Second, we are to examine the attitudes that form our dispositions. The Lord placed tremendous emphasis on the individual's disposition. In Romans 1:29-31, there are 23 sins cataloged, 13 of which are sins of dispositions. Then in Galatians 5:19-21, there are 17 sins cataloged, several of which are of the disposition variety. Tragically, sins of the disposition -- jealousy, anger, pride, harsh judgment -- are often lightly considered. Notice how Jesus treated sins of the disposition (Matthew 23:27-28).

The word of God is heavy. His law can come down on you like a ton of bricks, and lead you to despair. Or worse yet, it could lead you into a life of smug self-righteousness. If the yoke isn't fitted properly, it becomes a heavy burden.

Rather than ignore these issues, Christians should use them as opportunities to teach people about the Bible and its message. Though it appears that many of those who copy-and-paste lists of alleged contradictions have not themselves studied the issues they present, others are sincere in their quest for answers. I had a couple of "young boys" knocking on my door bad mouthing the Bible. To prove the contradictions, they opened up their little black book. Quoting someone who quoted someone is not a good idea.

Yet to fully understand that phrase of John the Baptist, I had to read Leviticus. Over the years I have learned to love Leviticus, but I still pick on it. The Monty Python skit about the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch" comes to mind every time I think of Leviticus.

But not that morning.

The premise of "Expelled" is that "big science," has no room for such thought and has expelled, ridiculed and refused to listen to many scientists merely because they have had the thought that there might be some greater power behind what they see in their microscopes. I do not know how true those claims are, but they seem to be in line with my own experience in school, with teachers who were unwilling or unable to answer questions I had concerning the evolutionary process.

So exactly what does the Bible have to say about the antichrist? Here is an exhaustive study on the word. I, personally, have such a high regard for the Bible, that by reading the scriptures for yourself without my comment is all you need to have a clear understanding of the antichrist.

The Princess Diaries" is one of my favorite movies. Mia is a girl who has little confidence and walks through life trying to be as unnoticed as possible. Then, much to her surprise, she finds out she is a princess of Genovia. Her grandmother asks her to take "princess lessons" as practice to find out if she wants to claim her crown. The transition that takes place over the next few weeks is remarkable. Mia's confidence changes, her appearance changes and she soon fits the role she was born to have as princess of Genovia.

Occurrences of this phrase in the New Testament help us pinpoint exactly what is meant by the "last days."

The Bible as the inerrant, inspired word of God, the triune God that the Bible reveals, whom Israel confessed in the famed Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4, the manhood of Christ, all point to the reality that Christ died for my sins and your sins. I like believing in a God like that -- a God who gives up his heavenly throne to wander the world a homeless peasant so that finally He can die in place of the people he loves on a cross. That is an awesome God. A God that does that for me makes it certain. I don't ever have to worry again about what happens to me when I die, because I know that God died for me, He suffered death, and He rose again from the dead. Sure I have sinned -- not a few of you have watched me sin -- and while I'm not proud of my sin, I don't let it bother me because I know it has been forgiven. I live for that forgiveness. It is my new life.

The death of Jesus was more than the death of an innocent man, though it was. It was also the death of God. Jesus is, was, always has been and always will be God. But he wasn't always a man. God, the son, the second person of the triune God, became man when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary. And this He did so that one day he could die and pay the price for the sins of the world. It had to be so, for there was no other way for God to salvage His beloved creation, for God to save you and me. He created us, gave us life, gave us His image of holy innocence and a rational will. But all was lost when Adam sinned. When the crown of God's creation used His once free will to sin, all was lost, man's image of God, and all creation plunged into death. Man was helpless to save himself.

Throughout Christian history, those who understood and participated in Christian repentance were rational, aware and awake individuals. For one, John Wesley, the originator of the Methodist Church, was very rational and methodical, disciplining himself through hours of prayer to stay humble and focused, writing a lot and consciously compelling himself to do what he understood to be God's will.

We have all heard the quote coined by Franklin, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." He conceived the idea of "daylight savings" knowing we should use the daylight hours for improving our time on earth. President Hinckley is known for his brilliance. His family mentioned they don't remember their dad ever sleeping past 6 a.m. He would read several newspapers every day. He was inquisitive and interested in a myriad of topics. If you sleep until noon, those opportunities are lost. Rise early.

Obviously, it was Wells' intent to convince his readers that the Bible's discussion of fear is contradictory. How can a person fear God and not fear God at the same time? Although this is a question I thought a skeptic would never raise due to its seemingly obvious answer, it nevertheless requires a response.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1 (ESV)

I don't mind if what you believe is different than what I believe. I also think people should be willing to openly discuss and compare what they believe, and then thinking adults can make up their minds.

I probably would not have gone to see this movie, or read the books, if it was not for my skepticism of overly zealous Christian watchdog groups, who notified me about the movie. I like "Harry Potter," for instance. I do not like people telling me what books or movies I as a Christian can read or watch. I like to make up my own mind about these things. It is a blessed freedom to do such things that Christ won for me with his own blood on the cross. That freedom could, of course, be abused by reading Playboy or watching pornography, but hearing another man out on his views on religion is not an abuse of Christian freedom. We Christians should not be so afraid of the big bad wolf. I normally find that once you chase him down he's nothing more than a scared cat in a corner. I have never understood why people are afraid of Christ, but they seem to be. All He wants to do is forgive their sins, and save them from eternal damnation.

Every Christmas Eve, my grandfather, Omer, hunted Santa Claus.

In the meantime, she was being monitored by telemetry 24 hours a day to make sure her heart continued to beat until her surgery could be performed. It was Christmas Eve, and she and I were both asleep in her room. Suddenly, many staff members burst into our room and rushed Savanna to ICU. Her heart rate had dropped and they were afraid it may even stop. They brought with them a large needle placed at the end of her bed that would be used to restart her heart if necessary.

Jeremiah 9:23-24: "But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me..."