In loving memory...

Virgil Keith Patterson - SaulBecomesPaul

August 31, 1975 - October 8, 2013

Our dear brother Virgil has gone home to The Lord.  Virgil has received his eternal reward and fulfilled his life verse:

Philippians 1:21 - to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.

2nd Annual ME4JC Transition Challenge

Here are some transitions from the 2nd annual ME4JC news article transition challenge.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/dennis-rodman-calls-kim-jong-un-great-guy-151400484.html

From all indications, Dennis Rodman is clearly not a good judge of character. Every interaction and news story I've ever seen regarding the North Korean dictator is far from any standard of good that I know. There's another person that people misjudge frequently. They say that He is simply a good person. A teacher. Some say that He is merely a prophet. Unlike the fact that it matters not what a washed up NBA "star" thinks about Kim Jong UN, it completely matters who you believe Jesus to be. While many have their aforementioned notions regarding who Jesus Christ is, who He says He is is all that matters. In John 10:30 Christ tells us that, "I and the Father are one." In John Chapter 8 and verse 24, He says, "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” Basically you don't want to get it wrong when it comes to who Jesus is. We need to believe that He is fully God and fully man and that He came in the flesh to live a perfect life and that He lovingly take our place on the cross as God's wrath that we deserve was poured out on Him. We need to believe that He rose from the grave three days later completely defeating sin and death forever. We need to believe these truths and accept God's free gift of grace by repenting and trusting in Christ alone for salvation. Now what sins is Christ referring to in John 8:24? Look no further than the 10 commandments to see which ones are condemning you. Lying. Stealing or wanting things that don't belong to you. Adultery(including lust). Murder(including hate). Blasphemy. Idolatry. If you have ever done any of these things please realize your need for Christ's love, forgiveness, and salvation today. Don't put this off and don't stick with a wrong pre-conceived notion of who you think He is. Repent and trust in the Christ that the Bible speaks about for salvation.


 http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/metro-last-light-release-date-announced

It's always nice to know when something you are looking forward to is coming soon. Whether it be games, movies, a CD, or even a new TV series, anticipation is a big part of the excitement of the upcoming release. For the Christian we await something so amazing that there are scarcely words to describe the excitement we have for it. The return of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 tells us, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Now we don't get a time or a date, we just have to be ready when that day comes. The only way to be ready on that day is through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. I would love to be able to tell sinners that hey, Jesus is coming back on this date or that. To give them a "release date" of sorts so that they can know when to be ready. Sadly I can not do that. All I can do is let them know that the Bible promises that, "Just as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment(Hebrews 9:27)" and that, "he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.(Acts 17:31)” The standard of Judgment that will be used will be the 10 commandments. Every lie, theft, lustful look, hateful thought, blasphemous utterance, every dishonoring of your parents, every idolatrous idea, and every time you wanted something some that didn't belong to you will come into account on that day. Now you can walk into eternity and try to pay for your own sins but the only payment you can make by yourself is eternal conscious punishment in Hell. God doesn't want that so He made payment for you in His only Son, Jesus Christ. Christ, fully God and fully man, paid for those sins on the cross. He rose from the dead three days later, defeating sin and death forever. The wrath that you and I deserve was unleashed on Jesus so that if we repent and trust in Him alone we can go to Heaven and escape the punishment we deserve. Be ready on that day so that you don't have to take God's wrath upon yourself. Christ already did this for you. Humble yourself and accept God's gift of grace and mercy today.


 http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/woman-tracked-down-and-busted-for-using-restaurant-s-customers-only-bathroom-204931199.html

Recently a lady in Nashville got herself into a bit of trouble by ignoring signs inside a local restaurant, Flood Zone, and using the restroom even though she didn't buy anything. Even though the sign told her that the facilities were for customers only, she said that ,"I didn't feel it was a crime. I'd been in to plenty of restaurants here in this town, and other towns, and, you know, other states." This offense seems like a small thing to us and perhaps it is. The person being sinned against is really what makes all the difference. This story reminds me of how people look at the sin of lying. They always downplay it by calling it a fib, or a white lie, or an exaggeration. No matter who I speak to when street witnessing, they almost always see lying as the least offensive of God's 10 commandments to break. They don't understand that the Bible says in Revelation 21:8 that, "All liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire." Now, you might be saying, "this is way too harsh of a punishment for a lie", or "I've only told a few little lies here and there". First of all, like on murder makes you a murderer, one lie makes you a liar. But like I mentioned earlier, It's who you've committed this "little" sin against that matters and is what determines the punishment. If you lied to your kids there's not much repercussion. Lie to your spouse, and it's the couch for a night or possible separation. Lie to your boss and you could get fired. If you lie to the Government, it could be jail time for you. Finally as we looked at early on, when you lie you sin against God and His punishment is the Lake of Fire. You can clearly see that the sin never changes but who you sin against determines the punishment. Now clearly we have all broken this commandment and all deserve the punishment of Eternal fire. This is not God's will however. He sent His Son Jesus, fully God and fully man, to be born of a virgin(as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14), live a perfect life, and to die on a cross for our sins(lying, stealing, lust, hatred, blasphemies, covetousness). This is where God shows His infinite love for us. At the cross and the cross alone. Jesus got off that cross and three days later rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. God accepted this sacrifice and raised Christ to His right hand. If we would repent, or turn from sin, and trust in Christ's sacrifice alone for our salvation we can be saved from our sin and an eternity in Hell. Don't put this off. Confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. Don't ignore this sign today like this woman ignored the sign in the restaurant. Lying might look like a small, ignorable offense but to God it is serious business. He won't track you down with a $5 dollar fine. On Judgment Day, He will simply look and see if you are in Christ or if tried to do it all your own way. Only in Christ does this end well. Repent and trust in Christ today. Be sure that He has paid your fine. Trust me, you don't want to pay this one on your own.

DiG Recommended Reading-February 2013

With the world such as it is with issues like mass shootings, economic collapse, and the murdering of babies in the womb, people of a conservative nature try to come together and fight against the world's system.  In this fight against moral atrocities Evangelicals,  Mormons,  Roman Catholics, and in some cases even Islam try to put their differences aside to get political and social travesties abolished.  The question is can we ever completely come together on what is ultimately the most important issue.  Salvation.  Mormons hold that Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan and not God incarnate. Since we believe that Christ was fully God and fully man and is the same yesterday, today, and forever we can safely put the label of "other" gospel on their message.  Islam too, believes in Jesus but as a prophet and that Muhammad is of more importance in the hierarchy of Moses, Jesus, and their own beloved icon. Roman Catholics are probably the closest in respect to beliefs of who Christ is.  The question is, is that close enough in regards to the Gospel. While we can join in certain social arenas and fight in the abortion ring together with Rome, R.C. Sproul tells us why we just can't get together with them on the issue of salvation, more specifically justification, in his awesome analysis, Are We Together.

