Speaking of Babylon:

Revelation 18:23 (King James Version)
23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived

Do you know of anyone who struggles with sorcery?

When we think of sorcery, we normal think of Hollywood’s portrayal of sorcery. Spells, chants….dark religious stuff, right?

I heard something interesting about this in a sermon that I heard online today (after hearing it in an interview right before that). The speaker, former hip hop artist ivor myers, brought up the original definition of the word that is translated to “sorcery.”

According to blueletterbible.org, it’s:
pharmakeia
1) the use or the administering of drugs
2) poisoning
3) sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it
4) metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry

According to Myers, this word is related to the modern word “pharmacy,” and the Biblical definition is “Anything that medicates the mind so that it will not follow the will or the Law of God” or “Anything that disconnects the mind from the mind of Christ.”

According to Myers this can apply to…Marijuana, television, music, and many other things that a lot of people struggle with. We might not realize this, but a lot of us might struggle with sorcery.

Just something to think about…

If you want to check out the Sermon(click), he talks about this specifically about….20 minutes into the sermon. It’s interesting stuff….check it out

The sermon itself is largely about the entertainment industry, and things that could be keeping us from God.

For anyone who is interested, I have started a group for doctrinal discussion on myspace….it’s just one small group, check it out if you’re interested

http://groups.myspace.com/doctrinaldebate

I’ve heard this chapter quoted from many times today, at a time when…well, I knew He wanted me to pay attention.

I thought I’d share….

2 Timothy 3
1But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

I’m afraid that’s me >.< but I don’t want it to be, and I’m working on it. I could use some prayer. (That’s not the only thing this post is about….though….but as a sidenote…fee free to send up some prayer : )

In the last days, there will be many people displaying these traits. I can’t think of a time when they apply more. It’s especially interesting, imo, that this scripture seems to be talking about people who do love God, but love pleasure more.

6For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.

It’s interesting….from what I understand (what I recently learned), we don’t know who Jannes and Jambres are Biblically, but historically, it seems likely that these are the magicians who stood at Pharo’s side and….when moses presented God’s miracle by turning a staff into a snake, they “opposed” him with counterfeit miracles, turning their staffs into snakes. Something interesting to think about, imo.

9But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

This whole scripture, so far, seems to be talking about people who are trying to act Godly, trying to impress people, but are actually counterfeits themselves. People who have the traits listed above, but are still trying to represent Christianity at the same time….people who are still of the world, but claiming not to be of it….etc…

10Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,
11persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

of course, not all who are persecuted for from Jesus, either, we can bring persecution on ourselves, but this is something to keep in mind. When we step out for God, and start living for Him, we will run into resistance, and this is often when we make the most difference. but…if we recede and become of the world, the devil might leave us alone. my thoughts…

13But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

imo, Paul is saying this to those whom he is confident have had the truth : )

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Moving on to chapter 4….because it’s good : )

2 Timothy 4
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

===
A couple of things I get from all this. Firstly, we really need to look at where our priorities are (myself included, probably more than many). We need to remember that we aren’t of this world, that we shouldn’t become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, and that we need to remember to focus on the ministry that God gives us.

Another thing I get….this scripture really makes me feel that we are living in the last days. I know that these traits have existed in all times, but I can’t think of any time in history when they apply more than now.

I just heard a startling yet very believable statistic. By the time an average kid turns five, he has spent more time watching tv then he will spend talking to his father in his entire life. That’s the type of society we’re living in…..truly, lovers of pleasure, lovers of escapism, lovers of….the world

My Pastor spoke today about sin, and the guilt and fear that often accompanies it. He mentioned a Chinese proverb, which said something along the lines of…..if you commit the same sin twice, you no longer feel guilty.

That’s a true statement….maybe not twice, but when we sin again and again, we eventaully don’t feel anything. If we cheat on our taxes every year, we might try to justify it at first, but after a while, we don’t even need to justify it, because it doesn’t bother us.

There’s one thing that many internet junkies and many kids of my generation do without even thinking about……

Jerry Falwell, a conservative evangelist, has recently passed away.  Falwell was probably one of the most politically influential evangelists in the US, who has been credited for basically “mobilizing” the religious right, making them realize how much power they had, as a block of voters.

Falwell has always been a very controvercial figure.  This is painfully obvious as, around the world and the net, people are bitterly celebrating his death.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of Falwell, but I can’t believe that people would actually celebrate the death of this man.  I think that’s extremely poor taste.  There are a lot of people who didn’t like him, but the truth is, he wasn’t that different than the plethora of evangelicals out there, and the people he influenced are still registered to vote, and still of the same mindset.

