Archive for October, 2008
10.31.08
Posted in Religion & More at 5:32 pm by admin
Four times in the Scriptures the Holy Spirit, the Person, is called The Comforter.
John 14:16,17. And I will pray the Father, And He shall give you another Comforter…the Spirit of truth.
John 14:26. But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things.
John 15:26. But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, (the Spirit of truth), Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.
John 16:7-11. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for it I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, 1 will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness; and of judgment: Of sin because they believe not on Me; Of .righteousness, because 1 go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.
These references leave no doubt as to the identity of The Comforter. The Lord speaks of 3 distinct Persons, Himself, the Father, and The Comforter. These 3 Persons are God, but no 2 of them can be equated with each other. Now figure this out. See note on Deuteronomy 6:4 in Companion Bible.
Many years ago a great theologian tried to prove that reprove in John 16:8 really meant enlighten. However there was no proof that such could be the meaning. It is reprove or convict.
There was a special way in which this was fulfilled at Pentecost. But it is still a general truth, the present work of the Holy Spirit, The Comforter.
1. He was to convict the world of the sin of unbelief. This is the root of all sin. But here it is especially the sin of not believing on The Lord Jesus Christ. He came with signs and mighty wonders, and they believed not. The Spirit thru Peter reproved Israel at Pentecost. They were pricked in their heart.
2. He was to convict or convince the world of the Lord’s righteousness. And this was by the good news of His resurrection and ascension. This was proof of His righteousness. His offering Himself on Calvary was accepted by His resurrection from the dead.
3. And the further and final step was that He would reprove the world of their judgment of the Son of God, the Prince of this world. They had judged Him and cast Him out. They killed the Prince of peace, the Prince of life. And when reproved, they said, Men and brethren, what shall we do? They realized then and there that they had crucified the One Whom God had now made both Lord and Christ.
The convicting message of The Comforter’ yet today is to believe (John 3:16); that the Lord was raised from the dead; and that He is seated with the Father in His throne.
About the Author
Paul Griffitts a Bibical Researcher for over 30 years
Currently Paul is the Editor of The Good News Letter for Believer.com
Click here for Free eBook Two Natures in the Child of God
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Posted in Religion & More at 11:05 am by admin
The Right of Passage. by Anthony Smith
Isaiah 64:6-64:6
The Right of Passage. In this world today there are many rights of passage from boyhood to manhood, different cultures and different ways. Many are extremely dangerous. For one reason or another these rights of passage became into being and very popular. Most of them come about because of cults and witchcraft. Many of these rights end up with the death of the participant, many with the foreknowledge of the parents. The right of Passage that I want to speak of today is Sainthood. I have no intention of putting anyone down for their belief’s but to enlighten all in the word of God. For it doesn’t matter what you believe, what matters is what the Word of God says. Did you ever wonder what or whom a Saint is? The dictionary says a saint is; “A person officially recognized, especially by canonization,[To declare (a deceased person){ The Apostil Paul wasn't talking to dead people ,when He called them Saints, was He?} to be a saint and entitled to be fully honored as such.
To include in the biblical canon. To include in a literary canon.
To approve as being within canon law.
