A Fool's Masquerade

The room is filled with countless men and women donning masks upon their faces as they dance through the evening. Men snatch their lovers in the candle light and waltz across the dance floor. The women flaunt themselves before the men, sensuously. I enter alone. It is dark, and if it were not for the faint light of the candles I would not be able to find my way. I feel alone as I watch young couples display their passion before the entire room. I find a young woman who is sitting alone at the bar. It is dark and I can barely make out what she looks like. I strike up a conversation. She seems disinterested. I ask her to dance and she laughs in my face. She turns to another young man, grabs his hand and drags him out to the dance floor. I see a group of men sitting around a table playing cards. I join them. Perhaps I will not find love on this night. A friend will do for now. I talk to the men and we immediately connect. We laugh and joke as we play cards. But as time goes on I see them, one by one, get up and report to young ladies and spend the rest of their evenings with them. I am alone at the table when I see a spotlight aim its bright light towards a stage.
A microphone stands alone on the stage. Within minutes, out walks a young woman. The most beautiful young woman I have ever laid eyes on. She has long, wavy brown hair, and blue eyes that pierce into my very soul. She sings an entrancing song, and I am swept away from the party for a moment.
I am sailing through the clouds on a dark night. The moon is big and the stars are bright. She captures my heart within her hands, and I want to have the courage to ask her to dance.
The song ends, and she walks back off stage. I am back at the party. I wish to find the girl, but I search for hours with little hope. Then I find another young woman standing alone, staring at me. She is not as beautiful as the singing girl, but she is still pretty. I ask her to dance. She says yes. As we dance I hear another song begin to play. My attention is drawn to the stage as I see the singing girl begin to preform once more in the spotlight.
I become lost in the song. I forget about the girl I am dancing with, and watch the singing girl. The song ends, and I notice that the girl I am dancing with has found a new partner. I make my way to the stage, where the singing girl is standing. She catches my gaze and returns it. In an instant I feel as if we have been together for years. Her eyes read my mind and she knows that I want her. I open my mouth to speak, but I begin to stutter. She does not take her eyes off of me. But I feel as if I am a small turtle staring into the vast blue sea. Worthless, and expendable. I excuse myself and leave. The singing girl reports back to her microphone and sings a new song, never taking her eyes off of me.
I search the ballroom for a new dancing partner. Rejected by every girl I see, I look back to the stage. The girl is now singing a duet with a young, handsome man. I have missed my chance. I stop searching for a partner, and sit alone. A young couple who look very much in love, dance near me. The man leaves, and the girl spots me sitting alone. She sits with me and we talk for a long time. She is a beautiful young woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. She is witty, cute, charming, and clever. I ask her to dance. She says yes. As we dance I feel myself begin to fall for her, and she for me. Then, without realizing how far I have come so quickly, she kisses me. But then I look back to the stage and the singing girl is preforming alone again. I look away from her and back to the girl I am dancing with. But I cannot get the singing girl out of my mind.
The girl I am dancing with begins to cry. Her old partner returns. She is confused, so I let her go.
Alone again, I sit and watch the girls I have met throughout the night, all dancing, all happy.
The girl on the stage continues to sing. We make eye contact again and she smiles. I get to my feet and make my way to the stage, never taking my eyes off of her. I will not settle for anyone else. I will ask her to dance.

The Sacrifices of God

It always seemed so peculiar, to me, that others would throw their feelings aside for some sort of ideal. My philosophy was that if you loved something, you fight for it. I never took into consideration that two things someone loves can't live together.
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken contrite heart..." -Psalm 51:17
Our God is a jealous God. He loves us more than we can ever comprehend. And because we cannot comprehend it, we rebel against it. Sometimes without even realizing that we are rebelling.
He will not settle for second place. As soon as something becomes so important to us, that we would not be willing to sacrifice it, then it has become an idol.
After we rebel by placing God as second in our lives, He is going to ask us to let go of whatever is more important to us. It will break our hearts, but that is the point.
If we get cut, a scar forms on our skin to remind us never to take part in the activities that led to that particular injury. In the same way, the pain in our hearts remind us never to place anything ahead of God. He alone is worthy of our hearts, and he has more to offer than anything or anyone.
If we let it go, it will break our hearts. But that is the sacrifice of God.

Let it go, let it go, let it go... And He will set you free.

