Reducing-the-Broth

Beautiful Banff

2010-11-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

For Denise..

Facing Jihad

2010-06-19T11:18:00.003-07:00

Geert Wilders is a Dutch Member of Parliament Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands , at the Four Seasons, New York , introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem .

Dear friends,

Thank you very much for inviting me.

I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe . This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe .

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe . Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem .

The Europe you know is changing.

You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe . These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe , street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe . With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.

Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam , Marseille, and Malmo in Sweden . In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.

Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear, 'whore, whore.' Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin . The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.

In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya, Israel . I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe . San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.

Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France . One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey .

Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.

Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel . First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.

This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia . Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War. The war against Israel is not a war against Israel . It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel , Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel , they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands , 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome , Athens and Jerusalem .

Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe , American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe 's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so. We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.

Please take the time to read and understand what is written here, Please send it to every free person that you know, it is so very important.

Responsibility

2010-06-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Responsible

Response-able; to be able to respond, give account

Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Mat 12:36, 1 Pe 4:5

Old One Entree serving on GoodSoup

2010-01-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

The Old One
True Horse Story shared by Eagle Wiley

...In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses... more

Compelling Conclusion of Everything

2010-01-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

January 9
Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw [Greek: drag] all "He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Philippians 3:21b).

What a mighty God we serve! Exactly how the Lord goes about bringing all things into submission unto Himself is... how can we describe it? It is an art. It is a science. There is a process at work in this universe. Do you see it? It is a process through which the Lord is continually refining, purging, molding, chastening, disciplining, judging, and conforming all things. This process is working itself out on every level, from galaxies, to nations, to the innermost recesses of the souls of men, right down to the very last disciple and sinner.

Throw yourself onto the Rock and be broken; or wait for it to fall on you and be ground into powder (cf. Luke 20:18, Daniel 2:34,35). Either way, sooner or later, the Rock wins, for "He MUST increase, but I MUST decrease" (John 3:30).

©2010 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. Share this message with your friends!

Mark Twain and The Jews

2010-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain and The Jews

”...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

- Mark Twain
(“Concerning The Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, 1899)

Be Thou my Vision

2009-08-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Not for the pictures.. for the lyrics!

God Bless!

A Father A Husband ~ Potluck from www.goodsoup.com

2009-07-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

A Father A Husband ~ Potluck from www.goodsoup.com

A Father, A Husband

One morning, while I was in the living room, I decided to get up and check on dad. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and was given three to six months to live. I became his caregiver. I walked down the hallway, and just before I got to his room, I saw movement in mom's bedroom. I got closer I saw the most tender moment. Mom and dad were dancing to a song only they could hear.

Read more

Hope (1807)

2009-06-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

Quotes from The Youth's guide to wisdom, containing a choice selection of maxims & morals for the rising generation, embellished with numerous engravings (1807)

Hope, like a cordial, innocent, though strong,
Man's heart, at once, inspirits and serenes.

He who serves God has the best master in the world.

Heroes of Israel: Roi Klein

2009-06-23T06:21:00.001-07:00

Heroes of Israel: Roi Klein

Shared via AddThis

Light and Dark are not opposites

2009-06-06T09:14:00.001-07:00

San Diego County stops Bible Study

2009-05-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

According to the couple's attorney, they were questioned about the Bible study. "'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?" The pastor's wife replied, "Yes." "Do you say 'amen'?" the official asked. "Yes," she replied. "Do you pray?" Again she said, "Yes." "Do you say 'praise the Lord'?" Another "Yes." The official told the pastor and his wife they were in violation of county rules.

Don't Eat the Marshmellow YET

2009-05-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Book Sellers Friend

2009-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have returned to this picture again and again. What are these two people talking about? What are they feeling? What are their histories?

Mayo Clinic atrium piano, charming older couple...

2009-05-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Mayo Clinic atrium piano, charming older couple...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-l0tK8Ok0

Cardboard Testimonies

2009-05-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Get out your tissues.

YouTube - A bathroom mirror two inches too high drags family-owned restaurant into lawsuit

2009-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

YouTube - A bathroom mirror two inches too high drags family-owned restaurant into lawsuit

Pictures I made from the Life lessons list

2009-04-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
When in doubt, just take the next small test.

45 Life Lessons

2009-04-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

45 lessons life
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It
is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch

5. Pay off your credit cards every month!

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it (and you know it)

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special and tomorrow may never come.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will any of this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time enough time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved !!

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time.. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Source

The Merton Prayer

2009-04-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
© Abbey of Gethsemani

The Merton Prayer

MOTIVATING THOUGHTS

Laugh More!

