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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

There's Music in the Bible

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about music. This follows this post about the wars of the veterans of the U.S. This follows this post about Communism and Christianity. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

There's Music in the Bible

by Ken Treybig Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

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Did you realize the Bible is loaded with music? From the angels being created with musical abilities and singing at the creation of the earth (see Ezekiel 28:13-14; Job 38:7) to the song of the Lamb of God (Revelation 15:3), the Bible is chock-full of music and musical references from cover to cover.
Early in human history, Jubal in Genesis 4:21 is described as the father of those playing the harp and flute. Many years later, in Genesis 31:27, when Laban spoke with his son-in-law Jacob, he said Jacob should not have left secretly but should have allowed Laban to send him away with a musical celebration. He specifically mentions songs along with two musical instruments—the timbrel and harp. Obviously, in the ancient Middle East music was a part of celebrations. That is also true in many cultures today.
Further study of the Bible reveals that music was used as an emotional expression of appreciation and thanks to God. When an unusual or significant event occurred, it was quite common for people to compose and sing songs praising and thanking God for His blessing.
An example of this is found in Exodus 15. After leaving Egypt as the direct result of God having sent plagues on the Egyptians, ancient Israel found itself in the frightening position of being trapped by mountains on both sides of them, the Red Sea in front of them and the army of Egypt closing in behind them. God then miraculously parted the Red Sea and dried the sea bottom, allowing Israel to walk to the other side.
When the Egyptians went down into the sea in pursuit, God allowed the walls of water to slam back together, drowning the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:9-12, 21-23, 28-30).

Moses and the Israelites sing

Exodus 15 records the song Moses and the Israelites sang praising God's merciful deliverance (verses 1-18). Then Miriam, Moses' sister, and the women also played, sang and danced in jubilation—apparently singing a companion song that complemented the words of Moses' song (verses 20-21).
A few centuries later, after the Israelites settled in the land God promised them, King David appointed a group of 4,000 men from the 38,000 of the tribe of Levi (so just over 10 percent of the Levites) to serve in the temple as full-time professional musicians (1 Chronicles 6:31-33 and 23:3-6). Their job included singing songs of praise to God in formal worship services.
The whole book of Psalms (the longest book in the Bible) seems to be a kind of national hymnal, with many psalms bearing David's name as the composer.
Music was highly regarded in the Old Testament. Besides poetry, it is the main art form that seems to have been cultivated to any extent in ancient Israel. Perhaps it is because the second of the Ten Commandments prohibits making any likeness or graven image as a religious object. The other nations of the ancient world were steeped in the use of ornate paintings, carvings and sculptures in the worship of their gods. God's people were to avoid those and therefore focused on the powerful emotional impact of words—written, spoken and sung.

Jesus and His disciples sing

The New Testament continues this rich heritage. After inaugurating the symbols of the New Testament Passover on the night before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn at the conclusion of the Passover service (Matthew 26:30).
The apostle Paul later wrote to the Christians at Colosse that the teachings of Christ should be deeply treasured as they taught and counseled each other in word and song. He spoke of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16)—all of which indicate the use of music in joyous worship of God.
Completing the New Testament, the book of Revelation describes numerous scenes that include the use of songs in worship and praise of God in heaven. This includes the singing of a new song by the 144,000 who are redeemed from the earth to the accompaniment of harps (Revelation 14:1-3).
Clearly God gives His approval of music as an appropriate means of expression—whether in everyday life or in worship of Him. However, like many other aspects of human existence, music can be misused. Be sure to read the other articles in this issue for some helpful insights on the right and wrong use of this powerful art form. VT

music The Bible Background of the Bible

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The preferred candidate of jihadists loses the US presidential election

A timely post about from www.jihadwatch.org about Hillary Clinton's loss. This follows this post about contributions to the Clintons. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries. For more, you can read two very interesting books HERE.You can follow me here.

The preferred candidate of jihadists loses the US presidential election

By Christine Williams 117 Comments

Prior to Election Day, imams were out telling Muslims to vote, even launching a special campaign:

October 7 is My Muslim Vote National Khutba Day a day meant to encourage American Muslims to get to the polls this November. During this week’s services, spiritual leaders will be ascending minbars, or pulpits, to preach a khutba, or sermon, that focuses on the importance of voting in this election.
The #MyMuslimVote campaign is led by the activist group MPower Change and the national Muslim Students Association.

