My cousin sent this to me this morning. I heard about it briefly the day it happened. I am not sure how
deep the water was, but I know that they plane sank. But miraculously every passenger was rescued and brought to safety.
You know-this picture makes me really think...That this IS the Heart of God. And as Christians likewise, it should be our heart. It is so easy to get upset over the morality of our nation and things that are happening that seem Godless. We need to keep in mind that God has a will, a desire for all men to be saved. (Though he will not force men to love or accept him.)
It is his heart that all men would be saved, by coming to the Knowledge of Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Savior.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that whosoever would believe in Him
If you are a Christian in America, you have probably heard of the Rapture teaching.
Many Christians believe this teaching. Many just have not taken the time to really study and find out about this teaching. I, myself for many years pretty much held to the rapture bellief. Hoping that the pretrib view was correct, but really being unsure in my convictions.
The reason I accepted it for so long was mainly because that is what I was taught. That is what I heard the prominent ministers saying. Why almost every TV evangelist today preaches this message. I just figured that these other men who spent so much time in the BIble must be right and know more than I. Perhaps they could interpret scripture better than I.
But I must admit, when reading Revelations especially and other books I kept seeing so many holes in the doctrine. In fact if you had never heard of the Rapture theory, you would not be able to come up with it for yourself by just reading your Bible.
There is an old saying "When the student is ready...The teacher will appear." Well I began searching for myself. And I began to see that there were other views about this theory I had not known before.
One of the biggest truths I found out about this teaching is where it began. The rapture theory came from a 15 year old girl who fell into a trance. (She was not under the covering of a local church.) Basically due to her vision, some men greedy for gain, began preaching a new message and Jesus coming in 2 parts.
Now today those thoughts and ideas have been added to many of our Bibles in notes.
Hmm Sounds similar to a teaching from Joseph Smith-saying the Angel Moroni appeared to him. Thus today we have Mormonism and a whole new book in addition to the BIble.
At anyrate-I am not trying to persude you. But I really do believe that as Christians we should study for ourselves to be approved. Get a variety of books on the subject, for and against the teaching.
But mostly pray to God for His insight into the teachings
I think as a Christian we should look at other views and not just take to a belief because it is what our church etc. has taught.
Did you know that the early church did not believe in the rapture. They believed Rome was the Beast.
So why is it that the early church has to go through the tribulation, but we American's get to escape it with a rapture? (I guess God likes us more.) Ridiculous! I wonder what they would think of our rapture teaching.
Another note. This is predominantly an American held belief. If you encounter other Christians around the world they don't have this teaching. (I guess they just are not enlightened enough.) I am being sarcastic here...
How long will we hold to the traditions of men?
(Just a little disclaimer here-I have not read all these articles thoroughly, and I don't believe everything I see in print.) So there may be some content that is infallible. I don't know there view on everything here. But the history is there-where the teaching came from and how it got into our Bibles etc.
But as Mary did, I ponder these things in my heart and then ask the Truth giver to show me the truth.) For it is He, Jesus that I put my trust in.
Luke 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
I decided I wanted to vote early this year. So yesterday I went to cast my ballot. The kids got to see
how the voting process works. It was great. No long lines, the people were great to deal with. The kids got stickers saying "I voted!"
When I went to the machine. I let them stand on a chair to overlook how it worked. They saw me punch through the pages and select my candidates.
I told my children that voting is a chance to voice your opinion. And that people that don't vote should never complain.
I can hear the Devil talking to his demons.."Sshhh! Don't let those Christians get a real sense of conviction over Halloween. Why right now they are raising their children to practice it. We wrap it with candy and costumes and in the name of fun and treats and we can get them on the streets. Don't forget all the companies out there making all the money on candy and costumes,etc. In fact the highest sales except for Christmas. Who cares about it's pagan origin? Who cares where the celebration really came from. " They are free-at least they believe that their celebrating it is a freedom which Christ has given them, even if it does glorify ME instead of Him. Besides Halloween has nothing to do with Jesus-It's us-Death, Darkness, Depravity- we get all the glory."
Why we'll even have them believing our lies, that celebrating it really is harmless. And for those other Christians-those prudes..You know the ones that are saying it is bad, why they are just trying to spoil all the fun....Yeah we can cause even more trouble through division and strife..."