To treat as sacred; glorify{ The Bible says to Glorify God, not man}.], as being entitled to public veneration and capable of inter-ceding for people on earth. An extremely virtuous person.” As I looked at this definition, I thought, “If this is a saint then were all in trouble.” Do I really need to be, canonized, officially recognized, an intercessor for people or an extremely virtuous person to be a saint ? And believe it or not I found the answer was NO. I found that anyone can be and are Saints of God. Weather man, recognizes, qualifies, justifies, or puts a good housekeeping seal of approval on it. I know your going to ask,”Who then is a Saint?” The answer, Everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, thats who.Lets look at “A person officially recognized ” Officially recognized by who? Man? And if so, where did this authority come from, man or God? If from God ,then where in scripture is it found? Then if its from man, do they over-step their authority that only comes from God? An intercessor for people? 1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;. Is there another intercessor or mediator, between God and Man except Jesus? If so, again where is His authorization, where does it come from? So what is the right of passage for a Saint? “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Lets read a little. Saints, saints, saints There are 95 verses in Scripture that declair, who is a Saint by the Standards of God and not man. Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,Where these people canonized? No.recognised ? Yes by God. Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: What about these people? Canonized? No. Recognized ? Yes by God. Act 9:32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.Or these? Canonized? No. Recognized ? Yes by God. And what about an extremely virtuous person?, The Apostil Paul never once said, that He was, nor anyone else in Scripture ever call Paul “an extremely virtuous person” 1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Acts 26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. I thought “an extremely virtuous person” had to be a righteous person? So what does God have to say about our righteousness? Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
So then we ask ourselves,Do we worship or pray to Saints? No. The Bible is very,very clear on this matter. Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. I know that there are some who will say,” We are just honoring them.” Thats OK. but who do we honor according to scripture? In the New Testament the word Honor is mentioned 50 times.1Peter 2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. Romans 2:10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: So what am I actually saying about Saints and men who worship them and pray to them and hold them higher than others? Saints are called, predestinated, Justified and glorified-only by God. Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We are all Saints whom believe in the name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We need no other justification than our Faith in Him. It doesn’t need to be written down in mans books, that will perish away at the end of all things but we are written down in a Book that will never perish and never fade away. The Lambs Book of Life. So what is our right of Passage from sinner to saint? John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 1John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ars
About the Author
None
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10.30.08
Posted in Religion & More at 4:30 am by admin
As someone said, there’s nothing common about common sense. Roughly equivalent to Emotional Intelligence, it can be lost, or can fail to be acquired in the following ways:
1. Lose the common touch.
Have more money than common sense (or taste). Use your money to buy your way out of problems and to avoid those nasty mutual obligations and responsibilities that come with real relationships. Quit asking your friends over to help you paint your house – pay a painter. Quit going over there to help them paint theirs – just send a check. You can do that for war relief, poverty, homelessness and anything else that “bothers” you! (P.S. Don’t take your friends out on your boat, either; there are possible liabilities involved.)
2. Don’t get your hands dirty.
Children, dogs, your lawn or garden, real cooking and baking, your house, even your spouse … it can all get pretty messy. No need to “touch” things you don’t need to. Get in your ivory tower and stay there. Deal with it idealistically and theoretically. Read about it. Assign it to others. Don’t test your thoughts and feelings against new realities.
3. Use your power to isolate yourself.
Intimidate others so they no longer speak the truth to you or around you. Consensual validation is part of reality-testing. Lose the “consensus” and you lose reality. If you work it right, you can arrange to hear only what you want to hear and already believe to be true.
4. Establish artificial connections; it’s much safer.
Pay a 3rd party (like a collusionary therapist or social worker) to listen to you talk about your work and relationship problems instead of talking with the real people involved and yanking and pulling in the warp and woof of actual living. Paint it all through your eyes only. Clergy, doctors and coaches could also be used. Just be sure you don’t make any changes or take any action. Contemplation is one thing. Taking action involves risk, involves changing. Whoa!
5. Ignore physiological symptoms and signals.
Just because you’ve had chronic diarrhea since you started that job doesn’t mean it has anything to do with that job. (Stay in your left brain, please!! There’s no “proof”.) If it meant your job was making you sick, well, that would mean you’re a wuss, so avoid connecting up with your feelings. Remain strong! Appearances count, you know.
6. Apply Prozac liberally.
Why experience those negative emotions that are so disturbing? Medicate them! Options include, but are not limited to: prescription drugs, illegal drugs, nutriceuticals, alcohol, a cult, and obsessive exercising, gambling, or shopping.
7. Quit thinking for yourself.
Advice is plentiful; just ask someone else what to do. Why struggle? Pay them for their opinion if necessary, but avoid the hard work and introspection of developing your own wisdom. For extra credit, keep “thinking” and “feeling” totally separate. Compartmentalize everything you can. Bonus points: If something goes wrong, you can blame someone else!
8. Take no risks.
If you take a risk you might fall flat on your face. It’s much safer to maintain the status quo. Just remember Number 5.
9. Stick with what you know.
Stay where you are. Make sure everyone you interact with feels and thinks the same way you do about things. You’ve already made up your mind, so why confuse yourself with new data, or, worse, stirring feelings? Don’t rock the boat.