A CAIR survey predicted that 75% of Muslims will vote for Clinton. It is well known that:

CAIR has been declared a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates and was named by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas-funding operation.

The Muslim Students Association – a leader in the “MyMuslimVote” campaign — also has Muslim Brotherhood links.
Most telling about Hillary Clinton was that she “raked in” over $41,000 “from prominent Islamists” in donations, which included “$19,249 from senior officials of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.”
An Aljazeera report stated that Muslims, “blacks, South Asians, Middle Easterners and converts…form a Democrat-leaning mass, according to CAIR’s survey.” That same report painted Trump as racist and Hillary as the preferred candidate, citing the CAIR survey. Meanwhile, Pakistani American Muslims were reportedly busy making a “final push” for Hillary Clinton:

The US Council of Muslim Organisations, an umbrella group of two dozen Muslim advocacy organisations announced this week that over one million American Muslims have registered to vote in the November 8 US elections.

Despite the old us-versus-them rhetoric of Islamic supremacists, CAIR, and the Left, who are all too eager to scream “Islamophobia” and claim that Trump is the preferred candidate of the whites-only club, a Fox News report pointed out a historic shift in party alignment:

First, for the first time since anyone can remember, Republicans have broken the communications monopoly Democrats have enjoyed among African-Americans.Trump is persistently reaching out to them; visiting their churches and neighborhoods, making a commitment to rebuild America’s cities, economy and jobs.

A report from last March, summing up the CAIR view of the election: “CAIR Super Tuesday Poll Shows Muslim Voters Support Hillary Clinton, Concerned About Islamophobia”, CAIR, March 10, 2016:

Survey shows that more older Muslim voters back Clinton, while younger Muslims support Bernie Sanders
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/2/16) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released the results of a six-state “Super Tuesday” poll of almost 2000 Muslim voters indicating that almost half of those voters (46 percent) support Hillary Clinton, followed by Bernie Sanders at 25 percent and 11 percent support for Donald Trump.
CAIR’s poll also showed that growing Islamophobia is the top issue for Muslim voters.
“American Muslim voters are worried about the unprecedented anti-Muslim rhetoric being used by presidential candidates and are going to the polls in increasing numbers at both the state and national levels to make their voices heard by the candidates,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
An exit poll of Muslim voters in Texas and Virginia indicated that Sanders narrowed Clinton’s lead in those states – 34 to 40 percent in Virginia and 29 to 37 percent in Texas.
In upcoming primary elections in California, Illinois, New York, and Florida Clinton’s lead over Sanders ranged from 22 percent (California) to 40 percent (New York).
The survey indicated that older Muslim voters – 65 percent of those 45 to 64 and 80 percent of those 65 and older – backed Clinton, while younger Muslim voters (18 to 24) supported Sanders (78 percent). In the 25 to 44 age group, support for Clinton and Sanders was more evenly distributed at 44 percent for Sanders and 56 percent for Clinton.
CAIR noted that Muslim support for Sanders may actually be higher because its poll surveyed more voters over the age of 45.
Nationwide, Islamophobia continued to rank as the most important issue of concern for all Muslim voters (24 percent), a partisan divide was evident with Muslim Democrats ranking Islamophobia highest (27 percent) and then the economy (19 percent), while Muslim Republicans ranked the economy (38 percent) highest followed by Islamophobia (14 percent).
Support for the Democratic and Republican Parties mostly remained constant from previous surveys with 67 percent of Muslim voters supporting the Democratic Party and 18 percent supporting the Republican Party. CAIR’s February 1 poll of Muslim voters showed 67 and 15 percent respectively voiced support for the Democratic and Republican Parties…….

Monday, August 29, 2016

Allegations of Housing Discrimination against Donald Trump

A timely post from http://www.vdare.com about the allegations about Donald Trump doing housing discrimination. This follows this post about the false charge of racism towards immigration enforcement. This follows this post about rap songs referencing Donald Trump.
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Who Were the Racist Tenants Who Insisted Fred Trump Not Rent to Blacks in Coney Island and Brighton Beach?

Steve Sailer

As part of the big push behind Hillary’s Alt-Right speech, the NYT is rolling out breaking news articles about how nearly a half century ago Trump’s dad, with the young Donald’s assistance, tried to prevent white flight from his apartment complexes in places like Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Forest Hills. As Hillary said on Thursday:

When he was getting his start in business, he was sued by the Justice Department for refusing to rent apartments to black and Latino tenants. Their applications would be marked with a ‘C’ – ‘C’ for ‘colored’ – and then rejected. Three years later, the Justice Department took Trump back to court because he hadn’t changed.

