Chalk Talk Toons

Fla Christians Say Mormons Not Christians But Romney OK

2012-02-01T13:22:00.002-05:00

What Is Apologetics ?

2012-02-01T09:41:00.003-05:00

An Introduction to Apologetics
by Matt Slick

The word "apologetics" comes from the Greek word "apologia," pronounced "ap-ol-og-ee’-ah." It means, "a verbal defense." It is used eight times in the New Testament: Acts 22:1; 25:16; 1 Cor. 9:3; 2 Cor. 10:5-6; Phil. 1:7; 2 Tim. 4:16, and 1 Pet. 3:15. But it is the last verse that is most commonly associated with Christian apologetics.

"....but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Pet. 3:15, NASB).

"Apologetics is the work of convincing people to change their views."

Therefore, Christian apologetics is that branch of Christianity that deals with answering any and all critics who oppose or question the revelation of God in Christ and the Bible. It can include studying such subjects as biblical manuscript transmission, philosophy, biology, mathematics, evolution, and logic. But it can also consist of simply giving an answer to a question about Jesus or a Bible passage. The latter case is by far the most common and you don’t have to read a ton of books to do that.

Apologetics can be defensive and offensive. Phil. 1:7 gives us instruction on the defensive side, "For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me." 2 Cor. 10:5 gives us instruction on the offensive side: "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." The apologist can and should defend his reasons for believing (1 Pet. 3:15). But he can also go on the attack. He can seek out those who oppose Christianity (2 Cor. 10:5). Of course, he should be prepared to do this beforehand, and all apologetics is to be done with gentleness.

Apologetics is the work of convincing people to change their views. In this, it is similar to preaching because its goal is ultimately the defense and presentation of the validity and necessity of the gospel. It is an attempt to persuade the listener to change his beliefs and life to conform to biblical truth and to come to a saving relationship in Christ.

Basically apologetics can be evidential (often called "classical") or presuppositional. Evidential apologetics deals with the evidence for Christianity: Jesus’ resurrection, the biblical manuscripts, fulfilled prophecy, miracles, etc. Presuppositional apologetics deals with the presuppositions of those who oppose Christianity, because presuppositions affect how a person views evidence and reason.

Some areas of debate within Christian apologetics deal with the use of evidence, reason, philosophy, etc. Should the apologist use only those criteria acceptable to unbelievers? Are we allowed to use the Bible as a defense of our position or must we prove Christianity without it? Is reason alone sufficient to prove God's existence or Christianity’s truth? How much should reason and evidence be used in light of the Scriptures' teaching that it is God who opens the mind to understand? What part does prayer, using the Bible, and the sinful nature of the unbeliever play in witnessing? How do these factors interrelate to bring an unbeliever to faith? The questions are easy. The answers are not.

Jesus chose one highly-educated religious person as an apostle. That was Paul. The rest were fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor, etc. They were normal people of the day who were available and willing to be used by the Lord. They were filled with the Spirit of God, and they were used as vessels of God. God uses all things for His glory. So, we do apologetics by faith.

The Lord has called every Christian to be ready to make a defense of his faith. That means you are called to give reasonable answers to questions regarding Christianity. Now, this does not mean that you must have a Ph.D. or that you have to go to seminary. However, it does mean that you should be willing to at least give an answer for your beliefs. If you find you cannot, then prayerfully take it to God and start studying.

What do you study?

You could pray and ask the Lord to teach you what He wants you to know. Ask Him to give you a burden for something to learn. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just ask. Whatever you become interested in is what you should learn about because it is probably something God wants you to know for later use. It is like having tools in a tool shed. The more you have, the more you can accomplish.

Another way to find out what God wants you to study is through circumstances. Let’s say that a Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door and debates the deity of Christ with you, and you find you don’t know how to defend it biblically. In that case, you know you need to study biblical verses that teach Jesus is God in flesh. Or maybe a coworker asks you how you know the Bible is true? If you don’t have an answer, pray, and start researching. Go to a Christian bookstore and get some books on the subject. Talk to your pastor. You’ll learn.

Sometimes God will make a verse or subject in the Bible "come alive" to you and it might strike you as odd or interesting. You could get a commentary and read up on it. You could ask others about it. In so doing, you are preparing yourself through learning to be ready to answer questions and point people to the truth. You'd be surprised how many details God can use to help you in your witness, even through those apparently odd times when verses suddenly "come alive."

From CARM carm.org

Reasons You Should Not Marry An Unbeliever by Kathy Keller

2012-01-31T10:12:00.002-05:00

thegospelcoalition

2012-01-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus

2012-01-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

A Junk Food Marriage

2012-01-28T10:47:00.002-05:00

by Nancy C. Anderson

In this fast-food era of pizza delivery and speedy drive-through meals, it's easy to forgo a sit-down "real silverware" dinner. We often sacrifice nutrition for convenience.

Unfortunately, some of us have transferred this fast-food lifestyle to our marriages.

Our bodies' immune systems will start to falter if we're living on junk-food diets. And if we only have drive-through intimacy, our marriages may lose their immunity to worldly "germs." We all need to eat balanced diets and contrary to what the advertisers tell us, super-sized fries are not healthy vegetables. However, I think we can agree that peas are nutritious, so here are three "P"s that will feed your marriage.

Plan: Just as planning is important to the success of a meal, it's also vital to a marriage. Don't let your married life just happen. Plan time be together. Society tells us that we all need more "me" time, but it's "we" time that will strengthen our marriages. A weekly date night is a great idea but if it's not practical to get away for a whole evening, find a way to meet for lunch or go for a walk after dinner.

My husband, Ron, and I sometimes cuddle on the couch, after our son has gone to bed, and watch old home videos of our lives together. We make a special effort to be alone and enjoy each others company. Try to avoid talk about work, children, or problems when you're on a date; concentrate on positive personal thoughts and goals.

Planning double dates with other Christian couples can also strengthen your marriage.

Choose a couple whose family is similar to yours-kids, interests, same general income-and you'll probably find that you have a lot in common. Seeing other couples react to each other and solve their conflicts has helped us work out our own problems.

Praise: After you've had a scrumptious meal in a fine restaurant, it is customary to say, "My compliments to the chef." However, we often forget to send our compliments to the woman who washed the socks or to the man who mowed the lawn. Ron and I have been married for 26 years, and our relationship has hit some emotional speed bumps that forced us to slow down and appreciate each other.

Last year we were devastated as we witnessed our friends' Christian marriage disintegrate. They were critical and unappreciative as they lost sight of what they originally liked about each other. They forgot that "Love doesn't keep score of the sins of others . . . and . . . love always looks for the best ." (1 Corinthians 13)

Don't let your love be eroded by criticism. Instead, build each other up with praise. Ron has become my biggest fan and he often tells me that I'm smart, funny or pretty, and those compliments make me want to please him by being even smarter, funnier and prettier. Compliments are like magnets, if you want your mate to be "attracted" to you, be generous with sincere praise.

Pray: Just as a prayer should be offered before each meal, it must be integrated into our daily marriage routine. The spiritual life of a marriage is a great indicator of the health of the whole relationship. Praying together is an intimate activity, and in order for it to be effective, it must be genuine and heartfelt. Ron didn't grow up in a Christian family, so it was hard for him to understand how important prayer was to our relationship, but he has learned that his prayers nourish me, our marriage, and our relationship with God.

When Ron prays for me, I feel as if I'm covered by a velvety blanket of protection. Even though I still face problems and setbacks, his prayers shelter me from the sharpness of the pain. He is strengthened by my prayers too and we both agree that we're less likely to fight if we're consistently praying together.

Every marriage has problems and conflicts, but don't be discouraged. Through prayer, God can give each of us His strength and comfort. He wants to build us up and encourage us as couples. You'll have the strength to face uncertain times if you both ask for the guidance of your Certain Savior.

There is a recipe for effective prayer, in Luke 11, where the Lord's prayer reminds us to forgive one another, as God has forgiven us. God is merciful to me and I have chosen to be merciful to my husband (except when he's tailgating or speeding).

Now, Get Cookin' The Lord intended for your Christian marriage to be a banquet: a lingering, sipping and savoring delight. If you need proof, read the song of Solomon. So my advice to you, and to myself, is to send the kidlets to grandma's house, light some romantic candles, say your prayers and get cookin!

-Nancy C. Anderson

Around The World In Five Minutes!

2012-01-27T09:02:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful world He has created for us to share with Him!

How Can Jesus Be God And Man? by Matt Perman

2012-01-26T14:34:00.002-05:00

desiringgod.org

Sexual Sin by John Piper

2012-01-26T08:44:00.000-05:00

10 Lies Men Believe by Ron Edmondson

2012-01-25T12:37:00.001-05:00

10 Lies Men Believe I sat with a man recently. He’s lost his job, can’t find another and it’s having an impact on his marriage. I quickly diagnosed his real problem. Not that I’m an expert in diagnosing problems, but I’ve seen this one many times and his language made it clear.

He said things like, “I used to be able to…” and “I don’t think I’ll ever…”. It seemed clear to me, so I took a chance and told him my theory. He was believing a lie.

If you’re a man, at some point, you’ve probably believed one of these lies:
I will fail if I try

I don’t measure up

I am not as good as he is

I don’t have what it takes

I can’t win

I can do this and no one will know

I can’t be honest about that

I’m the only one who has ever struggled with this

I can’t recover from that

I can’t be the spiritual leader of my home

If you’ve been hit with a setback, if you are licking your wounds from a failure, if you simply can’t find your way right now, you may be allowing the enemy, the world or your own mind to feed you some lies.

One way out of the “funk” may be to insert some truth into your life. (Look up these verses as a start: Philippians 4:13, Joshua 1:9, 1 John 4:4, Psalm 121:1.)

Which of the above lies are you currently believing?

What Are The Odds Of Christ Being The Son Of God?

2012-01-24T12:22:00.001-05:00

What are the Odds of Christ being the Son of God?
From the book A Scientific Analysis of Genesis by Dr. Edward E, Blick, Ph.D. - he states that the odds that you will die in the next second is greater than the odds that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God:

100 Prophecies, explains how Bible prophecies have been fulfilled in history. Click for more information.
" There are three hundred prophecies in the Old testament that were fulfilled by the first coming of Jesus Christ. Professor Peter Stoner, a mathematician in one of California's colleges, gave a homework assignment concerning Old Testament prophecies and probability to students taking his course in mathematical probability. There were 48 students in the class and each student was assigned the problem of estimating the probability that Jesus Christ just happened to fulfill one of the prophecies by chance. For example, one student may have been assigned the prophecy in Micah 5:2 which states that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Well Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, so this student had to estimate that out of all the places on the earth, what were the odds that Jesus Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

To get the total probability that Jesus Christ just by chance happened to fulfill 48 prophecies simultaneously, the individual probabilities had to be multiplied together. After doing so, Professor Stoner found that the total probability was one chance out of 10 to the 180th power (one followed by 180 zeros). To put it another way, the chances that Jesus Christ actually is the Son of God are greater than 10 to the 180th power to one. This was calculated using only 48 of the 300 prophecies, so undoubtedly the odds are extremely larger than 10 to the 180th power to one.

The odds of 10 to the 180th power to one are more than a "sure thing" than anything you can predict in your future. For example, let's suppose you are 20 years old and from insurance mortality tables we know the yearly death rate of persons 20 years of age. It turns out that the chances of you dying in the next second are one chance out of 10 billion, or to turn it around, the chances of you living the next second are 10 to the 10th power to one. 10 to the 10th power is an extremely large number, but infinitesimally small compared to 10 to the 180th power! To put it another way, the chances that Jesus Christ is actually the Son of God are almost infinitely greater than the chances you have of being alive the next second! "

From Konig

The Story of Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T12:38:00.003-05:00

When: February 14th.

Valentine's Day is a celebration of love and lovers. The roots of Valentine's Day goes back to ancient times, when people paid honor to the Roman God of Fertility. This was known as the Feast of Lupercalia, and was celebrated even then on February 14th.

The traditions of Valentine's Day are broad and many. It is a time to exchange cards or small gifts. Chocolates and jewelry are the big hits of this holiday as is romantic dinners.

It is a romantic event for lovers and a fun event for kids and family. Many a couple become engaged or wed on this day. For others it is a day to fall in love.

Did you know? While 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women all year long, during the days and minutes before Valentine's Day, 75% of the chocolate purchases are made by men. Over $1billion of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day.

Saint Valentine's Day Massacre During the "Roaring twenties(1920's)", mobs, crime and gangsters were at a height in many parts of the U.S. Alcohol was banned, spawning the rise of Bootlegging and mob activity. Chicago , Illinois experienced more than it's share of mobs and gangsters. On Valentine's Day, February 14, 1929, four gangsters dressed up as policemen, massacred seven members of a rival gang.

Did you Know? February 14th was formerly thought to be the first day of bird's mating for the season. This sparked the custom of sending valentines to each other.
From Customs Blog

Will 2012 Be The Year Israel Attacks Iran? by John Claeys

2012-01-21T10:35:00.002-05:00

Will 2012 Be the Year Israel Attacks Iran?
Iran believes that an Israeli attack may occur in 2012. Sources inside the Persian state say that insiders surrounding Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei truly believes an attack will be launched on Iran before the presidential election. Therefore, the regime is preparing for that very real possibility.

This thinking coincides with that of the British officials who announced Israel will attack Iran—soon! Their declaration, made in mid-November, stated that the Jewish nation could even hit Iran by Christmas, though we now know that date came and passed without incident. However, the Brits have not changed their minds on the belief that Israel's military strike will occur, though they now believe it will happen in 2012.

In addition, the militaries of Israel and the U.S. are planning to prepare for a counterattack on Iran. They will prep by conducting the missile defense exercise "Austere Challenge 12," designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces. In addition, this largest-ever joint drill by the two countries will be held to show Iranian leadership it should not think of messing with Israel.
It is interesting that with all of the talk about this possibility of a military strike, Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. One reason the terrorist regime is making these threats is because of fear of an Israeli attack. Leaders in Iran are hoping to make the Jewish nation think twice, and they think the U.S. will intervene to stop Israel for fear of the ramifications of shutting down the strait.

Another reason for the threats is due to Iran feeling some heat from sanctions. For example, Iran's currency hit an all-time low, as a result of President Obama signing the bill Congress passed to place sanctions on the central bank of Iran. The rial (Iran's currency) declined by 12% on Monday, and it has lost 35% of its value since September. Furthermore, housing prices have risen 20 percent in the past few weeks, and private companies and importers say they are in deep trouble.

The economic problems in Iran have brought a bleak mood as Iranian leadership prepares for prolonged hardship. But Iran has other problems coming down on the regime, such as the disintegration of its chief ally, Syria. Furthermore, Hamas appears to be moving from its tight connection with the Syria-Iranian partnership toward one with Turkey or Egypt.