A lot of Protestants can pinpoint certain theological differences between Roman Catholics and themselves.  Roman Catholics can do the same but a lot of them that I encounter go about believing that we are all on the same team because of our faith in Christ, unaware that the Council of Trent has pretty much damned Protestants for their beliefs on justification.  R.C. Sproul gets to the heart of the matter, that justification is by faith alone and that truth is why we can't align ourselves fully with the gospel of the Roman Catholic system. In it's simplest form, as seen in the book, for Protestants faith=justification + works.  Rome however views salvation as faith+works=justification.  This may look small on paper but the difference is an insurmountable gap for Christians who stand on the authority of Sacred Scripture alone. Now I have to say before we lose some here.  This is NOT an entire book of slams against Roman Catholics.  R.C. Sproul has presented here one of the most fair, loving, side by side comparisons of the two faiths. He simply takes a topic such as the infallibility of the papacy, Mary, scripture, justification, etc and compares the two belief systems in regards to the topic. Included in these comparisons are Roman Catholic and Protestant affirmations of their beliefs such as The Council of Trent, Vatican I & II, and for the Protestants the Westminster Confession of Faith.

If you have ever wondered what truly separates Protestant and Roman Catholics, no matter which side you fall on,  you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem.  Even if you think you know all there is to know, you will be surprised by something in the book.  Mary's fiat for me for instance....mind blown.  All that being said,  Sproul is of course aligned with the Protestant beliefs but believe it or not there is very little bias here.  At the end of the chapters he affirms his own personal views but this is after pages of fair analysis and comparisons from Scripture and various creeds. I don't think he's trying to fix the world here, he's just simply looking at two institutions side by side.  After all, this is a some 2000 year old disagreement and it's not going to be fixed in 122 pages.  However, I commend this book to you guys and look forward to seeing some comments from you all.  In Christ, SaulBecomesPaul.

Galatians 1:6-7

English Standard Version (ESV)

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Genius the Movie

Memory Verses for Evangelism

Memory Verses 

 Romans 2:15-16 English Standard Version (ESV) 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

John 3:3 English Standard Version (ESV) 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 Acts 4:12 English Standard Version (ESV) 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 Peter 3:18 English Standard Version (ESV) 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

 2 Timothy 4:2 English Standard Version (ESV) 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Romans 1:19 English Standard Version (ESV) 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 

1 John 5:7-8 English Standard Version (ESV) 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

Romans 3:23 English Standard Version (ESV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

Romans 6:23 English Standard Version (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Isaiah 53:6 English Standard Version (ESV) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one-to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 English Standard Version (ESV) 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

 1 Peter 2:24 English Standard Version (ESV) 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 

Hebrews 9:27 English Standard Version (ESV) 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

 Romans 5:1 English Standard Version (ESV) 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 3:24-25 King James Version (KJV) 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

 2 Corinthians 5:21 English Standard Version (ESV) 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 Ephesians 2:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 Mark 8:36 English Standard Version (ESV) 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 

Acts 17:31 English Standard Version (ESV) 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

2 Corinthians 11:14 English Standard Version (ESV) 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 

Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 10:14-15 English Standard Version (ESV) 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 

Luke 9:23 English Standard Version (ESV) 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Romans 3:10 English Standard Version (ESV) 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

 James 2:19 English Standard Version (ESV) 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

 Hebrews 9:22 English Standard Version (ESV) 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 9:37-38 English Standard Version (ESV) 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 

2 Corinthians 6:2 English Standard Version (ESV) 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

John 8:58 English Standard Version (ESV) 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 

Exodus 3:14 English Standard Version (ESV) 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Hell Doesn't Have a Post Office

But if it did these are the types of things that would be sent.  Before we listen to the song and read the letter that I am about to post, I want to remind you of the Scripture that speaks of a man who wished the warning of a terrible place called Hell could be sent to his family after he died and went there.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16:19-31

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Shai Linne: Letter from the Grave 

My Friend:  My friend i stand in judgment,and feel that you're to blame somehow.
On earth we walked day, by day but never did you point the way.
you new the Lord in truth and glory, but never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim, you could have led me safe to Him.
Although we lived together on earth, you never told me of the second birth.
And now i stand this day condemned, because you failed to mention him.
You taught me things that's true, I called you 'Friend' and trusted you.
But i learn now and its to late, you could have kept me from this fate.
We walked by day and talked by night, and yet you showed me not the light.
You let me live and live and die, you knew I'd never live on high.
Yes i called you 'friend' in life and trusted you through joy and strife.
But yet on coming to the end, i cannot now call you 'My Friend'. 

Everyone who goes to Hell knows that it is a real place.  They want desperately for their friends and family who are headed down the same path to not meet them, ever.  As Christians, we know Hell to be a real place because God has revealed it as such in His Word.  This should motivate us to share the good news with lost sinners every day.  Perhaps this is overused now but Penn Jillette (atheist) has an amazing quote.  "How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" Please share the good news with someone.  Today, this week, just "do something" as Spurgeon would say. The flames of Hell should drive us in love to share with people how to be saved from their sin and eternal punishment.  There are cults on the streets right now who don't believe in Hell that are telling people about a savior.  But from what? We actually know from what.  We believe that Christ was fully God and fully man and lived a perfect life, died an atoning death, and was the only propitiation God would accept as the perfect sacrifice for sinners.  Indeed if Christ is perfect, He is God.  Who is good but God alone.  How much more is this true of perfection.  Hebrews 4:15 says that, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." God's only acceptable sacrifice was Himself.   Repenting and trusting in Christ is the only way.  Don't hold onto this information.  Give it away freely and often! Soli Deo Gloria!

