Of Seals And Horsemen

If I understand the first few chapters of Revelation correctly, a man and a situation are coming to this planet that, it seems to me, few have anticipated and for which even fewer have prepared. So many have not even heard the Voice of Scripture. Of those who have heard, few have understood. Fewer still have believed. And of that handful, I wonder how many would be prepared, as, say, the North Koreans are already prepared, for this disaster?

Say what you will about Kim and his nation, the Christians there who have braced themselves for torture and loss will be able to face with confidence the coming onslaught. This is one reason the true church, far from pitying our wonderful brothers, honors them and looks to them for guidance about carrying the cross. Yes, what book, what fine author is there who can tell us more about the suffering of Jesus today than the North Korean believers who live it out hour by painful hour?

What is coming? One who once lived on the planet, who is being hidden from view now, will suddenly return as the world's messiah, and deceive the nations by many signs and wonders. Our media-driven and media-crazed world will have no trouble giving their allegiance to this superman. In these early efforts he will be mimicking the real Christ who was and is (though now also is hidden from view) and is to come.

The first of the seals of chapter 6 reveals that, as Hitler and others before him, this newly crowned saviour will march into countries as conqueror, and no one will fire a shot. He will mesmerize and intimidate. No one will dare to speak against him. He will seem to have the answer to world peace.

Eventually, says seal 2, there will be a reaction. A bloodbath will ensue. World War III, so long talked about and feared yet denied, will occur. Truly a war to end all wars. Seal 3, poverty, and 4, death by many other means, will follow quickly.

These four seals are seen as horsemen, the quickest form of transportation in the days when this vision was given. These things will not be spread out over centuries, but over just a few years. In that short time, one fourth of the humans living will be killed. In many places the human population will be so scarce that animals will once more become a threat to man's safety.

Throughout this period, the church of Jesus Christ, called the "saints" in Revelation, will suffer greatly, and will be victims of a concerted effort for extinction. They will die in many ways, but they will die. They will visibly be defeated, but will by God's standards thus be overcomers. We have forgotten that losing one's life for Christ is winning it eternally. And that those who hold on to their lives here are the ultimate losers. Where did that teaching go?

As this relatively short era winds down, natural wonders will herald the immediate return of the true Messiah, an angry God whose stored-up wrath will now decimate the nations opposed to Him. And then will come to pass the Scripture we have sung and heard so often, "And He shall reign forever and ever."

I challenge my fellow comfortable saints to heed the warnings, and to look to the suffering church for a way to be ready for what surely will come.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Rapture Or Second Coming? A Sixth Distinction Refuted

Is there a Biblical difference between the "rapture" and the "second coming"? To show that such is the case, our brothers label the rapture "the blessed hope" , a term used by Paul in Titus 2:13, and then they assure us that the final coming could not be a "blessed hope" for the few Christians who live to survive the devastation of the Tribulation. Again here is the using of the conclusion as part of the proof. The pre-tribulationists are the ones who have divided Jesus' coming into two parts and assigned them names. The Bible nowhere does this.

But I fear there is even a greater lapse in logic by our esteemed brothers in this text. It would seem to me that the greater the tragedy, the greater the hope. As Jesus wipes away the tears of Tribulation saints in Revelation 7:13-17, He is truly received as a blessed sight. How much the saints will be affected by all that goes on during these dark years is not clear. We are called to be persecuted, but not judged. God will sort that out. But we will go through it. And we will be greeted by a loving Saviour who understands, because He went through earth's rejections. It seems inconceivable that believers snatched up before the suffering could receive a greeting that matches this one.

The mentality that our brothers echo here borders on that elitism that is prevalent among us in the Western Church. Why do we think we are not called to suffer when the Scriptures repeatedly say we are? Those that suffer with Jesus will reign with Him. But what of those who wish to be caught up before it all begins?

Bethel ministries says on this topic: "Persecution and martyrdom is, in fact, the New testament norm... Peter wrote, 'For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps.' (I Peter 2:21) ...Some church leaders teach that believing in an imminent pre-trib rapture will influence Christians to live holy lives. But the Scriptures teach, referring to the heavens and earth being destroyed by fire [and not the catching up of the bride], 'Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?...' (II Peter 3:11-14)

"There has never been a time when so many Christians believed in an imminent pre-trib rapture and yet the twentieth-century church in America can be characterized by almost anything but holiness...Paul said, 'We glory in tribulations...tribulation worketh patience'... [Jesus said] 'In the world ye shall have tribulation...' (John 16:33) 'We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.' (Acts 4:22). 'Blessed are ye, when men shall ...persecute you.' "

Who has more of a "blessed hope" ? The one who looks forward to no tribulation, or the one who is in trouble now, but is assured that soon the troubles will be gone? The soldier who "hopes" to escape the draft or the one who hopes for the end of the conflict in which he has participated fully? The farmer who "hopes" no bad weather will destroy his crops, or the one who has bravely fought the elements and now sees the fruits of his labor about to blossom in spite of all of nature's blast?

Oh saints! When we sit in a dingy prison cell for our faith in Christ, when all of those whom we hold dear have been taken away, when our stomach is bloated from hunger and our body is mangled from beatings, what a blessed hope is ours! Christ shall come and release us! Christ shall come and restore our Heavenly family! Christ will come and feed us with His own manna, and wash our scars and heal our bodies and we will be with Him forever! Could anything be more of a blessed hope than that?

And is it not equally true that those least looking for that "blessed hope" today are those for whom life is comfortable and secure? Why "hope" if we have what we need already?

There simply is no distinction between the rapture and the second coming. Together, they are our blessed hope!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Best Sunday School Books For Toddlers

Of course the first and foremost book to get is a children's Bible or several. One of the best ones that has been around for many years is The Beginners Bible: Timeless Children's Stories. It has wonderful stories and is beautifully illustrated. The stories are all short enough to hold a young one's attention. Another nice children's Bible is the Toddler's Bible. It has large print and nice illustrations. The stories are very short, more like a summary of the stories.

The Rhyme Bible Story Book for Toddlers is another awesome book. The book is a great introduction to toddlers to learn the bible stories. Each story is told in a rhyme (which toddlers love) in a span of 3 to 4 pages.

Prayer Books

Even toddlers can learn how to pray. The first prayer that many children learn is at supper. Then there are the bedtime prayers. There is a nice prayer book for toddlers called "Special Time Bible Prayers for Toddlers." It is very nicely illustrated and even comes with a CD.
"Teaching Children to Pray" is geared towards 2 and 3 year olds. Included are biblical story references and prayer suggestions.

Other Story Books

There is a series of books that are wonderful, and should be included in Sunday school. They are "Instant Bible Lessons for Children" by Rainbow Publishers, and they teach about life lessons. One is titled "God Takes Care of Me" and others are "God Blesses Me," "I Belong to Jesus," and "Growing Up For God." Each book includes Scripture references as well as plenty of activities to reinforce the lessons learned.

"The Big Book of Bible Crafts" is perfect for Sunday school. All of the crafts in the book relate to a Bible story or character.
"More Toddlerific Bible Funstuff" is jam packed with fun activities that support a truth from God's Word, teaches a verse or tells a Bible story. It has reproducible pages and hands-on activities to occupy those young minds. "Christian Children's Favorites" songbook has all the songs you loved as a kid. Title tracks include:

• Jesus Loves Me
• This Little Light of Mine
• Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
• Deep and Wide
• Do Lord
• Down in My Heart
• Jesus Loves the Little Children and many more

"God's Word for Little Ones" is a delightful book. It has nice illustrations and all the stories from both the Old and New Testament. But what is really great about this book is after each story there is a section entitled "Think about it" that asks questions about the story that was read. Then there is a fun fact section after the questions called "Did You Know?" that relates to that particular story.