It reduces stress, strengthens your immune system, improves cardiovascular health...and just plain feels good.

Talks Stuart Brown: Why play is vital -- no matter your age

2009-03-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

2009-03-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts"...

A billion dollars...

A hundred billion dollars...

Eight hundred billion dollars...

One TRILLION dollars...

Creativity 4 practices

2009-03-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

One fun experiment is to give objects new names. For instance, take a paperclip. Examine it closely, like you just invented it — what might you call it? Try this with a telephone, a T-shirt, a strawberry, or any other everyday object in your life. Often we take familiar objects for granted and fail to notice their exquisite form and detail. Giving them new names is a way to see them with fresh eyes.

What is it?

2009-02-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Tissues required

Pioneer Woman is a quality blog!

2009-02-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

This is a quality blog!

With recipes, and the pictures are wonderful. The confessions section and the homeschooling section are my favorites so far.

We need a satisfactory metaphor for DNA

2009-02-23T09:17:00.001-08:00

We badly need a simple way of describing what DNA does. "Blueprint" just won't do.

No mere tool devised by humans has the complexity of representation found in the genome.

Steeling their courage

2009-02-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

There is hope. And it is growing. Iron workers make a difference to kids with cancer. "As her cousin Megan Souza pointed out the window of a third-floor walkway, ironworkers perched on the sixth floor of a partially constructed building nearby hoisted a massive I-beam into place. It was emblazoned, in bright pink spray paint, with Kristen's name."

Barry Schwartz: The real crisis? We stopped being wise

2009-02-19T10:58:00.001-08:00

A Football Game Gives Hope

2009-02-19T10:54:00.000-08:00

View larger screen on tangle

On prayer

2008-11-30T19:02:00.001-08:00

Kierkegaard

Prayer is listening.

Divine Fire

2008-11-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

We cannot burn the eternal flame of the Inner Sanctuary and remain the same, for the Divine Fire will consume everything that is impure.

What is Spiritual Unity? - an article by Chip Brogden

2008-11-29T07:50:00.000-08:00

What is Spiritual Unity? - an article by Chip Brogden

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL UNITY?
by Chip Brogden

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, - Jhn 17:21 - that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20,21 ESV).

...

What then is this unity? Let us keep reading because there is more to this than mere unity. "That they may all be one." Yes, but how? What does it look like? The answer: "That they may all be one just as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You." Just as. That means in the same manner that the Father is in Jesus, and Jesus is in the Father, so He desires that believers would also be one in Him and in His Father. One in Him is the key.

...

Potluck ~ Life's A Joke and we thank God for it!

2008-08-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Potluck ~ Life's A Joke and we thank God for it!: "Life's a joke, and we Thank God for it.

~ Elmera K. Willis, author, poet

The wondering years as they are called. In my eyes they are all wondering years. No matter what age, sex, race, or religion. We all spend our lives wondering one question. 'What will be?'"

Read whole article

For futher information regarding the author and her works, please visit her website at: http://www.elmerawillis.com

Who is Worthy?

2008-04-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Revelation 5:
Who is Worthy?
by Chip Brogden

"God the Father has appointed Jesus Christ to occupy a position that is unrivaled, unparalleled, unequaled, and unsurpassed. As long as Christ is in this place of preeminence then everything can proceed. Without Him it all grinds to a halt. There is no revelation, no progression in spiritual things, there is nothing but a lot of weeping and waiting and searching for someone or something that is worthy.

"I'm telling you there is none like the Lord Jesus. He is unique, He is different, He is special, He is precious, He is one-of-a kind. If you can get that then you can make progress. If you don't see that then you are arrested. Your spiritual growth comes to halt. That is the way God has so ordered the universe. Christ in the midst, Christ in the center, Christ above and beyond everything else, all things beginning, ending, and flowing through and around and for Him..."

©1997-2008 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

How great, how awesome is He? and together we sing!
Holy is the Lord God Almighty,
The earth is filled with your glory,
Holy is the Lord God Almighty,
The earth is filled with your glory,
the earth is filled with your glory..

Thank you Jesus for this new day,
bless all your children with the knowledge of your constant presence and imminent return.

"How well do you have to know someone to help them?"

2008-03-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Being called "The ultimate human connection

"How well do you have to know someone to help them?" the barista challenges.

Short drip coffee was part of Annamarie Ausness's same morning routine ordered from the same Starbucks barista everyday for nearly three years.

Their relationship didn't go beyond the short exchange, until the day Ausness mentioned she was on the kidney transplant list and barista Sandy Andersen decided to get tested.

