Rolling Thunder

6/1/08

One of my favorite ways to learn is by looking at what others have done and then figuring out how to do it myself. This photograph uses techniques which I have learned from two photographers that I know. Their work can be seen at Beauty and Light Photography and Do Not Grow Weary, both of which are in the 'Links' section of my About Me box.

This picture reminds me of the hymn 'The Love of God,' a stanza of which reads:

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.

Isaiah 51:15-16:

"For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the LORD of hosts is His name). And I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'"

VICTORY OR DEATH! TO THE KING! TO THE KINGDOM! CHARGE!!!

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Rightly Dividing- Family Vacation 2008

5/27/08

One of the reasons that I have not blogged recently was that we have been gone. We, the Hudelson family, went on vacation quite recently, returning yesterday. All is now settling gently into the seemingly monotonous, humdrum, yet astoundingly beautiful and productive life of a Christian home and family. However, I shall attempt to distill our recent experiences for all concerned into this epistle. Enjoy!

The theme of our vacation was "Rightly Dividing"- the memory verse being 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." Yes, that was from memory.... So, why "Rightly Dividing"? Other translations replace "handling accurately" with "rightly dividing." So why not "Handling Accurately Vacation?" Because it is not as epic sounding....

This entry will consist mainly of photographs, with some guiding text. We set out from Arizona on the first day of our vacation, Saturday, May 17, for Carlsbad, California. We arrived there in good time and got a room at the Surf Motel.

We visited the Pacific ocean on Sunday- here is a neat thought. I have touched both oceans, and been from the East coast to the West. Astounding! *cough* Anyhow, most of us were sunburned beyond recognition, but it was extraordinarily fun! I am infatuated with the ocean.

Little beasties stole food from us... the brutes. Vicious creatures, they were. Woulda ripped my arms off, if I weren't so quick on the draw. Shot a couple of 'em before they ran us over.... Alright, I digress.

Monday we went to Legoland. Much fun, and much more sun-conciousness.

From Carlsbad, we trekked to San Luis Obispo, and thence launched upon the following adventures.

We visited Hearst castle. It was perhaps ostentatious and 'hi-falutin,' but the owner, William Hearst, was not avaricious (do not think that I am smart- I have wanted to use that word for a long time. :) It means greedy for money.)- rather, he was quite generous. The most sobering part of this man's story, however, besides his lack of faith in Christ, is his appalling lack of multi-generational vision. He did not, in his will, even give the mansion to his children. His five sons were married fifteen times. This might help you to understand his lack of vision! Here are pictures of the castle and surrounding grounds.

We also, driving from the castle, saw some Elephant Seals.

From the our SLO residence, we also visited Morro Bay, which my mother's grandfather had assisted in constructing- or, actually, deconstructing- dynamiting.

The vicious beasties had followed us, and they raided our camp for the second time. After a fierce, long, strenuous, and epic battle, however, they were driven away, never to return.

And then we returned. Ah, it is good to be home. We experienced the awesome and the amazing, feats of man and wonders of God. Now we may return to the humdrum, the boring, the unimportant. Perhaps, many years from now, we shall truly realize the beauty of simplicity, the awesomeness of the little girl practicing clumsily on the piano, the power in the lad who imagines great deeds which he aspires to do for his King, and the deadly peace in the love the mother and father have for each other and their little children, as they teach their baby to say 'please.' The Christian family. It is beautiful, and I love it. I would not and could not think of a higher calling for myself than to the role of husband and father. And what a blessing, that I may live now in the Hudelson family, and participate in the humdrum, the simple, and the unimportant. VICTORY OR DEATH! TO THE KING! TO THE KINGDOM! CHARGE!!!

