When I Ruled the World!

This morning while driving to work I was listening to the song Viva la Vida by Coldplay. I thought it was very apropos about my life. Funny how songs, even if they are secular speak about many truths. This song as I heard it brought to me so many memories, so many emotions of the past, some good, many bad.

Before totally accepting Christ I had become everything--I was an animal, peace and human rights activist, an environmentalist, community organizer---and exceptional butt kicker of injustices everywhere, or so I thought. The only thing I never did was pimp or sell drugs. (Thank God.) And when I was turning 27 years old or so, it all came to an end when I confronted a group of socialists. They wanted to stop me from making a public speech were I was going to make many references about Jesus Christ. I was not going to compromise Christ for anyone, including them! Karl Marx and his satanic minions could go back where they came from. I hope to write about my past life in future posts and as a Christian male how I came back to Christ. For now review, enjoy the song and its melodious lyrics.

Viva la Vida

By Coldplay

God is Bigger

Oh, no! The swine flu is starting to be called a pandemic. Hundreds of people have been infected, dozens have died and Mexico City has been completely shut down. The media has a nice way of scaring people don’t they? We know that these things must occur because the Bible said they would over 2,000 years ago. But we do not need to run in fear thinking that we are going to die. When I went to visit my fiancée the SARS epidemic was hitting Asia. No threat of a deadly virus was going to stop me from visiting my true love. I wore a mask to be cautious from California all the way to the Philippines. I did so because I did not know what else I could do. Years later I have found out that there is an answer for these pestilences. It is too obvious not to have noticed them. The Black Plague that swept across Europe killed millions of people. But not all of them died. There were millions of people that did not die.

Having good health is based on the measures we take to take care of ourselves. It does not surprise me that this swine flu started in Mexico City. Mexico City has the worst pollution of any other city in the planet. Pollution destroys the body’s ability to defend itself against deadly strains of viruses. Many medical doctors will say that there is no cure for these viruses. They say that virus cannot be killed. Below is a list of herbal supplements that have been reported to kill viruses and they are all natural. I’ve used many of them myself. Another thing that we should consider is that Jesus Christ, God, is bigger than any doctor, media conglomerate, the government and disease. He loves us so much that I believe in earnest that he has given us everything we need to fight sickness. Take precautions as needed and continue to worship our Lord and Savior.

Oregano Oil

Olive leaf extract

Cinnamon

Organic virgin coconut oil

Echinacea

Hypericum Mysorense and Hypericum Hookeranum
(don’t know what this is yet, but it was discovered in India)

Signs of Faith

When I repented and accepted Jesus Christ it happened very naturally. I did not see any heavenly sign or felt a metaphysical experience. As I was growing up, I was told by various groups that I would see a sign or that the heavens would literally open through a vision, a dream or feeling. I was hoping that it would happened, but it never did. One day, my schizophrenic friend told me to pray about it, to ask God for a sign. He asked me to pray an istikhara. I did. The following day he asked me “did you dream about anything“? I said, “no,” To his chagrin. He explained to me that most people of his faith saw the color green in their dreams. That would be God’s way of answering my prayers. I do not know why I was never privileged to experience these signs. (Actually, I do know but I am just being facetious.)

I remember reading how the teachers of the law were asking Jesus for a sign if he indeed was the Christ. Jesus told them in Matthew 16:4 “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign.” To me this means that God does not encourage the idea of sign seeking. And I believe that this is true because otherwise it would be too easy to be deceived by fake signs and visions, which I believe occur thousands of times a day throughout the world. When Jesus was being tested in the desert He said, “…Do not put the Lord your God to the test” Matthew 4:7.

Before my youngest nephew was born, members of my sister’s church believed wholeheartedly that they had seen a vision from God showing them that my nephew would instead be a niece--a baby girl. The doctor had already determined through an ultra sound that there was an 80% chance the baby would be a boy. But these women were so sure of their vision that for the baby shower, they even decorated the house all in pink. They caused such a scene that they chastised us for questioning their supposed vision. So when the new baby boy was born…their visions was proven false. And they were all left speechless. In 2 Corinthians 11: 14 the Bible says “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angle of light…”

I have therefore concluded that sign seeking has the potential to be self edifying. And it is therefore not the best way to build faith in God.

