Second Life (Very old Post saved for a future time, which is now)

12/08/07
I had been thinking about writing something God has brought up to my attention concerning Sin and why people love it so much. But this morning as I skimmed the pages of the magazine Estilos, I found an article on a new software called "Second Life", something about the article called my attention. They wrote the following: "Why do people use this? Basically, to escape a reality that does not FILL them. A lesser job, a better physique, curiosity for other ways to face life..." vanity of vanities my brother Solomon once said. Let me tell you what this "software" is all about:
-First of all their Catch-Phrase is: "Your World. Your Imagination"

"Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 8,795,365 Residents from around the globe.

* From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.

* You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow Residents. Because Residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other Residents.

* The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges.

Welcome to Second Life. We look forward to seeing you in-world. "[1] (emphasis mine)

So basically its a world within the world. Only its virtual and you can reinvent they way you look, you can have your own country and your own presidents, your own laws, your own definition of what is Sin, heck I bet you can probably have your own god. Oh wait since its YOUR world, and YOUR creation you are probably YOUR OWN god.
And because it is a game its open to ALL public. Lets raise our kids with this "new" line of thinking (a way of thinking over 6 thousand years old).

Which brings me back to my original reason for this post. Why people LOVE sin.

Througout this entire semester I have been mocked, laughed at, humiliated, called foolish, hypocrite, among other things, and all because I refuse to do what I know is not right, all for being Christian. Now this doesn't bother me, what bothered me was not knowing exactly why they did this. And I have found out why, I've already discussed this in the last blog but i will say it again, facing up to God comes with a responsability, guilt and repentance which they refuse to accept. And that is why people turn to images, software, music, people, statues, strange fires, among other things before they admit to God that they need repentance and a Savior.

People wake up! There is one World, the one we are living in. One Creator, the Lord our God. And One way, One Truth and One Life and that is Jesus Christ.

God Bless you all
Rita M.

Note: This was a very old Post.

[1]: http://secondlife.com/whatis/

Using the Scientific Method

"If God is real then why doesn't He show up or something and show the world He truly exists??" Oh How many times have I heard this before, even from my own lips such a long time ago.

Our Pediatrics teacher said the following this afternoon as an introduction to I can only assume, an investigative project he has assigned all of us:

"Science doesn't define truth, it defines a way of thinking. It is a process in which experiments are used to answer questions. This process is called the Scientific Method and it comprises various steps. Observation, Hypothesis, Experimentation."

He then proceeded to ask, "Can we prove the existence of God through the Scientific Method?", a classmate well known for being an "atheist" said no, another classmate said that she has proven God's existence through the scientific method using logic but did not explain how she came to her conclusion.
As the class continued the discussion wether or not God's existance can be proven through the Scientific Method, the following text came to mind.

Human beings don't believe in God because their hearts have been hardened and their eyes blinded by Sin. In 1st of Kings 18:16-46 Elijah was sent by God to the worshippers of baal and conducted an experiment. (Note: Obviously he wasn't sent to conduct an experiment he was sent to rebuke the people of God for their idolatry, but I will describe what happened viewing the event through objective, cientific eyes.)

1. Observation:
The people of God, Israel, worships images and statues. Is it possible that these images and statues are the real God?

2. Hypothesis
Prove that Baal is not God, and is not even a real god.

3. Experiment:
A. Calling Baal
An altar is built using wood and on top of the wood a bull chopped into pieces is placed, all of this to be consumed with fire by calling baal to do so.

B. Calling God
The altar of the Lord is repaired. Twelve stones are placed on the ground, a trench around it is dug, the wood is arranged on top, and finally the chopped bull is placed on top. Then 4 large jars of water are poured over the altar three times, filling entirely the trench and soaking the altar. All of this to be consumed with fire by calling God to do so.

Results
Experiment A. Baal worshippers called on the name of baal from morning till noon, baal never showed.

Experiment B. Elijah prayed to God the following prayer: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." The following ocurred "Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench."

Conclusion
Through this experiment Elijah proved to all of them that a. God does exist, b. Abraham's God, the Creator of the universe and everything in it is the one True God. c. Baal doesn't exist, meaning: isn't a real god.

The Point:
This was only one of the many times God's existence was proved in the old and new, His power was manifested and His glory shined. We're in the year 2007, no matter how many times God manifests Himself to human beings in "physical" form, it will not change the humans' stubborn mind and heart. Humans are aware of the existence of God because it has been manifested to all of us at some point “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). The problem is the following:

"People claim to not believe in God because it is “not scientific” or “because there is no proof.” The true reason is that once people admit that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible to God and in need of forgiveness from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). If God exists, then we are accountable for our actions to Him. If God does not exist, then we can do whatever we want without having to worry about God judging us. I believe that is why evolution is so strongly clung to by many in our society - to give people an alternative to believing in a Creator God. God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence."(1)

So folks what will it be? Another 2000 years of ignorantly denying God's obvious existence, or finally accepting today and now that God does exist. But accepting that He does exists then you must face the fact that because the first man, Adam, disobeyed God sin entered through him and has been passed on to all of us, the problem is no sinner will go to heaven. (Think you're good enough to go to heaven? click this link: http://www.livingwaters.com/good/) But don't worry God provided a payment for all of our sins so that we could be allowed through some way to be saved, go to heaven and have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."(2)

May the Lord bless each and everyone of you!

