Thursday, December 31, 2009

Russians Going To Blow Up Asteroid



The asteroid, Apophis, supposedly has only a 1-in-45,000 chance of hitting Earth. But that's too close for comfort for the Russians so they're planning a mission to steer it away from us.

The US is not sure this is a good idea. All the Russians promise is that it 'won't involve nuclear explosions' and that they 'will obey the laws of physics'.

The Word of God speaks of an asteroid which will fall to the earth during the Tribulation time:

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters: and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter" (Revelation 8:10-11).

We are living in the time of God's grace where these trumpet judgments are all future, but as the Lord Jesus Christ is absent and rejected in this world, these days are called "man's day" where man is the measure of all things, and he is the fixer of all problems. It is interesting to see how far man has progressed with the mind and matter God has given him.

P.S.
As we prepare to enter a new year, may everyone reading have already taken the step of trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior, and have appropriated His death as the payment of ALL sins, past, present and future. He truly is worthy to be trusted. And then, a very Happy New Year to all.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

New Year's Blue Moon




Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve.

Ringing in 2010 we will be treated to a blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color. 'Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a 'hunter's moon' or a 'harvest moon'.

A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.

A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.

"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:1,3,4)

Ah, yes, what is man that God is mindful of us?

We are created in His image (Genesis 1:26) and He loves us (John 3:16).

As God is mindful of us, let us be mindful of Him in this new year.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

How silently the gift is given. . .

Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon virgin mother and Child,
Holy Infant, so tender and mild--
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!
--Silent Night

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heav'n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But, in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.
--O Little Town of Bethlehem

Monday, December 21, 2009

December 21 - Solstice


The Solstice Seen from Newgrange @ AMERICAN DIGEST

Wonderful Christ

For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
-- Isaiah 9:6

The Case For Christmas

Defense and Confirmation: The Case For Christmas with Lee Strobel

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Daystar

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” - Luke 18:8

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near,
Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn,
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return,
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till Thy inward life impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine;
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiance Divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day. --Charles Wesley

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Mother

"The dying person's spiritual vision often begins even before death," apparently because the two worlds are drawing closer together, so to speak.

It is as if the other world penetrates and infuses this one with a peculiar but distinct energy, something most people can experience when in the presence of the dying loved one.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Weasel

"Here's looking at you, kid."

Casablanca (1942)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Quiet sun. . .

"This lack of sun spots is a genuine issue for concern."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Fences . . .


"I would like to know what I was fencing in and what I was fencing out."- Frost

The Kookaburra song. . .


Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra,
Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Eating all the gumdrops he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra,
Stop, Kookaburra,
Leave some there for me.

(I loved singing this song when a young girl. Don't remember where it was taught but probably in grade school where we would listen to a teaching program on the radio each week and learn new songs. Also our teacher, Mrs. Gustafson, played the piano and introduced many unusual songs. I'm sure I didn't know what the strange words meant. c. 1954ish)

The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a carnivorous kookaburra in the Kingfisher family well known for its laughing call. It is about 18 in. in length and is found throughout eastern Australia and neighboring islands.Its trademark "laugh" is to establish territory amongst family groups. When one bird starts, often others will join in, including nearby birds from rival tribes, which can fill the bush with their calls.

Marion Sinclair wrote the song in 1932 for a contest being held by the Victorian Guides. The competition was for an 'Australian round' song. A gum tree is a name for the eucalyptus tree. There are more gum trees than any other kind of tree in Australia. Gum tree leaves are the favourite thing for koalas to eat.

Measuring oneself. . .

Mozart: [hesitantly] I never knew that music like that was possible!
Salieri: [uncertainly] You flatter me.
Mozart: No, no! One hears such sounds, and what can one say but... ”Salieri."

[about Emperor Joseph II's musical tastes]
Salieri: Actually, the man had no ear at all. But what did it matter? He adored my music.
(Amadeus (1984) - Memorable quotes)

Salieri measuring himself to Mozart falls way short!

Consider a true measure to measure ourselves:

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ...Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;" (Ephesians 4:7,13).

Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Let's set our hearts on that measure.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

A goodly heritage. . .

"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Psalm 16:5-6 KJV).

heritage n 1. something inherited. 2. a condition, lot, or portion acquired by being born (again -to be qualified to inherit).

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman...to redeem...that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts...wherefore thou art a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:4-7).

Monday, November 30, 2009

Childhood fun . . .

"Snap the Whip" by Winslow Homer
I loved being part of "Crack the Whip" as we called it. It almost felt like flying when you were on the end and the whip snapped. We would do it on the ice rink too. Always someone got hurt so finally the "Whip" was not allowed.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Blue Tanzanite

In 1967, the gemstone of the 20th Century was discovered in Tanzania, Africa.

The rich, bluish-purple colored gemstone is now known as the December birthstone.

I think it is the most beautiful of gemstones.

Seeking for Me


Elizabeth "Bette" Majors
September 15, 1915 - November 21, 2009

Dearest Friend,
Faith has now become sight!

