Do More Than Pray Blog

I Will Not Compromise My Faith

2011-12-30T18:44:38Z

I Will Not Compromise My Faith

Even when the world is going crazy around me,
Even when thing after thing keeps going wrong,
Even when problem after problem keeps popping up in front of me,
I will not compromise my faith.
Even when my anger temps me to do the wrong thing,
Even when my frustration boils over,
Even when enemies try to get me to lower my standards,
I will not compromise my faith.
Even when Satin comes at me with everything he has,
Even when the mountain in front of me seems impassable,
Even when the world seems black,
I will not compromise my faith.

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith, then, no human being can glorify God. For a person is responsible for what is offered to God, that is an indication of faith and a proof that those who love Him, He repays.

See my "I Will Not Compromise" products... show the world YOUR faith!

Until next time,
Fred

Harry Cohen, a Life Not Wasted

2011-10-05T12:11:04Z

Harry Cohen, 11/6/1993 - 8/29/2011 A Life Not Wasted. photo by Jon Upchurch

My previous blog post What is the Value of a Life hit home recently when a local high school senior died unexpectedly.

We lost a beautiful life on August 29, 2011: star athlete, high school senior, football team captain, quarterback, son, stepson, brother, cousin, friend, teammate, a young man loved by everyone. Harry Cohen: November 6, 1993 - August 29, 2011.

His untimely passing ripped open the hearts of his family, teammates, friends, and even those who never met him.

Harry was truly a special person. To watch him play football was to watch pure desire to win, pure joy in competition, and a love of life. Quiet, reserved, and humble in life, Harry exploded with energy and competitiveness when he stepped onto a football field.

When tragedy like this strikes, the question most asked is "why". It doesn't really matter the cause of death. His family and friends just want to know why... why him... why now... why was such a vibrant, promising young life taken so suddenly? We will never have answers that satisfy such a gaping wound. Faith in God provides the only comfort.

The cause of death was determined to be toxicity from pain medication: Harry took some of his grandmother's pain pills. He was sore from Friday night's football game and on Saturday night, unknown to his parents, took the pills before he went to bed. Harry was small, 150lbs, and had virtually no body fat. The pill bottle label read "take 2 pills every 4 hours as needed". The doctor said for his weight and lack of body fat that ½ to 1 pill could have killed him. What teenager would think that he could be hurt by something his grandmother takes? It was a simple, but fatal mistake.

God gives us freewill, and that means we can change things for the better or worse, for ourselves, and others. A smile can change a stranger's day and potentially their life... the reverse is true too: a mean or hateful act can ruin someone's day and potentially their life. There is also free will to just make mistakes in judgment as harry did.

People are quick to acknowledge or believe in God and Angels... but a good percentage of people disavow evil, Satan, and evil spirits. As great as God is, He has not yet eradicated evil. Evil is alive and well and is much more active in our lives than we realize. Evil does not have to be big like the holocaust or a child molester... it can be small things like a mean comment, a mistake, or sickness.

If we're lucky, we grow old and die of natural causes, something Harry will never get to do. Aging itself is a form evil: I don't believe aging and sickness are something God created, but rather a product of sin (evil). This is alluded to in Geneses when Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, and spoken to directly in Romans 5:12.

When a young person is taken from us, I believe that evil is involved. God would not inflict such pain on his people. God knows the pain involved with loosing a child - he sent his only Son to be tortured and brutally murdered for our sins. God treats us as sheep to a shepherd... and shepherds don't hurt their sheep.

When someone dies, especially a young person, there are always those who say things like "God needed Harry for (insert a variety of things here) and called him home". I don't think so. I don't think for one minute that God took Harry because he needed another star in the sky, or some of the other sugary sweet things I hear people say trying to console grieving parents. There's not a human being on earth that can say anything to make his parent's hearts stop hemorrhaging for Harry. Only God can provide that level of healing and comfort.

We're part of a huge plan, a picture so vast we cannot even begin to fathom its vastness, its hugeness, its greatness. Each of us is a pixel, a dot so small we're almost undetectable - we can't see or understand the picture from where we are. We must face the fact that we'll never know the "why".

Regardless of what took Harry from us, we can rest assured in the knowledge that God welcomed Harry into Heaven with open arms.

God will have the last word and show His Presence and Power in whatever rises from Harry's passing. God can take the most hopeless situation and create good from it... a lot of good... an amazing amount of good. Harry has touched lives and changed hearts in his life and in his passing: I pray the changes last. As one of the ministers said during his funeral, "this is a life NOT wasted".

Harry's last game, Friday August 26, 2011 was the game of his life. He rushed for 258 yards, he passed for 108 yards, he scored 1 touchdown, and he set a school record for total yards in a game of 366. I heard someone say he played like God was showing him off. Perhaps God was indeed showing him off. It was a fitting exit for Harry, whose heart was bigger than he was and whose smile lit up a room (or stadium).

Video Highlights and Photos from Harry's Last Game on 8/26/2011

Some may ask: if God knew what was going to happen how could he allow it to happen? Part of the answer lies in freewill - the choices that Harry and others made. I also think that part of the answer lies in time... time does not mean the same thing to God as it does to us. We're bound by time, like a fly frozen in an ice cube. God created everything, including time, and is therefore not bound by time. God sees everything at once (St. Augustine), we don't: we see one little slice at a time. Compared to God, we're blind, deaf, and dumb, just feeling our way around in the dark. As I mentioned above, we can't comprehend the big picture that God sees. We can't possibly grasp "seeing" the past, present, and future of the entire universe all at once. We only see our small little slice of time and reality. For us, only the passing of time will allow us to see the miracles that God will create with, and from, Harry's life.

