Comments
on the News
Michael
Jackson
or God?
Nearly everyone has heard of Michael Jackson,
the eccentric superstar who died on June 25, 2009, in Los
Angeles. His
was a household name to millions, even tens of millions,
of people. In
fact, many in the world know of Michael since he performed
in many other countries. From
Bangkok to Tokyo, from London to Mexico City, from Los Angeles
to New York, from Paris to Berlin, Michael Jackson was well-known
and followed. Especially
during the 1980s, he had a massive following, until charges
of child molestation were brought against him. (More)
General
Subjects
Warfare
on Fort Worth Streets!
Encountering
the
so-called
Jehovah’s Witnesses!
I would like to share a recent experience with you that
remains vividly in my memory. But
first we need a little background.
Everyday we read or hear of conflicts between nations. Armed
conflict is frequently the way fallen men choose to settle
disputes. In
today’s news, uprisings are happening in the nation of
Iran. Afghanistan
and Iraq continue to be filled with violence. War
with North Korea may erupt at any time.
But there is another kind of warfare that continues
unabated through history. It
is of even higher importance and greater consequence than
any physical battle. (More)
Biblical
Subjects
Have You Been
Transformed?
Exploring the
Meaning of Repentance
The majority of the earth’s people are living in the
realm of the world, directing their lives according to
the standards and values of this present age, allowing
their heart to be wedded to the passing pleasures and treasures
of the present, and under the judgment that God places
on those who do not know Him. (More)
Renewing
Your
Mind!
Your mind is more important than you may ever imagine! Your
life now and life eternally is directly related to what
is in your mind and the condition of your mind. Since
God created our mind—as well as our body—He is vitally
interested in this aspect of our life and has much to say
about it.
God says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). In
the Hebrew, the “heart” usually “refers to the mind as
the center of thinking and reason.” It
includes the emotions, the will, and the whole inner being. (More)
Shocked
and Surprised!
We have all been surprised to learn about some wonderful
event, an unexpected benefit, and a pleasant visit of a
friend. On
the other hand, we may also have been shocked with news
of a horrible accident, a disastrous turn of affairs, a
loss of a job, or the death of a family member. We
can’t go through life without having these surprises and
being shocked with unexpected and unwanted news.
Imagine along with me for a few moments. John
Spencer is a decent neighbor, a responsible husband, and
a good provider. He
likes baseball, camping, golf, pizza, his dog, and his
green, well-kept lawn. John
is also a good church member and seldom misses a Sunday
morning service at the church where he and his wife have
been members for many years. He
has even held a few church offices and is generous with
his charitable and church giving. John
is a friendly sort of person, well-liked by his fellow-workers
at the plant where he works. He
assumes that everything is fine, that he will age gracefully,
then go to heaven when he dies. (More)
General Topics
Keep Your Mouth Shut!
Keep
your mouth shut when
In
the heat of anger
"He
that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:
and a man of wicked devices is hated."
(Proverbs 14:17)
You
don't have all the facts
"He
that answereth a matter before he heareth it,
it is folly and shame unto him."
(Click
here for more)
Mottoes The Truth of God (Click Here)
Blessed
are the Persecuted
"Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward
in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which
were before you" (Matthew 5:10- 12).
This
blessing of the Lord, like the ones before it, falls on
our natural ears like discord. Blessed? When people talk
insultingly of us? When they do unkind, spiteful, even
harmful deeds to us? (More)
General Topics
Better a Dry Crust
of
Bread
In
the years before I married I spent much time writing and
talking with young women encouraging them to prepare to be
Godly wives and mothers and homemakers. One of the questions
I’m often asked is: “What can I do to prepare for marriage?
What sorts of things should I put in my hope chest?”
Proverbs speaks of a woman who must have had some impressive hope chest preparations.
If not, we at least see that she was the homemaker of a large and lovely
home. (More)
Comments
on the News
Swine Flu!
Caught Unprepared!
The
World Health Organization has raised the level of the swine
flu alert to level 5, just below the highest possible level
of 6. At present,
the center of this epidemic is Mexico, but many states
in the United States have registered cases of this dreaded
disease. Beyond
Mexico and the United States, chief concentrations are
found in Canada, Spain, and several other European nations—England,
France, Germany, and others.