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Joy to the World

5/9/08

by

Gabriel Hudelson

Wikipedia states that Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, "I am competent/incompetent") and emotions (for example: triumph/despair, pride/shame). Behavior may reflect self-esteem, in (for example: assertiveness/timorousness, confidence/caution). Most people see the former of the above examples as the greater and more desirable position. This is well shown by the statement of coolnurse.com, that Healthy self-esteem means thinking as highly of yourself as you think of your friends and peers. This is high self-esteem, seen by the majority of people as the desirable position. "[Relatively] low self-esteem, on the other hand, is a risk factor for suicide, suicide attempts and depression, for teenage pregnancy, and for victimisation by others," quoth the Joseph Rowntree foundation. However, is this true and Biblical? Is it what Christians should aspire to? The self-esteem system of beliefs has swept across America. Many Christians, most, in fact, hold that low self-esteem is evil and dangerous. Is this how The God of The Bible would have Christians to think? The Bible says that the identity and pride of Christians is to be in Christ, that Christians should take pride in their work, that self-love is the true cause of low self-esteem, and that the cure to depression and worldly "self-esteem" is love for God.

Christians are called to humility before God and man. However, Christians are children of The King of the universe. There is a great pride and "self-esteem" which comes from this, but the Christian must be leery of their own pride and "self-esteem." The apostle Paul says that I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. So the focus of Paul's new life is Christ, and even Paul's identity is in Christ. As St. Patrick said, "Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me; Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me." Paul says again that, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." For the believer, Christ is the model, the example, the leader, and the world must see Christ exemplified. The Christian may, and should, take great pride in this. However, it is also shown that the heart is deceitful, and that man is a weak and feeble creature. Further, as Paul would say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." That no one should boast is an important phrase. So really, what is modeled in God's Word is humility, one might say low self-esteem, but a high Christ-esteem, and much joy will spring from that.

There is a certain undeniable pride which one receives from a job well done. Is this also an evil? The Apostle Paul does not seem to think so, saying "But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another." While not advocating self-righteousness or pharisaical, superior pride, he is advocating the satisfaction of a job well done. As the Preacher of Ecclesiastes says, "There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God." The satisfaction of a job well done is God-given. It is interesting and appropriate to know that work itself was not given to man as a curse at the garden of Eden, when Adam sinned. Work was not the curse, but rather, on the contrary, work was cursed. The Bible says that God put Adam in the garden "to cultivate it and keep it." This was before the fall of man. However, when Adam fell, his work was cursed. God said "Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread." God cursed the ground, Adam's work. Work itself, however, has always been a part of God's design, and satisfaction in work is a kind of "self-esteem" which is thoroughly Biblical.

A popular belief is that one should love oneself. The title of The Self Love Movement's webpage reads "Learn Self-Love, Build Self-Esteem, Gain Self-Confidence, and Find Your Purpose," exemplifying this popular supposition. This supposition is that self-love and self-esteem are closely intertwined, and the higher that each of these rises, the better one's condition becomes. This is further cemented by the common conceptions of the opposite levels of "self-love" and "self-esteem." These conceptions are well enunciated by the headlines of one of findcounseling.com's articles, which trumpets that "Depression, Low Self-Esteem Worsen Schizophrenia Symptoms." Is this what The Bible says? The Self Love Movement says, "Matt 22:36-40 (Paraphrased) Love God First...Then Love Yourself...So that You Can Fully Love ALL Others!" What The Bible actually says, however, is "Jesus answered, "The foremost is, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these."" Jesus did not seem worried about whether or not His followers loved themselves enough. In fact, by saying what He said, He denoted that they love themselves quite enough already. Never once does The Bible command Christians to love themselves, but to love others. The true reality is that one becomes depressed, or has "low self-esteem," because they love themselves too much. If one is obeying Jesus and His command to "seek first [God's] kingdom and [God's] righteousness," then he is not loving himself, but instead is focusing on The Kingdom, Power, and Glory of God. This will keep one's focus off of himself, and on God and His work, and it will leave no room for self-love and depression.