However, while sanctions have had some detrimental impact on Iran, they have not motivated the Iranian regime to halt its quest for nuclear weapons. This sets the stage for a necessary attack on Iran by Israel. This attack is necessary, because, otherwise, the terrorist regime will not only develop nuclear weapons, but it will likely use them on the Jewish nation.

An Israeli military strike could also be used by God to provide Israel to be the hero among Arab states. After all, Arab states would love for Israel to attack Iran, with the hope that the current regime would come down. (Saudi Arabia, for example, has invited Israel to use its air space for an attack.) This is because they fear Iran and its quest for nuclear weapons. This is why, for example, the United Arab Emirates, which resides near Iran, is purchasing a THAAD missile defense system for $3.48 billion as part of a massive buildup of defense technology among friendly Mideast nations near Iran. (The U.S. will sell the UAE the missile defense system for protection against Iran.)

So, while sanctions and other problems have not motivated Iran to give up its nuclear quest, those issues could prepare for the eventual overthrow of the Iranian regime. With an already problematic economy and an isolated Iran, an Israeli strike could create the environment for the Iranian opposition movement to take down the regime. That would create a significant domino effect in the Middle East, preparing the way for the end-times treaty with Israel and fulfillment of passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:3, which, in connection with the treaty, predicts that world leaders will believe they have achieved "peace and security." (There is no way leaders could believe that with a nuclear-armed Iran on the prowl.)

If Israel does launch an attack, and it results in the overthrow of the Iranian government, leaders of Arab states would likely be willing to participate with Israel in a regional treaty—and not only co-sign the treaty, but such gratitude would result in permitting the Jewish nation to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount—fulfilling Bible prophecy (see Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; etc.).

It does appear that God is aligning the actors on the stage—and directing their moves—to prepare for fulfillment of His end-times plan. If so, we could witness a very exciting 2012!

2012-01-21T10:19:00.002-05:00

The Holy Land: Did You Know?
Interesting facts about Christianity in the Holy Land.
From Christanity Today

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THE WAY OF THE CROSS. Only in the Holy Land can you celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection in the place where it happened. The fourth-century pilgrim Egeria described the Holy Week services in Jerusalem: "What I admire and value most is that all the hymns and antiphons and readings, and all the prayers that the bishops say, are always relevant to the day which is being observed and to the place in which they are used." Today, much like in Egeria's era, thousands of Christians observe Good Friday by following the "Via Dolorosa"—the traditional route Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion—from the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The route and rituals have changed over the centuries, but the devotion has not. Jerusalem Christians' celebration of Easter influenced Christian worship around the world. The practice of following the "stations of the cross" is one example.

HERITAGE IN COLORED STONE. One of the most lasting and beautiful legacies we have of early Christian communities in Palestine and the surrounding region are mosaic floors. This cross is in a very early church in Mamshit, a city of the Nabateans, an ancient kingdom of traders in the Negev desert who converted to Christianity in the fourth century.

OUR LAND. The first Christian writer to mention the term "holy land" was Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho (c. 160). Justin was trying to show that the land God promised to Abraham would be inherited by Christians when Christ returned and built a new Jerusalem. But according to Robert Louis Wilken, it was the monks living in the Judean desert who claimed this concept as a present, Christian reality. Sixth-century monastic leaders Theodosius and Sabas wrote to the Byzantine emperor calling themselves "the inhabitants of this Holy Land"—meaning not just a collection of pilgrimage sites but a region with spiritual privileges and a living church. Monasticism played a crucial role in Palestine, and Sabas's monastery is still an active Christian community today.

TO GO OR NOT TO GO? Is there really something "special" about the land of the Bible? Christians have debated this since the earliest centuries of the church. Cyril, the bishop of Jerusalem (c. 348-387), spoke for many when he proudly claimed, "Others only hear, but we both see and touch." Biblical scholar Jerome, who settled in Bethlehem in the 380s, believed that visiting the historical sites can help us understand Scripture better. But he also warned, "It is not being in Jerusalem, but living a good life there that is praiseworthy." Gregory of Nyssa, less enthusiastic about the growing popularity of pilgrimages, assured his congregation that God was just as present with them in Cappadocia as in Jerusalem.

BRINGING JERUSALEM HOME. Modern street vendors didn't invent the souvenir industry. When Byzantine pilgrims returned from Palestine, they brought back relics, oil from lamps above Christ's tomb, and many other tangible reminders of their visit. Some even tried to recreate the Holy Land in their own hometowns. Santa Stefano in Bologna, Italy, was originally a complex of seven churches representing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other key holy sites in Jerusalem.

A DWINDLING WITNESS. No church in the world can claim more ancient roots than in Israel-Palestine, where there has been a continual Christian presence since the time of Christ. But in the last 60 years, the number of Palestinian Christians living in the area has dropped from as much as 40 percent of the population to only 2 or 3 percent (estimates vary), while most Palestinian Christians have emigrated elsewhere. The reasons are debated—various groups blame Israel's policies or pressures from the Muslim majority. In 1992 George Carey, then Archbishop of Canterbury, told the New York Times that he feared in 15 years Jerusalem and Bethlehem would become "a kind of Walt Disney Christian theme park"—a tourist attraction without a real Christian presence. His prediction is in danger of coming true. But those local Christians who still remain in places like Bethlehem are holding on to their homeland and heritage fiercely.

2012-01-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

Tim Tebow Makes Girl's Wish Come True

2012-01-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

Leading Countries Involved In Christian Persecution

2012-01-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

1. North Korea
2. Afghanistan
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Somalia
5. Iran
6. Maldives
7. Uzbekistan
8. Yemen
9. Iraq
10. Pakistan
11. Eritrea
12. Laos
13. Nigeria
14. Mauritania
15. Egypt
16. Sudan
17. Bhutan
18. Turkmenistan
19. Vietnam
20. Chechnya
21. China
22. Qatar
23. Algeria
24. Comoros
25. Azerbaijan 26. Libya
27. Oman
28. Brunei
29. Morocco
30. Kuwait
31. Turkey
32. India
33. Burma (Myanmar)
34. Tajikistan
35. Tunisia
36. Syria
37. United Arab Emirates
38. Ethiopia
39. Djibouti
40. Jordan
41. Cuba
42. Belarus
43. Indonesia
44. Palestinian Territories
45. Kazakhstan
46. Bahrain
47. Colombia
48. Kyrgyzstan
49. Bangladesh
50. Malaysia

Tim Tebow Makes John 3:16 Most Searched Item On Web

2012-01-13T10:09:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2012

Not only did Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow lead his team to a stunning victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the NFL AFC wildcard playoff game, but his performance led to an explosion of Google searches for John 3:16 when the facts and figures emerged, TIME reports. Tebow threw for exactly 316 yards -- averaging 31.6 yards per completion -- and fans soon began pointing out the allusion to John 3:16, which Tebow famously painted in his eye black in 2009 when he led the Florida Gators to victory in the college national championship game. By Monday morning, John 3:16 was ranked as the top-searched item on Google, followed by "Tebow" and "Tim Tebow." Coincidence or not, Tebow's passing yards had millions of people discovering the verse where Jesus says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life."
From Crosswalk

10 Countries With The Largest Number Of Christians

2012-01-10T15:45:00.001-05:00

GateHouse News Service

These are some of the key findings of a new report released by the Pew Research Center, called Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population, which provides data on the world's Christian population by region, country and tradition.

• Almost half (48 percent) of all Christians live in the 10 countries with the largest number of Christians. Three of the top 10 are in the Americas (the United States, Brazil and Mexico). Two are in Europe (Russia and Germany); two are in the Asia-Pacific region (the Philippines and China); and three are in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia), reflecting Christianity's global reach.

• Christians are diverse theologically as well as geographically. About half are Catholic. Protestants, broadly defined, make up 37 percent. Orthodox Christians comprise 12 percent of Christians worldwide. Other Christians, such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, make up the remaining 1 percent of the global Christian population.

• Taken as a whole, Christians are by far the world's largest religious group. Muslims, the second-largest group, make up a little less than a quarter of the world's population, according to previous studies by the Pew Forum.

• Although Christianity began in the Middle East-North Africa, that region today has both the lowest concentration of Christians (about 4 percent) and the smallest number of Christians (about 13 million) of any major geographic region.

• Although Christians comprise just under a third of the world's people, they form a majority of the population in 158 countries and territories, about two-thirds of all the countries and territories in the world.

• Nigeria now has more than twice as many Protestants (broadly defined to include Anglicans and independent churches) as Germany, the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation.

• About 90 percent of Christians live in countries where Christians are in the majority; only about 10 percent of Christians worldwide live as minorities.

What Is America's Gayest City!

2012-01-10T06:55:00.002-05:00

By Stephanie Siek, CNN

(CNN) - Salt Lake City, Utah, is known for breathtaking mountain scenery, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the 2002 Winter Olympics.

But today it was also named the Gayest City in America by The Advocate magazine.

The Advocate ranked cities according to its own admittedly nonscientific criteria, including the number of gay and lesbian bookstores, elected officials who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and some edgier metrics like the number of International Mr. Leather competition semifinalists and the presence of nude yoga classes. This year’s list intended to examine cities that are outside the usual orbit of San Francisco, Boston, Miami and New York, and came up with several surprises - Grand Rapids, Michigan, Knoxville, Tennessee. Even Little Rock, Arkansas, ranked 11 out of 15.

Salt Lake City LGBTQ advocates were pleasantly surprised by the rankings.

“Well, you know, we’re all very proud of our community here, and we’ve done a lot of growing and empowering of each other and our allies in the community,” said Valerie Larabee, the executive director of the Utah Pride Center, but “we probably wouldn’t have a higher ranking if the homework was done … We don’t have naked yoga, or at least none of us know about it.”

(For the record: The Advocate counted one nude yoga class there, and one Mr. Leather semifinalist, too.)

According to 2010 Census data analyzed by UCLA’s Williams Institute, 15.36 out of every 1,000 households in Salt Lake City are headed by a same-sex couple. Salt Lake City ranks 81st out of 1,415 cities nationwide in its number of same-sex couples per capita.

The same analysis found that Little Rock had 7.51 gay or lesbian couples for every 1,000 households, ranking it 392nd.

Salt Lake City was ranked higher than several cities many would presume to be gay-friendlier, like Denver, Austin, and Atlanta. But Larabee said that Salt Lake’s top ranking shouldn’t overshadow the discrimination and lack of acceptance that many LGBTQ Utahns still face.

“I appreciate that there’s some humor in the selections, in the indices that were used, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves,” Larabee said. “We, like many of these communities, still have some issues that need to be addressed. While we have a thriving community here, we’re united because we have to be.”

Randi Romo heads the Center for Artistic Revolution in Little Rock, which serves as the state’s LGBTQ organization. She was also bemused by the city’s inclusion.

“Little Rock can be friendly, but we still have a lot of the religious right wing rhetoric that feeds into everything,” Romo said. “Arkansas is one of the only states in the nation that doesn’t have a civil rights commission that can receive and adjudicate civil rights complaints. There are no local or state ordinances to protect [LBGTQ people] against discrimination.”

Here are the top 15 "gayest" cities, as ranked by The Advocate:

15. Denver, Colorado
14. Long Beach, California
13. Austin, Texas
12. Portland, Oregon
11. Little Rock, Arkansas
10. Grand Rapids, Michigan
9. Atlanta, Georgia
8. Knoxville, Tennessee
7. St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
6. Ann Arbor, Michigan
5. Seattle, Washington
4. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
3. Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Orlando, Florida
1. Salt Lake City, Utah

Is Musical Talent A Gift? by Don Johnson

2012-01-09T10:19:00.000-05:00

is musical talent a spiritual gift?
I’ve been thinking about spiritual gifts and musical talent lately. Some people talk like musical ability is a spiritual gift that is especially given for service in the church. Some of these people will almost refuse to serve in any other way.
Is this a Biblical way to look at one’s gifts and/or talents?
There are three major passages in the New Testament dealing with spiritual gifts. They are Romans 12.6-8, 1 Corinthians 12, especially vv. 8-10 and vv.28-30, and Ephesians 4.11. There are a few other minor passages, but these are the significant ones.
We could divide the gifts between gifts of certain men to the church and gifts to many men in the church. Eph 4.11 lists four or five classes of men given to the church for the equipping of the saints. Their role would include training people in using their spiritual gifts. We could further divide the gifts to many men in the church between supernatural manifestations and internal capabilities. 1 Cor 12.28-30 seems to mix all the types of gifts, gifts of men to the church and gifts to many men in the church, both the ‘manifestation’ gifts and the internal capabilities gifts. Perhaps it might be better to list them all so you can see what I mean:

Supernatural Manifestations Internal Capabilities Individual Men
■Word of wisdom (1 Cor 12.8)
■Word of knowledge (1 Cor 12.8)
■Healing (1 Cor 12.9, 28, 30)
■Miracles (1 Cor 12.10, 29)
■Distinguishing Spirits (1 Cor 12.10)
■Tongues and Interpreting Tongues (1 Cor 12.10, 28, 30) ■Helps / service / mercy (1 Cor 12.28, Rm 12.7, 8)
■Faith (1 Cor 12.9)
■Administrations (1 Cor 12.28, )
■Prophecy (Rm 12.6, 1 Cor 12.10)
■Teaching (Rm 12.7)
■Exhortation (Rm 12.8)
■Giving (Rm 12.8)
■Administration (Rm 12.8) ■Apostles (Eph 4.11, 1 Cor 12.28, 29)
■Prophets (Eph 4.11, 1 Cor 12.29)
■Evangelists (Eph 4.11)
■Pastors (Eph 4.11)
■Teachers (Eph 4.11, 1 Cor 12.29)

I have to concede that my analysis here is somewhat subjective and dependent on what I understand the various gifts to be. Regardless of the subjectivity, do you think my analysis of the categories is accurate: supernatural manifestations – that is, the ability to do something as a public display of the power of God; internal capabilities – that is, something that exists within the person that is displayed in ministry, not in public display; individual men – that is, particular men in particular offices within the church for the edifying of the body.

Now, to my thesis… where do musical talents fall in this grid?

I read a number of articles on the subject. Most writers seem to agree with my basic thesis: musical talents are not spiritual gifts, but they are physical gifts that can be used by a spiritually gifted person for ministry.

There are people who are very gifted musically but have no spiritual gifts at all. Name a big name opera singer for example, or one of the well-known instrumentalists of our day. They are very gifted musically. Most of them, the vast majority of them, have no spiritual giftedness at all. How could they? These men and women are not born again. How could they have spiritual gifts?

