This Pretty Much Sums Everything Up

This pretty much is the sum of things...

He Has Overcome
Words and Music by Denny Correll
Additional lyrics by Darrell Mansfield and Skip Konte on Higher Power by Darrell Mansfield Copyright 1978 IAM Music

There's a feeling going through the air
Question is, where do we go from here?
Revelation for mankind to see
study into all the prophecies
There's some storm clouds gathering up ahead
And the battlefields, well they're turning red
Soon we're gonna be with our King of Kings
In all his glory for eternity

(Chorus)
And he has overcome
And the victory has been won
He has overcome
And the victory has been won

You say your life is like a rolling sea
Troubles heavy and you need room to breathe
Everybody's trying to put you down
For what you believe in and for standing your ground
Well you see there's a coming tide
When it's here there'll be nowhere to hide
If you look to heaven and you will see
Our Lord will lead us all to victory

(Chorus 2x)

And if you take to heart only one thing from this entire blog, may it be this...

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20 (NKJV)

And finally...

18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22

Maranatha!

~ ~ ~

You see, the only thing that matters is that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Behold the Lamb of God

by Glenn Kaiser

Thank you Jesus for taking away the sins of the world! I'd be lost without You!

Cold Coffee

“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.”
Louisa May Alcott, Author of Little Women.
~ ~ ~

She had typed out a long flowery essay the week before. Not only typed it, but retyped, deleted, rewrote, added, changed, turned it up side down and back again, and then revised it a few more times than she would ever admit. In the end, the blogger was was not at all satisfied with her speech. The question was, would the people of the land of Blog willingly let her go? No matter what she did, her long spiel was still filled with too many I's and me's and a bunch of sentimental fluffiness, none of which was important in the scheme of things, not to mention it would have surely bored even her best friends to death. So she scrapped that idea and decided to go with the nutshell version (revised, of course). It sounded a wee bit calloused, short and to the point, not unlike a telegram, but she was feeling more excited than sentimental and sappy by the minute, as evidenced by the forgotten second cup of coffee that had now grown cold. Uncut and raw, it went something like this...

"Kay - here's the thing - I'm officially unplugging myself from the land of Blog - sad to say I'm on my way, won't be back for many a day - when and if I return (if the Lord wills) the format will be oh so completely, unrecognizably different...have I mentioned I'm tired of brown?
don't worry - will tell you
...til then - God bless, Jesus is coming back soon, may you be found living your lives for Him!"

Tired of monkeying around with it, and wanting to get on with the work at hand, the blogger knew that if she didn't post this today, this very minute, she would end up changing, retyping, and revising it over and over, being the perfectionist she was. If she took too long, she knew it would only be a matter of hours before another reader would write her and win her affections, filling her with remorse and regret over her decision, like so many countless other times before, and she would not have the nerve to carry out her threats to leave. Needing inspiration, she took a deep breath and glanced over at her bulletin board at the quote she had printed out a few days earlier from an article she'd read...

"After all, editors around the world are sitting at their desks, checking their watches, waiting to open an envelope from the next Mark Twain.

It happens.

Sometimes."

Jim Fletcher, So you want to be an author …
www.wnd.com

"If that's true," whispered the blogger, "I'd better get to work."

The coffee maker beeped three loud high pitched shut off beeps. Had two hours already passed? The blogger thought about how all her life experiences had been guided by the hand of God for such a time as this. Already the creative juices were flowing through her slowly unfogging blogging brain, waiting to burst out onto a blank page. A picture of the lonely white shiny MacBook she had met in the store just two short days ago, with it's glow in the dark keyboard, and long lasting 10 hour battery, flashed before her. "I'm coming back to buy you," she had practiced typing on its pretty black keys. Yes, this was the right thing to do. There would never be another moment like this. It was now or never. The blogger swallowed a sip of cold coffee, took a deep breath, and without further hesitation, clicked on PUBLISH POST.

Strange how she had always thought this inevitable moment would be a sad one. How wrong she had been. There was no turning back now. Someday she would be able to come back, but before she left, there was still one more very important thing (or two) she simply had to say to the swamp people before she closed the window which had miraculously opened to the swampland of Blog five years ago...