The
principal concern now is to contain the disease before
it becomes a pandemic and travels around the world. The
Spanish flu of 1918-1919 killed about 20 million people
until it died out. This
included a half million Americans. (More)
Biblical
Subjects
Prophecies:
True and False
There
is some controversy among Bible scholars relative
to the etymology of the term “prophet,” as
that word is employed in the Scriptures. Perhaps the
best way to determine the meaning of this expression
is to observe the contextual usage that is reflected
in the biblical record. A good example is found in
the case of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Aaron was
appointed by God to be a “prophet” for Moses (Exodus
7:1). Elsewhere, Aaron’s role is described as that
of a “spokesman” (Exodus 4:16). A prophet is thus one
who speaks for another. (More)
The Narrow Gate
and the Narrow Way
Many
of Jesus' profound teachings are so simple. So it is with
His teaching about the strait gate and the narrow way.
He said, "Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it' (Matt.
7:13,14). The illustration Jesus used is easily understood,
but the meaning wants to slip from us. (More)
Comments on the News
Springtime
and Rebirth!
Springtime
is a beautiful time of the year. I—along
with so many others—consider spring to be the most anticipated,
exciting, and blessed season of the year. The
cold weather, low temperatures, bracing wind, and even
occasional snow and ice all pass away. The
deadness of the trees, the barrenness of the gardens, and
the colorless grass pass away, to be replaced with refreshing
showers, delightful temperatures, and bright sunshine of
March, April, and May. The
summer’s burning rays and burdensome heat have not yet
arrived. Spring
is a delightful time. (More)
General
Topics
The
Meaning, Purpose, and Importance of Baptism
In
a day when many Biblical topics have been either underemphasized,
overemphasized or even perverted in some significant way,
we constantly need to search the Word of God to learn the
will of Christ for our belief, life, and practice. “What
does Scripture say?” should ever be our concern.
One
subject that has suffered abuse for nearly two thousand
years is that of baptism. Some
have elevated a water ritual they call baptism to the level
of a saving sacrament that regenerates the soul separate
from his conscious response of faith. Others,
in opposition to this historic practice, view baptism as
merely a work the Christian does subsequent to an assumed
salvation, an act that simply adds one to the visible local
church. Both
of these theological extremes may be corrected by a careful
examination of the primary baptismal scriptures in the
Word of God. (More)
One
Another
Relationships
Again and again in the New Testament we are instructed
to respond to brothers and sisters in a reciprocal way. This
relationship is often uniquely expressed with the
pronoun “one another” (Gk., allelon)
or, occasionally, the same thought is conveyed
by “each
other” (Gk., heautos; and also by heis
ton hena, e.g., 1 Thess. 5:11). This
speaks of mutuality or a “give and take” relationship
of giving and receiving. (More)
Questions
and Answers
What
is the Status
of the Deceived?
Question
“There
is so many different ways of looking at things these
days and so many false teachers in the religious world,
what if someone does follow a false teacher? What
if he does this ignorantly? How
does God look at him?”
Answer
Scripture
says that there are different degrees of responsibility,
thus different consequences to what we do. In
regard to this specific question, the status of a follower
of a false teacher, God has not left us without guidance. (More)
Biblical Subjects What
do Angels
Look Like?
Do angels
look like
the creature above?
Just
today, I stopped at a yard sale and surveyed
the items out on display. I noticed a collection of cups,
with Scripture
references, along with an accompanying pad
of writing paper supplied with each cup. As I checked out,
I told the friendly
lady that I was not interested in the one
pad since it had pictures of an angel. I commented that
Scripture presents
a different view of angels than what is popular
in our day. Today,
with the gross Biblical ignorance around us, we frequently
see depictions of what people call angels. They are often
women, sometimes with bare skin showing, and sometimes
we even see the cupids--tiny angels flying around in the
air! Are these pictures accurate? Do they correspond with
reality--or are they ignorant and unscriptural pictures
that come from a secularistic culture? Let's discuss this
interesting topic! (More)
The
Seriousness of
Secret Sin!