There is no doubt that physical gifts, like musical ability, are given by God, but they are not given on a spiritual basis. They are given to men in general, not to the church in particular. They are a matter of genetics, the ‘luck of the draw’ in parentage, God’s sovereignty, and training.1

Should we decide how we will serve God in his church solely on the basis of musical ability? In other words, should someone refuse to serve in some other way if they are unable to use their musical ability regularly in church ministry? Suppose we have two or three pianists in a church (I always am thinking ‘small church’ when I say this!) They can’t all play at once, and often one of them becomes the regular pianist. Should the others just do nothing else, no teaching, no involvement in other ministries, child care, church cleaning, evangelism, what have you? Should they just sit and wait till they have a chance to serve on the piano? Should they look for another church where they can use their musical abilities and be the ‘first string’ pianist? Are these ‘spiritual’ approaches?

The reality is that musical ability can be used in a spiritual way for the edification of the body. But you should serve God where there is a need, not according to what you think your gift is. Perhaps God will give new gifts when a new opportunity needs to be filled by you. And surely God can use your physical abilities, like music, in almost every ministry of the local church even if you don’t get to use it every Sunday in the worship service.

2012-01-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

Sex and Gore - Is the Bible Unsuitable for Kids?
By Rick Reed, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottawa

Keeping the Bible from children would be a childish mistake. It is true that when children read the Bible they will learn about our human failings, including the sins of immorality and violence.

However, unlike many books children read, the Bible does not sensationalize sexual sin or glamorize gore. Instead, a moral framework undergirds the discussion of human immorality and inhumanity. The Bible does not confuse kids with a worldview that blurs the distinction between right and wrong. In a day when many children are morally unfocused, the Bible can help bring clarity to their personal convictions.

But the Bible goes further than just helping children grow towards moral maturity; it also points them towards spiritual salvation. That's why the apostle Paul could remind his young apprentice Timothy to:

Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Timothy's mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures ''from infancy.'' As a child he learned the truth about salvation through faith in Jesus. I'm glad the Scriptures were not withheld from me as a child. And I can't imagine keeping God's book away from the children God loves so much. After all, it was Jesus who said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).

One is never too young to learn what the Bible says about having childlike faith in Christ.

2012-01-07T09:32:00.001-05:00

What The Bible Really Says About Sex by Mark Driscoll

2012-01-06T07:32:00.003-05:00

What the Bible Really Says About Sex
By Pastor Mark Driscoll
Sex is a selfish act, a conquest of personal fulfillment.

That’s the mindset of most people in our culture regarding sex—even if it’s only subconscious. For the most part, our society celebrates the process of hook up, shack up, and break up.

All you have to do is take a moment to observe the way sex is communicated in our culture.

Thousands of articles are churned out on how to cope with a past of multiple partners and how to find the next one.

Porn is a massive industry, generating $10 to $14 billion annually in revenues.

Nearly every sitcom on the air seems to make light of sleeping around, and films like "No Strings Attached" and "Friends with Benefits" lure young eyes to the theater, while a sex-crazed Tucker Max boasts about his conquests and skyrockets to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, becoming a cult hero for young slackers everywhere.

It also explains why sex trafficking is a $32 billion global industry, 45,000 to 50,000 young girls are trafficked in the United States every year, and why one in 12 youths experience sexual victimization, including sexual assault and attempted or completed rape.

The problem, however, is not sex.

It's us.

In order to understand this, we must first understand the underlying cause of all the problems in this world: sin.

In the Bible, Paul says of the human condition:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!" Amen (Romans 1:21-25).

And in case you think Paul is on some self-righteous kick to condemn sinners, he makes clear in the same letter that all of humanity is in the same boat, writing, "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things" (Romans 2:1).

And to drive the point home, he writes, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Thankfully, he also adds, "and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." (Romans 3:23-25).

The point is this: as humans, we're all sinners and all in need of God's grace, given freely through Jesus. And apart from Jesus, we all pervert God's good gifts, such as sex.

Thankfully, God is also merciful and loving. This is why he sent us Jesus to save us from our sin, and it is also why he gave us the Bible to help us understand his plan for a life that honors him and as a result leads to true fulfillment.

The Bible has a lot to say about sex—including that it's good and that it glorifies God when we enjoy sex in the context for which He created it.

So, I thought I'd share seven sex essentials from the Bible that my wife Grace and I included in our new book, "Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, & Life Together":

1. God created us male and female in His image and likeness with dignity, equality, value, and worth. Men and women are different and complement one another (Genesis 1:27-28).

2. Love is more like a song than a math equation. It requires a sense of poetry and passion to be any good at it, which is why people who are stuck in their heads struggle and are frustrated by it, and lovers prefer songs to syllogisms (Song of Solomon, all of it).

3. Marriage is for one man and one woman by God’s design. This is the consistent teaching of the Bible from the table of contents to the appendix and the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself (Genesis 2:24-25, Matthew 19:4).

4. God created sex. God made our bodies “very good” with “male and female” parts and pleasures. When our first parents consummated their covenant, God was not shocked or horrified, because He created our bodies for sex. The reason that sex is fun, pleasurable, and wonderful is because it is a reflection of the loving goodness of God who created it as a gift for us to steward and enjoy (Genesis 2:24-25).

5. Sex outside of marriage is a sin. Sinful sex includes homosexuality, erotica, bestiality, bisexuality, fornication, friends with benefits, adultery, swinging, prostitution, incest, rape, polygamy, polyandry, sinful lust, pornography, and pedophilia (I Corinthians 6:9-11,18-20, Hebrews 13:4).

6. Sex is to be done in such a way that there is no shame (Genesis 2:25; Proverbs 5:18-23). Many people experience shame in regard to sex. Sometimes shame is a gift from God in response to our sexual sin, sometimes it is the devastating feeling we bear because we have been sexually sinned against, and other times we have not sinned or been sinned against sexually but feel shame because we have wrong thinking and feelings about sex in general, or a sex act in particular.

7. Your standard of beauty is your spouse. God made one man and one woman. He did not ask them if they wanted someone tall or short, light or heavy, pale or dark skinned, with long or short hair. In short, He did not permit them to develop a standard of beauty. Instead, He gave them each a spouse as a standard of beauty (Genesis 2:23, Proverbs 6:20-35).

I understand that I'm writing to an audience that may not consist entirely of Christian believers, including some who may even be hostile to Christianity. I also understand that many of these points will either rub some of you the wrong way or even enrage you. But, I make no apologies for the Bible and what it says.

I will say this, however... I don't write them to condemn you, nor does the Bible. Rather, I ask you to consider your motivations for sex.

Have you ever truly given yourself to someone selflessly to love them, explore them, and cherish them until death do you part? Have you spent your life pursuing pleasure instead of seeking to give pleasure to a lifelong spouse? And, are you truly happy and fulfilled with your sex life?

The problem isn't our partners. It's us. We've perverted sex and misused it. God's way is the best way, and I encourage you to humbly pray and think about what he has to say about us and sex in his word, the Bible.

As someone who was sexually active before becoming a Christian, I don’t consider myself more holy than anyone else. But, after experiencing Jesus’ forgiveness, becoming a Christian, understanding what the Bible teaches about sex, having massive change in my thoughts and actions about sex, marrying, and today, happily and faithfully married to the same woman for what is approaching 20 years, I sincerely want you to experience the fullness of what God has for you in Jesus Christ.

who was sexually active before becoming a Christian, I don’t consider myself more holy than anyone else. But, after experiencing Jesus’ forgiveness, becoming a Christian, understanding what the Bible teaches about sex, having massive change in my thoughts and actions about sex, marrying, and today, happily and faithfully married to the same woman for what is approaching 20 years, I sincerely want you to experience the fullness of what God has for you in Jesus Christ.

Will Christianity Be Eradicated In Iraq And Afghanistan?

2012-01-06T07:18:00.002-05:00

cnsnews.com

Cult of Celebrity Seeps Into Church by Chuck Colson

2012-01-05T06:34:00.002-05:00

People used to be celebrated in our culture for accomplishing something special. George Washington won the Revolution; Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic; Wilma Rudolph set a world record in the 100-meter dash. Now, people are famous for, well, being famous.

That’s how people like the Kardashians and Paris Hilton become celebrities. Or take the pop singer Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, otherwise known as Lady Gaga. To gather all the notoriety and money she can, the moderately talented Lady Gaga will say, sing, or do almost anything, from simulating sex in videos to blaspheming God in her songs. She was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Please!

As someone who has been in the public eye for a long time - for both good and bad behavior - I can tell you that the cult of celebrity can be awkward and embarrassing. People want to get close to celebrities, no matter what they have done. That’s because celebrity has little to do with worth or character or achievement. It’s more about shocking people or photographing well. That’s why People magazine relentlessly covered Princess Diana, not Mother Teresa.

Our celebrity culture not only honors the wrong people; it actually undercuts the heroes who used to be the real celebrities - those we ought to celebrate.

No doubt you know of Tom Hanks, who starred in the movie Saving Private Ryan. But how about Marine Corporal Jason Dunham? He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism in Iraq. On April 14, 2004, Dunham fought hand-to-hand with the enemy and threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow Marines. Dunham, just 22 years old, laid down his life for his friends. He was the first Marine since Vietnam to receive the Medal of Honor.

Now he, my friends, was a real hero. But I’ll bet you seldom hear people talk about him.

Even worse, the cult of celebrity has seeped into our sanctuaries. Like the culture around us, churches too often reward the sizzle and not the steak. Too many people in the pews would rather have a celebrity in the pulpit instead of a good shepherd of souls, a good servant leader.

Not surprisingly, some pastors, certainly not the majority, become addicted to all the adulation and then try to live up to the idol we have made of them. Or worse, all the celebrity worship can make pastors feel they are above criticism and accountability. Their work for the Lord turns toxic. Like many pop celebrities, they can focus ultimately on self-aggrandizement, not on serving others.

According to theologian Os Guiness, we expect the pastor to be a shrink in the pulpit, a CEO in the office, and flawless in his family life. Heap on top of all that our desire that the pastor be a spiritual rock star, and these expectations can lead to pastoral frustration, burnout, and even financial and sexual immorality.

Is it any surprise, then, that the Church has been rocked over the last few decades by clerical scandals?

Friends, celebrity worship - in my book Being the Body I call it the Pedestal Complex - has no place in the Church. Let’s honor and care for our spiritual leaders, of course. But let’s be sure to keep them off our pedestals - for their sake and for ours.

New Year's Resolutions by Peter Beck

2012-01-05T06:27:00.001-05:00

Another New Year is upon us. For many of us there have been too many and they come too quickly. As Christians we understand the idea of new beginnings. In salvation God has given us new life and new hope. We know that we don't have to wait for New Year for a second chance to get things right. God's grace is available to us as long as we have breath in our lungs.

However, celebrating the New Year can help us to refocus our efforts, redirect our thoughts, and remedy lingering weaknesses in our lives so that we might live more holy lives. To that end, we make New Year's resolutions.

Many of my spiritual heroes made resolutions of their own.

Jonathan Edwards, the great Puritan preacher, kept a diary. In that diary he wrote 70 resolutions, things that he resolved to do. Many of us would do well to emulate his resolve.
"Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory and to my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence."

Another Puritan, Matthew Henry, had great resolve, as well.
"I do in the beginning of this New Year solemnly make a fresh surrender of myself, my whole self, body, soul, and spirit, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, covenanting and promising, not in any strength of my own, for I am very weak, but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, that I will endeavour this year to stand complete in the Will of God."

What resolutions are you going to make this year? Lose weight? Find time? Break habits? Mend fences?

I would like to suggest a few things that we all should be resolved to do in the New Year:

1. Praise God for every new day (Psalm 118:24)
2. Read through the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Pray daily for one another and the church (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
4. Share your faith with at least one new person each week (Romans 10:14)

May Matthew Henry's New Year's prayer be ours:
"Lord grant that this year I may be more holy, and walk more closely than ever in all holy conversation; I earnestly desire to be filled with thy holy thoughts, to be carried out in holy affections, determined by holy aims and intentions, and governed in all my words and actions by holy principles. O that a golden thread of holiness may run through the whole web of this year."

Talking Dog?

2012-01-05T06:17:00.004-05:00

Is The Apocalypse Coming In 2012? by Jim Denison

2012-01-04T10:50:00.003-05:00

December 21, 2012 will mark "the ending of time as we know it," according to The Mayan Factor. This 1987 book sparked a frenzy that will only grow in the coming year. When the ancient Mayan Long Count calendar ends on that date, some say Planet X will collide with us or otherwise wreak havoc. Others predict a geomagnetic reversal of the north and south poles, with dire consequences. Still others warn that the star Betelgeuse will explode and cause catastrophes on our planet.
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Tim Tebow and Holiday TreesExperts dismiss each of these predictions. If a planet were going to strike us next year, it would already be so close that we could see it today. Geomagnetic reversals take 7,000 years, not a single day. Betelgeuse is 600 light years away; it would have to be 25 light years from us to affect our planet. And the ending of the Mayan calendar doesn't mean that time ends. It's like changing the calendar on your kitchen wall – on January 1 another "long count" period begins.

But I predict that these facts will not stop those who predict the end of the world in 2012. Harold Camping made Time's "top 10" religious stories of the year with his announcement that Jesus would return on May 21. When our Lord didn't arrive as predicted, Camping revised his forecast to October 21. Once again he was proved wrong.

I don't know how Jesus could have been more clear: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36). Every person who has claimed to know more than Jesus has been wrong.

Here's what we do know with certainty: You and I are one day closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than ever before. If you believe in our Lord's ascension, you should believe in his return. As the apostles watched Jesus rise into the heavens, two angels said to them, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Jonathan Edwards, America's greatest theologian, resolved "never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump." G. Campbell Morgan, one of the greatest preachers of his generation, agreed: "Every morning when I awaken I remind myself that I must be ready to meet God today."

Great video on Charles Spurgeon

2012-01-03T15:54:00.001-05:00

Ted's Toon

2011-12-29T15:05:00.002-05:00

click on cartoon to enlarge

Old & New New Year's Eve Traditions

2011-12-28T12:45:00.002-05:00

Itʼs a natural time to reflect on the year thatʼs past and to think about the one just beginning. Every culture and every family has their own unique foods, rituals and traditions that welcome the start of each new year. These rituals help tie us to our culture, our people, and make us feel connected.

Here are a few New Year’s foods and traditions (including one of my very own!) from around the world.

Foods Evoking Prosperity, Longevity and Luck
Black eyed peas – symbolize wealth. The peas (really beans) are said to represent
coins, (sometimes served with greens for money, cornbread for gold)

Noodles – symbolize a smooth transition to the new year in Japan; longevity in China.

Eating 12 grapes – each one representing a wish. Spain, Mexico, and Columbia share this tradition, which may correspond to the ringing of the clock at 12 midnight, or the 12 months of the new year.

