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| Hello all my friends,
Its been a few years since I posted. I'm still alive and well. Life is tough, but Christ never promised us an easy route. I'd like to recommend a site to you all. It is www.truth-ministries.com. It is my Christian ministry website and I have plenty of articles, some dealing with purity etc. I highly recommend it. I also have a Xanga site (forwardben) and a facebook Ben Ditzel (Iowa) if you want to contact me. So for now, from StayingPure, I'm Ben Ditzel...
God Bless! <>< | | |
| Hey! It has been far too long since I last posted something on this blog site! A lot of drama has been going on in my personal life lately (www.xanga.com/forwardben) but I'll see what I can cook up to say to you all this time! :) I find it a little harder than I used to (for certain reasons) to speak so strongly about certain topics I have discussed here in the past, but I still hold to my belief that Christ washes away our sins completely and looks at the new us if we are repentant.
I'd like to address the topic of movies in this entry. Why? Because the movie and film making industry seems to be doing a very good job of creeping into everyone's lives, including Christians and tearing down every morality they have brick by brick. Most of you reading this have probably seen one of these movies. The Sound of Music, It's A Wonderful Life, or Darby O' Gil and the Little People. In the Sound of Music, I am going to broach the topic of Leisel and Rolf. I think that the scene with the Captain and Maria right before the wedding was generally accepted by the public at the time of the movie's release and the time the movie was set in (1940s war time). But, the fact that a young girl who was only 16 would leave the house without permission to 'hang out' and for all practical purposes flirt with a young man alone at night was scandalous in the 1940s and even shocking to be portrayed on film in the 1960s! The kiss at the end of this scene was scandalous as well for the film, but the overall success of the production weighed heavily in its favour. In It's A Wonderful Life, George and Mary are in the classic scene after the school dance singing 'Buffalo Gals'. This movie was released in 1946. The climax of this scene of course is when George steps on Mary's robe and she loses it, screams, and dives into the hydrandra bushes. I remember as a young kid, watching a film history of Jimmy Stewart and when this scene was discussed, a lot of the older generation expressed the shock they felt when this was put in the film and released. In Darby O' Gil, Michael and Katie have something of a romance going until the end when it is very obvious. In the scene after Pony almost fights Michael in front of Katie, they kiss. If you watch carefully though, you see that they appear to be, but do not actually fully kiss on the mouth. That was the way it was. They still had standards; they still had morals which told them that you don't just kiss anyone EVEN if it is in a movie. Now, if the Sound of Music was remade for an audience of young adults say ages 17 and up, I think their would be at least one 'bed' scene with the young lovers and I'm sure far more kisses than the older version which only had 2. In It's a Wonderful Life, if it were remade in 2006, I hesitate to even imagine how they would portray the scene I mentioned earlier. And if we, as Christians, if we had never seen the first version, watched a newer one, what would we do? Honestly, I think that we would perhaps raise our eyebrows, maybe shift uneasily for a second if someone else was in the room and continue watching the movie. In Darby O' Gil, a remake would certainly involve many real kisses if not more and the same applies there. You see how far we've come? Now take for instance actual newer movies that have been made recently. There are several movies which are considered to be classics, but have scenes in them which would make even the young generation of the Sound of Music era jump and stand their hair on end. Movies such as Titanic, Braveheart, and countless others. Then there are the infamous ones like American Pie (yes, I have seen those movies) and that series which are shocking to a few even in my generation. Can you try to imagine the scene in Titanic when the young man is painting the woman's picture? Imagine that scene in black and white, scratchy, old, and made in... shall we say 1950? Ummm, no, I doubt it. IT WAS NOT DONE. If that scene HAD been made then, it would have been, AT MOST, a scene of her coming into his room, him at his board, and perhaps a bared arm. That would have certainly been suggestive enough to get the point across of what was going on. That is all that is needed to convey the story flow. But now, in 2006, we feel we need full nudity, open graphic sex, and the constant reminders flashing us every few seconds of some hot girl or a handsome guy to get us through the movie. Personally, I am content with watching