What is the cure for "low self-esteem" or depression? Maya Angelou's answer to Oprah Winfrey was that "she came to realize that God loved her, and from that point on, she no longer had doubts. Because if God loves her, how can she doubt herself?" GoAskAlice says, among other things, to "Accept who you are -- your strengths and your weaknesses, your feelings and emotions. This doesn't mean we don't have to work on things. Forgive yourself for mistakes, and, instead, see them as opportunities to learn and grow." What does The Bible say, however? This is the most important question. In The Lord's Prayer, Jesus Christ says "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." He says this of God The Father. It is all about God, and His Kingdom, and His Power, and His Glory, forever. Remember Christ's command to seek first God's Kingdom and also to love God and others. When one takes his focus off of himself, repents of his pride and selfishness, and puts his focus on God and others, then he finds true joy.

According to The Bible, Christians should have Christ-esteem, Christians should take pride in a job well done, selfishness is the true cause of depression and "low self-esteem," and the true cure to depression is seeking The Kingdom of God. In the words of John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Jesus is the Christian's reason for life, and with such a wonderful reason for living, how could one be depressed? With such a Glorious Leader to follow, with such a noble and awesome calling, how could the Christian be dismayed? As Paul says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Those filled with The Holy Spirit are joyous and loving, and not loving to themselves, but giving of themselves. Jesus is the cure for self-esteem. Christ-esteem will bring joy to the world.

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It is Raining Waiters and Piccolos!

5/1/08

Why Murder is Legal

by

Gabriel Hudelson

Moral relativism is a dangerous belief. It is the cause of many problems which plague our world today, and promises to only worsen things in the future. According to Wikipedia, "Moral relativists hold that no universal standard exists by which to access an ethical proposition's truth." This is a dangerous proposition. This argument can easily be taken ad absurdum with simple questions, and, once it reaches that point, it becomes obviously foolish and fallacious. In fact, it is of necessity self-refuting. However, so few see this that, as the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding would discover, "Commonly held standards of right and wrong are being shattered by a new wave of moral relativism. 66% of the population believes that absolute truth cannot be known." This idea, if it proceeds unchecked, has the potential to wreak havoc on society as it is known today. Moral relativism results necessarily in the prevalence of evil, the elimination of logic, and the end of all discussion and coherence.

The prevalence and increase of wrong-doing will result from this belief of relativism. Dr. Sam Vaknin said that "The concept of "evil" in this age of moral relativism is slippery and ambiguous. The "Oxford Companion to Philosophy" (Oxford University Press, 1995) defines it thus: "The suffering which results from morally wrong human choices."" Perhaps a better place from which to draw a sufficient definition of evil would be God's Word. Jesus said "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." So, then, evil is that which is not of the truth. All throughout The Bible, God gives Commands to man, His Laws. These would then be the truth which Jesus spoke of. Evil, therefore, is that which breaks God's Laws. However, for the moral relativist, what can be said? He does not believe in the existence of any objective standard, so God's Laws for him only apply to those who believe in them. Furthermore, the Oxford University definition of evil, though from a secular and unreligious source, still cites some objective standard- namely, "morally wrong-ness." For something to be "morally wrong," then there must be a "morally right." This means also that for the relativist, murder is not wrong! In fact, nothing can be wrong according to their belief. The Police force should be disbanded, and the criminals released from prison, the government simply eliminated. This is relativism ad absurdum. It is, however, the essence of relativism, a healthy playing-out, and not a straw man.

Logic is, according to Noah Webster, "The art of thinking and reasoning justly." Immediately, one is forced to realize the problem that this poses to the relativist. If there is no justice, then one cannot think or reason justly! Furthermore, the relativist cannot think or reason, regardless of the justice involved! Dictionary.com says that to reason is "to think or argue in a logical manner." We have just shown that for the relativist, there is no logic! There is no order or coherence whatsoever in the world of relativism. Five plus five, in a world restrained by logic, is ten. If, however, relativism reigned, and it was true that there was no truth, then five plus five might be any number of things. The only thing that the relativist can know for certain is that nothing can be known for certain. There are absolutely no absolutes. Intolerance cannot be tolerated, for intolerance presupposes the superiority of the belief of the intolerant, and the belief that tolerance is right is superior. This is self-contradictory and it is insanity and lunacy. Relativism destroys logic.