Does any of this comfort his grieving parents, siblings, and teammates who are walking around lost in a fog? The only source of comfort is in knowing that this life is temporary and that we will see Harry again. We will see his big smile again.

A drop of time
A lifetime
A flash of light
A silence so loud it hurts
Screaming silence

A loud cord
A single note
A fading echo
An infinite abyss so near
Endless silence

Until next time,
Fred

P.S. A memorial fund for Harry Cohen has been setup to help cover medical and funeral expenses. Checks can be made payable to "Harry Cohen Memorial Fund" and dropped off at any MidCarolina Bank location. Or mailed to:
MidCarolina Bank
3101 South Church Street
Burlington, NC 27215.

What is the Value of a Life?

2011-08-01T14:18:23Z

What's the Value of a Life?

To some it's not much. To others it's incalculable.

Most people value the life of a child more than the life of an older person. I think it's the promise of a life yet to be lived. For example if a disaster strikes and you literally can only save one, most everyone would save the child.

To a parent with a sick child, a terminally sick infant for example, there's nothing beyond what they would give to heal their child. To a child abuser who's thrown their child across the room and cracked his or her skull, the life of their child (to them) is next to worthless.

The first parent has a hard enough time understanding and dealing with their situation, when they read about the second parent, they explode with disgust and anger, and rightly so.

Why do these two extremes exist? How can one person have such little regard for an innocent life? How does the parent of the sick child deal with, and cope with, watching something they value more than their own life struggle to live and possibly slip away?

I don't have the answers to all the questions that surround both situations. I wish I did. I've never experienced either situation (thank God). But God does have answers and can provide healing...

God experienced both as we tortured his Son, nailed his Son to the cross, and killed him...
...turn to God for peace in situations where peace seems an impossibility.

Until next time,
Fred

Random Thoughts from the Week, July 24th 2011

2011-07-25T02:36:34Z

Random Thoughts from the Week, July 24th 2011

The preacher had a good sermon today - I hate it when that happens, cuts in to my nap time! Actually, he did have a good sermon.

...

I do believe that we're given at least one gift everyday, it's up to us to actually notice it... and no, I don't really think this includes seeing Jesus in your scrambled eggs or mold growing on your wall, I mean a real gift. But... like most things in life, one man's trash is another man's treasure: we may not see the gift because all we see is trash. A diamond in the rough does not shine and sparkle like the finished product. I think God sends diamonds in the rough - we have to cut and polish them.

Speaking of signs, this week I read a short article in our local paper about a guy who claims to see Jesus and a few other faces in an old painted sign on a brick wall where he works. I don't know, maybe he does. In life you see what you want to see. Some people see a child with downs syndrome as a curse, a burden to bear, and say "why me"... others see the same child as a gift, an opportunity to love unconditionally, and say "thank you". It's all about perspective. Is Jesus in that wall painting? No. Jesus is a living God, touching our lives with other lives, usually with something simple like an easy-to-overlook-and-pass-off-as-something-else action or event.

...

Do you think demons and evil are real? Back in Biblical days Jesus and his disciples cast out a lot of demons to cure people of various sicknesses and problems. Do demons no longer cause these same afflictions? I'll bet they do, we're just too "smart" to for that now. I wish I could see them (note to self: be careful what you ask for!) and do something about them when I see them (note to self #2: if I do see them, I definitely will need the power to do something about them!). I look around and see a lot of evil - it's not just child-molesters or wife-beaters: evil is a child trapped in a world where their body is crippled or a mind trapped in a black hole no one can reach, it's leaders betraying their country and their people, it's leaders and laypeople alike claiming to fight to end race conflict yet constantly making it worse for their own twisted reasons, it's the constant race to the bottom of the morality barrel... there's no shortage of evil these days, so I reason there's no shortage of demons. It's time to cast some out don't you think?

...

When the thing that you fear and worry about actually starts to happen it can be a relief... if that is, you realize that God is going to provide a path through the minefield.

...

God will take care of us if we let him... we just tend to think we can do a better job... not too smart on our part.

...

Back to the preacher's sermon... it was about the fact we don't really know how to pray. He's right - here are some of my thoughts: Too often we approach prayer like sitting on Santa's lap at Christmas, we need to focus less on our wants and needs and more on others. God knows what we want and need without us asking for it all the time. Prayer is a constant process, not something we turn on and off... I'm going to write more on this in the future, but I believe that if we "pray" for "x" (when we actually pray in a formal way by closing our eyes and actively praying) and the other 23 hours and 55 minutes of the day we're doing and thinking the opposite of "x", then we're not really praying for "x", we're praying for the opposite of "x" and the opposite of "x" is what we'll experience.

Until next time,
Fred

The Last SIN Eater - Screenplay Review

2011-07-11T04:01:40Z

A Burlington, NC Christian acting group, Act On Ministries is the first to create and produce a screenplay for "The Last SIN Eater".

Like a piece of unhemmed fabric in the wind, lies will eventually unravel. Sometimes the lies are so tightly woven into the fabric we know as our reality, we're completely unprepared for the exposed truths as lives are changed and sometimes violent upheavals occur. All it takes is for one person to start asking a few questions... and not give up.