Bette played and sang many songs of her Savior, Jesus Christ, but one that is not well known, in fact to me she is the only one who knew this song, expresses her faith and hope. I can hear her singing .... Seeking for Me

Jesus my Savior to Bethlehem came,
Born in a manger to sorrow and shame;
Oh, it was wonderful--blest be His name!
Seeking for me, for me!
Seeking for me! Seeking for me!
Seeking for me! Seeking for me!
Oh, it was wonderful--blest be His name!
Seeking for me, for me!

Jesus my Savior, on Calvary's tree,
Paid the great debt and my soul He set free;
Oh, it was wonderful--how could it be?
Dying for me, for me!
Dying for me! Dying for me!
Dying for me! Dying for me!
Oh, it was wonderful--how could it be?
Dying for me, for me!

Bette is now absent from her body and present with the Lord.

Friday, November 27, 2009

The checklist. . .


So there’s a checklist, formal or informal. I used to put it on them -- go take a look, and anything that’s yours and out, take care of it. Of course they wanted to do a sloppy job. It’s not bad, it’s human. But there’s accountability too.

After they got used to the rules, they’d know that any toy they left lying around, I’d keep for a while. Put it up high, where they could see it but not have it.

Mean? I smile with thin lips, and call it justice.

(taken from Forgotten Prophets)

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanks To God!


"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20)

Thanks, O God, for boundless mercy
From Thy gracious throne above;
Thanks for ev’ry need provided
From the fullness of Thy love.
Thanks for daily toil and labor
And for rest when shadows fall;
Thanks for love of friend and neighbor
And Thy goodness unto all.

Thanks for thorns as well as roses,
Thanks for weakness and for health;
Thanks for clouds as well as sunshine,
Thanks for poverty and wealth.
Thanks for pain as well as pleasure--
All Thou sendest day by day;
And Thy Word, our dearest treasure,
Shedding light upon our way.

Thanks, O God, for home and fireside,
Where we share our daily bread;
Thanks for hours of sweet communion,
When by Thee our souls are fed.
Thanks for grace in time of sorrow
And for joy and peace in Thee;
Thanks for hope today, tomorrow,
And for all eternity!

(August Ludvig Storm, Swedish Traditional Hymn "Tack O Gud" - 1891)

Thanks to God! is one of the most popular Swedish hymns that found its way into many of our evangelical hymnals.

August Storm was born 1862, in Motala, Sweden. He converted to Christ in a Salvation Army meeting and although he suffered a back ailment at the age of 37 that left him crippled for life, he continued his Salvation Army work until his death. The gratitude expressed to God ranges from the "dark and dreary fall" to the "pleasant, balmy springtime," and "pain" as well as "pleasure." There is gratitude, warmth of text and a folk-like quality in the music. Go to http://www.hymntime.com/ (Johannes Hultman score) to hear the melody.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Poppies


Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,

Drows'd with the fume of poppies...


- To Autumn, John Keats

Monday, November 23, 2009

Scientific thought, free or not?


Amazon.com: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed: Ben Stein, Richard Dawkins,

Darwinism leads to Atheism.

Your worldview determines your conclusion to scientific hypothesis.


The way to expose darkness is to turn on the light. Ben Stein turns on the light in the academic community. Well worth your viewing.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Beacons of light . . .

There is no ideal place to live. Every place you go, you are going to find an earth totally contaminated with sin. Children are hungry, people are suffering from war and pestilence -- there are so many heartbreaks.

Some people try to escape the world by moving out to the country. I have found this doesn't work because there is no place to escape from yourself.

We are directed to be beacons of light to this lost world. You can't be a beacon while hiding in a cave.

Economics


Morality represents the way that people would like the world to work--whereas economics represents how it actually does work.

(Freakonomics, p. 11)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Greek Euro Coin



The abduction of Europa by Zeus in the form of a bull.

How many people are aware that the Greek two Euro coin depicts a woman riding a beast (Rev. 17:3).

Of infinite value. . .

What is the future? Something that Jesus said to not concern ourselves with. Not urging us to irresponsibility. It's just that towers fall and crush passersby, and armed men come and make victims out of citizens. It's why people believe in fate. I don't believe in fate any more than I believe in the assurance of earthly blessings. God keeps his promises. He just never promised to keep us safe. He deals with eternity.

God is forgiving, but reality is not.

See how it is? We are victims of choices, our own or of monstrous mothers and murderous scum. Victims of happenstance as well, having turned right instead of left, or waited a moment instead of moving. What horrors have we missed, for such choices? Or suffered?

I see people speaking of the future as if it were a real thing. We have to act as if it were. That's what hope is. But always in my heart I hear the sound of stifled sobs, memory of lost loved ones and the triumph of evil. Compassion is easy. Some people bleed it.

In the things that matter we must persevere.

The cat came back. Murdered little molested girls don't come back. Somehow, though, God will find comfort for them, and redress, the wounds to their souls healed, and the price in suffering they have paid will buy them, somehow, comforts of infinitely greater value. I forget this most of the time.

My self-esteem can absorb occasional failure, and learn from it. It makes me wiser, and eventually stronger. That's how God sees his fallen creation. It can be full of failure, and yet, somehow, be of infinite value. Enough, somehow, to be worth an infinity of suffering.