"First Virtues for Toddlers" is a terrific first devotional Bible. It has 12 short rhyming stories about various virtues including sharing, patience, kindness, among others, and each ends with a short Bible verse that relates to the story. They are very simple and easy to memorize. The "First Virtues for Toddlers" book was so popular that they came out with a series of them. The illustrations are really cute. This is an awesome series of books. Titles in the series include:

• Kitty Shows Kindness
• Bunny Loves Others
• Bear Obeys
• Lion Shares
• Duckling is Patient
• Piglet Tells the Truth
• Panda is Polite
• Puppy Makes Friends
• Tiger Forgives

A Sunday school for toddlers needs to have more than just a Bible with Bible stories. You need to keep them occupies with crafts and singing also. It is also a good idea to teach them what they can understand in their terms by teaching them about life's lessons in simple terms.

Denise Oliveri has been a Sunday school teacher for the past 14 years. She has taught children between preschool through 5th grade in this time. She is the owner of Preschool Sunday School Central, a site designed to help preschool Sunday School teachers find the best resources for helping with Bible lesson planning. There are tons of free resources, as well as valuable eBooks to help with Bible lesson planning. The site is great for homeschoolers, too!

Denise is also a homeschooling mom of three wonderful boys for the past eight years! She has taught electives for a local homeschool co-op, as well as taken many facinating field trips with her children and husband. Homeschooling is a journey all in itself.

Water Damage Cleanup

North Korea's Confessional - Self-Criticism

It's easy to find fault. And the greater the fault in the "faultee" the easier it becomes. I sit at my computer almost every day and find fault with the government and governors of North Korea. It's soeasy. It's become second nature. But a Christian who practices this activity for very long will sooner or later be asked to deal with his own faults. His wretched condition minus Christ.

Who was the greatest sinner who ever lived? Nero, Hitler, Stalin? The Bible's answer is the apostle Paul. Paul said he himself was the chief of sinners. The worst. He killed and had killed a multitude of God's people. Not like the ignorant head of state who knew no better, but as a "good Jew" whose God was the same as the Christians' God. Paul never forgot who he was before Christ changed him.

Today I must answer a bit differently. Paul may have been the worst of his day, but I have moved into contention for the prize in our day. I who have known the Light streaming from the Word of God for over 50 years. I who have understood great portions of the Great Book. The same I who is still disobedient. Proud. Lazy. Fearful. And more. Tyrants don't know any better. They've not had an encounter with Christ, to our knowledge. Christians are a threat to them. So they try to hurt them. They were raised to believe what they believes about life. Just as I was.

But I have no excuses. I have had everything life can offer. This life and the next. I am well aware of my culpability and cry out to God often for change, for renewal, for His fire. Just so you know, while I launch once more into an expose of things North Korean.

The North Korean government has adopted the "self-criticism" tactic, and used it, like the Roman Catholic "confessional" system of the Medieval Church, to control its people. A man or woman or even child who is forced to stand in a public meeting or sit in a private box and confess faults of all kinds is controlled by that audience be it priest or government. Beaten down inwardly. Kept from advancement.

How different is confession of the Christians , from whom Rome and Pyongyang and all the others copied. For example, the confession I gave in the paragraphs above was not in any way coerced, yet from the inside I knew it was time to even the score, to place myself, but for the grace of God, in the same boat with the worst of men who have ever lived. We Christ-followers don't just look down at evil. We recognize it instinctively when the Spirit is in our lives. We confess it freely, and it is forgiven by Christ just as freely. We are well aware that evil is not just something "out there" but that it is lurking within each of us at any moment, ready to attack our new life in Him.

May all of our fault-finding start with the chief of sinners. Me. But may we never be afraid to speak the truth about evil in our world either.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Goal Planning For Success

Jesus Speaks on Death and Dying

When Sylvia and I got married, the minister commented that he had done as many weddings as he had done funerals. All of his funerals lasted. Not all of the marriages that he performed have lasted. One thing is for sure, we are all going to die once per lifetime. There will be no second chance to go back and do it over. If God were to call you today, are you ready to die for Him?

In Matthew 20:17-28; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 18:31-34, Jesus prepares the Apostles for His coming death. James and John's mother asks Jesus for preferential treatment for her sons. Jesus challenges their commitment and then informs everyone about how to have true greatness. Are you willing to die to yourself for Jesus?

We're All Going to Die - Matthew 20:17; Mark 10:32; Luke 18:31-32 Jesus and the Apostles are on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus will not leave the city and immediate area alive. He prepares the Apostles again, reminding them that He is going to die as the Old Testament prophesied.

Death is something that is going to happen to everyone who is conceived on this earth. Not even God's Son will escape the pain of dying. We need not lament that we are going to die, but be prepared so that we don't have to "get ready" if that moment should come suddenly.

Best Friends May Betray You - Matthew 20:18-19; Mark 10:33-34; Luke 18:33-34 One thing that makes this situation especially painful is that Jesus declares that He will be betrayed. He doesn't give any clue that it is one of the Apostles, but He knows. He does state that it will be unfair, cruel and final. Jew and Gentile will be involved in His death (murder).

How would you feel if someone that you were close to lied about you to authorities in a way that was quickly going to result in your execution? How would you feel if you knew this person was going to do that, days, weeks, even years ahead of the event? Could you tolerate having them in your company? Jesus did! No matter how much someone has hurt you in your life, you have never experienced the betrayal that Jesus endured!

Bargaining With God - Matthew 20:20-21; Mark 10:35-37 The mother of James and John comes to Jesus upon this announcement and, not realizing fully what she is asking, requests that they be given special honor in Jesus' Kingdom. She may have totally missed that Jesus is going to die and be expecting Him to set up a Kingdom in Jerusalem. That is what most of His followers are expecting from Him. Death is totally out of their minds. Whether she understands or not, she tries to bargain with Jesus for that special favor.

Most people who are dying go through a phase of bargaining for more time. All of us want some kind of "glory" or recognition. We will look to God or someone else for a special favor or title in hopes that it will give us a degree of life after we are dead.

Paying the Cost - Matthew 20:22-23; Mark 10:38-39a Jesus responds to the request for James and John by asking them if they are willing to pay the price to have the honor. They declare that they are willing to do whatever is required in exchange for the recognition.

Nothing "great" comes without a cost. If you want a raise or promotion, you have to deliver more work or assume more responsibility. Although our salvation is not on such terms, privilege on this earth does require a responsibility and special commitment if we are going to receive the honor. Are you willing to die for Jesus, if necessary? Are you willing to pay the price of your life in order to maintain your eternal life with Him?

Jealousy in the Ranks - Matthew 20:24; Mark 10:39b-40 The other Apostles are a little upset at James and John for asking for special favor. After all, aren't they as good (or better than) those two?

Being jealous is a waste of time. You should use your talents for God and not compare yourself to others or complain because they have some talent that you do not have.