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

⁵ This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— ⁶ since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰ when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. ¹¹ To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

DiG Outreach Post Christmas WiiU Review/Buyer's Guide

Well Christmas has come and Santa didn't have the foresight to pre-order the WiiU and stick it under the tree for you.  Now you have to fork over the cash and GameStop gift cards all by yourself.  The question is, "Is it worth the money?"  The answer is an emphatic yes! A lot of people purchased the original Wii way back in 2006.  The system's niche gameplay style and ease of use that appealed large masses of unskilled gamers from grannies to toddlers, turned hardcore gamers away from Nintendo's little console.  The fact of the Wii not appealing to avid gamers combined with the fact that the Wii didn't offer HD graphics while  it was going directly up against the Xbox 360 and PS3 that did, pretty much relegated the system to a dust catcher of a tiny area of your entertainment unit. Will this be the case with the WiiU? Hardly. As you will see, Nintendo's latest offering handles all the things that it does well. From the new fandangled touch screen controller, to kid's games, to online capabilities, to graphics and even to the more mature titles, the WiiU completely shines in every area.

WiiU Gamepad:

The first thing you will notice when you get ready to play your new system (besides the lengthy system update) is that the new WiiU Gamepad is nearly as big as the system itself.  In spite of its great size, which is necessary for the generous touch screen area, the controller is very comfortable and is a blast to use.  The touch screen applications are instant and seamless when they affect something on your TV as well. For example, on Super Mario Brothers, when the player using the Gamepad touches his screen, a block instantly appears on the big screen for the other players to jump on. I'll speak more on that in a bit. It's all quite genius.  There are a couple things to note about this controller however.  I'm not sure you would want super young kids to be handling it. We have the Nerf Armor on ours($19.99) and I think that this armor will help a tumble off the couch on to carpet but a drop on a tile floor, with or without it, would most likely be disastrous. The Gamepads also aren't currently replaceable at retail locations so to have one break would be the end of your fun for who knows how long. The second downer is the battery life of the pad.  The owner's manual claims 3-5 hours of use from a 2-3 hour charge. Thankfully you can play with it plugged in but since some of the games, like Rabbid's Land, require the passing of the pad the cord can easily become a tripping hazard or just be quite a bother.  The other thing I saw in the guide was that the batteries are good for 500 charges and can be replaced by buying a new one at a retail store.  I know the bad sounds bad but after time with the system, I feel the good far outweighs any detriment the battery issues bring. You might be thinking, "this is all fine and good for Player 1, but what's everyone else gonna do?"

WiiU Pro Controller/Wii Remotes

Those of you who love the Xbox 360 controller are definitely going to want to pick up at least one WiiU Pro controller. These controllers offer, if you believe Nintendo on this one, 80 hours of play on a 4-5 hour charge.  Why they couldn't put some of that goodness into the WiiU Gamepad is beyond me but oh well. While these are great controllers and offer amazing battery life, the downside is that they are not usable on every game.  For whatever reason you can not use them on Super Mario or Nintendo Land but Assassin's Creed 3 and Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed use them flawlessly.  The other option you have is the backwards compatible Wii Remote.  That's right, the Wii Remotes are back along with, in some instances, the Nunchuck.  This is great news for original Wii owners who dumped money into making sure 4 people were able to play together back in the day. Controllers aren't the only thing from the Wii that work on Nintendo's latest.  Wii games are also compatible on the WiiU.

Backwards Compatibility/Data Transfer

That's right, a la the Wii playing Gamecube games, the WiiU plays the stellar titles from the previous generation as well. Be aware that the Wii games won't be upscaled on the WiiU.  However if you want to play Super Smash Bros., Super Mario Kart, Guilty Party, you can.  You name it and pretty much you can play it. There is a minor catch though.  On the WiiU, you have to choose the Wii Menu option.  This turns your WiiU into a mock Wii where you will be able to play the older games right from where you left off and including any that you have downloaded (plus any remaining Wii shop points) provided you do the system data transfer. The data transfer is a bit confusing.  Just know that you need to download the transfer tool from the Wii Shop on both the old Wii and from inside the Wii menu on the WiiU.  You will need an SD memory card and about an hour depending on how many games and game saves you have.  You will need to format the SD card in the WiiU first, then put it in the Wii, then finally back into the WiiU.  The way it transfers data is quite humorous.  I won't spoil it too much but if you are a fan of Pikmin, you will love it. For full details on how to transfer your data, click here.Now let's get to the meat of the system, actual WiiU games.

Games:

Nintendo E-Shop/Arcade Games

:
I want to first talk about the Nintendo E-shop.  From here you can purchase any "arcade" type game as well as full retail titles.  An important thing to note is that with the 8gb WiiU you will need an external storage device for downloading items.  This is not necessary on the 32gb system so that is the only system I would pick up.  I also strongly suggest that you don't download retail titles from the E-shop. It takes forever.  You could literally go get gas and an oil change and then pick up a copy at your local Gamestop or BestBuy and still be waiting.  I know because I bought Sonic All Stars this way.  The arcade titles that I've downloaded don't take nearly as long however so those are worth it.  You can purchase games by adding money to your account with a credit card or with redeemable codes purchased at retail stores.  Both ways work well so it's just a matter of how cautious you want to be with your personal information. As far as E-shop exclusives, I have downloaded Mighty Switch Force HD and Trine 2.  Mighty Switch Force is a highly rated game that debuted on the 3DS back in 2011.  It's an interesting puzzle/platformer where you try to capture escaped prisoners playing as Officer Patricia Wagon.  It keeps you coming back with Par times for each level and awesome art style.  Trine 2 has been out for a bit on the PS3 and Xbox 360.  I had it on the PS3 and it looks every bit as good on the WiiU.  So far I've only played online with Ben (HardcorIVChrist) but the online worked very well.  The only issue was that the game has no voice chat.  In a co-op puzzle game that is problematic.  Thankfully we have the same cel phone carrier so free talk time FTW!

Kids Games: 

Aside from the titles we've downloaded, we have somehow managed to obtain a fairly impressive launch title collection. The 32gb system, which is the only one I would recommend getting currently, comes with Nintendo Land ($59.99 value).  There are 12 mini games to choose from.  Some are solo efforts while some offer play for up to 5 people.  All the games are fun but Mario Chase is the standout offering.  4 players using Wii Remotes are trying to catch the Gamepad wielding Mario as he runs from them all.  It's a blast!  This isn't the only launch title Mario shines in, of course.

You honestly can't go wrong with Super Mario Brothers for the WiiU.  It is old school greatness at it's finest.  It also isn't nearly as frustrating playing with inexperienced players as the previous game was on the Wii. 5 players can participate.  4 play with Wii Remotes while one person, who we deem "The Maestro", makes blocks and stuns enemies for the others. A great use of the WiiU Gamepad.

