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by Bill Seng

“His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble…His ways are eternal.” ~Habakkuk 3:3b-6

We were sitting in class with Dr. Staats, a professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary, talking about who is qualified to be a deacon or elder inside the church, when some controversial disqualifiers came up. Being a class full of people who were already serving as pastors at churches, there were many interesting situations to learn from. One disqualifying lifestyle that made much headway in the discussion was that of unmarried couples living together. It was agreed upon unanimously in the class that such people are not qualified to hold offices inside of the church. Capping off that discussion, Dr. Staats made the remark that “Too many people have no idea of who the God of the Bible is.” Powerful and too true.

If you were to ask a group of people (whether they are Christians or not) to draw a picture to describe God, I think most people’s descriptions would be very similar to one another’s. I would expect rainbows, clouds, outreached hands, hugs, and generally serene imagery. The love of God is what brings you comfort in hard times. He’s your buddy; your friend. Morgan Freeman portrayed God in Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty. That was probably an accurate interpretation of God, right? I don’t think we (including me) grasp the true awesomeness of God.

David Crowder Band gets it right with their song How He Loves:

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful you are,
And how great your affections are for me.

God’s love is powerful and frightening! Maybe the reason we don’t understand God in our culture is because our concept of love is all screwed up. Back in Biblical times, marriages were more or less arranged. Think about that. In present day America we get to choose to marry whoever we want. You would think that would eliminate strife between the married couples today, but it doesn’t. If you never knew someone, or barely knew someone, and had to get married to them, what sorts of troubles do you think you would run into? Don’t miss my point here.

We are talking about God’s awesome love! I think of Isaac and Rebekah, who got married on the spot without any previous knowledge of one another’s existence. As you read their story, it is clear there was plenty of strife inside of their relationship, but they loved one another nonetheless. Today, when we feel that marriage is too hard we quit. The love we know does not endure hardship, only the good times. Not God, though. His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). He never walks out or bails out. He fights for those he loves.

I want to say that God’s love is vicious but I am wanting a different word. Within the span of two verses Habakkuk goes from saying “His praise fills the earth” to “Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps.” Certainly, the latter imagery is describing judgment, but that’s just it. His love must also include judgment. Casting pestilence and plague upon those who hate his followers is pretty vicious. The enemy is oppressive and cruel, so God must be as a heroic and terrifying warrior to overcome the powers of evil.

At the end of one of the movie renditions of Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe’s beloved is about to be burned at the stake and he comes charging in on a horse. His task is that he must defeat the king’s best knight to secure the release of his beloved. It is a brutally violent battle and he emerges the victor. Is that not the story of salvation?

We stand condemned awaiting an eternity of fire. The king of this world has usurped the throne (in a manner of speaking) of its rightful King. Our lives are like a breath; here today and gone tomorrow. We stand upon the scaffolding waiting to be lit ablaze, but God has sent Jesus in on a white horse to secure our deliverance. Don’t believe me? Read Revelation 19:11-21.

His love, his awesomeness is so amazing I can’t begin to find words or example of how to describe it. He is not a wimpy feel-good God. He is a mighty warrior, ready for combat to rescue the one he loves. On the other hand, you better be on his side because his wrath is swift and powerful. Ask yourself, do you want to behold his glory like the sunrise or be caught up in the plagues and pestilence of those who fight against him? He loves you viciously, so make the right choice.

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by Katie Erickson

“God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed — but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.” (Habakkuk 3:3-10)

In Habakkuk 3:1-2, which we discussed last week, Habakkuk started a prayer to God. In this week’s passage, he is continuing that prayer. Even though Habakkuk is praying to God in this passage, he starts by elaborating on God’s glory and power.

In verse 3, Habakkuk mentions two places: Teman and Mount Paran. These places likely have no significance to you or me, but they would have been significant to the people of Israel. Teman is also called Seir, and they would have known these places from their mention in Deuteronomy 33:2-4. Why is that passage significant? It talks about the people receiving the law of God through Moses, which was one of the most important events in the life of the nation of Israel. By referencing Teman and Mount Paran, Habakkuk is bringing to mind the remembrance of God giving His law to Israel. Remember from Habakkuk chapter 1 that the people were completely disregarding God’s law, so bringing it up again was very necessary.

But God is not just all about the law; He is also full of glory. His glory was (and is) everywhere - it permeates heaven and earth. God’s presence is clearly seen everywhere in creation. That was true back then, and it’s still true today. Habakkuk uses the analogy of light to represent God’s glory. God illuminates the world with His presence and His glory. We see this idea elsewhere in Scripture too. In John 8:12, Jesus (who is fully human and fully God) says, “I am the light of the world.” In Revelation 21:23-24 we read, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.”