So you think that probably isn't the conversation going on? Hmmm, I beg to differ. And for many Christians -he has us DUPED!
I realize this is a touchy subject among Christians. Since Christians seem to have different convictions on this issue.
In fact I have remained pretty silent about this over the last few years. Silent in not voicing my opinion much on this matter. (At least where other Christians were concerned). Even though we have not practiced it in our family.
One of my other friends just shared her convictions on her blog and I decided to do the same this year.
For our family, this issue is very easy to make and a very clear line is drawn. There are no gray areas.
Just like our commitment to life and morality, and voting for a candidate that has those same values.
I would not vote for anyone who does not see the value of Life and Morality. (And I really don't understand how other Christians can.) But somehow their convictions are different than mine. That doesn't make them any less a Christian or any less saved than I am. It doesn't mean I am a better Christian either.
I do have a deep down conviction about this issue. And to practice an activity that does not bring glory to God would be to go against my conscience and also teach my children to do so.
Now before you get upset, I realize there are many Christians (even close friends) that do not see it the same way I do.
But I thought that perhaps sharing my convictions might help others who struggle with this issue.
No one ever told me not to celebrate Halloween. I never needed to hear a sermon about it. I never had to go read an article to see if it was right or wrong.
When I became a Christian- I saw Halloween in a new light. I saw it as a celebration that glorifies evil, witchcraft, gloom, destruction, darkness, and fear. (What in the world do any of these things have to do with me and being Christlike?)
I have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness-into the kingdom of light.
To celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween that is the question.
Of course when we make a decision we have to look to the word of God.
As a Christian does God's word support the celebration of Halloween?
Does it condemn it?
I don't see anything in the celebration of Halloween that brings glory to God.
(Death and evil are glorified throughout the whole month of October. Skeletons, vampires, spiders, snakes, skulls, death, yuk, yuk..I don't even want to go to the store-because it is like walking down a r rated video isle looking at all the gross stuff!
So I cannot see anything that supports the celebration of Halloween.
And if we really wanted to look it would be much easier to find scriptures that would condemn the practice than support it.
Christmas and Easter at least celebrate Jesus. His birth, and His death and resurrection.
Here are a few scriptures that come to mind.
Ephesians 5:7-12
Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in (have no fellowship with) the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.(NLT)
The word fellowship derives from the Greek “koinonia” which means, literally, “commonness.”Those who follow the Lord should have no commonness with the unfruitful works of darkness.Halloween is filled with darkness.Dark, evil, wicked occultist practices makes Halloween Halloween.The Bible specifically commands us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).How could we possibly, knowing the Bible condemns the practices and ideas of Halloween as intrinsically anti-Christian, partake in such a day?
1 Peter 4: 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Here are a few interesting articles about Christians and Halloween.
http://www.annieshomepage.com/halloween2.html
http://www.chick.com/seasonal/halloween/celebrate.asp
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/OnlineDiscipleship/Halloween/halloween_Watt05.aspx
For this article scroll down to where it says Attitudes of various religious groups.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_re.htm
http://holiday-blogs.blogspot.com/2005/10/origins-of-halloween.html
A couple years back I heard my daughter tell my son "Christmas is Jesus' birthday and Halloween in the Devil's birthday. So do you want to celebrate God or the Devil?"
No one told her to say that or to think that. But somehow in her mind this is what she saw in the 2 Holidays. She at the age of 4 made her own opinion of what these two Holidays represented.
(Of course I have explained to her that Halloween is not really the devil's birthday, but I thought that her take on this was funny.)
I myself have posed the question to my children.
So I wonder-"would Jesus dress up and go trick or treating?" Hmm-"I wonder what costume he would choose to wear" What do you think he would do on Halloween"?
I would ask every Christian that is trying to live a Christ centered life to truly pray about their families involvement in celebrating Halloween. It's not about other Christians and their judgement of you.
It is about your family, your conscience and your conviction before God that matters.
In an effort to swing votes, pork has padded the bailout bill in order to buy votes from those opposed.
Of course the language used is - that an effort is being made to make the bill more palatable.
Folks lets remember- there is no guarantee that any of this will actually work. It was bad enough on Monday, but now adding on millions of dollars for special projects.
You gotta see this. Glenn Beck has a list of the pork add ons. 435 pages-the bill looks like a novel.