This subject has been gone over repeatedly over the years, but one little explored question about this old story however is: Who exactly were these white racist tenants who were renting in Trump properties in Coney, Island, Brighton Beach, and Forest Hills but who would have white-flighted out to Long Island if too many blacks had flooded in to the Trump buildings? The young Jared Taylor? The unborn Richard Spencer? Haven Monahan’s grandpa?
To help the NYT in its investigations into the festering heart of the roots of racism in Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Forest Hills, I’ve found this home movie of David Duke’s upbringing under the Coney Island roller coaster:
Seriously, I explained the answer in passing in Taki’s Magazine a year ago in answer to a Washington Post article taking the opposite tack from the latest round of attacks. Last year’s article denounced Donald for not being like his dad Fred who built for the white middle class. I responded:

The evolution of the Trump brand name in housing over the past two generations strikingly illuminates how race has played a role in American life becoming so much more biased in favor of billionaires.

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A recent Washington Post article is headlined “How Donald Trump abandoned his father’s middle-class housing empire for luxury building.” The Post celebrates Fred C. Trump (1905–99) as one of the biggest builders of affordable apartments in the outer boroughs.
But it forgets to mention that Frederick Christ Trump would have been one of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ demons, since he typically built with the help of the Veterans Administration and other government agencies in redlined neighborhoods, such as the 3,800-unit Trump Village in heavily Jewish Coney Island. (Fred sometimes asserted his parents were from Sweden to sidestep his tenants’ prejudices against German-Americans.)
Fred Trump’s company was rewarded for all its contributions to middle-class America by being sued by the Nixon administration in 1973 for violating the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Only 4 percent of its tenants—in places like Forest Hills in Queens and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn—were black. The young Donald fired back, hiring Roy Cohn and arguing that allowing welfare recipients to rent in his father’s complexes would risk “massive fleeing from the city of not only our tenants, but communities as a whole.” Eventually, Donald signed one of those consent decrees with the feds, not admitting to doing anything but promising never to do it again.
Perhaps that episode played a role in the son’s determination to get out of his father’s business of building affordable housing in the outer boroughs, with its constant danger that antidiscrimination laws would trigger white flight to the suburbs among their largely middle-class Jewish customers, and instead follow the new generation of nouveaux riches New Yorkers to Manhattan. In 1983 Donald proved that New York’s 1970s economic malaise was definitely over by opening on Fifth Avenue the gaudy Trump Tower, which has since been home to numerous celebrities such as Jay Z and Beyoncé.As the saying goes, “Our prices discriminate, so we don’t have to.”

[Comment at Unz.com]

Thursday, April 28, 2016

72 Hours to Chaos

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about civilization. This follows this post about Wall Street. This follows this post about the Liberty Bell.This follows this post about LGBT homosexuality. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

72 Hours to Chaos

by Gary Petty, Steve Myers, Darris McNeely Listen

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Video of Beyond Today -- 72 Hours to Chaos

How thin is civilization’s veneer? What could cause average people to steal or turn violent? Learn how not to fear such chaos.