God’s power is also revealed in judgment. We see reference to the plagues of Egypt back in the days of Moses. (Find them in Exodus 7-11 if you want to read up on them.) God clearly demonstrated His power through these ten plagues on the Egyptians, but in a different way than His glory shining like light.

Habakkuk goes on to explain how God has power and dominion over the waters. In that culture, water represented chaos, darkness, and death. Having power over water was seen in the same light as having power over death, which is pretty powerful! This also brings up two significant times in Israel’s history when God had power over the water - when He parted the Red Sea for them to cross in Exodus 14, and when Israel crossed the Jordan River in Joshua 3.

All three of these glimpses into the past bring up how God delivered Israel in the past. Why is that important? If we see how God has done something for us in the past, we can believe that God will do it again in the future. The circumstances may be different and even the details of the outcome will likely not be identical, but we can count on God for being unchanging. God’s faithfulness in the past allows us to remember that He will be faithful in the future.

What has God done in your past that gives you confidence for the future? Take a few moments today to examine how God has worked in your life in the past, and rest in the certainty that God is working in your present and will be working in your future as well.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Ami Samuels

Why do we as Christians expect the throne here on Earth? We expect that our life will be fair and unscathed, but the Bible says in Luke 9:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Picture Jesus carrying his cross to his crucifixion. It was heavy, unbearably heavy. And we somehow misinterpret or misunderstand, because it seems many of us are disappointed when we realize that Christianity on earth resembles the cross we bear rather than a throne. I myself still struggle with the fact that life isn’t fair, especially when it pertains to my children.

We are called to live our lives striving to emulate Jesus’ life. To do this, we need to be reminded of the life Jesus lived. Jesus lived a life of loving the unlovable, a life devoted to God, a life of total sacrifice, and a life of servanthood. That is the example he left for us to follow.

He was well deserving of a throne, but the example he left for us was one of sacrifice and servanthood. Not a life for us to sit back, get comfortable and be served, but to serve!

As a young Christian, I remember thinking that if I dotted all of the i’s and crossed all of the t’s, so to speak, that things would be easy, that life would be good. As I dove into the Bible to understand what I was doing wrong, because I thought I was doing all of the right things, I quickly realized that the Bible didn’t promise a life void of trials and tribulation. It promises that God would never leave us or forsake us, and it instructs us to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

The next time we find ourselves saying “life isn’t fair,” let’s remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for sins he didn’t commit and be reminded that we are just passing through this life. Heaven is our home.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Nathan Buck

Have you ever had a serious fight with someone close to you?

As angry as you were with them, as furious as you were with their insensitivity or betrayal, as frustrated as you might have been with their mistake, your desire for relationship with them remained underneath all the rage. Oh sure, there are those times when we do make a clean break from a bad influence or deceptive friend, but that is rare. Normally, anger, rage, and our own wrath towards someone cannot overpower our desire to be with them and share in the good that brought us together.

Marriages and family are great examples of where we see this the strongest. No matter how much they may bug you or break your heart at times - your spouse, your kids, your in-laws, your parents - they are still family. And our desire for family can overcome any injustice or hurt. Why? Because that desire comes from love, and love is more powerful than any divisive thing.

Read Habakkuk 3:1-2. After the difficult conversation Habakkuk has had with God about injustice, and after all the warnings God has given (read parts 1, 2, and 3 of this blog post series), we experience something different from Habakkuk.

It's almost like that moment, after an argument, when you begin to consider what you really accomplished with the fight. That moment when you realize how your words were poorly chosen or your motives were purely selfish, and you begin to consider how this relationship can heal and move forward.

Habakkuk moves from lament and complaint to reflection. He seems to be recalling how God has handled injustice in the past. It appears Habakkuk is recalling God's rescue of Israel from Egypt and perhaps even the events in the Sinai desert, when He gave Israel the 10 commandments.