Schizophrenia and the Delusion of Religion

Today I have decided to write about a topic that afflicts many people but it is often very hard to diagnosed. And above all I believe it affects people who have very strong faiths. Today I am going to talk about schizophrenia. According to the Webster’s dictionary schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by loss of contact with the environment…expressed as disorder of feeling, thought (as delusions), perception (as hallucinations), and behavior. I believe that some of the greatest religious leaders in the world were afflicted with this brain disorder. Throughout history many people have claimed to have heard God speak to them or they have seen angels or other paranormal activity. Their belief in having these experiences are so real that persons affected with this illness cannot tell the difference between reality and delusion.

I had a friend once that used to tell me some very outlandish claims he swore to me they were true. To me of course they sounded so far fetched that there was no way I could possibly believe in them because there was no evidence to support his claims. One day he told that he had been a witnessed to a student being thrown out of a moving school bus in the middle of a highway. On another occasion he said that during one of his missions he had been asked to fly a helicopter, even though he had never taken any flying lessons! In spite of the fact that I drilled him about both stories---never admitted to me that they were false. And that is what a schizoid will always do--deny reality no matter how much evidence you present to them that it is false. My friend’s other side was that he was very devoted to his religion. He was ultra dedicated---many would say fanatical. Most schizophrenic people find refuge within their religion. To them their religion is very comforting. And it can be therapeutic, which is what they sometimes do need. However, there is a dangerous side to this. I believe that Jim Jones was a schizophrenic. He made thousands of people believe that his teachings, although contrary to the bible, were true and the only way towards salvation. It is very easy for the average truth seeker to fall prey to these wolves in sheep’s clothing. The bible says that in the last days, the very elect would be deceived by them.

Jesus Christ was a Man of sound mind, sound spirit and sound character. Jesus could have easily come to this earth and take advantage of every person. But instead he gave us unconditional love and a healthy mind to discern the truth from the many lies we would be exposed to. A healthy dose of Christian living is not delusional. True Christian living is grounded in reality.

Fruit of the Earth

A funny thing happened this winter. Actually it is not funny, but rather very revealing. I did not get sick with the flu. Every year it never failed. The flu bug would always put me out of commission for several days, even if I took vitamins. But this year, all I got was a mild cold. Then I realized that one lifestyle change I made was that I ate more fruit. Our daughter also got hit with the flu every year, but this year it was not that bad either. In my line of work I meet and greet over 1,000 people every week. Getting deathly ill was becoming a natural process of winter.

I believe that fruit began to get a bad rap when Adam and Eve ate fruit from the forbidden tree. Who is to say it was not Satan’s way to keep humankind from eating fruit so that their natural defenses would be weak? I even have a strong hunch that some fruit, like figs and apples may even cure deadly diseases such as cancer.

Other than the story of the Garden of Eden, I cannot recall fruit getting any bad publicity in the Bible. The word fruit actually is very good. Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.” It applies to everyone. Including any future spouse being considered for life. If your potential mate is an alcoholic, or has violent predispositions, he will never change---unless of course he becomes a repentant Christian and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Jesus there will always be hope for a better tomorrow. Eat more fruit.

Mopping the Floor

I was down and out for the last two days due to a cold. I took care of it the best way I know how. I took herbal supplements like Echinacea and it was not as bad as it usually is. God is so good with us. He gave us the remedies to help us combat almost any ailment. The small setback however took me away from my exercise routine. So today when I felt better I mopped the entire apartment. Mopping is a very good form of exercise. As a matter of fact I timed myself and did a little research on the Internet to find out how many calories I burned. I used a couple of online calorie counters to find out that I had burned 265 calories. I was surprised I burned so many calories. The calorie counters are very good because they calculate your calories using a several factors such as your height, weight, and amount of time it takes to do your specific exercise. Through the calorie counter I found out that 10 minutes of shoveling snow burns as much calories as one hour of mopping! When I use my stepper the most I burn is about 30 calories per 20 minutes of exercise. I rinsed the floor and the mop several times. I like our floors to be very clean and not leave any residue. By doing this I believe I caught up with lost time. Later this week, I will weigh myself and see if I lost any weight. Just please remember that I am not doing this out of vanity. I just want to grow old gracefully and healthy. I want to live as long as God wants me to live.