Dying to Self - Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:41-45 Jesus sees the resentment towards James and John and must now defuse the jealousy and wrong attitudes in the ranks. He tells them that the one who is truly greatest is not the boss, but the worker who is out there doing something for others.

Which is more important to you, getting the honor or serving the Lord? Is Jesus truly first in your life? If He is, what are you doing to help advance His Kingdom? Are you the best worker at your job? Does your integrity reflect Jesus' presence in your life? Is loving others and serving Jesus more important to you than getting recognition or controlling others? Are you willing to die to yourself (your selfishness) for Jesus? God bless you and have a great week!

These articles are related to the "Getting To Know Jesus" Bible study series, a non-denominational Bible study that is written to help you become more like Jesus! Jesus is a role model and a testimony of God's best being given to us!

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Glen Copple is an ordained minister who has over 25 years of preaching and teaching experience in ministering to non-denominational churches. In 1983, he earned a Master of Arts in Ministry from Pacific Christian College (now Hope International University) in Fullerton, CA, and has had ministries in Kansas, Missouri, and California.

In previous ministries, Pastor Glen taught through the Life of Christ and developed the structure for "Getting To Know Jesus." He knew that God led him to put his years of ministry and Bible study to work to share with you, your family and friends in this non-denominational study of Jesus Christ, his life and teachings.

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Amish Lifestyles in a Modern World

I consider myself a normal person in the fast-paced world, probably just like you. We have our luxuries that we take for granted and never even notice we have them unless we have a power outage. Through my relationship with the Amish, and my desire to learn more about their customs and work ethic, I recently offered my services to assist one of the families of fourteen (14) on their small family farm. I was soon regretting that decision. I found myself assisting the young Amish children, ages 7 through 13, in throwing wheat sheaves onto a horse drawn hay wagon . Needless to say, the young Amish children put me to shame. I could not keep up!

I have learned that the Amish are very hard working and decent people with an unbelievable work ethic . They are trained from a very young age that if a job is worth doing it is a job worth doing right. That instilled value is what makes their products so special. They live a very simple life with minimal furnishings in their homes. It goes without saying that there are no refrigerators, televisions, computers, radios, electricity, telephones, fans, etc. What took me by surprise was finding there are no pictures, doilies, what-knots, or even couches inside their homes! An Amish home is furnished with wooden beds, handmade quilts, basic dressers, a kitchen table with a few hardwood chairs, and wooden floors without even a throw rug.

The families within this area are carried in a black buggy type carriage, which is pulled by horses. It is not unusual to see a young boy around the age of 9, controlling a team of horses pulling him around a field on a wagon or buckboard. These wagons have wooden wheels with large spokes or thick steel wheels. The wagon wheels have to be sturdy in order to carry logs to the sawmill or hay to the barn. The Old Order Amish do not use rubber on their wheels; even the hub is wood. A metal band (steel tire rim) actually rolls on the roadway. The wheels are a lot like the western wheels shown on the covered wagons except a little bit more narrow.

Amish handmade unique gift ideas for your country western home and garden decor. Rustic horse drawn buggy wagon wheels, cannon wheels, handcrafted baskets, heavy duty barn stars, quilts, fine furniture, birdhouses, and rustic furniture for your log cabin or to decorate your primitive landscape. Proudly made in the USA. Vernon Christian, dba Amish Wares, 877-644-6229. http://www.amishwares.com

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Yoga And To Force Or to Feel

Most of us who do yoga yearn for more from the practice than just physical benefits--indeed, for more than just benefit to ourselves. But how can twisting our bodies, opening our hips, and straightening our legs make a difference in the wider world? How can lifting our chests help lift up this troubled planet?

Our asana practice can have a positive impact because it constantly asks us to become more sensitive, more conscious, more aware of ourselves--not just our bodies but also our minds, feelings, emotions, and our very nature. The real value of asana practice is that it can teach us to tune in and truly feel. As our sensitivity increases, life becomes more rich and enjoyable because we can taste the unique flavor of each individual moment. More important, we also become more aware of what moves us toward out dharma and what takes us away from it. This awareness makes us clearer and more peaceful, more able to elegantly handle life's endless dilemmas without feeling overwhelmed or fearful. As a result, we become more effective in all of our actions, and our presence begins to inspire and bring out the best in people around us.

The opposite of feeling is forcing. When we force, we cannot feel, and when we feel, we cannot force. The moment we start to force, we begin to lose awareness of the effect our efforts have on our nervous system, on the situation itself, and on the other people involved. Forcing makes us angry, inflexible, and intolerant; raises our blood pressure; and can eventually create heart problems. Feeling, on the other hand, makes us calmer, more receptive, more understanding, and healthier.

If we force ourselves into Ardha Matsyendrasana II (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose II), the spine will twist where it always has, where it needs the twist the least. In this pose, it is particularly easy to force the body while attempting to reach around the back and grab the shin. To the extent that the desire to do this comes from the ego's urge to satisfy itself--just to prove we can do this pose--it manifests itself as force. Feeling, on the other hand, allows us to tune in to the habitual tendencies of the body and sense which vertebrae are twisting and which are not. Cultivating feeling in Ardha Matsyendrasana II allows movement where there was stagnation, release where there was stiffness, and freedom where there was bondage.

Just as force and feeling are opposites, so are violence and awareness. We often get angry, and sometimes even outwardly violent, when a situation arises that is not to our ego's liking, rather than using it as an opportunity to become more aware. But violence inevitably breeds more violence. The more forceful and violent we are, the further we move from feeling and awareness; consequently, the more violent we become.

I believe much of the violence in our world comes from our lack of awareness, which has historically manifested itself as an unwillingness to see other people's point of view. When we pause and feel, we become more open and more receptive to the possibility that there are valid ways of thinking other than our own.

Sensitivity is often portrayed as weakness, yet it actually gives us the strength to lower our guard and say to an enemy, "Let's sit down and talk this through. How are you feeling? Why are you behaving the way you are?" People who have the security that comes with deep sensitivity and awareness have no desire to be violent; it is insecurity that contributes to violence. Through feeling, sensitivity, and awareness, we can bring insecurity and its resulting violence to an end.

What does all of this have to do with our individual practice of asanas like Ardha Matsyendrasana II? The awareness that we develop on the yoga mat, though seemingly small, affects all that is. As we become more aware in our yoga practice and in our lives, as we move away from force and violence and toward sensitivity, feeling and awareness, we change our individual consciousness and actions. In turn, these changes influence the consciousness and actions of everyone we meet. Slowly we shift the direction the world is taking. As we practice each asana, whether it be a challenging twist like Ardha Matsyendrasana II or a simple standing pose, we have the opportunity to become the embodiment of peace and to make our practice a prayer for harmony in the world.

2008 Aadil Palkhivala

And now I invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to an excerpt of my new book, Fire of Love: Chapter 5: Feeling, from Fire of Love

To buy a copy - click on this link: Yoga Centers Online Store

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Spirituality and The Bottom Line

Whadda ya know?

Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?
Put aside all opinions, beliefs and theories for a moment and address this one straight question: What do you know for sure? Or, as Thoreau put it:

"Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice, and tradition, and delusion, and appearance, that alluvion which covers the globe... through church and state, through poetry and philosophy and religion, till we come to a hard bottom and rocks in place, which we can call reality, and say, This is, and no mistake; and then begin..."

In other words, let's cut the crap and figure out what's real. The cogito does exactly that, and it's very simple. The question is: What do you know?