We’ve
all read of nationally known personalities who were caught
in a private sin of some kind. It
may have been taking drugs, an adulterous affair, or a
financial compromise. Well
known preachers have also been exposed in their sins. We
think of the televangelist who was twice discovered to
have been seeing prostitutes, who later tearfully confessed
before the TV camera. More
recently there was a mega church leader, the president
of the National Association of Evangelicals, who was exposed
as having a relationship with a homosexual prostitute for
some length of time.
(More)
*
* * * *
IMAGES
OF JESUS?
How
do you pray to Jesus
without seeing an image of Him?
I never see
an image of Jesus when I pray. From my background as a Roman
Catholic
and one having a degree in fine arts, I've seen a lot of
images of Jesus that men have painted, drawn, or sculpted--but
none were true images. They were depictions of what artists
have in their minds regarding what they think Jesus looked
like. No matter how impressive any image may have been, it
was nevertheless a false image.
I've been told by some
Christians that having an image of Jesus in their mind helps
them with their prayer life. It may seem to help, and I'm
sure they are sincere, but their practice is neither practical
nor biblical. (More)
* * * * *
General
Topics
10
Facts about the Bible!
Here is a list of
10 facts about the Bible.
Fact
# 1
The
Bible in use today contains 66 Books. 39 of
the books are in the Old Testament and 27 are found in
the New Testament.
Fact
# 2
Most
of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, the language
spoken by the Israelites.
Except
for a few words and sentences, the New Testament was composed
in Greek, the common language in the Hellenistic world.
(More)
Roman
Catholic
and Orthodox Churches
(Check this link)
Biblical
Subjects
Hinduism
The word Hindu originated, not as
the name of a religion, but as a geographical marker. Hindu derives
from the Sanskrit word for river, sindhu, from which
the Indus River received its name. Sometime in the first
millennium B.C., the Persians, who were then South Asia’s
closest neighbors, mispronounced sindhu, and designated
the land around the Indus River as hindu. Over a thousand
years later, in A.D. 712, the Muslims invaded the Indus Valley.
To distinguish themselves, they called all non-Muslims hindus;
the name of the land became, by default, the name of the
people and their religion. (More)
* * * * *
Drifting and
Dreaming!
The Early Church
and the Present Church
Sunday had arrived and the fashionably attired
members were filing into the large brick church edifice.
The sanctuary bore the unmistakable imprint of religion,
with its towering steeple, stained glass windows, and ornate
furnishings. The altar in front, with its candles, cross,
and floral arrangements, was the center focus to the gathered
worshipers. Some of the men halted on the stop step and took
a last.
(More)
* * * * *
Will
We Ever Wake Up?
Suppose that you lived in New Orleans and the Weather
Bureau issued an urgent warning of a huge hurricane that
would reach the city tomorrow! Would
you continue your life as usual, unconcerned about the
ominous storm that threatened? Or
would you desert your property, forsake your job, and
immediately escape with your life for a safer area? What
would you do? (More)
What the Bible Teaches
About
War
While
God commanded war in the Old Testament, He set forth a
new covenant of grace and peace in the New Testament. God's
Son Jesus said, "Ye have heard
that it hath been said...But I say unto you..." to
contrast the old sayings with the new teachings. Through
Christ, God more fully revealed His perfect will. He taught
of loving instead of hating, blessing instead of cursing,
forgiving instead of taking vengeance, and accepting mistreatment
rather than fighting back. These new teachings were the
rule by which the apostles and early Christians lived.
They are also for Christians today. (More)
GUEST ARTICLE
Traits
of the
Self-life
The
following are some of the features and manifestations of
the self-life. . . . As you read, examine yourself in the
very presence of God. Are you demonstrating the self-life?
It shows itself as:
1. A spirit of pride. Do you have an exalted feeling
because of your success or position, because of your good
training or appearance, or because of your natural gifts
and abilities? Do you show an important, independent spirit?
(More)
* * * * *
General
Topics
The
Puritan's Christian Agenda
One of the opinions most persistently and
widely held among American evangelicals today is that America
had essentially Christian origins. They rest heavily on an
appeal to the Puritan heritage as the most influential Reformation
tradition shaping American culture. If it were shown that
the Puritans who settled America did not establish truly
Christian cultural principles that were in some important
ways perpetuated, then a strong suspicion might be raised
that the entire case for a now-lost Christian America rests
on rather nebulous foundations. (See: The Search for Christian
America, p. 28.)