(From Forgotten Prophets, November 17, 09)

Monday, November 16, 2009

Memories



"Why should the old envy the young?

For the possibilities that a young person has?


Instead of possibilities, I have realities in my past, not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered." -Viktor Frankl "Man's Search for Meaning"

Mother now lives in her memories. She loves being there.

Don't say it is a waste.

Heart to heart, Mother, I hold you in my memories too.

Nature's secrets. . .

John Calvin, from his commentary on Genesis,

"To be so occupied in the investigation of the secrets of nature, as never to turn the eyes to its Author, is a most perverted study; and to enjoy everything in nature without acknowledging the Author of the benefit, is the basest ingratitude."

Bring them in with the truth of the Bible . . .


Youth pastors have to attract kids; at least that's what they are told. A very wise youth pastor said,

"What brings them in keeps them in."


The idea is that if they are brought in by novelty, and if they are brought in by something exciting or bizarre, whatever it might be, that's what they are looking for. We're in a day of advertising, we're in the day of infomercials and all of that,

but

it cannot be applied to somebody who is seeking out truth, God's Word, God himself.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Keat's Eremite. . .


BRIGHT STAR, WOULD I WERE STEDFAST by John Keats

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art---
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors---
No---yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever---or else swoon in death.

Eremite:

An eremite (pronounced ERR-uh-mite) is a 'religious recluse', someone who, from religious motives, has retired into a solitary life. Both eremite and hermit came into English late in the 12th century and were used interchangeably for over 400 years. Hermit is now the more common word. In Modern English, especially since the 16th century, eremite is most often used poetically or to create a certain effect. Time magazine referred to J.D. Salinger as "the eremite of Cornish, N.H." in a 1999 article.

In the poem "Bright Star," Keats speaks of "nature's patient sleepless Eremite." The reference is to an unidentified star which, like a hermit, sits apart from the world. Frost, in "Choose Something Like a Star," refers to the steadfastness of "Keats' Eremite."

Bye, Bye, Birdie . . .


Under the microscope this icon of evolution might not have been a bird at all" (Hotz, "Bye Bye Birdie: Famed Fossil Loses Avian Perch," The Wall Street Journal, page A1, October 23, 2009).

According to the new research, inferences about growth rates made from studies of Archaeopteryx's ancient fossilized bones show it developed much more slowly than modern birds.

Archaeopteryx isn't the only evolutionary icon losing its claim as the ancestor of birds. In recent months we've seen paleontologists increasingly arguing that the entire clade of dinosaurs should no longer be considered ancestral to birds.

As the WSJ article states: There are lingering doubts that birds today are descendants of dinosaurs.

(My granddaughter and I watch the Dinosaur Train on PBS and their latest program just stated that birds were descendants of dinosaurs. Just who can you trust, eh? We'll have to have a talk.) : )

Linear, Cyclical, and Human Collapse

















From Defense and Confirmation:

Now that we have combined cyclical and linear concepts into a single explanatory model of history, only one detail remains for the articulation of a complete paradigm.

For accuracy’s sake, the trajectory of linear progression is best illustrated by a downward sloping line. Drawing the line in this fashion sets the Christian view of history apart from other linear progressive models discussed in previous postings.

Unlike the evolutionary or Marxian views of history, humanity is not improving but finding new ways and methods to rebel against God. In Romans Chapter One, Paul summarizes how the reprobate mind works when he reports that human beings are “inventors of evil things.”

For the purposes of illustration, please consider the diagram that is depectied above titled, Law of Human Collapse Diagram.

(Pastor Bryan's articles can be found at www.defenseandcomfirmation.blogspot.com)

Word Faith and Mind Science


Mind science, whether Christian Science, Religious Science, the Secret, or the word faith movement, is active today.

Dave Hunt says these things are in reality, "recycled Hinduism, shamanism, and New Age folly.

One of many huge lies is its claim: 'You create your own reality with your mind.'

This was the serpent's false promise to Eve-the promise of godhood (Gen 3:5).

Embracing that delusion cost Eve and her descendants Eden's paradise-and would have barred mankind from heaven had not Christ died for the sins of the world.

In the 6,000 years since Eden, the serpent's promise has not been fulfilled in even one person's life."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/art_within_america/the_wreck_of_the_edmund_f.php

November 10, 1975

by Gordon Lightfoot

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee.
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the gales of November came early.
The ship was the pride of the American side, coming back from some mill in Wisconsin,
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most with a crew and the Captain well seasoned.
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when they left fully loaded for Cleveland,
And later that night when the ships bell rang, could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling?

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound and a wave broke over the railing,
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too, t'was the witch of November come stealing.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait when the gales of November came slashing,
When afternoon came it was freezing rain in the face of a hurricane West Wind.
When supper time came the old cook came on deck saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya,
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in he said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in and the good ship and crew was in peril,
And later that night when his lights went out of sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the words turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized, they may have broke deep and took water, And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings in the ruins of her ice water mansion,
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams, the islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed, in the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral,
The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee,
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Hero


Police Sergeant Kimberly Munley.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Principles of God's final judgment . . .


