Originally posted January 12, 2012 @ 9:09 PM.

Inspired by the episode The Finder from the TV show “Bones”.

Alrighty, people. BIG question. Who would win during a faceoff between a ninja and a samurai? What are the pros/cons for each? I will forewarn you that any foul play (ie: ninja star throwing, decapitation, etc) during the discussion will not be tolerated.

For a quick reference of the differences, click here.

Originally posted January 11, 2012 @ 2:33 AM.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT!!! If you have not seen “Bones” season six, proceed with caution.  Continue reading →

Men, don’t even think about asking a woman to stand behind you, or even with you, while you fight if you won’t even so much as stand. Don’t do it. DON’T.

Dear Manager of Store Operations & Logistics.

Recently, you have put up an ad for the Angel perfume at your fragrance counter near the entrance to the…mall. The ad depicts a beautiful woman in a sensuous, sexual pose with a form fitting dress, and, worst of all, a massive amount of cleavage and her breasts pushed up into view heavily.

As a “typical” man, I am drawn to the feminine body and have a great appreciation for the curves God gave to women. There is magnificent beauty and deeper mystery than the simple fact that the feminine form is pleasing and desirable to a man’s eyes and body.

However, let’s be clear. While I will grant you the understanding that you did not design the ad or the product, you do promote it through your business. I am not married, yet, and I am preparing to deepen my relationship with my girlfriend. I want my mind, my heart, and everything I have to give her saved only for her. I do NOT want images of other women plastered in my mind more than can be helped. I do not appreciate having my attention taxed all for the sake of a bottle full of some random “smell” and the dollar you can earn off of it.

The notion that sex sells has perverted everything good about the natural design of the human body and the gift of our sexuality. I do not want to have some business telling me that beauty rests in half-naked women, or that you have the best claim on what makes a woman sexy. You can’t sell that in a bottle. I’ll be open and momentarily blunt with you: I get more satisfaction from my girlfriend’s kiss on my cheek or neck – a SIMPLE kiss, mind you – than I do from those ads you choose to display or the products you sell. So kindly STOP trying.

Stop continuing to promote false sexuality. Stop selling the idea that beauty rests in the clothes you sell. Stop trying to convince us (especially the women) that sexuality can be bought in a few ounces of liquid in a bottle. I ain’t buying it – literally and figuratively.

I am disgusted – furious doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings on the matter – with the pathetic business plans you have employed.

Selling perfume and clothes are not bad. That people want to look attractive and smell nice is far from anything sinful. But pushing it the way you do is equal to shoving someone into a ravine of vanity and self-centeredness. It does not promote anything resembling of quality character.

I recognize you are a business, and there are trends that sell better than others. But let’s make this painfully to the point. I WILL NOT support your business in any form or fashion, as well will I pass word to others as it may arise in conversation to avoid your company, if you continue to promote unhealthy and DISRESPECTFUL ads that show an absolute lack of consideration for the human mind and heart, as well as utter callous regard for what makes a woman TRULY beautiful (here’s a hint: beauty has much, MUCH less to do with the body and EVERYTHING to do with the heart).

I warn you to heed my words here. For I’m sure you understand that even just one bad word from a single customer can have dire affects on your profits. Change your ways and conduct of business (namely the ads you promote) or suffer the consequences.

Sincerely,
Michael Miller

PS: As I typed this message, the ads were switched to previously displayed ads of Justin Bieber and an attractive teen girl behind him in a suggestive pose. Perhaps you would like me to continue my lecture regarding the effects that such ads have on the far more impressionable teens and younger children who have not yet developed the SLIGHTEST understanding of the impact of their budding sexuality……

 

At the age of five, I accepted Christ while at a church my babysitter went to. The Sunday School teacher took me to the back of the classroom and told me about Jesus, and I accepted Him into my heart as my savior. It wasn’t until a neighbor invited me to the church that was held in the auditorium of my elementary school that I began going to church regularly and on my own. I was the first Christian in my family (supposedly…my dad said he was saved years ago, but sadly, I have doubts). Being only five, I had no concept of time, so it wasn’t unusual for me to wake up hours before church even started and walked the few blocks to my school, often before the janitor arrived. I loved helping to set up the chairs and listen to the worship band practice. And I always sat in the first row (if it was a Baptist church, I never knew). I remember being late to service once and got caught up in Children’s Church…and hating it. I wanted to listen to the pastor preach. I wanted to hear the details of what Scripture actually said. That’s how I remember it, at least.