Preemptive Faith

Sin. A touchy subject, yes? But perhaps the easiest thing to talk about. One of the many paradoxes that bewilder the human race. What is right, and what is wrong? This question has plagued philosopher's minds for the past thousands of years. The answers will vary depending upon the background of the individual. As most of you know, I am a Christian. The things I write on this blog will primarily edify Christians, however any non-christian who stumbles upon my website might find it equally as intriguing.
Sin is the separation of our very beings from God. When we choose to fulfill our Earthly desires over the desires of our Father in Heaven, we are sinning. But it is so confusing sometimes. Often times, it is hard to distinguish between what is sin and what isn't. For any person who finds themselves in such a situation, the best advice I can give is that they delve into scripture, as well as communicate with the Father as often as possible. If you do not do these things, I would expect the only way to discover if something is sinful in nature is to experience it. Become separated from Christ.
Becoming separated from Christ is perhaps the hardest thing than anyone can experience. And I would definitely advise that one would take whatever measures necessary to refrain from becoming separated from Him.
But what I wish to talk about in this Blog is not the difference between right and wrong, but what to do once you have made that distinction. If you know that something is wrong, is it okay to just experience it anyway? That way we can learn from the experience and embrace our youth at the same time.
Recently I have encountered a situation in which a young teenager, who wishes to expand their faith and strengthen their walk with God, found themselves desiring certain aspects of the World over their Heavenly Father. As I talked with this student, they brought up several questions that I would like to address.

1. In my discussion with this student, they stated that they wanted to postpone their spiritual growth until later in order to have more fun over summer. They thought that going to parties and consuming alcohol just over summer would be okay, because they will not continue to live this way after summer ends. I told the student that it is not okay to drink, especially at such a young age. They responded by saying, "It's not that bad."

Now, in rebuttal to the student's claim, I would like to break down their response. When they say it is not that bad, what am I to make of that? This would first of all show that the student understands that what they are doing is wrong, and sinful by nature. Now, if what they are doing is sinful by nature, then it is safe to say that it is a sin, yes?
Yes. Okay, in James 2:10 it says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
What I see in this verse is that it doesn't matter how small the sin may seem, it is equally as evil as all other sins. No sin is greater than another. They all separate you from God. Do not make the mistake of assuming that your sin is special, or that it is better than any other.
Now, if all sins are equal, then there is nothing for this student to compare their sin to. So, it would be permissible for us to remove the "that" from the sentence. What do we get? "It is not bad."
In Romans 13:1-2 it says, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves"
Right here it tells us that obeying the laws of the land is a command from God. Now, what is the legal age to drink alcohol in America? That's right, 21. Not 16. Wait 5 more years, then knock yourself out. It is bad to drink before you are 21, because it is illegal.

2. As I continued to talk with this student, they asked me the question, "Why do you want me to change who I am?"
All things were created BY God, FOR God, which means, He desperately wants us to live lives that seek His face, and bring Honor and Glory to His name. Our identity should be found in Christ alone, and nothing else. Then Christ would become Who we are. If anyone finds their identity in anything other than Christ, that is Idolatry, which is also a sin. Look it up, it's in the Ten Commandments. So to answer your question, why do I want you to change who you are; Because a life devoid of Christ is a life that is not worth living.

I wrote a small metaphor or parable... Whatever you want to call it, which I believe fits right in to this particular subject.
There were once two flowers who lived in the woods. They were planted firmly in soil. The soil was fertile, and the flowers were pure. But one flower grew envious as it watched the tall trees reach up to the sky. It too wanted to reach such heights, but the flower thought it impossible for as long as it was planted in the ground, it was stuck. So the flower uprooted itself and the wind blew it away. The wind carried it high above the trees, and it soared above the entirety of the woods. But the wind died down, and the flower came crashing to the ground. Since the flower was no longer planted in the soil, its petals withered, and its color faded to grey. Meanwhile, the other flower which remained firmly planted in the ground, watched the sky day and night, and was determined to one day reach those heights. But it waited patiently. The rain brought water and fed the flower, and the soil allowed the flower to grow taller and taller until eventually it reached higher than the highest tree in the woods. Its petals flourished in the Sun, and its color shone bright for all to see. And the flower was filled with Joy.

God does not hold us back. He is here for us to help us grow. He wants us to reach those heights, He just wants us to do it His way. And as far as I am concerned, He deserves our obedience. Because the last time I checked, He died on the cross for our sins.

He loves us so much, and He wants us to seek Him. If we put Him first in our lives, and if we make Him the foundation of all that we hold dear, then we will succeed in all our endeavors.

Is it okay for us to partake in a sin that we know is wrong just to gain experience? No. It is not okay to partake in any sin under any circumstance.
If you are about to touch a hot stove and your Mother tells you not to touch it, and that it is too hot, you'd have to be an idiot to touch the stove.
Experience may be the greatest teacher, but it is the most brutal one also.