The answer is: I Am.

All other so-called facts are really non-facts and belong in the category of consensual reality and relative truth, i.e., unreal reality and untrue truth.

::: Cogito Ergo Sum

Cogito ergo sum is the equation that proves the fact. But first, before we go on, let's ask what else we know. What else can be said for certain?

Nothing. We don't know anything else. And that's the real point of the cogito. The importance of I Am isn't that it's a fact, but that it's the only fact.

I Am is the only thing anyone has ever known or will ever know. Everything else, all religion and philosophy, is nothing more than dream interpretation. There is no other fact than I Am. The cogito is the seed of the thought that destroys the universe. Beyond the cogito, nothing is known. Beyond the cogito, nothing can be known. Except I Am, no one knows anything. No man or god can claim to know more. No God or array of gods can exist or be imagined that know more than this one thing: I Am.

We can't avoid letting this topic drift briefly into the Christian realm. When Moses asked God His name, God answered, "I am that I am." The name God gives for Himself is I Am.

Note that I Am is unconjugatable. It allows of no variation. God doesn't say, "My name is I Am, but you can call me You Are, or He Is." The cogito, the I Am equation, does not extend beyond one's own subjective knowing. I can say I Am and know it as truth, but I can't say you are, he is, she is, we are, they are, it is, etc. I know I exist and nothing else. Understood thusly, I Am, aka God, truly is the Alpha and the Omega; the entirety of being, of knowledge, of you.

::: The Line Is Drawn

The cogito is the line between fantasy and reality. On one side of the cogito is a universe of beliefs and ideas and theories. To cross the line is to leave all that behind. No theory, concept, belief, opinion or debate can have any possible basis in reality once the ramifications of the cogito have fully saturated the mind. No dialogue can take place across that line because nothing that makes sense on either side makes sense on the other.

We all think we know what the cogito means; this is an invitation to challenge that assumption. If professors of philosophy truly understood it, they wouldn't be professors of philosophy. Alfred North Whitehead said that all philosophy is a footnote to Plato, but all philosophy, Plato included, is rendered obsolete and irrelevant by Descartes. Nothing but the subjective I Am is true, so what's the point of prattling on?

The cogito isn't a mere thought or an idea, it is an ego-eating virus that, properly incubated and nurtured, will eventually devour all illusion. Once we know the cogito, we can begin systematically unknowing everything we thought we knew, and unraveling the self we aren't.

::: Life is but a Dream

There is no such thing as objective reality. Two cannot be proven. Nothing can be shown to exist. Time and space, love and hate, good and evil, cause and effect, are all just ideas. Anyone who says they know anything is really saying they don't know the only thing. The greatest religious and philosophical thoughts and ideas in the history of man contain no more truth than the bleating of sheep. The greatest books are no more authoritative than the greatest luncheon meats.

No one knows anything.

::: Disprove it for Yourself

Anyone wishing to deny these statements about the meaning of the cogito need merely prove that something, anything, is true. By all means, give it a try, dash your head upon it, but it can't be done. Cogito ergo sum, however, isn't the endpoint of inquiry, it's the starting point; it's a tool that helps us see, without intermediaries, exactly what is true and what isn't.

How great is that?

::: About the Author

"Jed McKenna is an American original." -Lama Surya Das

Jed McKenna is the author of "Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing" and "Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment", published by Wisefool Press. Coming in 2005: "Spirituality X" and "Jed McKenna's Notebook". Visit http://www.WisefoolPress.com to learn more.

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The God of War Or Peace - Helping With Bible Problems

Here's two verses I found in the Bible that seem to contradict themselves but I'm sure that with a little creativity and manipulation, a good minister or religious scholar, could make some sense out of it.

Exodus 15:3 (New International Version) The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.

Romans 15:33 (New International Version) The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

The Lord is a warrior does not mean that he fights or kills, does it. According to the Old Testament, God killed plenty of people and even took out an entire city one time, flooded the earth to get rid of the evil and of course who could forget, that once we get into the New Testament, God killed his only begotten son Jesus. I don't know if I would really want this guy as my father.

It seems like he has a pretty bad temper on him but is extremely loving, caring and understanding. Are you confused yet, I am. Maybe I shouldn't be throwing the word I am around.

The God of peace states that he is a loving and understanding leader. This makes more sense to me because he did create the earth and everything around it. If I was for example, building a home to create a nice peaceful place to live, I wouldn't be thinking about destroing what I created. I would be thinking more along the lines of how I could take care of this creation.

It makes more sense to me that God would be peaceful but sometimes in order to have peace, we need to be a warrior. If God would have created us to be more compassionate, gave us plenty of food to eat, plenty of homes to live in, removed our sinful nature and of course who could forget, give us a purpose in life that is clearly understandable, I wouldn't see a need for warriors.

Maybe the God of peace is different than the Lord is a warrior. Thinking is a good thing, put your thinking caps on and start reading some of the Bible with an open mind.

Treated Fairly Christianity

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a spiritual video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

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Who is Eckhart Tolle?

A truly enlightened spiritual teacher or just good writer and collector?

Even Oprah Winfrey is delighted about his books. She don't just read his books, but also advertise them loudly. A man from Germany has become a spiritual teacher for thousands of people all around the world. But what has he done so special? His books "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" are best sellers. But if his books are selling so well, does it mean that indeed they bring men towards the light?

We can ask a question - why do his books are so popular? In this time, when human race observe the weaknesses and worthlessness of so popular values - money and power, people are seeking for something else. Different men for ages have been searching the answers on spiritual questions. And actually Eckhart Tolle does not write something new. As he admits, he has combined the best from different teachings. He is quoting such great teachers as Jesus, Mohamed, Buda and many others. And books of their teachings unfortunately stand in lower shelf.

But he really has done very significant thing. He writes in language, which is clear for people and which is audible in the noise of our days. People have become too lazy, they do not have enough free time, or just they do not have enough knowledge to understand the words of prophets. And Eckhart Tolle is like translator, who is doing his job well. But it is for people to decide, what they should adore - The Eckhart Tolle or knowledge and information he gives.

I definitely suggest You to read his two books - "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth", because they really putting together whole picture. But do not forget, that benefit comes from knowledge only then, when we use it in action. Knowledge without action is worthless. So, ACT!

http://findyourmaster.blogspot.com/

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A Message From the Cardinal

He sits outside my window year 'round. Something tells me I told you about him already. No matter. He's worth telling about every winter, 'cause he helps me get through every winter.

Not that I don't notice him in the summer too. But then he's surrounded by raspy starlings and grackles and redwings, not to mention the huge supply of sparrows that my neighbor's incessant feeding attracts. There's an occasional jay or goldfinch, and even a hungry hawk that brings silent tension to the bird-hood.

So he doesn't stand out.

But when not only the birds, but the leaves are gone, what a spectacle is the brilliantly red cardinal! Just seeing him stirs something so deep... And I just know that if he could utter his thoughts, he'd be saying something like, "Hang on bro', just a little longer. Pretty tough out here now, pretty barren, pretty ugly, and downright uncomfortable, but us strong birds hang on, and we see good things when it's all over."

Yeah, that's him. That's the message. Of course right away I'm in North Korea, wishing he, or I, or someone, could say those very words, or chirps, or whatever, to the believers there. "Hang on friends of Jesus. Just a little while, it'll be springtime - forever. You can make it. Be faithful to death. Don't deny Jesus. He loves you still, but you acquired a great enemy when you came to Jesus for salvation."

