Lightning Frog

Lightning isn't the easiest to capture. But is rewarding once you do though. Throw the camera in high speed continuous mode and just start shooting when you think the time is right...or at least, that's my technique. Exposure is important to, too much will give you a washed out bolt, to little, you can't see much of the surroundings. This storm dropped some heavy rain and some pretty amazing lightning. I am excited for some more storms to roll through!

This little guy was right outside my door. He was a jumpy little frog, but was nice enough to sit still for a second so I can get an upclose shot. Love the detail in the eyes. I don't use flash very often, but in this case, it worked out pretty well. Poor frog though...probably went blind from flashing him so much...

Honduran Sunrise and Sunset

So, here it was, 5:45 in the morning on my way to the rest room (building on the lower right) and I see this beautiful Honduran sunrise, well, I just had to capture it. What a blessed day the Lord has made and given me a chance to behold His creation!

Ok, now this was an eerie sunset, beautiful to say the least though. I had to literally run back to my room to try to capture at least some of it before the sun completely disappeared. Not to often do I see pictures of a sunset with colors like these, if only I had gotten to my camera sooner, I would have gotten the sun resting on the top of the hills. It was amazing!

What about Homosexuality?

        Homosexuality is sort of a hot topic these days. I've seen alot stories on the news lately on same-sex marriages, and how states are now allowing it, and our nations leaders supporting the act. Usually anyone who opposes homosexuality is automatically labeled as "intolerant" and "hateful". Even if the individuals who oppose say so in kindness and respect. Now to clear things up before I get started, I don't hate homosexuals, homosexuality isn't "greater" than any other sin, because all sin leads to death, no matter what it is, whether it be lying, stealing, lusting, blaspheming God's name, murdering, etc. I care for them and want those individuals to be saved. But never the less, it is a big deal, it is offensive to God, and we will see what the Bible has to say about it.

     In the beginning God made a man and a woman, it was God's created order for how things should work, especially marriage (Gen 2:24). In Leviticus 18:22 the LORD says, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." Also Leviticus 20:13 mentions pretty much the same thing. We can see an example of homosexuality, and how detestable it is to God in Genesis chapters 18 and 19. Remember hearing about Sodom and Gomorrah? The very definition of Sodomy derived from that city. The Lord sent two angels disguised as men into the city to grab a man named Lot and his family, to get them out of there, because God was going to destroy it. The angels went to Lot's place, and the men of the city stood outside of his house and called out to him, asking where the "two men" were, wanting to have sexual relations with them! That's just a small idea of what the people were like. The next day God destroyed the city and it's inhabitants with fire and brimstone. Now homosexuality wasn't the exclusive reason why God destroyed it, but it is one of the primary reasons.

     Some more verses that mention homosexuality as a sin is Romans 1:26-27, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and recieving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." I would suggest reading the chapter in it's context. But looking at this we can see that those who their love sin, God will give them over to their passions, their hearts will be hardened, and the end result is that they can no longer see the error of their ways.

    Also,1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extorioners will inherit the kingdom of God." There you have it, unless you have the righteousness of Christ, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

   We can even go into the...diseases...an individual can contract and that are associated with homosexuality, (let's just throw pre-marital sex between a man and women in their as well, because it's also wrong), but I won't because I don't feel like throwing up all over my desk. Not only is homosexuality, very offensive to God, so is sexual immorality, in which it falls under. But we can save that topic for another day.

   See....every person is born with a sin nature, it is natural for us to be tempted to do things God says are wrong and we have the tendency to act strongly upon certain sins more than others. Some people give into drunkeness, some give into their anger and hatred and end up becoming murderers, others give into pedophilia, theft, drugs, etc., same thing with homosexuality. Homosexuality is just not natural, it is very obvious that men and women "fit" together, not male and male, or female and female.The Lord condemns it just as much as any other sin.

   But God does provide for a way out of that sinful lifestyle. Realize that all have sinned against a holy and just God and that we deserve His righteous judgement, an eternity in hell. But He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, taking our punishment upon Himself. He died and rose again. If an individual repents and puts their trust in Jesus Christ, their sins will be forgiven, and God will change them inside out. I care about the homosexual and like I said, have no hatred towards them, they are human beings in need of a savior...just like everyone else.

