace of the Apostle John. However, John's appearance (being very feminine) reflects the way Florentine artists traditionally depicted John.

9. Brown’s Claim: The early Christians “literally” stole Jesus from the tomb and enhanced his “human message…in an impenetrable cloak of divinity, and used it to expand their own power”. He states that the Jesus described in the Gnostic writings is far more human than the Jesus portrayed in the four Gospels of the Bible.

FACT: If you read the so called “Gnostic Gospels”, which I studied in depth at Luther Seminary, and compare them to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus is rarely recognizable as having any human tendencies. The Gnostics believed that Jesus wasn’t even born of human flesh, that he came to earth as a phantom-like creature. In regards to the disciples literally stealing the body of Jesus from the tomb, read my previous blog entitled “Why Jesus Had To Have Risen From The Grave”. If Dan Brown believes that the disciples stole his body from the tomb to “expand their power”, he’s absolutely nuts! In proclaiming Christ crucified and resurrected from the grave, the only thing the disciples gained (besides eternal life in heaven of course) was being put to death for their faith.

10. Brown’s Claim: Brown states that these cryptic messages, which are supposedly hidden in Da Vinci’s paintings of the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, “hints at a shocking historical secret which allegedly has been guarded since 1099 by a European secret society known as the Priory of Sion”.

FACT: Well, there is a Priory of Sion, but this was founded in the 1950’s in France by a political radical. It’s mysterious history is an admitted fabrication (a made up story) and has been proven more than once to be a complete hoax. Yet, the Priory of Sion is the central element in the plot and logic (yea, right!) behind Brown’s entire story line of The Da Vinci Code.

As you can see, there sure isn't much truth at all in this book/movie. There are some things that I choose not to financially support or partake in, junk like this isn't entertianment, it's a slap to our Savior Lord and all that He lived and died for. The problem is many people will think this is all true just because one man (Dan Brown) says it is. We, as Christians, can use that which was meant for evil (an attempt to steer people away from Christ Jesus) to actually help build the Kingdom of God. Here are a few suggestions:

* Ask people if they've seen the movie/read the book.

* If they haven't, don't recommend that they see it.

* If they have, ask them questions like:
1) How did it influence your existing beliefs regarding
Jesus, the Bible, and/or the Christian faith?
2) Do you believe that these claims are true?
3) Can I share with you some things that I've learned
regarding the movie/book?

Whatever you do, LISTEN to them first. This is an excellent opportunity to engage with a friend or neighbor what they believe in. In no way are you telling them that they are wrong, but you will have an oportunity to share the real truth of the Bible, Jesus, and the Christian faith after you have spent time listening to them. Print these 10 claims out and go over any of them that may have influenced them during the movie or book.
Make sure you pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through you, and allow you to speak truth in a loving way. Let the Lord's Spirit be the one, after your conversation, to move their heart towards the truth.

Till next time.....your brother in the battle,
Jeff

Sound Proof That Jesus Rose From the Dead

2006-04-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

There are specific reasons why people are willing to both live and die for this Jesus of Nazareth who lived from 4B.C to 33A.D. With the help of brilliant scholars like Dr. Gregory Boyd, Lee Strobel, and Josh McDowell, reasons to believe, live, and even die as a Christian follower have become clear to me over the years. My faith in Christ Jesus has to do with one thing: the Resurrection. Everything about whether or not Jesus is truly the Son of God can be proved or disproved from the resurrection events. If you sincerely believe that this Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified and killed, then you must believe all of what the Bible says that He did. Here are my reasons for believing
Why the resurrection of Jesus HAD to have happened:

1) The roman soldiers stabbed a spear into his side to assure his death on the cross.
Both blood and water poured out, which only can separate following death. Some skeptics say that Jesus could have faked his own death, that this was the reason why he was seen alive walking around for a month following the crucifixion. It was common practice for these executioners, in order to speed up the death of their criminals, to use a huge mallet that would break both leg bones just above the ankles so that they could not lift their chest for oxygen. It is documented that the soldiers broke the legs of the criminals on each side of Jesus, but did not break Jesus’ legs because he had already died on the cross. Can’t have a resurrection from the dead without a true death first.

2) The large stone was sealed off by Roman authority.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, the leaders of the Jewish temple, asked the Roman Procurator Pilate to not only post roman guards at the tomb where Jesus’ body was, but to also seal off the entrance by putting wax around the stone with an official Roman seal. Grounds for anyone breaking an official Roman seal would have been death.

3) Roman soldiers were ordered to secure and guard the tomb under law.
Some skeptics say that a mob of followers or disciples got together and stole Jesus’ body out of the tomb, and that explained why his body was missing. This cannot be, because in order for them to get the body out, they would’ve had to have gotten pass the guards. To have fallen asleep on the job or willingly allow a group to take the body would have meant penalty by death for each of these soldiers. Something very powerful (like God) had to have intervened in order for these soldiers to all fall into a deep sleep simultaneously.