This unraveling of reality is the story of "The Last SIN Eater" by Francine Rivers. This is an intense story.

Act On Ministries, a local Christian acting group, created the first screenplay for "The Last SIN Eater". This 1998 novel by Francine Rivers was previously produced as a movie directed by Michael Landon, Jr., and released from Believe Pictures in 2007. Hannah Fox of Act On Ministries took on this task, with permission from Believe Pictures and Francine Rivers and adapted the novel to a screenplay; she also directed the production and played one of parts.

I sat in the audience not knowing what to expect. I've not read the book nor seen the movie. All I knew about the story was what I'd read about the production in the paper the week before. As the house lights dimmed and the spotlights pierced the darkness, the audience was transported to a 1850s Smoky Mountain village of Welsh Americans as a story of horrible hidden truths, murders, misplaced guilt, and iron-fisted control of others is meticulously woven before us.

The basic story line is that Cadi Forbes blames herself for her little sister's death. She feels her mother blames her too and no longer feels close to her. The only person she felt close to was her grandmother and now she's dead too. The play opens as the "Sin Eater" comes to the village to take on her grandmother's sins. The Sin Eater is a member of the community selected by lottery to live shunned, alone, and away from the village. He only comes into the village when someone dies, for the sole purpose of taking on their sins.

Looking at, or have any contact with, the Sin Eater, will result in being tarnished by their accumulated sin.

Cadi is so tormented and troubled by the guilt she feels over her sister's death that she looks at the Sin Eater when he's taking the sin from her grandmother. She doesn't fear him. Afterwards, she tries to find him so that he can take away her sin now, not later when she's dead. Thus begins her long journey for the truth. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way as she learns bits and pieces about the past, about Jesus (the real last sin eater), as well as the lies covering up so much of the way of life the whole village accepts as the truth, as their reality.

This was an impressive production and adaptation, with excellent acting all around. The audience was truly engaged. I laughed a lot, and had tears welling up at least twice, from Rebekah Davidson's portrayal of Cadi Forbes, and Mia Lundgren's portrayal of Cadi's mother Fia Forbes.

This is a very relevant story, both on the surface as well as beneath. Only a few people in the village knew the truth, any others who knew were long dead. The villagers took their way of life as exactly that, their way of life, they didn't ask why or question anything. They didn't know any different. What is it that we're being lied to about? What are we missing? Who are we allowing to control us? How many will not allow themselves to be forgiven for sins that have long since been paid?

Now that the screenplay has been written, perhaps other groups around the country will put on this production. In the meantime, you can purchase the book or the DVD!

Until next time,
Fred

It's for the Glory of God... It's Not About You...

2011-06-29T13:09:31Z

It's for the Glory of God... It's Not About You...

We're nothing, God is everything... We have no power, no talent, no skills, nothing, other than what God give us... it's up to us to hone (sharpen for those of you who have never sharpened anything) those abilities and gifts to their fullest...

However, very, very few realize or even begin to understand that we're a conduit, a conductor if you will, for God's greatness. If we use our abilities to glorify God, and believe, we can actually conduct more of God's "current"... we can increase the amount of God that shows and flows through us. But only if we're doing it for God's greatness - the minute we start to believe that we actually own or have power, skills, or abilities, we start to move away from God and away from the ability to do great things on his behalf. The minute we say "look at me" instead of "look at God" we're doomed.

Let's say for example, that you're a talented athlete (or musician, or artist, or...), perfect in every aspect for your chosen sport... God has given you everything you need to excel and dominate in your sport, except one thing. In every area except one, you're a perfect specimen, envied by others. God has not opened every door for you either; he's left some closed and opened others. Why? God needs you to show others what His power can do.

Maybe you've been overlooked and passed by... so what... try all the doors until the ones that will open are revealed to you. Then pray for wisdom and guidance for which door to go through. Then open your heart, soul, and body to what God will do with you.

Sports are dominated by egos, self-worship and poor roll models. The few Christian "stars" who do rise to the top are often criticized and are rarely first-page news. If you had all the gifts God could give you, what would it prove, what greatness would it show other than your own? No, God has a plan, and that plan is to reveal His power and greatness through a chosen few. God works through those that pray before each game, those who thank God for each point, and those who say "I didn't cross this finish line first except for the Grace of God".

Step on to that field, court, track, or into that arena wearing God's armor and shield. He will give you what you need when you need it. With more power, grace, and ability than you can imagine. Your one shortcoming will become your strength that makes you rise above others... but remember, it's for the Glory of God, not you... it's not about you.

Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Same verse from the Aramaic Bible: Whoever speaks, let them speak like the Manifestation of God speaks, and whoever ministers, let them minister according to the power given by God, so as whatever you accomplish, God is glorified through Jesus Christ. To Whom belongs the glory and the honor to the end of the universe, of all the universes, amen.
Notice the Aramaic Bible directly translates the phrase "power given by God" vs. the "strength God provides" from the New Revised Standard version above.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. " Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalm 20: 7-8 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

Until next time...
Fred

Pendulum Swings - Movie Review

2011-05-31T19:22:17Z

Pendulum Swings - A Christian Movie Review

Pendulum Swings is the first full-length feature film from Tri-Rahn Pictures, a production company based in the Hickory, NC area. Tri-Rahn Pictures was formed by Bill Rahn to produce Christian based films. Bill Rahn has 27 years of film and video production experience with his company Professional Video Service of North Carolina. For this film, Tri-Rahn teams with Vela films and Adam Melton who also helped produce the movie as well as played the lead role.