movies such as Wuthering Heights (starring David Niven and Laurence Olivier) and Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth) and the 'boring' or old stupid movies like that. They are more my type. Yes, I will agree that there is that element in seeing the newer movies that I like also. I like to be able to relate to the characters and see the things I recognize like car models from my era etc. And yes, when watching the movies I do tend to stick up for and pay closest attention to the pretty girl than any other character. But get this... WHY have our morals and standards lessened so much? Honestly I don't know. I feel that it is the general degrading of the carnal human nature which will only get worse. I am a firm believer that in 20 years, if things continue on this same path, TV will totally be unfit for anyone who calls themselves Christians to even turn on. If you have cable TV, it is already very close to that on some stations. A lot of TV and commercials already are fighting to show nudity and revealing clothing for extended times as opposed to the term 'brief nudity'. And what gets me is that it is all by our CHOICE! We, as Christians, CHOOSE to turn this on, bring it into our homes, filling our minds with it. Be honest with yourselves guys. When you have the TV on and you see a pretty girl in scanty clothes on the screen, do you turn away or change the station if NO ONE else is in the room? It's hard isn't it? It's a temptation that need not be there. Just another way Satan is getting at us; saying, "You see it all the time on TV. It's not SO wrong NOWADAYS, right?“... WRONG! Let me put it in this light. I'm not going to say Jesus is invited to stay at your house for dinner or something since that is hard to imagine and is to commonly used to be thought provoking. Imagine your pastor of your church is at your house for dinner. You are in the living room when he gets there. You are watching TV... say the Nightly News. He walks into the room just as a commercial for ladies skin lotion comes on (another thought... why on earth are we advertising that on TV anyway!?). You are going to feel uncomfortable, probably get up, turn the TV off or to another channel and then greet him. OK. That’s good. BUT, what if your peer, say a 19 or 20 year old guy (if you are a guy) comes into the house for a minute to get a glass of water before you and he go biking. You are waiting for him on the couch watching TV. Same scenario. He walks in and sits down with the water. You'll probably look up; say "Hey Joe, what's up? Ready to go?” Then perhaps even make a comment on the commercial as well. It's not as apparent, but isn't that being double faced? There is nothing wrong with seeing someone in person or on TV and thinking she is hot or even telling your buddy. BUT, we need to be open and above board and if we are that way, BE THAT WAY to everyone. And there is a line also. We can admire someone, but to admire them and lust for them are two different things. The later of which being where the sin begins. This has been going on for hundreds of years, but only recently has it been generally accepted by the public. "Oh it's just fine to draw as much attention to yourself as possible... get the guys to go after you". "Oh don't feel embarrassed about what you thought about her, or did... it's just being a guy".
I have seen a few good movies which either don't deal with the whole guy girl thing or deal with it right. These movies are new movies (at least for me). I like the Left Behind series and the new movie The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith. These are good, wholesome movies. The Second Chance is perhaps for an older audience since it deals with street life in the south.
Well, that's just a few pointers for you all to mull over for a bit. Feel free to comment and I may write more later.
In Christ,
Ben <>< | | |
| Hey everyone. I thought his was rather sobering, but true and encouraging to. PLEASE let me know what you think, please! :)
Satan and his demons stalk the path of every believer, offering all manner of enticements to lure the Christian away from an obedient and faithful walk with Christ. No one is exempt from Satanic attacks, and no one is completely successful in countering them (I John 1:8, 10), but some Christians succumb to temptation so often that they see no hope for victory. They give up and give in without a struggle. This is an unfortunate condition, born out of despair, for it will blind the believer to the marvelous provision God has made for overcoming temptation.
The first thing the Christian must learn is that God does not lead him to sin. The Apostle James clearly condemns the attitude of blaming God for tempting circumstances (James 1:13-15). God may test His children, a process designed to purify and strengthen them, but He does not lead them into sin. Without exception, sin results when temptation strikes a sympathetic chord in the human heart, and man has no one to blame but himself.