4) The cloth wrapped around Jesus’ body had not been unraveled.
If the disciples were somehow able to magically make all the soldiers fall asleep into some deep unconsciousness, and if they were able to move the huge stone away in order to remove the body to make it look like Jesus had rose from the grave, how did they do it without unraveling the strips of cloth that had been so tightly woven around Jesus’ entire body and head? As described in the original Greek, and mentioned in John 20:5-8, these strips of linen were found by Peter and John in an orderly arrangement as though the body vanished from within the wrappings. One thing else to note here, if the disciple miraculously were able to take the body during the evening without unraveling the tightly wrapped linen, why would they be so eager to show up to the tomb the next day? Bank robbers, if they are smart, don’t run down to the scene of the crime on the following day to see if it really happened.

5) Jesus, in human flesh, appeared to hundreds following the crucifixion
Many skeptics say that these supposed appearances of Jesus after his crucifixion were just hallucinations. This could make sense, except it is even a greater miracle for hundreds of people over a 40 day period of time to all have the exact same hallucination.
If I listed all of the appearances that Jesus made with all of the different groups and individuals that are noted both in scripture and even outside of the Bible, I would have to have that be a separate blog in itself. Jesus just didn’t appear, he ate meals with others and even allowed people to touch his skin to prove that he was no ghost (Luke 24:39).

6) The disciples went instantly from hiding for their lives to dying for Christ.
If the disciples were somehow able, through some mysterious spell, to make the soldiers go unconscious, make hundreds of people have the same hallucination person after person over 40 days about Jesus being alive knowing all along that Jesus really never rose from the dead, why would they be so foolish then to die for this belief? No one, in their right mind, will die for a lie. People will die for a cause, but that’s only when they believe in their hearts and minds that the cause is right and truth worthy to them. Don’t you think that at least one of these disciples would have come forth and spoken up to tell the world that it’s all a lie to save themselves from being persecuted if they were behind the whole thing? Yes, someone would have, if in fact they were being part of some sort of deception plot. When the books of the New Testament were being written between 50-100 A.D. explaining in detail all the miracles that Jesus did and even his resurrection from the dead, most of the people who supposedly witnessed all of this were still alive. If what we read today in these Gospel letters that were written then were lies, the people would living during these times would’ve put a stop to such nonsense. But no one did. Why? It was all true!

The disciples went from hiding behind locked doors, fearful of their lives to preaching in the streets throughout Israel and beyond that Jesus is alive. Why would they do this if it meant being persecuted and killed? It was the truth! The great thing about truth, is that it doesn’t change over time. Truth is truth, Jesus is alive! Jesus conquered death, and took our sins as a sacrifice so that those who believe and accept his gift of salvation will not die into a death away from God but will die into new life with God in heaven.

I could give you even more reasons, and there are more reasons given by many other scholars who are much more intelligent than me. The point here is, do NOT let your ignorance, your stubbornness, or even your pride stand in the way of the truth, God’s truth. There is a God who loves you, who paid your price into heaven’s eternity, if you accept Him and that gift. Don’t be like the rich man, the story that Jesus describes what will happen to those who reject Him and this gift told in Luke 16:19-31. If you don’t believe in Hell, or the devil, then you must believe that this Jesus from Nazareth was a complete lunatic and liar because he spoke more about these two things than any other prophet in the history of man-kind. Point here, is that you don’t want to mess up the place where you spend your eternity when you die just because you didn’t pursue the truth. It’s all here, right before your eyes, open your heart to the truth that Jesus is Lord, and that he is the only one, through his death and resurrection, who can give you eternal life in a heavenly place.

Live for Christ today, and always! You won’t regret it……

Who Should Be Worshipped - Satan, or God The Creator?

2006-02-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

In the comment section from our the last blog, a young lady shared about her friend who believes that Satan is a god, and for that, ought to be worshipped as much as the God of the Christians. I recommend that you go and read her reply to his beliefs before continuing on in reading my response to his statements. His theology (thoughts about God) can be very persuasive, and there will be many people you'll bump into in life who think this very way.
Truth is on the line.....there is a difference between absolute truth, and a lie (deceipt).

Vicky, I can't begin to tell you how much that I am proud of you! It is not easy to take a stand when someone you care about is in opposition to your faith beliefs. What you have on your side that makes the whole world of difference, is TRUTH.
Your friend, and any other a theists, must first prove that Jesus from Nazareth was a complete lunatic. Either He was who he says he was (the Son of the One True God) who died as a sacrafice in taking the penalty for our sins, then conquering death (Satan) by rising from the grave 3 days later, OR, Jesus was a complete wacko nut case. There has NEVER been anyone in all of history that has been able to prove that Jesus was not who He claims to be....I've always wondered, why would anyone not worship Jesus as Lord when no one can prove Him to be a lunatic liar!
I guess it's because the truth is on His side, and ours.... read on.....