The Black and White Car: The Temptress

A Short Story by Adam Sill

Shaun sat at his desk in his room staring at his computer. The door was locked and his ipod played music through loud speakers that made everything in the room inaudible. His mouse hovered over the browser button. He’d been in this position before. So many times had he fallen to the temptation of the subtle, momentary pleasures that sat beyond that small “click” of the mouse.

His face was vacant and his body frozen.

He sat for a few minutes without moving, then his hands began to shake… Then his head… His knees. He let go of the mouse and sat back in his chair. He glared at the bright glowing screen. His mouth sneered but his eyes were laden with lust. He lifted both hands to his head and began to scruff up his hair. “ohhh….” He moaned, “Come on! Come on!” He slammed his open hand against the top of his desk. “Godammit, come on!”

He attempted to stand up but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see a tall woman. She had dark orange hair, and brown eyes that pierced into his. She wore a tight red dress and makeup. A lot of makeup. Red lipstick, and gray eyeliner. She stared at Shaun. Her eyes ran him up and down. In that moment, Shaun felt totally exposed. He tried to turn away from her but she pulled him back. “No!” he yelled, “Not any more!”

“Shaun.” She said in a soft but firm voice.

“No. I can’t!” Shaun said, but he felt her grasping his heart, and though he did not want her there, he could not let her leave.

“Shaun.” She repeated, “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not.” He replied

“Yes… It is. You are sixteen years old. You are old enough to do this.”

Shaun began to shake his head violently. “No! It’s wrong!”

“Why?” she asked, “Why is it wrong?”

“It’s lust!” he retorted, “It’s – it’s…” He drooped his head and stared at his feet.

She reached out and gently touched his chin, pushing his face upwards. She stared down deep into his eyes and he could feel her entering an deep empty pit in the middle of his stomach.

“It’s what you want.” She said, “It’s what you need.”

Shaun closed his eyes. She grabbed his hand and began to guide it to the mouse. Though she was guiding his hand, he was the one moving it. He grasped the mouse and double clicked. The search engine opened, and he clicked on the white blank bar. The blinking black line sat on the white bar. Shaun let out a subtle groan. “Please.” He turned his head away from the screen, and closed his eyes.

She gently pushed his head back towards the screen and whispered in his ear, “Yes, you can.”

He opened his eyes and reached out to the keyboard. He typed in one letter; “P”

Immediately, a list of possible searches popped up under his “P”

He stopped and read each one; “Puggles for sale” “Pirates of the Caribbean” “Pictures of sunsets” “Pythagorean Theorum” until he reached the very bottom; “Passion of the Christ”

“Oh no…” Shaun said, “This is not-“

“Ignore it.” she whispered in his ear.

“I- I can’t.” he said as he glanced out the window. His jaw dropped as he stared into the street outside where he saw an old black and white car.

“No!” she said, “Close the window!”

“But – It’s Him.”

“No it is not! Don’t look outside!”

“Why not?”

“He is not the way! He is false. And he is selfish! He doesn’t care about you! If he did, then where has he been this whole time. I’ve made you feel better about yourself! I’ve given you something to live for!”

“No,” Shaun said, “You haven’t. You’ve left me broken. Cold. Homeless.”

“Where has he led you?” She asked, “He does not know what is best for you! I do!”

“I’m going outside.” Shaun said

“No!”

Shaun stood up and walked toward the door. “Stop” She yelled as she followed him outside.

As he began to approach the car, She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him around. “Shaun,” she said, “I know it hurts. I know that you feel alone and you feel like there is nothing out there for you. But you’re wrong. I’m here. I’ve always been here and I am the way.”

“You don’t get it.” Shaun said. He turned around and continued walking toward the car. She ran around in front of him and stood between he and the car, stopping him in his path.

“Wait, Shaun!”

“Shut up!” Shaun yelled, “You did this to me! You made me feel alone! You have screwed up everything I had going for me, and I am not going to take it any more! Now get out of my way, you bitch!” He pushed past her and walked toward the car.

“No!” she yelled, “Shaun, come back!”

Shaun walked around to the passenger’s side of the car and grabbed the handle. “No!” She continued to scream. He pulled the door open and got in the car. Immediately she shattered into small pieces of glass and burned away on the ground leaving a mound of sand that blew away into the wind.

Shaun looked over at the man sitting in the driver’s seat. He looked young and strong. The Driver turned and looked at Shaun. The Driver had soft eyes. But they were strong. Not strong like the Temptress. But powerfully deep.

“She’ll be back.” Driver said.