I recently heard from Bible scholar Ray Vanderlaan that the setting and events around the giving of the ten commandments may have been symbolic of a wedding between God and Israel. Based on the cultural elements of a Jewish wedding, I find a lot of support for this being true. So, let's assume for a second that God's rescue of Israel from Egypt is a classic example of redemption in Eastern culture. And let's assume that the events of Mt Sinai were meant to represent a wedding. Habakkuk would have known this, and his appeal to God in these first two verses would be even more powerful. Let me paraphrase them with this context included:

“Oh Lord, I have heard of your works [rescuing Israel], I stand amazed at how far you would go to do this. Do it again! Do it again God today! And in your anger [like you had with our rebellion before at Sinai], remember mercy [your love for your bride]”

I invite you to reflect on this, and think about it in your relationship with God - the amazing confidence that God will establish justice, and He will purify us and the nations of the world. And the humble trust that His love will always be the motive he operates with. No matter how hard the discipline or correction, God's love for His people and His desire for all people to know Him through Jesus Christ will always come through.

Habakkuk braces himself, remembering the character and nature of God's love. And as Habakkuk prepares to face whatever judgement comes, he also trusts that God will have the same integrity as He had before. God loves His people, and even His strongest discipline - even destruction of the wicked - is rooted in His love for people.

I don't know where your walk with God is right now, or whether you believe in God. I challenge you to take these verses from Habakkuk and adopt his attitude toward God: unwavering trust in God's love, even when justice brings consequences to you.

If you have something hidden, or your have anger toward God or anger toward someone else, give it to God. Tell Him about it and ask him to help you let go of it so that you can have His best outcome for the situation. Trust, that He loves you, and no matter how hard the consequence, the end result will be His overwhelming love and favor to build something beautiful in and through you.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Charlie Wolcott

No one likes being insulted or mocked. No one also likes being passed over when you are the one meant for the position for what you need to do. What is the proper response to being rejected when you are supposed to be recognized? What is the proper way to handle doing a job and being treated as though you are doing a lesser job? I write about this because this is what God is still trying instill into me.

A few weeks ago I wrote about “Amen Living,” and the lesson I wrote about this is still something that has not properly worked its way into me yet. I wrote about how we should live faithful, honest, trustworthy lives so those around us do not even have to think twice about how it is going when we are around. But what happens when you are faithful, loyal, doing your best, and you still are not being recognized for it?

In my 25 years of being a Christian, I can say this has been the biggest challenge of my life in terms of my spiritual maturity. I have always had that pure, honest, child-like faith and yet here I cannot think of another time where I have struggled so much in trusting God about a given situation. It is especially difficult to keep walking the straight line God has told you to walk, when you go the direction he’s called you to go and people that you need in your path to take you forward just do not do it.

What happens when those in authority over you seem to want to keep you where you currently are and not let you advance? What happens when you have an agreement in writing for something to happen and the other party does not follow through? I am in two situations right now where I should be getting paid and recognized for a job I am doing, when my formal title is of a lower position and a significantly lower pay. I am also in a situation where I have a contract with a company to produce something I have written and I have only received one of the three works promised in the contract. In both these cases, I have been recommended by several people to get lawyers about it. And to be honest, I really could do that and I would not be in the “wrong” to do so.

However, I have never felt any peace about going that route. One thing God has made clear to me is to NOT try to force this to happen. It has been very difficult to obey that. I cannot tell you how many times I have vented my frustrations to God wanting to rip some heads off. David understood these feelings; just read through the Psalms as his enemies chased him from cave to cave. David wanted God to smite them, but he put his trust in God. One thing that is amazing about David is that he always praised God for who he is and what he has done, despite being constantly rejected and being hunted by an enemy that wanted him dead.

What did David do in all this? Did he seek to solve the problems in his own means? Actually no. David was the anointed king of Israel and he had an opportunity to take the throne and kill Saul. One of his best men had a spear pointed to Saul’s head while he slept. And David said “Don’t touch him!” It’s easy to read about, but when you are living a situation that resembles it, it’s not so easy to say, “I’d do that too.”

David was a man who experienced a lot of rejection and unworthy recognition and pay for what he did. And yet every time, he did not take legal means as he could have, nor did he take matters into his own hands. That is what God has told me to do in both my situations. Do not try to force their hand. Do not try to make it happen. I’ve seen in my time on the mission field what happens when people get the call to go to missions and they jump the gun, going before God has them ready. It does not end well. I could easily hire a lawyer and force those I am dealing with to do what I want them to do. But how would that really benefit me in the long run? Will it help my witness? Will it help me grow? I can easily see it ending in disaster and doing far more damage than I’d like.

As hard as all that is, there is one thing that is even harder: taking the humble position. Stop grumbling about the situation that is not as you think it should be, even if what is being done to you is legitimately wrong on any level. Is God not above the situation? Does he not turn the heads of those in authority to do as he wishes? Do you (or I) complain about your situation every time the topic comes up, or do you speak what God is doing through the situation? In mine, while I am not being recognized for the job I am doing, what I am doing has done more for me in preparation for the job I want to be recognized for than anything in the past.