Transcript

[Gary] In 2005 I worked as a volunteer at a shelter for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. There was a lot of confusion as hungry, filthy, frightened people who were picked off the roofs of their houses in New Orleans, taken to an airport and flown to San Antonio, Texas, tried to comprehend what had happened to them.
One young woman sat on a cot staring aimlessly. The woman, in obvious shock, ignored the activity swirling around her. I finally stopped, leaned down and asked her if I could help. She looked up with eyes filled with despair and asked, “What happened to my baby?”
I never knew what happened to that woman or if she ever found her baby. Since that time I have often thought about how human life can be degraded by the destructive force of natural disasters. Even more disturbing is the reality of how easy it is for human beings to devalue each other.
On Beyond Today we’re going to discuss why civilization is walking the razor’s edge of anarchy with only “72 Hours to Chaos.”
[Announcer] Join our host, Gary Petty and his guests, as they help you understand your future on Beyond Today !
[Gary] Working in a shelter for victims of Hurricane Katrina was a study in how the veneer of civilization hides the possibility of chaos. There were many encouraging examples by scores of volunteers who simply showed up and worked, at times without supervision, to unload trucks of food and water, and to set up cots and assist the tired and hungry refugees.
There was no way to be totally prepared for the human tragedy that began to trickle into the shelter. Having lost their homes and personal possessions, the refugees were bused to the shelter, stripped of their filthy clothes, allowed to shower and pick through some donated used clothing, then given a bottle of water and a slice of pizza.
Underneath the attempts to supply basic human needs was a current of chaos. People were lost, confused, many were angry. “Where am I? Why did the levees fail? Why did the state and federal governments let us down? When will I get to go home? What happened to my baby?”
In one instance a policeman was guarding a room full of supplies including stacks of blankets. He had been instructed not to allow any refugees into the room. A small group of men demanded some blankets for their children who were cold. The policeman refused. The standoff was escalating before a volunteer worker explained that the blankets were used and needed to be checked for lice.
One day I received a call from a government worker who was working at another shelter in another city. Her voice trembled as she told me how some refugees had procured guns and they were in fear of a riot. It didn’t take long for civilized behavior to disappear when the basic benefits of civilization–food, water, clothing, shelter–disappeared.
How quickly would your neighbors turn against each other if there was no electricity for just one week? How quickly would people resort to stealing or violence if there was another international great depression like what happened back in the 1930s?
Natural disasters give a glimpse into the weakness of the veneer of civilization. Underneath the thin covering is a boiling pot of chaos. We see how thin that veneer is everyday in crime, violent entertainment, war, euthanasia–which are all examples of how human beings devalue each other. Under stress, the cheapening of other people can collapse into violent anarchy.
A study done a number of years ago in Britain concluded that they are a nation just “nine meals from anarchy.” An article in the Daily Mail reported that it would take only–listen to this, “three full days without food on supermarket shelves, before law and order started to break down, and British streets descended into chaos. A far-fetched warning for a First World Naion like Britain? Hardly. Because that’ exactly what happened in the U.S. in the aftermath in oder to feed themselves and their families.” (Nine Meal for Anarchy, Daily Mail , Rosie Boycott).
In other words, Britain, just like all civilized countries, is only 72 hours from chaos.
How quickly and how far would people go to devalue other human beings in order to justify taking from that person money, food, clothing, a blanket?
There are many historical examples of a group of people denouncing another group of people as subhuman to justify a philosophy of hatred and violence. The Nazi concept of the master race convinced rational civilized human beings that it wasn’t immoral to commit unimaginable horrors on what they saw as lesser human beings.
Now you might be saying, “Well, that couldn’t happen in our society. We’re too educated for that kind of devaluing of others.” The reality is that in spite of the social reforms and human rights progress, especially over the last 200 years in the Western world, the veneer is very thin. The looting and violence we see during a blackout or hurricane are symptoms of a society that already devalues others.
Here’s one example. I recently read an article, written in 1977 by Jesse Jackson titled “How we Respect Life is the Overriding Moral Issue.” He explains that slavery in the United States was only sustainable as long as white slave owners were willing to see blacks as subhuman.
He went on to write, “It was part of the dehumanizing process. The first step was to distort the image of us as human beings in order to justify that which they wanted to do and not even feel like they had done anything wrong.”
He then links the same process to the justification of abortion. He says: “Those advocates of taking life prior to birth do not call it killing or murder; they call it abortion. They further never talk about aborting a baby because that would imply something human. Rather they talk about aborting the fetus. Fetus sounds less than human and therefore can be justified.” (“How We Respect Life Is the Overriding Moral Issue”, Right to Life News , Jesse Jackson, 1977).
The logic in this article is undeniable. The atrocities of slavery can only be justified by civilized people through the dehumanization of the slaves. This is the same degrading of human life that must take place in order to make abortion appear civilized. By the way, Jesse Jackson has since changed his position on abortion.
How thin is the veneer of civilization?
Now here’s another news story, this one from Europe. Prostitution has been a reality in most civilizations throughout history. In the Western world it has been seen as an ugly side of human nature. Prostitution degrades both the institution of marriage and womanhood. It is devaluating for a woman to sell her body as a commodity to be used without consideration of her as a human being.
In November 2012 Zurich, Switzerland legalized drive-in sex boxes. The Telegraph reports that these “garage-like boxes will have roofs and walls for privacy, and easy access for cars.”
Michael Herzig, a representative of Zurich’s social welfare department announced, “The women will be better protected from attack, and it will also mean better business for them. With the women right the sex boxes there is no ‘travel time’ so they can deal with more customers. It’s a better business model than standing on the street.” ( The Telegraph , Matthew Day, Nov. 29, 2012).
A better business model? Switzerland is a civilized nation. Most Swiss take pride in their tolerance and humanity. Yet, for many people in Zurich it doesn’t seem degrading for a woman to sell her body in a government supplied sex box.