Is Satan a god?
In order to be considered a god, one must worship it as such. Thus, anyone or anything can be a god if human beings worship it as such. There were virtually hundreds of different gods that were worshipped in Greek mythology, everything from small statues to large monuments. The question one ought to be asking is, did any of these gods prove to be divine deities? (A divine deity is a real and present being that has absolute power over everything, both physical and spiritual - all entities). Satan could most definitely be considered a god for there are those who choose to worship it.

What’s the difference between Satan and God the Creator?
The difference between God the Creator of the universe and Satan is one of divine deity. Satan wishes he could have absolute power over all entities, that is exactly why God kicked him out of His Kingdom. Satan was an angel named Lucifer prior to his fall away from the Kingdom of God who wanted the power to be the One true God. Satan is a mere spiritual being that opposes God, nothing more and nothing less. At any time, God could destroy Satan and any demonic forces that opposes the One and true Divine Deity. If He did that, God would prove to be a controlling Deity. Out of pure love, He chooses not to control that which He has created. There is a path that God paved for each of us to walk that leads to eternal life with this loving God, proven to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus from Nazareth.

Why wouldn’t God want us to honor and worship Satan?
This God who Christians worship is the same God who parted the Red Sea and set a million Israelites free from the bondages of slavery. If you don’t believe this event happened, you better check with Egyptian history. This event goes undisputed, for some of the Egyptians who pursued these Israelites towards the Red Sea were stopped by a 12 hour blazing wall of fire, but survived to tell the story to their descendants of how a million Israelites disappeared into the waters of the Red Sea.
This same God of the Israelites is the same God who is the creator of all. In his attempt to bring justice and peace among all tribes inhabiting the planet, he put forth a series of commandments. One of those commandments, among many others, was that no other god was to be worshipped. Why would this creator God be so selfish in declaring such a statement?

Imagine for a moment if you made out of clay a bunch of miniature figures. You spent lots of time creating each one to be different and special. You were able, some how, to bring life to everyone of these clay figures and provide their miniature community with food, water, and other basic needs. You do this day after day, week after week, year after year. Then one day, a snotty little neighbor kid comes over wearing a flashy coat, shiny sunglasses, and some really cool chains around his neck. Because the clay figures have never seen such shiny things like this before, they want them for themselves. This snotty kid persuades them to worship him, and him alone, in return of sharing some of his shiny toys.
From this day forward, your clay figures that you created and have cared for all their lives begin to worship this neighbor kid as their god and creator. They no longer wanted you around. They were giving this intruder the honor and glory that only you deserved. How would you feel towards this neighbor kid is how God our creator must feel when any human being decides to turn their back and worship some other person (like Buddha) or thing (a golden calf, a drug, etc.).

Why would God the Creator allow Satan to exist?
God allows Satan to exist because He is not an unloving, controlling God who makes our independent life choices and decisions on who we choose to worship. God’s hope and ultimate desire, revealed to us through the prophets and through the words of Jesus himself, is that all would accept His gift of salvation of the divine blood shed for each of us on the cross. Those who willfully accept this gift by worshipping the One true God through Jesus Christ will have eternal life with God in heaven. Those who willfully choose to not worship this One true God through Jesus Christ reject this gift of salvation and therefore are destined to spending eternity away from God. The name of this place where God’s love and grace is not present is known as Hell. Satan does everything in his limited power and persuasion to take our eyes and our hearts off of the One true God with the desire to hurt Him. God loves that which He has created, and longs to be loved in return as would any parent figure. If Satan can pursued humans with lies and deceitful tactics to turn away from God and ultimately choose not to accept His gift of true salvation, he has accomplished his task in his battle against God.

If God created everything, and evil exists, then does that mean God is evil?

The best way to answer this is by telling about a true story that took place at a certain college. There was a professor at this college who had a reputation for being tough, especially on Christians. He was not one himself, and made it his joy to try to disprove or discredit the God of the Christians. At the first class, every semester, he asked if anyone was a Christian and proceeded to degrade them and to mock their statement of faith. One semester the professor asked the question "Did God make everything"? and a young man raised his hand and replied, "Yes sir he did". The professor responded, "If God made everything, then he made evil". The student didn't have a response and the professor was very happy to once again prove the Christian faith to be a myth. Then another man raised his hand and asked, "May I ask YOU something, sir? "Yes, you may," responded the professor. The young man stood up and said, "Sir, is there such a thing as cold"? "Of course there is! what kind of a question is that? Haven't you ever been cold?" The young man replied, "Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. What we consider to be cold, is really an absence of heat. Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold does not really exist. We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there." The young man continued, "Sir, is there such a thing as dark?" Once again the professor responded, "Of course there is." And once again, the student replied, "Actually, sir, darkness does not exist. Darkness is really only the absence of light. Darkness is only a term developed to discribe what happens when there is no light present." Finally, the young man asked, "Sir, is there such a thing as evil?" The professor responded, "Of course, we have rapes, murders and violence everywhere in the world. Those things are evil." The student replied, "Actually, sir, evil does not exist. Evil is simply the absence of God. Evil is a term developed to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. It isn't like truth, or love, which exist as virtues. Evil is simply the state where God is not present, like cold without heat, or darkness without light."
The professor had nothing to say....

