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Should We Pray for a Video Game?

Have you ever prayed for a video game? It sounds just a little bit silly at first, but at CGO the idea of praying for a video game seems to come naturally. To let you in a bit on how we do things around here, let me first tell you CGO plans to host a Call of Duty Black Ops server when it comes out in November. How can we pray for this game? We first and foremost pray as a reminder that we will use this game to glorify God. We pray that this game will enable us to reach out to gamers who might not yet know God and the Salvation offered through Jesus; to bring the "good news" so to speak. We pray that the developers of Black Ops will have given us tools to administrate the game to help us keep the gaming environment as friendly as possible. We pray that God will energize our efforts and provide us with the wisdom to compellingly present the Word of God to those who so desperately need it. We give prayers of thanks to the Lord for all He has provided to us, including the volunteers, computer skills, and fellowship of our Christian brothers and sisters.

How Do We REALLY Know if there is a Heaven?

We don't. If we could know for 100% that there was a heaven and hell, if we could absolutely prove that God was real, then we wouldn't need faith. God has provided for us ample evidence of His existence throughout creation. Indeed, our very uniqueness as humans separates us from the rest of the creation (and should since we are the only beings made in the image of God). But, in the end, it's a step of faith. Not of blind faith, but faith never-the-less.

[This is an actual post from the CGO discussion forums. Join this discussion here.]

Battlefield 2 Is Back!

Dust off your Battlefield 2 discs or go buy it new (it's cheap nowadays) and join us for some old school action on our new BF2 server. Saturday nights have been busy when +CGO+ members and friends have gotten on the server and played most of the evening.

So many of our members and regulars found CGO through our hosting of BF2 in the past several years. As most know, we have a busy COD4 server at present, which now serves as a main contact with our CGO community. Have played them both for more hours than I care to admit, one thing I've noticed is that the slower pace of play in BF2 allows for more communication in the in-game chat. No wonder it was such a great gateway of fellowship in the pre-COD4 days.

The Bible is Meant to Be Read!

Philosopher John Locke claimed that we are born with a tabula rasa or "blank slate," and that all of mankind is born with an innate understanding of morality. This can be easily seen simply by looking at the moral similarities throughout cultures. No culture has ever existed that has embraced cold blooded murder, stealing, lying, or cheating as virtues while at the same time condemning courage, integrity, and honor as vices. All of us "know" that what Hitler, for example, did was wrong. This is because we're all born with an understanding of morality. The source of this knowledge comes from the character of God. It's part of what goes into being made "in the image of God," as the Bible reads.

A person can have a basic understanding of morality, and can even go so far to think that humanity itself is not intrinsically "good." These conclusions can be made apart from Scripture. However that's really only a starting point. The Bible is necessary. One cannot witness to people and lead people to faith without heavily relying on Scripture.

People have been led to Christ because of the example of a believer. As Christians, we should shine the light of Christ in everything we do. The Holy Spirit can convict people and open their eyes to their sin simply through the example of another believer. These are all important things.

We can look for a formula but God is bigger than that. He doesn't just work in one particular way. However, it is clear that Scripture - the Bible - is the primary way in which God communicates. Indeed, Scripture is a gift from God, and out foundation for everything as Christians. Everyone is encouraged to read the Bible regularly and to pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to a true understanding of your salvation in Jesus Christ.

Is it Hard to be a Christian?

I think for those people who haven't yet accepted Christ and started on the path of being a Christian, it can be a daunting decision to take that leap of faith. There's potential ridicule from friends and family who aren't yet believers. There's perhaps a feeling of unworthiness in contemplating being the "perfect Christian." And of course there is the worldly pull of sin and distraction that wants to keep hold of us, especially young people.

For those who fear losing the friendship and love of others if you do choose to accept Jesus, I would say: "The love of Jesus is far greater than any other love you have know. You will not suffer from a lack of love if you accept Christ in your life."

For those who fear that it is hard to be a Christian, I would say: "The reward we receive is far in excess of any cost we might incur in our lives. The cost of our reward was paid for by somebody else - Jesus Christ." I would also suggest, "Yes, being a Christian can be hard. Thus, the sooner in your faith you learn to trust in God, and the strength He provides, the better."

If you have questions about accepting Christ and becoming a Christian, talk it over with a Christian friend, relative, or pastor. Feel free to post your questions or observations about being a Christian. If you have had these questions and overcome them, please feel free to post about your experience as a Christian. Click HERE to visit the CGO Forums.