His death is not a victory, no matter what your beliefs are.  How can people rejoice in someone’s death?  Honestly, it makes me sick beyond words.

I hear those words uttered frequently from my fellow Christians….”It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship.”

I do believe that a relationship with Jesus is the most important things that we can experience, and the most important part of Christianity. That being said….I still have to argue with those who claim that Christianity is not a religion.  I do believe that it’s a relationship, but I believe that it’s a religion as well.

Religion is a belief (spirituality, some might say), and the practices associated with those beliefs.  God created us, and reveals Himself to us, so we do have that belief in Him. We also have practices associated with that belief, such as baptism, ministering, helping the poor, etc.

God basically created Judaism, giving priests instructions to teach the knowledge God gave them and the practices He commanded. Man might have changed it a bit, but God created it.

The Bible does seem to speak of true religion on a positive note….So I can’t help but disagree when people say that Christianity isn’t religion, or that we shouldn’t be “religious.”  Religion is belief and practices, and we shouldn’t forsake the belief in God, nor should we forsake the practices that He has commanded.

Here are some words of encouragement….from someone else

As a few people may have noticed, I’ve become fascinated with the world of online videos.

Recommendations:  There’s this guy names nalts, who’s probably my favorite youtuber , and there’s a new, very fast growing channel called iChannel, which is like a tv show type thing where comments can make a difference.

On Viral videos…What’s really amazing, in my opinion, is how much money some of these guys are making (nothing compared to what the companies are making, but it’s still not bad).  Nalts has been doing this for a long time, and he makes money various ways, which he talks about in a few of his videos, and on his blog (Will Video for Food).

Youtube, the most popular video site, doesn’t pay at all, but there are various sites that do pay, such as Revver.  Also, there’s money in advertising…I’m sure the iChannel website is probably making a bit from the small amount of advertising at the bottom of their page, and nalts probably makes a modest amount of money through his other website, cubebreak, which uses revver videos, and advertising via google adsense and amazon.

Of course, while youtube still doesn’t share any of their income, it’s where everyone is at, where everyone gets the most views…..so most people stick with youtube, and simply make money by putting revver videos on their websites.  Youtube has, however, expressed their intention to start paying users in the future.

Personally, I like youtube more than these other websites.  To me, it feels more like an online “community” than the other websites.  Perhaps that has to do with how genuine the videos are, as well as the structure of the website, and the sheer volume of users.  Youtube has many shortcomings, but it’s my favorite video site nonetheless.

“Will Video for Food,” which I’ve already mentioned, is a blog focusing on the world of viral videos. In the last entry, nalts talks a bit about which video websites pay the most. I was astonished to see (in the comments) that Marquisdejolie claimed to have made $5080 on Revver (I have no idea how long that took, I assume it’s cumulative). I’ve recently subscribed to Marquisdejolie on youtube, on another youtuber’s recommendation, but haven’t actually watched any of his videos yet… : P  I’ll get around to it!

One other interesting phenomenon in the world of viral videos is the opportunity that it has afforded a few (although admittedly not most). This guy named PeeDeeFlo has actually gotten to make a documentary for a local station and a music video, I believe.  A girl called Lisa Nova had the opportunity to be on Mad TV, after youtube made her famous, and various other youtubers have had their fame elevated far past the world of youtube.

Basically, I’m intrigued by the world of online videos.  I’m fascinated with what has happened with various internet celebrities (especially nalts, if you haven’t noticed…lol).  I’m much more intrigued, though, by the the “small guys” like myself, who continue to make funny and interesting videos despite a small number of videos.  That’s not a plug for myself, I’m just saying that the “small guys” are often much more interesting than the internet “celebrities.”  There’s plenty of people, including myself, who aren’t interested in becoming famous, who only make videos for fun…and that’s awesome.

That’s what I love about youtube….it’s just fun   and there really is a community feel, if you get into it, making video responses and commenting and whatever else.

Online videos might not be your thing, they do tend to be a bit on the “silly” side, but it really is fun.  Of course, if you’re a procrastinator like me….watch out : D

-Disclaimer:  I didn’t mean to advertise nalts as much as I did, lol….he’s just the youtuber who fascinates me the most.  He’s also the most hyperactive youtuber I know of, with hundreds of videos online.  I didn’t mean to advertise for him, but I guess since I’m already doing it….check him out