Pendulum Swings is based on a true story written by John Keogh and Bill Rahn and was filmed in 86 locations around North Carolina in the Hickory, Conover, Morganton, and Statesville areas.

"My desire with Tri-Rahn Pictures is to not produce just any film, but to truly concentrate on making Christian films. God developed this ability in me and I decided that I wanted to aim that ability into an area that needed higher quality films." ~Bill Rahn

Watch Pendulum Swings Trailer...

Pendulum Swings follows Dale Jennings (Adam Melton) as his seemingly perfect life starts to unravel. Dale is a videographer, father of two girls that he adores, attends church, and seems to have everything going his way. As the plot starts to build, we soon understand that Dale's wife Maria (Vanessa Ore) is the unraveling thread in his life. Dale's laid-back lifestyle and family focus does not match Maria's corporate ladder sprint and partying lifestyle. It's not long before their lives are headed in different directions: no matter how hard Dale tries to turn things around Maria will have no part of it.

The movie does a good job of showing the sad dynamics that occur during marital problems, separation, and divorce... and how those dynamics affect all those involved, including children.

Most divorced dads will certainly identify with parts of this movie.

For those that have never been through a divorce or a marriage that hits major problems, it may seem a little contrived that Maria can go from loving wife to wanton warrior so fast, and that Dale can self-destruct and loose everything just as quickly. However, if you've been there then you understand it's not all that unusual for one party to blindside the other. Dale is completely helpless and unable to stop Maria's plans for separation and divorce - his understandable frustration and anger push him to make several bad mistakes in judgment and soon, he is a shell of his former self. In debt, homeless, drinking too much, arrested, and wallowing in his troubles, he's a completely broken man whose suicide is only averted by a timely visitor.

One of the problems with faith based movies can be that they don't come across as real, or that that they come across a little hokey. Some parts of this movie are probably predictable. However, Rahn does a good job of keeping it real and engaging... so much so that the tragic event that is the catalyst to Dale's lowest point caught me off guard.

To reach a broader audience Christian themed movies have to maintain a delicate balance of "Preachiness". Too much preaching and you limit your audience: people won't recommend it to non-active or non-Christians, or they'll tune out too soon - too little preaching and you miss an opportunity to deliver the message you want to deliver. Rahn handles this well throughout the film.

In this movie, Dale is like a lot of people - having never been tested. In the end, Dale rebuilds his life and starts walking through the doors that God is opening for him instead of focusing on the doors that Maria (and the system) has shut. He's also a much stronger man because of it. It's easy to say you're a Christian and do the right thing when all you're surrounding by are other Christians and relatively good people. Like a knife blade, it takes fire to temper soft steel into a hard, sharp blade that can hold an edge.

Once Dale has turned things around, he's given the opportunity to inflict revenge on Maria. He could do so publicly with devastating results to both her and her employer. He chooses to... well, you'll have to see the movie to see exactly what he does.

If the initial offering from Tri-Rahn is this good, I can't wait to see what's next! They have two films in progress, one based on NASCAR legend Morgan Shepherd.

Don't let the modest budget fool you, this is a good movie. Unlike some big budget movies, this is a movie that you'll feel good about spending your money on the price of a ticket.

Tri-Rahn plans to release a soundtrack CD and a 16 week Bible study book with 16 discussion subjects from the movie (this will include a DVD with the relative clips from the film).

Click to Visit the Pendulum Swings FaceBook Fan page and then "Like" it, so that you'll know if and when it's showing in your area as well as other information as it's available, as well as let other people know about the movie.

Until they have an agreement with a distribution company, they are planning showings in Greensboro, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Atlanta, Raleigh, DC, Louisville, Greenville SC, Jacksonville, Tampa/St.Petersburg, Blairsville/Hiawassee GA, and Nashville.

The point of this blog is to encourage people to Do More Than Pray: Bill Rahn is a great example of this. So now do our part... we need to get as many people as possible talking about and going to see this movie... share this blog post with your friends and associates - use the little blue icon with a plus sign to share, or, simple email them the URL to this post (http://www.domorethanpray.com/blog/7.html) .

Until next time,
Fred

Jesus - My Anti-Depressant

2011-05-27T14:30:22Z

Jesus - My Anti-Depressant

We thirst for knowledge and yearn for power: yet I'm sure the more we think we know, the less of either we actually obtain.

Parts of this blog post have been fermenting in my brain for a while now. I think it started when I first saw a commercial on TV for the drug "Abilify". I hate that commercial. To me, this commercial embodies, in 30 to 60 seconds, so many of the things that are wrong with our society and the pharmaceutical industry. The commercial is an animated commercial with a plain Jane mother on some type of anti-depressant and it's not doing the job for her: her "depression" still sneaks up on her, so the solution is to also take "Abilify" along with her anti-depressant. It's as if God himself reached down from Heaven and handed her the pill bottle. The whole concept really gets under my skin. I didn't realize that "Abilify" is actually a treatment for Bipolar Disorder (Manic or Mixed) or Schizophrenia in adults as well as an add-on depression treatment until I looked it up for this blog post. Isn't it funny how they never mention that in the commercial - that would probably stop a lot of potential users from asking for it? They do mention a list of side effects that SHOULD scare anyone enough to never take it

This commercial plays a lot during the medical mystery and emergency room shows that my wife Kim and I like to watch. And, they also run a commercial for a class action suit for birth defects that occurred when taking one brand of anti-depressant. The birth defects they mention are heart-breaking and should really send up a warning flag that when we start manipulating brain chemistry and function we affect everything. It's very different than treating a problem elsewhere in the body.