God bless you.

Marriage: The Male Perspective

Our Wedding Bands

I got married at age 33. Contrary to popular belief--most normal men do want to get married and establish a happy family. A normal, stable family is every decent man's desire. That was one of my goals in life. I do not believe in the "live-in" concept. I am not a piece of meat. We do not want to marry women who are party girls. Party girls send us bad signals. We also want to marry women who are religiously healthy--women who love and fear the Lord. Many years ago a friend of mine who was a Jehovah’s Witness, gave me an ultimatum. She told me "If you love me. You will believe in MY religion." It would have been better for her to say, "If you love God and or Jesus Christ, I hope you will love me too." But she did not. I don't think she meant to cause any harm, but I never looked back.

However, for some men there is a rush to get married. The younger the better is the thought. If men are going to get married, they should not do it younger than 25 years. At this age, we are just starting to outgrow our childlike mentality. It’s true. When I finally met my lovely wife I knew it was the right time. When you preserve yourself from sin and great temptation not only are you doing it for your spiritual well-being, but you are also doing it for your future family. God will bless you tremendously for it.

A Gloomy Day

Loyola Park Beach, Rogers Park--Chicago IL

In being true to my very first post, today I exercised for about 30 minutes. Our apartment/condo is very small. So I don't have the weights or tread mills necessary to get a true workout. What I do have is three portable exercise machines--a stepper, push up handles, and the Ab Rocker, which my wife bought for me as a gift a few months back. They do the job of giving me a good work out.

Loyola Park Beach, Rogers Park--Chicago IL

I should have taken the time to go for a jog, since this is the first day of my Spring Break, but the day was cold, windy and very gloomy looking. We live steps away from Lake Michigan and reports estimate that the waves were as high as 10 feet. It is not my ideal weather to job, or surf. (Incidentally, when the weather is better I have seen some people try to surf and para sail on the lake. Doesn't quite work like Hawaii, but people still keep trying!)

Loyola Park Beach, Rogers Park--Chicago IL

Before I knew Christ, these gloomy days would really affect me in a bad way. My spirit would also be gloomy. Now that I know Christ, He is the sunlight in my heart. I am not kidding. I sure wish, Spring behaved like Spring, but God is the source of my happiness. Nothing can get me down.

Trampled Upon

"And we thank God continually because when you receive the word of God, which you heard from us, you accept it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."---1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

I went back to church after several months of inactivity. I consider myself a non-denominational Christian but I usually visit the Rogers Park Baptist Church, willingly. I don't feel pressured when I come to this church...I feel as if they let me be me. Today was Palm Sunday and I did not even know it. That is what you call an atypical Christian.

I have the desire to become a better husband and a better father, a better follower of Christ. We however are always being bombarded by temptation and sin. This modern society has it harder than the ancients, I believe. Wherever a person may go you can't escape it! Television, billboards, the Internet. There is sin large and in living color. About two weeks ago our four year old daughter reminded us about going to church. She sounded very disappointed when we did not go. And I felt bad because I let her down. It was almost as if God was telling me to go to church, if not for me...at least for her sake, our daughter's sake.

As I sat there I could not help to notice that the more I visit churches the more I like the songs they sing. One of the songs that was very meaningful to me went like this: Crucified, laid behind a stone. You lived to die rejected and alone like a rose trampled on the ground, you took the fall and thought of me, above all!

Trying to live according to God's standard is hard. It gets even harder when you try your best to help people, but even your best is not enough. Whether it is at work, at home or even in the street. People are always on the defensive. This is a thankless society. The nicer you are the more they trample on you. But I guess that is what Jesus did for us. He was the first to take the fall for us so that we may be saved. I have the belief and faith that change is possible.