Genesis 1 - In the beginning, God spoke the universe into existence.  Some of those present claimed they heard a loud crackling sound like thunder, but most simply described it as sort of a.. BANG.. actually a BIG BANG! 

At this point let me be clear, I am not here to discuss Old Earth v New Earth theories. This would be above the pay grade of this cartoonist, but what I will say is .. God created and it was GOOD!

Genesis 1:1-31 To summarize, this daunting project was completed in 6 days where Day 1:  DAY , NIGHT , the SKY were spoke into existence by our Almighty Creator. 

Genesis 2:1-3 Then on the 7th day God rested.  In contrast I installed a bathroom floor in our town-home recently and I rested on the 5th, 6th, and 7th days and while it turned out nice it was not Hubble Telescope spectacular like God's Universe.

Those first 6 days His creation included the sun, stars, land, waters, and all the creatures in the sea and on land were created. 

To rule over the lands and seas God created MAN​ Genesis 2:7 in His own image from the dust of the Earth followed by creating WOMAN from man's 'spare rib' declaring it is not good for man to be alone. Genesis 2:18
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To which Adam declared.. "Hey beautiful, where have you been all my life?"   

​Then God commanded Adam and Eve to "be fruitful and multiply".. to which Adam quickly started working on his times tables.

This creation story is all recorded into the Bible book of Genesis. While many Cosmologists believe the Big Bang was the creation of EVERYTHING from NOTHING followed by billions of years of random collisions and explosions resulted in our ever expanding universe, all the planets including Earth including life with all it's complexities.  

​Ok, I believe you can collide a chocolate bar with a jar of peanut butter and end up with a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.. but this Universe has too moving parts + complexities that are bound together with rules and order for me to believe EVERYTHING came from NOTHING.

So I choose to believe there must be an intelligent design behind creation. For me, I believe in a divine creator that exists outside the confines of time and space. I believe this Intelligent Design is described in the Bible Book of Genesis.

​May God bless each of you greatly in your pursuit of truth. This is important stuff, and a foundation for life. If there is a God then the pursuit of Him is a greater science than can be found looking through any microscope or telescope.  Bigger than Star Trek's five year journey exploring the stars.

A while back our pastor gave a sermon on getting to know God by reading our Bibles regularly and systematically.  During this very good sermon our pastor joked that the most read books of the Bible are Genesis and Matthew, because our inspired intentions in January to read through our Bibles fades once we are through Genesis, and Matthew. (Leviticus has killed many a Bible study ).. then the next year we are back in Genesis and Matthew.  I call this bible study plan.. The BEGINAGAINS.

I must be honest and say I have followed the BEGINAGAIN plan many times and not until 2003 did I completely read my Bible from cover to cover AND I CARTOONED THRU IT TOO! Note: Neither Billy Graham or the Pope could say they cartooned through the Bible.  Then in 2018 lightning struck again as I read through my Bible from Genesis through Revelations. YEAH ME!

Drawing a line.. is a topic I can so easily relate to.  Drawing lines, and coloring inside those lines.. and viola' I have a cartoon.  Everybody loves cartoons.. ok, some of us more than others, but hey.. it's what I do.

Now the beauty and curse of a cartoon it allows me the liberty of exaggeration. Exaggeration in a world with big noses, bellies, expressions, and points of view.  The lines drawn in cartoons are just outside the lines where reality exists and in this world, I am among friends.

Let me share examples of these sharp contrasting lines

SIMPLE RIGHT & WRONG

• GOD'S LINE.. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

• MAN'S LINE.. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6  or today we might say with a smirk.. Whatever happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas... or maybe.. what happens on the internet, stays on the internet.

GENDER & MARRIAGE

• GOD'S LINE.. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:6-9 (note the red ink text.. are Jesus words) (note 2 - notice their are two genders.. no mention of gender being a social construct)
• MAN'S LINE.. 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Romans 1:27

 
LUST & ADULTERY

• GOD'S LINE.. 27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28
• MAN'S LINE.. We live in an over sexualized society now ranging from youth where lust and fantasy are fueled 24/7 on full display in ads, on our streets, all the way down a truly dark road of pornography.