Jesus seems a lot safer.

Then a night or two ago Kim was flipping through the channels and stopped on a program about a little girl with multiple personality disorder. She had many, many, many personalities. She appeared to be 8 to 12 years old. They followed her to doctor visits and through her day to day life. She was on heavy medication. The only thing I heard her doctor say that made sense was that she hated seeing her so drugged. She then said there was not really anything they could do; there were just no new drugs to treat this thing.

Jesus seems a lot safer.

Speaking of children, the whole ADD/ADHD thing is such a farce: maybe a few kids actually have this problem, but most do not need to be drugged, definitely not the millions (6 million?) taking drugs such as Ritalin. If we abrogate our responsibility as parents, teachers, and society in general in favor of just drugging our problem children (in some cases some of our most brilliant and gifted children) we're doomed.

Is Mental Illness Real, or, Is It the Perfect Profit Prescription?
I'm not saying that mental illness does not exist. Nor am I saying that doctors, medicine, and modern drugs are bad. Not at all. I have the upmost respect for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, scientists, and medical researchers. I am saying that pharmaceutical companies are not always driven by OUR best interest but rather by THEIR bottom line. The authority and respect given to doctors makes it hard for most people, especially young parents, to question their advice, or refuse to drug their kids. Multi-million (billion?) dollar pharmaceutical marketing campaigns are optimized and tweaked to the point that you ASK your doctor to drug your kids and even if he or she would rather not, they are pressured to do so. Do I go to the doctor and take my children to the doctor? Yes. Would I put them on any type of medication like I've mentioned above - NO!

How Do You Fix it Then?
A good percentage of depression cases (as well as most other health issues) could be cured by changing our environment, getting off our rear-ends and exercising, going to church, eating better, etc., etc., etc. Most people don't want to hear this. It's easier to just take a pill. An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and we're no different! It's hard to change your life, but it actually works.

Jesus Can Fix It.
This is from Matthew 15, verse 29-30, you'll notice that "depressed" is not in most translations... but this translation is a direct translation from the original Aramaic to English. It's easy to move between different translations using the online Bible I link to in the left column (I link to the Aramaic Bible there too).

Matthew 15, verse 29-30
29. And Jesus passed from there, and came to the side of the Sea of Galilee, and he climbed the mountain and sat there.
30. And there came to him great crowds, having with them paralytics and blind and mute and depressed and many others. and they threw them at the feet of Jesus, and he healed them.
31. Those crowds were amazed as they saw the mute speaking and the depressed cheerful and the paralytics walking and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Is Knowledge the Opposite of Faith?
The more we think we know the less we actually do. Have we doomed ourselves with knowledge, looking for facts and reason? Is knowledge the opposite of faith? The truth is that we don't even know enough to know what we don't know. Our understanding of reality, the universe, God is so minuscule that it's like looking at a thimble of saltwater and thinking we understand the ocean.

Demons?
A lot of times when Jesus or the Disciples heal someone, they talk about casting out demons. That's different than fixing a broken arm. You can see a broken arm, or a cut, or a sinus infection. We can't see demons (at least most of us can't). But Jesus could. Demons are evil and if you don't think that evil exists then you really need to open your eyes and mind. The sad thing is, we're much too full of knowledge to believe in demons today, but we'll take a drug that comes with warnings that would have scared Dr. Frankenstein.

Jesus seems a lot safer.

And this from Matthew 17:14-21 (again from the Aramaic Bible... and you'll notice that v21 is not even IN some translations.)

Matthew 17:14-21
14. And as they came to the crowd, a man came to him and knelt before him, saying to him,
15. "My Lord, have mercy on me. My son is a paralytic and in terrible condition. He is sometimes burning with fever and other times he is shivering as though he were immersed in water.
16. "And I brought him to your disciples and they could not heal him."
17. Jesus replied and said, "O, faithless and mindless generation, until when shall I be with you? And until when shall I minister to you? Bring him here."
18. And Jesus rebuked him and the evil spirit came out of him and the child was healed from that hour.
19. Then the disciples came to Jesus by themselves and told him, "Why could not we heal him?"
20. Jesus told them, "Because of your lack of faith. For amen, I am telling you, that if you possess the faith of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain here to move from here and it will move and no harm will befall you.
21. "However, this kind cannot be cast out, except by fasting and prayer."

This makes me wonder how many illnesses are actually caused by demons to this day. Take cancer for instance: if there was ever a disease that qualifies as demonic its cancer.

Why Would God Allow Sickness?
Sometimes when someone has something wrong with them, we're tempted to ask why would God do that to them. Here's a passage from John 9:1-7 that sheds some light on it (with special emphasis on 3). Do all cases fit this reasoning? I don't know, but some do.

John 9:1-7
1. And as he passed [through] he saw a man who was blind from his mother's womb.
2. And his disciples asked him, "[Our] Master, who sinned, this [man] or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3. Jesus told them, "Neither he sinned, nor his parents, except that you should see through him the works of God.
4. "And to me it is a duty to do the works of whom sent me, who is the Day. Night of mankind* will follow when no work can be [accomplished.]
5. "As long as I am among people, I am the light of the people."
6. And as he said these [things,] he spat on the ground and made mud with his saliva, and covered the blind man's eyes [with it.]
7. And he said to him, "Go and bathe in the baptismal of apostleship." And [the man] went and bathed and came [back] seeing.