Here is the question to comment back on....

What do you think is the best way to convince or persuade someone who doesn't believe in the ONE true God that Jesus IS the way?

Thoughts on THINGS ABOVE...

2006-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s time for a new blog…..
Last weekend, I hung out with 175 Middle School Teens for 10 hours over an entire evening at my 7th All-Night Lockout. That's right, this was my 7th lockin, (not including the Welch all night ski lock-ins) and I have to say that it was by far the best. Everything went great! The Chaska Community Center was a totally awesome place to go. It had tons of things to do like shoot hoops, play volleyball, dance w/ D.D.R., sing with Karaoke, take on a friend in various board games, swim on the rope swing or cruise down the waterslide in the pool, play a mean game of hockey on the ice arena, and my favorite – hop into a wild game of dodge ball with 50 on 50.

After four hours of hangin here, we headed up the road in four packed school buses to a bowling alley for a couple hours of cosmic bowling and pizza. Everything went great, until…….one of the busses broke down on the freeway heading back to the church. Sometimes things happen unexpectantly to transportation, and it was this bus's time to do just that. What a night, though, it picked to break down. One of the hoses on the radiator stared springing a leak, and when antifreeze squirts all over the engine, a ton of steam is produced. (you've seen cars alongside the freeway with steam rising from the hood, that car is overheated!) Instead of overcapacitating the other 2 buses, a fourth bus was sent out to pick up the stranded teens. It was a little scary though, with a the flashing lights of a squad car sitting next to the bus providing protection until the other bus showed up. By all of this commotion, some of the kids got pretty scared, but all was safe as they waited outside for the other bus. It didn’t take long for our fourth bus to drop off a group at the church and run back to pick up the stranded teens. The only bad thing was that the bus break down made it so that these teens were unable to see the first 10 minutes of the movie (School of Rock) back at the Teen Center.

This entire night was amazing! There were over 45 guests, or teens that were invited by an MSM friend, very little (if any) boredom set in, everyone treated each other with respect (thank you Lord!), and a newly added Prayer Station was utilized by teens throughout the night to pray with some of our adult leaders for various things going on in their lives. Totally huge success for a lock-out!

Here is what mind boggles me……I attend the most amazing lockout that I’ve ever helped to organize, and what do I hear this morning when I arrived at church for worship from others? I don’t hear how awesome the bowling place was, or how cool everything at the Chaska Community Center was, or even how everyone got to eat as much Reeses Peanut Butter cups as they liked. The only comment I got from anyone was “I heard one of the busses broke down”.

What is up with THAT??

Pastor Mike Foss this morning hit it right on the nose when he said, “people focus on the bad and not on the good that takes place”. Yeah a bus broke down, but that was a 20 minute incident that took place over a TEN hour event. I think when I go into work tomorrow, I’m going to act dumb and play along when the rest of my co-workers come up to me and say “Hey Jeff, I heard one of your busses broke down!”. I’ve decided that I’m going to have to not let it bother me. I guess it's easier for people to focus on what went wrong or unplanned rather than all that went right.

You see, I’m choosing to focus on the 9 ½ hours of fantastic fun rather than the few minutes that shouldn’t shape what the entire night was really about. The Bible says, “Set your thoughts on things above”. What does this mean? The THINGS ABOVE that the Bible is speaking about is basically equal to “What Jesus Did”. So you could say that “Set your thoughts on things above” could read as “Set your thoughts on what Jesus did and on what you could do rather than on the bad things”.

I know what some of you are thinking right now, "so what does this have to do with me Jeff?"
God's desire is that you set your mind on things other than those few bad things that happened to you today. Jesus wants you to look at what He did, and make those things your marching orders or what you pursue in your day. So what did Jesus do???

When I think of what Jesus did, here’s what comes to mind right away:
* He had lunch with people who others wouldn't have lunch with.
* He forgave other people who were mean to him who didn't deserve forgiveness.
* He helped others without having to be asked to help.
* He went out of his way every place He went and befriended others.
* He gave up HIS will so that God the Father's will could be done. (had to die)

Look at this list, it's not everything the Lord Jesus did, but just look at each one of these things. As you read each one again, ask yourself, "what if I choose to do that today?" What if I choose to think of those many things that God is blessing me with, rather than the few things that seem to be going wrong. I'll tell you exactly what will happen, your outlook on life will be completely turned rightside up. If you focus on God's blessings that He is showering you with, and then actually put to action one or even a few of these things Jesus did, not only will YOUR day be different, you will be an inspiration to everyone around you.

Keep in mind though, this challenge I give all of you, isn't going to be easy. Nobody said walking with the Lord Jesus was going to be easy. It took courage for Jesus and trust in God's Holy Spirit for Him to do these things. When you take this challenge, you will also need courage and trust in God's Spirit to strengthen and guide you in these mighty steps you take. You CAN do any of these things, but you must start each day off in prayer so that you're fed by the Holy Spirit and it's strength.