Probably the best use of the Gamepad for our family so far has been on Sonic All Stars.  4 players race on the screen as in the Xbox version and on the WiiU we get a fifth racer using the Gamepad screen! This is one of the best cart racers I've ever played with tracks from the worlds of iconic Sega franchises as well as the beloved characters.  From Sonic, to Alex Kidd, to Beat they are all there.  There are even some cameos from Wreck it Ralph and a real life race driver.  The controls are great and the pacing of the single player is great.  Your whole family will love it.  The game is awesome and is probably our family's favorite launch title on the system.

Scribblenauts was purchased soley for my oldest daughter but the game is great.  The kids get 15 minute turns and I find myself wanting a turn every time the game is on.  It's not a difficult game by any means but it is super fun.  Whatever you type into the Gamepad shows up on the screen.  Want to use a dragon? Type dragon.  Want the dragon to be blue? Add the adjective "blue".  Scribblenauts offers local multiplayer but be warned, it is lame.  The other players don't really get to do anything.

The last "kid's" game we have is Rabbid's Land.  I bought this in spite of mediocre reviews based on Ben's recommendation of a demo he had played.  Turned out the reviews were wrong.  The game is a 4 player mini game fun fest in the style of Mario Party.  The funniest thing is that Ben recommended Rabbids based on playing the Rayman demo.  Thankfully it worked out and the whole family loves the game.

Mature Titles:

So by now you people without kids and families are probably wondering why you would even take a second look at the WiiU.  Let me assure you that game handles M rated games very, very well.

Ubisoft really went out of it's way to support the WiiU launch.  The aforementioned Rabbid's Land was an Ubisoft offering as well as Just Dance 4, Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2013, ESPN Sports Connection, and even the upcoming Rayman Legends. Thankfully they also went after the more hardcore titles, Assassin's creed 3 and ZombiU.  Assassin's Creed 3 has been on my wish list for months.  I never played the others but the time period (American Revolution) intrigued me this time.  The game is awesome on the WiiU.  You don't lose anything graphics wise either.  It runs in HD graphics through the systems included HDMI cable and it looks fantastic.  You also have the option to play the game on the WiiU Gamepad so if you want to watch TV while you play, that option is yours.  Online play seems interesting to me with each player having a target but before Christmas there wasn't anyone online.  Hopefully that has changed now.  Will update when I find out.

ZombiU offers only local multiplayer for 2 people.  One survivor runs around while the other person uses the Gamepad to unleash the zombie horde.  The biggest problem for me and my friend who played was the Y axis inversion.  I play inverted, he doesn't.  Both people have to have the same option in multiplayer.  This mode is not the greatest but I can see how it could be fun for a bit. Online would have definitely been better. The single player is where it's at and it is tough. ZombiU employs the Gamepad as your backpack of sorts.  In there you can organize all of your precious items.  This brings an intensity in that while you are looking down at the pad, you can be getting surrounded on the screen.  It's nuts.  If you die, you die permanently and start over as a new survivor.  You then have to scramble to find your last character to get your backpack and all of your stuff back.  It's crazy.  It's scary.  It's intense.  If you like zombies, this is a no brainer, pun intended. Thankfully, if you get stuck the MiiVerse is there to help!

MiiVerse:

The last thing I want to talk about is the MiiVerse.  Here people from the WiiU community can post screenshots, drawings or just written posts about whatever.  Need help with a boss? Post a screenshot and write "HELP!" Someone will answer you.  It's pretty great.  People draw some really awesome pictures on the MiiVerse.  If you come up with something particularly great people will give your drawing or post a "Yeah!"  It's like, well "Like", on Facebook.  Each game has a community that you can post specific things relating to it.  You can set up a profile and you can send and receive friend requests as well.  It's all pretty slick.  For parents wondering about their kids seeing vulgar or abusive content in the MiiVerse, know that they are quick to get rid of and block things they don't see fit.  I got blocked temporarily for having the gospel message in my profile. There are always consequences for breaking rules.

The Gospel:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  So reads God's Word written through Paul in Romans 3:23.  What does that mean for us? Most think that they are generally good.  The Bible says we are sinners but what is sin according to the Good Book? 1 John 3:4 says that sin is transgression of the Law.  That means that whoever has broken God's Law (hint: it's all of us) has sinned, thereby making Romans 3:23 true.  All have either lied, stolen or wanted something someone else has had, committed adultery in our hearts by lusting after someone, or worst of all blasphemed God's holy name.  Those are only half of the 10 commandments, God's Law.  The Bible says that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire.  No thief, adulterer, or any covetous person will inherit the Kingdom of God(1 Cor 6:9-10).  God won't hold anyone blameless who misuses His name. The punishment for the breaking of God's Law is eternal conscious punishment in a place called Hell.  It is not God's will that we go there.  He shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  And that is the good news.  That Christ, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life then died for our sins on a  cross.  He got off the cross and 3 days later rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever.  If we repent and trust in Him alone for salvation we will have eternal life in Heaven because of His imputed righteousness into our account.  For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).  We can not bribe our way into Heaven by trying to be good or do righteous things.  The Bible says our best offering are like filthy rags to God(Isaiah 64:6).  We must trust in Christ and His finished work on the cross for salvation.  The punishment for breaking the rules is not like the slap on the wrist I received in the MiiVerse.  Hell is serious business.  We will be dead longer than we will be alive.  That makes what happens in eternity all that matters.  Christmas is over.  Whether you buy the WiiU or not is really insignificant in the scheme of things though you will have a blast with it while you are here.  God's free gift of grace, however,  expires when you do.  Be on the right side of that grace today.  Repent and believe the Gospel.