Romans 2

1. According to truth (vs. 2)
2. According to accumulated guilt (vs. 5)
3. According to works (vs. 6)
4. Without respect to persons (vs. 11)
5. According to light received (vs. 12)
6. According to Paul's gospel (vs. 16)
7. According to the inward heart (vs. 17-29)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The true Word of God. . .


The Bible, the true Word of God, gives the only account of the creation of the universe, then reports the only resurrection from the dead, and finally uniquely reveals God's grace in providing salvation by faith apart from works, recognizing the impossibility of attaining God's perfect standard by human effort.

The Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator and Redeemer, gives eternal life to all who trust their souls to Him. --Henry Morris, The God Who is Real, pgs. 100-101

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Faith is the substance . . .


For most people, the word faith is simply another term for "wishful thinking." But that's not the way the Bible describes it. According to Hebrews 11:1:

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen."

substance = L. substo; sub and sto, to stand. In a general sense, being; something existing by itself; that which really is or exists; something real, not imaginary; something solid, not empty. equally applicable to matter or spirit. Thus the soul of man is called an immaterial substance, a cogitative substance, a substance endued with thought.

Faith is substance, not a force we can manipulate. And, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10.17).

(Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of The English Language)

The truth is still the truth. . .

A lie is still a lie, even if you’ve been believing it for 40 years; and the truth is still the truth, even if you’ve been believing it for only two weeks.

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8.32) KJV

"Jesus saith, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14.6).

The most shocking thing . . .

The words of C.S. Lewis,

"Among the Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He were God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among pantheists, like the Hindus of India, anyone might say that he is part of god or one with god. There would be nothing very odd about that. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God in their language meant the Being outside of the world who had made it and was infinitely different than anything else. And when you have grasped that concept you will see that what this man said was quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips."

Monday, November 2, 2009

The eternal spirit. . .

Imagine a universe where there is life, and that life ends. What sort of a universe would that be like? A very strange place. First, life would have to have arisen randomly. An impossibility in itself. Randomly I say because a purposeful universe would be directed by intelligence, or God if you will, and God is not capable of creating life that ends.

Animals? Their souls must return to that vast subclass of life that loses its identity when it becomes nonphysical.

The thing that remembers going to the light, but then returns, in near-death experiences? That's not the spirit. That's the soul. Soul is the emotional body, elemental, a sort of ethereal feeling clay that becomes impressed with a shape for a time, which it may retain, but is not a real identity.

We don't have eternal souls. We have eternal spirits.


Friday, October 30, 2009

Bottom line of all sin . . .

Incredibly, the first sin of those whom God created took place in a perfectly holy environment: heaven. That would seem to be incomprehensible, given what Scripture tells us about heaven, the dwelling place of God.

Just as astonishing, Adam and Eve, who were also in a perfect environment and had yet to know sin, were seduced by the same sin as Lucifer ("light bearer"), later called Satan ("adversary") and "that old serpent" (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).

They chose self over God.

That is the bottom line of all sin.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

1812

Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.

"The only winner in the War of 1812 was Tchaikovsky."
- Solomon Short

YouTube - Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture Part 1

Napoleon - French invasion of Russia, 1812

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The fatal conceit. . .

Nobel prize winning economist F.A.Hayek called socialism "the fatal conceit."

Why conceit?

Because socialism's basic premise, according to Hayek, is that "man is able to shape the world around him according to his wishes."

Why fatal? Because, like all falsehoods and misconceptions, it leads to failure, and sometimes disaster.

(The Health Care Fatal Conceit
by Star Parker )

"the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He hath set the world upon them" (I Samuel 2.8).

Monday, October 26, 2009

Predestined to what?

The only two chapters in which the word predestinate or predestinated is found is Romans 8:29-30, and Ephesians 1:5 and 11. You will note that there is no reference in these four verses to either heaven or hell but to Christ-likeness. Predestination means that someday all the redeemed shall become just like the Lord Jesus.

Nowhere are we told in scripture that God predestined one man to be saved and another to be lost. Men are to be saved or lost eternally because of their attitude towards the Lord Jesus Christ.

D.L. Moody used to put it very simply: the elect are the 'whosoever wills' the non-elect the 'whosoever wont's'.

This is exactly what scripture teaches. The invitation is to all, and those who accept it are the elect.

(Ironside on Calvinism)

Transformation of the real. . .

We know (I didn't know but assume the writer is correct) from 100 years of psychoanalytic investigation that an early trauma, often buried or unavailable to consciousness, is the motif that plays through our lives. We meet it again and again in different disguises. We are wounded again in the same place. This doesn't turn us into victims. Rather, we are people in search of a transformation of the real. - Jeanette Winterson, WSJ, October 17 - 18, 2009

I would say the gospel of Jesus Christ is the transformation of the real that every person needs:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5.17).

Those of us who have experienced this transformation have a debt to those who have not found it. People are seeking transformation, and the world system has not answered the loss deep in the human psyche.

I can attest that the new creation found in Christ, is the new creation every soul is yearning for. I praise God for the day when the Holy Spirit witnessed to my spirit my need, and Jesus Christ's total provision for that need, which I accepted by faith. What a glorious transformation took place that moment.

Try it yourself, you'll like it!