Do You Have Time to Tithe?

When we hear about "tithing" it is usually in the context of giving a portion of our income, our money, back to God. We often hear references to the the Old Testament verses that relate a full 10% is the minimum amount of our income to devote to tithing. Paul wrote in the New Testament that we are to set aside a portion of our income to support the church. Clearly, almost every Christian would agree that providing part of our financial blessings to ministry is Biblical and a blessing to us.

But what about our time? I would venture to state that God wants our time more than he has use for our money. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul tells us, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." What was that Paul? How much time? The answer is that God wants ALL of our time.

Some may say that if God wants to be in on ALL of our time, that seems just too much. After all, God created us to perform tasks in our lives. Watch over the earth. Raise our families. So we can't just stand around "worshipping" all the time, right? I believe that God wants us to live full and happy lives doing meaningful things. Enjoy the outdoors. Enjoy your family and friends. Support yourself and family with your work. Even Paul was a tent maker.

I have a verse taped to the shelf at my desk which reads,"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,...It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Col. 3:23-24). This tells us exactly what and how much time you should be giving to the Lord. "Whatever you do," it says. How much more plain can this be stated? God wants to be with us always! In the good and bad. He won't shy away. Whether we're performing boring yard work, or on an exciting fishing trip; or even playing a video game, we are told to do it as for the Lord.

Does this mean we are free to engage in sinful behavior so long as we fool ourselves it is done for the Lord? I don't think even the best doubters would believe that. I think what it means is that we all need to evaluate our daily lives, and make our plans and lives according to what brings glory to God and what doesn't. The Bible tells us exactly how to keep our lives on track by going to God in prayer on a regular basis. In John 14:13-14, Jesus states that we are to pray for "anything" in Jesus' name and He will do it. There is nothing too big for God.

Make time for God to be with you today and every day. He wants to be with you. He wants you to be with Him now and always. Give generously to God with your time.

Review: Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West (PC)

I downloaded Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West on my Steam account this past week to try out the new old west themed FPS game. Priced under $15, it provided an inexpensive opportunity to try out something fresh and different than COD4 or MW2.

The game is rated "Mature," apparently because of the amount of blood produced during the shoot-outs. I've so far noticed little or no text or dialogue at all, much less any profanity or vulgarity. However, I have not played the single player or "practice" mode yet. That could hold some language surprises I suppose.

The multiplayer mode allows players to band together via the steam interface. You can either join an established game by selecting from a short list of available games, or you can create a new game yourself. While no dedicated servers exist, you can select an "invite friends" option that takes you to your list of Steam friends to place invitations to play. This can be done while already in the game or before creating a game yourself.

The gameplay is very basic. The developer states, "The game is mainly about jumping in a play easy set-up games with and versus your friends online. Story and background is therefore mainly there to enhance the mood and setting of the game. There are no lengthy campaigns as such in the main game release." Your choice of players is limited to four: a gunslinger with a pistol, a "sniper," a deputy-type character with a levered rifle and a pistol, and a close combat minor-type character with a bit shotgun and who can throw a lit keg of gun powder that explodes. There is no way to change the player kits of the various characters that I've discerned.

The multiplayer teams are generally about five players. There are several different game types, Greed, Powder keg, Robbery, Conquest and Shootout, which include the standard straight combat and flag capture varieties. I've not noticed any voice chat options, but text chat is available for teams and all players. (I've already been told by team mates how terrible I am!)

One thing that takes some getting used to is that the view of your player is a hybrid of 3rd person and 1st person. You are in 3rd person view as you move through the maps, but are transferred to a 1st person(ish) view when shooting. This does take some patience. Aside from that the game offers some nice features such as healing of teammates and a "synergy" feature that increases player effectiveness as experience points are accumulated during gameplay.

Verdict: Barring any language issues yet unknown, the game's M-rating appears to be due to its use of blood during the game. The blood is cartoonish and over-exaggerated, but is present nonetheless. With no way to turn off the blood graphics, it could be a bar to some players. Aside from that, this game provides a refreshingly different setting of FPS gameplay that will provide an opportunity for players to get a dose of old time wild west shootouts. A big plus is the ease of includings friends in the multiplayer gameplay despite the lack of dedicated servers. Lastly, the cost of this game coming in at under $15 makes Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West a safe investment to have on hand when you need a break from COD4, MW2 and BFBC2 for a while.