10. Starve your brain
Avoid new playmates and new toys. Why learn something outside your field when you’re 40, 50, 60? Accept that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering coaching, internet courses, teleclasses and ebooks around emotional intelligence. For the best ebook library on the Internet, go here: http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html . For FREE ezine, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc and put “ezine” for subject line.
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Posted in Religion & More at 2:19 am by admin
“See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Is. 43:19
Until now, plagued by scandals, and unscrupulous business practices, the Network marketing industry was being frowned upon by the Christian community. Many Christians, who once believe that involvement in this industry is an illegitimate way to earn a living, now see it as an alternative to help alleviate financial and funding pressure. For those who have become weary of the ever-increasing benefit cutbacks and lay-offs in corporate America, network marketing and affiliate programs has become the alternative for their survival.
Before the dawn of the Internet, very few people really understood network marketing, and many got taken advantage of, due to ignorance. There are still many more, who continue to struggle to accept its legitimacy because they do not understand the complex nature of the industry. Network marketing is nothing short of word-of-mouth advertising. Word-of-mouth is the most cost effective form of advertising, and many companies would rather pass their advertising savings to individuals willing to promote their goods or services. The industry is being closely monitored and regulated to protect the consumer. Because of this tightened security, the Christian community has now step up to the plate, using this once dreaded medium, to alleviate the constant funding pressure, on Christian families, churches and ministries.
One such company is Spread The Word Ministries. Based in Arizona, this Christian-oriented company has become the largest online Christian bookseller, with over 150,000 Christian related products, surpassing the giant online bookseller, Amazon.com, with approximately 60,000. Of the 5 billion dollars generated by the Christian booksellers industry, only 12% goes back to support ministry. That’s almost a 50% loss to Walmart, who generated 20% in Christian retail sales last year. So the concept of Spread The Word is simple – redirecting Christian spending back to the Christian community. The vision and mission of Spread The Word is clear -”Keeping Christian Dollars In Christ’s Kingdom.”
By providing this funding mechanism, thousands of families, churches and ministries are now benefiting from the program. With their no monthly fee, no annual fee and no quotas to meet, many Christians who have been praying for an honest, legitimate way to earn income, while pursuing their ministerial calling, see Spread The Word as an answer to prayer.
Information contact:
Regina Sawyer
(800) 318-9787 ext 0852
joyfullenterprises@msn.com
About the Author
None
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10.29.08
Posted in Religion & More at 8:59 pm by admin
CHURCHES OF CHRIST SITE DENIES THE FUTURE ANTICHRIST
Dear Mike M. (Churches of Christ) –
The website of the Churches of Christ, though for the most part intensely evangelical, has committed a glaring oversight by alleging that John’s First Epistle does NOT speak of the future, bodily personification of the Antichrist. Instead the emphasis is upon the “spirit of Antichrist” and the doctrine that many “antichrists” are gone out into the world (which is true) and that he who denies that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” is indeed antichrist and that there are “many antichrists” that are gone out into the world who shall arise in the Last Daysyet there shall be the embodiment of a future end-times’ person called in the Bible: THE ANTICHRIST.
In essence, your site denies the tangibility of the Antichrist and commits the issue to a “spiritual reality” only, while denying the preponderance of Biblical justification for such a future reality. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son bears the “spirit of antichrist” only. Yet, you claim there is no such thing as THE Antichrist.
Initially, I dismissed your doctrine as a casual oversight until I realized the profound nature of the error juxtaposed to the Gnosticism which John fought against in the early Church. Denying the “materiality” and thence, the “incarnation” that Jesus Christ came in the fleshand that He resurrected with a physical body and ascended as the “Glorified Man” and is currently seated on the right hand of God the Father as the Son of Manwas the dastardly heresy that possessed the Gnostics and made their error so grievous in the early Church.