This is the "winter of our discontent," as Shakespeare would have it. Or as C.S. Lewis describes, "always winter, but never Christmas." These are hard times for Christians. North Korea has been experiencing non-stop "winter" for 60 years! Oh much more, if you count the sordid history of attack by this and that nation. A barren desolate ugly cold wintertime.

But Jesus comes. To individuals. To the world one day. "The promised kiss of springtime that makes the lonely winter seem long..." That's Jesus. We've just got to stay on that branch and hang on.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

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In North Korea - A Man And A Woman

"Refugees International" went into Northeast China a few years back with the specific intent of finding and interviewing refugees coming out of North Korea. Their stories lack the earmarks of what we would call "great" storytelling. Deliberately. It was their purpose just to take the facts down and pass them on to the West. Following, in my own words, is the true story I gleaned from one of these interviews. Following the "lackluster" style of reporting used by Refugees International, I simply call these 2 persons "a man and a woman", knowing that the facts themselves will stir hearts.

The story I tell, by the way, is shared for the sole purpose of motivating praying people to do what they do best.

The "man" was in the North Korean army, and was discharged in 1997. When he went home he found there were no jobs. He moved to Musan, in northeast North Korea, heard of the flow of refugees into China, and joined it. In 3 months he was caught and sent back. Ten days in a Chongjin prison. Escape. Back to China. 'Tis a familiar tale, though not as often considered to be a part of the "protected" military's existence.

1998. Chinese crackdown on North Korean refugees forces him to move to isolation in the mountains.

"The woman," also North Korean, comes to China in 2001 with an uncle who promises to find her a husband. The man and the woman are introduced one day. Married the next. She joins him in his mountain hideaways.

August, 2002. Husband is in a nearby village obtaining food when he is arrested by Chinese police and once more sent back to North Korea, without his wife. The wife is afraid and asks permission to live in the house of the manager of the shelter where they have been staying. Permission granted, but someone reports her, she is arrested and likewise deported. It is October.

In prison she gives birth. Her hometown people hear of her ordeal and bribe officers to release her.

One positive note. There are so many prisoners this second time around for the man, that he reports things have lightened up. There simply are not enough enforcers to make life miserable for everyone. The "light" version is a cell 5 square meters. Containing 40 people. They kneel and cannot move. They must sleep in that position.

His wife even gave birth in that position.

We cannot imagine what the more difficult version was like.

The man wants to go to South Korea, he tells the interviewer. But he knows it will be very hard. He says that people who try to go to South Korea are sent somewhere else and they are killed. He says that the first question they ask you when you are deported to North Korea is, "Have you been to church?" Those that say "Yes" will be killed right away or sent to a prison camp for life.

What is his plan now? He says, "Surviving day by day."

These things are difficult for us to hear. All we can do is keep listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. For God has a plan too. It seems He is unconcerned, un-moved. But in all things He will be glorified somehow. We know for sure that we must pray. Others will want to find ways to share materially or even go. But let us do something!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

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if you don't matter to God, you don't matter to anyone else, that statement doesn't make a lot of sense. If I reversed the phrase, if you don't matter to anyone else you matter to God. Something to think about.

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The Holiday Epiphany

Most people are too distracted thinking about Christmas sales and promos, they tend to forget the celebration of Epiphany. The Epiphany is the time after Christmas when the 3 Magi visited the Child Jesus. Back then, the Epiphany celebration had the twelve days Christ's birth when the church celebrates Christ being shown as the Light of the world and remembers the journey of the three wise men.

Families in countries different from the US start the Epiphany celebration by remembering others on St. Stephens Day. St. Stephen's Day is on December 26 and commemorates Stephen, Christianity's first martyr. You might read Stephen's life story in Acts 6, 7, & 8.

His convictions about the revelation of Christ in the world brought about his death. In the book of Acts, he was considered the first martyr among Christians. For hundreds of years, people of the Christian faith have remembered his faithfulness on December 26, the day after Christ's birth is celebrated. This day is for selfless care for people in need, the unwanted, who have no people to love them.

Along with your family, it's nice to also find a needy family or support group to render services the day after Christmas. When most people are out shopping, you can be different by showing that you care by bringing food or gifts to an impoverished family.

In countries like Britain and Canada, December 26th is known as Boxing Day and considered an official holiday there. When my kids first heard of it, they were thinking of celebrating boxing as a sport. They never thought that Boxing day was about the service of love.

During this day, boxes of food are given to people in. Back then food and necessities were given to servants from their masters. The Wenceslaus' spirit is shown when people celebrate with great happiness the manifestation of the Good News of Jesus' coming to the world.

Most of the time churches plan for this day by specifically rendering humanitarian services to the needy and thus show that God's Word requires good deeds to people near them. On this day, you can visibly see true love as people give to their fellow man.

Kris King offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn more about holiday traditions with some of the daily activities

Use Religion Responsibly

The Blessed Man Versus the Ungodly Man

Living in relative freedom has brought about an attitude of carelessness in the Christian community that has allowed wickedness to easily integrate itself into the congregation of believers. Christians in general are not careful to avoid evil. It is taken as 'just a part of everyday life', and treated as though it were of no consequence. This is the first step on the path to becoming part of an ungodly society.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:11, 'have no fellowship with the works of darkness, but rather reprove them'.

I Kings 11:2 warns us, 'Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods;'.

The teaching of the Lord our God is very clear that we are to not mingle with non-believers. You can classify anyone who does not follow the teachings of the Bible as 'non-believers'. My dear friend, Evangelist Evan New, (who is now with the Lord) likened determining right from wrong like picking a clean shirt from among the dirty shirts. He said, 'Smell the shirts. Some are obviously dirty; some are obviously clean. But, some are a little more difficult to decide. They don't smell clean, but they really don't' smell dirty. If it is doubtful that the shirt is clean, it is dirty. End of story.' (As long as I knew Evan, Judy provided him with very clean shirts, so I suppose he came up with that analogy when he was in college.)

The truth is that in today's world of 'everything is gray', and 'nothing is black and white', it is becoming increasingly difficult to clearly see what is right and what is wrong. Yet, rightly dividing the word of truth, and living your life accordingly, has never been more important than it is today. Your future depends on it, as well as the future of your family, your church, and your country.

Psalm 1 gives us a contrast between the way of the blessed man and the ungodly. It says;

(1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
(2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
(4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
(5) Therefore the ungldly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
(6) For the LORD knoweth of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Today is a good day to choose if you are willing to walk the path of the believer who is blessed to the Lord, of if you will walk the path of the ungodly.

The first step onto the path of the godly is through salvation by grace. You must believe on Jesus Christ to be saved. (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved. Acts 16:31)

The next step is to decide if you will live a life that ends like Lot's or like the blessed man in Psalm chapter 1.

Verse one tells us that the blessed man separates himself from evil. He is like the man in Psalm 119:115 who says, 'Depart from me, ye evil doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.'

The entire congregation of believers should separate themselves from evil according to the example of Nehemiah 9:2 which says, 'And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.' But, for an entire Christian congregation to separate themselves, the individual believer must first be willing to separate his or her self from evil.

The man who is blessed delights in the law of the Lord. Jeremiah 15:6 says, 'Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and thy word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of mine heart:'.