Abdul Alim Hamid

 His name means Servant of the Omniscient, Praiseworthy.  Friends, of which he has not many here in the States, know him as Abdul Alim Hamid. A bead of sweat had formed at the end of one of Abdul Alim's jet black strands of hair.  Finally gravity did it's job.  The sweat dropped down onto the top of his cheek, ran down his face past the cold beige phone gripped by his burn scarred left hand, then got swallowed up by his greying beard. In his tightly clenched right hand he held a 9mm CZ-75 which was trained on the 10 people, including a newborn, that didn't manage to get out of the Bank of the Ozarks when Mr. Hamid came in an hour and 37 minutes ago.  He wasn't a terrorist and he wasn't in the bank for the money like the others were.  Revenge was on his mind.  One month prior, the Mosque he had gotten approval for and built in the normally peaceful Fort Smith, Arkansas was burnt to the ground. His dreams and all the difficulties in leaving Jordan burned down with it.  More importantly to Hamid, his brother who got trapped inside burned as well. "Probably a group of Southern Baptists", was the council that a partner had given.  And why wouldn't that be the case?  Hadn't they been responsible for burning down the Gentlemen's Club and throwing the homemade explosives into the murder mill known as Planned Parenthood?  Not that Abdul Alim was opposed to either of those actions but now it was his livelihood that has been attacked and someone, some infidels, must pay.  He didn't wait for a Sunday to walk into a nice Church service.  Unsuspecting families dressed up in their filthy rags labeled "Sunday best" could have been easy prey for Hamid.  Hamid, however, wanted to pay them back equally.  They attacked where he worshiped so he would too.  That's why the bank where they served their god all week long was the target and not, say, Grand Avenue Baptist Church. You cannot serve God and money.  Part of the New Testament that Abdul Alim wholeheartedly agreed with.

"Mr. Hamid!", The voice with the disastrous southern accent tainted with a hint of authority brought Abdul Alim back to the moment.  "Watch your tone officer Wigowski," Abdul Alim warned. "You have 45 minutes to give me what I want or these good people start dying" What he wanted the Ft. Smith PD really couldn't give him.  First and foremost he wanted his brother Samir back. He wanted payback for his Mosque and for Samir and it was going to come from one of these 10 people but who would it be? They, as infidels, all deserved to be the first one to die if he truly followed his faith. Hamid, however, was a Muslim of the apostate, "Peace Loving" sect and really did not want to kill any of them.  He had just been pushed to the edge with the death of his brother and was finally at the end of his proverbial rope.  So who would it be? How could Abdul Alim pick just one?Who would God pick if He were to judge?

15 minutes had passed since Ft. Smith native Paul Wigowski had gotten off the phone with the "perp", as they called Abdul Alim Hamid.  Sure they now knew his name but perp was so much easier to say and, seeing as how it was 5 less syllables than Hamid's full name, it would do until the paperwork started for this debacle. Only 30 minutes left to get the perp's unreasonable request that the Mosque be rebuilt by then accomplished.  Since that wasn't going to happen, Wigowski needed to find a way into the bank and quick like.  Officer Wiggy, as he was known throughout the force, didn't know that Hamid only had one gun in there with him.  He wasn't even entirely sure that he was alone, save the ten hostages.  Who knows what they would be up against when they stormed into the two-story, red roofed building on Rogers Ave.  All Wiggy knew was that peoples' lives were in danger and he was the only one who could help.  He had 23 minutes.

Abdul Alim Hamid checked his watch.  23 minutes to get the Mosque built.  He knew it was impossible and that the time limit imposed was all just posturing.  Today he was simply out for revenge.  One of these people would die in less than a half an hour. Just one, Hamid had finally decided, to pay them all back for his brother's death. Hamid would of course take himself out as well leaving the other 9 people to deal with the image. Tick Tock...17 minutes.  Hamid's indecision finally got the best of him.  He stormed over to the huddled group of victims.  Pointing the Czech Republic made weapon at the group he employed the group help him make the decision.  He was going to kill the worst of them and he would determine which that was by having them confess their sins to him one by one. "TELL ME!" was the demand to each person in the huddle.  It hit them with the full force of spittle and the scent of last night's hummus on his breath. One by one they confessed. The man in the suit had cheated on his taxes and lied to the IRS.  The teenage girl had on stolen earrings.  The lady, who's tear stained Woo Pig Sooie shirt was a sad reminder of her sin, had told a lie to her husband about going to a Razorbacks game with her girlfriend.  That would be true if the Razorback's game was the Hampton Inn on Rogers Avenue and her girlfriend was a man she had met online the week before.  The list went on and on.  The small boy was currently dishonoring his mother by not being quiet in spite of her many requests.  A man was wearing and kissing his Scapula, hoping in Mary to save him.  "Idolatry", Hamid snorted as the red haired infant who was in his mother's arms began to whimper.  Hamid looked that way then made his way to look out the front to check on things.  "Lies, cheating, stealing" he continued mumbling under his breath as he walked away disgusted.  It was no wonder he had never desired to be a Catholic priest.  He could hardly take hearing any more(hadn't he done all those things too?) This synapse hadn't made his choice any easier.  Maybe they all truly did deserve it.  Perhaps he deserved to die the most. He shook off the thought.  6 minutes to decide.

Time was now of the essence.  Hamid saw the commotion outside as he approached the window.  At last count there were 35 officers outside.  He now only saw 30.   Hamid's heart skipped a beat as he thought of the back door being breached.  He headed there now.  Halfway across the bank floor he was met by the mother of the crying infant, baby held out to Hamid.  "Take him", she said.  "He never should have been born.  I was outside the abortion clinic when someone told me that God gave His only son to save me from my sin.  It stopped me from butchering this child.  Now I give him up to you like Abraham went to give up Isaac in hopes that God will spare us all from this evil.  Hamid recalled the Old Testament account of that event. Muslims like Abdul Alim counted the first books of the Old Testament as true.  "God will provide the ram" Hamid remembered Genesis saying.  "Take your son, your only son", God told Abraham.  That part never sat well with Hamid considering Abraham had Ishmael as well. "Do not be so distressed about the boy(Ishmael) and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." This passage normally made Hamid's blood boil because he knew that Christ came through that family line and that prophecy was fulfilled in that sense.  "And just like how Abraham did not withhold his only son," the woman continued, "God did not withhold His only Son from us so that we can be saved.  Yes we all deserve you to kill us today.  We shouldn't get not one more breath on this earth. Some here have lied, some have committed adultery, some have stolen.  My sins are too many to count.  The point is all of us have sinned against God but He demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."

Officer Wigowski and his makeshift swat team comprised of the first 4 of the bravest cops on the scene lined up at the back door of the bank.  He had his Remington 870 ready.  It was the most firepower he could come up with while they were waiting but at least it would get the hinges off the door.  The other officers readied their pistols as they waited to enter the bank.  Time was running out.  He reviewed the plan with them once more before taking a step back, saying a half hearted prayer, aiming his shotgun at the hinges of the door and pulling the trigger.  Time was up.  Wiggy and his guys needed a miracle!