However, your site subscribes to a new heresy by denying the future materiality of “The Antichrist” whose titles in Scripture are innumerable! I urge you and brethren in the Churches of Christ to “come to your spiritual senses” and acknowledge the precise error which Satan desires you to embracefor if he is unable to dissuade you of the Son of Man’s physicality, he will persuade you to deny his own personal materiality in the body of Antichrist where he shall find the most fertile of human templesa temple which he shall utterly desecrate by his counterfeit incarnation; and hence, the prophesied “abomination of desolation” spoken of by both Daniel and Jesus shall take place (Daniel 11:31, 12:11; Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14).
This future Antichrist is as physical and as spiritual a reality as the Son of Man and the Spirit of Christ!
See the rest of the article at:
About the Author
http://www.the-tribulation-network.com/dougkrieger/valiant/the_antichrist_is_coming.htm
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10.27.08
Posted in Credit Management, Loans, Money Management at 7:36 pm by admin
The bills are piling up, but your checking account is already overdrawn. Your clunker just breathed its last breath on the highway, and the garage wants $50 (that you don’t have) to tow it to the dump. Your friendly banker is calling to find out why you haven’t paid your MasterCard bill in two months. What do you do?
The first thing you must do, before you do anything else, is to decide you will take responsibility for your debt. That may not be an easy thing to acknowledge, but as long as you feel your debt is out of your control, you’ll never get rid of it. Decide right now that you, and only you, can take responsibility for your debt. Realize that whatever the cause of your situation, finding a solution is up to you . . . no matter how difficult or impossible that may seem.
You’re going to have to find the money to pay off your debt. Don’t count on an inheritance, lottery ticket, or debt consolidation loan to erase your bills. Instead, take a good, hard look at what’s going in and out to find out where you can make changes.
If you have addiction or mental health problems, you must address them first before you can realistically expect to be able to control your debt. Don’t be quick to brush off the idea that you may need help that does not seem directly financial. In 2005, Myvesta.org conducted a survey that found that 49.3 percent of people with debt problems can be classified as depressed; and of those, 39.7 percent report symptoms of severe depression. In comparison, studies have shown that about 9.5 percent of the general population is clinically depressed. If you suspect that you suffer from anxiety, compulsive spending, or depression, get help for it first. Myvesta.org can provide help or referrals, or you can also talk with your physician.
If you do not have those other issues to deal with, or if you are getting help with them, you have some practical work to do. Most importantly you need to understand that you can control two things: how much you spend, and perhaps to a greater extent than you realize, how much you earn.
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10.25.08
Posted in Religion & More at 12:47 am by admin
Lucy “Australopithecus afarensis” originally found by Johansen with
the discovery of a kneecap, which he said proved we were looking at a
transitional species. Then over the better part of 5 years the rest or 40%
of a skeleton emerged and is now hailed as a prime example of a transitional
species between Humans and apes. They claim that the skull shows
characteristics of both ape (sagital crest) and human (incisor teeth).
Now let me stop right there for a second. Whenever I make the above
statement, many evolutionists jump on this and say, “See transitional
fossil, has both ape and human characteristics, making it a prime example of a direct link to modern humans.” What they are failing to grasp is one very
important, Lucy’s mandible didn’t have intact teeth. The teeth that are
supposed to represent Lucy were scattered and collected over the entire site
area consisting of approx. 1.5 miles. Within this area were many, many
modern primate skeletons. Plus several modern primates have incisor teeth very similar to humans (after all, we all have the same designer.)
Evolutionist claim that based on the angle of the knee, that Lucy must
have walked upright, yet they then tell us that her hands and feet were
curved very much like a pygmy chimp, very adaptive to tree climbing. (What they fail to be mentioned here is that no feet or hands were found with
Lucy, they are using bones found from some other skeletal remains found
within the area of 1.5 miles, which covers the same area where Lucy was found).
Johansen also admits within his report that the skull that is shown in
all books as belonging to a reconstructed Lucy, was actually pieced together from 13 different “individuals” which they then make the claim are all
related to Lucy, because they were found in the same vicinity. Speaking as
an archaeologist, I would never be allowed to take materials found over such
a large area and combine them together in order to make a “complete”
picture.
Lucy’s supposed knee angle (where the tibia and femur meet) is said to be 15 degrees. The angle for humans is 9 degrees (the same as spider
monkeys and orangutans) if it was more we would have knocked knees. The
common consensus is that Lucy would have been a very adept tree climber.