Are you ready to take on an important role of being a disciple for Christ Jesus? "Set your thoughts on THINGS ABOVE, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ". (Colossians 3:2-3)

This Blog's Question:
In what ways have you recently (or will do in response to this blog) reached out and did what Jesus had done for others? Post your response by clicking on the "comment" icon below.

When is Christmas REALLY over??

2006-01-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

So here I sit, slurping on a warm cup of Mocha at Carribou, looking out at tons of cars speeding by on the road. Did you notice how fast the Christmas celebration flew by? Here is something I’m sure you’ve heard your parents say, but I’m going to repeat it because it totally has everything to do with this week’s blog. THE OLDER YOU GET, THE FASTER MEANINGFUL THINGS SEEM TO FLY BY!

In a way, I’d like to see what it would be like to live when there were no cars to drive a hundred places to, or forms of transportation that allows you to ‘go-go-go’. Think about it, what if you had to take a horse and buggy to your cousin’s home five hours away through the snow for Christmas? Do you think you would stay longer than a few hours. You probably would spend at least a day or two playing games (not P.S.2 or Xbox either!) and hanging out having fun at their home.

If you’re wondering “what is Jeff talking about?”, I’ll tell you….
If you took a few minutes and read my last blog on the “12 Days of Christmas”, you’ll know that Christmas is not just a one-day celebration. As I sit here and write this, it is January 4th, officially the 10th Day of Christmas. But to the world we live in, it’s long over and time to put away the tree and the manger scene. Did you wonder why the decorations are still up in the worship center at the church when every place else has already removed their lights just a few days after the 25th? It’s because the church is the one place that knows the truth that Christmas isn’t just a “one-day-deal”.

What is sad, is that I bet many of you who are reading this have already taken your decorations down all because your parents probably felt rushed to put them away because of the pressure put on them by the world around them. If that’s the case, don’t get mad at your parents for putting them away, that wouldn't be very nice or effective. But what you could do is find the small manger scene that used to sit on the table and set it up in your bedroom on a shelf. Why should this be set out for a few short weeks before the 25th of December and then immediately get placed back into a box when all the other decorations get taken down? Can we really put God (really not God but a figure that kind of represents Him as an infant) in a box like this? Out of all the things that should stay up and out a little bit longer than everything else following the celebration of Christ Jesus' birth, shouldn’t it be the one thing that points you to Jesus and to that starry night above Bethlehem?

What would happen if you left the manger sit out till the snow started melting away? I bet you would be even more prepared and ready to celebrate what the resurrected Jesus did on the cross for you as we approach that Easter Sunday in April.

With the New Year of 2006 now here:
Don’t hurry, take lots of time to be with other people, especially even more time with Jesus. The more time you spend with others, the closer friends you become with them. When you look at the snow, or that manger set, let these things remind you to ‘hang around’ for a season and spend more time with others and with God.

When is Christmas really over? Well, officially it's the day after the 12th Day of Christmas, which is on Saturday, January 7th. But is it really over then, the celebration and the seeking of this Messiah, the Christ child who came to earth to give all who follow him as their Lord an unbelievable gift? It's really never over, is it! I never stop seeking to follow this Jesus who has washed our sins away so that we can live with God forever in heaven.

Unlike that Inn keeper the night when Jesus appeared at his door in Bethlehem, I open the door and let this King of King and Lord of all into my life, every morning. My prayer is that you will too if you haven't already in this New Year...... Don't shut the door on the Lord of Life, just let him in....when you do, when you give your life to Jesus every day, watch out and step aside for the amazing things the Almighty God will do with you! It's the best thing on this side heaven!

Merry Christmas, and may you live for Christ throughout this new year!!

Your friend and brother in Christ Jesus,
Jeff

THE BLOG QUESTION:
What are you looking forward to in 2006? Press on the "comment" icon below to respond. (Those who respond will qualify for a drawing in next week's giveaway on Wednesday night.)

Jeff is looking forward to: Skiing for the first time in his life out of Minnesota on the Montana ski trip with his two sons and a huge group from P.O.P.; getting to know and hangin' out with tons of MSM teens at the Connect Events like the all-night lock out and at the Recharge; going to 2 weeks of summer camp at Ingham (this is going to be so totally sweet!); and going to my mother-in-laws cabin with my family and doggies for a few fun weekends of fishing (and Sequence and Dominoes, the two best games ever invented!).

The 12 days of Christmas

2005-12-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

All of you have probably heard the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” now at least ten to twenty times over the last few weeks on the radio. I like this song, in fact my favorite version is the one the Muppets sing. I always thought that this was some children’s song with goofy lyrics put to a snappy tune. Do you know what the 12 days in this song really stand for, and when the actual 12 days of Christmas are celebrated?

Before I give you the answer, here are the words of the song. It is a song of Christian instruction that dates back to the 16th century during the terrible religious wars that were occurring all over England. Each “day” in the song is actually a hidden reference to basic teachings of the Christian faith. It is believed that this song was created for young teens like yourselves to learn the catechism during a time in history when a person could be killed for outwardly teaching the Christian faith to others.