Weeks later, "over handing her a cup of coffee I grabbed her hand and said, I'm a match. And I want to donate to you," said barista Sandra Andersen.

The women both started crying with a long line of waiting customers wondering what was happening.

"The world just stopped," described Ausness. "It was just her and I for a moment."

"Life's just too short not to live it, you know?" said Andersen. "So, if I can help somebody else do that, it's a good thing."

14 Year Old Assyrian Boy Decapitated By Muslim Group

2006-10-31T09:27:00.000-08:00

14 Year Old Assyrian Boy Decapitated By Muslim Group

(AINA) -- According to the Assyrian website ankawa.com, a 14 year old Christian Assyrian boy, Ayad Tariq, from Baqouba, Iraq was decapitated at his work place on October 21.

Ayad Tariq was working his 12 hour shift, maintaining an electric generator, when a group of disguised Muslim insurgents walked in at the beginning of his shift shortly after 6 a.m. and asked him for his ID.

TheSchoolOfChrist.Org | Enter The Kingdom

2006-06-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

TheSchoolOfChrist.Org Enter The Kingdom: "What is impossible with man is possible with God. Jesus is the Narrow Gate whereby we enter in and are saved. This much is obvious. So what is the Path? Is it being a good disciple? Is it fasting and prayer? Is it living a more holy life? Is it attending church or doing great works for God? Not at all. For Jesus tells us, 'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.' The Narrow Gate is Christ, and the Narrow Path is Christ. This explains why the Gate and the Path are so narrow. There is no room for you at all. There is no room for self-effort. There is only room for Christ.
To enter the Kingdom is to lay down my life and live the Life of Another. The very thing which frustrates me is the answer to my problem: since I cannot do it, I have to depend upon the Life of Another to do what I cannot do. Hallelujah! I cannot enter again into my mother's womb and be born again, because I am too old; I cannot be faithful to do God's will at all times, because I am rebellious; I cannot humble myself and be like a child, because I am too proud; I cannot have a righteousness that is outwardly perfect and inwardly pure, because I am a hypocrite; I cannot endure tribulation with joy, because I love myself too much; I cannot find my way out of Egypt and into Canaan, because I am disobedient; I cannot just give away from everything I have worked for all my life, because I am selfish. I cannot, and you cannot, and no one can. This Gate and this Path is too narrow, too demanding. It is impossible.
Only one Man has perfectly fulfilled all these requirements - the Lord Jesus Christ - and this Man lives in me now. I thank God that what is impossible with me is easy achievable with Him! 'As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ [Gate], so walk in Him [Path] (Colossians 2:6).' We come to th"

Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches

2006-05-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Is He Lord or Merely a Beloved Symbol?

The present position of Christ in the gospel churches may be likened to that of a king in a limited, constitutional monarchy. The king (sometimes depersonalized by the term “the Crown”) is in such a country no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a flag or a national anthem. He is lauded, feted and supported, but his real authority is small.

WOW...

religion as culture

2006-05-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Religion as culture and what emerges is a religious culture. People
learn to be "Christians" like they learn to be Americans or Chinese or
what ever cultural group they happen to belong to. They learn the
beliefs, words, behaviors and activities that go with that particular
brand of religion. The results are multitudes of religious people who
appear to be Christians, but are complete strangers to the new birth.

This was quoted from a book entitled "Light In This Present Darkness"

picked up from a new forum: TheSchoolOfChrist

Living Together When Christ Is All in All

2006-05-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

Living Together When Christ Is All in All: "His aim in creating new people was that they would stop boasting in their distinctives (that separated them) and boast in Christ (who united them).
That's the point of verse 11: referring back to verse 10 where the new self has been put on and is being renewed, Paul says that in the fellowship created by these new people who are chosen, holy and loved, 'there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all.'
In other words, God is creating a new community out of people who have sloughed off their old selves and put on their new selves. And the mark of this new (chosen, loved, holy) community is [first] that the people in it stop cherishing the things that separate Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman. The new people in the new community do not boast in ethnic distinctives or language or intellect or culture or race or homeland or social status. Those things have passed away. And the number one, primary mark of newness in the new people and the new community is that Christ is all and in all. Don't miss that all important climax at the end of verse 11: 'But Christ is all and in all.'"

The American Spectator

2005-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

The American Spectator

High Ideas of "good sense and gratitude in action", being courageous in battle, to repay debt to those who fought for our freedom and who are fighting now, given as advice from a Dad to a previledged son on his 18th birthday.

Good read.

Dirtbags everywhere!

2005-08-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

so when they insinuate you are a dirt bag... you have to admit there is truth in the statement...