Again, most evolutionist point to this to show dual characteristics, but
fail to remember that most paleoanthropologist don’t believe that these
bones all came from the same individual an also that Lucy is put together
completely wrong.
Peter Schmid, a Swiss anthropologist, claims Lucy was not a bipedal walker, but instead would have rotated her torso much like a gorilla. He
points to further flaws in her reconstruction. If Lucy is put together properly then her bone structure isn’t correct. Shcmid says if Lucy is
correct, then the ribs are too heavy and upper thorax is too small to take
in oxygen to cool her. He claims with this setup Lucy would have panted much
like a dog to cool itself off. Despite showing semi-human characteristics,
Australopithecus afarensis is nothing more than an extinct ape.
As a matter of fact, even the famous Richard Leakey considered by most
to be the greatest hominid fossil hunter doesn’t agree with Lucy. He says,
“no determination could be made concerning the species of Lucy and that the skull was merely “imagination made of plaster of paris.”
Here is some stuff that most people are not aware of….
Joseph Weiner, The Natural History of Man, 1971, pp.45-46.
“The ape-like profile of Australopithecus is so pronounced that its
outline can be superimposed on that of a female chimpanzee with a remarkable
closeness of fit.”
Richmond and Strait, “Evidence that Humans Evolved from
Knuckle-Walking Ancestor,” Nature 2000.
“Regardless of the status of Lucy’s knee joint, new evidence has come
forth that Lucy has the morphology of a knuckle-walker.”
The other problem here is that truly no bipedal bones have been
recovered to support the upright walking of Australopithecus. The majority
of all the recovered fossils consist of isolated teeth, mandible fragments,
skull fragments (the top portion of the head) and a few fragments of arm
bones. With this sketchy evidence they have concocted a hugely fabricated
story about Lucy and her “relatives”.
A quote from an education website describes Lucy as follows:
As in a modern human’s skeleton, Lucy’s bones are rife with evidence
clearly pointing to bipedality. Her distal femur shows several traits unique
to bipedality. The shaft is angled relative to the condyles (knee joint
surfaces), which allows bipeds to balance on one leg at a time during
locomotion. There is a prominent patellar lip to keep the patella (knee cap)from dislocating due to this angle. Her condyles are large, and are thus
adapted to handling the added weight, which results from shifting from four
limbs to two. The pelvis exhibits a number of adaptations to bipedality. The
entire structure has been remodeled to accommodate an upright stance and the
need to balance the trunk on only one limb with each stride. The talus, in her ankle, shows evidence for a convergent big toe, sacrificing manipulative
abilities for efficiency in bipedal locomotion. The vertebrae show evidence
of the spinal curvatures necessitated by a permanent upright stance.
So they are saying that only bipedal subjects display these evidences.
Also most of these references are not made based on Lucy but on other bones
found with a 1.5-mile radius. However, for arguments sake lets say all of these bones are from Lucy. Is it possible for a primate (ape, chimp ect.)
to walk upright for long periods of time, enough so that bone structure
might change somewhat? Not saying it’s changing into a human, just an
upright ape. Most people would answer no and certainly in biology class we
are taught to all apes can walk upright for a limited amount of time but
their bone structure isn’t suited for long periods of bipedal walking. Then
how do they explain this:
A black macaque monkey in Israel that for the past five
years has walked exclusively on two legs and no longer attempts to walk on
all fours. This monkey become ill once and had a high fever that doctors
believe caused some form of brain damage. So instead of being able to
switch from knuckle walking to bipedal it only knows how to walk on its two
legs. This doesn’t mean that this black macaque is related humans it just
shows that primates are capable of this behavior. Notice the straight
posture, the long gait, yet you still have curved hands and feet for tree
climbing. Just like Lucy’s description.
Robert Boyd and Joan Silk (both professors of Anthropology), How
Humans Evolved, 2000, pp. 331-334.
“Anatomical evidence indicated that A. afarensis was bipedal…”
“….some anthropologists are convinced by the anatomical evidence
that A. afarensis was not a modern biped.”