“She will?” Shaun asked

“Yes. But don’t worry, I’ll be here with you. As long as you stay with me, she can’t steal your heart.”

Shaun took in a deep breath of relief, sank back into his seat, and buckled his seatbelt.

F = Frequency

Frequency
Directed By: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell, Noah Emmerich, and a very young Michael Cera
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and disturbing images

WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

36 year old cop, John Sullivan (Caviezel) stumbles upon his deceased Firefighter father's old Ham Radio. Thinking nothing of it, he plugs it in and begins to broadcast. He soon discovers that, through this radio, he is able to speak to his father, Frank Sullivan (Quaid), from thirty years in the past. John warns his father about his untimely death in a fire, which is then prevented, causing a chain of events to unfold as a series of murders begin to occur, ending the lives of many nurses, including John's mother and Frank's wife. Together, the father and son work to find the killer and stop him from killing the rest of the women, using their only connection-- an old ham radio.


As I prepared to watch this film, I prayed to God that He would expose Himself to me through this film. And His message became clear when in one of the first scenes, Frank is teaching 6 year-old John to ride a bike. When John falls, he runs inside. Frank calls out, "C'mon Chief, don't quit on me now!"
John's mother walks outside and says, "Don't be so hard on him, Frank. He just needs to know you're behind him, that's all."
That line stuck with me throughout the rest of the film, and I walked away with a new perception on what this story truly means.
This story is truly phenomenal. It is simply the representation of the battle between good and evil. A Firefighter and Cop striving to vanquish a Murderer. The fact that Frank is a Firefighter and that John is a Cop is very interesting to me. 


Frank is a Firefighter. When we think of Firemen, we think of a savior. His job is to put out fires and save people. Someone who we rejoice to see
John is a Cop. When we think of police officers, we think of a man arresting a criminal. We have a natural fear of cops. When we see them, we slow down to five mph under the speed limit, and we walk all the way to the crosswalk instead of just bolting across the street. But at the same time, we are happy that they are there.
We think of Firemen as people who have come to save us. And we think of Policemen as people who have come to punish us.
These are also two of the many things we think of in terms of our relationship with God. He is here to save us. But He is also here to bring justice. 

There is a relationship between the father and son that can be closely related to our relationship with God. However, what is so bizarre about this story is that they both play a Christ-like role in each others lives.
In the film, John is trying to discover who the murderer is, and Frank is trying to protect the women from the murderer. But neither of them could achieve this without the help of one another. It is confusing, I know. However, these two characters portray our relationship with God. 

How do they communicate? Through the radio. All they have to do is sit down and talk with one another. They can't see each other, but they can communicate... Prayer... Duh. So, as they begin to talk, they can work together to stop these murders.

I am reminded of the story in the Joshua 10, when Joshua is leading the Israelite army against the Southern Forces. In their battle, Joshua prays to the Lord in verse12;
"Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon."
The Lord answered Joshua's prayer and the sun stood still over Gibeon, and the moon stood still over Aijalon.


Joshua and his army go on to defeat the southern armies with God's help. He sent Joshua and the Israelites into that land to vanquish the kings that reigned there. God chose to use Joshua. But Joshua needed God.
So, as Joshua carried out God's commands, God gave him the power to do so.


In Frequency we can learn the exact same lesson that we learn in Joshua 10. We need God. And He will move through us as we do His good work. In Frequency, Frank and John needed each other. Frank needed the cop and John needed the fireman. But the fireman and the cop didn't need John or Frank, but they used the father and son to vanquish evil.


No prayer is too big for God. And He is behind us, teaching us how to ride that bike. Guiding us out of the fiery building. Once we've learned how to walk with Him, He will teach us something else. Something greater; How to work for Him. We are God's tools... Are we sharp enough?

"We can do it. Me and you together. Spirit and Guts."

E = The Edge

The Edge
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, and Harold Perrineau
Rated R for language and some adventure gore/violence

WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

The film, The Edge is about three men who are trapped in the wilderness after surviving a plane crash. As they struggle to survive and find rescue, they are also being hunted by a grizzly Bear.

While there are many aspects of this film that could be connected to the Bible and our walk with the Lord, I am only going to focus on one- The Bear.

In the film, the three men, Charles, Robert, and Stephan, had sustained many injuries from the plane crash. And while trying to start a fire, Stephan accidentally stabs himself in the leg. After a while, the great bear smells his blood in the air and attacks. He kills Stephan and feeds on his body. Though Charles and Robert escape, the Bear continues to hunt them down.

A little while back I had given my testimony. I spoke about pornography, and how it was my greatest temptation in life. However, I think this film works as a good analogy for all temptations.