The words of the woman's Gospel presentation boomed inside Hamid's brain. That explained the first boom.  The second and third booms would be explained by the top two hinges being blown off the door by Officer Wigowski's black tactical shotgun.  Hamid dropped his weapon and fell to his knees sobbing.  Partly because of his brother's passing but mostly he wept over his sin that the lady had revealed to him today.  His religion had offered no hope but left him to try to bribe his way into heaven by doing self righteous religious acts.  This woman told Hamid that God had done all the work that needed to be done for him to be saved and he had to repent and turn from his sin.  He was truly sorry for his actions.  Not just for today and not just because he had gotten caught.  As the 5 officers stormed in and secured the building, their guns were aimed at a changed man.  He would still have to live with the consequences of his actions but his life and most importantly, his eternal life, would be different from this day forward because God had provided the way. "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided", was the only sound as Hamid sobbed those treasured words.

As Officer Wiggy took the woman's account of what had happened inside, he was dumbfounded.  The lady did not really want her baby to die but she stepped out in faith and with love she shared the Good News that had changed her life.  She hoped it would change Hamid's as well and it did.  Paul Wigowski himself realized that he needed this love and forgiveness that the woman and Hamid had found too.  He had grown up in the Bible belt and spent most Sundays in church. Like so many Americans, even those outside the Bible belt, Wiggy identified himself with Christ though he had no true interest in repentance and faith.  He had not seen his sin as sinful but had treated Christ's death as a license to continue living in perpetual sin that the god he created in his own mind deemed "OK". Since this idol and Wiggy had the same ideals and were for all intents and purposes the same person, the officer never broke any of the rules that this fictional god had in place.  This would all change from now on.  "You never know what the one true God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, will use to change people's lives. He truly does work in mysterious ways", Wiggy chuckled as he ducked into his Dodge Charger police cruiser.  He called his wife to tell her to cancel the kids' baseball game on Sunday.  They had new plans.

"God on the Streets of Gotham...

....What the Big Screen Batman can Teach us About God and Ourselves", finishes the title of one of the most fun and real books that I have read in 2012. Paul Asay, writer for Focus on the Family's pluggedin.com and all around nice guy based on our twitter interactions, takes us on a journey through the crime ridden streets of Gotham and all the personalities that dwell within in this amazing book. Now, if you are looking for a theological masterpiece, you probably need to go pick up Slave or the Truth War by MacArthur. Don't get me wrong, God on the Streets of Gotham is solid in regards to the Bible.  This book, however, won't shore up your thoughts on soteriology (Calvanistic/Arminian) or reaffirm your beliefs on the rapture or the millennial Kingdom so if that's what your looking for try some Sproul or Begg.  What it will do however (and possible just as importantly), is to let you know that there are others out there that share the same struggles, life issues, and sins that we do. And that is what I loved about this book.  It's not some guy writing page after laborious page about how we ought to be, act, and live all the while most likely not even coming close to his own mark in his own life.  This book feels more real than that.  You can sense the author's passion, concerns, fears then ultimately and thankfully his faith coming through on the pages.  Best of all, it's set in Gotham with the amazing characters we all know and love because...well, Batman is the best superhero.  Right?

You could look at the title and, like my beautiful bride, be concerned that this is a book comparing Batman to Jesus.  That's not what this is all about.  Only in one sense towards the end is that that the case and it is only in regards to sacrifice and humility(Philippians 2), not in perfection.  Batman has his flaws and weaknesses and they are shown in this book.  The cast of villians' issues are laid bare and are a good reminder of where we could all be without God's grace as well.  From Carmine Falcone's corruption and compromise, to the fear instilled by the Scarecrow, to Ra's Al Ghul's zealous ambitions, to Two-Face's despair, Catwoman's amorality, Banes' addiction, and even Joker's annihilation mindset, Paul Asay runs the gambit of emotions and sins that these Gotham villains represent. Like I already alluded to, Batman isn't immune to the realities of a fallen world either.  He battles through the same issues and emotions that we do as well. Pain, suffering, doubt, and of course loss just to name a few.  Loss is how Batman started and so many of us can relate to that one.  It is a great reminder for us to look to Christ and not to get trapped in these same lifestyles and emotions. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Thank God for that promise. 

Now, the best part of all of this is that most of the references in the book are directly from the most recent Trilogy so it is all fresh in most of our minds. This book may not be for everyone(setting-wise, not content-wise).  If you aren't a fan or familiar with Bats and his cast of arch nemeses, it might not be something you would put your time into.  If you are like me, however, and Batman is your all-time favorite, you really can't go wrong with reading this book. It was an amazing page turning Batmobile ride and  I loved every page of it.  I'm sure any other fan of what takes place in Gotham will too. Pick up your copy today!

Follow Paul Asay on twitter: @asaypaul
Purchase God on the Streets of Gotham on Kindle: HERE

Team DiG Extra Life 2012

Dear DiG Outreach community,

First of all, thank you for being a part of our ministry.  We appreciate all of you!  Many of you know, DiG Outreach started primarily as an outreach to gamers over Xbox Live. We started sending out the gospel message to teams that we played over Gamebattles and that then carried over into our regular gaming sessions where we would shoot out the good news to all of the people on our recent players list.  With gaming being such a huge part of our ministry, we were ecstatic when we heard about Extra Life four years ago.  Extra Life is a 24 hour video game marathon for charity that helps sick kids and DiG is proud to be a part of this amazing event on a yearly basis.  We have set very high goals for ourselves this year so we are looking to everyone that we know for help in reaching these goals. The event takes place on the 20th of October so there is still time to help us out and be a part of this great charity. We ask today that you would prayerfully consider sponsoring one or more of our participants.  Last year, gamers worldwide raised over 1.2 million dollars for these children! With your help we can crush that goal this year!  Ben, John, and I have raised $4100 this year alone!! Praise God! Just so you know, all proceeds are 100% tax deductible and go towards helping sick kids at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.  Below are the links to our 2 participants' fundraising pages. Ben is playing for Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Ohio, John is playing for Georgia Health Sciences Children's Medical Center,  and Virgil is playing for CHOC(Children's Hospital of Orange County) in Southern California.  To donate all you have to do is click SUPPORT ME.  That is the easy part.  Ben, John, and I get to do the fun part.  It's the kids who are doing the hard part!  Thank you so much everyone.  Remember, any amount is great and appreciated.  If that is too much for your budget, prayer is free.  Lastly, if this sounds like something you would like to participate in in a gaming capacity please feel free to join up with our team for the event!! God bless you all.  Team DiG.