Every true believer wants to blessed of the Lord. The problem preventing blessings comes by at least two avenues.

First, the believer may have some serious problems in his own life. He may not want to be 'blessed of the Lord' enough to surrender sins in his own life. He may find it easier (at least for the moment) to fight his own battles than to surrender to the Lord.

The second avenue is more subtle. It is given to us in detail in verse one. The blessed man:

DOES NOT - walk in the counsel of the ungodly, The blessed man doesn't even walk near the counsel of the ungodly.

DOES NOT - walk in the way of sinners, The blessed man doesn't stand still long enough to listen to what the ungodly have to say. He doesn't go down the road them 'just a little way' in order to be sociable. He cannot be beguiled with their fancy words if he refuses to listen to them in the first place. (Think Eve here.)

DOES NOT - sit in the seat of the scornful. The blessed man does not join in with the ungodly for any reason.

ON the other hand, the ungodly:

DOES -listen to the counsel of the ungodly. He is willing to listen to whatever is 'new' or 'exciting'. Honestly, there is nothing new in the realm of religion, or anywhere else for that matter. Everyone faces the same lie today that Eve faced in the garden. You will either listen to the liars who say things like, 'you can be a god,' or this path other than the Jesus Christ leads to heaven', or you will just keep on walking like the blessed man.

DOES - quit walking and stop to listen to what the ungodly have to say. This man walks with the world a ways down the road. He sees the success of the worldly. He notices that he might apply their methods of success to his own life, to his church, to his business, to his family.

DOES - sit down and join the ungodly. Pretty soon, the ungodly have joined in with the world. If they were Christians to begin with, you can not tell them from those who belong to the god of this world. An example is of course Lot. He looked at the prosperity of Sodom. He walked down and considered their way of life and 'principles' of prosperity. He joined them. He became just like them.

This is how weak and ineffective preachers of the gospel come about.

They pay attention to what the world says about how to build a successful business and manage that business profitably.

They apply worldly tactics to the church.

They join in with the world, putting money and numbers above the grace and humility of Christ. They measure success by the measuring stick of the world which tells them they are successful if they bring in enough money.

This could not happen unless the leaders and members of the church were ALSO walking with the ungodly, standing still to listen to their 'siren song', and some have even joined the ungodly.

The blessed man: (v2)
Enjoys studying and learning the word of God.
He considers God's law day and night in every thing he does.

Then, the blessed man is blessed even more.
His roots have grown deep into the world of God. He knows right behavior from wrong behavior. He is prosperous and fruitful.

On the other hand - The ungodly do not receive these blessing, but instead are failures;

They are like wheat chaff blown away in the wind. This is a terrible way to live. They have no foundation on which they are able to stand. Political, social, and religious ideologies and changes keep them anxious about everything. They do that which is right in their own eyes.

They do not stand in the judgment, or in the congregation of the righteous. They have not submitted to God, but instead of established their own righteousness.

The LORD knows their ways, and they shall perish. Their end is destruction. If the ungodly are such as Abraham's nephew Lot, they are saved, but without any good works.

The ungodly face judgment day with fear.

The saved who have lived an ungodly life are spoken of in I Corinthians chapter 3. Verse 13 says, 'Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (v14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (v15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.'

Those whom God never knew are those spoken of in Matthew Chapter 25. Verse 46 says, 'And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 7:23, also speaking of the judgment, says, 'And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from, ye that work iniquity.'

What an unspeakably horrible way for a soul to end up. It becomes even worse when you know such an end could have been avoided.

If you think that your life is your business, think again. What you do does matter. How you live your life does count. Again, consider Lot. Just suppose that Lot had gone down to Sodom with a heart set on the Lord like Abraham's heart. Lot would not have conformed to the behavior in Sodom. He might have been able to change the mind set of some of the people of the city. Perhaps Lot's influence could have influenced at least ten people in Sodom to turn from their wickedness and turn to the Lord God Almighty. Lot would have been instrumental in saving the city.

So, is this a good time to consider how your life is going at the moment? You are saved or lost. If you are lost - then it is time to get saved. If you are saved, you are either living a life is clearly following the pattern of the blessed man spoken of in Psalm 1:1; or, you are not. If you aren't sure, here is a good way to decide.

Isaiah 58:1 says, 'Cry aloud, spare not, lift up they voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.'

The way you live your life is supposed to be so different from the life of the world that you stand out like a clear blast on a loud trumpet.

Unfortunately, many Christians are living such a half-hearted Christian life that the 'trumpet sound' of their lives tells the world nothing. I Corinthians 14:8 says, 'For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"

That is what happened to Lot. He spent his life joined to the people and ways of Sodom. Many Christians today are doing the same thing on different scales. Some live just as worldly as Lot lived. Others are much less openly sold out to the world, but never the less, the sound of the trumpet 'heralding their Christianity' is so off key it only causes the people around them to hiss or ridicule Christianity. It does not prepare them to understand that must decide for Christ, or they have decided against Him.

If you put a bunch of Christians living the life of the ungodly together, and they all blew a trumpet with the skill equal to the way they live their Christian life, you would get the whole bunch of trumpets blowing loudly, but without a single pure note in the bunch. Can you imagine what an awful sound that would be?

Is it any wonder that Christians are not transforming the world when our own lives have not been first transformed? Christians should live their lives in a way that stands out like a loud and true trumpet. A figurative question for many Christians is, 'Is it time for you to learn to play the trumpet?'

The Judge of your heart is God. It is not me, or any other human being. But when I look in my own heart, or the lives of many so called Christians, I see two things wrong.

First, Christianity as a whole is lacking in humility and meekness. Moses was a mighty man of God. At some point Moses became humble enough to understand that he could not do anything through his own power. Then he became meek enough to understand that God could do all things through him. Moses still accomplished great things, but he knew by whose power his deeds were really accomplished. By the way, have you noticed that all the great men of the Bible made it clear that it was God who was doing great things through them?

Second, the saving message of the Gospel of Christ is not presented with humility and grace. Our hearts are supposed to be broken over the lost. We are supposed to love them as Christ loved them. The Gospel message should not be presented in a manner that says, 'Well, you can just get saved, or you can go to hell.'

The blessed man should never forget Romans 5:8 which says, 'But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'

The song for this article is 'Just a Closer Walk With Thee'.

A closer walk with Jesus is what is necessary to transform the ungodly man into the blessed man. If you doubt it can be, remember the transformation of Saul, persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the greatest mortal to the Gentiles. The first step that Paul took was to be saved. Then Paul followed the teachings of Christ. His eternal destination was settled when he became a believer in Jesus Christ. His earthly destination was set as a 'blessed man' when he chose to become both a hearer and a doer of the word.

What kind of man or woman are you? Are you blessed or ungodly? Today is a good day to chart a new or clearer course as one who is determined be like the blessed man of the first chapter of the book of Psalms.

Thank you for reading my article. God bless you.

Barbara Henderson
http://barbarahenderson.web.officelive.com/default.aspx

'Just a Closer Walk With Thee'

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/u/justaclo.htm
________________________________________
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Refrain
When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Refrain

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Try God, She Said

"You should try God."

That's what my neighbor Goldie said to me on that day long ago in Ohio where I grew up. She was trying to offer some advice to a forlorn little kid she had seen moping around the neighborhood. She knew my alcoholic dad was away again. She knew my mom was in a mental hospital. That my cousin who had moved in was twice my age and size and beat me up on a regular basis. Maybe she even knew that once he had invited a friend over to watch it happen...