For more information from the developer's interview see this link: http://worthplaying.com/article/2010/3/5/interviews/72835/

LifeWerx!

Welcome to a new type of study here at +CGO+,

Starting Thursday April 8th at 9PM EST(Tonight!)on +CGO+'s Ventrilo server. The new study is called LifeWerx:

The vision of LifeWerx is a place where CGO and its faithful can come together and have orchestrated fruitful discussion about common issues of life in matters in and out of Church and as they have pertained to past and present generations. These open discussions would not only incorporate the Biblical aspects of any given subject, but also bring in the perceptions of the world of those individual topics. We may also see many misconceptions the world might have of the Christian viewpoint and search for ways to rectify those.

LifeWerx will replace our Tuesday Bible studies, and as part of this change we will be moving this topical study to Thursdays for the meantime. We look forward to seeing you all there. God Bless...

Pray for Non-Believers

There's a Facebook page group urging Christians to pray for atheists during the month of April. "We want you to select an atheist friend or relative and pray for them by name each day during the month of April, 2010 (and beyond!). It’s easy and could make an eternal difference for someone you love," they state. It's a great idea, and I would encourage all Christians to keep nonbelievers in our prayers all the time.

The Easter time brings Christianity to the forefront of our media, and with that extra attention may come opportunities to discuss God, and especially the salvation offered by Christ's sacrifice, with those who have not accepted Christ. If you don't have that direct opportunity, it would be good time spent to offer prayer for those still not accepting God in their lives.

"Lord, we are humbled and thankful for Your love. The sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift - one we can never repay, but we can honor with our praise and commitment of our lives to Your will. We pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to strengthen and energize our faith. We pray that the Holy Spirit fills the lives of those who have not yet found You in faith; that they may be afforded the eternal reward of salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ! Amen."

Have a blessed Easter celebration.

Foolish for God?

I read a blog article of an "ex"-Christian that called into question Paul's comment of being a "fool" for Christ (1 Cor. 4:10). The author makes a strained attempt to illustrate that Christians really don't follow Paul's instruction to be fools for Christ, since, and I can't really make this up, Christians are actually quite sensible folks. (The evidence was that Christians put locks on their doors, are "rich" and aren't working 24/7 to clothe and feed the needy; and are therefore not really foolish).

First off, why would it be foolish to help and feed the needy? But it's an impossible argument when it comes to this type of faux-reasoning. The argument is, at its core, that Christians don't follow the letter of the Bible and don't perfectly lead the lives Christ and the Bible would tell us to. NEWS FLASH: That's absolutely true! We Christians are failures when it comes to living perfect lives and perfectly honoring the Bible and God. It would be foolish to believe otherwise.

So what did Paul say about being a fool? I'm not a Biblical Scholar, but I think Paul was telling us that when men see Christians as fools for believing in their faith of God, we have truly won. For we have shown our faith openly, and have no care as to what other men think. For it is Christ whom we serve.

The great thing is that God knows we are imperfect, but has offered us the gifts of love and Salvation through Jesus Christ nonetheless. Christ once stated, "Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone." Of course, nobody could, because we've all fallen short. God knows this, and loves us anyway. That is all that matters.

Ultimate Online Game?

Part of being in a group called "Christian Gamers Online" is that you have a license to discuss computer games! We have certainly been doing this in the past few months as new releases have become available. But most of what we have been doing is just reacting to what the market has brought. Wouldn't it be great if we could craft an "ultimate game?"

The first thing our ultimate game would have is an easy to use game administration program; one that makes it easy to communicate with the players and limit foul language and player names. This is a must-have for any group wishing to maximize fellowship while also creating a family-friendly playing environment.

Another priority would have to be that the game be fun! What's fun? Well, if the popularity of COD4, Battlefield, and other FPS games is any indication, we're talking about a team-based battle game. Some of these are more complicated than others; and some have more complex team strategy methods, but I think the success of COD4 would allow us to point to that combination of ease of use and complexity as a good example. Just like COD4, our ultimate game would need to have a variety of maps and gamestyles to keep things from getting monotonous. Of course, the ultimate way to ensure this is to allow fans of the game to create "mods" of maps, player kits, and gamestyles. Think of it, one day you could be playing on a map of a modern day city with a modern combat kit, and the next you could play in ancient Europe dressed in chain mail and iron weapons! Yeah, the gamer in you is interested now, right?