Gen 3:19... In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

One more roll of the dice in Maine's growing reliance on gambling revenues

2005-07-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

One more roll of the dice in Maine's growing reliance on gambling revenues - Fosters

While Maine gets ready for its first slot machines to go into action, the state is weighing how it can assist compulsive gamblers.

Like Phillips Morris running Quit Smoking programs....

These messages are obviously contradictive.

Maturity a rebuke

2005-07-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

Maturity

Maturity, maturity
How thou hast changed!
From glory to God
To sin-bound chained.

From praise to excuse,
Honor to debasement,
God's gift to devils enticings,
Fallen attic to basement.

How mightily, how dramatically
Thou art falling.
How do you retain your glory?
You fraud! Despiser of your calling!

Wisdom stands on the corner,
Foolishness also beckons,
As if judgment will never come
and sins never reckoned.

Discern, oh young person -
From whom do you get your bread?
What glitter and ego stroke?
From what fountain are you fed?

12-04

The rest as they say is HIS story.

2005-07-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was once married to Law. He was overbearing, always condemning me telling me don't do this, you must do that, that's wrong, no don't do that. Not once did he lift a finger to help me- said he was powerless to do so. Worst of all Law was always right. I could never divorce him and he was always going to live forever and so I was totally trapped, without hope. My overbearing husband was simply killing me!!

Then I died to the law........................

The rest as they say is HIS story.

Found on http://s8.invisionfree.com/philippians3 .. author.. NickM

2005-07-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

As soon as I post this, I'm numbered among the hypocrites. So I post, not without risk, but maybe with the hope that we all find ourselves in the same boat, and laughing, maybe we can ask God for help for a change.

Humility vs Hypocrisy

It is vital we understand that Jesus did not condemn sinners; He condemned hypocrites. A hypocrite is a person who excuses his own sin while condemning the sins of another. He is not merely “two-faced,” for even the best of us must work at single-mindedness in all instances. A hypocrite, therefore, is one who refuses to admit he is, at times, two-faced, thereby pretending a righteousness that he fails to live.

Indeed, the hypocrite does not discern his hypocrisy, for he cannot perceive flaws within himself. Rarely does he actually deal with the corruption in his heart. Since he seeks no mercy, he has no mercy to give; since he is always under God’s judgment, judging is what comes through him.

We cannot remain hypocrites and at the same time find Christlikeness. Therefore, the first step we truly take toward transformation is to admit we are not as Christlike as we would like to appear. This first step is called humility.

In our desire to know God, we must discern this about the Almighty: He resists the proud, but His grace is drawn to the humble. Humility brings grace to our need, and grace alone can change our hearts. Humility, therefore, is the substructure of transformation. It is the essence of all virtues.

At some phase in each of our lives, we all will be confronted with the impurities of our hearts. The Holy Spirit reveals our sinfulness, not to condemn us but to establish humility and deepen the knowledge of our personal need for grace. It is at this crossroad that both holy men and hypocrites are bred. Those who become Christlike see their need and fall prostrate before God for deliverance. Those who become hypocrites are those who, in seeing their sin, excuse it and thus remain intact. Though all men must eventually stand at this junction, few are they who embrace the voice of truth; few are they indeed who will walk humbly toward true Christlikeness.

Therefore, sanctification starts not with rules but with the forsaking of pride. Purity begins with our determined refusal to hide from the condition of our hearts. Out of self-discovery comes forth humility, and in meekness true Christlikeness grows. If we are not enlightened to the depravity of our old nature, we become “Christian Pharisees,” hypocrites, full of contempt and self-righteousness. Did not our Master warn of those who, “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt” (Luke 18: 9)? Every time we judge another Christian, we do so with an attitude of self-righteousness. Each time we criticize another church, contempt is the motive behind our words. The irony of our Christianity is that so many churches look upon each other with identical attitudes of superiority!

The modern church has become overstocked with those who, thinking they were holy, have become the exact opposite of holiness because they so lack humility! Yet the humility we seek is drawn from a well that goes deeper than the awareness of our needs. Even in times of spiritual fullness, we must delight in weakness, knowing all strength is the product of God’s grace.

The humility we hope to find must go beyond the pattern of living proud lives, interrupted momentarily by intervals of self-abasement. Meekness must become our way of life. Like Jesus, we must delight in becoming “lowly in heart.” Like Jesus, His disciples are humble by choice.

Hypocrites love to judge; it makes them feel superior. But it shall not be so with you. You must seek earnestly for lowliness of heart. Many zealous but proud Christians have failed to reach Christlikeness because they presumed they were called to judge others. Jesus Christ did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Anyone can pass judgment, but can they save? Can they lay down their lives in love, intercession, and faith for the one judged? Can they target an area of need and, rather than criticizing, fast and pray, asking God to supply the very virtue they feel is lacking? And then, can they persevere in love-motivated prayer until that fallen area blooms in godliness? Such is the life Christ commands we follow!