The fact is, the Puritans were the forerunners
of today's Kingdom/Dominion/Reconstructionist
teaching. The Puritans believed that they were
carrying to America true Christianity as decreed by God,
especially as written in the Old Testament. They believed
too that they were on a divine mission to America, a place
specially appointed by God to be the "New Israel," a
theocratic "city upon a hill." (More)
* * * * *
Christian Giving!
We are living
in an age of unprecedented financial prosperity! While
this is true of the United States, it is likewise true
of other Western and developed nations. Presently,
there are some 5,000,000 (five million) millionaires in
America, including 400
billionaires! Bill
Gates, with $39 billion, is the wealthiest man in the country! Americans
have more than $10 trillion worth of wealth! (This
is a long article!)
(More)
* * * * *
What
about the Strange Practices in Outward Appearance?
Today we observe strange bodily piercing, unnatural
appearances, unusual jewelry, unisex clothes, and bizarre
patterns. This
is particularly the case in the youth culture of the 10-
to 25-year-old crowd. The
Hip Hop culture, the Heavy Metal devotees, the Sodomites,
and other young and not-so-young movements offer the best
examples of this, but it can be found across the board
in contemporary life—including even 80-year-olds! (More)
* * * * *
A
Passion for
Truth!
Why
is Truth so
Important
to You?
What
is more important than the food you eat, the sleep you take,
the water you drink, the job you have, and the relationships
you enjoy? What
is more vital than anything else to your life now and your
eternal life after death? What
is it that is light to dispel darkness, food that fills the
spiritual appetite, drink that quenches the thirst, and the
remedy that heals the soul? I
refer to the truth of
Almighty God, revealed in His inspired and authoritative
Word, and embodied in the life, work, and teachings of Jesus
Christ! (More) *
* * * *
Biblical
Subjects
A
Personal Relationship
with God!
What do you think about God? We
casually refer to Him, talk about Him, read about Him,
and some even blasphemously take His name in vain. But
what is God to you? Is He merely an
infinite but impersonal Being, unconcerned about everyday
life? Is He
a Personality who is generally confined to elaborate worship
experiences in ornate churches? Is
He simply a religious fact that we must accept if we expect
to go to heaven after we die?
(More)
|
|
Comments
on the News
Floodgates of Pornography!
Yesterday’s newspaper ran an article about the early
days of the legalization of pornography in the United States. The
article was titled, “FBI Inquiry on Porn Film was Vast.” The
subtitle stated, “Newly released files reveal a wide scope of investigation
into the landmark 1972 pornographic film Deep
Throat.”
When the porno movie was released, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation did a careful and thorough examination. Records
have come to light that indicate the FBI’s “sprawling and ultimately
vain attempt to stop the spread of a movie some saw as the victory
of a cultural and sexual revolution and others saw as simply decadent.” The
article continued: “Agents seized copies of the movie, had negatives
analyzed in labs and interviewed everyone from actors and producers
to messengers who delivered reels to theaters.” (More)
General Subjects
Are you a
Redneck?
Before moving to the southern part of the United States
years ago, I don’t recall having heard the term, “redneck.” While
living here, the term is thrown around in different contexts, usually
in a disparaging way. In
trying to determine the meaning of the term, we get the impression
that people are saying that a red neck is one who is poor, uneducated,
and socially inept. (More)
Our
Lady of Fatima:
"The Weeping Madonna"
Just this morning I noticed a prominent advertisement
in the local newspaper with the statement: “International Pilgrim
Virgin Statue of our Lady of Fatima, ‘Weeping Madonna’ visits Fort
Worth diocese.” This
is the explanation that follows:
"This is the world-famous International Pilgrim
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. It ws sculpted in 1947 by Jose
Thedim, according to the description of St. Lucia, one of the
children who saw Mary. It was blessed to be the pilgrim, the
traveler. Sent out to bring the message of Fatima to the world,
it has been traveling continuously ever since. It has criss-crossed
the world many times, visiting more than 100 countries, including
Russia and Red China, and brought the great message of hope,
'the peace plan from heaven,' to millions of people. Many miracles
and signal graces are reported wherever it travels. . . ." (More)
General
Topics
Families Divided!