I surely wanted to try something. I'd try anything if I could hear from my dad. Dad and I were never that close. But He was dad, and I missed him terribly. So, one day while on my way home from school, knowing I had a lot of time to kill before my aunt would be home and take care of my cousin if needed, I decided to try God like she said. I stopped by a wooded area and dropped to my knees.

"God," the little boy said, "if you're really there, I want to hear from my dad tonight!" Simple ignorant faith. Isn't it always the best! I had no reason to think Dad would call tonight. It had been a long time since he had called, and he didn't always want to talk with me. I was in for the surprise of my life.

I still remember seeing the hands of the clock when I walked through the door of my house that evening. It was 5:45. The phone was ringing. Long distance from California. "Daddy wants to talk to you," my sister told me.

My tears streamed, but I have long since forgotten what Dad said. All I remember thinking was, "This is God. God did this."

That was the beginning.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

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The Sabbath - Did God's Will for His People Change?

Paul had a high opinion of the holy law of God, but also a realistic understanding of human capacity to keep that law. He sees the law as holy, but carrying a curse because of our weakness. It is in that light that we understand Colossians 2:14 where the apostle states that the "handwriting of ordinances" was nailed to His cross. Some want to put the whole law of Moses up there, but as we have said, the moral law of God is repeated by the Spirit-filled believers. We live the ten commandments when we are filled with God's Spirit. Why would something so holy be "nailed to a cross" to die with Jesus?

What was nailed was the part of the law that was against us. Some translations have it "the certificate of debt". The Old Covenant says, "Do it all or die!" "The soul that sins shall die!" Those statements that cursed us are nailed to the cross. The curse is itself cursed.

But Jesus still maintains, "I did not come to destroy the law." In fact, at the present hour the law is in its fullest exposition ever, since Jesus Himself expanded it during His stay here, and the apostles have had it re-spoken through them, and God's Spirit-filled believers for 2,000 years have demonstrated the righteousness of the law in their holy lives. The will of God for His people never changed!

Another possible or even complementary explanation for those who want to see the entire law of Moses on that cross, is to remember that Jesus was nailed to that same cross. The curses connected with sin and law were certainly dealt a death blow. But there was a resurrection. Both Jesus and His Law live, and are identifiable in our day, though they also look quite different. Both have been glorified. And both the resurrected Jesus and the resurrected law of God work inside the born again believer to bring about the holy life of God intended for us when God "predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). We are called to lives of obedience. Obedience implies listening to the law of God working deep within.

As I personally listen, I believe that the Spirit of God is trying to get my attention, and perhaps that of others, not with threats of curses and loss, but with promises of a fuller expression of my Christian experience, by calling me back to that which was the norm for the Bible's 4,100 years of history, and will be the norm when Jesus comes, according to the prophets, and which both natural Israel and a goodly number of saints through the ages have claimed as their own: namely, a day of rest that actually reflects the original reasoning behind such an institution, that God "rested" from His creative works.

Yes, God rested from His creation of the things of the world. I believe He calls His people to disengage from worldly pursuits and to come apart to Him on the same day.

God allowed His Son to rest in a tomb on the Sabbath so that my sins could be forever erased. He calls me to rest in that same assurance that "all is finished." No more struggle. The debt is paid.

God had the apostles resting on that final Sabbath before the Spirit-filled Church appeared. And on the first day of the week, the work , not the rest, of the church began.

There's a pattern there that is so compelling as to be unavoidable for me. My weekly rest time then becomes a picture of what God did in the creation, what He did in me, and what He is doing for the world by having a church here. It is a picture of the ultimate rest that awaits for His people, when the whole earth will repose under the rule of Messiah, after 6 long "days" of mis-rule and chaos and weeping.

Truly the Sabbath was meant to be forever.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

You Have To Start Somewhere

Christians Need To Watch This Video

Question Your Religion
Lou Holtz

North Korea - The Incredible Case of Kim Hyun Hee

Her name is Kim Hyun Hee. Probably doesn't ring a bell. Today she lives somewhere in South Korea. Afraid for her life, they say. "Assassination" is the word they are using. Perhaps by North Koreans who manage to sneak in now and then. Perhaps by South. What a pained life this must be.

What could one 20-something lady have done (20 years ago) to warrant such hatred?

Born in North Korea in 1962 to a privileged family, Kim was soon discovered to be a talented child. She was bright and beautiful and eventually got the attention of the powers in Pyongyang. Normally for one to be praised by one's government is a happy thing, but in North Korea none of the rules apply.

Grabbed from her family against their will and better judgment, Kim was trained to be a spy. After the normal introductory assignments she was given one last mission: she was to help bomb a passenger jet coming in to Seoul, filled with South Koreans. This would convince the powers that be that the Olympic games should never be held in Seoul. Somehow this would lead to the reunification of the Koreas.

I know, it's a stretch. But that is what she was told. And raised to believe that the ruling powers were all-wise, she bought it. Her partner was a long-time professional, and the two of them posed as Japanese tourists. On their return to Korea, they planted a bomb on KAL flight 858.

Now you know who she is?

Mistakes were made. The two were caught. The old man killed himself. Kim tried, but to no avail. She was brought to trial in Seoul. Found guilty. Then pardoned by the government of Seoul!

We are told that the South Korean President was politically motivated in his decision to pardon Kim. His reasoning to the world was: The persons who ought to be on trial here are the leaders of North Korea. This child is as much a victim of this evil regime as the passengers aboard KAL 858.

And who can argue with his reasoning?

Kim truly repented of her actions both before the trial and after. She was led to see that she had been lied to all of her life. One look at Seoul told her most of what she needed.Even more significantly, Kim Hyun Hee gave her life to Jesus Christ after these horrible events. Whether some will ever be able to forgive her is uncertain, but God has.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Goal Setting For Success

What I Learned From A Hoeryong Prison

Such presumption. To suggest that I actually suffered in North Korea and have returned to tell you about it. How arrogant and insensitive.

But I have learned something from the sufferings of others there. I've learned to obey the Biblical mandate to "remember the prisoners." I learn from the saints there to trust God one day at a time in my own negative situations. I'm seeing that one must wait for God to open prison doors, but that one must continue to be faithful while waiting.

I hear them teach me that God's grace is sufficient.

I learn from Hoeryong that carrying the cross is not for a selected few, but for all who would follow the crucified Christ. I learn that things don't matter, but people do, and One Person in particular. I am learning that I actually need the cross, and I need the North Koreans more than they need me.

It is certainly a romantic notion that I actually desire what they have, though I want to believe that I do. I have seen my grumbling ways over the smallest of difficulties. My tolerance for pain or even discomfort or inconvenience is near zilch. Yet the spirit touched by God that He is making me, reaches out to the fellowship of His suffering and ignites a burning of the heart. There is a sweetness about it somehow. The days I spent with the suffering church in Romania were among the most difficult yet the most blessed ever.

I think that in seeing these saints move on in spite of the pain, in viewing their patience, their selflessness, I have seen Christ. It is Him I desire after all. But how shall I ever attain to this vision? I who have lived in a land of plenty, where balance is a virtue, and the quest for security is downright heroic. Very few have ripped off the mask of these two impostors to see that one is lukewarmness and the other is the love of this present evil world.