It stands, notwithstanding, as one of the best pieces on humility vs. hypocrisy I've read in a long while.

"Muslims should" by a Muslim

2005-07-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

A challenge for Australia's Muslims

As a state legislator and as an Australian Muslim it distresses me to say that the London bombings should be a wake-up call to the Australian Muslim community, and to the Australian nation as whole. The brutal fact is that bombs like those used to murder in London could have been and, could still be, detonated here in Melbourne.

The profiles of the London bombers are all too familiar to any person who has been involved with the Muslim community anywhere in the Western world. It's a common story: young Muslim men discover Islam after leading a life of vice: drinking, gambling, meddling in drugs, womanising, then suddenly, without any warning, they are engrossed in Islam.

The initial transformation or conversion appears positive due to the disappearance of the past negative behaviour. For the overwhelming majority of these people, the acceptance of Allah brings about an inner peace and tranquillity that really is remarkable. In this case the conversion has been positive for society.

However, for a small minority, conversion brings to the surface in the individual a ferocious anger and zeal. Not satisfied to keep their newly found spirituality to themselves they constantly push it down everyone else's throat (causing grief particularly to non-practising Muslims). They constantly condemn the "decadence of the West", and are obsessed with the political injustices suffered by the international Muslim community.

The rhetoric is always the same. In fact, the template conspiracy theories perpetuated by the extremist left and right throughout the world get a good work-out. Zionist plot to take over the world, IMF, United Nations, etc - the lexicon is the same as that of any other lunatic extremist group.

These people appear to be vulnerable to brainwashing by charismatic zealots who inculcate them with a cult-like mentality.

Within the Australian Muslim community I have come across a number of former extremist Marxists who have converted to fundamentalist Islam. These people could not just maintain a moderate position between Marx and Muhammad - it seems it's all or nothing with them.

Until two weeks ago, I did not believe the rhetoric of these brainwashed fanatics would ever be matched by action. I thought that al-Qaeda operations would be too sophisticated for them and I believed that, ultimately, underneath the rhetoric, they were rational enough not to throw away their comfortable lives in the West. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

The challenge for the Muslim community now in Australia and other parts of the Western world is to stand up to these psychopaths. Muslims must say enough is enough - we will not let a small lunatic fringe hijack the Muslim religion.

The Muslim community must weed out those that advocate violence or incite hatred of other sections of the community.

The Government should be pro-active in ensuring that Islam is mainstreamed, and that a version of Islam that is compatible with Australian society is propagated. This goes against the grain of our secular system of governance - but if the Government does not act other sinister forces will move to fill the vacuum and, I fear, poison the minds of our citizens.

The State Government's much-maligned racial and religious vilification law should be vigorously enforced against Muslims vilifying other religions. The events in London are justification enough for tough action to stop faiths vilifying and inciting hatred against each other.

On the other hand, the state should not succumb to the temptation of viewing Islam and Muslims as subversives or a fifth column for potential aggressors.

Islam is a religion of peace; however, disturbed individuals commit criminal activity under the name of Islam - Muslims should recognise that and act to weed out the bad apples.

Adem Somyurek is the Labor Party MP for Eumemmerring.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/a-challenge-for-australias-muslims/2005/07/20/1121539028935.html?oneclick=true

FYI: Bittersweet Victory for Chocolate: Study Confirms Health Benefits

2005-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

ABC News: Bittersweet Victory for Chocolate: Study Confirms Health Benefits

...the effects seen in the group of dark chocolate eaters were significant. Those who ate a bar of chocolate every day had a drop in blood pressure, an increase in blood flow, and were more sensitive to insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the body.

The Hebrew Mind vs� The Western Mind

2005-07-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Hebrew Mind vs� The Western Mind: "In the table that follows, we compare the Hebraic mode of thinking with the Western, Hellenistic mode in a variety of categories"

"To try to distill the Bible, which is bursting with life, drama, and tension, to a series of principles would be like trying to reduce a living person to a diagram" – God in Search of Man by Abraham Heschel, p. 20.

"To the Jewish mind, the understanding of God is not achieved by referring to a Greek way to timeless qualities of Supreme Being, to ideas of goodness and perfection, but rather by sensing the living acts of His concern, to His dynamic attentiveness to man. We speak not of His goodness in general but of His compassion for the individual man in a particular situation" (Heschel, p. 21).