Jesus was always getting into trouble with the Pharisees and this was no different: he made this blind man see on the Sabbath. The Pharisees the Sadducees were more concerned with following the "law" and less concerned with doing what was right (they also wanted to condemn Jesus).

I think today, Christians on average are much more aligned with the Pharisees and Sadducees than with Jesus. Most Christians want to help, and even heal, but our "laws" (scientific knowledge) say that's impossible. So as we watch a loved one afflicted with a disease or condition, we pray and ask others to pray, but deep inside we lack the faith of a mustard seed. Deep inside we believe our earth bound, limited knowledge more that the ability of Jesus and God to reach through time, space, and whatever various dimensions to cast out demons and/or heal.

As much as we keep discovering that our previous knowledge was flawed, I'm trying to focus on Jesus more! Miracles do still occur, things that otherwise cannot be explained. I think more occur than we ever hear or read about.

I think that's where childlike faith comes in. Children don't "know" better, they just believe:

Matthew 18, verse 3 - 5

Matthew 18, verse 3 - 5
3. And he said, "Amen, I am telling you, that if you do not go back and become like children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
4. "Therefore, whoever becomes gentle like this child, he is the one who becomes great in the Kingdom of heaven.
5. "And whoever is accepting like a child, shall receive me.

What's the Solution?
It's as if we are sitting right beside the solution to most, if not all of our problems, and we can't see or touch it... that's the faith part. Part of the problem is that we're afraid to have (conduct is a better term) that much power - it's a quirk of human nature, cultural programming, a trick of Satin, or all three. We don't always realize we're afraid or recognize our fear but we are afraid: we're afraid of what people will think, what they'll want us to do, what we'll have to do, and after all, we're an object at rest and hate to move. When and if we can get past hang-ups, or blocks like this, and realize that Jesus tried to teach us how to have this kind of faith, how to let the power of God flow through us (we as humans don't actually have any power and shouldn't think that we do), then maybe we can make some progress.

Until next time,
Fred

To accompany this post, I created several products such as t-shirts, bumper stickers, and mugs with "Jesus - My Anti-Depressant" on them... show the world your faith and help support this blog at the same time! Click the image above or here: Jesus - My Anti-Depressant to see them. Note that the dark shirts are available in several colors you just have to click into the items.

P.S.
Here's a good article on the pharmaceutical industry from by blogging buddy Brent Riggs:
Behavioral Ludicracy Illness & Natural Disposition to Need Excuses for Spiritual Stupidity he has several good articles on his site: just search for things like psychotherapy, psychobabble, or psychotropic.

P.P.S
This is from the Moody Blues song "The Eyes of a Child" which I think had more to do with space flight than Jesus but I like it just the same!

With the eyes of a child
You must come out and see
That your world's spinning round
And through life you will be
A small part of a hope of a love that exists
In the eyes of a child you will see.
~ John Lodge, The Moody Blues (1969)

My Prayer - Original Song

2011-05-19T19:47:27Z

This song features Kandy King on lead vocal. This is a photo of taken backstage in 2009 before we sang at a dance recital.

I wrote this song back in 2005 (see below for the inspiration). Kandy has a voice like an angel! I hope you like the song.

My Prayer

Father hold me in your hand
My path is dark; a foreign land
Pain and danger from all sides
Please hear this lost lamb's cry

[Chorus]
Give me the strength to walk with you
Though I am weak, unable to
Break these chains that shackle me
Lift me high on angel wings

Some burdens weigh too much to bear
So many bear more than their share
Though temptations test my faith
I am protected by your grace

[Chorus]
Give me the strength to walk with you
Though I am weak, unable to
Break these chains that shackle me
Lift me high on angel wings

Listen to My Prayer in Windows Media Format
Listen to My Prayer in MP3 format
Download My Prayer MP3

About This Recording...
I made a couple of demos of the song (hoping to get someone to record it) but never like them all that much. I thought I needed a female voice to make the song sound right. So a couple of years ago Kandy came over and we recorded it. I think her voice fits the song perfectly. Jacob Ingle, my stepson, played the bass and I did the guitars and harmony. I finally got around to adding the 2nd guitar part and the harmony this week so I thought I'd post it! Kandy also sings a song on my wife's Creative Movement DVD for Children.

How I came to write this song...
In 2005 I was at a Rhonda Vincent bluegrass concert at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, NC. We had really good seats, maybe 3rd row. About halfway through the concert I looked over to the right side and saw a paraplegic young man in a wheelchair: he could only move a finger or two on one hand and his head. He was totally engrossed in the show, wheelchair bouncing to the beat from his head going up and down to the music! It really made an impression on me, as did the way Rhonda visited with him after the show. We saw him again at another bluegrass show (I think another Rhonda Vincent concert) too and talked to him and his parents and he was just as happy at that show. I think his name is Jordan but I'm not 100% sure. Kind of makes a healthy guy's problems seem pretty insignificant and selfish.

I have more of my music online at my music site Fred Black Music.

Until next time,
Fred

You have to Believe (In Yourself too)

2011-05-16T04:11:34Z

You have to Believe (In Yourself too)

You have to believe in yourself. To some this may sound selfish and ungodly, but I don't believe so.