To sponsor Ben visit: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=34525

To Sponsor Virgil visit: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=29728

To Sponsor John visit: http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=40536

One Minute Gospel

Conversation with an Evolutionist

The following is an interaction between myself and two others with an evolutionist.  I am not posting this because I am some sort of great debater.  I'm not posting this to embarrass the evolutionist and have even substituted his name with Evolutionist or______.  I am posting this for two purposes.  That God be glorified and that people can see that you don't have to believe the lie that is evolution.  As you can see in the following conversation, zero evidence has been provided for the case of evolution.  This is always the case because there is no evidence anywhere for macro-evolution(species changing into another species).  You will always see transnational forms as some artist's rendering of the supposed beast.  Please read this and share with others.  Soli Deo Gloria!! Virg.

(Update, Evolutionist came back with supposed evidence, so to be fair I've added the rest of that conversation)

“Evolution is a fairy tale for grown-ups. This theory has helped nothing in the progress of science. It is useless.” - PROFESSOR LOUIS BOUNOURE (Director, National Center of Scientific Research) Posted by Original Poster

• •    Evolutionist: Why all the hate on evolution?
    
  • 
    

     Original Poster: I've been posting quotes from school. It's untrue and the theory should be scrapped.

    Evolutionist:

     What school teaches that? Evolution is proberly one of the most widely accepted and proven scientific facts out there. No theory about it. What makes you think its wrong?
  • 
    

    Virgil Patterson
    

    i think its absurd that everyone pulls the hate card when you dont agree or believe in something. im against throwing plugged in toasters in the bathtub yet i dont hate toasters or toast. listen ______, when mutations happen in every case
    

    information is lost, not gained. picture a xerox copy of something. you can make a million copies and you will still only have the original information provided by someone's mind, their creation. out of the million say the words on 400 of the copies blur or distort. thats a mutation but no information is gained, only lost. the bible says that God created the universe and everything in it and that animals and humans give forth their own kind and that is what we still see today. every hippo gave birth to a hippo today. every zebra a zebra. every dog a dog. every human a human and so on. the bible is 100% accurate in all it says so believe this that there is a day on which God will judge the world in righteousness. every lie, theft, hateful thought, lustful look, and blasphemy will come into account. the only way to stand before God innocent on that day and avoid Hell is to repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. by His wounds you have been healed. God bless. virg. http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=rfcy_8F95fo

Wretched: Don't buy it!

See more at http://www.wretchedradio.com/

Virgil Patterson http://www.youtube.com/

watch?feature=endscreen&v=l




ISNMAFjl-Q&NR=1

Wretched: What is is.

See more at http://www.wretchedradio.com/

 Evolutionist: If mutations cause a loss of information every cycle, then we would all be moving to less evolved creatures. So yea, that's poor logic

Virgil Patterson no it means evolution is false. watch the videos man. you don't have to believe the lie. rest assured every atheistic evolutionist who is a dog breeder for a living expects litters of puppies. they count on God's order in the universe for their living ;)

 ‎ Original Poster: "Evolution is proberly one of the most widely accepted and proven scientific facts..." - Name one that cannot be debunked as a false, please.

Virgil Patterson

George Wald, an evolutionist, states, "When it comes to the origin of life there are only two possibilities: creation or spontaneous generation. There is no third way. Spontaneous generation was disproved one hundred years ago, but that lea

ds us to only one other conclusion, that of supernatural creation. We cannot accept that on philosophical grounds; therefore, we choose to believe the impossible: that life arose spontaneously by chance!"

 Evolutionist: Wait, so now you're calling people that believe in evolution atheists? That's BS.

Virgil Patterson since death would be the culling tool of evolution meaning that death is the means of which it happens but there was no death before the fall of man in the garden, biblically evolution and believing in the God of the bible doesnt work. however i was being specific in the group i was talking about. you broadened it :)

 Original Poster: He didn't say that ______.

 Original Poster: “It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us.” - Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time)

Evolutionist: 

That's the other issue I have, is that some people have the conception that the Bible is 100% true and needs to be followed word for word. One problem is god didn't come down and write the thing, man did. And I'm not arguing that it wasn't

divinely inspired, but what I'm saying is that it inherited all the improfections that exist in man. That's why there's so many versions, the people that wrote it put their own views and desiseres in there. You have to interperate the spirit of it, and filter out the crap. Aside from that rant, I totally dissegree that evolution does not exist and that the world was created in 7 days. If anything, even if god really said that, it was proberly some abstract explanation for something that the people of that time could in no way comprehend.

Original Poster:

“To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by

natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” - Charles Darwin

“Why, if species have descended from other species by insensibly fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms.” - Charles Darwin

“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down” - Charles Darwin (Origin of Species)

 Original Poster:

 I'm lost... when did we start talking about God and the Bible?

Virgil Patterson

‎2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:21
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

If you write your rent check and the bank refuses it and says you didnt write that, your pen did, you would be pretty upset. God used men to convey His Word to us. they were His instruments. all the translations say the same thing _______. they say that we have sinned and fallen short of Gods glory. They say that hell is the punishment for those sins. the command they all cry to sinners is to repent and believe the gospel. dont forget as far as creation goes, we still use the 7 day week outlined in God's word today. the word for day in genesis is the hebrew word yom. genesis says there was morning and evening for each of the days as well. the word yom was the same word used in joshua to describe how long the isrealites were to march around jericho yet no one disputes that as an amount of time we cant comprehend or think that joshua marched for 7 million years and then shouted. its sounds like if you count yourself a christian ______, you need to be in the Word daily and under better teaching. if you are not a believer, today is the day of salvation. the truth, Jesus, will set you free! Acts 4:12 and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved!! God bless, virg.

 Evolutionist: No idea, I'm just saying I disagree with the whole anti-evolution thing. Then religion got dragged in like it always does. So I decided to make a point that evolution does not mean anti-religion.

 Poster #3:

I like that pen and check analogy, Virgil. May I use it in the future?

Virgil Patterson ya Poster#3, no prob. Soli Deo Gloria.