-- To know Him (it is an intimate knowing) ... to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength...

Hebrew for Christians :: View topic - Hebrew "Block Logic" reference

2005-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hebrew for Christians :: View topic - Hebrew "Block Logic": "Let us turn, then, to some of the many examples of block logic found throughout Scripture. The book of Exodus says that Pharaoh hardened his heart, but it also says that God hardened it ( Ex. 8:15 ; cf. 7:3). The prophets teach that God is both wrathful and merciful ( Isa. 45:7 ; Hab. 3:2 ). The New Testament refers to Jesus as the �Lamb of God� and the �Lion of the tribe of Judah� ( Jn. 1:29 , 36; Rev. 5:5 ). Hell is described as both �blackest darkness� and the �fiery lake� ( Jude 13 ; Rev. 19:20). In terms of salvation, Jesus said, �whoever comes to me I will never drive away,� yet no one can come �unless the Father draws him� ( Jn. 6:37 , 44). To find life you must lose it ( Mt. 10:39 ). When you are weak, then you are strong ( 2 Cor. 12:10 ). The way up (exaltation) is the way down (humility) ( Lk. 14:11 ). �Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated� ( Rom. 9:13 ; Mal. 1:3 ).

Consideration of certain forms of block logic may give one the impression that divine sovereignty and human responsibility are incompatible. The Hebrews, however, sensed no violation of their freedom as they accomplish God�s purposes. Upon a more careful reading of the biblical text, one can often observe that the Bible views one block from the perspective of divine transcendence�God says, �I will harden Pharaoh�s heart��and the other from a human point of view��Pharoah hardened his heart� ( Ex. 4:21 ; 7:3,13; 8:15). The same is often true of Scriptures which deal with the themes of predestination/election and free will/ human freedom. "

Pastor Ray is my papa.

2005-07-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

My father can talk to anyone. He is a senior who saves $1.51 every time he gets coffee at MacDonalds, which he does every Saturday morning. There are several regulars there. We pulled up last Saturday and a young man out for a cigarette hailed him from the sidewalk. I caught the first two words of the exchange, "THAT woman," he said. He was unloading the story on my Dad. People do that. They seek his ear and his advice. However, the man was not confessing, by his body language and pitch of voice I guessed it was more of an acquisation or gossip. I headed into the restaurant.

Apparently, it turned out that the young man is a homeless guy who recently had a bicycle stolen (some kids ripped off this homeless guy, gees!) He got mad and he got drunk. In unfortunate timing, while having a bout of consoling booze, he also had a bout of loud words with THAT woman. To the young man it seemed THAT woman didnt care that he was hurting and blowing off steam from the injustice done to him by some kids who had just ripped off his whole life! And the woman, offended by his drunkenness, and volume felt the guy had no respect for anyone and she didn't appreciate his foul language and in no uncertain tone and terms had let him know. As a result, the exchange was futile, no one was seeing the other person and everyone was/is offended.

It is easy to see how we get into such things. How do we get out of such things???

"This is a classic example of being previous offended," I mentioned to my Dad. The light went on in his eyes, "YES!," he leaned forward and put his hand on my shoulder. He spoke softly "Are you having a bad day, dear?" Pastor Ray laughed out loud.

2005-06-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Why do you think HE tells us not to fear?

Because He knows we will!

Why does He tell us not to worry or even to take anxious thought?

Because He knows us!

He knows we will worry, fret, fear and baaa- aaaaaaaa.

Hie me to the strong tower!

Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD

Really it is just: “Follow the Leader” Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

16 ordered steps from Psalms 37

The Bible

2005-06-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

What human person could come up with a love story like this one? In a very real sense, the bible is an auto-biography, (a self-writing of THE Life), God revealing Himself, He plays the starring (dieing and rising again) role!

I am in awe!

etruth: The Bible and Narrative

2005-06-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

etruth: The Bible and Narrative

Evan's examples: homosexuality and taking the Lords name in vain cut thru the heated contraversies to heart of the issues. Well done bravo!

The question is not ... does everyone here have their theological ducks in a proper row?... but it is ... what does "_____" reveal to us about God?

Loved this sentence "The Bible, even in parts not specifically written as a narrative, is a story revealed by God to teach us, because it is through story that we not only learn, but are able to join something bigger than ourselves, becoming part of the story."

History is a parade. Scripture is a gradual self-revelation of who and what God is.

iBlog @ 5twenty8

2005-06-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Notes toward a concept of ONE God.

http://5twenty8.com/shane/?p=89 "There is ONE God and that God is the same in the “Old Testament” as the “New Testament”. The Bereans (Jews) used the “Old Testament” to prove Sha’ul’s (Paul’s) words on the Gospel! The “New Testament” was not written yet and this should cause “New Testament Churches” to stop dead in their tracks! They must ask themselves if they could prove their beliefs from the “OT” as did the Bereans who were described as of nobler character."