God opens doors. God whispers in your ear. God gives direction. God gives abundantly. God changes lives... But unless we believe in ourselves enough to listen and to act then we're lost.

Suppose God wants you to do something. How do you know? You feel an inclination or urge to do it, but it's out of character for you, so maybe you resist. You don't do it. You didn't believe in yourself enough to act on, or listen to, your intuition.

Why doesn't God just make it clear? Like a big booming voice or a huge lightning strike that writes his wishes and instructions on a tree trunk? Thing one... this is real life, not a sitcom. Second, I'm not going to pretend to speak for God. Third, my intuition is telling me that God prefers believers who can hear him whisper and have the courage, conviction, faith, and self-confidence to act on it.

Throughout the Bible, God picks those that you and I may not have. What if Noah didn't think he could build that boat, or, that people would ridicule him? What if Joseph didn't have the confidence to lead and ended up a bitter drunk who had been betrayed by his brothers? There is example after example in the Bible. What about current times: imagine if great ministers like Billy Graham had ignored the whisper they heard?

Why would we not believe in ourselves when we're doing what God ask us to do? Because doubt and fear are powerful tools used to confuse, divide, limit, and conquer us by the forces of Evil. When God is telling you to do something, there's a good possibility that Satan will tell you, in a sweet, believable voice, that you shouldn't do it, that you'll fail, that you'll look like a fool, that your friends will laugh at you, etc. etc. etc. Don't fall for it.

You have to believe in yourself and God!

You may wonder what prompted me to write this short post. I'm glad you ask!

"Sometimes you just need to believe in yourself."

Walker (our six year old) was playing in the backyard yesterday afternoon and came running into the house with a stick. He asked me to sharpen it. I was in the kitchen and stopped what I was doing and asked him why... he replied he needed an arrow, and make it really sharp! I questioned him on exactly why he needed an arrow and what exactly he planed to do with it. He assured me it would not end up stuck in the dog.

He grew tired of my questions and got a regular table knife, to which I explained we needed a sharp knife, not a dull knife. As I got out my pocket knife, I told him I wasn't sure I should do this... his reply? "Sometimes you just need to believe in yourself." It didn't really fit with the conversation (even if he is six!). So I replied, "no, I'm not sure that I SHOULD sharpen the stick, not IF I can sharpen the stick", to which he repeated his same statement word for word...

Being that before I went into the kitchen I'd been working on this blog, it struck me as really profound.

My intuition tells me it was a message I was supposed to hear...

Fred

Did Doyle Dykes - A True Guitar Hero - Sell His Soul?

2011-05-14T02:53:31Z

Did Doyle Dykes - A True Guitar Hero - Sell His Soul? He tells all in his new book The Lights of Marfa

Doyle Dykes released his first book: "The Lights of Marfa".

If you play the guitar and you've never heard of Doyle Dykes then you've been missing something special. He plays with such talent and prowess that you'd swear he sold his soul to get his talent... and he did.

But unlike the jazz / blues legend Robert Johnson, Doyle traded his soul to God.

Doyle has a long history of music and God. Since he was 11 in 1965, when he ask God to give him a job to do, music and God have been intertwined, driving passions in his life.

"If people see that God is a God who loves us, then mission accomplished!" ~ Doyle Dykes

The Lights of Marfa"/>
Doyle Dykes released his first book: "The Lights of Marfa"

Throughout Doyle's life, he has had a lot of experiences that cannot be explained by any other source than the hand of God. In "The Lights of Marfa" Doyle tells his stories, history, and lifelong obsession with both God and the Guitar.

"The Lights of Marfa" is not a book just for guitar aficionados; it's a book to inspire everyone. He includes plenty of photos, and even quotes his favorite scripture verses at the end of each chapter that he feels are related to that chapter.

There are plenty of his thoughts on guitars, tunings, and favorite players too.

The book includes a DVD that contains a song he wrote for the book, an interview, and several performances.

This is a lot of speculation around if Robert Johnson actually sold his soul to the Devil or not... but... there is no doubt that Doyle has given his soul to God. When Doyle was 11, he ask God for a job to do and promised that in return he would tell everyone he met about God. The deal seems to have worked out well for everyone involved!

Watching and listening to Doyle play will leave little doubt that his is a God given talent. Through his love of God he has touched many people.

I first learned about Doyle many years ago after purchasing my first Taylor guitar. Taylor is one of the best guitar companies in the world. They send out a quarterly magazine to the owners of their guitars. That's were I first read about him. Doyle had been a professional guitarist for years and years, yet it seems that Doyle had all but stopped playing acoustic guitar. His encounter with Bob Taylor and Taylor guitars would change that forever (it's in the book). Taylor now makes two Doyle labeled guitars: the Doyle Dykes Signature Model (DDSM) and the less expensive (but still not cheap) Doyle Deluxe. In the book he tells why the DDSM has a white rose inlaid in the headstock - you can see it in the photo and it's another one of those unique stories.

Doyle Dykes White Rose Inlay on DDSM... another one of those unique stories"

"God wants to have a personal relationship with you... Jesus is a person... we see God in the face of Jesus" ~ Doyle Dykes

Doyle playing a sacred medley

Get the Book!
Look him up on YouTube and Visit His Web site www.DoyleDykes.com.

Update: I hadn't read much of the book when I wrote this post, but I'm well into it now: this is an incredibly inspiring book. Doyle's writing is engaging as he weaves his stories. This is a book for everyone. Each time I think "man, that has to be the best story in this book", I read a few more pages and the hair stands up on my arms again!