Rita M.



(1) Quote taken from: "http://www.gotquestions.org/Does-God-exist.html"
(2) Quote taken from: "http://www.Biblegateway.com" [NIV]

8 Reasons Why

I found this funny video on Youtube, and they're so right. These aren't reasons these are excuses, and I confess I am guilty of a few of them. But thanks to Way of the Master those "excuses" are about to change! :D
God Bless!!

Link: http://www.godtube.com/flvideo/a79e78aaeda80516ae2a/1374.flv

My babies

So I have started my 12th (out of 15) semester in Medschool, we have 2 rotations this semester. Pediatrics and Ob-gyn, my favorites...or so I thought. So yesterday (Thur Sept/06/07) was my first "service" (is that even the correct name/expression?) every 5 days, i think, we have to do a 6 hour service in different areas of the Pediatric Hospital "Robert Reid Cabral". We have class at the hospital from 8-12, then various classes at the university from 1 till 3, 4, 5, or 8pm. Yesterday our last class was from 6-8pm, we got off early and went over to the Hospital got into our Pediatric Scrubs (just like any other scrub only with little drawings and baby colors). I was so excited at first, I was sent to the Third Floor and was given 7 patients and was in charge of taking their vital signs at 8pm and at 12mid night. So I started taking vital signs of each of my little patients at 8:30 and finished like at 10:45. Why? why spend so many hours on 7 patients? because babies cry. Oh my word!!! one has to have SO much patience. You have to convice them that the stethoscope is not a syringe and will not in any way harm them, you have to baby talk them into cooperating with you, i spent like 15 minutes per patient. There was one little baby who would not stop crying I had to wait until like 1am when he was fast asleep to be able to get the stethoscope near him. I left the hospital at 2 am, in 6 hours I only sat down like 2 times and was sent looking for lab results like 5 times!! Ah and to think that during weekends the services are from 8am till 12 at midnight. How fun!

God Bless!!
Rita M.

UPDATE :: Thinking straighter and looking back, its so sad to see so many babies sick in a roach-infested hospital and not so clean, it makes ya wonder...But we all do our best to give these children the best attention they can get with their resources and sometimes more. One of the positive things of that night was that I was not alone, one of the doctors there is a christian and before I began my rounds we had quite a chat making my first "service" not as awkard or strange as I thought it would be.

Yoga for Christians?

In moments when we feel stressed, empty, tired, alone, sad, discouraged, you name it; as Christians we are supposed to turn to God and God alone is enough. When we start bringing in stuff like yoga, "comfort food", meditation+candles+incense these things become our god. Here's a nice video on Yoga and wether christians should practice it or not.

Dating non-Christians

When I began my walk with the Lord I was still in a relationship with a non-christian. We had been together for over 2 years, me becoming a Christian was an obstacle in the relationship for him, and the relationship became an obstacle for me in my new life since he had asked me to 'wait' for him to 'catch up'. But God always provides wether it is spiritually or physically, and He did so spiritually when during that time at the youth group I went to on saturdays at my church, our youth leader began a series on relationships. I realized why it was so wrong for a Christian to date a non-Christian, and I learned what God had to say about it in His word. After much prayer the relationship ended, and it was no longer an obstacle in my walk and finally I was able to continue growing in my walk with the Lord. The following excerpt+link makes an excellent point explaining the reasons why christians and non-christians cannot join together in a relationship.

Dating: When Words and Choices Clash
by Dan Phillips

"Coarse but pointed joke-that-you've-all-heard-anyway alert in 3... 2... 1....

So this iconic guy's talking with an iconic girl, and asks whether she'd be willing to engage in carnal acts for $1 million.

She considers, shrugs, says, "For a million dollars? I guess."

"Would you do it for $5?" he follows up.

She is shocked, and deeply offended. "What do you think I am?" she rages.

His classic retort: "Oh, we've already established what you are. Now we're haggling about price."

And now, a moment's pause while Pyro readers wonder where this could possibly be going. Play the overture from Handel's Messiah in your head. Daaaa.... da-daaaa....

Now, why is that joke funny to most folks? It's funny because of the surprising clash. In the punch-line, the woman is deeply offended, because she wants to say that her virtue is precious, and he's cheapening it with his $5 suggestion. But the man counters that he already knows her virtue not to be beyond price to her. She can be bought. What she says now is one thing; what she has already said, another.

So you, unmarried Christian reader, start dating an unbeliever. What are you saying?"