And a bit of challenge itself. lol

2005-06-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am weary of mottos. I have respect for metaphors. I wander into history, theology, philosophy, astronomy, hebrew language - sometimes all at once - anything can be fodder for meditation. Sometimes I just stew on the circumstances but that is happening less and less. In the end, it will all seem very simple, I am sure.

The speck and the mote

2005-06-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

She takes the mirror out and closely examines her eyes. She sighs loudly, " I'm sorry I just dont see it."

He throws up his hand in disgust and stomps around muttering. 'What a thick-headed, unbelievable...' More clearly he says, "Oh give me a break! What kind of excuse is that?"

Her eyes narrow into slits. "Wait a minute... are you sure you want an answer to that?" She pauses for effect, " Considering you are the one bringing the accusations."

"Honey," he says snubbly, "if the shoe fits."

"Yeah? Here have a look in this mirror - do you see a mote in there anywhere? OH WAIT, I think I found a speck." She snatches the mirror back.

John Seabrook - cultural commentary

2005-06-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some online articles by John Seabrook who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1993. The article "Nobrow Culture" walks the reader from specifics to the general, a personal view to the community impact of commercialism on the quality and availability of today's fashion and furnishings.

Have times really changed?

"In the old high-low world, you got status points for consistency in your cultural preferences, but in Nobrow you get points for choices that cut across categories: you're a snowboarder who listens to classical music, drinks Coke, and loves Quentin Tarantino; you're a preppy who likes rap; you're a chop-socky B-movie fan who prefers Frusen Glädjè to Häagen-Dazs, or a World Cup soccer fan who wears fubu and likes opera."

Is pop culture the fad that gives us our collective identity now? Tattoos are permanent, unfortunately for millions the pop fad will pass.

And on top of it all John is an excellent writer, I loved this sentence: "As I walk past these stores, I can feel this new, upscale mass culture pressing in on me, trying to make me and the rest of the people on the street exactly like each other--each of us a demographically desirable Banana Republican out for a little Sunday consumption."

This article and others at http://www.booknoise.net/johnseabrook/stories/index.html

2005-06-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

Mt 23:23...ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: .... strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Of judgment, for God is righteous and He is the standard. We have nothing to boast about.

Of mercy, for God is merciful and we have nothing to despair about.

And the faith of all this, is faith in the person of God Himself.

We are allowed neither to boast nor to despair.

freely ye have received, freely give

2005-06-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Walk in the light...

God is truely the All-Giver. One of His names is All-Sufficient One, El Shaddai. What can we give to Him that He has need of? A God who freely gives nourishment and blessing, He is our sustainer. We are in the place of the reciever. We sing: "You are my all in all." There are just too many absolute scriptures to ignore, quoted often but not taken literally.

No good thing in me save God...without me ye can do nothing....In Him we live and move and have being....no shadow of turning with Him...Exceedingly abundant above all we can ask or think.

We say, He is our everything, our source, our sufficiency, but how much of that sufficiency do we apprehend? Where I am adding self-effort or thinking, 'hey, I am getting the hang of this Christian living stuff', we step out of our receiver-role, we turn away from the source. So we say with our mouths, He is our all, but we dont really believe that, it is sutble but we cling to our self-sufficiency. I think it is because we understand it, though it is the human lie, and are taught it from the beginning of our lives. To be mature is to stand on your own two feet - in essence self-sufficiency. And the message of Christianity is directly in opposition to that. The way that seems right unto man is the ways of death.

I have searched for an analogy and here is the best I have found so far. We are like... cylinders, think of a large can open at both ends, tubes. God is like the light of the sun, partical and flow (the study of light is fascinating). When the cylinder is open to the sun the light flows thru it, but as much as it is turned away from the light, the light thru it is diminished AND darkness grows. Until the cylinder is turned away and there is no light flowing thru it or in it. Can the cylinder produce the light? No. Can the light be anything other than it is? No. What influences the amount of light in the cylinder? Its aspect to God. Turn toward Him, and believe that there is no shadow of turning with Him.

It blows me away that it pleases the Father to put all things under Christs feet, until in the end He will be ALL in all. From the beginning to the end of human drama the goal/purpose/being will be a fullness of God in everything, so that there is nothing that is not one with Him. He will be all in all. And forever we will praise Him for His All-givingness.