With my dad in the military, we did move around a bit. I can’t recall when, as a family, we started attending church regularly, but every time we visited my grandparents, we always went – very fond memories of Sundsay School then, oddly. There was also a point at which my own growth in Christ and regular church attendance sparked in my mom (who I had always thought was a Christian, herself, for years) a desire to read the Bible more. Eventually, she, too, accepted Christ, but I was unaware of when this was. She only confided in me that it was because of me…or rather through me.

At 14, we moved to Alaska and started attending a Southern Baptist church. Getting connected in youth group and with the pastor, and new experiences in relationships with students in high school prompted me to take a more serious claim on my faith in Christ. As a child, I always just believed in God, but now I knew I needed to delve deeper into my relationship with Him. With the guidance of my late pastor, his successor, and the youth pastor, a tiny spark for an appreciation of apologetics and hermaneutics lit in me.

After moving out on my own to Washington (state), I discovered my Home Church of all churches: Allen Creek Community Church. Pastor Rick Thiessen’s sermons and personal answers to my many, many probing spiritual and Biblical questions fed my early desires to understand God’s word and how to apply it in my life. Having long since learned that my primary spiritual gift is encouragement (secondary is teaching), Rick’s style of ministry fed me to the core. I still email him often with questions.

During the next ten years, I began writing lyrics to songs (that hopefully will some day have music to them) and also hosted a personal web site that I designed (thank you HTML web design course in high school!). My goal was to offer articles on various Biblical topics and encourage people to know God better, personally. When a friend introduced me to a blog site, what began as a public journal to connect with friends turned into the perfect medium for me to continue a newfound love for writing. My interactions with other bloggers – Christian, non-Christian, and everything in between and then some – was like adding a nuclear explosion to my passion for interpreting Scripture with integrity and defending the faith with accessible logic. What formed was my two blogs, the long-standing NaitoOfNarnia and my more recent re-ignition, Rhindon.

More recently, I moved to Texas in late-2010 to pursue a special Lady I met through my blog site and to confront the deep-rooted issues of maturity I had not properly addressed. During this past year, God has put me face-to-face with my rather severe lack of integrity, honesty, and a stronger work ethic. Latent dreams, a Woman who has the grace, forgiveness, and patience of God, Himself, and a desire to be a more Godly man (thank you, “Courageous” movie and other motivators) have been a huge driving force in helping me to change my heart and lean heavily on God, both spiritually and in other daily factors.

As of the beginning of 2012, I expect a continuation of God-inspired trials, but also a certain hope rests in me that much of my past struggles will see a ripe yield of blessings, too.

Originally written July 3, 2011

See Matthew 7:1-5 & 1 John 2:1-14

Note: This is written to no particular person or people. These are words to process and for yourself to consider if they reflect a need for you to change your heart. There’s no need to take this as a personal or even a general criticism. It is not a criticism of any sort. It’s just something to keep in mind.

It is not up us (Christians) to say who IS or is NOT a Christian…who is or is not going to Heaven or Hell. No more than we can tell a tree what fruit it ought to bear.

But we can judge (reasonably) if one is a Christian by the fruit of his heart; his likeness to Christ. Just as we can tell an apple tree from an orange tree by their fruit. Do the qualities which define a Christ-follower show evidently in the character and actions of the person? If you were to examine his soul, would his spiritual DNA testify that it was truly Jesus who lived in him? If you cut open an apple, shouldn’t you find apple seeds? You should certainly find seeds at all.

And is the Christian young in spirit? Is he recovering from a broken heart now made new? A young sapling may not yet bear any resemblance or show any evidence – that is, fruit – that it is, indeed, the sort of tree it will mature into. Even full-grown trees can become sick, too, and must be cared for, nurtured back to health. It’s fruit may taste sour or bitter and not seem like it ought to be. But it is no less a fruit tree.