The general public is lead to believe that Lucy is a concrete example
of life between humans and apes and that it proves we evolved and started
walking upright 4 million years ago. What they aren’t told is that if you
took all of the bones associated with Australopithecus you would not even
fill up one casket. There simply isn’t enough evidence for true science to make this claim. It is all based on evidence that just isn’t there.
A supposed concrete example that is all imagination and the truth is
hidden from the general public or glossed over as not being important.
Written by:
Steve Baird
Author of “Another Road to Damascus: A Journey from Evolution to Creation.”
To subscribe to our newsletter please visit www.EvolutionOnTrial.com and sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every couple of weeks or send an email to creation@bairdclan.com with the title “Subscribe”
About the Author
Steve is the founder of Evolution On Trial Ministries (www.EvolutionOnTrial.com). He holds a Masters of Archaeology and lectures to audiences about the weaknesses of evolution.
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10.24.08
Posted in Religion & More at 10:22 am by admin
The word means different things to different people.
Is it simply an emotion or feeling? Do we only feel
joy when life seems to be going good, when our
circumstances are favorable? Or is there something
more? I’d like to explore what the Word of God says
about this topic.
Psalm 16:11 says “Thou will show me the path of life,
in Thy presence is fullness of joy, at Thy right hand
there are pleasures for evermore.”
Psalm 43:4 says “Then will I go to the altar of God,
unto God my exceeding joy….”
Nehemiah 8:10 says ….”the joy of the Lord is my
strength”.
What these scriptures say is that God Himself is the
source of our joy. And that joy gives us strength.
Have you ever noticed when you’re feeling blue, that
you tend to feel weak and tired too?
Here are some promises God offers us concerning joy:
Psalm 30:5….”weeping may endure for a night, but joy
comes in the morning.”
Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the Lord (His
children) shall return and come to Zion with songs and
everlasting joy upon their heads, they shall obtain joy
and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah 61:3 says “To appoint unto them that mourn in
Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of
joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness, that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might
be glorified.”
Joy is also one of the fruits of the Spirit.
He WANTS to give us joy! Sometimes we think of God as
heavy handed wanting to give us a hard time anytime we
mess up, but that’s not His heart at all, He wants to
give us joy. But will we receive Him in order to
receive the joy He offers us?
Isaiah 12:3 says “therefore with joy shall ye draw
water out of the wells of salvation.”
Psalm 51:12: “Restore unto me, the joy of thy
salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
In salvation (the term used when we ask Jesus to be
our God, our savior) there is joy. I found this true as
well.
As soon as I prayed and gave my life to Him, I felt
real joy for the first time in my life. It was like
coming home. It is beyond description!
Hebrews 12:2 says “Looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
This one blows my mind! Jesus had joy in the midst of
facing being crucified, one of the most painful deaths
one could endure. His crucifixion was right ahead, he
knew it, and he was joyful! Why? Because He saw beyond the
cross, what it would accomplish. It would accomplish
the right for ANY person to be His child and go to heaven if they want to.
He did it for us because He loved us so much and wants
to give us so much, if only we will receive Him.
Here’s some other really awesome thoughts of how God
views us:
Zephaniah 3:17 says, “The Lord thy God, in the midst
of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over
thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over
thee with singing.”
God sings joyfully over us?! That’s what He says. Have
you ever thought that we could make Him happy? All He
wants is our Love, because He loved us first.
In closing one more view of God, Luke 15:4-7 says,
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lost
one of them, would not leave the 99 in the wilderness
and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders
rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice
with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.
I (Jesus) say unto you, that likewise joy shall be
in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over
the 99 which need no repentance.”
Jesus cares so much He seeks out to find the ones
who are lost, and it gives Him great joy when He
finds that one. Even all of heaven throws a party!
If you don’t know this loving, kind and joyful Jesus
of Nazareth, I’d encourage you to simply ask Him
into your heart. Receive everything He so wants
to give you. Eternal life, joy, and the peace of
knowing you’re right with God. Just a simple prayer
to Him anywhere of what’s on your heart will do, and
watch the joy flood your soul! And know also that
you’ve given Him great joy too.
