Authors note: As I sit down to finish writing this I do so with a good deal of embarrassment and humor. I started writing this article in early May, right after I had successfully finished my 40 Day Journey. I saved this as a draft and let the busyness of life (one of Satan’s greatest weapons) keep me from finishing the work the Lord sent me to do. So, I hope that now you’ll indulge me and remember back to over a month ago when I last brought you an installment of The 40 Day Journey Of A Chocoholic. Benton

With a great lack of fanfare and celebration my 40 Day Journey came to a close on the third day of May, an average and boring Saturday.  The end of my Journey almost came upon me unaware.  If it weren’t for several people inquiring only days before the end I might have missed it altogether.  I was content in my Journey and the longer I pursued it the less important the end became.  However, in some ways I’m relieved it’s over because I can finally enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie again, but I also find myself somewhat saddened.  I have found within myself this desire to continue the journey, but as I’ve prayed about it I don’t feel that God is calling me to do so.  He had a very specific purpose in mind during this 40 day period, and He revealed that to me on day 41.   What was it He revealed to me? Continue Reading…

Several months ago Brad and I were talking and he told me of a conversation he’d had. Someone came to him and was greatly troubled as to why there was a worldwide trend of letting "terrible sinners" prominently teach and preach in the church. This person couldn’t understand why the church would let professed adulterers, criminals, drug addicts, and other miscreants speak publicly in any way associated with the Christian religion. This person also felt very affronted by this trend. He could not relate to these people and their atrocities, regardless of the fact that they had long since left those things behind. It was one thing to have problems, but quite another to speak about it so openly, and in church no less. This person wondered what the world was coming to, that the only people we could find to lead and preach were those with terrible sin in their past. His question seemed to be: why can’t we just have moral, upright, "good Christians" leading, teaching, and preaching?

As a former terrible sinner, and doer of great atrocities, I believe I know the answer to that question. Continue Reading…

Your concerns about the character of the authors on this site are irrelevant.  All of the authors including myself are repentant sinners on this site.  There is nothing we could have done to be worthy to write about God.  If you ever find someone who is worthy, perfect, and holy enough to be the hand of God himself, you send him my way.  I’ll sign him up. Continue Reading…

I left this blog last time with the thought that “there’s a chocoholic in all of us.” I think that statement needs some exploration. In some cases that might be quite literally the truth, but I think that for all of us it is very true figuratively. If each of us would take some time and examine our heart, if we would look closely at what motivates our actions, if we would probe deeply into our most passionate desires, we would find that there is something(s) that we are addicted to. The problem with an addiction is that the addiction is in control. There is no freedom in addiction. The dictionary defines it as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.”

Let’s move past the hyper-negative connotations of the word addiction for just a moment. To be addicted to something doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re all strung out, and falling apart. I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic. I’m telling you, I really love chocolate. I’ve never met a chocolate I didn’t like. So why don’t I just marry it?…well I would, but it always melts in my hand before the end of the ceremony. My point being, is that based upon the dictionary definition I am addicted to chocolate, and overall it has not had a serious negative impact on my physical or psychological well-being.

However, I have realized how my desire for chocolate has come to represent a very deep need in my life. The need for more. The need for something better than what this everyday life has to offer. The need for fulfillment. The need for comfort. The need for focus. The need for escape. The need for rest. The need for something that I can’t seem to find within myself.

The need to fill an aching hole in my heart.

Sadly, as is true for most of us, this addiction has enslaved me. I certainly think that I’m up to the challenge of eating my way out of a chocolate stockade, but despite the temporary delight I still would not be free. Because no matter how much of (insert addiction here) I consume I will never fill the hole in my heart. Ponder for a moment your attempts to find true happiness. That relationship that never seems be enough to keep you happy, that new car that doesn’t look as new as next year’s model, that new house that already needs so much work, that one drink that turns into two, that second piece of cake, that drug that just doesn’t quite get you as high as it used to, the pornography that never seems to satisfy your lust, that raise that still doesn’t seem like enough money, the list could go on forever.

Do you see the problem with all of these things? Do you see how a change of perspective can lead you to see that none of these types of things will ever be enough? Do you see the temporal decay of the things in this world?