Again back to David: after being anointed king, he went back to the sheep. He was not recognized for what Samuel did for him, but he also did not complain about it. He stayed humble and did what he was asked to do without whining or complaining. But as he dealt with the sheep, he encountered the lion and the bear. And that lion and bear prepared him for what would come with a giant. And that giant was a challenge that those best trained in man’s ways could not handle. But a young boy, trained with sheep and loyal to God’s Word, could take him down.

What is God preparing us for? When the world slights us, when they pass us over, reject us, or hold us back when we are supposed to be heading towards a destination God has given us, do we trust the giver of our mission? Or do we more trust the obstacles in our path to keep us from it? I’m still learning this. And it’s a lesson I would like each of us to grasp.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Steve Risner

[This blog post is part of a series. The previous post is here, and the next post is here.]

Last week, I concluded with Romans 8:19-22, which quite clearly tells us all of creation was cursed because of Adam's sin and the creation was unwillingly involved. But Tyler Francke claimed that creationists use passages like 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 to argue that animal death was the result of man's sin. Last week I touched on why that is simply not the way I view that passage at all. This week, we'll conclude the answer to this “question no young-earth creationist can answer.” I'm gonna jump right in where I left off, so check out last week’s post if you haven’t yet.

So Tyler goes on to expose his lack of understanding by saying, “To argue otherwise is not only to nullify this passage and many others, but also to call into question whether Christ’s sacrifice really addressed the full ramifications and consequences of our sin.” No. It does none of this. In fact, the “full ramifications and consequences of our sin” are brought out in Romans 8:19-22. All of creation was subjected to the curse! All of it, from the furthest rock floating in space to our precious little FiFi to our children and ourselves. It's all been “corrupted” and subject to decay. The end result of decay for a living thing is death. We return to the dust of the ground. But since we, as image bearers of God, have an eternal part to our being, we ascend into the presence of God (if we have Him in our hearts). Doesn't Revelation 21:4 sort of tell us what it was like in the Garden and what it will one day be like in heaven? “Death shall be no more” sounds pretty awesome to me! It seems like death is part of the theistic evolutionists paradise. No, thanks. What heaven will be like is summed up in Revelation 22:3 when John writes that no longer will anything be accursed! Praise God!

Is death the result of the Fall? God said after He created everything that it was “very good.” So let's ask this question along with Answers in Genesis: “What kind of a 'god' would deliberately use a process of death, disease, famine, and struggle to make the world, and then declare it to be very good?” That's thought provoking. It's dismissed by evolutionists, of course, but that doesn't make the question go away. Tyler says, “The whole notion of animal death being a 'not-good' amendment to God’s perfect original creation is ridiculous on its face.” So Tyler does not believe death is bad? Tyler is “very good” with animals (and possibly human beings) suffering, being afflicted with disease and/or dying as part of God’s perfect creation? Placing natural evil in Genesis 1 affects our ethical system and our view of God’s character. I realize that death is actually one of the major focuses of evolution—theistic or otherwise—but Christianity is about life. Carl Sagan tells us that “The secrets of evolution are time and death.” Sounds really terrific, right? Death is a functional part of the humanistic philosophy embedded in Darwinian evolution. The God of the Bible and Darwinism are not compatible at all. David Hull comments:

“Whatever the god implied by evolutionary theory and the data of natural history may be like, He is not the Protestant God of waste not, want not. He is also not a loving God who cares about His productions … The God of the Galapagos is careless, wasteful, indifferent and almost diabolical.”

Jesus came to destroy death—a result of the curse—and restore our standing with our Creator. 1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us specifically that death will be the last enemy destroyed. How does it stand to reason that death, our enemy, is part of the perfect creation of God? What's death got to do with sin? Read Leviticus and see how Jesus is the culmination of that sacrificial system God instituted. Something must die because of sin. The code in Leviticus told the Hebrews how to go about covering their sins. It was something that needed done repeatedly. Animals are not humans. That's why Jesus came and died for us and that death perfectly atones for our sin. He was one of us. Another reason animals can't be saved—Jesus was not an animal. He was, like all humans, in God's image.