[To be continued shortly...]

Second Cup of Coffee

The blogger paused while she sipped the last half of her coffee, reminiscing about how she had come to such a clear decision. It had started long before she came across that other blog quite by accident that addressed some very relevant questions that she'd already been mulling over in her mind for quite some time....

"Where are you with your blog? Do you need to reinvigorate your blog? Or maybe you need to reevaluate why you’re doing what you’re doing?"

Ah yes...such good questions these were. The post she had found at this other random blog was called Need to Put a Little Fresh Air into Your Blog? and she thought it timely and extremely relevant. At that particular moment, she was gravitating towards points #8 and #10 of the article. There were so many unfinished projects to wrap up, and so many new ones not yet begun, and the short but lovely summer break she had taken away from the swampland of Blog had been a breath of fresh air. But it hadn't changed a thing.

Needing to reevaluate what she was doing, and where God was leading her, she had taken another week before she made her decision.

It was time for another cup of coffee. Soon the clicking of her nails on the keyboard was the only sound that could be heard...

[To be continued shortly...]

Wednesday Morning Coffee

Wednesday morning was like most other summer mornings. Traffic noise from the road was carried in on the cool breeze through the open windows. The brindled menace of a dog ran in circles around the house barking at crows until he was called back in, his brown and white paws soaked from the dewy grass. In the kitchen, the dishwasher hummed a cheery song accompanied by three high pitched beeps from the coffee maker while the bed was being made upstairs. It was time.

She took her favorite blue mug from the cupboard, filled it to the brim with dark brew, and carried it to her computer desk. After adjusting her lumbar cushion just right, the blogger clicked on her mouse and excitedly waited for the window to the land of Blog to open. This morning was going to be different than any other morning.

Her hands hovered above the well used keyboard for more than a minute after logging in to her blog. Deep in thought, she began to type the words...

[To be continued shortly...]

It's Wednesday

The thing I mentioned is going to happen today...

Our Government Paid for a New Age Thing?

I like the comments by Suspicious Berean on this thing...

Canadian Auditor General's office pays for New Age "rebirth" for one of its employees
suspiciousberean.blogspot.com

The One World Thing

Listen up...

Hiding in Plain Sight:
The One-World System
by Heidi Swander
www.olivetreeviews.org
August 10, 2010

"On April 2, 2009, the work of July 4, 1776 was nullified at the meeting of the G-20 in London." So begins an article written by author and commentator Dick Morris on April 7, 2009, titled, "European Socialism to Run Our Financial System." According to Morris, a communiqué from the meeting "essentially announces a global economic union with uniform regulations and by-laws for all nations, including the United States." Please note: This took place last year.

This new financial state-of-being was confirmed in a statement made by Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, in a speech he made to the Council on Foreign Relations earlier this year. He said, "For the good and appropriate functioning of global finance it is extremely important that we, in this new ownership of global governance, have -- particularly on both sides of the Atlantic -- the implementation of the same rules in the same fashion."

Do not miss this. Do not tune me out. This is vital information. The global, one-world economy is being discussed by a top-level world banker as a done deal.

More HERE.

Some Interesting Things about The Tangled Web

It appears the majority of people are addicted to their communication devices, blogs, and social networks. Are you?

Here are some interesting things about that...

Oh, what a tangled web we weave
www.wnd.com

As Christians, shouldn't we be "addicted" to communicating with God? The internet is a great tool to reach the world for God, but even Christians with the best intentions have become addicted to it. I guess a good attitude test for that might be to see how you feel when the power goes out or you lose access to all communication. Aren't you glad our connection with God does not depend on satellites, batteries or electricity?

Postmodernism is Rebellion against God and His Word

As suspected...

Postmodernism is basically a revolution against the God of the Bible. His authority stands in the way of fallen humanity who wants to be in full control of its own affairs. People are no longer willing to comply with God’s guidelines and want to be free to do as they please. In Psalm 2, in which the Kingship of the Lord Jesus on earth is confirmed, world leaders urge one another to reject this divine control and participate in a revolution against God and His Son:

“Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us” (Ps. 2:1-3).