We may be deceived by some would-be Christians. We may falsely judge a new Christian who has not yet matured as pagan. We, ourselves, may not even know what all a Christian ought to be, or we may know and yet fail to apply love, compassion, patience and understanding.

Jesus knows who are His as a shepherd knows his sheep. Listen to the Shepherd, and let Him worry about who may enter the Heavenly Pasture. Simply continue to encourage and serve the Flock as you have been called to do, and “baa” with the same grace which God gave you towards those who wander close to the teeth of the wolves.

Discern wisely so you are in the company of fellow Christians and not led away by false believers, and then leave the Final Judgment to the Lord.

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. – Genesis 3:7 (NLT)

Every time I knowingly disobey God, I am left with an increasingly deeper sense of shame. I understand even better the weight of the cost of what I chose to do.

It is not that I didn’t understand that there would be consequences or what those consequences would be, but I discover, firsthand, as if for the first time, what evil really is. Evil is full separation from God. It’s like that moment when you realize your air supply has just been cut off and you’re the one who cut the hose. That moment of panic, mixed with guilt, and the desperation of not knowing how you’ll breathe again because you can’t restore your air supply.

Adam and Eve had the very real experience of life void of God’s peace. They knew every bit of full joy and had not a care in the world. They understood God’s command and the consequence of disobeying. Suddenly then they knew death even as they lived. It was an experience that was as cold and sudden as the frigged, Alaskan winds that hit when you step out from the front door of a fireplace-warmed home. It’s the difference between having the steady stream of a hot shower flow over you and the all-consuming fog of chilly air when you shut off the water and open the shower curtain.

Their eyes were opened to an experience they could not escape. As Christian rap artist, TobyMac puts it, “…once you start an avalanche there ain’t no turning back” (from track “Momentum”, album “Momentum”).

While God’s grace was immediately present as He pronounced judgment, this was not an experience we were meant for. We were better off blind to the knowledge of Good and Evil.

From my Notes at YouVersion.com.