If one is a relativist, then this paper may as well be about the anatomy of cottage cheese, for relativism eliminates the sanity of speech, discussion, and coherence. Dictionaries are absolutely meaningless. Quoth moral-relativism.com, "Essentially, moral relativism says that anything goes, because life is ultimately without meaning. Words like "ought" and "should" are rendered meaningless." In other words, the words "should" and "ought" should and ought to be eliminated from our vocabulary! Indulge this hypothetical anecdote: A man enters a restaurant and orders a salad. The waiter brings him a plate on which sits a large piccolo. The man looks at the waiter quizzically for a moment and then at the piccolo, and then back at the waiter. "That is no salad," he says, and calls the manager of the restaurant to his table. "Sir," he complains, "this man thinks that that piccolo is a salad." The manager replies, "Well, for him it might be a salad, and for you it might be a piccolo, but I think that it is an airplane," and he promptly grabs the piccolo firmly in both hands, runs to the roof of the building, and leaps off. This is how relativists must communicate. A simple question like "please pass the salt" becomes a horrifying nightmare. Perhaps the relativists should just let the intolerant people do the talking.

The logical outplays of moral relativism are things like the legalization of murder, the destruction of logic, and the death of managers- or the breakdown of communication, whichever you prefer. It may seem humorous now, but were this belief to seize power, life would be terrible. However, Jesus said that "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." True freedom comes from Truth and the restraints and restrictions that it brings. It may seem like a burden, but if one attempts to relieve himself of it, he will soon discover that it is a blessing in disguise. O blessed Truth! The Law of Nature's God that binds mankind to reality! As John Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

"...and the truth shall make you free..."

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MYbox

4/29/08

This was done entirely using Photoshop CS3. I am entering the world of graphic design (which is closely related to web design and photography), which, LORD willing, will become another area in which I may take dominion for The Kingdom of Christ Jesus!

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Water

4/24/08

If you would like footnotes for the following essay, please notify me via our guestbook.