In 1 Peter 5:8 it says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

The Devil is a hunter. A master hunter at that, and this film draws the perfect picture of us when we are faced with the devil and the temptations he presents.

In my testimony I talked about how people always throw around the expression "Flee from Temptation". And although I do agree that we should Flee from temptation, I have a problem with the "wording" of the expression. We cannot run away from temptation. Especially when it has already made an influence on our lives.

In the film, Stephan is stabbed in the leg, and he begins to bleed. Once that blood has hit the air, the bear can smell it. (It's like the shark of the land). Stephan can try to run, he can try to hide, but he will fail. No matter how hard he tries he can't escape the bear, because it can already sense his weakness.

The same goes for our situation with the Devil. When our sins take a hold on us, we cannot just flee from them. The enemy will follow you wherever you go, and when you are at your weakest, he will attack.

In the film, Charles finally comes to the conclusion that the only way he and Robert can survive, is if they fight the bear. So, they sharpen up wooden spears, and fight off the bear.

What made it possible for these characters to fight off the bear?... The Spears. 

1 Peter 1:9 says, "Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. remember that your Christian brothers and sisters are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

Right here in the Bible it tells us to FIGHT BACK. "Stand firm against him"; so we are not to hide. We are not to run. We are to stand up to him like a bully trying to steal our lunch money.

"be strong in your faith"; We can't fight off a bear with our bare hands. We need spears. When we fight Satan, we NEED God. We cannot do it on our own. 

J.P. Charfauros created a marvelous analogy of our faith being represented as a sword and shield. He said, "If we have strong faith in God, our sword and shield shall be strong. But if our faith is lacking, it's like fighting with a plastic knife and a paper plate." 

We find our strength in God, so if you are in a situation where you feel trapped, turn to God. He is the only one with all the right answers. 

"all your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."; If you feel like you are in a rut in which there is no escape, do not be discouraged. There are literally thousands of people going through the exact same thing as you. Have faith in this. It shows that there is a way out. And it's God. He is the way, the truth, and the light. Turn to Him.

"What one man can do, another can do."

D = The Departed

The Departed
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, and Alec Baldwin
Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence, Pervasive Language, Some Strong Sexual Content and Drug Material

 WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

This film represents more than just all of the violence and deception in the world. It also represents all of the violence and deception within every Christian on Earth. A lot of the characters represent the different types of people in the world.

There are four characters in this film that really stand out to me. Colin Sullivan (Damon) is a police Sergeant in the BPD Special Investigations Unit. He is also a "rat" for the Irish Mob Boss, Frank Costello (Nicholson). Costello is the most wanted criminal in Boston. He recently recruited a man named Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) whose family has always been heavily involved in the Irish Mafia. Billy is an undercover Police Officer under the command of Captain Queenan (Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Wahlberg).

Colin Sullivan represents most people. He is the "Two-Faced Christian". He cares more about his appearance than he does about appeasing God and serving Him wholeheartedly. He'd even sacrifice those closest to him if it means he can escape justice. In the film he murders Costello, fearing that he might be caught by the FBI. In the end he murders Billy and just when he feels as if he might be free, Sgt. Dignam kills him.

Billy Costigan represents the fully Devoted follower. The Christian that will sacrifice everything he has to glorify God and to reach out to Non-Christians.  He is the Christian that we all must strive to be like. Throughout the film he always strives to obey the law and bring justice to Costello and Colin.

Frank Costello represents the Non-Christian. Someone whose life is blanketed by sin. A person who needs a fully devoted follower of Christ to bring them to the Lord. He is an insane man who will murder just about anyone and lives his life to be the "Alpha-Dog"

Captain Queenan and Sergeant Dignam are the Christ Figures in this film. Throughout the film they are constantly quarreling with Colin Sullivan. Eventually, Queenan sacrifices himself to protect Billy. Dignam becomes Billy's only friend, and in the end, the vengeance belongs to Dignam when he shoots Colin in the head.





The question you are faced with now is which character are you? Billy, Colin, or Costello? I believe that everyone should strive to be like Billy. He had sacrificed everything he had to Glorify God. We must reach out to non-believers and watch out for our fellow believers.

If you find that you are most like Colin, be afraid. Let's remember who killed who. Colin (The Two-Faced Christian) kills both Billy (The Fully-Devoted Follower) and Costello (The Non-Believer). However, it was Dignam (God) who killed Colin. So if you find yourself in Colin's shoes, beware.

This film also indicates that everyone dies. Everyone except God. Just look at the Title; "The Departed" No matter which of these characters you are, you will depart from this world. But where will you be departing to?

"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me."