Red foods – mean luck; Lycheeʼs relative the Longan fruit has a red shell; lobster cooks up red…Lapcheong Fan, the Chinese cured sausages that are red and anise-scented and cooked in rice (fan), is another delectable red dish. Many cultures associate the color red with vitality or luck, and in some Latin cultures, red underwear is worn for luck or romance in the new year!

Whole fish – Chinese consider the whole fish to be a symbol of health and wealth, part of the circle of life.

Lentils symbolize money and are often served in Italian and Hungarian families. Like black eyed peas, they symbolize wealth and are thought to resemble little coins with their perfect round shape. Speaking of circular or round foods – in the Philippines clothing with circles on it is said to be auspicious at New Yearʼs, and the Dutch have a special fruit studded donut whose circular shape is also associated with New Yearʼs.

Pickled herring – In Scandinavian or Polish families at midnight a bite is taken to assure a bountiful catch in the New Year.

In some countries, old items are thrown out the windows of houses in a symbolic and literal “out with the old” ritual.

Fireworks – ward off evil in the New Year. Think of our noisemakers or of kids clanging pots – these noisy rituals can also be meant to scare away bad spirits.

Cleaning up, settling up – In both Chinese and Japanese families, debts should be
settled and cleaning should be done before the new year begins. Chinese will also say no sweeping or cleaning on New Yearʼs Day because you might sweep out the good luck! Some even say not to wash your hair, lest you wash away that luck.

Red envelopes – Chinese children and single relatives are given red envelopes with
small amounts of fresh bills.

Yellow underwear for love or positive energy – ask someone from Ecuador!

Puerto Rico and Spain – Suitcases – are put outside or walked around the block – to bring travel.

Creating New Traditions
Some cities have First Night celebrations that incorporate parades, ice carving and
family-centered activities. Years ago, when I was single and protesting many couplesʼ parties or family activities, I created my own ritual.

It began when a friend brought me some special incense from an Indian reservation sheʼd visited. The note in the box said they believed that their hopes and dreams were carried to heaven on the smoke.

While many cultures smoke use smoke for this symbolic purpose, whatever oneʼs belief system is, this ritual is both freeing and centering. Itʼs a nice way to start the new year!

• Each person gets two squares of good paper (I use handmade paper or rice paper) and a pen.
• Write on one piece – a grudge youʼre hanging on to, something negative youʼre ready to let go.
• On the second piece of paper – write a hope you have for the new year.
• Usually people get very solemn while thinking about what to write. It gets quiet.
• Then, move to the fireplace or kitchen sink. One at a time, each person takes their folded papers and burns them. I like to begin with the “letting go” card.

It’s a great way to start the new year with a little less baggage and one more hope. Afterward, have a toast to the new year, make some noise, and let the fun begin! — Just donʼt sweep away any stray ashes, you wouldn’t want to brush away that luck.
(Home & Garden)

What Is Boxing Day!

2011-12-25T13:52:00.002-05:00

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th. It is a statutory holiday in the federal jurisdiction and in Ontario. If it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the working day immediately preceding or following Boxing Day is considered a legal holiday.

Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday its name, "Boxing Day."

Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor, by the clergy, the day after Christmas.

Today, Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is a time for family and friends to gather with lots of food and fun. Outdoor sports such as soccer, horse racing and hunting are popular on this holiday. Retailers offer huge savings on many items on this day, making it the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada.

Throughout the Christmas season, many organizations keep the original tradition of Boxing Day alive by donating their time, energy, and money to fill the Food Bank and provide gifts for the poor.

Christmas Reflections by Ted Wallace

2011-12-25T08:28:00.001-05:00

www.pressherald.com/life/religionandvalues

2011-12-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

Each Christmas Day from now to long

ago

fills our hearts with wonder and a love

that will forever glow.

Merry Christmas

Hey! Let's Give Joseph Some Credit Too!

2011-12-23T14:52:00.002-05:00

russellmoore.com

What You Really Need This Christmas

2011-12-23T11:56:00.001-05:00

Christmas; Party of One
By Ryan, Romans 8:32

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Christmas is a time of giving. Throughout the world, God’s people are experiencing the Christmas gift in varied ways.

On this very Christmas, in far and hideously flung regions of the globe, some Christian parents may be watching starvation consume their beloved children with a veracious appetitive but, with cruelly dull and slowly gnawing teeth. While for Christian others, this Christmas may be the bomb that suddenly blasts their homes or loved ones into millions of excruciating shards piercing through their existence.

Conversely, perhaps you’re from that pretty world that must wantonly blurt rallying cries like “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” and “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Those shimmering-savvy Christians vow not to allow Satan, disguised as commercialism, to steal from them a Christmas that in global perspective, will nevertheless remain a hedonistic orgy.

Wherever we come from and whatever worldview we’re fighting, God, as the giver of every good gift, is truly faithful to provide ALL our needs.

We’ve been told the lie that we need food, shelter and clothing. We’ve also been sold on the myth that we need loved ones plus self-actualization. However, we are rarely informed that we actually need only ONE thing.

One gift is all you need this Christmas. In fact, it’s the one and only thing you have ever, or will ever, need. Same goes for every person clinging to this planet.

God has provided THE Christmas gift.

Most Christians recognize that Jesus is the ultimate gift of Christmas. However, how many of us live in the reality that Jesus is our ONLY need?

The daily news of Christians deprived and tormented, even up to death, does not indicate that God has failed to provide for their every need. On the other hand, fattened Christians may easily become distracted by the shine of God’s abundant blessings and thereby fail to recognize how generously unnecessary these other gifts are.

Though bona fide reasons do exist for feeling the sting of suffering, a lack of overriding contentment signifies that Jesus is not sufficient in our lives. Though hurting is real and not to be marginalized, so too is a more powerful satisfaction with Jesus being all you need. If we’re not rocked with that famous Christmas peace and joy, or not bursting with good will toward all, it is because we are not fully satisfied with God’s gift of Jesus being all we need.

Many of us insist on piles of gifts with glitzy wrapping – like a cozy house filled with stuff and precious people. Perhaps our joy, our rest, is incomplete if any of these things or people are not in the place we require. What do we have in common with those persecuted, destitute Christians who have lost their possessions and families?

In the event recorded in John 17:20-23, and forever since then, Jesus has been praying that ALL of His people be as ONE, just as He is one with the Father. The prayers of the Victorious Jesus win this Christmas day!

Whether you are drowning in a sea of overindulgent gifts or your entire world is literally being swept away by a flood - we all have the one thing we need and are one with the One we need.

Do we feel and honor this reality? An exquisite gift to give God this Christmas would be to demonstrate thankfulness for providing for our only true need and delight in that gift making us all one with God.

May you experience Christmas as a party of one; enjoying the one gift and one in fellowship with our God!

German Village Carves Christmas Magic

2011-12-22T14:18:00.001-05:00

Lighting The Hanukkah Menorah

2011-12-21T07:19:00.000-05:00

10 Worst Christmas Movies?

2011-12-20T19:05:00.001-05:00

Fandango's 10 worst Christmas movies
Movie ticket website Fandango polled customers to come up with the ultimate holiday flop, and now has a list of the top 10 worst Christmas movies ever made.

The top pick for worst Christmas movie ever was 1964's B-movie “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” According to the New York Times, the flick cost only $20,000 and features a cardboard set!

Other top contenders included “Home Alone 3” (the one without Macaulay Culkin), Hulk Hogan’s 1996 flick “Santa With Muscles,” and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s holiday family comedy “Jingle All the Way.”

Check out the final results:

1. "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"
2. "Silent Night, Deadly Night"
3. "Jingle All the Way"
4. "Jack Frost"
5. "Santa With Muscles"
6. "Ernest Saves Christmas"
7. "Home Alone 3"
8. "Deck the Halls"
9. "Surviving Christmas"
10. "Christmas With the Kranks"

Funnily enough,“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is back on the big screen this holiday. ( Fandango says it’s a coincidence.) In case you’ve never had the pleasure, the movie’s playing in New York and Los Angeles and a few other cities until Christmas. View the list of theaters at SantaMartiansMovie.com.

Who Was Good King Winceslas?

2011-12-19T16:11:00.002-05:00

cyberhymnal

Your First Christmas

2011-12-19T09:09:00.003-05:00

Your First Christmas
By Dan Delzell
"God has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) When you were a child, you probably believed that you were going to exist somewhere forever. Then a doubter got ahold of you. Bah humbug! It was all downhill doubting from there.

Would you like to have the faith of a child once again? Would you like to receive an everlasting gift this Christmas that guarantees your place in a wonderful world of eternal pleasure, praise, and joy?

C. S. Lewis wrote, “We are very shy nowadays of even mentioning heaven. We are afraid of the jeer about ‘pie in the sky', and of being told that we are trying to ‘escape’ from the duty of making a happy world here and now into dreams of a happy world elsewhere. But either there is ‘pie in the sky’ or there is not. If there is not, then Christianity is false, for this doctrine is woven into its whole fabric."

What if this was the Christmas you began to doubt your doubts, and instead, placed your faith in the King of Kings? There are no do-overs after your soul leaves your earthly body at the moment of your death. God placed the gift of eternal life under the tree of Calvary where Jesus died, and the gift has your name on it. Whether you open the gift, or decide to leave it under the tree is up to you.

If you are an unbeliever, you may have no idea why Christians get so excited about Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ. It's all foreign to you, but it doesn't have to remain that way. It's like you are standing outside in the cold looking through the window into a living room. A family is having a great time exchanging Christmas presents by the fireplace and the Christmas tree. Why not come inside and get warm? God will begin to light a fire in your heart the moment you come in and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Until then, all you can do is wonder why so many others are bowing down before the King in such adoration and praise.

Who knows....this could become your first real Christmas. Are you ready for a change, or too stuck in your ways and deceived by your doubts to even consider the Christ of Christmas? Gifts shared between family members are not what make Christmas so special. It is special in a supernatural and eternal way because of the gift that God gave to you and to me. He took centuries to wrap it and place it under the tree. What a tragedy that so many people live and die without ever realizing what Jesus died to give them. Are you willing to be a repentant believer and a gracious receiver? You won't regret it if you make that decision this Christmas.

Jesus left heaven and came to earth so that you could one day leave earth and go to heaven. After His birth, death, and resurrection, the Lord said to Thomas: "Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27) The Christmas message is good news of great joy for all the people, (Luke 2:10) and it is easier to believe than you think! In fact, it is just as easy as opening a Christmas present right there in your home! You take ahold of it....you unwrap it, and then you enjoy it. If you forgot how to do that, just ask a child.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion, Neb.

Christmas by Ted Wallace

2011-12-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

I would have liked to be a shepherd
on that night so long ago.
It would have been so nice to see the star
and the heavens all aglow.

I would have liked to kneel in sweet wonder
at the darling little Boy
who would one day define love
and a marvelous new joy.

I would have liked to have sat on that grassy
hill when the crowd, as quiet as a dove, heard
Him speak of The Way and a new kind of love.

I would have liked to spend long hours by the
lake and sandy shore
listening and learning and begging Him for more.

I would have run from Calvary on that bleak and awful
day
when He paid the price for me, a price I couldn’t pay.

I would have liked to kneel in worship
when from the tomb He came,
my spirit bent and bowed on why He took my shame.

I would like to stand and sing when His
birthday comes each year
and praise the Babe of Bethlehem
with presents and a tear.

All Snowmen Are Not Alike!

2011-12-15T15:17:00.001-05:00

Evidence of God's Grace by Tim Challies

2011-12-15T08:55:00.003-05:00

Evidences of God's Grace
There is no greater challenge in all the earth than living the Christian life. There is no challenge more difficult, no pursuit that demands more of us. Of course there is also no better pursuit and no greater joy than this—to seek the Lord. In the midst of this all-consuming task, it is wise to ask, at least occasionally, “How are we doing?” What is the state of the Christian church at this time?

It can be difficult to answer a question like this. We tend to look at Christianity from a too-earthly perspective. We know what the Lord has called us to be, we know what the Lord has called us to do, and so often all we can see is our own shortcomings and failures. The Lord has called us to take the gospel into all the world and to do so with boldness. Yet we are terrified to even whisper that good news to our neighbor. The Lord has called us to live righteous lives, to live lives that are marked by the gospel. Yet our lives are marked and stained by worldly values and worldly desires. We know that Jesus has told us not to worry about what we will eat and drink but always to trust in the Lord’s provision. And yet we worry, we save, we horde, we hold tightly to the things we know we should hold loosely. We feel the weight of all of this; we feel the shame of all of this, the guilt of it.
But let’s pause for a moment to ask whether we are thinking about it from the right perspective.

Let me tell you about my son. He is an utter failure and a terrible disappointment. Though he professes Christ, he is too often rude to his mother and to me; though he says that he is a Christian, he refuses to get along with his sisters, he refuses to do his job to the best of his ability, he gets grades that are so much less than they ought to be. And we won’t even speak of his personal hygiene! He is a grave, grave disappointment to me.

But hang on. What kind of a father would I be if I looked at my son in this way? What kind of a Father would have such a narrow view and such a negative view? When I look at my son from the perspective of a father, I see the sin and I see the things I wish he would do better, but that is not who he is to me. I am proud of my boy. I love my son and am thrilled at the way he is growing and learning and developing. I see him growing in his knowledge of the Word of God and growing in his ability to live as if it is true. Sure, he and his sisters fight too often, but I know that he sees his sin (eventually) and that he seeks their forgiveness. Yes, he can complain about having to do his job, but if he allows himself to sin for a time, he later repents and asks the Lord to give him a cheerful heart the next time. He is my son; I love him and I am proud of him.

Do you see the difference it makes when we look from the perspective of a father instead of the perspective of a son? It makes all the difference in the world.

Does God Send Natural Disasters?

2011-12-14T15:32:00.004-05:00

DOES GOD SEND NATURAL DISASTERS
By Daymond Duck

Not all natural disasters are sent by God (Job 1:12-22), but some are. According to the Bible, He sent the greatest natural disaster in the history of mankind (the Flood). This thought will make some uneasy and it may cause some to protest, but nevertheless God used a natural disaster to prevent all of mankind from being corrupted by Satan for the remainder of eternity. God Himself said:
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die (Gen. 1:17).

Another well-known example is God’s destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is clear that God did it after He acted to protect Lot and part of his family. The Word says:

Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven (Gen. 19:24).

God will send more disasters in the future. It is the loving Jesus that will open the seven terrible seal judgments in the Book of Revelation. And it is the good angels of heaven that will blow the seven trumpets and dump the seven bowls that releases the other disasters. The Bible says God will even give power to the Two Witnesses to stop the rain and smite the earth with all kinds of plagues as often as they desire (Rev. 11:6).