Wô'tə(r)
Gabriel Hudelson
I. The following epistle is written to address the rising contention between Dictionary English speakers and Colloquial American English speakers. On a serious note, I firmly believe that we as Christians should apply "all of Scripture to all of life," so this is a serious attempt to see what God thinks of speech. Speech is powerful and dangerous. It is used incredibly frequently. It can change the fate of nations and generations. So knowing how God wants us to speak is very important. This I shall address in the following essay. I hold that it is good to say 'water' according to the Dictionary Pronunciation because of its dignity, diligence, and discipline, but that if it offends my brother my obligation to love him is greater than my obligation to a grey area such as 'water'- an application, rather than a Biblical black-and-white statute.
A. First, I would like to ascertain that we agree that God thinks of speech at all. This is not really a disputable point. The Bible says that David was prudent in speech. This insinuates that one can be imprudent in speech. There is sweet speech and excellent speech. This list could continue for quite some time. The God of The Bible endorses some kinds of speech, and condemns others. So God has drawn a line between good and bad, acceptable and unacceptable speech. Now the task is finding where the line is. Now I must insert a disclaimer into this epistle. This, LORD willing, is not legalism. Whichever conclusion this tirade leads to, please know that I do not think that you are less saved or not saved or whatever else you might accuse me of because I think that I should say 'wah-T-re' or 'wahduhr.' This is written for my benefit. It is a Straw Man, Mr. vT. That said, I continue.
B. Now the search begins for principles to guide, principles issuing from God's Word. One would hope that we have come past the black and whites- this essay is not going to attempt to prove that one should not lie or curse or take The LORD's Name in vain, for this should be obvious. Specifically, this essay is addressing dignity, diligence, and discipline in speech; the premises which the DE advocates base their arguments on, and love and consideration, which the CAE advocates seem to base theirs on.
II. A. Dignity is an indisputably Biblical principle. All Christians should be dignified. The Bible is clear on this. The Bible does not, however, say "to be dignified, thou shalt pronounce all of thine 'T's." So we journey from the realm of the black-and-white principle, dignity, which all Christians should have, to the rather grey area of interpretation and application. The Hebrew word for 'dignity' in Proverbs 31 means "an ornament, honor, splendor." The Greek words translated both "dignity" and "dignified" in the footnoted New Testament passages are similar, and closely related, one meaning seriousness, the other, 'reverend, i.e. venerable, spec. serious.' One can be quite splendid, honorable, serious and venerable and still say either 'water' or 'waduhr' (waduhr being used to show the CAE pronunciation, which would be spelled the same as the DE pronunciation). Of course, the CAE would likely say that the DE are less serious and venerable when saying 'water,' and vice-versa. I, myself, in my opinion, not as an Objective Truth, but as a thought in my incoherent brain, this is me, for me, not for you, in my interpretation of the grey area, however, hold that the pronunciation of 'T's is more dignified and venerable than not pronouncing them as 'T's but rather as 'D's. Thinking of Royalty, would one not see the dictionary pronunciation of water as requiring more effort, like sitting up or holding one's head high? Again, this is not saying that one must sit up to be saved, etc. However, whatever they might be labeled, be it snobbish or eccentric, are those who sit up and hold their heads high and say 'water' not venerable- and more so than the rest?
B. Diligence is also an undisputable Biblical principle. All Christians should be diligent. One can, and I should think must, at least, hold that we should be diligent with our tongues. We should think before we speak. Furthermore, I would hold that it is good to work at one's speech- do not simply say what is easy or "off the top of your head" but what you should say. However, I take issue with one of the arguments of my own "side," that it takes more work and effort to pronounce 'T's, and thus requires more diligence. The rebuttal from the CAE is sufficient- once one has entered the habit of saying 'water,' then it takes more effort and diligence to say 'waduhr.' I hold that one can be diligent in either position. However, 'water' simply sounds more diligent- though more odd- so I suppose if we were forced to make a judgment on the basis of diligence, I should choose to say 'water.' This is, however, a fine line, and, again, my interpretation.
C. Discipline seems to be to a degree a combination of the two character qualities listed above, and again is thoroughly Biblical. It could also be called self-control, in the way in which I mean it. This, however, seems to hold more weight in the realm of when to say what you say then what to say when you say it. Is it then silent on the issue of 'water?' I contend that it is not. Much could be said similar to what has been said in regards to diligence. However, we can simply ask, if all else fails, as Mr. Doug Phillips would say, "If you were on a desert island, and all that you had to influence you was God's Word," would we see 'water' or 'waduhr' as more Biblical? It seems to me that 'water' would be, simply by its sound, the more disciplined, but again this is a fine line, and my interpretation of a grey area.
D. Love and consideration are obviously Biblical. First I must clarify what I mean by love. I mean love as in not eating meat which has been offered to idols for the sake of my brother with a weaker conscience. To put that in this context, I mean love as in not saying 'water' for the sake of my brother with a weaker conscience. So, the next question would be, is my conviction about the Biblicality of 'water' strong enough to overrule my obligation to my weaker brother? For an extreme example, would I murder someone for the sake of my brother whose weaker conscience does not allow for my letting the person live? No, I could not. Would I be undisciplined, lazy, or undignified for the sake of my brother with a weaker conscience? No, those are Biblical, inviolable black-and-white issues. 'Water,' however, is not. So if my saying 'water' offends my brother, then I should cease.
This, then, is my conclusion- that it is more dignified, disciplined, and diligent to say 'water'- but not to such a degree that it can override my obligation to love my brother. I now must stress again, this was written for my benefit and a clarification of my convictions. I have not just said that I am better than you because I pronounce water correctly. I do not think that because of that I shall have a higher seat in Heaven. I am not saying that you should say 'water!' I am simply telling you why I do. If this offends you, then please tell me, and I would be glad to speak like a common American.

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Photoshop and a video camera

4/21/08

James 1:11: "For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away."