What does this matter to you? You may not be concerned with political issues like abortion and who cares about prostitutes in Zurich?
You should find both of these stories disturbing. Through movies, television, radio, music and 24 hour-a-day news you are being desensitized to the great moral issues of our time.
Now all great moral issues are concerned with God’s purpose for humanity and the value of each individual. All moral issues eventually deal with your value.
Now before we talk about the greatest moral issue of our time, I want to mention the short, easy to read booklet we’re offering on today’s program: What is Your Destiny? This 30-page booklet tackles the questions of the ages: Why does all human life have value? What eternal destiny does God have in mind for all human beings? Now to receive a free copy call the number on the bottom of the screen: 1-888-886-8632.
And we’ll give you more details in just a few minutes.
Why should you care about the greatest moral issues of our time? As long as people leave you alone, let’s all just get along and not judge each other.
Well for many people there is a general sense that the only evil is being intolerant of others. If you accept that view then there are very few evil acts, except maybe to promote that there is absolute good and evil which is seen as intolerant.
Here’s a trait concerning your human nature you need to understand. Now unless you are totally amoral, you want to feel that you are basically a good person. You want to experience high self-esteem about your moral decisions.
Now if you want to feel that you are a good person, what makes up your moral center? What criteria do you use to decide what is good and evil? Or let me put it this way, how hungry would you have to get before you beat your neighbor to death for a granola bar? In the midst of chaos how long would it take you to become barbaric? Seventy-two hours?
Let’s look at one more example then we’ll discuss the most important moral truth of all time. In California a truck filled with live fish on the way to market crashed and 1,600 pounds of bass spilled onto the highway and died. According to an Associated Press release, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have asked for a memorial to be erected along that stretch of road, quote, “…in order to remind drivers that all animals - whether they’re humans, basset hounds, or bass - value their lives and feel their pain.”
Another spokesperson for PETA announced, “They [the bass] were on their way to slaughter, which is of course pretty hellish. To suffer an accident on the way and be left in the middle of the street is unthinkable.”
Now I tell you this story because for some people the value of the life of fish exemplifies one of the great moral issues of our time. I’m not supporting cruelty to animals, but honoring fish life as having the same value as human life originates in the same perverted moral center as those who support slavery, abortion, euthanasia and genocide.
Now that, I know, that may sound harsh. But it brings us back to the central moral question of all time: What is the value of the life of a human being?
Here on Beyond Today we believe in the God of the Bible and that that this Book was inspired by that Great God to teach human beings their moral center. Now this message is derided by secular humanists, the “enlightened” educational community and unfortunately in many of today’s pulpits.
The Creator God sent His Son to this earth to teach us the way of goodness and happiness. The New Testament book of Hebrews states, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself shared the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Notice that Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being because we are children. Children of whom? Children of God. The great moral truth of our time, of all time, is that God formed human beings because He is creating a family. That’s why you were born! This truth must guide all of your moral decisions.
You were created in the image of God. You were designed to have the same moral center as your Creator. When you have a right relationship with God you will experience a sense of goodness. Now listen to this, when you don’t have the proper moral center you will create your own sense of morality in order to feel good about yourself. When we make up a sense of morality in order to feel good about ourselves we’re just covering our barbarism with veneer.
Supporting a memorial for dead fish feels moral; it feels spiritual to someone who doesn’t understand the unique purpose for human life. Defending the rights of a woman to control her own body by aborting a fetus feels democratic and moral. Until you substitute the words “a child of God made in the image of God” for the word “fetus.” Young SS soldiers experienced very high self-esteem as they tortured and murdered Jews, Poles and Ukrainians because they believed they were subhuman. Many times what human beings make up as morality is the facade that hides our barbarism. God wants to develop in you, in us, human beings the real character that He calls love.
You can begin to understand the great moral center God wants for your life from two short biblical passages.
A man came to Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
You will never understand who you are until you understand Who created you and why He created you.
Until you submit to your Creator God with all your heart, and soul and mind you will continue to create false concepts of right and wrong in order to feel good about yourself and your life will continue to be chaotic. You know, this commandment is the most ignored teaching given by Jesus Christ.
You may praise God, sing to Him and claim to be a believer, but… are all of your emotions, life energy and thoughts dedicated to obedience to God as your Father? Notice it’s a family relationship.
The second passage to help you begin to form a moral center is found in Exodus 20:1-17. These verses record the only time in human history that God spoke to an entire nation and explained basic morality. We call them the Ten Commandments.
Now you might be saying, “Oh, I agree with the Ten Commandments. Our church sent a petition to the mayor because he didn’t want a plaque listing the Ten Commandments, he wanted it removed from the courthouse wall.” Signing that petition made you feel very moral, very religious, didn’t it?
But you see the real moral question is not just about posting the Ten Commandments. Do you obey the Ten Commandments? Are you a moral person? Do you even know what is listed in the Ten Commandments? What about the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-5) that forbids the use of images in the worship of God? Do you bow down to statues of Jesus and Mary? What about the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-10) concerning the seventh-day Sabbath? If you observe Sunday as your day of worship you’re doing nothing more than making up your own sense of morality. What about the Commandment (Exodus 20:16) against bearing false witness? Are you totally honest in your business dealings? The Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17) forbids coveting? Do you even know what coveting means?
You see, the reason we live under a facade of civilization is because we live under a facade of religion. It is time for you–right now–to explore your moral center and discover God’s purpose in your life.
Now before we discuss this religious facade, and how you can replace a form of godliness with moral substance, let me tell you about today’s free offer.
