Rise to the Top

I am a fan of reality T.V. not becuase of its uplifting of humanity, or the great values it teaches, but mainly because I get to learn new games for youth group. The conniving and manipulation that happens on these shows is astounding, but every so often someone will rise up and play the game in a new way. A way that is counter-culture to the way the game is supposed to be played.

The bible says in 1 Peter 12:11-12
Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives."

In the Game of Big Brother 9 one such character rose to the final four. Her name is Sharon Obermueller. Despite there being an alliance on the show known as the bible buddies, aka Team Christ, Sharon stood head and shoulders above the rest as a true Christian woman. Where Team Christ sat around using the bible to bash the "evil doers" of the show, Sharon calmly and patiently sat on the block five times in a row.

Sharon made it to the final four but because she wouldn't make a deal that would make her betray her secret alliance, she was evicted. She left the show with such grace a dignity that people have to see her as the true Christian of the show. This goes to show that you don't have to beat the bible over someones head to prove your a Christian, It is truly demonstrated in your actions.

Another reality show had a loser this year that completely won my heart by the end of the show. In Celebrity Apprentice Trace Adkins rose to the top. In fact he came in second. This man worked hard, tried hard, and never gave up. His actions spoke louder than his words. He lost because he didn't have the multi-millionaire connections, but still raised a ton of money for his cause. His cause is The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (click to donate), which he chose because his daughter deals with severe food allergies.

It is said that "Actions speak louder than words." I hope and pray you know the words to say when people ask you what you believe in, but more than that I pray that you are living those words out in your life. No matter what the moral downfall of a show or culture; someone of true character, with a true Christian Identity, can rise up by his/her actions.

Your dead! Now what?

TORCHWOOD is spin off of Doctor Who, a classic sci-fi show out of the U.K. Torchwood is jsut finished its second season in both the U.K. and the U.S. However, you can still catch the shows on Comcast's On Demand service in the BBC America section. I just finished watching episodes 6, 7, and 8 from the second season.

*spoilers ahead, but not too spoilerish*









These episodes deal with the death of a main character named Dr. Owen Harper. But this being a Sci-fi show Owen's death doesn't last long, well that is to say the unconscious part. Owen has to deal with being a living dead person, but not in the eat your brain zombie way.

The key question that is asked in this arc of the series is, what is beyond life? The writers of this series posed the answer to this question as, "nothing." More specifically it was darkness, with a creature resembling the Grim Reaper lurking about.

The truth is no one is sure about what awaits us after death. We learn from the bible that we will live eternally with God in Heaven or we will not be with God and be in Hell.

But what is Hell? It is safe to say that it is the eternal seperation from the loving God, not by His doing but by our choice to live separated from him in life. In Matthew 5:45 we learn that God sends the rain and the sun on both the righteous and unrighteous. So we can deduct that "No God = No Rain or Sun." So an eternal death is a death that is eternally separated from ALL of God.

So the show may not be off by too much. Death for those that chose to live separated from God may be a void of darkness with a creature waiting to torment you for all of eternity.

Updates to Blog

Okay, so the last few weeks have blown by. I am trying to figure out a time for me to blog the bible reading again. Ever since my wife went back to work at the beginning of this month I have found myself with less and less time to keep up with this blog.

Here is the good news, I am going to work at getting the blog back up to speed plus there are a couple of new additions to the blog. Besides bible reading I am going to get back to what this blog was created for and that is to look at Pop Culture through God's eyes. I am also working on getting the podcast off the ground.

Tomorrow there will be new content in the form of a movie review. I will be reviewing Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

See ya then.

Don

Help, I need somebody!

Scripture: Psalm 124 Key Verse: 124:7-8
We escaped like a bird caught in a hunter's trap. The trap was broken, and we escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.

Objective:
Psalm 124 is a praise song written about the power and protection of God.

Application:
This passage made me think of the song Help! by the Beatles. With the mind set that God is the one being sung to the passage and the lyrics have a lot in common.



Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me.

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I just need you like I've never done before.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me.

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me, help me, help me, oh.

Prayer:
God Those times that we feel trapped let us find the way out. Help us remember the way out is through you. Help us cry out for help to the one that will save us, You!