(NAS)

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I Am A Big Brother!

4/17/08

Well, actually, I already was... but now I am a big brother to my little brother Micah... little brother... little brother... that feels good. Any prayers for my little brother little brother little brother and my wonderful mother would be greatly appreciated, as Micah is still in the womb. Gabriel the warrior- Micah the prophet- I am excited!

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The Final Problem

G. A. Hudelson

4/10/08

Although few know it, there is a great and terrible evil, a problem, or, rather, the problem. This problem is not "out there" but is "in here." It is a deadly problem, a problem which kills many unsuspecting victims. Oh, be assured, many have heard of it, but they laugh it off, not realizing its potential, and not comprehending the astounding fact that everyone has this problem. It is not an insoluble problem, but few know the anecdote thereof. Each person has a lifetime to deal with this problem, but once their life ends, it is over, and they have no second chance. This problem is called sin. As John MacArthur, Jr. would say, "Man's greatest problem is sin. It renders him spiritually dead, alienates him from God and his fellow man, plagues him with guilt and fear, and can eventually damn him to eternal hell. The only solution is forgiveness--and the only source of forgiveness is Jesus Christ." Everyone has this problem, and because of that they are condemned to eternal punishment by God, but there is hope for those who repent.

Humanity has been a wicked race since Adam and Eve. As the New England Primer puts it, "In Adam's Fall We sinned all." From these, the first parents, came sin. It is easy to see that everyone has sinned- even were we to set aside the constant reaffirmations of this in The Bible! For sin to exist there must be a standard, for nothing can be wrong unless there is an Objective Right. There are many standards, laws of kings and nations, common law, laws of nature, laws of physics, laws of mathematics, but for the sake of time the Ten Commandments should suffice. The Law of God was given to man that, as the apostle Paul says in Romans, "the transgression might increase"- that man might see and know that something is right and something is wrong. Immediately, simply glancing over the requirements of God's Law, it becomes apparent that no man could enter God's Holy Heaven of his own accord.

Knowing that all are sinners makes the realization both terrible and stark that the punishment for sin is death! The Book of Revelation describes this just punishment as the 'lake of fire,' the eternal abode of the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and those whose names are not written in the Book of Life. The God of The Bible is Merciful and Loving, but He is also Just, Holy, and Wrathful. This concept is beautifully portrayed in the lines of O Worship the King: "O tell of his might, O sing of his grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space. His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, And dark is his path on the wings of the storm." So, then, this dilemma is presented- all men are sinners, and will have to, one day, stand before a Holy and Wrathful God to be judged according to their deeds. What can any man say when standing before Almighty God but, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

There is hope, however, for those who have been chosen to receive the salvation of God. The God of The Bible is Just, Holy, and Wrathful- but He is also Merciful and Loving! As the apostle Peter would say, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." The price which we are bound to pay, for our own sin, is our life and our eternity, but God has provided a Way of Salvation. All men will be brought before The Judge of the Universe, and all are guilty. God, however, in His great mercy, sent His Son to this earth as The Way for salvation. This is exemplified in the following hypothetical situation: A man stands in a courtroom convicted of a great and terrible crime, and the punishment is a fine of more than any man on earth could ever pay. Suddenly, another man walks into the courtroom. This man is a total stranger to the criminal, and yet he pays the fine. So Christ paid the fine for all of mankind, and some, by the Will of God, will be saved. How, then, are men to be saved? In the words of Christ Jesus Himself, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." This, then, is how men are to be saved- by repenting and believing in the gospel.

All have sinned, and are condemned, as sinners, by a Holy and Wrathful God, to eternal damnation, but there is hope for the chosen. Those who confess their sins are promised forgiveness by a Faithful and Righteous God. The LORD is Holy and Just, but His Justice has been satisfied in His Son, and through His Son those who repent are forgiven. May He grant repentance unto life to those whom the Devil has blinded. May many more still come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus, and be able to say with John Newton, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That sav'd a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see."

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