-Prof. Johan Malan, The Dangers of Postmodernism
[www.bibleguidance.co.za]

Today's Quote

Quote of the day...

Most homeschoolers don’t homeschool just to isolate their children from the public education system (as is often claimed), but they want to ensure their children are taught critical thinking skills (which by and large are sadly lacking in public education—particular in science when it comes to origins), and to teach them a Christian worldview.

-Ken Ham, Homeschoolers Excelling at College

Is More Contemplatve Spirituality about to be taught to Canadian School Teachers?

First it was Tony Campolo, then Ruth Haley Barton, who recently came to train our Canadian Christian teachers in Roman Catholic contemplative spirituality. [See Look who's Teaching the Teachers and A Thing called The Great Silence (and who's talking about it)]

Next month - it's Crest. If you check out the upcoming Christian Schools Canada conferences...

Upcoming Conferences
http://www.cpabc.ca/conferences.html

Christian Schools Canada - September 23-25, 2010
Location: Edmonton, AB
Click here for more information.

...and if you click on that link, it takes you here:

http://www.christianschools.ca/conferences.html

God Prints
Stories of Leadership
(where one of the Key Note Speakers is):
Dr. Dan Reinhardt
Director, CREST Leadership Program

Why should there be a concern about this? Well, go and read about the Crest Leadership Program (http://www.crestleadership.ca) and contemplative spirituality, here:
Some Things about the Contemplative CREST - Promoted by the C&MA
morebooksandthings.blogspot.com

Now I can't say for sure if that's what will be taught at the Canadian Christian teachers conference, and I am just a nobody blogger, but the way things have been going, it sure seems to me that this contemplative spirituality thing appears to be creeping in EVERYWHERE these days - even into trusted schools. So take heed parents, when the school bells call your students back to their Christian schools next month, it might be a good idea to tune your discernment antennas to HIGH ALERT for potential spiritual warning bells.

Is There Any Proof of Jesus Other Than the Bible?

Here's a good thing to watch and pass on...

Is There Any Proof of Jesus Other Than the Bible?
www.youtube.com

This one's about Myth #1, the "historical Jesus" is different from the Jesus of the Bible. I discovered that you can watch not only this, but lots more myths busted (i.e. that Jesus did not claim to be God, the Gospels contradict one another and contain fiction, Jesus never really rose from the dead, etc.), here:

The Real Jesus: A Defense of the Historicity and Divinity of Christ (DVD)
http://www.forerunner.com/realjesus/realjesus.html

Nice Thing of the Week

Awww...this has got to be one of the nicest things I've ever seen on a Monday...

Molly the most famous owl

For all you who who are bird watchers out there. :)

And that was not a typo.

Something is going to happen

Something is happening this Wednesday. I have to say it or it will not happen. No, I am not speaking anything into existence...just keeping myself accountable. Now there is no turning back.

Curious?

You'll see.

Julia Roberts Converted to What?

Ahhhh...seriously? Is it true that Hollywood star Julia Roberts, the daughter of a Baptist and a Catholic, has converted to Hinduism after filming ‘Eat, Pray, Love'? Yes, it's true, says Julia Roberts: "I'm Definitely A Practicing Hindu"!

Go figure! I guess it's no different than George Harrison converting to Hinduism in the 60's which was instrumental in bringing Eastern religion to the West (see Caryl Matrisciana's book Out of India). But I did read an interesting question for Julia Roberts:

Professor Ram Puniyani, a well-known activist and lecturer, says, “Hinduism is not a prophetic religion and there are no fixed rituals for converting to Hinduism. I think we should respect her decision. But the question here is that though she is changing her religion to Hinduism, what would her caste be?”

-Julia Roberts now Hindu. So what?
[www.dnaindia.com]

It's always mind boggling to see someone leave their Christian roots and convert to a religion that persecutes and kills those who have done the opposite. To see what happens to those who convert from Hinduism to Christianity, see here and here and here and here.