Yes, and so much more. You will glory in it every day of your life.

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole,
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me,
Thy great salvation, so rich and free.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The immensity of the sea. . .

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

These timeless words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the French author and aviator, sum up what it means to lead. How tight a ship do you run? Are you the mainstay for your organization or just a figurehead?

Idolatry

Anything that leads to the dethronement of God from the heart.

For example, covetousness (Ephesians 5.5; Colossians 3.5).

NT warnings to guard against idolatry (I Corinthians 5.10; Galatians 5.20; etc.).

Incontrovertible truth . . .

As Mark Steyn's hero and greatest Englishman of the 20th Century, Sir Winston Churchill once wisely observed many years ago.......

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."

The plain thing . . .

“The plain thing is the main thing and the main thing is the plain thing.”

Alistair Begg, senior pastor of Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio, about reading the Bible.

Just wonderin...







I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor on’ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor on’ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

Friday, October 23, 2009

A little lacking in Smack. . .


"The House at Pooh Corner" introduces us to our stuffed hero, Pooh, a teddy bear that belongs to a young boy named Christopher Robin. We also find a fussy Piglet, cynical Eeyore, a rambunctious Tiger, and a clever Rabbit, all living in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The book is full of not-quite-correct language that young children often use.

Reacting to the dutiful applause of his friends after reciting a poem, Eeyore says: "Unexpected and gratifying, if a little lacking in Smack."

Read a bit of Pooh's Corner to your kids and grands...you'll get more than a little Smack as you enter the lives of these wonderful friends.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Force

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." (George Washington)

Why is there something?

Why there is something and not nothing is one of man's basic questions, and one natural scientists cannot answer.

Man is unique. He, alone, among all creatures, attempts to understand the universe and all its aspects to give meaning to his existence.

Jacques Cousteau observed: "The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist; for man it is to know that and to wonder at it."

(John F. Haggerty, October 19, 2009, WSJ)

Truth with tact...

Truth = (trooth) n. that which is true; a fact; reality.

Tact = (takt) n. good judgment in dealing with persons; diplomacy.

Lie = n. a falsehood; not according to fact; untrue.

Truth = God's way.

Truth + tact = It's a matter of survival.

Truth + lie = Man's way of escaping accountability.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4.29).

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Middle verse of the Bible

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Psalm 118:8)

Monday, October 19, 2009

What about Eve?


"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

It was the easiest command God could give.

There must have been hundreds of varieties of wonderful and delicious fruit and this tree didn't necessarily have a different kind of fruit from any other trees. God is not robbing them of something. They weren't going to miss out on anything. It was a test of their obedience and their trust in God. It was just this tree-don't eat of this tree!

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4,5).

Eve did not have the same sin nature as you and I, as she had yet to sin. The environment was perfect. Everything about her life was perfect. Yet Satan introduces this thought and she takes it. She wanted what God told her she was not to have. She was deceived into thinking that this physical fruit has some capability of making a person wise that none of the other trees had.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10). and the wise thing would have been for her to obey God.

She was deceived. She believed the serpent rather than God. She ate.

Man (Adam and Eve) were made in the image of God and now they have fallen from that image because they have rebelled against God, and the spirit of God departs from them and they begin to slowly die physically.

This is our human condition. We need a remedy. Jesus Christ is God's answer to our problem. Him alone...not our wisdom or our good intentions, only Him.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Fossils. . .




It has been pointed out that circular reasoning is used to "date" fossils or strata. Strata is dated because of the fossils found within, while fossils are dated because of the strata they are in. Consequently, those fossils that are not found in the strata in which they ought to repose create a problem. See Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Master Books, pp. 95-96, 136.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Climbing higher. . .

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

Nietzsche & Christianity

L.
I wonder if Nietzsche had a Grace understanding of "rightly dividing the word of truth" if he would have found rest to his soul? Or if he had read THE SILENCE OF GOD by Sir Robert Anderson which was first published in 1907...oh, just a few years too late for Nietzsche. I'm sure he saw the cold orthodoxy of his day as "death". (Here I am trying to understand Nietzsche...what hubris.)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Linear thinkers . . .


While seasonality is clearly observable in history, the acceptance of cyclicality at the expense of linear progression leaves the believer with an incomplete historical paradigm. Mid-Acts Grace Believers utilize a strict linear model when teaching how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. When we speak about how God has worked in the past (time past), how God is working in the present (but now), and how God will work in the future (ages to come), we are utilizing a strictly linear view of history. Time originated in Genesis 1 and is advancing forward in linear fashion toward a prophesied end, the establishment of the new heavens and new earth. When the Dispensation of the Fullness of Time arrives the purpose for which God created time will have been fulfilled. One could argue that mid-Acts dispensationalists are the most linear thinkers around.

From Pastor Bryan's excellent article on his blog: Defense and Confirmation
Defense and Confirmation

No compromise. . .


Winston Churchill


“No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong.”

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Change, not annihiltion. . .