I have preached absolute dependence on God before, and this concept is tough, we still believe we are to be in striving effort to live to His will. Our battle is to believe that the battle belongs to the Lord. David slew Goliath because he had great self-sufficiency? "The battle belongs to the Lord" was his sure belief.

Not despairing for He does the work, not boasting for He does the work. Not condemning ourselves, not commending ourselves, but here is our self-effort: to stay in our humble receiving place, and receive... the fulness of God in Christ... our portion. This treasure in earthen vessels! Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Praise be to the Lord Most High!

Mustard Seed Faith

2005-05-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

Which matters more? The intensity with which we believe something or the object of that faith?

I dont know who first said:
"it is possible to sincerely believe and be sincerely wrong" but it is truth.

The truth about truth is .. it doesnt matter what you think/believe about it.. it is still true and it still has an impact on you.

Playing with fire

2005-05-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

We can not have a relationship with God on our terms. We have to have a relationship with Him on His terms, because of WHAT He is.

What do you think happens when you are in contact with "a consuming fire"? What can be burnt up will be.

Deu 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Hbr 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Re-reading the gospels

2005-05-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

Jesus didnt just refer to God... he deferred to Him

2005-05-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

People will tell you what they think about God.

All we have to do is listen.

2005-05-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Evil is not inert.

Darkness is a black hole, sucking in light, blinding the eyes.

The birds will come and down and eat the good seed sown.
The enemy is a roaring lion.

We cant live in fear of this, but we can not ignore this either. What do we do?

Defining the Standard

2005-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Lets use the concept of lies and being a liar.

What would you think of a God that was a flippant liar?
Would you like to serve a lieing God?
OF course, NOT.

Now lets say that God is the perfect guy we believe Him to be.
The concept here is a judgment on "lieing" or (fill in the blank),
anything that are not consistant with God.
Lieing is wrong because it is not consistant with God.
Sin is what is not consistant with God.

He is the standard.

Items of same murkiness

2005-05-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

It is good thing that God has taken it upon himself to be the judge of our intentions.

As a catagory, I would put good intentions in with all things of our inward life: feelings, beliefs, motives, thoughts. In the past I have bailed at this point, thinking that since the judgment of our inward life is wisely left to God, it would mean that even comprehending these areas was not possible. But inquirying minds want to know. Answers to human inward life confusion is the subject of nagging questions. Time has come (for me anyway) to meditate more on this.

A beginning thought would be: humans judging the inward life of another humans would generate the best possible odds of 1 out 7, that is if we can be sure to discern 1+2=2+1. Otherwise, the odds could double. If personal "resting" time is not jeolously guarded, the odds become murky indeed. If first things are not in place, forget it!

Good intentions

2005-05-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Should sympathy be given for "I didnt mean to hurt him/her."? If at the end of the day, we really didnt accomplish anything, should we console ourselves that we meant to be productive?

Does good intentions profit anything? How can I ever "do good" if I dont heartily intend to do so? That is... good is not going to just happen, is it?

On the other hand are good intentions ever evil? If I can "sell all my goods and give them to the poor, and it profits me nothing without love", how much less if I just desire to be able to be so magnimous, courageously noble in mind and heart?

Should we slap a "DONE GOOD" sticker on each person buying the livestrong bands? (Please! I am not picking on Armstrong or his cause, it is a convenient in-the-news metaphor) I am quite sure each person feels good about themselves for contributing. Hey, maybe I need to get me one of those!

Jackie

What we assume about "goodness"

2005-05-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

The angels sang: "Glory to God in the highest." This was the beginning of their song. And it was after this that they sang of "good-will" towards man. This, too, must be the great principle governing all our testimony and our work. We cannot give "glory to God" without doing good to men. And there is no real good-will for men which does not spring from a desire to glorify God.
The rapid declension, which is the great mark of these last days, comes from an ignoring of this great principle. God is shut out, and man is exalted. Hence "the gospel of God" (Rom 1:16) is being rapidly and almost universally superseded by the gospel of man, which is a gospel of sanitation, and indeed is now openly called "Christian Socialism." But it is a socialism without Christ. It does not begin with the glory of God, and it will not and cannot end in any real good to man. It begins with man; its object is to improve the old nature apart from God, and to reform the flesh; and the measure of its success is the measure in which man can become "good" without "God." - Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance by E. W. Bullinger (1837-1913)
From: http://philologos.org/default.htm

Have you heard about Livestrong bracelets? Do you have one? Over 50 million yellow Livestrong wristbands have now been sold, raising millions for charity. The rubber bands, launched by top cyclist Lance Armstrong a year ago, are being sold to raise money to help people and their families fight cancer.

Do good.