The Nicest Prison in the World

Welcome to Bastøy Prison Island.  This piece of land is a lush, one square mile isle comprised of pine trees, beautiful coastlines, and serene ocean sunset views.  115 prisoners are fortunate enough to stay at this prison, or maybe a better label would be holiday resort.  The inmates enjoy amenities such as a sauna, tennis courts, horseback riding, prime fishing spots, and a beach for sunbathing.  There is even a “prison blues band.”  They stay in cherry red painted wood cottages to which they hold their own keys.  They are allowed to have TVs in their rooms and wear whatever clothing they want.

While on the island the prisoners work weekday jobs such as gardening, farming, grounds maintenance, and gathering firewood.  They can have meals prepared by a chef or they can choose to buy their own food from the local shop and cook it themselves.  The chef-prepared meals include everything from chicken con carne to salmon.  So, what types of criminals are kept on this island?  There are murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers to just name a few.  As you might imagine, this prison has received plenty of criticism for their methods.  Whether we agree with their “punishment” or not, there is no doubt the Bastøy Prison is a lavishly comfortable prison.

Interestingly, there is another prison in existence that rivals the Bastøy Prison.  This prison doesn’t even feel like a prison.  In this prison many of the inmates don’t even realize they are incarcerated!  What prison is this?  Paul gives us the answer:  “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.  For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:21-23).

The prison Paul is referring to is the prison of our own sinful desires.  When we give in to our fleshly lusts, we become prisoners of our sinful cravings.  This is a prison that every accountable person has stepped into (Romans 3:23).  This is a prison many people are ignorantly happy to stay in (John 3:19-20).  This is a prison where the majority of the inmates will remain their entire lives, with few obtaining freedom (Matthew 7:13-14).  This is a jail where the prisoners can engage in the sins they choose (Romans 1:21-32 provides an all too accurate description).  This is a prison where there may not be immediate punishment, but those left in this prison will be transferred to a permanent prison of torture (Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 13:40-43, 49-50).

After realizing the dangerous incarcerated state he was in, Paul asked the right question, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death” (Romans 7:24)?  He reveals the answer is in none other than “Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:25).  In the previous chapter, Paul tells us more about this freedom in Christ.  Those who receive this freedom will “walk in newness of life” (6:4), will become “united with Christ” (6:5), and “freed from sin” (6:7).  The question is: how can we receive this freedom?  Paul clearly identifies the get the get out of jail card comes through “baptism into Jesus Christ” (6:3-7).

Are you living in the prison of your desires?  It may seem good now, but it’s only temporary.  Freedom is available.  Have you been freed (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)?

Source - http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/24/world/europe/norway-prison-bastoy-nicest/index.html?eref=rss_crime

Billboard: “Marijuana is Safer than Drinking”

Yesterday marked the beginning of the NFL season between my beloved Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens.  Interestingly, just a few days earlier a billboard appeared in Denver, plastered in Broncos colors, saying, “Stop driving players to drink!  A safer choice is now legal (Here)” (Emphasis on original).  The “safer” choice being promoted here is marijuana.  The link at the bottom of the billboard is a change.org petition asking NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to change the NFL’s policy on marijuana, which is currently banned.

As many are aware, Colorado became one of two states to legalize marijuana recently.  What you may not know is a few weeks ago one of the best players on the Denver Broncos, Von Miller, was suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, which is thought to have involved marijuana.  Von Miller had already tested positive for marijuana twice before this point.

Clearly there are some strong agenda’s behind this billboard.  First, it is seeking to free Von Miller, and those like him, from their well-deserved suspensions.  Secondly, it is pushing for a larger acceptance of marijuana in the NFL and in our society.  The major way it is promoting this is by claiming that marijuana is safer than alcohol.

So, is marijuana really safer than alcohol?  There is evidence to support this claim (Saferchoice.org).  However, the entire argument itself is flawed.  What they are doing is asking us to choose between the lesser of two dangerous substances.  It’s like saying that shooting a small handgun at someone is “safer” than shooting a shotgun at them.  This is like saying that jumping from a four-story building is “safer” than jumping from a six-story building.  None of these are safe!  Besides, this petition is not calling for alcohol to be banned, just for players to be able to use either method to potentially hurt themselves and others.

Alcohol is known to be dangerous, but marijuana is far from safe.  Marijuana is known to cause memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, anxiety, and other issues.  Multiple studies have confirmed that marijuana users are twice as likely to cause a car accident (USA Today; CNN Health).  “Andrea Barthwell of the American Society of Addiction Medicine says pot can be just as debilitating as alcohol” (NPR.org).  It’s ridiculous to call something that keeps us from thinking clearly, acting rightly, and is an obvious hazard to ourselves and others, “safe.”

No matter which is “safer,” they are both wrong according to Scripture.  God often calls us to be able to think clearly and be sober (1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).  Paul talked about how he never wanted to be “mastered” by something else (1 Corinthians 6:12).  Both marijuana and alcohol have to power to take us over.  Philippians 4:8 calls for us to participate in things that are “true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise,” attributes which do not apply to marijuana or alcohol.

Neither alcohol nor marijuana is safe.  The only truly safe option, both physically and spiritually, is for drugs and alcohol to remain out of our lives.

The Homing Pigeon

Most of us have gotten lost before.  Maybe we took a wrong turn or tried to navigate through an unfamiliar place.  Until the GPS was invented, getting lost was a pretty common occurrence.  The fact that we, the most intelligent beings on this earth, can get lost so easily makes one animal just that much more amazing.