CARING V SELFISH 

• GOD'S LINE.. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

• MAN'S LINE.. Man seems to prefer greed, and putting self ahead of others to the point we are not even aware of those in need. We look the other way. ie Lazarus and the Rich man Luke 16:19-31, and the Final Judgement Matthew 25:31-46, are sobering examples with eternal consequences... AND think about the goal of the whole 'Prosperity Gospel' movement where our earthly prosperity is paramount.  Living for self is not the road to Heaven!

Of course, no one wants to be labeled the uncaring bigoted judgmental Christian stereotype. So while we need to be sensitive regarding all issues of the day including today's hot-button topics (racism, abortion, homosexuality, and gender identity, etc etc ) we need to blend this with God's firm loving Truths . Remember always speak God's truth with love, but 'flip it' to realize love is found only in God's Truth. 

And.. the next time someone tells you "I like Jesus but not Christians because Jesus was about love.. but Christians are are judgmental, hateful, bigoted, sexist, patriarchal homophobes.. .  Read them Luke 12:49-53

Not Peace, but Division Luke 12:49-53 49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Low-Batt Signal sounds like a problem in Gothom City where the Joker, Riddler, and the Penguin are on a Crime Spree and Commissioner Gordon needs Batman and Robin NOW but the Bat Signal needs to replace a couple AAA Batteries.  Hence the Lo-Bat signal 

​Ok, today I am not concerned about that low Batman Signal, but I can experience trouble with a Lo-Batt Signal in my 'spirit'.

Let me explain..

Then Monday comes, followed by it's evil sidekicks  Tuesday - Friday.  The Good News shared on Sunday is replaced by  24/7 Bad News channels.  Oh good does happen but that does not sell ads for CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, or ABC. 

So my Sunday 'No Perfect People Allowed' is hijacked with a slogan that resembles a 'What happens in Vegas , stays in Vegas'. attitude. and.. there is rush hour traffic!

Monday through Friday replaces the generosity found when the offering plate is passed on Sunday with a land of greed.  Greed in the work place, and greed in a society where wants are more important than needs. 

Oh yeah, I almost forgot almost every Monday-Friday after working 8 hours I am TIRED.  It's November now and within an hour after getting home from work it is getting dark, and I live in Minnesota so it goes without saying it is getting cold.  All this is draining on my spirit and creating in me a LO-BATT condition.

Ok, as 'per usual' I do embellish a bit, but I do not think I am the only one who feels drained by the week and wondering where that Sunday Spirit has gone. So what's a lo-batt fella like me supposed to do?   
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I guess by strict definitions I am a protestant, but technically more of a protestant MUTT.  

Actually I would like to be simply defined as a CHRISTIAN thank you very much.  I am not being a rebel, but I don't fit nicely into any denominational box.  I respect the views of others, but have to come to my own conclusions on all the nooks and cranny faith issues. 

And let me be clear I am not judging your choice of 'box' unless.. you have a SNAKE in it. 

​So with this in mind I place all I have learned from God and his church and it all fits nicely in 'My Faith Box'.  

So In this PM Society box I find things like.. The internet. Which is both an incredible resource for 1. LIGHT (faith, family, friends, news, etc) and 2. DARKNESS (anger, hatred, self-indulgence, porn, etc ).

The internet also offers the ever evolving social media kit  at no extra charge where I can text, tweet, post on facebook, instagram, or you can blog.. Blog? sounds like a cheap horror movie from the 1950s.. 'The Attack of the 50 Page Blog'.  Maybe that should be the name of my blog?

In our PM Society box I can also stream music, videos or even sermons (if I am feeling particularly spiritual ) of any big name preacher or subscribe to Cyber Clyde's Bed Hair Pod Cast.