Blame himself he must, though, if he is to be forgiven. Our age is one in which blame is passed to society, to the pressures of the times, or to some other faceless, nameless creature. If one is to be forgiven, he must first humbly admit, "I have sinned." As long as he looks for someone or something else to blame, he will be totally helpless in combating temptation.
The Christian needs to recognize the role of Scripture in overcoming temptation. The Psalmist stated, "Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalms 119:11). When God's Word becomes an integral part of the believer's life, it fortifies that person against temptation's power. Christ Himself demonstrated the Word's power when He submitted to Satan's temptations with a quote from the Old Testament (Matthew 4:7). A systematic, prayerful study of Scripture is an absolute prerequisite to defeating temptation. The Word not only warns of Satan's methods (II Corinthians 2:11), but it empowers against attacks (Ephesians 6:11-17).
Another essential to victory is to avoid temptation. On several occasions, Christ told His disciples to pray that they might not fall into temptation (Matthew 6:13; Luke 22:40). Some believers understand that temptation is not the same as sin, so then feel that they can enjoy the enticements of temptation without any harm. This behavior becomes a type of game - seeing how much titillation one can 'enjoy' without falling into overt sin. Such an attitude is sinful in itself, for it fails to take seriously God's commands for holiness in attitude as well as in action.
One of the most crucial passages concerning temptation is I Corinthians 10:13.
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
This verse is God's guarantee that He will never allow Satan to go too far. The temptation's intensity and the escape route will be uniquely tailored to the individual, and will not exceed his capacity.
Knowing there is a way of escape, and using that way of escape, may be quite different things. If one is ignorant of God's Word, one will likely not recognize the escape when he sees it, for he won't know how God works. Whether or not he uses the escape, though, the believer can never truthfully claim that the temptation was so strong that he had to succumb to it.
Another promise is that no one in this universe is uniquely tempted. While no two people are exactly alike, the temptations confronting each individual are basically the same as have confronted others. Consequently, the Bible can say that Jesus Christ was tempted in all points like we are, and even suffered in this temptation, but did not sin (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15-16). He is, therefore, a sympathetic Savior, knowing from His own incarnate experience the pressure that temptation can exert.
Since no one is uniquely tempted, Christians can help and learn from one another. Merely knowing that another Christian has overcome greed, for instance, may be just the assurance that someone needs to make another attempt to overcome it in his own life. The Christian who has grown in one facet of his spiritual life is responsible for helping other Christians who have not yet grown in that area. In this manner, Christians can edify (or, "build up") one another in their faith (Ephesians 4:15-16).
The Scripture contains no promise of help in overcoming temptation for those who are unsaved. Indeed, until one repents of his sin and accepts by faith Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he has no capacity for pleasing God. But those who are saved may appropriate the power and wisdom of the Word, relying upon God's grace, and can therefore have victory, even over Satan's most subtle and compelling temptations.
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in His Grace,
Ben <><
LISTENING TO:
Yankee Doodle Pops 'LIVE' in Des Moines, IA (June 30, 2006) on Iowa Public Radio. Listening to it at Hy-Vee Corporate Office in WDM, IA on duty as Security officer. ;) | | |
| OK I've been asked what my opinions are on the questions I asked in last times blog. Well OK then ;)
- What do you think defines true Godly love directed at someone of the other sex?