And if we cannot know these things—that God created the world in six days without death and suffering and it was only corrupted by man's sin which passed his dominion on to the deceiver—things which are spelled out very clearly in the Bible, then we cannot know anything from the Bible. If that message is too muddy or to disconnected from our 21st century “enlightened” society, then the Bible as a whole is without any merit to us and cannot be trusted to give us anything useful. Theistic evolutionists want it both ways, for sure. They want us to believe that clear teachings of Scripture that have been solid doctrine for centuries—even millennia—are just simply not interpreted correctly when the language is clear and the writing style is in line with an historical account. And on the other hand they want us to believe other foundational doctrines of Christianity clearly spelled out in Scripture are correct and reliable. You, Tyler, cannot have it both ways. To rewrite some of the Word of God is to disregard all of it. Otherwise, it's your opinion against another as to what is truth and what is not. We're not talking about the disagreement between Christian brothers and sisters about whether or not women should only wear dresses or if Christians can drink fermented beverages. This isn't about if we are supposed to fully immerse a believer when they're baptized or sprinkle water on them. It's not about what words are “vulgar” and what words are okay to say. This issue is on the foundation of the entire Word of God and the very reason that the story of Redemption had to played out—why Jesus left heaven, lived here as a man a perfect, sinless life, was killed for our sin and rose again three days later. Why did that have to happen? Because of Genesis 1-3. If death is not the result of sin, then death is part of God's perfect world and that contradicts a great deal of teaching on eternity with Christ.

To wrap up, Tyler then says, unbelievably, “Please, let’s jettison this silly dogma once and for all, and have a purer — and more biblically accurate — faith to present to the world.” I would love for Tyler to drop this childish idea that Darwinian evolution and the Bible are compatible. I would be so excited to find he’s decided the Bible is true and the source of Truth, rather than disfiguring it with atheistic humanism at its very foundation. Only in today’s world where everything is upside down could someone abandon the truth of the Bible while claiming they only wish to uphold it as the Word of God. He wants to be “biblically accurate” but wants to rewrite a good portion of it to fit his preconceived notions. As we discussed within the last few weeks, this is like the atheist who says he believes in God. He's claiming to desire a more Biblically accurate theology while in the same breath is scrapping a very critical piece of foundational Christian doctrine. Silly, indeed.

The magnitude of Biblical illiteracy by this man and, in general, theistic evolutionists is really an amazing thing. They claim to adore it, to honor it, to accurately represent it. But in reality they know little about it and misrepresent it at every turn. Knowledge of the Bible is critical for any Christian. Study it, folks. It's a light in a dark place and it's a weapon against the assaults of the enemy.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.

by Bill Seng

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” ~Habakkuk 3:2

Throughout human history, fame has been acquired in various ways. Some are conquerors, like Alexander the Great. Some are artists, like Leonardo da Vinci. Still others through their ability to govern rise to incredible levels of fame, like Ronald Reagan. The accomplishments of men are few and insignificant. We amuse ourselves over small deeds that quickly fade and are forgotten. God’s deeds are enduring and will always be remembered. Although we deserve his wrath, he shows mercy.

Mankind deserves destruction. The entire human race is rebellious against God. Entire nations rise up to declare their disdain for the good ways of the Lord, and yet he allows rain to fall on the wicked and the righteous alike. His great love is truly remarkable.

The funny thing is that God has chosen that which is foolish to the world to be his crowning jewel. You might recall the stories of the ancient Israelites and how they were enslaved by the Egyptians. God delivered them from captivity and the world took notice. He split the waters of the Red Sea and commanded them where to go. When they would enter great cities of their day, even in small dispatches, fear gripped the people. They heard of the Lord’s fame and how he delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. Israel had to have felt pretty special to be chosen by the Creator of the universe to be his precious jewel.

God’s love for Israel was great, but it was not because the nation of Israel was great, powerful, or more numerous than other people. In fact, God chose them because they were small compared to the other nations. As they would travel from city to city and nation to nation, people would realize that their success in conquering the land God had promised was not their own doing, but truly the work of God. His hand would turn against those he was driving out and help Israel whenever the threat seemed too great. When the burden of their own wickedness escalated too high, he disciplined them and offered deliverance.

Jesus came to the world when the burden of sin was too great. It was for our sake that God loved the world, the entire world, so much that he would not let it descend into absolute darkness. Jesus died for our sins so that would could follow God. In his day, his fame spread throughout the land. Today, his fame continues. In our own nation, millions of people bow to the name of Jesus. As his fame spreads throughout the world, people hearing the Gospel for the first time are filled with hope. They choose to follow Jesus because he is good and his fame was spread by the words of his people.

Spread the fame of Jesus. His mercy is great. His love endures forever. Praise God all the days of your life.

This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration.  All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved.  Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.