Update 2: I mean really... REALLY... who walks out the door after landing a job playing the guitar with the backup group for Elvis? Someone who will not compromise on his values.. you have to read this story... and, how Dolye's strength to walk away from a lifestyle he wanted no part of... and how not long after that, saved the life of another singer/musician who watched Doyle stand up and walk out of the room. This man was standing on the roof-top of a hotel in Las Vegas ready to take his own life when he remembered Doyle walking out of that room and instead of jumping he went to Elvis and told him he quit. You need to read what Elvis said to him... Elvis was a good man who was trapped and his response proved that to me.

Fred

Sacred Heart and Three Crosses Designs

2011-05-12T15:40:36Z

This is a quick note on how I came up with the Sacred Heart and Three Crosses Designs.

I registered the "DoMoreThanPray" domain name several months ago. I had started planning what I wanted to do with the site but nothing I came up with excited me. Then inspiration struck from two different people I'm friends with on FaceBook: one I've never met in person and the other I've not seen for 30 years! After that, the rest of the site came together pretty fast.

Courtney Pitre, a friend I've never met in person, but fellow lover of all that is bluegrass, posted something about being unashamed to be a Christian... seems she had just had a heated discussion with an atheist... after reading her post I cranked out the Three Crosses logo.

A day to two after that, another Facebook friend who also posts a lot about his Christian faith, Mark Blanchard (Mark and I went to high school together) posted something about not compromising his values or his beliefs. I asked him what his favorite Christian symbol was and he replied the Sacred Heart. After a few iterations I settled on a design I liked.

Thanks Mark and Courtney!

My goal is to create designs that are meaningful but simple.

Both designs are available, with and without the wording underneath, on shirts, cups, mugs, water bottles, hats, stickers, etc. from CafePress. Click Here, or on the photos in the left column.

Fred

About Do More Than Pray (.com)

2011-05-11T19:48:57Z

Fred Black (and 4th of 4, Walker)... I want to make this site a launching pad for action, not just a destination!

I started Do More Than Pray (.com) because, as a Christian, I'm concerned about the things I see around me. I'm concerned about the direction of our Churches, our communities, our country, the moral fortitude of our leaders, the state of the family, and our world in general.

Too many Christians today don't really do much with their Christianity other than say they're Christian, show up at Church two or three times a year, and pray before an important event such as a test, emergency, or hospital stay.

Early Christians (as well as some today) paid dearly for their faith - at times they were killed and tortured. Somehow we've evolved from that level of determination and commitment to what I call "Candy Store Christians". "Candy Store Christians" go to Church to be seen, they wave their arms around and sing a few songs and then leave, feeling really good about themselves. They do nothing else about their Christianity until the next Sunday. They vote for corrupt leaders, they keep silent when deep inside they know they should speak up, they don't call, write, or visit their elected officials, they don't make their children accountable, they don't help others, they don't say enough is enough when they know they should... the list goes on and on.

There's more to being a Christian then getting a mental sugar high once a week. Like the song says: "They will know we are Christians by our love", and I will add, by our leadership, and by our stopping the constant spread of evil. Evil attempts to confuse us, dilute our strength, divide and conquer so to speak - and its working pretty well.

I like the line: "they're so full of faith they would run into Hell armed with nothing but a water pistol" (I think Joseph Prince said it in a video of a sermon on YouTube). Too many Christians today are afraid do step up and stand up for their faith. Jesus was whipped, tortured, killed, and spent three days in Hell for us, to save us, and do for us what we're incapable of doing ourselves.

1 Peter 2:11-17

11. My beloved, as temporary residents and settlers, I want you to be done with all the body's lusts, these that make war against the soul.
12. And let your behavior be beautiful before all humanity, so that those who speak evil against you shall see that your works are beautiful and that they glorify God on the Day of Transubstantiation ("The Eucharist," also: "Heirdom.").
13. So as [through those works] you may be of service to all humanity for the sake of God, of service to kings because they hold power,
14. [Be of service] to judges because some of them are sent to control the fools and to praise those that perform blessed works.
15. For this is the will of God, that through your beautiful works you will shut the mouth of fools, those that know not God,
16. Be like the children of the free and not like people who use their freedom to hide their evil works; thus be like the servants of God.
17. Respect every human being. Love your brother. Submit to God (And from God be in submission). And respect the kings.

Translation: the Aramaic New Testament www.v-a.com

I'm tired of, and frustrated by, Christians being treated like lepers and relegated to the back of the bus.

There are two things that do not have any place in a Christian's heart: fear and hate. I'm not advocating violence or hate... neither is wanted or required.

Turn the other cheek does not mean "shut up and sit down" or "roll over and play dead" or feign stupidity and ignore the obvious. When we give our hearts to Christ, it's a two way deal - you can rest assured he will uphold his end, but will we?

On this web site I will post my thoughts and those of some guest writers as well. I will also create Christian themed items such as shirts, mugs, stickers, hats, etc. that you can use to show the world your faith... as well as remind yourself.

The parallels between the demise of Christianity and the decline of The United States cannot be overlooked: if you could graph it, the graphs would be very similar. As a Christian we must not let evil eradicate our faith. We must take this seriously, because it is serious.

Please feel free to contact me with your ideas, suggestions, experiences, etc. I want to make this site a launching pad, not a destination!

Sincerely,

Fred Black

P.S. You can learn more about me here, at my Internet Business Site.