This can all be done from the convenience of my office chair while donning the same gym shorts, tank top, and bed hair just like Cyber Clyde.  ​

No one wants lukewarm coffee, and I believe the only acceptable use for it is .. when I have a splitting headache with two Excedrin in my hand and I spot a cup of LWC near me to help wash down the meds before my head explodes.

Of course our Bibles speak often on the topic of coffee (ie Hebrews  hahaha), and even tackles the specific  topic of LWC in Revelations 3:15-16 where the angel of the church of Laodicea speaks out.. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (like a cup of lukewarm generic instant decaf coffee with non-dairy creamer and a sweetener substitute). 

​note: If you did not guess, the part in parenthesis was not from 'The Message'.. I added it myself to emphasize my LWC point.

Cliff notes on Cliffs - Umm, cliffs are dangerous?
In Psalms 118:13, the Psalmist writes.. I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me.  In Luke 4:29 we read of the unruly mob wanting to kill Jesus by throwing him off a cliff.

Dangerous Roads are.. umm dangerous too!
Then Matthew 7:13 shares.. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

So far, you are thinking.. Thank you Captain Obvious.
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Next let's, combine 1. those dangerous roads, add.. 2. a steep cliff, next add.. 3. a sea far below our cliff crashing into the rocky coastline, and finally add many many.. 4. lost souls on this path running off a cliff to their deaths.. this is where you find the infamous LEMMING.

Being a literal lemming is nothing to brag about.  They are part of the rodent family and their claim to fame (or infamy) is for their suicidal cliff diving method of population control.  So it goes without saying, being called a lemming is not considered a compliment.

Supersized and drive through meals ... delivered freaky fast your way that are finger lickin' good. These are a few fast food 'conveniences' for our fast paced lives in the fast lane.  I am guilty of participating in both ordering my share of supersized McArtery Clogger Value Meals, and using the drive through for lunch, lattes, and my banking needs. Life is busy and there is a time and a place for fast food, and fast service but there is a time and a place to SLOW DOWN.  

Now as I segue to my faith journey.. I find awkward parallels to our fast food society.  
1. I want the blessings on my life supersized now please, 
2. I sometimes pray like I am using a drive thru window. I don't even slow down to say hello to God but place my order/prayer list with the angel stationed at my drive thru prayer window. And..
3. my patience for His answers rivals my belief that microwave popcorn still takes waaay too long. 

Where do you think you are going (or yer goin' for us rednecks at heart).?  Honest question that can be asked of most of us.  And many times the answer is.. "you can't get there from here."

This is true on many a road trip where I was lost, or took what I thought was short cut.  This is true for many a college graduate looking for a high paying job in Corporate America with a Masters degree in 'Cartoon Art History' with a minor in 'Bagpiping'. Or being mountain climber aspiring to climb Mt. Everest, but afraid to leave your home state of Nebraska.  Or taking a road trip from California to Hawaii. In all these cases and more.. the answer is .. you can't get there from here.

So based on the road I have chosen for my life.. am I going to Heaven or not?  How about you?  It matters eternally what we believe so choose the God of our Bibles.  There is no other God.

But many are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or simply believe in a 'higher power' and so we all believe basically the same thing, right?

I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, Is 45:5

Now you may argue with me that I am wrong, but this is what I believe. So the answer for me to the statement we all believe in basically the same thing is.. If you want to get to Heaven..  You can't get there from here.

So take these words for what it is worth.  I am sure I am preaching to the choir for the most part, but even us in the choir need to daily turn to God, serve Him first and foremost in our lives.. go beyond being a good person.   And for those not in the choir, I respect where you are at, but prayerfully take to heart the issue of Eternity.  It matters what you believe and where you place your faith.  Placing your faith in Jesus, and pursuing God first in your life, then with regards to eternity, and Heaven.. You CAN get there from here.

May God bless and use us all with our lives for his glory.  Amen.

​Jeff (a little bit lost sometimes) Larson