I found this story at a blog that I recently became aware of. It is called “M’Kayla’s korner” and has some very interesting articles, like this one, there. I am putting her blog on my blogroll if you would like to check it out.
The New Age movement is alive and well and moving into the churches at an alarming rate. Check out your church’s statement of faith. Make sure that it coincides with the truth of God’s Word. Unfortunately, solid Bible teaching is getting harder to find. Seek and ye shall find.
17 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
My thoughts:
I believe this is a prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. It’s like the prophecies concerning the rapture. We look for signs but we don’t know when these prophecies will come to pass. Either could happen tonight. Either could happen in 100 years or more. It is very possible the prophecy that Isaiah spoke of in 17:1 could happen very soon. What will God use to destroy Damascus? It could be an earthquake, a nuclear event, bombing from a regional war, or even a supernatural event that is without explanation. There are many possibilities.
I continue to watch Israel because I believe that the little nation, created by a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is God’s timepiece.
As a father of three young children I shutter when I read things like this in the Bible.
“They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.” Jer 7:31
“And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?” Ez 16:20-21
“And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.” 2 Kings 17:17
So great was the idolatry of Israel that they have resorted to child sacrifices to appease Molek and other gods…
There are so many reasons why we have gotten away from the truth of God’s Word. The Evolution issue is a big one.
My son worked very hard in high school to get his college tuition minimized. He is in his freshman year and is taking a Biology and Physiology class. Here are a few of the chapter titles in his text:
“How Populations Evolve”
“How Biological Diversity Evolves”
“The Evolution of Microbial Life”
“The Evolution of Animals”
Chapter 14 ( a favorite number of mine) begins with “The Origin of the Species.”
Anyone who has read this blog knows where I stand on this issue. The Bible says that “God created the heaven and the earth.” I believe it by faith. I also believe there is a great deal of evidence to back this belief. Evolutionists may not always admit it but they must come to their THEORY with a great deal of faith. This video shows several Biology students being asked very simple questions that they can’t answer. When they do answer, they have not really dealt with the issue.
SPROUL/STEIN INTERVIEW
This is very interesting interview. The entire movie “Expelled” has been put on YouTube by a Muslim. I had it here, but I don’t feel right about showing an entire movie without those who have worked so hard on it getting something from it. HERE is a section of the movie that I’ve shown in another post.
Here is a link dealing with “Intelligent Design:”
There are many other posts on this blog about this issue. To see them all, click on “creation” in the category section on the right side of this blog. Here a few of my favorites:
We need to give our young people the facts and let them come to their own conclusions. Listen to some of the students in the first video. They sound brainwashed to me. I think that man knows that there is a God, but rebellion closes one’s eyes to the truth.
This section of scripture From Romans 1 (Bible Gateway) describes the results of a continued turning away from the truth:
Unbelief and Its Consequences
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
I know this is a very serious subject. But I can’t refrain from sharing this humorous part of a movie called “The Princess Bride” that deals with marriage. “Buttercup” is being forced to marry “Prince Humperdink.” The priest doing the ceremony is quite the character. What he says is actually good. It’s the way he says it that, if you are in a mood, may get a giggle out of you. We could all use a good laugh these days.
Why a post about marriage? Well, today is my 32nd wedding anniversary. Have you read Proverbs 31? It describes a Godly wife. Somehow, 32 years ago, a 22-year-old-know-little married a young lady similar to the one described in Proverbs 31. I have been very blessed.
There are mixed feelings. As I checked Flickr for a good photo to accompany this post, sadly many were of homosexuals getting “married.” The fact that almost every decent picture was copy written tells me that marriage is still important to some. I had to take my own picture.
You don’t need me to tell you that we live in contradictory times. We have some of the best health care the world has ever known, yet we kill the unborn. We are supposedly evolving into something better, at the same time, all appearances make it look like we are as we have always been: sinners. Advances in technology screeeeeeem forward. Ethical standards lurrrrrrrrrrrrrch backward. There is a scripture that makes me think we are nearing the second coming of our Lord.
“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
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I received an email from a friend of my wife wishing us a happy anniversary. She is one of many of my friends who thinks Jesus may return in our lifetime. I thought He would be here long ago. If He does, praise be to God. If not, I’ll be content to spend the rest of my days with one of the greatest blessings of my life.
Colorful Heliconius butterflies grace the tropics with their beautiful wide wings. Their survival depends on more features than what simply resides in their physical bodies. The challenge is trying to explain the origins of the way their body parts not only mesh perfectly with each other, but also with their butterfly behavior.
I am a sucker for butterflies. Someday I will explain why. I think they are an amazing creation. How can something like a butterfly survive in such a harsh world? Maybe it’s for God’s glory. Maybe it’s to show that gentleness is an attribute that God appreciates. After all, gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. THIS ARTICLE is another evidence of an everlasting Creator.
The plan is to go through all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and then start over again.
Time after time, I have seen God bring good out of something bad. This story is a good example.
The story (true by BTW):
By Norma Becker
We have been married for 53 years. Ed and I met while going to university and were married at age 21 – that makes us 74 years old. We now have two children and four grandchildren.
The early years of our marriage were not happy years, but were filled with stresses and strains. We really had nothing in common. Our likes and dislikes were totally different. Our ways of spending money were different. Our ideas of an enjoyable vacation were different. I even lived with the fear that he was going to leave me.
How it all Changed We moved to Canada from the United States 38 years ago and I started to attend a Bible study. I had always believed in God and knew the Bible was true, but I really didn’t know what it said. I believed I would go to heaven just because I was a morally good person and tried to be kind and helpful to my family and friends.
It was through studying the Bible that I learned I could have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. It was this personal relationship that gave me the peace and direction I needed to carry on with life and making the right decisions in raising my family.