Well, what else should be part of an "Ultimate Game?" What am I missing?

"Finishing Well" and Chasing Rabbits

Update on this book. Recall that this book is about maximizing your life experience when it comes to the "second half" of life. As author Bob Buford explains early in the book, many of us spend our first half of life like we are "chasing rabbits." Think Greyhounds on the race track. He relates a story of how the mechanical rabbit broke down in one race, and the dogs were able to do something they hadn't done before - they caught the rabbit! Buford writes, "But they didn't know what to do with it. They were just leaping around, yelping, biting each other, totally confused about what was happening." The same thing can happen to us when we finally catch the "rabbit" in our lives - whether that is fame, wealth, the bigger house - whatever it was that we have been working so hard to achieve. The trick, Buford writes, is to find a "rabbit" for our lives that won't break down; one that will sustain us in our second half of life.

What kind of rabbit should we be chasing? Just as is taught in Mens Fraternity (http://www.mensfraternity.com/), Buford tells us that we need to find a cause that transcends our own life. Find something bigger than yourself. There is a clear connection here to the eternal reward of eternal life. Is our scope of view and purpose limited to what happens while we live our present days? Or do we care about something much bigger? The rabbit we must chase must outlive our time here on earth. It has to be something that we can see has an implication on another life with an inexhaustible future.

"Finishing Well" is going to give us sixty examples of the real life "uncatchable rabbits," the causes and purposes of people who've had success, but then set out to pursue something more meaningful and lasting.

"Politeness Costs Nothing"

I came across this phrase today while I was reading online. A person defined this phrase as follows: "Politeness costs nothing" means that any person can be polite and friendly without having to pay money for it. Wouldn't you agree with that? It's such a simple concept that I'm amazed that it is ignored so often, especially in the world of online discussion forums. The "best" of us are guilty at times too. Whether our motivations are pride or arrogance, or we simply fall back on rudeness that is covered by the anonymous nature of the internet, there is really no good excuse for being impolite.

Well if politeness costs nothing, is there an expense associated with rudeness? I would hope the plain answer is a resounding "yes." There is a saying that nobody remembers the good things you do, but everyone will remember the bad. This is true in sports, relationships, and in our participation in online discussion forums. Discussion forums on the internet seem to be the perfect setting for misstatements and misinterpretation of meanings of what we type. A lazy sentence or two, or an imprecise attempt at written sarcasm in a discussion forum can quickly lead to misimpressions and hurt feelings. The lack of intonation in written communication often leads to defensiveness and escalation written jabs. Before you know it, the original topic has been forgotten and a battle of "who's the best/smartest/quickest/etc." is on.

The price of politeness is nothing. The cost of rudeness, or even just imprecision in our communication, can be great and lasting.

Battlefield Bad Company 2

This game was released by Electronic Arts, Inc. a couple of weeks ago. Many of our CGO members now own it, including me. It's rated "M" for mature, and the primary point of contention about this game has been the foul language. In addition to creative and frequent use of the dreaded "f-word," this game has apparently also gone as far as to take the Lord's name in vain. Well, that last one is a Ten Commandment issue, and thus, is a really big deal. I've read on several online forums how anybody bringing up the language issue is usually electronically beaten down by other posters who point out such things as (in no particular order of popularity): 1) Foul language is common in "real" war and if you're going to play a war game you have to get used to it; 2) If you don't like it then don't play the game; and, the less imaginative, 3) "F&*@ You!" It's a rough crowd in the online forum world sometimes.

My issue with the Battlefield Bad Company 2 game is not with those who want to insult the players who chastize us for complaining about the bad language. Rather my issue is to ask the question, "Why alienate such a big part of the market for the game?" I and thousands, if not millions, of other gamers got my start on great games such as "Battlefield 1942" and "Battlefield 2;" which were rated "T" for mild language and violence. "Battlefield 2" in particular was by all accounts a huge sales success. It could even be argued that Christian Gamers Online might not even be around but for BF2. So one has to wonder why Electronic Arts felt it necessary to put out BFBC2 with the "M" rating when it had so much success with the "T" rating in BF2? Tossing everything else aside, from a business standpoint it just seems simple that BFBC2 would have appealed to a broader market with a "T" rating. Objectively, the market numbers go down when retailers such as GameStop have policies barring sales of "M" games to minors.