About the Author: By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker /
owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write on
a variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style.
http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com
Source: www.isnare.com
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10.21.08
Posted in Shopping & More at 1:13 pm by admin
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Posted in Religion & More at 2:10 am by admin
It has been said that the one constant in life is change. Most of us, however, don’t exactly welcome change with open arms. In many cases dealing with change can make us want to stay in bed with the covers pulled up over our heads. The odd thing is that we may have the same reaction whether the change is positive or negative. While everyone expects someone to go through a difficult period of transition after a death or divorce in the family, it can be surprising to find that adjusting to a new career opportunity, or a new child, or the new-found freedom an empty nest or retirement provides can sometimes be just as hard.
There are times when change is not that profound. We may not even be able to put our finger on what is different and yet we sense that change is occurring. We often just want things to go back to the way that they were, when we had our comfortable routine and knew our place in the world. Eventually, we know that we will adjust and develop a new routine. Until one day, out of the blue, when we are back to feeling quite comfortable with life, a new change will come and once again turn our life upside-down!
How, then, can we attempt to make change a little less stressful? Here are four ways to help make transitions somewhat less frightening.
1)Pray for Guidance.
One of the scariest things about change is the “unknown” factor. We do not know where the change will lead us. We can often feel like we are being swept away by the current with no control over the voyage. Sometimes, however, there are choices to be made. Those choices can be frightening due to their life-changing implications. Should I take a new job? Should I move to a new city? Which house should I buy? How should I best care for my aging parents? Any one of those questions (and many others) can have you lying awake at night counting the ceiling tiles. Turn over your concerns to God. It’s helpful to know that even though it may seem that way sometimes, we are not alone in this life. God will help you to find the answer. It may not come as quickly as you might like, but be patient and the answer will come.
2)Acknowledge your emotions, but prepare to move on.
Some changes in life, such as the death of a loved one, an illness, or being laid-off from your job, come without any warning. It’s okay to be angry, sad, grieving, and confused. It’s also okay to let God know your displeasure. God already knows your anger and frustration. God knows the depths of your heart. Why try to hide? Share your feelings with God and offer them to Him.
The time will come, however, to accept the cards that you have been dealt. After praying for guidance, take concrete steps to move forward with your life. If you are grieving, attempt to rejoin the world in some small way. Perhaps do a kind deed for someone else to reconnect with the positive in life. If you are ill, take steps to heal or to manage your illness as best as possible. If you have lost your job, begin to search for new employment. Taking even small steps will help you feel more in control of your situation and provide some hope for the future.
3)Create a Ritual.
There is a reason we have rituals for significant events in life. Rituals are an outward sign of an inward reality: baptisms mark a spiritual new life, confirmations and graduations mark entry into adulthood, weddings celebrate the beginnings of a new family, and funeral rites help us to grieve. Some events are no less profound to the life of an individual but are not acknowledged by a formal ritual. In these cases, it may be appropriate to create one. Marianne Williamson encourages the use of ritual in “The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life.” “If things are good, perform a ritual to praise and thank God. If things are sad, perform a ritual to call the angels to help you endure. Either way, a ritual will envelop you in a light that no material force has the power to bestow.”
4)Acknowledge that God has the Master Plan.
If you look back on your life, you may see a pattern emerge. A set of circumstances that was inexplicable a few years ago may now have greater clarity. What seemed like a devastating loss may have led you to a greater good. God has a strange way of working in our lives. We desperately want to feel in control of our lives, and indeed God has given us free will to make decisions. But so many things are truly beyond our control. We need to trust that God is indeed leading us somewhere. We are the lump of clay in His hands and only the potter knows the beauty of the vessel we will become. Sometimes when we are in the wilderness of change, we need to simply trust in God?s goodness that, eventually, all will indeed be well.
Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is editor of “The Spiritual Woman Newsletter” (http://www.spiritualwoman.net) and author of “Letters to Mary from a Young Mother” (iUniverse, 2004).
About the Author
Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is editor of “The Spiritual Woman Newsletter” (http://www.spiritualwoman.net) and author of “Letters to Mary from a Young Mother” (iUniverse, 2004).
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