I’m not talking about a specific church or religion, but a personal relationship with Jesus. I prayed and asked His forgiveness for the sin of wanting to control my own life, and I asked God to take charge of my life. That decision didn’t mean that my life was going to be trouble free; it meant He was always there to help me through the hard times that came, because I now had a new foundation based on the solid rock of God.
Ed was not interested in spiritual things, so I continued to go to my Bible study but the rest of the time I followed the life Ed wanted to lead; however, I continued to pray for Ed and asked the Lord to do anything that it would take to bring him to know God as I did – even if that meant taking my life – but God had a different plan.
Tragedy Strikes After I had been a Christian for about ten years, we went through a time of severe testing when our son was in the hospital undergoing many operations to correct the proper drainage of fluid in his brain.
It is time, once again, to get involved in local “politics.” I was at a recent Watchmen of Garland County meeting and the subject was Oaklawn. Oaklawn is the local racetrack and casino. It appears that $40 million a month is not enough. At least that’s the number that I heard from a friend who knows quite a bit about what Oaklawn takes in. There is word in the air that another expansion is in the works. I don’t know how large the plans are, but one more “machine of skill” (That’s a short phrase that some of those who benefit from the casino use.) is too much for me.
The plan is to show up at the City Board meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd, and voice our views on any expansion. I have already requested FOI information and plan to share it at the meeting unless there are so many who have had their lives ruined by a gambling problem willing to speak that time runs out.
I’ve always viewed gambling as nothing more than a poor tax. From a Christian viewpoint, the Bible speaks of being content with what one has.
Admittedly, I am not an angel when it comes to gambling. I’ve gambled thrice, that I can remember in the last 30 years. A boss of mine taunted me to gamble, knowing he would lose, just to see if I would gamble. I finally relented and won $20 (I think). He was so unhappy that I took him up on it that he paid me in pennies. I turned around and bet another employee about something that I knew I would lose and he ended up with the tainted gambling money. Another time, on a work related outing, I was given money to gamble. I ended up winning at a black jack table. I felt so bad I’ll never set foot in another casino as long as I live if I can help it.
If you live in or near Hot Springs, I hope you show up at the meeting on September 3rd. Even if you don’t like to speak in front of people, it would be nice to fill the room with concerned citizens.
Chris Reimers
The photo above is not suggesting that Oaklawn allows children to gamble. My point is that many children are affected adversely by the gambling industry. There are many Dads who wind up like the guy below because there are casinos in town.
The article by Science Digest finishes with this statement:
The authors conclude: “Our findings indicate that there is a relationship between age and pathological gambling: the older the patient, the more gambling-related problems the patient has. Intervention during early manifestations of the complex problem that is pathological gambling is essential for successful treatment planning.”
I’ve given a few tests in my time. I even gave a 12 page U.S. history final to my eighth grade students a few years. One of the pages was a blank sheet of paper. The eighth grader could not graduate until they were able to list all U.S. presidents and their political parties. Extra credit was given for a popular nickname. Most students got it right the first time. We spend only 5-10 minutes a day on flashcards, covering 10 each quarter. I’ll never forget one of the young scholars getting all of the hard ones right and missing Thomas Jefferson…twice. Ah………. I won’t mention any names but the initials were (V.E.). Imagine getting a perfect paper with all the presidents and Mr. Jefferson being the only blank on the entire page. I finally figured out a way for the student to remember ole T.J.
Yes THIS TEST FROM 1912 is probably a test that I would have trouble passing. I think most of the reason for this is that even when I was in school (just a bit ago) teachers spent a good amount of time trying to keep kids under control. It is worse today.
Glancing over the test, I knew some of the answers right away and didn’t take the time to figure others. The spelling portion wasn’t that difficult. Who knows…maybe I could pass it. Is it today’s students fault that the world has gotten farther away from Godly principles and, therefore, we have become a less studious society? I would say: “no.” The slip has happened over time. Students today know things that students from 1912 could only wish to know. It is a different time. Some might question the importance of knowing some of the questions on the 1912 test. I know a bit about today’s education and it seems like many of the tests our kids are getting are focusing on questions that will help them today’s real world. At the same time, schools spend too much time prepping kids for tests that will be different in five years.
Education has always been a challenge. The goal of any good teacher is to try and instill a love for learning in the student. Whether a student lived in 1850, 1912, or 2013, the goal of a good teacher hasn’t changed.
Admittedly, it is much harder to educate today. There are so many social, political, and spiritual reasons I won’t even begin to name them. I appreciate those who teach because they love kids, not because it pays the bills. As school starts for another year, pray for your kids teachers. They are going to need it.
Born Again
Beth is a born again Christian who lives in Canada. She believes that Jesus is the the way, the truth, and the life and she also believes that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. She blogs on a variety of topics.
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God-inspired words and images to bring blessings like rain
m'Kayla's korner
Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. Luke 11:35
Mrs. Acuna's Blog
If you have a teenager or anyone close to being one, this is a must read
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Slimjim’s “about” states: “(Jim Lee) is a pastor. He is a faithful servant of the church and his Saviour. Although young in age he is trying to be an apologist for the faith. “
The Hope Blog
Former Christian Talk Show Host, Ingrid Schlueter’s blog
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A blog to help Christians in Australia connect the dots…(it’s helped me here in the “good” ole U.S.A.)
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John is a fellow truth-seeker and his blog mission is to navigate the intricate maze of reality, bringing you unfiltered insights and thought-provoking discussions. John efficiently balances news and faith in our challenging times.
Posted by Chris 
Wings of the Wind 
GENDER DIVERSITY?
September 7, 2013I found this on Pat Howard’s Facebook page. It’s pretty sad.
My comment (Question):
Will this eventually become the law of the land? I certainly hope not.
cr
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