Sources: http://carm.org/christianity-and-homosexuality
               http://www.gotquestions.org/homosexuality-Bible.html
               The Bible

Lights, Music and Drinks

   Partying, dancing, clubs, mixed drinks, flashing lights, loud music, bumpin' & grindin', men popping collars, and unmodest women wearing short dresses and high heels. Weekend after weekend, these sort of events take place. Think about it, Monday rolls around, O.K. monday sucks, we get to Wednesday ,"Come on weekend! We are halfway there!', Friday? "Schools out kids round up the fella's (or chica's) and pre-game before hitting the clubs, let's get this party started!"

   Guys get dressed up in nice clothes and spray on their most expensive cologne while getting drunk to go out to the bars to go get drunk? (what?) Women Spend time putting their makeup on, finding the most revealing attire as to tempt the man, but not as to show everything they have.

   This sort of...lifestyle, sadly, is the social norm and nobody sees anything wrong with it. Did I say nobody? How many professing Christians have I seen actively participate in such a...sickening atmosphere? Many. I myself was one of those people, albeit, shortlived on my end, very short lived, but was enough to get a taste. This lifestyle is down right wrong, destructive, decieving, ungodly, unholy, unforgiving, unclean, sexually immoral, and just plain evil. Let's face it, the two primary reasons people go to nightclubs and house parties, is to drink copious amounts of alcohol, and find someone of the opposite sex with sexual intentions. This is a cheap imitation to find happiness and "love".

   The sweet taste of sin encompasses those who love every bit of it. Though the pleasure only lasts for so long, leaving the individual wanting more and more, never to be able to satsify their desire. In our world, for one to give it up would be...unthinkable. But once we understand what sin is and what it does (leads to death, is destructive, is an affront to God, etc.) we see how serious of an issue it is.

   If a professing Christian were to go to a nightclub, where the whole world watches, especially their unsaved friends, their witness would be ruined because of the activities normally associated with that type of sinful lifestyle. Christ would be maligned and demeaned, even if their intentions aren't so. God calls us and desires for us to live godly lives, to not be a part of this world, and to put off our old self. For the Christian, the very act of sin should be disgusting and vile. When we are saved, sin becomes an issue, we become sensitive to it, we realize it's capabilities. One way to measure the maturity of our faith is, how much do we hate sin?

So, for Christians who may be actively participating in this particular area, I ask you to examine yourself through God's Word, and to remember what it is that Christ did on the Cross. Repent from this lifestyle and try to drag others out of it. You will be hated for it, disliked, and abandoned, but there is Christ to gain and nothing to lose.

References:
2 Timothy 2:19
Ephesians 4:17-24
1 Corinthians 15:33
2 Corinthians 13:5

http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-alcohol.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-clubbing.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-parties.html

World Religions- Biblical Christianity

To compare Christianity to the rest of the world religions, we first need to define: What does it mean to be a Christian? Who was the founder? What does Christianity teach? Answering these questions, we will find that Christianity is unique and stands apart from all other faith systems. These are the basic beliefs of biblical Christianity:

 

Founder: Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the Son of God, Son of man.

Christian:

    First got their name in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because of their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word Christian means "follower of Christ'. Over time the name Christian has lost its significance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Christ. Though people may do church activities or do "good" things, it doesn't make them Christian, a true Christian is one who has put faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection. A mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God's word. Now some religions would have you think they are "Christian" as well, but we will get into their beliefs next and we will see some vast differences.

God:

  Christianity teaches that there is only one God eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He created everything, the sun, moon, stars, trees, animals, humans...you get the picture. God created man in His own image. Now that's not saying God is made of flesh and bone, because He isn't, He is spirit (John 4:24). Image, meaning the likeness of God's character. We were created specifically for God, to have a relationship with Him, but our sin broke that relationship, now... our sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23, 5:12), the penalty of sin is death (that answers why there is death in the world) and those who sin (which is everyone) against God are deserving of His holy justice.

-See http://carm.org/trinity for a good explanation of the Trinity

Jesus Christ:

   Christianity is based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ. Now who is Jesus Christ? To simply put, He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) He claimed to be God in the flesh. If we read John 1:1-3,14 we see that in "the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". In verse 14 ,"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." There are numerous scriptures that point to the deity of Christ and where Jesus Himself claims to be the very I AM that spoke to Moses. Jesus Christ is fully God AND fully man, He lived a sinless and perfect life, He died on the cross for our sins and paid the debt we couldn't pay. His death on the cross was sufficient to pay for all sins (This is unique ONLY to biblical Christianity). He rose again the third day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus' sacrifice is what restores the relationship between God and man.