Is wanting a new car or house wrong? Is pursuit of a fulfilling career a sin? Is enjoying your food the root of all evil? Absolutely not. However, when we begin to rely upon these temporal things they quickly and quietly take control. Suddenly our self-worth, our happiness, our freedom is tied up in things that we, in all actuality, do not need. Without warning we find ourselves needing more and more, and never feeling satisfied. We drag through each day hoping for hope. Trying to slay boredom with a drink in our hand as we watch our giant plasma TV, or take our new boat out on the lake, or by eating a carton of ice-cream. When do we finally put down the remote and say “I want more!”?

I assure you that there is only one thing that you will ever find fulfillment in. There is only one thing that will fill the aching hole in your heart. There is only one thing that is not temporary.

God.

A true, deep, trusting, loving, fulfilling relationship with God. There is only one way to get this relationship, by accepting Christ as your Savior . This is a gift that is offered freely to you just as you are.

If you have already made this commitment and you feel like your still missing something don’t worry. Not only is there hope, the hope lives inside you. The problem is that you’ve been consuming chocolate when your body really wants meat and potatoes. Continue this journey with me as we get to the heart of the issue: “I want more.”

In case you’re wondering I’m currently in the middle of day 16 of my 40 Day Journey. I have sought out my Savior when I’ve felt the craving for sweets and have been amazed at the results. There have been a couple slip-ups, but I’ll discuss those later.

For more answers visit Christian FAQ’ed.com

For those of you who know me well, or have spent any time around me, you’ll know that I have a slightly skewed version of the food pyramid. The USDA food pyramid seems to be lacking a few important categories. Categories that have, for many years, been staples of my daily eating habits: chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate and peanut butter, mint, and Coke. To my shock and dismay I’ve been informed that none of these items are exactly healthy, and apparently when consumed in excess are actually unhealthy.

Preposterous!

Well, perhaps this isn’t completely absurd. I’ve looked at several different multi-vitamins and apparently vitamin C is not vitamin Chocolate or even vitamin Coke.

I feel so foolish!

There have been times in my life when I have been in complete control of my enjoyment and desire of these magnificent food groups; however, there have been more times when I have not. I have realized that I frequently indulge in these fine delicacies to stave off anxiety, to escape, to feel focused, to combat boredom, to satiate hunger for healthy and less tasteful foods, and a myriad of other less clever excuses.

Not so surprisingly, as I’ve grown a little older the ill effects of this border-line addiction has begun to weigh me down and has proven to be extraordinarily counterproductive to any exercise I perform. Despite all that, and all the knowledge I have of eating healthy, I have become increasingly worse instead of better.

Did I mention that ice-cream should be a food group as well?

I have been experiencing some added stress and uncertainty in my life as of late, and I have felt the need to expend a great deal of self-control and will-power into these areas of my life. All this energy to be spiritually and emotionally healthy has left me feeling in short supply to stay physically healthy. It has also left me feeling like I deserve to reward myself for dealing so well with the harsh realities of life. So, I have let loose with reckless abandon.

How about a peanut butter sundae from Brusters? (chocolate-peanut-butter ice cream immersed in melted peanut butter, and drizzled with chocolate syrup, and whip cream on top)

What’s wrong with 44 to 56oz’s of Coke-Zero per day? I’m just staying hydrated…right? I really need the caffeine to wake up and stay focused.

Peppermint Patties are a low-fat food! It says so right on the package. I’m sure 3 or 4 after lunch and then again after dinner won’t hurt me…and then maybe a few more here and there.

Just one chocolate chip cookie isn’t that big of deal. I can work the second one off when I run tomorrow.

It’s not such a harmless indulgence when I really open it up and look at it. What’s even worse is that I’ve let these unhealthy foods become a source of comfort and release when I’m stressed. They have also become the fuel I need to get focused before I set myself upon a task. When it’s all said and done, I’ve been developing a dependency upon them. When what I truly desire is a dependency upon God.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if I could supplant this physical craving with a spiritual craving? Wouldn’t it be healthy not only to my body, but also to my soul, if I could seek Christ instead of chocolate? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be completely filled with something pure and holy, instead of something temporary and destructive? Doesn’t that seem more like freedom than dependency? The freedom to seek out a loving, moving, beautiful relationship that encourages the health of my spirit and my body.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not equating to chocolate to sin. However, I believe that I’m made to be filled with much more than just chocolate and peanut butter.