Death brings change, not annihilation. The resulting change is an eternal one--forever in the presence of God or forever separated from Him, forever living or forever in the state of dying.-- A.W. Tozer

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Urbane umber

PRONUNCIATION:(UM-buhr)
MEANING:noun: A natural brown earth, used as a pigment; a reddish-brown color.
ETYMOLOGY:Via French from Latin umbra (shade, shadow), which also gave us the words umbrella, umbrage, adumbrate, and somber. Umbria, a region of ancient Italy, has also been suggested as an origin for this term. The color burnt umber is made by roasting umber (From: A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg)

Another lovely autumn word. Enjoy the slow color fade to russet and umber. It seems Rembrandt used these colors so richly on his canvas as seen in his "Return of the prodigal son".

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

He who overcomes. . .

God gives us enemies for a reason, and He chastises those He loves.

Israel was enslaved by the Egyptians, conquered by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans -- did this signify God's blessing of Israel's conquerors?

God's chosen people were dispersed to the four corners of the earth after the destruction of the Temple. They were despised, oppressed and persecuted.

Had Genesis 12:3 been repealed? God forbid! For somewhere in all this misery and suffering, the Lord of Hosts had a purpose and a meaning.

Yet we see through a glass, darkly, and like Job's doubting wife, many will counsel us to "curse God and die." However, we know that the very name Israel can be translated "he who overcomes." ** (Above from blogger: The Other McCain )



**Israel is the name given to Jacob after his fight with the Angel of God.

The meaning of the name Israel is not clear, although Israel is most likely a compilation of the verb (sara 2287) and the noun (El 93a), the common abbreviation of Elohim.

The meaning of the verb (sara 2287) is uncertain and explained in many ways, chiefly because it is limited to contexts which discuss the struggle of Jacob with the Angel of the Lord, insinuating that where our language uses the common verb 'struggle,' the Hebrew uses a word that is specifically reserved for a certain action: the action of struggling with God. The verb (sarar 2295), rule, reign, act as prince is also often used as the meaning of the name of Israel.

We can not say with certainty what the name Israel is supposed to mean, although it seems to reflect a certain inability of the Almighty God, namely the not being able to defeat a man like Jacob. We can be sure that God doesn't lack the physical strength to eradicate any human being, so we must conclude that the destruction of Jacob would go against the very nature of God. Perhaps the name Israel denotes God's continuous effort to keep Jacob going, even though Jacob continues to fight God.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Hebrew-English Number Table



The English equivalent is below the Hebrew letter (in parenthesis).The number value of the Hebrew letter is below the English letter. The "vav" or English "w" or "6" is highlighted in yellow. Hebrew reads right to left.

"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six (666)" (Revelation 13:18).

Don't sell truth. . .

"Buy the truth, and sell it not" (Proverbs 23:23).

It costs to embrace the truth and costs even more to stand for it. - C.R. Stam

A russet autumn. . .

PRONUNCIATION:(RUS-it) MEANING:noun:1. A moderate to strong brown.2. Any of various articles in this shade: a homespun cloth, apple, potato, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:From Old French rousset, diminutive of rous (red), from Latin russus, from ruber (red). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red) that is also the source of red, ruby, rouge, rubric, robust, and corroborate (literally, to make stronger).

I like the sound of saying russet. It is a wonderful fitting picture-word for autumn, I think.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing


Jesus, born at Tabernacles, fulfils the feast of Tabernacles, as He left His home in Glory and came to dwell in a frail mortal body that night in Bethlehem.

He is GOD in our midst.

Jesus is the Tabernacle of GOD. In Him all the fullness of GOD dwells (John 1:14). "For in Him (Christ) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2:9) .

The ultimate fulfillment will be His second coming to take us to our rest.

Until then He is the rest for our souls, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28) .

As believers in Christ, we should not be asking for Jesus to give us life - He is our life; not to give us rest - He is our rest.

Tabernacles/Sukkot (October 3, 2009) - Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Giving. . .

First Three Rules of Selling:

Love and believe in your product.

Stress benefit to the buyer not the seller.

Don't sell the sales force but sell the product.

Tiny, despised, fierce Israel...

"It is interesting to think that if America is brought low (a no-longer unthinkable notion, unfortunately) and the crazymen that we’re hot to appease in Iran, or North Korea or Venezuela get together to do crazy things, the only fully-functioning and war-ready Democracy left to help the world will be…Israel.

Tiny, despised, fierce Israel."

Friday, October 2, 2009

God is good because He is good...

“He hast not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).

If He loved us while we hated Him, what will He do for us now that we have something approaching love for Him?

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10) .

How can we understand such a God, but to say:

God is good because He IS good.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Opulent October


"October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again." - Hal Borland, 1964

A harvest moon, and trees silhouetted in branchy shadow. Cold, sharp atmosphere that make the stars seem so bright and near you think you could almost reach your hand up and touch them. Opulent October returns once more, just as the Lord promised (Genesis 8:22).

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Flout the devil?


"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5.8).

Martin Luther famously said, "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."

Let's see what Scripture says:

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6.11-12).

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4.7).

We are to: be sober, be viligent, to stand against, to wrestle, and resist the devil...would that include jeer and flout? He ain't a tabby cat, he is a "roaring lion"...best deal with him according to the Word.

Monday, September 28, 2009

The Sword of Grace


What exactly is the nature of this transformation, this re-creation, which lays claim to a man in such mysterious manner? It is perhaps best described by what it is not.