TITLE	DESCRIPTION	WRITTEN	ORIGINAL BLOG
Kuriousity Kwestion 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10	An assortment of random questions that have come to my mind at random times that I randomly ask…randomly.	Varies	NaitoOfNarnia
A Sort of Cheery Rainy Day	A short narration of the world about me as I got up to walk to work one wet Washington day.	3/20/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
A Christian’s ID: How Do They Know You?	Letting our lives be the identification of our faith in Christ.	6/1/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Opinions, Perceptions & Truth	Showing how Truth stands alone, apart from opinions and perceptions of reality.	6/4/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
The Lord’s Hugs	Reaching out to God in the pain, failures, fears, anger, and more…and finding that He’s there.	6/5/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
L is for Law, G is for Grace	The difference between the two, why the law is important, and why grace (and not following rules) is the only thing that can save us.	6/16/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
My Favorite Subway Sandwich	A little hip-hop diddy I wrote…I need to record this…	7/30/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Hey! I Know You From Somewhere	Will we know/recognize friends and family in Heaven? To be sure!	7/31/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
The Wicker Coal Basket	God will answer our prayers and often give us what we ask for…but not always in the way that we expect or anticipate.	date	NaitoOfNarnia
Thoughts and Other Things	Random thoughts and oddball-ness straight from my own mind.	8/13/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
God Said, “No,” and I’m GLAD!	Told with a mild (and silly) film-noir style, I tell the story of how I almost had a buyer for some jewelry I tried to sell, and why it was a good thing that God did not let it happen.	8/18/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Close Encounters With Appliances	When a random daily experience, two very distance locations, and my odd sense of humor collide.	9/1/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
That Makes (Non)sense	How ordinary becomes extraordinary.	9/9/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
All Better Now…Please Come Again?!	An odd line of dialogue found in all POKeMON games.	9/13/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Church…But “Seriously”, Folks	Not all churches are dull and boring…take mine for example.	9/15/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
To Arms, MEN!!!	A call to my fellow males to be true men in how we treat the women in our lives.	9/18/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Knowledge Does NOT ALWAYS Equal Power	Sometimes what we know isn’t enough.	9/26/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Dear Dad: A Song I Wrote a While Back	Lyrics I wrote expressing my pain and frustration with a father who wasn’t a dad the way I needed him to be. (No music.)	9/26/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Argument With My Bladder At 5am	The title says it all…except, I didn’t literally have this argument.	9/29/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
The Fear and the Choice	A personal struggle of shame…feeling I am worthless because others treated me as if I really was.	10/5/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Sin Does Not Exist?	A debate about the reality of sin.	10/16/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
No Sin Again?	A (new) debate about the reality of sin.	10/20/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Onward (Christian) Soldier	Encouragement for believers who suffer and to help others who suffer, too.	10/22/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Logical Pretend	A made-up story I wrote to explain how our perspective can actually distort how we see the whole truth.	10/27/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
The Trade-Off	A deeper account of what Jesus did for us and why we cannot save ourselves.	10/29/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Take Me	A short poem that reflects a moment of my anger and of my male heart.	10/31/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
The Use-To-Be-Daddy	Remembering “my” kids…	11/4/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
(Im)perfect Math	Explaining why there is no such thing as “good enough” for Heaven. (Those who hated math in school…my apologies.)	11/22/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Wii? Oui. Weeeeeeee!!!	I finally got my Wii!!! A…er…”documentary”.	11/29/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
My Heroine	How a very special Woman came to defend my honor…and touched my heart.	11/30/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
God’s Gender	How God is not just male or just female…but both and neither.	12/8/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
I Have Never…	Things I have never done…some I probably should never try to remedy, either.	12/12/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
President Chia Pet	Obama’s new “afro” should make Green Peace very happy.	12/15/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Pretty (Stuffed) Kitty	When Christmas gifts get an attitude complex.	12/17/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
What and Who a Woman Is	Cutting to the heart of the matter: understanding a woman’s very being.	12/18/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
Random Chatting	So, I was talking with my best friend—HEDGEHOG!!!	12/19/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
X-Mas 2009: The 3 Gifts	Part One of my Christmas series. Detailing just what the three gifts were and why they were important.	12/21/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
X-Mas 2009: Twelve Days of Christmas	Part Two of my Christmas series. One of the oddest songs of (American) Christmas tradition explained.		NaitoOfNarnia