I need something that, when I partake deeply, doesn’t leave me feeling sick to my stomach and disappointed in myself. I need something that doesn’t leave me filling empty, but that returns my longing with a sense of completion. I need something that is lasting, and that fills me to overflowing. I need something that doesn’t require super-human amounts of self-control to overcome. I need something that supports and encourages me to something better.

I need a deep, intimate, constant relationship with God.

Luckily enough for me I have developed some wonderfully bad eating habits, and I can now turn these bad habits into something beneficial. Thus my 40 Day Journey. I have resolved myself, through much prayer and thought, to abstain completely from all sugary-like foods for the next 40 days. You can’t be as addicted to these things as I am and not have cravings, so when I have these insatiable cravings for sweets I’m going to use it as a reminder to talk and listen to God. Two of my worst daily habits, eating too many sweets and not praying enough, will now be combined into a healthy way to deepen my relationship with my Savior. I’m currently in day 6 of my journey and it’s going pretty well.

There’s a chocoholic in all of us that is desiring something that feels right, that fills us up, that completes us. Take this journey with me and perhaps we can uncover some of the deeper truths about finding a fulfilling physical, spiritual, and emotional life in Christ. I’ll continue to write about my experiences and my motivation to embark upon such an absurd journey to discover the real chocolate-covered truth.

For those that do not know, I have spent a serious amount of time throughout my life debating non-Christians and in some cases Christians online and in person. Whether it is in a chat room or on forums or face to face, I’ve learned something that not only I am guilty of but nearly every Christian debtor is guilty of. This would be a severe lack of compassion towards the one we are debating with.

There are extremes to these cases and then there are lesser extents. I have seen Christians provoke, demean, and swear at the skeptic. I have also seen myself and others laugh, make fun of, and put down our competitors as if they have no intelligence at all.

This kind of attitude does not become us and it does not mirror the God we serve.

I am calling my fellow brothers and myself to have more compassion in these last days. There are a few realities the came to my mind as I felt the strong urge to repent from these actions. These people who have chosen to reject God are still God’s beloved. God loves them as much as he loves each of us. He died on the cross for them as he did us. He looks at them with compassion and sadness, longing for the day they may come back to God as the prodigal did.

These people are going to Hell and they do not know it or even if they do they have chosen to accept Hell as where they want to go. Who wishes this on them? Who wants them to be eternally punished?

What I see in myself sometimes as well as others is an instant defensive stance. We put up our road blocks and call on our defense mechanisms in all the ways that we can to keep them from hurting out pride. We don’t even try to be empathetic to them. Who knows the kind of life they have lead? I am sure there are some of us who have led the same life and come out of it better, but use your testimony to show them that you know how they feel, don’t close them off as “unclean”.

Are we trying to push them until they break down? Has anyone seen that work yet? We should be the ones that break down first. We should weep for them. Let them ridicule us. Let them mock us and spit curse words and demean us. We should not retaliate against them. “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ” (Matthew5:46-47)

If the reality of these peoples’ soul ending up in eternal damnation does not move you to compassion for them then something is wrong. Our God does not want that, he wants us to love them and pray for them.

The next time one of us posts on their blogs or forums or chat rooms, let us stop and “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19) We should listen to them and develop empathy before we say a word back. We should put ourselves in their shoes; see where they are coming from. Understand their doubts and hesitations for not accepting the Gospel, even if we don’t think they should have them. They do have them and we need to respect them as we would respect our brothers and sisters in Christ, even if they do not return that respect.

We need a revival of compassion to the condemned. You cannot get respect unless you give respect.

Everyone has a story. Everyone who has come to know God has a testimony. Some may not be glamorous or even extremely amazing like Paul’s. I’ve heard countless stories on how people have come to God and I have never heard one story that is the same.

Though all of our stories might not be supernatural, I do believe they carry in them our most powerful tool for planting seeds. In our own stories, we relate to others. In our own stories, God shines through us. It is very personal and people can relate to that more than any apologetics or philosophical reasoning. So today, I will share mine. Continue Reading…

Tonight I sat down with the intent of writing an article on “Once Saved Always Saved.” My belief is that once you are truly saved that you will always be saved, and that was the article I was planning on writing and proving. As we are exhorted to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Test everything. Hold on to the good,” I have tested my belief. Have I discovered that I was wrong? No. Have I proven with no doubt that what I believe is true? No. But, I did prove that it is absolutely necessary to test everything and go to God and ask for discernment. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is