I will help and decode two of the hidden references. The “True Love” mentioned in each of the days refers to God Himself. The “me” who receives the presents refers to every follower of Jesus Christ, and each of the “days” represents some very important part of the Christian Faith. You try to decode the days! I’ll give you a clue, focus on the number and ask yourself what this number might be significant for in the Christian Faith. Ready? Here they are:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Two Turtle Doves

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Three French Hens

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Four Calling Birds

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Five Gold Rings

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Six Geese A-laying

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Seven Swans A-swimming

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eight Maids A-milking

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Nine Ladies Dancing

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Ten Lords A-leaping

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eleven Pipers Piping

On the twelth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Twelve Drummers Drumming

Here are the answers to each of these.
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings. Jesus referred himself to that of a mother hen with her chicks. (Luke 13:34)

Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of the world.

Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the Romans.

Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting

HOW DID YOU DO???? Isn't that the coolest way to 'hide' truth? O.K., so when are the actual 12 days of Christmas?

The actual 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and end on January 6th. This time is known as “Epiphany” in the church year. Epiphany is traditionally celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young baby Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12) even though they didn’t actually arrive to present the Christ child gifts till over a year or two later. The “real” 12 days of Christmas are important for followers of Christ to acknowledge and even celebrate because they give us a way of reflecting on what the entry of God into the world He made means to us. Instead of taking down the decorations a few days after Christmas, celebrate each of the 12 days by memorizing what each of them are known for in the song. Write them on your calendars at home to remind you that Christmas does NOT end on the 26th, but is actually just starting.

Do you think you know the Nativity story like the back of your hand? Next week I’m going to ask you ten “True/False” questions about the birth of Jesus. See how many you can get right. But I'm going to ask you one of the questions here, right now. Whoever responds with the correct answer will be placed in a drawing for a FREE c.d. from the bookstore. I will put your name in a basket and draw it tomorrow night at P.O.P.
HERE'S THE QUESTION:
True or False: The wisemen arrived to Bethlehem a year or more after Jesus was born, visiting Jesus in a house?

Go ahead and answer this question by pressing on "comment". sign up your name and give me your answer, along with what you're hoping to receive for Christmas and the coolest gift you're planning on giving to someone else.

Have a great week gang! Praise the Lord!!!
Your bro in the Kingdom,
Jeff

It's Thanksgiving Year Round!

2005-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hey gang,
I have to admit, Thanksgiving is not one of my most favorite holidays. If I had to rank them, here is where they would land for me:
7) Halloween
6) Labor Day
5) Memorial Day
4) Thanksgiving Day
3) The Fourth of July - Independence Day
2) Christmas - celebrating Christ's birth into human form
1) Easter - celebrating Christ's resurrection and our freedom from sin

Thanksgiving isn't just a day for me, but an on-going mindset as I constantly am reminded what God has blessed me with. The day we celebrate Thanksgiving only reminds me of the generousity that the Native Americans had with the early English settlers hundreds of years ago. I'm not downplaying Thanksgiving Day, but I have to admit, I feel sad for what happened to the Native Americans years later when the land they rightfully possessed was taken from them by the settlers. When I think about those early years, how wonderful it must have been to be in communion and friendship with a race of people from a totally different world. I hope that I can be just as kind and generous to others of different backgrounds like the Native Americans were. Think about it for a minute: they shared their food and property; they showed these European settlers what and how to grow crops that would survive the different climates; and they invited them in to their communities and made them feel welcome.

On this Thanksgiving, think of someone who has:
* kindly shared something of theirs with you
* compassionately showed you how to do something
* lovingly invited you and welcomed you as a friend

Now, take a moment to thank the Lord God for this person / these people. After thanking God, pray that YOU will return these acts of love to others, no matter how different they are or how foreign they seem to be. There might be someone right now over these next few days that God is calling you to do this with.

I believe the greatest thing we should be thankful for is the suffering and price Jesus paid on our behalf so that His followers (disciples) would spend eternity with God here on earth and in heaven.

As Jesus' followers, our mindset should be that of what is written in Hebrews 12:28 that states "since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken or destroyed, let us be THANKFUL, and worship God with reverance and awe as we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord..."

Not only are we to worship God, but worship Him with REVERANCE and AWE!
If you have a concordance, which you should have in the back of your NIV Study Bibles, look up the word "thanks", and read all of the ways this word is used throughout scripture. Almost all of them say "give thanks to the Lord" no matter what the sitution is, all throughout the Bible.

My hope and prayer for you is that you will give "THANKS TO THE LORD" not just on one day, but everyday you awake and journey out into the world. Jesus is worth your worship and praise for all that He has done and continues to do for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for? Hit the 'Comment' icon to list some of those things you are especially thankful for.
I am thankful for the Lord Jesus, my family, my 3 good friends, and being paid to do what I love most - Youth Ministry!
Love you guys, can't wait to hear from you....