At the Hands of Perfection	A debate about whether we are created perfect and sin ruins that, or if we are born imperfect because of sin from the beginning.	12/29/2009	NaitoOfNarnia
A Heart of Stone: A Journey Through Exodus	An in-depth account of Exodus 1-15 from the Bible. Showing how Pharaoh’s pride brought him and his army to their deaths and how God used it to set His people free from slavery.	1/2/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Thoughts and Other Things, part 2	Do you dare enter my mind? No? That’s quite alright…I’ll bring it out to you!	1/4/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Cutting Down the Load: The Curse of a Lighter Burden	A cartoon strip (that I didn’t draw) showing what happens when we “trim down” the load Christ calls us to carry as we follow Him.	1/15/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
And Justice for All	How God is just and fair even when dealing with people who have not heard the Gospel.	1/20/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Interpreting the Bible: A Quick Thought	A thought that came to mind while listening to my pastor’s sermon (about how to correctly interpret the Bible).	1/24/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Human Rights – A Quick Thought	Just how do we derive what “human rights” are?	1/29/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
God Answers the Whiners	God has not missed that you’re in a dire, painful, confusing, frustrating, seemingly-hopeless situation.	2/18/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
ASK ME!!!	Ask me anything at all…whatever pops into your mind.	2/22/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
And Still He Loves Us	Despite EVERYTHING we have done wrong, God still loves and cares about us.	3/8/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
The Myth of Christian Persecution: A Response	The subtle-yet-powerfully moving powers that be that are attacking Christianity in the shadows are just as effective as those that attack openly.	3/19/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Karma, Justice, & Grace  I Karma | II Justice | III Grace	A three-part series comparing the nature of karma, justice, and grace and explaining the Bible’s perspective on each.	Varies	NaitoOfNarnia
Doing Good Works: Expecting Much?	SERVICE + EXPECTATIONS = SLAVE. When we have expectations while serving, it’s no longer service but a transaction.	3/27/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
America Bless God	My thoughts about the very one-sided American slogan.	3/29/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Jesus says, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”	The effects of worrying needlessly and why it never helps.	3/29/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
The Benefits of Suffering Through Trials	People go through long periods of suffering, often on right on top of another. But why?	3/31/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Chess With God: How God Meets Our Needs	I use the light illustration of a chess game to show how God uses us to meet our needs and the needs of others in ways we couldn’t fathom on our own. (No April Fools here, folks.)	4/1/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
God and GPS	It’s pretty easy to get spiritually lost. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit knows the way.	4/3/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
The Age of God	A hilarious dialogue of quick wit.	4/3/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
And God Rested	The reason for the Sabbath and why God made it so important.	4/4/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Are You My Father?	A painful account of what it’s like to feel fatherless even as my dad lives.	4/6/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Kindness: What’s in Your Wallet?	Expressing kindness to those whom everyone else might not think is worthy.	4/7/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Depressed and Happy About It	How contentment is an attitude we choose to have or not.	4/9/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Struggles With Sex – a testimony I | II | III | IV pt 1 | IV pt 2 | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX	A candid story outlining how I began my struggles with pornography and other sexual problems…and how I have become free of it.	Varies	NaitoOfNarnia
The Sinner’s Prayer	Is the Sinner’s Prayer a tool or a requirement to Christianity? I explain here.	4/17/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Evesdropping On God and Satan	A comical short-story of mistaken identities and nuts.	4/19/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
A Model Prayer I Pray in Private | II Pray With a Plan The Lord’s Prayer III Father | IV Holy Name | V Kingdom Come VI Daily Bread | VII Forgiveness | VIII Temptation	A multi-part series about how Jesus breaks down the way our prayer life ought to be.	Varies	NaitoOfNarnia
Jesus & Sin: Your Debts Canceled	I use the illustration of being in debt to explain how it is that we are slaves to the nature of sin, and how Jesus set us free from that debt.	4/25/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
Reel Life: Finding God in Hollywood	Could it possible to find God’s Holy Word hidden in a secular venue such as Hollywood? I think so…	5/24/2010	NaitoOfNarnia
“Pretty Jesus”, a short story	After nearly a year gone from Xanga, I make my return with an original story!	3/12/2011	NaitoOfNarnia
The Objective Nature of Subjective Truth	Further insight to the erroneous notion that subjective truth is a universal standard.	3/13/2011	NaitoOfNarnia
Nature’s Groaning	How spiritual, moral sin has affected the physical world.	3/16/2011	NaitoOfNarnia
Do You Have a Moment?	Explaining the nature of patience and why we all need to use it.	3/17/2011	NaitoOfNarnia
Die to Let Live	Remembering a teenage mother who sacrificed her life in order to save her unborn child.	12/29/2011	NaitoOfNarnia