I invite my readers today to visit North Korea sites and gather more information with which to approach the Father. May we not be swallowed up with distractions. Jesus is still in great pain.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com. Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Faith Belief Or Education

Odd Video, You Try and Figure It out

if you don't matter to God, you don't matter to anyone else, that statement doesn't make a lot of sense. If I reversed the phrase, if you don't matter to anyone else you matter to God. Something to think about.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

Hope in Religion

Benefits Of Meditation
Don Miguel Ruiz

He Refused to Drink It

Two amazing things took place just before the crucifixion of Jesus. First, someone was caring enough in the midst of that hardened crowd, to reach out to the Master and offer Him a way to ease His pain. Was this the standard thing to do? Doesn't seem to me that one would be "nice" to a murderer or thief. But somehow compassion reached the Son of God, as someone was able to see the senselessness of this particular crucifixion.

The other amazing thing is that Jesus refused to drink what He was offered. It's amazing to me because I tend to be an escape artist when it comes to pain and suffering. If they would, I'd let them put me out at the dentist's office.

But through the years I've been able to say with the Pharisee, I'm sure glad I'm not like the people of the world. I don't drink or do drugs or smoke. I don't alter my mind or body at all, and escape my troubles and fears by some substance. Then it hit me, not too long ago. I've been using the television to dull my senses to the pain of Christ in the world today.

By God's grace, on June 26 I was delivered from the real culprit of American society. There are many believers like myself who would never think of hitting the bottle, but when they need "fellowship", they turn on the TV. If they lack companionship, they turn on the TV. When things get tough, they turn to television. When they're feeling good, even about the Lord, they celebrate by watching a little TV. When their mind gets hungry, when they're bored, they lack vision, they want to relax, escape...oh for any number of reasons, television is king.

I believe now that the television-movie industry is drugging American Christians, de-sensitizing them to the realities of the Holy Spirit, and delaying any true revival.

Could it be that Christ Himself would like to be the One we turn to in all the above situations? Could it be that God would have us fill our minds with God's vision, not tele-vision?

How many times did I lose the program that God had just given me in His Word by having it buried in the program of some man. How many times have I laughed my way out of the deep walk in the Spirit He was desiring. How many hours-days-years gone, with no way of recovery...

I speak not as judge. I speak as one set free, who wants his friends to have the same joy. I have not regretted my decision. Though it is only 3 weeks old, life is already taking much better turns. I am thinking my own thoughts, going the way I was intended to go, hand in hand with Christ. Doors are opening. Life is fuller. I highly recommend a Hollywood-free life to all who can hear me.

If Christ Jesus refused to drink the cup that men gave Him so that He could drink the cup the Father gave Him, well, should that not be the Model I place before me?

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Creating A Habit

An Explanation for the Existence of the Christian God Movie Video

Here's a pretty good interview about someone explaining the existence of God.

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Peaceful Warrior God

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a christian video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Learning From The Masters
Why I Built Spiritualbooks4u

A Dollar And Ten Seconds

North Korea surely is in great need. And for months, I've been trying to help God's people be aware of that need. But slowly and surely I am seeing the evils of my own nation, as we creep into a godlessness that can only mean death and destruction to the American civilization. And then there's me...

Two e-mails awaited me this morning. You've probably seen one of them circulating. It's a picture of the new dollar coins. The sender of the e-mail is urging that all of us refuse to accept these new dollars as change. Why? The words "In God we trust" are curiously missing. Well, we can be angry about that. But is America a land that trusts in God? Or does it trust more in its military might? And its strong economy? I sorrow not for the words on the coin as much as I do for the fact that most Americans cannot say truthfully that they do trust Him. And you? And me? Subtract the comfort and ease and great food and prosperity? Trust still there?

The 2nd e-mail was from the school system for which I work. It too was stating only a symptom of the disease. It too was a scary reminder of how far America has backslidden. Its freefall seems irreversible now. The memorandum from headquarters, which was really our own way of enacting a bill that came out of the Illinois legislature, demanded that every student be asked to give 10 seconds to "silent reflection and prayer."

Yuk. America's public schools were founded on the Scriptures. Ever heard of the McGuffey Reader? Reading the Bible and studying spiritual truths were the in thing. Slowly that Christian base eroded, to the point where now any official mention of our beginnings is verboden. But as a nod to someone or some political pressure, we shall be allowed to stop what we are doing first thing in the school day and have a full 10 seconds worth of reflection. (But no religious content is to be mentioned by the teacher.)

All sad enough. Then I heard the sermon that came up on my ipod. It was about "enemies of the cross." Right away you think I'm talking about the government agencies and public schools, or the Communists, or the Muslim extremists. Of course they are our enemies. But they are not the worst.

When the Bible uses that phrase, "enemies of the cross of Christ" it is talking about believers, that is, church members, who are only concerned about earthly things. One who knows about the things of God and still cares more about the things of this world is the worst enemy Christ has. For he is a daily advertisement of what it means to be a Christian.

Since I have entered the struggle for my brothers in Korea, I have been made aware of my own need to be liberated from this world and to take up the cross of Jesus where I am. To stop crying and fussing and complaining and be a true soldier of Jesus. Without such an attitude how can we be a blessing to the suffering?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Is the Bible Full of Stories or Truth - Video

My Boss Wont Pay Me
Sometimes Your The Problem

Will Babylon Rise Again?

Any day now, many Biblically informed people expect to see a headline about a revival of old Babylon to accompany the constant deluge of Iraq stories. Hearts were beating rather quickly during the prime Saddam years, when the dictator was giving out that he was in some way the new (or was it the old?) Nebuchadnezzar, and that his Babylon would rise to world prominence again. He was well on the way to developing his Babylon-centered theme park when several inconvenient truths dawned on his land. Shock and awe and George Bush, to name a few.

So what's the big deal with Babylon, anyway? It's just a historic wonder, not to be considered a part of anything remotely modern, and definitely not future, right? Not so fast, not so fast. There are two ways to look at the Bible's Babylon doctrine. And maybe both of them are involved in this horrendous war.

Babylon was a real city. A real empire. Bible students recall how this great power was used by God to come against His own people, Israel. But Babylon overstepped its bounds and allowed pride to enter the mix. God vowed that Babylon would have to go. And go it did, right? Again, slow down. It ain't necessarily so.

God had promised an immediate destruction. But the city hung on for many centuries after the Medo-Persians took over the Empire. The conquering armies of many nations that followed used Babylon as one of their headquarters. In Jesus' time the city still existed and was dwelt in by many Jews.

God cannot lie. Or exaggerate. The city lost power but not existence. Through Saddam's ingenuity it is still with us. And Revelation 17-18 foretells the immediate fall of Babylon as still in our future! Will the old city rise again?

But you say, we all know that Mystery Babylon is none other than the Roman System. In our day, yes. Back up through the Middle Ages, still yes. And Imperial Rome, and Greece, and Medo-Persia, and Assyria, they all wore the robes of Babylon at one time. There were seven heads to the beast, you will recall.

What if, in the final flow of world history, Islam and Europe unite and form a power that has two capitals, two Babylons? It is clear that a Babylon on seven hills (Revelation 17) can only be Rome, but the unfulfilled prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah call us to have an open mind. The mystery is great. Let's not say we understand it until all the questions are answered.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Power Of Affirmations