Have you ever wondered if you have a purpose or a destiny? What is Your Destiny? is a short, easy to read booklet answering the most important question in your life–why was I born? Discovering the purpose and value of each human life is the basis for all moral issues and questions you have.
The booklet will show you how the Bible reveals that you can have a relationship with God as your Father. And to be a child of God transcends your present life with all its problems. The central message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God is about how you can be in God’s Family for eternity.
You can read What is Your Destiny? online at BeyondToday.tv where you can also watch scores of Beyond Today television programs and BT Daily– a daily commentary to help you make sense of a chaotic world.
Now, you can have your free copy of What is Your Destiny? sent to directly to your home if you want to by calling: 1-888-886-8632. That’s 1-888-886-8632.
Now let me also tell you about our free magazine, The Good News . If you are not a subscriber then its time you order it and begin using it as a guide to prepare for your destiny. This magazine is an invaluable aid to use in gaining insight into the Bible. It is a magazine of understanding and you can get a free subscription. It is also by the way, available as an iPad app if you prefer to read it on your tablet.
I’m joined by fellow Beyond Today hosts, Darris McNeely and Steve Myers.
[Gary] Why is understanding God’s plan for humanity really at the center and core of moral decision making?
[Steve] Well I think when you begin to realize that God is in charge, God is in charge of this universe, that means He needs to be in charge of my life as well. And when God has a plan and we understand what that plan is, we realize the importance that God places on all human life. And as that standard to live by, I have to order my life by God’s standards then so that I can be a part of that plan. And I think that’s so very important for all of us to realize.
[Darris] It also anchors us in a system of absolutes. Unless there is an absolute authority and an absolute moral code in this world, then everyone is an authority and a power unto themselves. And that’s the starting point. That has to be a starting point for understanding how a universe can work, how a society can work to keep us out of chaos.
[Steve] In fact that goes against culture though when you think about it because we are our own decision makers. We are the authorities in our life but God says, wait a second. The way of man is not in himself is what Jeremiah says. It says that we don’t know the godly way, the right way to order our lives and so we’ve got to look to God for the right order in our lives, rather than take that authority to ourselves.
[Gary] Which just shows that if, you’ll never know who you are until you understand Who created you and why He created you. Now as pastors you deal all the time with people coming to you and dealing with the deconstruction of this veneer of morality and getting into a real core morality based on understanding God. How do you help people go through that process?
[Steve] I think you’ve got to come to see yourself as you really are. If we are going to strip away what’s on the surface to really get down to the heart of the matter, the Bible says our hearts are deceitful. We kid ourselves, we can fool ourselves. And it also says it’s desperately evil. So we’ve got to get beyond the surface and realize that we’re nothing before God and we need Him to really make us valuable in His sight.
[Gary] He gives us value.
[Steve] He does give us value.
[Darris] You talked a lot about a veneer of society in your program today, Gary and really a veneer when it comes to us, down to our level as individuals, stripping away our own veneer and having it exposed. Veneer is really another word for identity. Which is actually our core belief, our core being and really who we are behind that veneer. This table has got a veneer on it.
[Gary] Right.
[Darris] Strip that away and then you really know what’s underneath and that’s what happens with us. And you cannot really understand a true identity unless you understand that we are created in the image of God. It goes back to Genesis 1:26-27 where God says “Let Us make man in Our image.” And in God’s image we were all created. That is a spiritual process. That is a spiritual creation that is on-going and if that is not being done at the inner core of our life and at the basis of our identity then we will build our own veneers but it will be stripped away by time, by events, and it will be proven to be false and hollow.
[Gary] Well, you know we’re in a society that always talks about self-esteem. And you can’t build up people’s self-esteem as a veneer–underneath it’s still chaos. There reaches a point where we have to understand our value comes from our Creator, and that relationship and love we have with our God as Father and Jesus Christ as our Brother.
The basis for all moral decisions begin with understanding that there is a Creator and His purpose in creating humanity is to create an eternal family! That’s why you need to read What is Your Destiny? and share it with others.
You can read What is Your Destiny? online at BeyondToday.tv . Or request your free copy to be send to your home by calling: 1-888-886-8632. That’s 1-888-886-8632. Now let me also tell you about our free magazine, The Good News . The Good News will help you make sense of today’s bewildering news and events in light of biblical prophecy.
In addition, I really encourage you to visit the Beyond Today website where you can find daily video commentaries on breaking news and important biblical topics. Join us throughout the week for BT Daily and get additional analysis on prophecy, the Bible and God’s plan for your life and to give it value.
The shelter for survivors of Hurricane Katrina I mentioned earlier was set up in an abandoned department store. A week later the shock and exhaustion of the refugees was replaced with apprehension about their future. The shelter supplied three meals a day, along with abundant used clothing. Hundreds of people slept on cots, walked the streets around the shelter or watched football on donated television sets. Many displayed a growing sense of boredom.
The week after that first night in the shelter I was walking through a different kind of department store. It was an exclusive shop celebrating a grand opening. Violinists played music while well-dressed patrons received coupons for free roses and waited in line to pay $300 for leather purses. A perky clerk asked if I wanted a whiff of fashionable cologne. I couldn’t help but think of the odor of people who had been trapped in humid attics and thinking about how I was strolling through the facade of civilization–a razor’s edge from chaos.
The greatest moral truth of all time is the reality that the purpose for human life is that God is creating a family. Seek Him and His ways today and you won’t have to fear chaos because the Almighty God will be the center of your life.
Join us next week on Beyond Today as we continue to discover the gospel of the Kingdom. We also invite you to join us in praying, “Thy Kingdom come.” For Beyond Today, I’m Gary Petty. Thanks for watching.
[Announcer] For the free literature offered on today’s program, go online to BeyondToday.tv. Please join us again next week on Beyond Today!