The enemy is definitely very hard at work these days. Pray for Julia Roberts. Pray for the persecuted church.

*By the way, writing to those in prison for their Christian faith in Asia is a wonderful ministry. To find out how to do that, see here.

Related info:

Hinduism
www.contenderministries.org

Foxe's Book of Martyrs

A few things about that Foxe's Book of Martyrs book:

"What I find is ironic, no, in fact pathetic, is how little attention this work receives in Christian churches, colleges and seminaries today (of the Protestant perspective). I have talked with numerous students and professors from a variety of Christian educational institutions and find that, for the most part, the work commonly called Foxe’s Book of Martyrs receives, at the most, just a passing reference in this generation. No other book, apart from the Bible, fueled the fires in the hearts of Englishmen to reject Papism and promote the biblical Gospel. "

More here:

From Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
moriel.org

Carl Teichrib Interview

Here's a thing that all Christians have GOT to listen to. That goes for all of you who just drop in here every day and but rarely bother to click on the links.

July 31, 2010 - Hour 1
Carl Teichrib is Jan's guest. He was an "observer" at the "G8 World Religions Summit" in Winnipeg in late June. Even evangelicals gathered there to praise "mother earth," invoke spirits, and focus on "social justice." The formation of the "one-world religion" is shaping up, although none of the participants see it. Teichrib gives stunning illustrations of the unity around paganism he observed. Even humanism was celebrated at the event. This is more proof that the hour is late and the end-time players are aligning. www.forcingchange.org

Scroll down July 31 here @ olivetreeviews.org.

Also see:

Uniting Religions for World Change:
The G8 World Religions Summit
By Carl Teichrib

A Beautiful Thing

Check out this incredible painting of the resurrection by Christian artist Ron DiCianni.

The 2010 Willow Creek Leadership Summit Thing is Over

This past week it's been rather sad to see that a local church in our city hosted the 2010 Willow Creek Leadership Summit via satellite. There have been more than a few problems with the speaker lineups of these summits right from the start. While there are sometimes a few good speakers at these things, there are always just as many questionable choices thrown into the compromising mixture. Meanwhile, as the Willow Creeked facebookers, bloggers and tweeters of North America are ranting and raving about the wonders of the latest summit, here's what a few discerning voices are saying about it...

T.D. JAKES WOWS WILLOW CREEK LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 2010
apprising.org

Willowcreek, the Global Leadership Summit, and Following Jesus
compassiondave.wordpress.com

Related concerns about Willow Creek:

Contemplative Emphasis Continues at Willow Creek … Stronger Than Ever
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com

The Giant Skeleton Thing

The first time I saw these pictures, I wanted to believe them. Then I learned about the deceiving qualities of photoshop. Now I can't count how many times over the last few months that I've been sent the same e-mail forward thingy from well meaning Christians with pictures of giant skeletons that have been found in the Saudi Arabian desert, 'proving' the existence of giants in Bible times.

But here are the actual facts:

Were Giant Skeletons Found in the Desert?
www.answersingenesis.org

Moral of the story?

Don't forward freakishly fantastic forwards (or use them as arguments for evidence of the Bible's accuracy) unless you have researched them and found them to be true.

Christian Reviews for Teen Fiction?

A reader who has a teenager that loves to read (mostly fiction) needs help with a question, so I thought I'd toss it out there...

Do you know of a good source that reviews from a solid Christian perspective?

Does anyone have an answer? So far the only thing I've been able to find for Christian reviews of teen fiction is this:

Novel Teen
novelteen.wordpress.com

And other suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Apostates in the Church

This is why we have the McLarens, Pagitts, and Bells...

"not all apostates leave the church. Some remain in it. Some remain in it for a time and eventually leave. But many remain in the church to propagate their corrupting heresies to destroy the church and its message and its impact. This is precisely what Satan desires to do. I think this is his priority operation. That's why Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light. And as I said earlier, from 2 Corinthians 11, his ministers also are disguised as angels of light. And when you mention Christianity today, just the word conjures up everything that is true and everything that is not true all in the same breath.