The Bible:

  
    Christians believe that the bible is the word of God, that it was inspired by God, and that it's teaching is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21) A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that since 40 men from all different walks of life, penned the bible, that it can't be trusted, and that the bible has changed through the ages, well...the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls proves that it hasn't changed! God is perfectly capable of preserving His word throughout the ages.

 
Salvation:

    Salvation is the "saving" of a sinner from the righteous judgment (the wrath) of God (Romans 5:9, 1 Thess. 5:9). When someone repents, confesses their sins to God and puts their faith in Jesus Christ, that person's sins are forgiven. They are wiped clean and their relationship with God is restored and is made into a new creature. This is a gift from God. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) Our works cannot save us, now, those who are saved, do good works out of love for what God did for us, works which He created for us before hand, so that we may walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)

Hell:

    Hell is not a place anyone would want to go. But because of our sin and God's infinite, eternal, holy hatred of sin, and since He is just, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ will not enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3) and will end up in hell for eternity. Jesus spoke much about hell, and says ""I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."(Luke 13:3) Hell is described as: eternal fire, unquenchable fire, shame and everlasting contempt, torment, everlasting destruction, lake of burning sulfur, and that the wicked are tormented day and night, forever and ever. (Matt. 25:41, Matt 3:12, Daniel 12:2, Mark9:44-49, Luke 16:23-24, Revelation 14:10-11). I don't want you to go there, and neither does God, it was created for the devil and his angels. Please confess your sins and trust in Jesus Christ!

Heaven:

 
   In heaven there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death. (Revelation 20:6 ; 21:4) It's beauty cannot be described, and there, we will be with God for eternity, face to face with our Savior, we will have fellowship with one another and the things prepared for those who love God cannot be explained in our earthly terms...I want to see you there, please repent and trust in Christ!

Another Gospel?

Over the next few months I will be comparing biblical Christianity and various world religions. Some of the world religions will consist of:
-Jehovah's Witnesses
-Islam
-Roman Catholicism
-LDS (Mormonism)
-Buddhism
-Hinduism
- any other I can think of, time permitting.

We will find who the founders were and what they teach (heaven, hell, salvation, who God is,etc). My intentions are not to offend anyone who are associated with any of these religions, and if there are any objections or misrepresentations (I will try and make sure research and sources are thorough and valid) then I will be glad to have a chit-chat!

-Zach

The Bible Part 3- Secular Sources Confirm Christ

In a few debates I've been in, (online of course because I don't necessarily have the skills or the wit to respond very quickly in a face to face debate, also because I like to have time and look at multiple sources to give well thought out answers), many athiests or skeptics have denied that Jesus Christ ever existed. Of course when a Christian uses the bible to make an arguement for His existence, it isn't convincing to the skeptic because they reject the bible as a source of truth anyways.

In this post, I will (thanks to those who have published books on this i.e. Josh Mcdowell) give you some secular and non secular sources that confirm Christ's existence. There are quite a few, so I will highlight some of the ones I think make a strong case.

- Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian wrote in "Antiquities" book 18, this about Jesus:
       "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as recieve the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day."


-Tacitus, a Roman historian, in "Annals 15.44", mentions "Christus" who is Jesus:
         "Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all the things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular."


-Lucian mentions Jesus. Greek writer and rhetorician:
         "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account. You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property." (Lucian was opposed to Christianity, yet confirms the existence of Christ whom Christians follow.)

-Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor, mentioned Christ in one of his books:
          "They (the Christians) were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."

It is no doubt that Christ existed. These sources describe and explain the way of Christian life, the wonderful works and person Jesus was (is), and contribute to the fact that Christ affected many lives. You will be hard pressed to find any credible scholar or historian that thinks Christ never existed. If you would like, here is a good article that's a little more in depth. Think of the claims of Christ, if He is who He says He is and proved it with miracles and rising from the dead, then He is God.
http://www.provethebible.net/T2-Divin/D-0201.htm