Well, the first one is this. I think that true Godly love directed at someone of the other sex is first and foremost this. Love is a picture of Christ's love for us and God's love for the church; his bride. In my case (being a guy), true love for a girl requires what I like to call unconditional love. Listen to this audio clip here and let me know what you think: http://www.faith915fm.com/What%20is%20True%20Love-%20Benjamin%20Ditzel.mp3 I'll do my best to explain what I think here also. Unconditional love means to love him or her (I'll say her since its easier for me -lol) NO MATTER WHAT. I mean if she does something really stupid, hurtful, or offensive, I'd still feel love. Everything I say here I can say with real meaning since I know in my heart for it to be a proven fact with me and what I believe. God forgives us and we are to be like Him, so we must forgive others. It is very hard sometimes, but in love, it is easier often. If, for instance, she was to fill up my car at the service station, but instead of gasoline, she put deisel into the car and ruined it, IT'S JUST A CAR and can be replaced. If I were to blow up (theoretically) and get angry at her, I might loose a friendship or more over something that can be replaced. A broken friendship is not alsways repairable. I want YOU, the reader, to comment or email me and tell me what YOU think is so important to get so upset at a close friend that you loose the friendship. Think on it... Anyway, LOVE is, along with being unconditional, means giving everything I am to her. My life and all I have is hers. Completely self-sacrificing and giving. Like I say in my article on my site FAITH 91.5fm, Love means GIVING, in effect, your LIFE to this person. SHARING all your joys & sorrows with this person. Now, I found something today, which, made me want to write this. In verse 8, it says, LOVE NEVER FAILS. Love never fails. Rather interesting. In other words, true love is and only is UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! What I see in this is that LOVE that we experience is a picture created by God to portray Christ's LOVE for the church; His UNCONDITIONAL love. Therefore, we are to conduct ourselves as He did and does with the church; His church. With someone we truly love, we are to love through everything they do, say, and go through. A very dear friend of mine once said something I will never forget.
"If the person you say you love went through a horrible car accident or fire and was completely disfigured, disabled, and a complete invalid, would you REALLY still feel love?"
This is a good question, and if I were to ask this to many young adults, and they were to answer truthfully, they would say no. Some of you reading this have been blessed by God to experience love and would be able to say an absolute YES, however. Love is a gift from God and can only be mutually felt between a man and a woman if God plants it in both of them. Always remember that God is the perfect matchmaker.
How does this differ from the world's view of 'love' and romance?
Well, this is pretty easy. Just look at the world's view for a while and see how unGodly it is. It is so selfish. Its all me me me. Like in a comment I received in the previous blog, "it is completely self-serving and vain, not to say that all people aim for that end, but that is what happens without the example of God's love. " It really is true. Watch almost any movie today. You'll get the picture pretty quick. Compare the movie and worldly love to a freind or someone you love. Very likely (hopefully) it is shockingly different. The romantic part of love is, granted, a key factor in love, but is not primary. What is primary? I believe for the man, it is making sure that she is taken care of, loved, and respected. Yeah, I said respected. Some people go to the OTHER extreme and think women are nothing and shouldn't even be respected. Of course they need respect. Everyone does. I do, you do, your parents do, your friends do, your siblings do. They need respect from you. Guys, if you have a girlfriend or even a friend that is a girl, treat her like a queen. She deserves respect and what does the Bible say... something about doing to others what we'd like done to ourselves? Yeah. A definition of love for the world could be this:
love (luv) : A feeling which one experiences and often acts upon in order to get the same feeling reciprocated.
In fact one dictionary actually says that love is an intense mental sate that arises subjectively rather than through conscious effort.WHAT?!?!
and the Christian dictionary?
love (luv) : to extend oneself to others; a command by God that is carried out by action and truth in obedience to what God has commanded us to do.
The definition of love is one that is not natural to us, and can only be displayed and understood by those who know him according to this passage of Scripture. 1 John 4:7-8: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
This is a good article here: http://www.biblegems.com/MIKEDEFOFLOVE.HTM
Well, I'd love to hear from anyone on this or other subjects.
...waiting for my "Rebekah" --
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel.
For she had said to the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her...
I'll write more soon as I get more thoughts together.
In Christ and striving to live for Him,
Benjamin <><
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| I have a few questions for you all. Don't try to answer what you think you SHOULD say or what you think it SHOULD be; answer YOUR thoughts.
- What do you think defines true Godly love directed at someone of the other sex?
- How does this differ from the world's view of 'love' and romance?
I'd really like to know what people thoughts are on this. Thanks!
Benajmin <>< | | |
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