Perhaps I'm wrong in my assumptions on market share and sales forecasts. Surely, EA has complex market reports and studies on this very subject. Maybe there are subjective factors they consider as well? Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was released a month or two before BFBC2, and it is laced with foul language as well. Perhaps the "industry" is now including "M" ratings and/or fowl language as requirements in this level of FPS games? Or....could it might just be that the gaming industry has missed the mark when it comes to judging what the market wants when it comes to the language in games? Perhaps these recent releases are just now having the impact on the consumers (i.e. - the players and parents and kids of the players) that will cause us to take a longer pause before buying the next "big game?"

More to come: The Game's Out Now - Solutions?

Power of Prayer

We have a "Prayer and Praise" forum on our website that people will post concerns or praises on all the time. I'm always amazed at how many responses come from all these different people, most of whom don't know each other. Does the prayer work? Sure does. Prayer is communicating with God, and it works when we truly take our concerns and praises to Him. Recently, our group faced some challenges to our operation, and we considered our options in how to handle the challenges. When no easy answer came, we collectively decided to take time out and seek guidance through prayer. The solution to our challenge soon stood out clearly and the challenge is now behind us. What did God do? He certainly listened. He gave us a feeling of assurance. And just perhaps he helped us open our eyes to more clearly see our situation in such a way that we could also plainly see its solution. Perhaps that is what prayer does for us best: It helps us "get quiet" and more fully open our eyes and ears. Maybe prayer is a gift from God that allows us to focus on what matters; to help filter out the distractions of our lives and consider those things that are Godly and inspirational?

Finishing Well?

I've participated in Men's Fraternity programs for the past three years (http://www.mensfraternity.com/). In the last session, Robert Lewis recommended a book entitled, "Finishing Well, (What People Who REALLY Live Do Differently)," by Bob Buford. The book is a collection of interviews with "individuals for whom age 40 and beyond has been an opportunty to further their significance rather to rest on their success." I intend to read the book over the next week and gain some insight on what patterns can been seen in how successfull people handle the second half of their time here on earth. The book jacket already gives some hints: "If people see their best years behind them, they're probably not going to finish very well," and "We can retire from our jobs but we can never retire from our calling."

What I'm anticipating to learn from this book is something I already practice; that you shouldn't define your life just by what you do for your work. Sure that's a part of it, but there has to be something more; there has to be a central theme in your life that represents greater ideas and a greater cause than your own self-interest. I'm looking forward to reading how 60 other folks describe this in their lives.....

Christian Fellowship in a Gamer's World

It's important for Christians to have fellowship with one another. Christian Gamers Online offers a unique ministry on the internet, where anyone, whether you're a gamer or not, can come and discuss any aspect of faith, biblical questions, or seek prayer. One of the ways we do this is to have regular online Bible studies, prayer nights, and general daily fellowship on our Ventrilo server.

CGO is not a replacement for anyone's parents. Our advice for young people is to always honor your parents by involving them in your life. This includes telling them what you're doing online or letting them know about your gaming. We have had many people tell us that they appreciate the fact the CGO sponsors a gaming environment that monitors the gaming and offers a positive atmosphere. Video Game Ratings often note that online experiences may change. This is very true. Many online gaming areas have no restrictions on profanity, for example. However, CGO strives to limit the negative player conduct that can come with online gaming. CGO sponsors online servers, where we attempt to provide an atmosphere free from profanity, etc. Our gaming servers have scrolling messages about Jesus, selected Biblical scriptures, invitations to join our Bible Study,etc.

So, can Christians share in fellowship while playing a computer game? Sure thing.

Gaming For God?

Christian Gamers Online, Inc. (www.ChristianGamers.Net) is a unique online ministry where people interested in gaming can come and discuss the games, and also get some exposure to the Word of God. Since December 26, 2004, www.ChristianGamers.Net has had millions of visits. Visitors to the website are encouraged to participate in our forum area which has topics such as "Prayer and Praises," Biblical Questions, Religious Discussion, and many gaming-related topics.

Christian Gamers Online, Inc. seeks to sow the seeds of faith in a wide range of people, from any and all geographic areas. We're not a church; and we encourage everyone to become involved in a local church and local Christian community. Hopefully, these seeds of faith blossom, and the word of Salvation through Jesus Christ is spread.