Virgil Patterson

_______,no one wants you to be religious. i eat fruity pebbles religiously. but seriously if you died today would you go to heaven or hell? God offers you a way in Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man, to be saved from your sins.

aside from the eternal consequences of carrying your own sin into eternity, repenting and trusting in Christ restores your fellowship with God while you are here on earth thereby allowing you to achieve the chief end of man. to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!! you make the call. i posted a quote from an evolutionist who still held to his guns in spite of the fact he admitted it was impossible. you dont want to be that guy. being and evolutionist requires more faith than i have. its not scientific because you cant see it or duplicate it. every transitional form is a drawing. its amazing too that people will blindly follow books written by evolutionists who i can only presume are men yet their biggest objection to the bible was that it was written by men lol. listen, im not gonna go on an on ______. there's more than enough proof on this thread to overcome your presuppositions. For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. Romans 1:19 will be praying for you.

Evolutionist:

I can guarantee you that people that did misguided things in the name of god ended up in hell. Not that this convo is going anywhere. Its really not even the point I was trying to make. Live a good life, be kind to people even if you dont like them, those are the things I can agree on.

Poster #3:

My two cents into this. Science and Faith does not need to be separated. Science will never destroy God, so why bother? God created it all, including science :) Science is our feeble attempts as men to define what God has done for us an

d all around us. Sadly our state of science is no where as concise as we'd like it to be. I read a article recently about a scientist that did a study on scientists and found that approximately 60% of the time experiments in a controlled environment typically did not reproduce the results expected or theorized by the scientists. That said, I don't recall the scope or the target sciences that were used for the study. Take it for a grain of salt because I also have no reference, sorry :\

Virgil Patterson

_______, realize that there have been quotes from evolutionists posted here and they were all from us because they all refute the theory. weve used scripture and videos and examples. the only thing you have given is your belief that somethin

g is true. but there is only one truth. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me. You can live a good life but in the end that will not suffice. all of our best offerings are like filthy rags to God. please please go back and look at the truth in love from the 3 people who have tried talking with you here. listen to charles darwin say that the eye renders his theory "absurd". listen to evolutionist wald call evolution "impossible" Listen to me tell you to repent and trust in Christ. Listen to God calling you to salvation this day my friend.

Original Poster:

Lot's of people did things "in the name of God" that didn't know God... Hitler for example was one. But on Judgment Day, it will be you and God, not you and Hitler (or anyone else). You will be accountable for YOUR sins, nobody else. Jesus

said, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." If you don't want to join the people in Hell who did horrible things in the name of God, please do what Jesus said to do. Living a good life and treating others nicely are great things to do, but they won't save you from an eternity in the lake of fire.

Darwin stated that evolution is impossible, so if your willing to believe everything he said, believe that.

 Here is the second part of conversation after the copied and pasted "proofs" of evolution:

  Evolutionist:

‎1. The universal genetic code. All cells on Earth, from our white blood cells, to simple bacteria, to cells in the leaves of trees, are capable of reading any piece of DNA from any life form on Earth. This is very strong evidence for a com

mon ancestor from which all life descended.

2. The fossil record. The fossil record shows that the simplest fossils will be found in the oldest rocks, and it can also show a smooth and gradual transition from one form of life to another.

Please watch this video for an excellent demonstration of fossils transitioning from simple life to complex vertebrates.

3. Genetic commonalities. Human beings have approximately 96% of genes in common with chimpanzees, about 90% of genes in common with cats (source), 80% with cows (source), 75% with mice (source), and so on. This does not prove that we evolved from chimpanzees or cats, though, only that we shared a common ancestor in the past. And the amount of difference between our genomes corresponds to how long ago our genetic lines diverged.

4. Common traits in embryos. Humans, dogs, snakes, fish, monkeys, eels (and many more life forms) are all considered "chordates" because we belong to the phylum Chordata. One of the features of this phylum is that, as embryos, all these life forms have gill slits, tails, and specific anatomical structures involving the spine. For humans (and other non-fish) the gill slits reform into the bones of the ear and jaw at a later stage in development. But, initially, all chordate embryos strongly resemble each other.

In fact, pig embryos are often dissected in biology classes because of how similar they look to human embryos. These common characteristics could only be possible if all members of the phylum Chordata descended from a common ancestor.

5. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria colonies can only build up a resistance to antibiotics through evolution. It is important to note that in every colony of bacteria, there are a tiny few individuals which are naturally resistant to certain antibiotics. This is because of the random nature of mutations.

When an antibiotic is applied, the initial innoculation will kill most bacteria, leaving behind only those few cells which happen to have the mutations necessary to resist the antibiotics. In subsequent generations, the resistant bacteria reproduce, forming a new colony where every member is resistant to the antibiotic. This is natural selection in action. The antibiotic is "selecting" for organisms which are resistant, and killing any that are not.

Virgil Patterson

‎1, 4, and 3 are saying virtually the same and can just as easily suggest that all things had the same source, ie a Creator or Designer who designed them so close. number 2 The fossil record supports the world wide flood of the bible. and number 5 is an example of micro evolution. ie, giraffes with longer necks will live longer than than giraffes with shorter necks in an area where there are tall trees because its their food and they will in turn produce baby giraffes( but they are still giraffes) with longer necks. adaptation or changes within a species in not an issue for me at all.

The Fossils Say What? - Answers in Genesis

www.answersingenesis.org

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  Virgil Patterson and know that you just quoted something written by man, who you believe that when humans write something that, "people that wrote it put their own views and desires in there. You have to interpret the spirit of it, and filter out the crap." The desire of evolutionists is not to repent and humble themselves before God so they have come up with another religion. evolution. filter out their nonsense bro.

  
  

  
  

  
    Evolutionist:
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  I agree with what Poster#3 said, science isn't going to destroy god. Its not out there to replace religion, just explain and make sense of the world we live in. I don't believe the two need to be mutuality exclusive. Here's a thought for you.
  

  Since god is so powerfull, what would prevent him from creating the universe with the big bang, doing so in such a way as to make everything come together as we see now. Almost like playing a billion year game of chess, knowing all the moves from the very start. Now, I'm not saying that's right, but its just something interesting I though of.

  
  
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  Virgil Patterson
  

  Well I already explained why evolution is unbiblical from the fall of man stand point. There was no death before the fall and death is how evolution supposedly works. If man is the highest on the evolution chain it just doesnt work. When God says day I believe He means day. i cant abandon Scripture on page 1 and then have any credibility by the time it gets to the Gospel my friend. Goodnight______ . This is my last post here. you agree with what Poster#3 said but i feel you haven't fully grasped what me or Original Poster have presented you with. i hope and pray that you see the truth ______. Repent and trust in Christ.