God’s
plan is always best. He
knows what is good for each person, each marriage, each family,
and for society at large. In
the beginning, the Lord wanted a man and a woman to marry, bear
children, and raise those children in the nurture, discipline,
and love so that His will would be followed and bring glory to
Him. Those who respect
God and His Will seek to please Him in this way today.
Marital and Family
Breakdown
Sadly, God’s
will concerning marriage and the family is largely ignored. Even
among the people of God before Christ, we often observe marital
and family strife. There
was strife between Sarah and Hagar and between Rachel and Leah. There
was disharmony between Moses and his brother and sister. Eli’s
sons as well as Samuel’s sons were disobedient and rebellious. There
was much strife and disrespect among David’s children. Solomon
often wrote of marital strife and disrespect of children in the
book of Proverbs. (More)
The Test of Money
When we go to school, we can expect to be tested. When
we want to drive a car, we face a driving test. When
we have a medical condition, we may be tested. The
most important tests we have come from God!
God places tests before us to determine the condition
of our heart. He allows
circumstances to develop so that our real self, the condition of
our heart, may be manifested. It
may be a sickness, a rejection by a loved one, the loss of a job,
the slander of neighbors, or a prominent personal defeat. On
the other hand, it may be something that the world considers a
success—a marriage, the birth of a child, a raise at work, a new
house, a personal achievement, a financial gift, or an inheritance. God
uses a variety of events in life to test the condition of our heart. (More)
A Survey
of "Interbiblical
History
The
apostle Paul wrote: “…but when the fulness of time came, God sent
forth his Son…” (Galatians 4:4). The phrase “fulness of time” is
extraordinary. It reflected the most ideal time in world
history for the birth of Christ and the inauguration of Christianity.
The commencement of the Christian religion was a turning point in
world history (note the common B.C. – A.D designations). Fundamental
to an understanding of this event are the several centuries just
prior to Jesus’ birth.
When
Old Testament history closes, the Jewish people have resettled
Palestine, after seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The final
exile return occurred in 444 B.C. The Old Testament record ends,
therefore, about four centuries before the birth of Christ. (More)
Biblical Subjects
Have You Really been Baptized?
Test Yourself!
Have you ever been surprised about anything in your
life? Surely we both
have. Have you ever
been surprised about anything spiritual or religious in life? Probably
most people have. Quite
frankly, sometimes in life we are faced with aspects of God’s will
that shock and surprise us!
Let’s look at the subject of baptism together. In
order for you to determine whether you have actually been baptized
in the way the Bible teaches, we’ll ask a number of questions,
followed by one or more Biblical verses that bear on the subject. (More)
General Topics
Why Go Vegetarian?
(An article
worth
thinking about!)
People are drawn to vegetarianism
by all sorts of motives. Some of us want to live longer, healthier
lives or do our part to reduce pollution. Others have made the
switch because we want to preserve Earth’s natural resources or
because we’ve always loved animals and are ethically opposed to
eating them.
Thanks
to an abundance of scientific research that demonstrates the health
and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet, even the federal
government recommends that we consume most of our calories from
grain products, vegetables and fruits. And no wonder: An estimated
70 percent of all diseases, including one-third of all cancers,
are related to diet. A vegetarian diet reduces the risk for chronic
degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including
colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer. (More)
Blessed are the Merciful
"Blessed
are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7).
We
live in a world of human need. There are physical needs, emotional
needs, and spiritual needs. We also live in a world of sin. People
hurt each other, neglect responsibilities, fight, argue, and do
as they please. These sins create many more needs--the need for
cleansing, the need for comfort, the need for healing, the need
for security, the need for love, and the need for forgiveness. (More)
General
Topics
Atheists
are "Bright"?
 Dawkins
A
recent atheist conference in Crystal City, Virginia included the
usual insistence by atheists that “God is a myth” and “children
must not be taught religion” (Castillo, 2007). Oxford professor
Richard Dawkins unleashed his typical militant, intolerant tirade
against Christians. He insisted: “Religion is not the root of all
evil, but it gets in the way of [determining] how we got here and
where we find ourselves...and that is an evil in itself” (Castillo,
emp. added).
