The Burger King Steakhouse Mushroom Swiss

I sometimes go off topic with my blog. This is one of those times. I absolutely love Mushroom Swiss burgers. If they are at all offered at a burger place I'm eating at then it is what I get. So far Backyard Burgers and Hardee's are the best fast food Mushroom Swiss burgers I've tried. So naturally when Burger King had one I decided to try it. I don't know why. Burger King is NOT my favorite place to eat. But hey, it was a mushroom swiss, how bad could it be? I'm sorry to say it makes me gag just thinking about it. It was terrible. The meat patty was nasty. It was suppose to be an all Angus meat patty, but it tasted more like an all Anus meat patty. You couldn't even taste the mushrooms and swiss over the disgusting barbecue sauce they put on it. I didn't mind the french fried onions however.They would have been a nice touch to a decent mushroom swiss. It was by far the worst excuse for a mushroom swiss burger I've ever tried. And it was not exactly cheap. For what I payed for it I could have just gone to Backyard Burger and had a good mushroom swiss. Avoid Burger King's weak attempt at a mushroom swiss. It is quite simply a crap sandwich.

Reconcile

Scripture:
Matthew 5:23 "So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

We all know we are to forgive those who wrong us. But did you know that if anyone has something against you it is up to YOU to attempt to reconcile? In the scripture Jesus says that if you are at the altar and you remember someone has something against you then you are to leave and take care of it. Jesus says don't even come to the altar to worship me if you know someone has something against you! That's pretty strong! Are you at odds with anyone? Do they think it's your fault? It doesn't matter! You are the one who should attempt to reconcile. No one can do it for you. Jesus doesn't say if you remember someone has something against you send your brother to talk to them, he says for you to go and reconcile. And, he says to do it before you even try to come worship him.

Arguments Creationists Shouldn't Use

I see numerous forwards and bulletins from my fellow Christian friends we "shocking" evidence of creation. And while there is plenty of good solid evidence for it there is plenty so called evidences that should be avoided. Not only because it is not the truth, but also because any athiest in the know will pick them apart. Answers in Genesis was nice enough to compile these in an article. Click and read on:

Answers in Genesis: Arguments Creationists Shouldn't Use

Jesus is Alive

It can be demonstrated that there is good evidence to conclude that Jesus did raise from the dead.

His deciples were absolutely sure this man was who he said he was, that is until he was arrested and put on a cross. At this point they not only were doubtful that Jesus was the son of God, but they feared for their lives. They feared that being associated with him would mean that they were next to die.

However, every one of Jesus's deciples died, or was exciled in the case of John, while preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. What would cause these men, who were too afraid for their lives to even associate with Jesus turn around and be willing to die for the message of Jesus? Something had to confirm to them that Jesus was the Son of God. They were expecting the Messiah to overthrow the Roman government and set up his kingdom, and yet after seeing Jesus arrested and crucified what could possibly convince them a dead man was in fact the Messiah? It's only reasonable to conclude that Jesus himself, alive and resurrected, standing before them would be enough to convince them he was the real thing.

It would not be reasonable to say that these men just made the whole thing up. Many people die for causes they believe in, but not many people would die for a story they knew they madeup.
One of them would have eventually cracked under the preasure. Only seeing the resurrected Jesus in the flesh would have motivated these men to go out and be willing to die to tell the world that Jesus is Lord!

Jesus is alive and waiting for you to repend and believe!

The Prodigal Son

I thought I would follow the last blog, which was very stern, with a change of pace and write a blog concerning God's love. When most people think of God they think of an old man sitting on a throne without a smile on his face, waiting to smite sinners at every change he gets. This of course is not the picture Jesus painted for us. He painted a picture of a loving father waiting for his Child to come home. Read the following from Luke 15:

"11

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons."

Let's pause here to examine this further. This child wanted his father's inheritance now before his father was dead. In asking for it before his death it was as if he were telling his father, "I want your money and I'm tired of waiting for you to die. I wish you were dead now so I could have it but since you aren't I want it now." It was one of the most disrespectful things he could said to his father.

13 "A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything."

Let's pause here again. He wasted his riches on wild living. Literally he waste it on partying and prostitutes. He was so poor he got a job feeding pigs. For a Jew of this time period nothing was more degrading as pigs were unclean and they weren't even suppose to touch them. Yet he was so hungry he'd be glad to eat the leftovers from the pig's feed.

17 "When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."'

20 "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.'

Let's pause again. His father was a wealthy man who wore long robes. In order to run to his son he would have had to lift his robes. This would have been undignified of a man of his social standing. Yet when his son returned he was glad to do it! This is a beautiful picture of Jesus. Even though Jesus is God he hung on a cross for us which was surely something less than dignified for the God of the universe. Yet he was glad to do it! And he watches for us to come home to him like a father waiting.

22 "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

When we come to the father after coming to our senses and coming to the cross God treats it as a time of celebration. He doesn't condemn you for what you did, he celebrates the fact that you've turned away from your sinful lifestyle to come to him. Even if you think you're the lowest of the low and there is no way God could ever love you, he loved you enough to send Jesus to die. And if you come to him he will welcome you with open arms and a smile on his face because he loves you. He'll lift up his robes and run to you!