Jeff

Weekend Up North Deer Hunting

2005-11-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all!
One of the questions I get asked a LOT is "what are you're hobbies Jeff?" I haven't really had the chance to share what I like to do, so I thought this would be a great time to do that.
There are a number of things that I like to do. The ones that are always the best and most fun are when I can share them with my family - Dori and the boys (Jake and Tyler). We all go skiing together, usually to Spirit Mt. in Duluth or Lutsen when it warms up towards the end of March. I've never skied outside of Minnesota (pathetic, isn't it!), so I cannot wait till the Montana Ski trip in February.

I love any kind of camping, whether it's in the Boundary Waters with a trillion Quadbillion mosquitoes, or in on a comfy airmattress in "Tent City" at the annual Sonshine Rock Festival in Wilmar in July. The best thing about camping is trying to figure out what and how to cook things over an open fire. It's really difficult to beat a great campfire with campfire songs.

Waterslides definately make the list of awesome things to do. For my birthday every year in July, my family takes me to the best place this side of heaven - you guessed it - Wisconsin Dells! The water slides there and the go-carts are so much fun. I'm still the only one, though, not chicken to do the "Point Of No Return" waterslide at Noah's Ark. It's only a 10 story drop straight down on your back.... Hopefully one of these years someone in my family will join me on the long stairway to the top of this waterslide.

Golfing is a fun sport that I enjoy. The boys are still in the early learning stages, and Dori hates playing so she is usually the one who drives the cart around (if I rent one that is) or in the woods finding tons of golf balls. Some of the best memories I have on the golf coarse is with my dad and/or older brother. It's one of those hobbies that I hope I can continue throughout most my your life.

I used to love playing full-court Basketball, but too many hours roofing houses every spring/summer/fall must be catching up on me.....my knees and my back ache way too much to run up and down the coart anymore. Ask me, though, to take you on in a game of "pig", or what I like to call "Judas", and I'm in. Sorry to say this ahead of time, but you're going down.

The last hobby that I will mention for the sake of keeping this blog short enough to read, is Hunting and Fishing, especifically deer hunting. I'm not going to talk much about fishing, cuz I stink really bad at it, but I still like doing it. Let's talk deer hunting!
I just returned from a fantastic weekend of deer hunting. Have you ever gone hunting before? I'd love to hear your hunting stories if you got any. Jake, my oldest son, got his first deer (big buck!) just 20 minutes after I got mine. For two years now we go to my friend's cabin near Brainerd (just a few miles from Breezy Point Resort). There are so many deer running around it's almost unbelievable. If you're reading this and your thinking "that is so mean to kill a deer", I used to think the same thing until I found out two things: 1) The deer population has to be managed through some sort of hunting season otherwise thousands of them would vertually starve to death - a much worse death. 2) How much I like the taste of Venison summer sausage. The second reason pretty much is why I go deer hunting. I even process (butcher) my own deer that I bring home. Hanging in my garage as I write this blog are two large bucks waiting for me to come home. Wouldn't it be cool to travel back in time a couple hundred years and be an early pioneer hunting for food in the deep woods of north America around the early 1800's? What a challenge it must have been, no electricity, no refrigerators, no t.v., no running water, no toilets in the house, no furnace or air conditioner, I could go on and on.....

This past weekend I got a glimps of what it must have been like to be one of those early pioneers providing for their families. I don't think my wife shares my hunting or pioneer passions though. I've been given a very limited time to get those stinking animal carcasses out of her garage, so I better get going.

I'll make sure to post the topic of "Hobbies" on the new message board that we have for MSM.
The message board is a new place to post your thoughts/comments/insights about certain topics that are chosen every few weeks. E-mail me (just click on my big ugly face on the MSM website) topics that you think should be placed on the message board.

I can't wait to hear from y'all what you enjoy doing....

Oh, and by the way, if you haven't every tried venison sausage and you would like to, ask me. If enough of you want to try it, I'll plan on bringing in a large tray of it with cheese and crackers some Wednesday night before large group..... till then, PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Jeff

p.s. Efrem Smith is speaking on "Reading the Bible" this wednesday night, and is it going to be awesome. Efrem was rated as the most favorite speaker of MSM last year on Evangelism. He is the senior pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis. Bring your parents to this one!

The Real History of HALLOWEEN

2005-10-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN:
On Monday, millions of children and even teens will engage in a really weird ritual, by dressing up and going to strangers' doors asking for candy. I've always wondered, when and where did all of this originate? Did Halloween start as a satanic holiday, where demons were worshipped and witchcraft was performed? How long have people walked up to a stranger's house and spoken those words "Trick or Treat"? I think you're going to be really surprised to hear what I found out from all of my research about Halloween. Read on:

Halloween, or Hallow E'en as they call it in Ireland, means All Hallows Eve, or the night before the 'All Saints' Day which is observed on November 1st. Christians used to observe 'All Hallows Day' to honor all Saints in heaven. They used to consider it as one of the most significant days of the Church year. The American version of Halloween owes its origin to the ancient Druic fire festival called "Samhain", celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland in 5 B.C.
I used to think that Halloween found it's origins as a Satanic festival. Halloween did NOT originate as a Satanic festival, but was started by the Celtic faith of the ancient Druids from Ireland.

