Judging Those Who Face Adversity

     What do you do when adversity comes your way?  Do you stand up and face whatever mountain is in your path, or do you cover your head and beg for it to end?  Many times this simple decision can decide a substantial portion of your life and also your character.  Why we all will usually say 'I would stand tall and rely on God, never wavering', and we tend to judge those who don't when their challenge is at hand.  Easy words of condemnation can have devastating effects on those we deem as failing.

     When we read through the Bible we are told by Paul to gently restore the fallen brother or sister in Christ, but our human tendency is to think 'A little tough love is what they need'.  One question for you to think about...did you ever read of Jesus catching a person in sin and His reaction was to strike them verbally across the face and tell them they deserve the trial they are going through?  The answer is no.  The opposite is actually the case.  When He came across those who were judging (the Pharisees) Jesus would rebuke them and gently restore those who had been humbled.  

     We must remember that we ALL go through trials and tests in this life, and when you're a seasoned Christian you may handle it better than others, but don't let that lead to you thinking you are better than the one who struggles.  God is allowing the challenge to enter into their lives and is there to pick them up when they fall, and that is how we should be.  We need to encourage those who have fallen into sin, or who have a mountain of trials standing in front of them.  So next time you see that homeless person, or person in the back of the church, go up and give them a hug and encourage them to keep fighting the good fight and that God loves them very much!

By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

Aliens Are the Fallen Angels of Genesis?

     I was watching something I don't usually watch tonight, a show on UFO's, and it brought to mind a Christian fiction series I read a few years ago about the Nephilim.  In the series the author (Marzulli) hypothicizes that aliens are the fallen angels of the Bible.  He also asserts that the Nephilim of Genesis 6 are actually the offspring of the 'aliens' and the 'daughters of man'.  The reason I mention this is because the supposed UFO sightings over Israel have increased over the last decade...if we are in the end times, wouldn't this make sense?  Personally, I think the videos shown can be explained, but you should always verify everything because we have NO idea what the fallen angles actually looked like.  The creatures covered with eyes stand in front of the throne of God day and night, so we know they aren't little chubby babies with wings.  I'll write about the more 'normal' subjects again, but every once in a while you have to at least explore the possibilities.

WWNBA: 2013 Playoffs Showcase the NBA's Protected Teams and Players!

     Since America is in the middle of the NBA playoffs I thought it would be fitting to write a few comments on the state of the league.  In the past 25 years the NBA has evolved into the second leading sport in America behind our pastime football, and David Stern has played a major part in this rise to glory, but it hasn't all been good.  As the years go by it seems as is the league is turning into more of a WWE type sport, where whoever is the most popular team, with the best players, will be handled by referees differently.  This has been claimed since the infamous book Jordan Rules.

     If a fan honestly watches a game they will admit that when a player such as Reggie Evans goes to the hole and gets hammered they are far more unlikely to get a foul call then a player, such as, Lebron James.  Even great players like Carmelo Anthony are unable to get the same calls as the great 'King James' or Kevin Durant.  You see the replays and you ask yourself 'How did they miss that?', but you also find yourself asking that numerous times a game.  

     There seems to be a rhythm to the art the is 'refereeing' a basketball game.  You will find that the top teams are called for the least amount of fouls, such as the Spurs being the least penalized for almost a decade, and when they are called for a foul it tends to be on an insignificant player.  I go back to the playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 where the NBA's darling, Tim Duncan, was called for 1 foul in 4 games.  When you watched the games it was apparent that there were far more fouls committed by this gifted player.  So why is it that when a team gets a reputation for being a good defensive team, they tend to be called for less fouls?  The reality is that the better defensive teams commit more fouls as they're constantly reaching and slapping wrists, but the NBA turns their heads to protect the teams image.

     The sad reality is that the refs in the NBA are just human and whether they're instructed, which I hope is not the case, or they just get caught up in the emotion of the crowd, David 'the Dictator' Stern needs to clamp down on what is really a foul and what is not.  He said that he was going to fine players for their first flop in the playoffs, but I for one have seen so many flops that have not been called that those are just empty words.  In closing I hope the new commissioner will clean up the NBA and save the sport from the mega star teams and unbalanced calls.

By Jeffrey Brandon Lee

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