It is not simply a change in thinking, a new perspective, a different set of opinions or a new worldview. If anything, the mind is the last bastion of resistance to its influence, and often the greatest enemy of the very change needed to transform the whole of one’s being.

It is not simply an emotional experience. Although emotions may be powerfully affected, emotions often serve to inhibit or distract from true progress, and are notoriously unreliable guides to its course.

It is not simply a change of the will, a setting of a new direction and discipline to achieve new goals and improve one’s life. The will, indeed, must be conquered, shackled, broken like a wild stallion to suit the purposes of this new Master. The will becomes but servant — rebellious, recalcitrant, resistant, remorseless, fighting its new overlord at every turn.

It is not simply a change of heart — although the heart lies closest to the seat of change, and senses its arrival before all else.

It is perhaps best described as a genesis; an arid fountainhead bursting forth with fresh spring water; an ancient stygian chamber shot through with dazzling shafts of light; a Phoenix arising from the ashes of the heart. There is a primordial recess in the soul of man, a silent sarcophagus unheralded and unseen, which springs to life like the burst of new flora at winter’s demise, when this dawn first breaks.

Thus is the experience of this new creation — but it is far more than mere renewal. It is as well — unexpectedly, surprisingly — a force of sedition with an unassailable foothold in a hostile land, seeking to undermine and overturn the tyranny of self with the sword of grace.

We are now at war. “I have come, not to bring peace, but the sword.”

Its effects are immediate, and often profound. There is a new vision, a grasp of things formerly hidden, a new light disclosing much which was cloaked in darkness, a profound and unbounded joy of discovery, and purpose, and optimism.

The Sword of Grace | The Doctor Is In

(The good Doctor has hit the mark of what it is to be a new-creature in Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia! How wonderful when we apprehend it even a little. It is spiritually discerned and out of reach of the atheist thinking...in fact the atheist mind seems puny and small. Thank you, Dr. Bob. -Linda)

"Nattering nabobs of negativism". . .

William Safire, author, conservative political columnist, and White House speechwriter for President Nixon, died on Sunday at the age of 79.

He wrote, “nattering nabobs of negativism” for Vice President Agnew, which has to be one of the greatest all-time alliterative put downs.

As a remembrance to him, take a look at some of his comical yet instructive “Great Rules for Writing.”

Do not put statements in the negative form.
And don’t start sentences with a conjunction.
The passive voice should never be used.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
A writer must not shift your point of view.
Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!
Avoid clichés like the plague; seek viable alternatives.

As an intelligent man, may he have used his time in life to explore the merits of Jesus Christ, and have trusted Him as his one and only Savior,the only source of wisdom.

"For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. . . .So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:3-4, 12, KJV)

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Yom Kippur


Yom Kipper or the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important holy day of the Jewish calendar. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement was the day the High Priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. This act of atonement brought reconciliation between the people and God. After the blood sacrifice was offered to the Lord, a goat was released into the wilderness to symbolically carry away the sins of the people. This "scapegoat" was never to return.

Time of Observance:
Yom Kippur is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (This year, September 28, 2009).

The observance of the Day of Atonement is recorded in the Old Testament book of Leviticus 16:8-34; 23:27-32.

Yom Kippur was the only time during the year when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the innermost chamber of the Temple (or Tabernacle) to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. Atonement literally means "covering." The purpose of the sacrifice was to bring reconciliation between man and God (or "at-onement" with God) by covering the sins of the people.

Today, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are days of repentance, when Jews express remorse for their sins through prayer and fasting.

On Yom Kippur, the ram's horn (shofar) is blown at the end of evening prayer services for the first time since Rosh Hashanah.

Jesus and Yom Kippur:
The Tabernacle and the Temple gave a clear picture of how sin separates us from the holiness of God. In Bible times, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies by passing through the heavy veil that hung from ceiling to floor, creating a barrier between the people and the presence of God. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter and offer a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. However, at the very moment when Jesus died on the cross, Matthew 27:51 says, "the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent"(KJV).

Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 beautifully explain how Jesus Christ became our High Priest and entered heaven (the Holy of Holies), once and for all, not by the blood of sacrificial animals, but by his own precious blood on the cross. Christ himself was the atoning sacrifice for our sins; thus, he obtained for us eternal redemption! As believers we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.

More About Yom Kippur:
When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Jewish people could no longer present the required sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, so it came to be observed as a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works, prayer and fasting.
Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath. No work is done on this day.
Today, Orthodox Jews observe many restrictions and customs on Yom Kippur.
The book of Jonah is read on Yom Kippur in remembrance of God's forgiveness and mercy.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Miss Pocahontas


Our Miss O was all decked out in face detail and feathers for an Early American study at her pre-school. She loved being Pocahontas...especially repeating the name.

A beautifully visual film, "The New World," tells Pocahontas's story. It's a favorite of mine, even with the Indians protrayed as noble and the white invader a sorry lot of sordid humanity. (A reality check to keep in mind if you see the film.)

The New World (2006)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher Director: Terrence Malick Rating: PG-13 Format: DVD

I bowdlerize

bowdlerize (BOAD-luh-ryz) MEANING: verb tr.: To remove or change parts (of a book, play, movie, etc.) considered objectionable.