Ironic, is it not, that if atheism is true and there
is no God, no absolute, objective evil even exists. That means
that Dawkins must use the term “evil” to refer simply to his own
subjective opinion. (More)
"Big
Bang"
or "Big Crunch"?
Question
Some scientists have suggested that the Universe
started via the “Big Bang,” and will collapse via a “Big Crunch.” Then
the whole process will start all over again. Does such a concept
have any merit?
Answer
The
origin and destiny of the Universe always have been important topics
in the creation/evolution controversy. In the past, evolutionists
went to great extremes to avoid scenarios that suggested a Universe
with a beginning or ending, because such scenarios posed bothersome
philosophical questions (“What came before the beginning?” or “What
will come after the ending?”). Only theories that guaranteed an
eternal Universe were worthy of consideration. (More)
Comments
on the News
The Cost
of
Smoking!
Years
ago, I wrote a pamphlet entitled, “Smoking: The Amazing Financial
Factor!” In this booklet
(also available on our website, click
here),
I pointed out the astonishing costs of smoking over a lifetime. For
example, if one spends $5.00 (or whatever a pack of cigarettes
may cost at a given time) a day for one year, the total would be
$1,825! ($5.00 times
365 = $1,825.). If
the smoker continues his filthy habit for 50 years (from age 15
to 65), the total would be $91,250! ($1,825
times 50 = $91,250.) If
this amount were invested for the 50 years, the total could reach
$200,000 to $500,000! If
one smokes two packs a day, the total could be $400,000 to $1 million
dollars spent on a filthy, foolish, and health-destroying addiction.
(More)
Proceeding
from Bad to Worse in Vermont!
Tuesday (two days ago) was another dark day in the United
States of America. Dark
days are becoming increasingly common. On
Tuesday, Vermont became the first state in the nation to legalize
sodomite “marriages” by means of legislative vote. The
Governor’s veto was overrun by a solid majority in the legislature—with
the Senate voting 23 to 5 in favor of homosexuality and the House
voting 100 to 49 in favor. This
constituted more than the 2/3 majority that was needed to change
the state law. (More)
Biblical
Subjects
What God Wants
in the
Community
of Christ
Have you ever asked the questions: What were the
early Christians like? What
was Christ’s desire for His body? What
was God’s plan for His family, the community of saints? What
divine instructions were given to the early believers? Long
before the Catholic and Orthodox Churches arose in the fourth century,
long before the Protestant Churches developed in the sixteenth and
following centuries, long before the various cults were founded in
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, what were the first Christians
like? (More)
"Christian"
Rock
Music
Christian or Satanic?
This tract carefully details the Biblical screens any
music must pass before it can be labeled as "Christian" (Eph.
5:18,19; Col. 3:16); i.e., the music must contain correct
doctrine, and (a) its lyrics should be edifying, spiritually
oriented, clear, conforming to biblical truth, and point our focus
to Jesus Christ, (b) its score (the arrangement of the musical
notes) should not overshadow the message conveyed by the lyrics,
but should compliment it, and (c) its character (the "attitudes" in
the music and of the performers) should be consistent with the purity
of the message it claims to convey (reverence, worshipful, etc.).
(Each of the above screens must stand on its own; i.e., one "good" aspect
of the music's nature cannot sanctify any of the others.) (Please
refer to Eph. 5:18,19 and Col. 3:16 at the end of this report.) (More)
* * * * *
Restating the Obvious
about Bible Translations
George Orwell (pseudonym for Eric Blair)
of ANIMAL FARM and 1984 fame is commonly quoted as saying that circumstances
have "sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious
is the first duty of the intelligent man." I have been unable
so far to track this quote down to its exact reference, but inasmuch
as I have seen it ascribed in three different sources to Orwell,
I feel safe in assuming that it really is his remark.
The churning, muddied waters of
the present English Bible translation dispute have sadly obscured
the obvious and most basic truth of the whole matter. That basic
and obvious truth which cries out to be repeated is this--The whole
PURPOSE for having a Bible translation--the very reason for its existence--is
to convey in words which people DO understand the meaning of words
(in the Greek and Hebrew originals) which people DO NOT understand.