I ride twelve miles a day on my bike to get to and from work – six miles to get there and six miles back. (I tell you, I dream about owning a car every mile, on the mile!) There are hills going up and down almost the entire way. Oy, it feels like it’s uphill most of the time. How I wish I could tell my kids someday that I had to go to work downhill…both ways! Then there is the Texan heat and humidity which I have been so warned about numerous times since moving here seven-to-eight months ago. Temperatures in the seventies and eighties in the country morning…and it’s only Spring-time! Add my 5-to-10 pound backpack (depending on what books and change of clothes I’ve have in it), and my whole back and much of the rest of my body is a tired, sweaty mess. I am tired much of the time from physical weariness and by the end of the day I am mentally kaput, too. “Bed” and “chocolate milk” are a few of the words of my limited night-time vocabulary.

Just the other day as I trekked out from my DROW (dorm room on wheels – what I call the RV I rent from behind my landlord’s house), I decided to take a road that branched off from the main road I usually take. I wanted to investigate my theory that this “shortcut” would prove to be a bit straighter to my goal.

For a time, the going seemed…better! My normal road curved far out and away from my current road. The hills, too, were shorter and less steep. The road barely curved at all. I stopped to check my position relativeto my normal road, but as I checked Google Maps on my cell, I found that it was still having trouble finding me because Google had yet to get in sync with Verizon’s recent updates to their service provisions. Though time was not against me that day, I decided to turn onto a road that connected back to my normal road, for now I couldn’t even see the other road through the trees and houses.

This connecting road – don’t worry, this will all have a point – was like a big halfpipe, rolling steaply down and rolling steaply back up. A fun, fast ride down met with a hard climb back up. But, in the end, I smoothly found my normal road was waiting for me as it always was. (Roads don’t typically get up and walk away, I believe.) I was on familiar ground and I knew exactly where it led. The rest of the way was fairly smooth-going as the one major hill I dearly wanted to avoid I had barely passed as the connecting road met with the normal one.

The next day after that, now on my way to work, I took the “shortcut” again, riding well past what I rode before. There were a few more easy hills and the road curved north a bit (I wanted to go west, ultimately). I thought the going was fairly straight-forward, though. To my shock, I came to a major roadway that I was not expecting. Oh, I expected a major road, just not this one. What further confused me was that this was the same highway that my DROW was on. I was momentarily lost as Iwasn’t familiar with most of the rural roads which surrounded the city.

Thankfully, I had a friend on the phone who was able to check the maps on her laptop and she pointed me in the right direction.

By now, time was of the essence. I was farther from my goal and didn’t have the time to cover the whole distance by myself. Ahead, I saw another guy on a bike as he stopped at a bus stop. I asked him if he knew when the next bus would come. To my delight, it was not far behind us. A couple of minutes later I was on the bus, cooling off and regaining a measure of strength. The bus went all the way to the transfer point, halfway between the bus stop I got on at and work.

Something silly in my head must have escaped, because instead of taking the free transfer pass to the bus that would stop right at my job, I chose to ride the rest of the way…more hills going up, too. I was hot and sweaty once more…and I was three minutes late once I arrived.

So much for a shortcut, eh?

Realistically, there was nothing wrong with wanting a to find a shortcut to work. Time and energy could have been saved. But I made some mistakes along the way.

One was that I didn’t truly check the map on my cell phone. Even though the GPS wasn’t working properly, I could still check the maps that did load, using what knowledge I did have about the city I live in and its surrounding roads. I would have learned well enough that my shortcut wasn’t so short.

Second, I did this when time was critical. Had I finishished my exploration the day before, I would have already known before the next day of the true of my “shortcut”.

Third was the absurd idea I had to not take the free bus transfer.

Many people try to take shortcuts to Heaven, too. As far as my understanding goes, all other religions opperate by way of a merrit system. Do enough good and gain, or earn, assention or Val Halla or reincarnation to a better station in life or Nirvana or aliens will finally take you home. Curiously, none of these systems of belief have a defined “good enough” meter (that I know of). None seem to know (or acknowledge what marks enough goodness to gain “heaven”. But all appear to agree that doing good deeds is where it’s at. That they can bypass the consequences of their bad deeds with enough of their own good. A moral shortcut, if you will.

Christianity, however, doesn’t allow for such notions. Both Christianity and Judaism – Christianity being the fulfillment of Judaism – forces the individual to confront the consequences of his actions. (By “force” I mean that there is no bypassing the consequences. There must be responsibility taken for deeds done.)

Whether you are a true Jesus Freak or not, I’m sure you have heard these lines or excuses:

Why wouldn’t I get to Heaven? I go to church/read my Bible/pray…sometimes.
My parents baptised me as a baby.
Yeah, I believe in God…
I don’t lie/cheat/steal/watch porn/beat my kids…
I give tons of money to charity.
I’m not perfect, but I’m better than most people.
It’s not my fault! My parents didn’t love me enough!
I believe Jesus was real…yeah, He was alright.
I live for God, but I do it my own way (the Bible is just too full of contradictions).