As we study Scripture, we create or develop our image of God. If we ignore large sections of the Bible (such as the Old Testament or Bible prophecy), the image we create or develop is an incomplete image. For example, several Old Testament passages teach that God sends natural disasters to destroy the wicked, protect His people, get His people to repent, etc., but if we ignore these passages, our understanding of God will be limited. Then, if God decides to send a flood, drought, tornado or whatever, we may think it is global warming, climate change or whatever and totally miss what God is doing and never arrive at the understanding that God wants us to have. Notice the passage below:

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places (famine & hunger): yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you (drought), when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting (excessive heat) and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm (locusts) devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils (the stench of unburied dead bodies): yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God (in death), O Israel (Amos 4:6-12).

God sent many devastating disasters on Israel because He loved Israel and wanted Israel to repent and return to Him, but they refused. If we don’t believe God sends natural disasters because He loves His people and wants them to repent, we will probably never get the message. We will probably remain in an unrepentant state and some may never come to Christ because we have chosen to silence God on this issue. Some of the most educated preachers in America are guilty of this sin. They actually try to re-create God in the image they want Him to have by tossing out Scriptures they don’t like or agree with.
II Chron. 7:14 is clearly one of the most famous and oft quoted verses in the Bible. Many churches seem to treat it like it means schedule a revival at the same time every year. But that’s not what it says. Here it is in context with the verses before and after:

And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place (II Chron. 7:12-15).

God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go. But Pharaoh refused to heed the message. So God sent plagues on Egypt to teach all of us a lesson (Gen. 7:14-12:30). How many plagues should it take to get America’s leaders to understand that God sometimes uses disasters to send people a message? Sending disasters to end slavery, bring people to repentance, bring people to service, bring the lost to Christ, etc. is part of God’s character too.

Instead of limiting God to the image we want Him to have based upon our favorite portions of the Bible, we need to let all of the Scriptures speak and believe God exists as He really is. We are not going to improve on God by editing out part of His Word. Natural disasters are heartbreaking, but we need to really believe that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Natural disasters are not good, but our holy God can bring good out of them.

He can also bring us through them and we need to learn to rely on Him to do that because the birth-pains principle indicates that there are going to be more frequent and more intense as we approach the end of the Church Age. Listen to these words:

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name (Psa. 33:18-21).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, we know that God can send natural disasters and many times he has. If one studies history there are many examples of natural disasters that have had an impact on history. Whether it's the sudden storm that helped the English defeat the Spanish Armada or the horrible winters that wiped out the armies of Napoleon and Hitler when they invaded Russia, make no mistake about it; God is and forever will be in control. But why does He allow volcanoes, tornadoes, and hurricanes to destroy the lives of so many. Couldn't He step in and save them? Couldn't He chain the violence of the nature He has created? Of course He could. But we must remember when man decided to go his own way, to be his own little god, all of nature was affected; all of His marvelous creation was in a sense in rebellion. Because men and women wanted to go their own way, God gave them the freedom to do so but animals and the rest of the natural world were very much impacted by man's decision to go it on his own. If God squelched every hurricane and tsunami, it would be Heaven. We want to be our own boss but we want and expect God to step in when we are in danger. We push God to the background but if we fall out of a building, we want Him to catch us. Wanting it both ways is juvenile and selfish, but that's who we are. God will not allow us to destroy His creation as we play God. We have now developed the technology to do just that but God will step in and save His creation from the grasping fingers of those who want to rule the world--which is His. Yes, all of nature will be peaceful and quiet and the lion and lamb will be friends. But one thing we can never ask God is to give us another chance to get it right. He has been patient and longsuffering throughout a history that has seen us fail and blunder with tyrants, dictators, and forms of government that have cost the lives of so many millions. But He has made a promise to save you and me and his creation---and He always keeps a promise.
tw

Saudi Women Being "Driven" Mad?

2011-12-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

You are driving Saudi women mad!
By Badrya Darwish

The driving issue in Saudi Arabia, funnily, is turning into a hilarious soap opera. Here is why. Believe it or not, Kamal Subhi, a religious scholar has provided a report to the Shura Council campaigning against women driving. The gentleman is trying to convince the Shura Council to influence King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to rethink women?s driving rights.

Women activists have been rallying for this right for many years. They have tried in many different ways. Many took to the streets and steered the wheels risking to be punished. One activist posted a video of herself driving online appealing other women to join. She was briefly detained and later released after she had promised not to make the same attempt to drive again. There are many other stories of bold women sitting behind the wheel. They even wrote petitions to the government. It seems like lately t
hey have managed to convince the government to give them that right.

Imagine guys, the justification of Subhi for not allowing women to drive, is that if women are given the right to drive he is afraid that females in Saudi Arabia will get more freedom and will go out and about independently. This, he says, will lead to premarital sex. He means that women will lose their virginity before marriage because they will be free to drive and mingle with the opposite sex.

Just imagine! If women are not driving and want to do something, there are 101 ways to do what is on their mind. Is only logistics the problem? So, they cannot take taxi or go with a driver or lie and still mingle with men and do what they want? These kind of things are actually going. This happens in every country. Many women are breaking tradition without the knowledge of their family. They don?t need to be driving to be able to meet their boyfriends or have relationships.

This news reminded me of an old story which took place in Kuwait. A university student who came from a conservative family used to bring her mubarqaa girlfriend (a woman wearing a full veil) to study with her in the house. After many months, the family discovered that the mubarqaa classmate was the boyfriend of the girl who was having a relationship with their daughter under their roof!

So, this is a simple example and answer to our friend who thinks that only driving will spoil the values of the women and societies. There are thousands of other ways which can affect our values and traditions. Driving is not one of them. Please, wake up Mr Subhi! You are driving many Saudi women mad with your cynical ideas and thoughts.

Classic Disney Christmas Cartoon From 1952

2011-12-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

Jordan's Arab Spring

2011-12-13T13:57:00.002-05:00

Jordan's Moderate Arab Spring
By Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi
As we sat in a Parliamentary conference room, talking with Jordan’s Senate president and his colleagues, we could see why Jordan’s Arab Spring has been more subdued than most.

For nearly a year, dramatic upheaval has swept the Middle East. In Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, popular uprisings brought historic regime changes. In Syria, Yemen, Iran and elsewhere, civilian protests have met forceful government resistance. Syria’s response remained so bloody that the Arab League recently voted to suspend them.

The Middle East is a noisy neighborhood. In its midst, Jordan’s relative quiet can escape Western notice.

During the Arab Spring, the masses have clamored for freedom, democracy and self-determination. Rather than fighting their citizenry, Jordan’s leaders seem to respect and share their concerns. King Abdullah stresses values like “freedom, unity and equality." He’s been responsive to public opinion, replacing two prime ministers this year after public outcries.

Even before uprisings in neighboring countries, Jordan’s governmental leaders discussed transferring more power to the people. Jordan’s Arab Spring helped hasten that reform. Proposed changes include greater democratization, an independent judiciary and enhanced civil rights.

Learning from Mistakes

Though they have critics, the Jordanian senators we met seem serious about reform. “Learning from our mistakes, learning from the mistakes of others, is a quality of Jordanian leadership,” noted Senate President Taher Masri. “The monarchy is open-minded and we are supporting their openness and their moderation; we are amending the constitution.”

Masri says he and his close colleagues have promoted reform for many years. Government accountability is a major concern: “There were no proper elections. ...That was harmful. ... People want to be represented, their voices to be heard. ... Now [in the proposed reforms] we have enacted guarantees, steps, policies, where the voice of the people will be heard.” He hoped Parliament would adopt the reforms before year’s end.

Respect for America’s founding principles is apparent. Alluding to the region’s three major religions, Senator Akel Biltaji quipped, “Our fourth holiest book is the Constitution of the United States of America. It is the essence of the three monotheistic divine books we have: the Torah, the Bible and the Koran, if you were to translate that into civil...moral...ethical, human [terms].”

A Principled, Prudent Process

Masri wants to see his nation transformed, but not so quickly that chaos ensues. “We have to digest,” he explains. “We believe in evolution, not revolution.”

While Masri is Muslim, his Christian compatriot, Father Nabil Haddad, expresses similar sentiments. Haddada champion for Middle East peace, justice and human rightsearlier had talked with us about regional change: “This cannot happen overnight,” he said. “It takes generations. ... We don’t want to go from dictatorship to extremism [in the region]. We want to go from dictatorship to democracy and respect for human rights. We want to exhibit a civil and civilized thinking.”

Arab Summer or Winter?

As Senator Biltaji indicated, faith traditions loom large in Jordanian culture. These leaders’ concern for principled governance reflects wisdom from the earliest of their “three divine books”: “The king gives stability to the land by justice.” “Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness.”

Support for prudent change abounds. Mariam Al-Attar heads the department of Ethics, Philosophy and Religion at King’s Academy, a prep school modeled after King Abdullah’s alma mater, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Reflecting on the need for democratic rather than theocratic leadership, she illustrated, “If there’s a spring, then it should really be a spring, and all the flowers have to blossom. If we have only one religion in charge ... or that party’s in charge, then it would not be spring any more. It might be hot summer or cold winter!”

May Jordan’s flowers continue to bloom.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

Meg Korpi studies character development and ethical decision-making through the Character Research Institute in Northern California. She holds a PhD from, and formerly taught at, Stanford University.

Who Invented Christmas Lights from The Library of Congress

2011-12-13T07:11:00.003-05:00

Who invented electric Christmas lights?
Thomas Edison and Edward Johnson (1880 &1882) and Albert Sadacca (1917).Thomas Edison, the inventor of the first successful practical light bulb, created the very first strand of electric lights. During the Christmas season of 1880, these strands were strung around the outside of his Menlo Park Laboratory. Railroad passengers traveling by the laboratory got their first look at an electrical light display. But it would take almost forty years for electric Christmas lights to become the tradition that we all know and love.

Before electric Christmas lights, families would use candles to light up their Christmas trees. This practice was often dangerous and led to many home fires. Edward H. Johnson put the very first string of electric Christmas tree lights together in 1882. Johnson, Edison’s friend and partner in the Edison’s Illumination Company, hand-wired 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree. Not only was the tree illuminated with electricity, it also revolved.

However, the world was not quite ready for electrical illumination. There was a great mistrust of electricity and it would take many more years for society to decorate its Christmas trees and homes with electric lights. Some credit President Grover Cleveland with spurring the acceptance of indoor electric Christmas lights. In 1895, President Cleveland requested that the White House family Christmas tree be illuminated by hundreds of multi-colored electric light bulbs.

On Christmas Eve 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the country’s celebration of Christmas by lighting the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights on the Ellipse located south of the While House.

Until 1903, when General Electric began to offer pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, stringed lights were reserved for the wealthy and electrically savvy. The wiring of electric lights was very expensive and required the hiring of the services of a wireman, our modern-day electrician. According to some, to light an average Christmas tree with electric lights before 1903 would have cost $2000.00 in today’s dollars.

While Thomas Edison and Edward H. Johnson may have been the first to create electric strands of light in 1880/1882, it was Albert Sadacca who saw a future in selling electric Christmas lights. The Sadacca family owned a novelty lighting company and in 1917 Albert, a teenager at the time, suggested that its store offer brightly colored strands of Christmas lights to the public. By the 1920’s Albert and his brothers organized the National Outfit Manufacturers Association (NOMA), a trade association. NOMA soon became NOMA Electric Co., with its members cornering the Christmas light market until the 1960’s.

Today we expect to see the holiday season become aglow with electric strands of light. Think of the variety and range of Christmas lights available in today’s market. We can be grateful to Thomas Edison, Edward H. Johnson and Albert Sadacca for illuminating our holiday season.

Where Did The Palestinians Come From? (Visual)

2011-12-12T20:37:00.002-05:00

conceptwizard.com

The Foolishness Of Preaching

2011-12-12T14:55:00.001-05:00

The Foolishness of Preaching
By Grant Phillips
I noticed in the newspaper this morning that one of the seminaries in a large city is holding a conference on “the art of preaching”. It is hosting a group of nationality known ministers from different denominations to teach those attending how to preach. One of the speakers has even written nearly 20 books on preaching. I hate to be so presumptuously critical, but here I go again. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he spoke on the foolishness of preaching. It is clear to me that he was referring to relationship and content, not style or delivery. Maybe at least one of them will speak on relationship and content instead of style and delivery. I don’t know. But it seems in my experience and observations that style and delivery are usually always the main emphasis.

Surely most of you have noticed that most sermons always have three points. They are delivered with voice fluctuations and body movements appropriate with their denominations style of preaching; thus, style and delivery. I have always tried to look past the style and delivery and listen for the content of the message, hoping for a sense of relationship from the speaker with Jesus. Far too many times, there has been little to no content, thereby bringing in question any worthwhile relationship with the Master.

What does it mean to “preach” anyway? I am convinced that most think it is a style of proclamation. It is not. It is not how you deliver the Good News. It is that you deliver the Good News. In many sermons that I have heard over the years, most preachers must think the congregation is deaf. Then again, some deliver in a fashion that nearly puts the congregation to sleep. What is my point? Far too much emphasis is placed on style and delivery, instead of the message delivered from a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is another point I must emphasize. Preaching is not just data relayed to other individuals. A preacher can deliver the most accurate message one could give, but if he does not have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the message is as cold as a slab of meat thawing after being taken from the freezer. Content and relationship must go hand in hand.

What about content? Can one have content without absorbing God’s Word on a daily basis and spending much time in prayer? I do not mean to absorb the Word with the intent to gather information either, but with the intent of allowing God to speak to them personally on a daily basis. Let me give you an example that I have noticed over many years. Almost any time you hear the preacher say, “I’m going to speak from the heart this morning”, what he is actually saying is that he is not prepared, so he is going to ad lib (to perform without advanced preparation). You may think I’m nuts, but I can assure you that this is true. I’ll give you another example. When he says, “I had something else prepared this morning, but the Lord changed it just this minute, and I’m going to speak on this instead”. Often, not always, he is saying the same thing as the first example; i.e. “I’m going to ad lib” or “speak off the cuff” (to speak without prior preparation).

What does Paul mean by the “foolishness of preaching”? Simply that the message of God being crucified on a cross to save those who will come to Him by faith, is too simple and foolish to those who do not believe. They cannot accept it. Also, he uses sinful, but saved, men to tell others about Himself. Again, this is so foolish to the world, but it works.

I have listened to hundreds of preachers over the years, some “self-taught” and others with all the scholastic degrees after their names. From both classes have come some of the greatest sermons I have heard, and also some of the most watered down nonsensical dribble one could imagine. Professors do not make Godly preachers. The Holy Spirit makes Godly preachers. He is the greatest teacher of all.

· You can be uneducated, but sit under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit and please God in your preaching.

· You can be uneducated, and not listen to the Holy Spirit and not please God in your preaching.