If you read through the paragraphs you will see all the add ons they are suggesting.
Money for Rum makers, money for race tracks etc.
These add ons are BRIBES to gain votes needed.
Just another note...The KING of "I will veto every bill with an earmark." voted aye for this bill.
That means he said YES! Yes McCain voted for this bill with all the added pork barrel spending!
I hope you plan to call your representative NOW and tell them to vote NO WAY to this bill!
Feudalism: You have two cows. Your lord takes 40 % of the milk.
Imperialism/Mercantilism: The colonists have two cows. The mother country takes both cows and sells you milk and leather.
Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one of them and buy a bull.
Pure Socialism: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.
Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
Pure Communism: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else’s cows. You have to take care of all the cows according to your abilities. The government gives you as much milk, as you need.
Communism: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and gives you part of the milk.
Anarchism: You have two cows. You keep the cows, steal another one, and then shoot the government.
Stalinism: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else’s cows. Ex-chicken farmers care them for. You have to take care of the chickens the government took away from the chicken farmers. The government gives the eggs and milk to the workers. When you complain you are sent to Siberia then shot.
Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both cows and sells you the milk.
Nazism: You have two cows. The government takes both cows then shoots you.
Pure Democracy: You have two cows. You and your neighbors decide who gets the milk.
Representative Democracy: You have two cows. You and your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.
Bureaucracy: You have two cows. The government fines you for keeping two unlicensed farm animals, then takes both of them shoots one, milks the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.
Conservatism: You have two cows. The government pays you not to milk them.
Liberalism: You have two cows. You give one cow away to the poor.
House #1
A 20 room mansion (not including 8bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400 per month. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern 'snow belt' area. It's in the South.
House #2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every 'green' feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.
The water (usually 67 degrees F) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.
HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville, Tennessee;
it is the abode of the 'environmentalist' Al Gore.
HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford,Texas;
it is the residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
Today I visited my friend James' blog. He is the pastor of a church in Illinois. You can see his entry here at Family Reformation. He has some eye opening information as well as a CBN video. I hope it will encourage you.
If Congress would have decided 10 years ago to drill. Current gas prices would not be where they are today. We would be much less dependent on foreign oil today.
I keep hearing all the analysts that tell us it won't even matter at the pump for 10 years. (Which is partially speculation.) I have heard some analysts say 5 years and others say 10.
But let me add a few things that would matter NOW.
Many jobs would be created overnight and over the next 10 years and beyond-in our pursuit of becoming more energy independent. So more jobs creates more tax dollars paid in, more social security money available. More money being spent in the market place. More families being able to provide for themselves and get health insurance. More jobs = less WELFARE. Which we are currently paying for through our tax dollars.
Being from Texas I am really struggling to understand the Democratic position to NOT Drill the oil we already have. I know many people that came from many states (back in the 80's) to gain Texas oil field related jobs that paid very well. I am equally tired of hearing all about how all that drilling is going to destroy wildlife. Meanwhile we become slaves to the Middle East.
If Americans can't afford to drive to work the Eco system is going to be very low on the list of priorities.
So even if we don't see the reflection at the pump today. We are still better of securing the future of our children and their children for the years to come. And also provide jobs for people at HOME here in America.
The benefit to opening up the reserves would be IMMEDIATE.
If you want to see where your local representative stands on the issue you can visit this site here.
If you want to urge Congress to hear us on the Drill Now Issue here is a petition that Newt Gingrich put in place for you to add your name to.
The republicans are on the floor today urging the democrats to sign the petition and agree to vote for drilling oil here.
Keep in mind-this does not stop the US from seeking alternative forms of energy. Energy independence would be best from a variety of sources. But lets face it-gas, and the need for oil is not going away any time soon. So while we are looking at other sources of fuel lets go ahead and use the oil resources we already have.
Welcome to our blog! We are a Christian Homeschooling family and this is the place where we can share our learning, lives, and thoughts with those we love.
"Sshhh! Don't let those Christians get a real sense of conviction over Halloween. Why right now they are raising their children to practice it. We wrap it with candy and costumes and in the name of fun and treats and we can get them on the streets. Don't forget all the companies out there making all the money on candy and costumes,etc. In fact the highest sales except for Christmas. 