Yeah, none of these will fly with God. None of these things are bad, but they cannot get you into Heaven. They still opperate on the merrit system. They still excuse one critical fact: We were created to be like God (Genesis 1:26-27). God is perfect in everything, and we were meant to reflect His nature through the lives we live in relation to Him (Dueteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:30) and with each other (2 Corinthians 13:11, Romans 12:18). Unfortunately, we’ve gone off of that desired path God wanted us on for a path of our own. No matter what good we have done, we were created to be just like God, and God does not do evil in any amount or severity. Thus, our lack of perfection leaves us very much at odds with God in this respect. And that leaves us without a way into Heaven.

Many of us want to go to Heaven. We want peace, healing, rest, joy, and an all around end to our troubles. We just want to be done with our hardships. The goal is a good one. By all means, seek out Heaven and the God who lives there and loves you. But like my attempt to find a shortcut, there is only one way that will get you there truly.

Perhaps the analogy is lacking, as well. Eventually, I did get to work. You may recall, though, that I was late. If my boss wanted, that would be a legitimate reason to fire me. Likewise, God has every right to deny you Heaven. The criteria for changing your home address to Heaven requires you submitting your life to Jesus and living for Him in trust and obedience (faith). Without that one factor, relocation to Hell is the only option.

As I had failed to truly consult Google Maps during my first trip, wanting the GPS to just “speak” to me and say, “Go here,” so, too, do many people fail to consult the Bible. They glance at it. They may read along with the pastor during church. They may have a favorite verse or a default bit of Scripture when times are tough. But even as I strive to learn and grow in my own walk with God, seeking to understand what He is truly saying in His Word, I find that many of my so-called understandings were quite off base. Had I stuck to those understandings, I would be in for a world of hurt and confusion.

And that’s exactly what many people do today, too. They don’t truly seek what the Bible is actually saying. In the process, the way through life becomes a maze every setp of the way. The road is covered in fog and even the bright lights are dim. They only think they are going to where they want. Just like me when I thought I was heading closer towards my desired destination.

Finally there are those who know a good deal about what the Bible says, but they never take hold of it. They know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6) but they refuse to humble themselves, be it for pride, fear, or something else. Like me when I opted to not take the free bus transfer and wound up late to work. Those who do not take the free gift of Christ’s sacfrifice in place of their sin’s demand for death will ultimately miss Heaven. Just because I showed up to work doesn’t mean I’m free from the responsibility of the consequences which my being late will cost me. Without Christ, you will have to pay the consequences for your sins, yourself. Christ is the free pass into Heaven. (And just claiming Christ isn’t enough. I could have taken that bus pass. But it wouldn’t have done any good if I didn’t also get on the bus! My boss would care less than nothing – no, he really would – if I had the pass or not. The fact would be that I had the pass and didn’t use it…I was still late. Making a claim for Christ doesn’t do any good if you don’t also actually submit your life to Him.)

Jesus said that the way to Heaven is by way of a narrow road…few will get in (Matthew 7:14). There are no carpool/fast lanes. There are no “skip two spaces”. It’s just Jesus.

I could go on about some of the other points of my bike trip and how they can relate and reflect the spiritual life, but I’m sure you get the point. But I will add this one last comparison.

When I got on that connecting road and had to go down that big hill which turned into a big hill going up, it did get rather rough. It was a steap hill! And I was disappointed that the hill going down was as short as it was. I had enough with climbing hills! I’m sick of them! But once I was past all of that, I was relieved when I was on the road that I knew would get me to my destination.

If you find yourself in a similar situation in life, I encourage you to just take a deep breath and do the hard thing: change the road you’re on and get on the one road that will lead to life. The Highway to Heaven has no shortcuts.

Hello everyone! For those who don’t know (and that is likely to be most everyone), I am NOT new to Xanga – I’m actually NaitoOfNarnia. But I decided to start fresh.

I plan to keep NaitoOfNarnia open as, though I’m not anywhere near as popular or well read as my other fellow Xangans, I still have those who have expressed appreciation for my works. It’s my first account and I’ve always had it…I just don’t want to close it if for no other reason.

But for my main writing endeavors, this is where I will continue the bulk of my past and newer writings.

So…HOWDY PEOPLE! Rhindon is here! (…even though I’ve really always been here.) O.o

~ Michael