· You can be educated, and sit under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit and please God in your preaching.

· You can be educated, and not listen to the Holy Spirit and not please God in your preaching.

The power of the foolishness of preaching must come from God, not man. If it comes from us or any man, it is just a bunch of words and body motions, but if it comes from God, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

All preachers claim that what they preach is from God, so how do you know if what they are saying is true? Most of the sheep in the Church today do not study God’s Word, the Bible. They depend on whatever the preacher says, and accept it as being true. The Lord says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) This is the only way. ALL Christians should be fulfilling this Scripture. If they were, there would be many preachers either converted, or revived or removed from the pulpit.

Again, Paul was speaking about the simplicity of the Word. Is your preacher walking in the “foolishness of preaching” as dictated by the Bible, or is he just a fool? It is up to you to find out, and then follow the Lord’s leadership.

The Lukewarm Generation

2011-12-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

The Lukewarm Generation
W. Bradford Wilcox
Sociologist Christian Smith began his ambitious, multivolume effort to plumb the religious lives of Americans across the life course in his 2005 with Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. In that book—aimed at an audience that the author hoped would include general readers as well as clergy and scholars—Smith painted an incisive portrait of religion among America’s adolescents. Especially insightful was the way Smith explained why the more sectarian religious traditions in the United States, such as evangelical Protestantism and Mormonism, were achieving greater success than more churchly traditions such as mainline Protestantism and Roman Catholicism in transmitting their faiths to the next generation. Also notable was the way Smith explained how the guiding religious ethos of American teenagers—what he aptly termed “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism”—seemed so suited for our culture.

Smith contended, in his 2005 book, that most religious teens in the U.S. had very little appreciation or regard for the theological and doctrinal particulars of their own religious traditions but did believe that God exists, loves them, wants them to follow the Golden Rule, and comforts them in the midst of the emotional ups and downs of adolescence. Moreover, Smith argued, most teens, including teens who were regular churchgoers, believed that all religious traditions are functionally equivalent, and that they provide spiritual succor, moral guidance, and emotional support in about equal measures. This, then, is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism; and, as Smith pointed out, it has proved enormously useful to American adolescents because it allows them to navigate the increasingly pluralistic milieu of the United States without stepping on the religious sensitivities of their peers or violating the tolerant conventions of the larger society.

In his latest book, Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, Smith revisits the spiritual state of his respondents as young adults aged 18 to 23, at a life stage that is now called “emerging adulthood” in the social sciences. In a sense, not much has changed among the emerging adults Smith discusses in this new book. Young adults from more sectarian religious communities still do comparatively better when it comes to outcomes such as church attendance and orthodox religious belief, and most emerging adults still seem to subscribe to a form of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

Smith notes, however, that emerging adults are less religious than they were as adolescents. Only 15 percent attend church on a weekly basis, and 26 percent indicate they have no religion. Part of the story here is that young adults often drift away from formal religious practice after they move out of their family homes and return to regular churchgoing only when they marry and have children. For much of recent American history, young adulthood has been the religious nadir of the life course for most Americans.

But the religious disconnect—institutional, moral, and theological— among contemporary emerging adults that Smith describes in Souls in Transition seems more profound than the typical pattern of temporary religious disengagement that has marked the lives of young adults over the last century or so. A majority of today’s emerging adults do not regularly darken the door of a church; are largely indifferent or, in some cases, hostile to religion; and are similarly indifferent or hostile to religious teachings about the good life—especially as they relate to sex, drinking, and drugs. Furthermore, a majority of the 30 percent of this cohort of emerging adults who are regular churchgoers are “selective adherents” who “believe and perform certain aspects of their religious traditions but neglect and ignore others.” By Smith’s reckoning, only 15 percent of emerging adults count as “committed traditionalists” who are committed and consistent believers. When it comes to religion, this seems to be a generation of lukewarm believers.

This should come as little surprise, however, when we step back from the religious lives of today’s emerging adults and look at the larger social milieu in which they find themselves. Their connections to education and work tend to be fragile and unstable. They live much of their lives in an isolated, electronically mediated world in which iPods, personal computers, and cell phones link them to their preferred music, movies, and friends and not much else. They are largely indifferent to the great causes of the right and the left. And, most importantly, for most of these emerging adults, marriage is not on the horizon. It is little wonder, therefore, that the members of this lukewarm generation are largely disconnected from American religion, given that they are also disconnected from stable long-term employment, civil society, and family life.

What is to be done? Smith does not provide any easy answers to this question in Souls in Transition. He does, however, offer some excellent advice to parents and religious leaders about how they can steer today’s children away from the lukewarm lives being lived by contemporary emerging adults. According to Smith’s analyses, children are more likely to end up as committed and consistent young-adult believers if their parents integrate religious faith into daily family life; if children are exposed to engaging adult believers in their churches; if they have good religious friends; if they live chaste lives; and, interestingly, if they have to suffer for their faith. Smith notes that adolescents who were “made fun of by peers for [their] religious faith” were more likely to end up as serious believers as young adults. In other words, family, friends, sex, and suffering will have a lot to do with how successful the next generation of young people will be in avoiding the lukewarm path being trod by many of today’s emerging adults.

The Gosper In 6 Minutes by John Piper

2011-12-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

Companies For & Against Christmas from American Family Association

2011-12-11T16:35:00.003-05:00

Naughty or Nice?
AFA's 2011 listing of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas

Companies FOR "Christmas"

AFA Online Store
ACE Hardware
Amazon.com
Bass Pro Shops
Bed Bath & Beyond
Belk
Best Buy
Big Lots
Books-A-Million
Cabella's
Collective Brands
Costco
CVS Pharmacy
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dilliards
Dollar General
Dollar Tree
H.E.B. Stores
HSN.com
Hallmark
Hancock Fabrics
Harris Teeter Stores
Hobby Lobby
Home Shopping Network
JC Penney
JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts Stores
Kmart
Kohl's
Kroger
Lowe's
Macy's
Marshals
Meijer
Menard's
Michael's Stores
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Office Max
Petsmart
Pier One Imports
ProFlowers.com
Publix
QVC.com
Rite Aid
Sears
Scheels Sporting Goods
Super D Drug Stores
Target
TJ Maxx
Toys R Us
True Value
Walgreens
Wal-Mart/Sam's Club
Zappos.com

Companies marginal on "Christmas"

1-800-Flowers.com
Bath & Body Works
Cooking.com
Dollar Tree
Hy-Vee Stores
Limited Brands
Safeway
Starbucks
UncommonGoods.com
Whole Foods
Companies AGAINST "Christmas"

Banana Republic
Barnes & Noble
Family Dollar
Foot Locker
Gap Stores
L.L. Bean
Limited Brands
Maurice's
Office Depot
Old Navy
Radio Shack
Staples
Supervalu
Victoria's Secret

- AFA reviewed up to four areas to determine if a company was "Christmas-friendly" in their advertising: print media (newspaper inserts), broadcast media (radio/television), website and/or personal visits to the store. If a company's ad has references to items associated with Christmas (trees, wreaths, lights, etc.), it was considered as an attempt to reach "Christmas" shoppers.

If a company has items associated with Christmas, but did not use the word "Christmas," then the company is considered as censoring "Christmas."

Want to report on a company? Send your detailed report to christmas@afa.net. Please know that we receive hundreds of reports (emails) each day. We are unable to respond to each one personally, but your report will be read by one of our staff.

Note: AFA does not list local or regional companies. Only nationally-recognized companies will be listed. This list only reflects a company's "Christmas" advertising and does not take into

Don't Strive To Be A Great Preacher by Gabriel Fluhrer

2011-12-11T12:19:00.001-05:00

Don't misunderstand me. Preachers should be constantly striving to improve their delivery, clarity, and most importantly, content. We who ascend the sacred desk should warmly receive criticism from older brothers who are better preachers than we. We should read books that help us feed God's people better. We should listen to the constructive criticism of those who sit under our ministries week after week.

No, what I am arguing against is the actual attempt to develop into a preacher with a reputation for being so unusually wonderful that people flock to you. There is a fine line here, to be sure: typically, gifted men attract larger audiences. Nothing wrong with that per se.

But the current culture of celebrity tends to foster in younger seminarians a desire to be known as a great preacher. This seems to have been the case in Lloyd-Jones's day as well. The young men did their best to imitate the better older preachers like Lloyd-Jones.The same thing happens today. But imitation, in many cases, is the mark of the immature. You try to sing like Eddie Vedder only until you realize you have your own voice. (As an aside, this is one reason why so much contemporary Christian music is little better than the knock-off colognes at gas stations).

Again, a qualification: surely when a man is learning to preach, imitation will be present. Lloyd-Jones has a good section in his book on preachers on this very thing. But when imitation turns to aping for the purpose of being known as "just as good as megapreacher X," problems result.

The temptation to be thought of as a great preacher is tremendous. What minister does not like to be told by a breathless congregant how mightily the Lord has just used his sermon? What minister is not tempted to think of himself more highly than he ought? Any minister who denies that he is subject to such temptations is perhaps not being fully honest with himself.

The pitfalls of the temptation to greatness show up in many ways: in meditating upon how one looks in the pulpit, rather than upon the text to be preached; in paying more attention to volume of the voice and rhetorical flourish than exegetical precision; and in emphatically making a point to cover up for a lack of requisite time in the study.

Instead, I think us younger ministers should strive to learn from the best of the older preachers. But we should also realize that every man has a context and what works in one context may not work in another. This is not to argue for a kind of quasi-relativism but only to highlight the fact that what strikes one person as passion may strike another as shouting, to give one example relative to delivery.

One way forward, it seems to me, is for younger ministers to devote themselves to using whatever gifts the Lord has given them and preach the Bible faithfully. Appreciate the John Pipers, Derek Thomases, Joel Beekes and Lloyd-Joneses of the world. But don't try to be them. Don't try to be the best. Let us just try to be who we are. Some of us will never be particularly great preachers. But God can use the monotone delivery of Jonathan Edwards as much as the majestic style of Sinclair Ferguson. Faithfulness is the only thing that matters.

I'll never forget what one wise older minister said to me after I'd preached a particularly bad sermon: "Don't aim for the fence. Just get on base. That's called faithfulness." Striving for greatness before the world's watching eyes usually means that there is a converse decline in our striving for greatness before the eyes of Him who tests the hearts of men. But if we are faithful to the text, we receive the Master's smile, no matter who's listening to or applauding us. Indeed, that is the one, supreme goal of the preacher's life: knowing that Jesus knows him as a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. That's how the Bible describes a truly great preacher.

29 Easy Christmas Cookies For Chocoholics

2011-12-10T13:52:00.002-05:00

marthastewart

Room In The Inn by Sally Meyer

2011-12-10T08:48:00.002-05:00

ROOM IN THE INN

By Sally Meyer
How much different would things have been,

If maybe there had been room at the inn?

No hay, no manger, no beasts, no stall.

Rather, plenty of beds and blankets for all.

Not a proprietor in his right mind

Would allow all those shepherds, the filthiest kind,

To enter the doors of his establishment,

Not even the ones, who by angels were sent!

And the star overhead, no matter the beam,

Through walls made of mud, would not have been seen.

No bleating of lamb, no cooing of bird.

Would songs of the angels have even been heard?

Maybe the kings would have been turned away.

Foreigners weren't welcome in that place or that day.

Don't blame the innkeepers doing their jobs.

How could they know it was the Son of God?

Like the rest of his life, it was part of the plan.

A humble birth, a humble man.

Yes, it happened as it should have been,

No place to stay. No room in the inn.

Brodrick Rice Impersonates Famous TV Preachers

2011-12-09T06:40:00.002-05:00

Maine "Rocket" Runs On Coke And Mentos

2011-12-09T05:56:00.003-05:00

BUCKFIELD, Maine — The Maine guys known for creating colorful geysers from Diet Coke and Mentos candies say they’ve set a distance record for a vehicle with soda-and-candy-powered propulsion.

Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz created a single-seat rocket car powered by 54 bottles of Coke Zero and 324 Mentos. They say the Mark II traveled 239 feet, improving upon last year’s 220 feet with only half the fuel. They posted video of a 209-foot attempt online.

Voltz said Thursday they incorporated a simple piston-and-cylinder mechanism to get the vehicle moving. He says it’s powerful enough that people shouldn’t try the experiment at home.

The Buckfield-based entertainers shot to fame five years ago when they wore lab coats and goggles during their online videos demonstrating elaborate geysers set to music.

Movie Review: The Muppets

2011-12-08T16:52:00.001-05:00

pluggedin.com

Jesus Second Most Popular Person In America

2011-12-08T12:50:00.003-05:00

The Christian Post
Jesus Second Most Popular Person in America, Poll Finds
By Gabrielle Devenish |
Ninety one percent of Americans view Lincoln favorably, and Jesus weighs in at 90 percent. The national survey was taken to see if anyone in history could beat the level of popularity of Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who gained a record-high 89 percent favorability in a survey last month of Wisconsin voters.

Notably, all Republicans had a favorable view of Jesus, according to the poll.

Besides specific people in history as well as those living today, the poll also asked participants how favorably they view themselves. Ninety three percent of respondents gave themselves a positive rating, and only 1 percent viewed themselves negatively.

“Americans have a very high opinion of themselves,” said Dean Debnam, president of PPP, in a statement. “You can argue that we’re a psychologically healthy nation … or you can argue that we’re an arrogant one. Either interpretation fits the numbers.”

The analysts at PPP, which is well-known for its surveys on political races, surveyed 800 American voters by telephone from Now. 10-13, 2011. The margin of error for the survey was +/-3.5 percent.

• Overall, 74 percent ranked Martin Luther King Jr., favorably. Of those, only 69 percent of whites favored him, while blacks favored King 95 percent.

• Lincoln wasn’t the only president to get high marks; George Washington was favored by 86 percent.

• Besides Jesus, religious icon Mother Teresa ranked highly as well at 83 percent, while Ghandi was only favored by 64 percent.

Classic Sermon: The Deity Of Christ by C.I. Scofield

2011-12-08T09:13:00.002-05:00

newsforchristians

Christmas And American Presidents Up To Clinton's Day

2011-12-08T09:01:00.003-05:00

christmasarchives.com

Is Obama An Anti-Israel President?

2011-12-07T20:53:00.000-05:00

What Ever Happened To All Those Folks Who Tried to Destroy The Jewish People?

2011-12-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

Free Audio Presentation Of Christmas Story

2011-12-07T07:10:00.001-05:00

faithcomesbyhearing

Don't Be A Christmas Jerk by Daniel Darling

2011-12-07T06:57:00.002-05:00

Don't Be a Christmas Jerk
Isaiah 9:6

One of my favorite Christmas stories is the classic Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Last year my wife and I enjoyed a fantastic stage production of this wonderful old story.