Examine yourself

How do you know you're saved? If you are not a Christian then this blog is not for you. But if you believe yourself to be saved then it is. Many will misunderstand.Some might get angry.And, forgive me in advance for not sugar coating it. And believe me when I say I'm preaching to myself as well.

It is important to ask yourself this question. The bible commands that we do:

2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith....."

And Jesus himself said that there would be many who would proclaim his name, but not be saved, and that you would know the true believers by their fruits:

Matthew 7 Beginning in verse 15:"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Look closely how Jesus speaks here. The lost man is repeating Lord twice when he speaks. In English if we want to emphasize something we say it louder, or put it in all caps, but the Hebrew style was to repeat it. So this was not only a man who believed he was saved, but he was putting emphasis on calling Jesus Lord. He was the type who was open and radical. In modern times he'd be the type to wear Christian t-shirts and have fish on his car. He was openly vocal about Jesus, and yet Jesus says he was lost.

So how do you know you are saved? Is it because you feel saved in your heart? What does scripture say about that?

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

Does it just seem right?

Prov 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death

Is it because a preacher told you you were saved? Is it because you prayed a prayer and asked Jesus in your heart? And then, you looked around at all the other people sitting next to you in Church and you compared your life to theirs and when your life wasn't any worse than theirs you determined if they were saved you were ok too? What makes you think they're saved? Where in the bible does it say if you repeat a prayer after a preacher that you are automatically saved? Don't get your theology from a T-shirt or catchy song!

Praying a prayer does not save you. There are no magic words to get in to heaven. You are saved because when you prayed that prayer you repented and believed. Salvation only comes by faithin Jesus.

So how do you know that you are saved? Look above again at Matthew 7. Jesus says you'll be known by your fruit.A good tree can't produce thorns, and a thorn bush can't produce figs.

He says he who does the will of His father will be saved. Is this a message of salvation by works? NOT AT ALL! The one who does the will of the father does so as evidence of salvation, not to earn salvation. He doesn't do so by his own efforts but because when he met Jesus he was changed and was never the same. He was given a new nature and hates the things God hates. He walks the narrow path, and when he strays God snatches him back. When he sins he hates his own actions because God hates them. He cannot go astray and remain there because God won't let him. He repented, believed and continues to always because he is God's child.

Notice in Matthew 7 that the lost person uses many gifts of the spirit as evidence that he should be saved, but they were not. God never uses gifts as evidence, once again read the verse. You will be known by your fruit. So examine yourself and be sure your are in the faith. Don't compare yourself with others to determine your salvation, but to scripture instead. Your own church is full of people who come every week and sing praises to the Lord and believe their last breath here is their first breath with the Lord. But, sadly they are mistaken. Don't believe you were saved because a preacher told you you were after repeating a prayer but do so because when you prayed a prayer it reflected your repentant heart and you believed in the name of Jesus. You can KNOW you're saved. But KNOW you are saved for the right reasons!

Pro-life logic

I want to start off by saying if you are a mother who has experienced abortion then this blog is not ment to belittle you. It's aimed at the people who lied to you and told you abortion was harmless and that the person growing inside you wasn't human. For you there is grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

I heard a logical approach to being pro-life on the radio the other day and I agree with it. It is logical to believe that the pro-life movement is the truth. To illustrate we take the 4 differences between an unborn fetus and a newborn baby and evaluate each one.
The first difference is size.
Is an unboard fetus smaller than a newborn baby? Yes it is. Does this make a fetus less than human? Of course not. There are alot of people who are shorter than me. They are not less than human. Size makes no difference in determining humanity. If it did any dwarf or young child could be considered less human than larger people.
So size can not logically be a factor in considering a fetus less than human.

The next difference is level of development.
Is a fetus less developed than a newborn child? Yes it is. Does this make a fetus less than human? Not at all! A 4 year old child is less developed than a 14 year old. Is the 4 year old child less human than the 14 year old? Of course not. People are born with underdeveloped limbs and organs. Are they less human than someone who is born whole? Of course not. You continue to develope for a good part of your life outside the womb. Does this mean you aren't fully human until you stop? Not at all.
So, Level of development is not a logical factor in deciding if a fetus is less than human.

The next difference is environment.
The fetus is in the womb, while a newborn child is outside the womb. Does this make it less than human because it has not yet changed it's location? We change our location every day, going to work, getting in the car, going outside, coming inside. At no time does our change in location make us less than human. In that case does a 7 inch journey down the birth canal magically transform a non-human mass of flesh into a newborn person? Of course not.
Environment can not logically be a factor in deciding if a fetus is less than human.

The final difference is level of dependency.
A fetus is depended on it's mother's body and can not be seperated from it, while a newborn needs only milk and a diaper. Does this make it less than human? A newborn is more dependand than a 10 year old child. Is the newborn less than human? There are elderly, and severly injured people who depend on machines and medication, are they less than human? Is a person not a person when the person's body is no longer self sustaining? Of course not.
So level of dependency is not a logical factor in determining if a fetus is human.

Therefore, there is no logical reason to call a fetus less than human. And if the fetus can not be proven to be less than human, then killing it is murder.