(More)
* * * * *
Hip
Hop is from
Hell!
Hip
Hop is of the Devil
There
is NO such animal as "Christian Hip Hop"! It is
a misnomer. There is nothing even remotely "Christian" about
the Devil's music. Christian Hip Hop has amassed a large
cult following of worldly young people who idolize such Satanic
performers as Antonious, Gospel Gangstaz, GRITS, KJ-52, TobyMac,
Mr. Real, Out of Eden, Parkway, John Reuben, T-Bone, and St. Michael. These "artists" are
imposters who EXPLOIT the name of Jesus to make money ... lots
of money! What they need to do is burn their works of Satan
as the wise Christians did in Acts 19:19, "Many of them
also which used curious arts brought their books together, and
burned them before all men..." According
to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words by
W.E. Vine (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1981)...
"PERIERGOS (Strong's #4021) ... It is used of magic arts in Acts
19:19 (lit., ‘things that are around work,’ and thus superfluous),
i.e., the arts of those who pry into forbidden things, with the
aid of evil spirits."
Listen
friend ... rock-n-roll music, rap, and hip hop are works of Satan,
and such music invokes evil spirits (demons). Hip Hop = The
Devil. Don't believe it? Then listen to some of the
Devil's children themselves concerning rock music (and by the way,
rap and hip hop are just another form of rock music). The
hallmark trait of rock music is it's driving Devilish BEAT. Take
away the beat and NOT one rap/hip hop album would sell...
(More) Priority
Shipwreck to Salvation!
They
lost everything—
But found
that which matters most!
The wind blew incessantly as the
small vessel sailed toward the distant country. How many days would
it take to reach its destination? David Thompson stood at the bow,
leaning on the deck railing. Peering into the dark sky, he noted
the foreboding clouds coming upon them. The young man was one of
the passengers who had braved the wide sea to "find himself" in
the new land.
"Is there really anything beyond
this short life?" David mused, as he scanned the dark horizon. "Is
there actually a God? What is He like, what is His nature, and
what should be my relationship to Him? Is He limited in some way—or
are all things possible with Him? Could there be anything to this
man Jesus, the personality that people speak about back home?"
(More)
* * * * *
Questions
and Answers
Who Partakes of
Communion?
QUESTION
“I’m confused about
the communion or the Lord’s supper. Should
everyone be invited to partake of the bread and cup? Or should it be restricted in some way?’
ANSWER
There are many questions that relate to the Lord’s supper. Sometimes
the term used is “the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42; 20:7), at other
times it could be “communion” or “sharing” (1 Corinthians 10:16),
or “the table of the Lord” (v. 21), or perhaps “the Lord’s supper” (1
Corinthians 11:20). In modern
usage, even “eucharist” (thanksgiving) is used.
The question relates to this: Who is qualified to share in
the bread and cup that constitute the elements in the communion fellowship? Different
answers have been given over the years. (More)
Please
check our links page
Spend some time searching truth
in
this website!
(Click
Here)
* * * * *
Biblical
Subjects
Common Misconceptions
about
Jesus Christ
Most
people, other than hardened skeptics, acknowledge that Jesus Christ
lived on earth two thousand years ago. Liberal
professing Christians may go beyond this and admit that Jesus was
a great teacher, a moral reformer, an accomplished leader, and
a worthy example of life. Those
with an Evangelical perspective will freely acknowledge that Jesus
was the very sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world
and who was raised from the dead to be exalted to heaven. (More)
*
* * * *
General Topics
Who Really
Are
We?
It is common to ask a person we meet, “Who are you? What
is your name?” We want
to identify a new acquaintance and see if there is any connection
to anyone else we may know or any place we have been. This
is the kind of question we read in the Bible itself. Certain
people came to John at the Jordan River and asked, “Who are you?” (John
1:19). They wanted
to know his identity and mission. On
one occasion Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that
I am?”
(More)
****************
ARE YOU ONE
OF
THE FEW?
The United States Army has a promotional slogan
that says they need “a few good men.” Perhaps they mean
by this that “a few good men” can do the job that needs
to be done in the military. Maybe they mean that they are able
to train young men so well that only a “few” are needed,
since they are so well-prepared and capable of meeting and overcoming
any international crisis.
(more)
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