It seems every Christmas story has to have a Scrooge, from predictable Hallmark dramas to children's books. The reason we always write a jerk into our holiday stories is because it's true. It's real life.

Today I want to encourage you not to be a Christmas jerk. Don't be the Scrooge. It's all too easy. Maybe you're expecting an Xbox and you get a sweater. Maybe you're parents have to tighten the belt and you have fewer packages under the tree. Maybe Christmas is a tough time because you're reminded again of the fragility and dysfunction of your family. Perhaps you wish you're family would be like the others who seem to have it all together.

Or... maybe you're stressed out because you have a ton of stuff to do. Recitals, plays, people, parties.

The circumstances and environment around the holidays make it all too easy to fall into jerk mode. And I'm saying, don't let it happen. Why? Because, of all people, it is Christians who should be full of joy on Christmas. Why? Becasuse this is the celebration of our story, how God moved dramatically to rescue His creation by sending Jesus to live, first as a baby, then as a growing boy, and then as a man.

Christmas is good news. It is God's entrance into the world. God didn't stay in Heaven as a detached deity, he moved to become flesh. What a powerful story.

How do you avoid becoming a Christmas jerk? First, meditate on the story. Go back to the chapters in Isaiah and Matthew and Luke. Remember why we celebrate. Second, go with the flow. What I mean is hold your Christmas plans loosely. Remember its about love, about giving, about peace. So if you get stiffed on the Xbox, let it go. Third, find ways to give back this Christmas. Is there a needy child, a program at your church, a community center that needs you're time and perhaps you're money? Give. Fourth, don't get hung up on frivolous stuff. Don't be a Christian who whines about commercialization, about the "War on Christmas." Just fight against those with genuine, Holy-Spirit-led Christmas cheer.

Strive this year, to be part of the good at Christmas. And leave the jerkiness to Dickens, Hallmark Channel, and others.

Daniel Darling is an author, pastor, and public speaker. His latest book is Crash Course, Forming a Faith Foundation for Life. Visit him on Facebook by clicking here, follow on him on Twitter at twitter.com/dandarling, or check out his website: danieldarling.com.

5 Inaccurate History Stories by Jill Harness

2011-12-07T06:46:00.001-05:00

neatorama.com

Martin Luther and The First Christmas Tree Lights

2011-12-06T16:29:00.002-05:00

Christmas Legends
by Maria Hubert

The First Christmas Tree Lights
Martin Luther was composing a sermon to preach at the Church, and so he was not noticing that he was dawdling, and it was getting very dark.

In the German woods in those days the forests were the homes of Wolves, Bears and Boar, so Martin was a little afraid, especially when the night sounds began. He hurried along, saying a prayer for comfort as he went. Then he looked up through the trees, tiny pricks of light, twinkling blue and silver. At first he was puzzled, then he realised - stars of course, lights from Heaven to guide and comfort. It was a star which led the wise men to the stable on that first Christmas. God's light sent to guide us through the darkest night.

Martin thought that this was a splendid theme for his sermon, and, feeling bolder now he felt himself safe in God's hands, he looked around for a small tree. This little fir tree he pulled up, and took home to his family.

In 17th century Germany, it was the custom to have a candelabra shaped in a sort of triangle. This held candles throughout the Christmas season. It was also the custom in many homes to have a Christmas tree, and often these were hung upside-down from the ceiling beams. They were not often decorated at all, just there as a reminder that the shape of the tree, triangular, represented the three Persons of God - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Martin took home the little tree, but he did not hang it up on the beam. Instead he set it in a pot on the table. Then he took the candles from the candelabra, and fastened them to the little tree.

He them lit the candles, and as the flames flickered through the branches he gathered his family around the table and told them about his walk through the dark wood. Just as he was beginning to get really frightened, he said, he saw the stars twinkling encouragingly, as if God was saying "Don't be afraid, for I am with you".

"Gods light shines through the darkest night for everyone", he said, "But sometimes we have to look up to see it"

Legend has it that this was the first time a candle was put on a Christmas tree. And that is why we still put lights on our Christmas Tree today, to remind us of Martin Luther's sermon!

Clever Tactics Used By Liberals In The MSM by Todd Stranberg

2011-12-06T12:15:00.001-05:00

After watching the liberal media in action over the years, I've detected several of the tricks of the trade used by the press. Following are some of its more popular tactics:
The Ranking The News
Without a doubt, the craftiest device the liberal media has at its disposal is the ability to manipulate public opinion by judging the value and importance of news. Every single day millions of events transpire in the world, and the press determines which news items are worthy of major coverage and which ones are not. The liberal media immediately gives top national billing to attacks on abortion clinics, yet leaves attacks on Christian churches to coverage by the local guys.

Picking and Choosing
In a step beyond ranking the news, the liberal media has sole authority to pick and choose which news stories receive press coverage. By selecting stories that are sympathetic to its line of thinking, the liberal media can help determine the direction this country will be heading.

Preferential Treatment
The liberal media has its friends and its enemies. Anyone who shares its liberal slant is considered to be a comrade, and anyone in the conservative camp is regarded as a foe. The best example of preferential treatment I can think of is the press’ treatment of two high-profile religious leaders: Jesse Jackson and Jerry Falwell. The left-leaning Jackson has repeatedly proven himself to be a man of grievous moral shortcomings. The godless press simply turns a blind eye to Jackson's transgressions; it even quickly set aside a sex scandal with a former secretary. Knowing how the press attacks Jerry Falwell any chance it gets, there is obviously a huge level of partiality on the part of the press.

Negative Spotlighting
When something occurs that threatens established liberal dogma, the media reports on this activity so they can alert counterparts in the various liberal activist groups. (The same warnings are not given for events that threaten conservative thinking.)

The Friendly Fool
The best turn of events the liberal media can hope for is when someone from the opposition does something it can use. If a liberal-minded person like the Unabomber commits a deadly act, the press can't really do anything with his act of terrorism that would be positive. Attacking him would mean attacking its own beliefs. When someone like Timothy McVeigh blows up a federal office building, the liberal media has the opportunity to turn that action into a high holy day for the pro big government and gun control forces.

The Team Player Ploy
Because everyone wants to be part of the establishment, the elite press has been able to win over enemies by encouraging them to be team players. Through the use of good and bad press coverage, even the hardest-to-reach people can be altered to a more liberal way of thinking. For example, when federal judges come to Washington, they're not subject to stand for reelection. These judges are appointed for life. The press, by using its carrot-and-stick approach, has been able to transform Republican-nominated judges into "respectable" liberal judges. This has happened several times.

The Name Game
This is when the press assigns names to groups in order to place a pro-liberal spin on them. The abortion issue is a good example. People who are in favor of abortion are called “pro-choice,” a phrase that transforms the act from the killing of the unborn to a rights issue. The pro-life folks are referred to as “anti-abortion.” “Anti-” is a negative prefix meaning “against.” Because most people would wish be on the positive side of an issue, the negative title puts one at a disadvantage. Here are some more examples of terminology used by the liberal media to put its agenda into a more positive light: gay rights, new morality, free speech (talking about porn), independent mothers, and judicial activism.

Rewriting History
The boldest of the liberal media's tricks is the brazen rewriting of history. It's a process that goes on at a constant pace. If history does not support liberalism, then liberals act to change history. The Reagan years are frequently targeted by the revisionist liberal media.

Comedy
Few people realize how strongly the monologues of NBC's "The Tonight Show" and CBS's "Late Show," along with skits from "Saturday Night Live," influence public opinion. In late 1992, I remember the pounding George Bush received from all the late-night jokes that pointed to a weak economy. After the election, it turned out that the economy was booming at a 4 percent annual growth rate. This news was too late to help Bush who, as we all know, lost the election. During President Clinton's second-term election, the growth rate was 2 percent. Did we hear any jokes about how bad the economy was? No, of course not.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five Christmas Myths

2011-12-05T08:04:00.002-05:00

Top 5 Christmas Myths You Didn't Know!
1. Who is Santa Claus? The good-natured fat old man who resembles a cute grandfather is actually not a biblical figure at all. You will not be able to find Santa Claus stories at all in the bible! Then who is it that puts gifts in the stockings you hang and comes down your chimneys? It is actually a legend of Sinterklass from Scandinavia (not North Pole) filtered down to Europe and America eventually. The character is based on Saint Nicholas who was a Saint of Myna, Turkey and loved children; he was the patron saint of the sailors.

2. Why is Santa Claus Fat? Santa Claus stories never explain why he is rolly polly because Saint Nicolas has always been represented as lean and typically Greek. Did it ever occur to you that Santa Claus is dressed inappropriately for a Saint? The modern concept of a chubby Santa Claus myth was created by illustrator, Thomas Nast. It is was only by the 19th century that this image of a fat Santa in red and white had become acceptable.

3. Christmas Tree Decoration: Another one if the infallible Christmas myths that never fails to surprise people. The Christmas tree is not actually a Christian symbol. In fact the Church had been against the concept of cutting trees for decoration. It is basically a German folk practice, probably predating
Christianity. The practice started getting acceptance only after the turn of the 19th century.

4. The Christmas Wreath: We no longer wear this wreath around our heads (unless you are an Olympics participant) but use it to decorate wall on Christmas. These green fir wreaths were actually worn by Roman emperors on victory marches and had nothing to do with Christianity per se.

5. Peppy Christmas Carols: If you are singing 'Jingle jingle bell' then you are not extractable being pious because all these peppy numbers are not actually Christmas carols. The Christmas stories are solemn ones where a world ridden over by sin is waiting for its savior. 'Silent night holy night' is a perfect example. Most other racy numbers are later additions.

Smart Dog Tucks Himself In For A Nap !

2011-12-05T07:57:00.002-05:00

2011-12-05T07:54:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Carter's Rally Foor Liberal Baptists Flops by Mark Tooley

2011-12-05T07:48:00.002-05:00

frontpagemag.com

How December 25 Became Christmas by Andrew McGowan

2011-12-05T07:39:00.002-05:00

www.bib-arch.org

30 Things You Have To Live To Understand by Ron Edmondson

2011-11-29T07:07:00.004-05:00

All my life I’ve heard the phrase, “You’d have to experience it to understand it”. The older I get the more I know that statement to be true about many things. I was reflecting recently about ways I’ve heard that statement used and ways it’s come true in my life. Some of these below I have experienced; some I haven’t. Some I hope to; some I hope I never will.

Here are 30 things you have to experience to understand
(in no particular order):

◦Meeting a payroll
◦The pain of divorce
◦Completing a degree
◦Skydiving
◦Becoming a parent/grandparent
◦Living by faith
◦Falling in love
◦The speed at which a child grows up
◦The pain of kidney stones…or having a baby
◦Going on a mission trip
◦Getting married
◦Receiving salvation
◦Driving on the Autobahn
◦Losing a job
◦Getting hired
◦Finally forgiving someone
◦Being elected to public office
◦Missing the last flight home
◦Experiencing unconditional love
◦Buying your first home
◦Retiring
◦Loss of a child
◦Caring for an elderly parent
◦A first kiss
◦Loss of a business
◦Battling depression
◦Working in customer service
◦Being rejected
◦Catching the game winning ball
◦Being in the middle of a war zone
For what have you heard (or lived) that phrase apply?

(This is a revised repost, with additions, after I heard this phrase again last week.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting list of things we have to live to understand and I agree, someone can tell us about these events but we have to have the experience of actually going through each to fully know how to deal with the experience and then, of course, we can try to tell others about the experience. No, we do not go through all of these things (I have never caught a game winning ball) but many of these experiences have touched my life. It's important to realize that each requires a decision on our part. I wonder about those decision-making tools we put into play when we are young. Do we seek the advice of others and how do we deal with the negative changes some of our decisions bring about? Do we take God into account when making decisions based on this list? If we love Him and know Him as our Savior, we will always ask Him for direction and we will thank Him before asking His help because we know that He knows what is best for us. We must be patient and willing to seek His purpose in our lives when we live a life which has many more than 30 experiences that we must understand and use to honor Him.
TW

A Great Preacher And His Dad by John Blake

2011-11-29T06:51:00.002-05:00

www.cnn.com
This is the remarkable story of Fred Craddock who is known as being one of the world's greatest preachers. It tells how, as a young man, he became a preacher and the influence his storytelling father had on his life. He shared his father's gift of keeping an audience spellbound with words but the son did it with the Gospel.

Christmas Poem by Edgar Guest

2011-11-28T14:26:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Carol
Edgar Guest

God bless you all this Christmas Day
And drive the cares and griefs away.
Oh, may the shining Bethlehem star
Which led the wise men from afar
Upon your heads, good sirs, still glow
To light the path that ye should go.

As God once blessed the stable grim
And made it radiant for Him;
As it was fit to shield His Son,
May thy roof be a holy one;
May all who come this house to share
Rest sweetly in His gracious care.

Within thy walls may peace abide,
The peace for which the Savior died.
Though humble be the rafters here,
Above them may the stars shine clear,
And in this home thou lovest well
May excellence of spirit dwell.

God bless you all this Christmas Day;
May Bethlehem's star still light thy way
And guide thee to the perfect peace
When every fear and doubt shall cease.
And may thy home such glory know
As did the stable long ago.

Family Tensions And The Holidays by Russell Moore

2011-11-23T12:16:00.004-05:00

russellmoore

The Oldest Secular Accounts Of Jesus

2011-11-22T06:19:00.002-05:00

agepebiblestudy.com

Church Mice

2011-11-22T06:16:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge

Pardise Lost by Ron Graham

2011-11-21T20:22:00.001-05:00

raptureready

British Educator Says Parents Are Losing Traditional Values

2011-11-21T15:01:00.003-05:00

Reuters) - Parents who allow their children to dress in provocative clothing, wear make-up and high heels have lost their sense of traditional values, according to a leading British school headmistress.

"Some parents have been so deprived in their own lives of education and values, that they no longer know right from wrong," said Helen Wright, headmistress of St Mary's Calne, a private girls' boarding school in England.

"They are as a result, unwittingly 'indulging' children in some parallel universe where it is acceptable to let young children wear make-up and provocative clothing."

The 41-year-old -- who is also president of the Girls' Schools Association -- said that if parents can't see anything wrong in allowing their children to wear make-up, high heels and "mini-me" sexy clothing, then something is intensely wrong in our society.

Her comments, to an educational conference Monday, come as Britain prepares to clamp down on the use of sexualized imagery in music videos and advertising campaigns.

The mother of three young children criticized popular British television talent shows such as the X Factor where contestants are catapulted into a spotlight which can be far too much for them and said she was shocked by the sexual imagery used by advertisers in magazines for very young children.

"What hope have we got of safeguarding our children's sacred childhood if they are knocked off their feet on the nursery slopes of life by an avalanche of images and malign influences?" she said. "And make no mistake, this is what is happening."