There are, though, many modern day Christians who believe that Halloween is a satanic holiday that began with Satanic worshipping, but nowhere in my research did I find such a claim. The Celts never actually worshipped the devil or any god of death on Halloween. The Celts were pagans. Pagans are people who believe in more than one god. There are some modern day pagans that call themselves Wiccans, who study witchcraft and satanism. Pagans, in general though, are quick to emphasize that they DO NOT worship satan or the devil. Celts were pagans, NOT Wiccans or Satanists. So there's the original history of Halloween.

Here are some other interesting facts about Halloween:

Why the pumkins?
Based on an old Irish legend about the village drunk named "Jack". One day Jack was out in the woods and tricked Satan into a tree to throw down some fruit. Once satan had helped him, he carved a cross into the tree and trapped him there. He then struck a deal that satan would leave his soul alone when he died. This backfired when Jack died, since heaven wouldn't take him either because he was not a follower of Christ. When he kept bothering the devil to let him in, the devil gave him a burning ember that glowed. Jack carried the burning ember in a hollowed out turnip to light his way as he wandered through eternal darkness here on earth.

This is the origin of our modern day Jack-O-Lantern. Pumkins became popular house decorations in America after Irish immigrants discovered how much easier they were to carve than turnips. The candle placed inside pumkins represent the burning embers that Jack carried to light his way.

How about the whole "Trick or Treat" thing?
If you asked your parents to ask their grandparents (your great grandparents) if they ever remember going Trick or Treating as children for Halloween, they will answer with the exact same answer as everyone who grew up in the early 1900's - NO! The American custom of dressing up in costumes and going door to door didn't start until the late 1930's. Before this, the only Halloween custom was done by older unruly teens who went around pulling nasty pranks on their neighbors. The cute costumes seem to be an attempt to involve children in some sort of disciplined "fun" as opposed to destructive pranks. The phrase "Trick or Treat" is an American phrase that is first recorded in a document from 1939, and isn't recorded in Webster until 1941. It's just in the past 60 some years that the Halloween customs of dressing up and participating in ritualized begging has begun. Who would have 'thunk' it!

So WHAT?
The best thing that I found out in doing all of this research was that I realized that I had been totally mistaken about the facts of Halloween. I had been one of those Christians who went around spreading false statements as though they were facts. That's a sin! Believers do no service to the Kingdom of God or to other Christians by creating frightening fantasies as though they were historical facts. I should've done my research along time ago.

Be careful what you say about someone else, or even about an event that took place of which you never actually witnessed. Hold on to the truth! Remember though, it can still be truth even if you didn't actually witness it. Do your research, as I did with the history of Halloween, and weigh out all of the evidence. Many world-known scholars set out early on in their careers to prove Christianity, and Christ Jesus himself, as a false religion. Every one of them, after weighing out all of the evidence, has come to the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is truly who he said He was- the Son of the Almighty God.

Do your research, and don't worry how long it takes you. If you do it right, you will find the truth.....

Thanks for checking out "Jeff's Blog"!
Till next week, praise the Lord!!!

Jeff

MEA vacation from school

2005-10-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey MSM Teens! Thanks for checking in with "Jeff's Blog".

With M.E.A. this week, I've been thinking about all the different things y'all will be up to .... If you did something fun, I'd LOVE to hear about it. I spent my vacation a week early....and it was awesome...read on.

Last week, just after Wednesday night's MSM, I took a few days of vacation and drove up to a small town called Bayfield with Dori - my best friend and wife (all one person, not 3). This tiny town of just 600 people is located in the most northern tip of Wisconsin, surrounded by over 22 small islands (called the Apostle Islands). It was SO great!! Have you ever just gone off to your cabin or spent a weekend hanging out with your best friend and had such a fantastic time???
On Saturday, we hired a guy who takes people out on his huge sailboat to take us around some of the islands. I love adventures like that, especially when the sailboat almost capsized a couple times because it was so windy. The room we stayed in back near the pier was 15 feet from the the shore, with the sound of water crashing every few seconds. How cool is that! Have any of you ever gone to the North Shore, either to the Apostle Islands or up to Gooseberry Falls just north of Duluth? If you haven't, it's definately a trip that you should take if you can. Every place you look, it's as if God took his colorful paintbrush and created a masterpiece.

Whether you stay home over MEA break or go off with your family or friends someplace, my hope is that you open your eyes and look for God's amazing fingerprints of awesome things He has created for us. If you don't see anything that really jumps out at you as being awesome, maybe you're not looking with an open heart. Last week we talked about the power of prayer. Next time you're outside, PRAY for God to open your heart so that you can see His greatness.

I can't wait to hear what you did over your break, and the things you saw as God's greatness.

Till next week......your brother and friend in Christ Jesus,
Jeff