ETYMOLOGY:
After Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), a British doctor, who edited the Family Shakespeare, an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's works. Bowdler believed the original wasn't suitable for the delicate sensibilities of women and children. He also edited other books, such as Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Old Testament in a similar manner.

L.
I like watching some movies on TV as they remove the smut, and I have been ashamed at some movies I have recommended after viewing the DVD and hearing the language used. I wish I could bowdlerize "Titanic" (it is way too long and the erotic scenes spoil the movie for family viewing), also "Toy Story" (Sid Vicious is too scary even for me!).

Oh, well, it's art you know. And instead of self-editing, in which I do object, (Mr. Bowdler edited the Old Testament in his misguided zeal!), perhaps it is best to push the OFF button instead.

Do you, or would you bowdlerize too?

No one like you

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

-Dr. Seuss,(1904-1991)

"O LORD...I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139.14).

Grace too easy?

He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it - namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

Maybe the gospel of grace is too easy?

Let's put some impediments, some requirements. Let's make people swim a moat, or climb a rope to the very top, or scour some bathroom floors. Perhaps a ceremony will do?

No?

That's not God's grace you say? Oh,...

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

We are locked onto God's way...it's too easy, but that's what God did through Jesus Christ, and only His Son's work will do.

Thursday, September 24, 2009


The Lena’s Stone Forest is one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Russia.

Known also as Lena’s Stone Pillars, this incredible rock formation is not only beautiful to look at, it’s also holds important information on the formation of the organic world. Fossils from various organisms date back to the Cambrian era.(This according to the geological dating, I believe...no 10,000 year young earthers are in consideration. L.)

Colossal stone statues rise up from the earth and pierce the sky, like giants frozen in time. The pillars are grouped together and stretch for tens of kilometers, along the river banks.

The stone statues are in a part of Siberia not yet touched by civilization and it will take you roughly four days, plus a $500 fee to reach it, from Moscow. It will all have been worth it.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork" (Psalm 19.1).

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said...where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof" (Job 38.4-6).

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Pulling for Leno

Jay Leno scored 18 million viewers yesterday. Letterman draws around 4 million on a good night.

Letterman is your television personality too cool for school. Leno parades around with a United States flag on his lapel.

(Although your five hours a week of viewing Jay could’ve otherwise been used to trash Christians and Republicans by viewing “Law & Order” instead.)

You want to be edgy in the entertainment business today? Be polite and keep the politics as across the board as possible. Walk on stage with the “edgy” goal of wanting to entertain and take away from their daily frustrations as many people as possible.

Jay Leno’s the new edgy. And that lapel flag makes him a downright iconoclast.

I didn’t see his show, but I’m pulling for him because all the right people are not. (by John Nolte from Big Hollywood)

(I don't watch the late shows, but I do have Law & Order on more than not. I'm going to do a better job of pushing the OFF button. How about you?)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

No shadow of turning . . .

"When you meet the Almighty, only truth will do."
-George Washington

Monday, September 14, 2009

A period of grace. . .

Death forces a grace period on all of us. The dying offer the living a final chance to be the best that they can be. We must take our cues from them, value the moments that lead up to and follow their departure, and work toward the acceptance after they are gone.

And round and round we go...




Everything is moving all of the time--even your pet, although it might not be apparent. Like the Earth, the Sun spins on its axis. And the way the Earth revolves around the Sun, the Sun revolves around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Even the Milky Way revolves in a cluster of galaxies. Plus, space itself is expanding, and everything is moving away from everything else. You are not where you were 5 minutes ago.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Endless surprise

Our shame, our brokenness, brings us great pain and wreaks much destruction in our lives. Yet it is by this very means that God equips us to be His hands, His heart, His voice, His compassion. In such can be found a purpose in life unmatched by anything else we might wish for or desire. Such are the ways of the God of endless surprise and limitless grace.

The Engine of Shame - II | The Doctor Is In

Galatians

Today we started the study of the Book of Galatians in our Grace Life School of Theology before the Sunday service.

Galatians is a Book of correction as legalism was introduced to the churches of Galatia. Law (works) and Grace are mutually exclusive. You cannot have a little of one in each system. It is Law or Grace.

Christ + our works do not = salvation.

Christ + our works do not = sanctification.

It is Christ alone, by Grace alone.

Pastor had a good introduction and I am looking forward to studying this Book in detail.

Wish you could join me.

Friday, September 11, 2009

A mission. . .


We close with an even higher authority to explain last night's odd spectacle before Congress.

"We're on a mission from God."

-Elwood, political director for the Blues Brothers:

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Baal worship. . .


Carthage
Most of Roman Carthage (which was the third largest Roman metropolis in the 200-400 era, after Rome and Alexandria - the population was around 300,000) is buried beneath the modern town of Carthage, but some that is accessible has been excavated.

After the Third Punic War in 146 BC, very little remained of the old Phoenician Carthage - except things like these boxes. The Phoenicians worshipped Baal, who required that everybody's first-born be sacrificed. The ashes of these kids were buried in these sad little stone boxes.