Thanksgiving Sermon: What Children Can Teach Us About Thanksgiving by Ray Pritchard

2011-11-21T07:42:00.001-05:00

Keepbelieving.com

A Family To Be Thankful For

2011-11-21T07:27:00.001-05:00

guidepost.org

Glossary of Prophetic Terms

2011-11-20T16:02:00.001-05:00

raptureready

Obsessed With Distraction by Michael Lane

2011-11-19T07:38:00.001-05:00

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature -- trees, flowers, grass -- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls. - Mother Theresa

A few months ago, one of my favorite bloggers, Peter Bregman, wrote about his experience with the new iPad from Apple. To summarize, he spent about a week with it and then decided to return it, but not for the reasons you might expect. It was not broken or ineffective. On the contrary, Peter decribed the iPad as being brilliant and he found that it was able, for the the most part, to do everything he wanted. So why did Peter return it? Because it's too good. He found himself reaching for it at all hours. Even worse, he found himself reaching for it at times when he should have been doing something else, such as sleeping or spending time with family.

I can relate. I don't own an iPad, but I do own an iPhone so I know first hand exactly what Peter is talking about. It's the first thing I reach for in the doctor's waiting room or while waiting for others to arrive to a meeting. That's reasonable, I suppose, but lately I've found myself reaching for it in the car at long red lights or when I'm watching television with my wife. That's not reasonable, and it's gotten me into some hot water.

The point Peter was trying to make is that we've lost our respect and desire for quiet, introspective thought. It's so easy to fill our minds with information or tap into entertainment that there is no longer a need to ever be without it - not in the car, not in our bedrooms, not even when we're camping or on vacation. Every moment of the day, regardless of where I am, I can check my email, watch a podcast, update Twitter or read the news. The vast majority of the time, there is not a single email, news story or social networking update that comes even close to affecting my life, but I read them all anyway. At the very moment when I sense that I am not listening to something, reading something or doing something, I instinctively reach out for anything that will occupy my mind and keep me from...well from what? Boredom? Silence? My own thoughts? Not being productive? I'm not sure, but I think it's some combination of these fears.

Up to this point, Peter and I agree completely. It's clear that many of us are addicted to filling our heads with worthless information and mindless entertainment whenever we sense that our minds are not completed engaged. When we do this, something very important is lost. However, Peter and I will diverge here when it comes to exactly what it is that we are really losing. His blog goes on to talk about the value of boredom, and the role that it plays in the creative process. I'm much more concerned with what all this is doing to our prayer time and our relationship with God.

Scheduled prayer time is wonderful and essential, but the most impassioned and meaningful prayer happens spontaneously when we have a quiet moment and an open mind. Two of the most powerful times I've ever spent with God were both unplanned and unexpected. One occurred while I was riding up an escalator in a mostly abandoned Toronto skyscraper, very early in the morning, waiting for my new job to start. The other happened in a dark, quiet room as I held my sleeping newborn daughter. On both occasions, I took advantage of the peace and silence to reflect on God's goodness and fully experience my appreciation for everything he's done. I felt the presence of God, and I was overwhelmed with peace and joy.

These moments both took place before I owned my iPhone, and I am humbled and frightened to realize that neither would have happened otherwise. If I'd had my phone with me on that escalator, I almost certainly would have been listening to a podcast. While I held my daughter, I would have also been reading the news. How many similarly amazing encounters with God have I missed in the 24 months since I have had access to instant distraction on-demand?

I have never deliberately distracted myself with my phone in order to avoid spending time with God, but the effect is the same nonetheless. It is simply not possible to read the news and also carry on a meaningful conversation - not with my wife and not with God. When I have an idle moment and I choose to pick up that phone, I have simultaneously also made the choice to not spend that time with Him.

So, am I getting rid of my iPhone, as Peter did with his iPad? No, I'm not. I respect his choice, but I also understand that this is not the fault of the phone, and especially not the fault of Apple for creating such a compelling device. It's my fault, and getting rid of the phone would be a temporary solution which does nothing to address the underlying concerns. What I need is a ongoing dose of humility which reminds me that the world will not end if I don't check Twitter and Facebook every hour. But most importantly, I simply need to remember that every time I pick up the phone and choose to occupy my mind with empty noise, I am closing it to the Holy Spirit and the conversation He wants to have with me in that moment. I hope that you will do the same - pause and reflect before your pick your distraction tool of choice, and ask if your time would be better spent in quiet conversation with God.

Thanksgiving Idea From Tom Turkey by Ted Wallace

2011-11-18T14:14:00.001-05:00

THANKSGIVING DAY!
WHEN SAYING GRACE THIS THANKSGIVING DAY,
THANK GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS THAT HAVE COME
YOUR WAY.

THANK HIM YOU LIVE IN THIS BOUNTIFUL LAND.
AND FOR ALL THOSE GIFTS THAT MAKE
LIFE GRAND.

THERE ARE BABIES AND DOGS AND KITTENS TOO
AND RAIN, AND TREES AND THINGS WE
CHEW.

THERE IS MUSIC AND ART AND WONDERFUL WORDS
AND GENTLE SUMMER ON THE WINGS
OF THE BIRDS.

IT’S ONLY A SUGGESTION I OFFER YOU
THIS THANKSGIVING WHY NOT TRY
SOMETHING NEW.

INSTEAD OF THAT BLAND, BORING TURKEY
CONSIDER ONCE THE TASTINESS OF
WARM BEEF JERKY!

Thanksgiving Medley

2011-11-18T11:45:00.000-05:00

Why Did Methuselah Live The Longest by Nathan Busenitz

2011-11-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

A Short Reflection on the Man Who Lived the Longest

Anyone who’s ever played Bible trivia knows that Methuselah lived longer than anyone else. He died at the ripe old age of 969. But have you ever wondered why?

Putting aside all of the environmental factors of a pre-Flood world (where lifetimes lasted a lot longer than they do today), I’m convinced the answer has more to do with the character of God than the physical constitution or health consciousness of Methuselah.

When Methuselah was born, the text of Genesis 5 indicates that his father Enoch began to walk with God in earnest (Gen. 5:21–22). Many commentators believe that it was during the time of Methuselah’s birth that God revealed to Enoch the reality of the coming Flood—which is why Enoch spent the next three centuries warning the world around him of God’s impending retribution (Jude 14-15).
Methuselah’s name can be translated as either “man of the javelin” or “man of the sending forth.” It is likely, especially given the context of Genesis 5–6, that his name referred to the reality of God’s coming judgment—a global Flood that would be sent forth with sudden force and destruction. The further implication is that divine wrath would not fall until after Methuselah died. (Some scholars even render the meaning of his name as “his death shall bring forth.” )

Methuselah lived 969 years. If you add up the length of time between Methuselah’s birth and Noah entering the ark (187+182+600), it is also 969 years. That means, in the very year Methuselah died, the Flood was sent forth like a javelin on the earth.

So why did God allow Methuselah to live for so many years—longer than anyone else in human history?

I believe it was as an illustration of His incredible patience. The fact that Methuselah lived almost 1,000 years demonstrates the longsuffering nature of God. From the time God revealed the reality of that judgment to Enoch, it was almost a millennium before raindrops of wrath started to fall in the days of Noah.

Methuselah’s long lifetime fits with Peter’s depiction of God’s patience in 2 Peter 3. After discussing the Flood (in vv. 5-6), the apostle writes in verses 8-9:

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

So, next time someone asks you, What’s the name of the oldest man in the Bible? Don’t just answer “Methuselah” as if his age were merely some trivial factoid. Instead, consider the fact that 969 years is a really long time—not just for any one man to live, but for a holy God to be patient with a rebellious planet.

Angel Worship: Beware!

2011-11-18T11:12:00.002-05:00

christianpost.com

72 Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

2011-11-18T11:05:00.000-05:00

marthastewart.com

Over The River...Thanksgiving Poem

2011-11-16T12:53:00.002-05:00

Over the River

(Thanksgiving Day)

Over the river and through the wood
To Grandmother's house we go.
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring,
Ting-a-ling-ling!
Hurrah forThanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the wood,
Trot fast, my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground
Like a hunting hound,
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go
Extremely slow~
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood~
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

By Linda Maria Child

Maine's Sex Abuse Scandal

2011-11-16T08:14:00.005-05:00

bangordailynews.com

The link above will take you to a recent ( Nov. 16 ) newspaper story involving a sex abuse scandal that is sweeping Maine. It involves a former clergyman and prominent civic leader, Rev. Robert Carlson, who recently committed suicide. A confused public took the news with shock and disbelief. City officials, members of the media, and government officials were bewildered by what happened to the man most knew as a loving and caring civic leader. But it soon came to light that he had been abusing young boys for over thirty years and new allegations were coming to light. Some, somewhat timidly, point to his good works and dozens have come to his defense including one lady who credited Carlson with saving her life when she considered suicide.
The horrors at what happened at Penn State have obviously been on the mind of many who were sexually abused and have now found the courage to speak out against those who took advantage of them when they were young and vulnerable. Do the predators good works, in any way, help us to find some tiny measure of forgiveness for what they have done. My answer is a firm no! The position Carlson held was a convenient cover for his deeds just as in the case of Jerry Sandusky. How better to cover your acts with good works and by putting on the facade of a gentle person who loves all and lives only to help the underprivileged. Yes, I was surprised at the actions of Bob Carlson. But shocked, bewildered? Not really. All of us in this lifetime are subject to temptations which we have to battle. Some of us allow these temptations to become obsessions that are truly evil and must be dealt with. We tend to think of the sexual predator as a monster with scaly skin, bulging bloodshot eyes, and an evil cackle. Not so. Like all “confidence men” they work to gain your confidence and acceptance by playing the role of someone who is the opposite of what they really are. We tend to put these “confidence men" with talent, glibness, and poise on a pedestal. They play the game well. But teacher, coach, politician, minister and all those who work to be helpers in our society have a finger pointed at them and a jaundice eye cast on their profession. We must realize those who commit such crimes put their obsessions above all in their lives. The obsession means more to them then family, work or God. The obvious answer for these individuals is to seek help when these terrible desires first come to the surface. Medical help must be sought quickly.
They must also seek understanding and forgiveness from the God who loves them and will help BEFORE they go down the crooked road to despair and destruction. We become enablers when we shake our heads and look the other way. We endanger many lives when we look at only the “good works” of the smooth, personable predator.
Christ came as a healer who will forgive our sins and help us understand the potential for evil that lies deep within the human spirit. He heals the victim too and we should pray for those who have been wronged. May they look to Him for the love and understanding they so desperately need. He heals the brokenhearted and puts straight the twisted and broken.

The Gathering

2011-11-13T17:13:00.003-05:00

WOW! Here are all the cowboy greats you have read about and a U.S. President! Click to enlarge.
BUT is it for real??

A researcher turned his attention to verifying the list of names - a task much more difficult than authenticating the photograph. The researcher submitted his theories to Western history enthusiasts, historians and historical societies such as Montana Historical Society, the Pinkerton Detective Agency Archives, and the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University. Each accepted his presumption of locale, but none accepted the names.
Small details of the photograph and its list were examined and checked against proven records for clues. On the list, Earp was misspelled (Erp). Butch Cassidy's real name, Robert Leroy Parker, was noted on the photo as Geo. Parker, a Pinkerton file misnomer, but also the name of a tennis pro who played at Hunter's Hot Springs in the early 1900s. In the photo Roosevelt is listed as "Teddy Roosevelt," but he actually wasn't called Teddy until after the 1898 Spanish American War. Leaf also contacted experts to identify the rifle held by Man #8 and to date the bottle laying on the ground in front of Man #3.
"I really wanted to believe the list was true," said Leaf.
His first year of research provided Leaf a great deal of circumstantial evidence and hypothetical scenarios, but little undisputable fact. A pivotal point in his investigation came when, through evidence supplied by a family historian, Leaf ruled out Ben Greenough, a young friend of "Liver Eating" Johnston, as a group participant.
"Once I had one famous name drop out," said Leaf, "I had reason to question the rest."
In July of 2001, Leaf went public with his research, posting it on a Web site he designed titled, "Who Are Those Guys?" at www.huntershotsprings. org. The site features comparison photos of the supposed celebrities and frequent updates of information from viewers that are both critical and supportive of Leaf's opinions about the picture.
Largely because of his Web site, by the end of 2001 Leaf had uncovered at least five different lists of names written on copies of the photo identifying the mystery men. They range from recent Internet auction copy of the picture - which the seller dated 1886, apparently as a result of Leaf's research - to a copy of the photo whose list of names is believed to date from 1944.
Discoveries made during a trip to Montana provided new insight into the Hunter's Hot Springs photograph's clandestine history. In Livingston, historian Doris Whithorn, who aided and encouraged Leaf's long-distance investigation, provided what might be the first known public reference to the photo.
It was an April 23, 1964 article in The Park County News headlined, "Who Remembers T. Roosevelt, W. Earp, Bat Masterson, Liver Eating Johnston, Ken [sic] Greenough at Hunter's?" and includes the photograph and a plea to the readership for help identifying the pictured men.
With only five names on the list and the possibility that names may have been tagged on over the years, "My original theory went wrinkly at the edges," said Leaf, "and I gave it the old heave-ho."
Added to Leaf's ever-expanding amount of research material were four volumes of newspaper references compiled by Livingston archivist Miles Iverson, who noted every reference made to Hunter's Hot Springs between 1871 and 1918.
"In looking through his documentation, I couldn't understand why there wasn't mention of these people (in the photograph)," said Leaf. "Then I realized the reason they weren't mentioned is because they weren't there."

How To Save Online Shopping Costs

2011-11-13T06:28:00.000-05:00

realsimple.com

"I'm so happy it's Friday!"

2011-11-11T10:28:00.000-05:00

Kate Smith Introduces God Bless America on 11/11/'39

2011-11-11T09:57:00.002-05:00

Where God Isn't,,,

2011-11-09T05:50:00.006-05:00

He was just a little boy,

On a week's first day.

Wandering home from Bible school,

And dawdling on the way.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass;

He even found a caterpillar.

He found a fluffy milkweed pod,

And blew out all the 'filler.'

A bird's nest in a tree overhead,

So wisely placed up so high..

Was just another wonder,

That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his zig zag course,

And hailed him from the lawn;

Asked him where he'd been that day

And what was going on.

'I've been to Bible School,'

He said and turned a piece of sod.

He picked up a wiggly worm replying,

'I've learned a lot about God.'

'M'm very fine way,' the neighbor said,

'for a boy to spend his time.'

'If you'll tell me where God is,

I'll give you a brand new dime.'

Quick as a flash the answer came!

Nor were his accents faint.

'I'll give you a dollar, Mister,

If you can tell me where God ain't.'

--Author unknown