For us who know Christ, for us who know the gospel, for us who know our Redeemer, for us who have experienced the goodness of God, His transforming grace, it is always difficult for us to understand how people who are to any degree familiar with the gospel can reject it. I find that almost impossible to believe. Apart from understanding the human heart, the gospel is so appealing, the gospel is so wonderful that it seems something that we should grasp and hold to as tightly as we can, given its immense and eternal promises. But Scripture clearly tells us that there will always be defectors."

Apostates, Be Warned, Part 2
Jude 6-7 (John MacArthur)
www.gty.org

The Power of God's Written Word over Mystical Experiences

I just read a very good testimony at Sola Sisters blog by someone who was deceived by mysticism. It's preceded by this note:

Note: this testimony was written for Sola Sisters by a friend and sister in Christ, guest writer Valerie Leone, after I urged her to write down her harrowing experiences with mysticism. Valerie had these experiences as a believer. Her testimony is a wonderful exhortation that we must "test all things" against Scripture, with the sobering knowledge that none of us are immune to being deceived. Jesus exhorts believers over and over to not allow themselves to be deceived. These words are aimed at the Church, not the world - those in the world are already deceived!

Read the testimony here:

A Testimony to the Power of God's Written Word
solasisters.blogspot.com

Un-Christian Books at Parable Christian Stores

As far as I know, there are two Scott’s Parable Christian Stores in Canada – Red Deer (Alberta), and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan). (There are quite a few more US Parable Christian Stores locations.) The shopincanada.com ad for both stores says:

Buy Scott's Parable Christian Stores. We are your trusted source for Bibles, Christian books, Christian music, videos, gifts and accompaniment tapes.

Here are some of the books that you can get through this “trusted source for Bibles and Christian books”...

Realization of the Divine Oneness: A Revelation of Enlightenment (Baba, Sunny)
(see here)
[This is a book by a reclusive mystic who has spent his early life searching for the Truth in the Realization of the Divine Oneness.]

Light Mind: Mindfulness for Daily Living
(see here)
[This is a book about the ancient practice of mindfulness that can enhance your life.]

New Age Spirituality: An Assessment
(see here)
[This book says the New Age is not all good or all bad and that some of its holistic and ecological tenets may be useful in formulating a spirituality in our confusing time.]

A Primer of Psychology According to a Course in Miracles
(see here)
[A Course in Miracles which this book is a primer for is, of course, the New Age course by Marianne Williamson that Oprah had on her show (see here).]

There are many, many more questionable un-Christian books available through Parable Christian Stores, trusted source for Bibles and Christian books. Which, once again, leads us to the ever so complex question...

Why?

Today's Quote

A good thing to remember...

"We should not be followers of other people, as the chances are good that we will be deceived. Rather do intensive Bible study and allow the Holy Spirit to be your Tutor."

-Instant Conversions and the Absence of Sanctification
Prof. Johan Malan
www.bibleguidance.co.za

The Problem with Discernment

An important part of having biblical discernment is using it to warn others who don’t have discernment, or are not using discernment because they are not spending time in the Word (either they don’t have time, or are not interested, don’t know how to, and would rather listen to chewed cud). Either way, true discernment a rare thing these days, and it takes discernment to know how to use discernment. Make sense?

Some good things to read regarding the 'gift of discernment' here:

The Problem with “Discernment”
moriel.org

Also see:

What is biblical discernment and why is it important?
http://www.ondoctrine.com/2gty0301.htm

Books in the Light of God's Word

Have you ever thought about this...

If Jesus came to our Churches today, what would He find?

“And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.’” John 2: 14-17

Have our books become “doves” in the eyes of the Lord? Do we sell in the Lord’s house and Christian bookstores, for profit, man's ideas and man's thoughts that are not Scriptural, or edifying to Christians, but rather divert their eyes from seeing the True and Living God? “’But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.’” Matthew 18:6

~ ~ ~

That's from a beautifully written piece on today's books in the light of God's Word, and the whole thing can be found here:

Books and Church from God's Perspective (by Charisse Graves)
lightingtheway.blogspot.com