The homing pigeon has astonishing navigation abilities.  Over and over again the homing pigeon has been taken far away to a place it has never been.  Once it is released the pigeon will find its bearings and fly straight back to its nest.  Some of these birds have been recorded traveling as long as 1,100 miles back to the exact spot where home is (Walcott, Charles. "Pigeon Homing: Observations, Experiments and Confusions," 1996).

This ability has stumped scientist for years.  There are many different theories about how the homing pigeon can do this.  Some think it detects the earth’s magnetic field through some sensitive particles on top of its beak.  Others think it uses distinct smells in the atmosphere to find its way home.  The most recent theory suggests this pigeon is able to hear sound waves from the earth (which are at an incredibly low 0.1 Hz) and somehow use this to help guide them home (Popular Science).  No matter the theory, scientists are still looking for the facts.

So let’s get this straight.  For generations scientists have been trying to figure out how the homing pigeon is able to go directly back to its nest from an unknown location over a thousand miles away (ibid), and yet they claim evolution as an undeniable fact?  What a completely and utterly outrageous claim!  In addition, why would the pigeon develop such an ability in the first place?  What “survival of the fittest” situation would cause a pigeon to know how to make the enormous 1,100 miles journey back to its nest?

If we are willing to accept the truth, we will see that evolution doesn’t offer us the answers, God does.  These animals clearly show design and intelligent handiwork.  God created animals like the homing pigeon to show His magnificence.  He has made these animals so that we will marvel at His power and intelligence (Isaiah 55:9; Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:21-31).

The Dog Pile

Similar to the big leagues, every year there is a High School All-Star game.  Fifty of the best High School players in the nation get an opportunity to be nationally recognized and play in a professional stadium.  For the third consecutive year, the West team beat the East.  When the final out came, the West team rushed out to the mound to celebrate in a dog pile.  A few seconds later, the East team decided to join in on the celebration and jumped on to the dog pile as well.  This joint celebration was a nice change.  It wasn’t so much about winning and losing, or celebration and grumbling.  It was just about having fun.

Even though I don’t know where these young men stand spiritually, I think they at least provide a good example for us to keep things in perspective.  See, hobbies and activities, like sports, are often taken way too seriously in our culture.  In many ways, they have become a form of idolatry.  In other words, people spend so much time engulfed in these activities that they are no longer a fun game, but have become the most important thing in life, even above God.

In Luke 10, Jesus had a conversation with two sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha was extremely focused on being a good host and preparing a meal for Jesus.  She soon became upset at her sister for listening to Jesus’ teachings and leaving all the work to her.  She said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (40-42).

Even though Martha wasn’t engaged in a necessarily “fun” activity, she shared a similar mindset of many today.  She was simply focused on the much less important parts of life.  It’s easy to get focused on the trivial aspects of life.  Even if it is a hobby or something we love to do, we can quickly develop the wrong perspective about what is important.  Too often parents and teens allow a variety of activities to become more important than they are.

Let’s do our best to keep the sports we play and the hobbies we enjoy in the right perspective.  Let’s have fun and show good sportsmanship when we do them, but remember they are not more important that spiritual things.  In the end, nothing is more important than being focused on Christ and learning more about Him.

A Lion That Barks?

Sharon Liu had a fun family day planned at the zoo.  She wanted to show her son all of the amusing and unique animals, especially the different sounds they make.  They had approached a cage labeled “African Lion” when Liu’s son astutely pointed out that this “Lion” was barking.  It turns out this “Lion” was actually a Tibetan mastiff, a very large and longhaired dog (Pictured Above).  Apparently the zoo had been trying to deceive people, and this wasn’t the first time they had done this.

It usually isn’t hard to tell something is fake when we know what the genuine article looks like.  Sometimes the difference is so glaring that even a child can tell the difference.  The same is true in the church.  Today there is a lot of religious confusion.  There are massive amounts of literature and influential people out there who to muddy the waters, but it still isn’t too difficult to figure out what truth looks like in religion.  Even though it is a little lengthy, Jesus provided some awesome information about how to distinguish true religion and true Christians:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So then, you will know them by their fruits.  Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:15-23).

So, in our pursuit for true religion, the true church, and true Christians, how will we be able to tell them apart?

First, we look at their fruits.  Are they unifying or dividing the church?  Are they consistent or two faced in their lives?  Do they engage in sinful practices?  Do they teach things not found in the Bible?  Certainly there are many other ways to tell a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” but the fruits they produce will tell us a lot about them.

Second, we check if they are doing the “will of the Father in heaven.”  To put this another way, we compare their lives and teachings with Scripture.  Jesus just clearly stated that not all religious people (those who say “Lord, Lord”) are going to heaven, but rather those who are doing God’s will.  Therefore, are their teachings consistent with the Bible?  Are they trying to loosen up on commands in Scripture?  Do they fit the mold of the New Testament church in regard to its leadership, worship, name, and teachings on salvation (1 Timothy 3; Romans 16:16; Acts 2:38ff, etc)?

To put it bluntly, if any congregation or anyone does not follow the mold in Scripture then they simply aren’t a part of the true church.  Jesus even calls them, “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”  This statement isn’t meant to be harsh, just truthful.

It is going to take some work and some study to figure out the religious fakes, but we don’t have to do it alone.  Together we can sit down and figure out strictly what the Bible says.  If there is any way we can help you in this pursuit, don’t hesitate to ask.  We can guarantee that the answers will come straight from Scripture and not from opinion.  After all, in this life it is not about who is right, but what is right (God’s Word).

The true church and true Christians are out there.  Let’s not be deceived by a barking lion or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Let’s identify the truth and stick with it.