Christian Living Character

Gary Petty

Beyond Today Presenter, United Church of God Pastor
Gary Petty is a 1978 graduate of Ambassador College with a BS in mass communications. He worked for six years in radio in Pennsylvania and Texas. He was ordained a minister in 1984 and has served congregations in Longview and Houston Texas; Rockford, Illinois; Janesville and Beloit, Wisconsin; and San Antonio, Austin and Waco, Texas. He presently pastors United Church of God congregations in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Jackson, Tennessee.
Steve Myers

Beyond Today Presenter, United Church of God Pastor
Steve is pastor of the Cincinnati congregation. He is also an instructor at Ambassador Bible College as well as a host on the Beyond Today television program. Together, he and his wife Kathe have served God and His people for over 25 years.
Darris McNeely

Beyond Today Presenter
Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 32 years. They have two sons, both married. Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. He also is a guest instructor in Early Church History at the Ambassador Bible College. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading.

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Friday, February 12, 2016

5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Valentine's Day

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Valentine's Day. This follows this post about the Pope and immigration. This follows this previous post about the papacy. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Valentine's Day

by Steve Myers Listen

MP4 Video - 720p (106.09 MB)

MP3 Audio (1.39 MB)

Video of BT Daily: 5 Reasons NOT to Celebrate Valentine&#039;s Day

Here's five tongue-in-cheek reasons not to celebrate Valentine's Day. But can you find another?

Transcript

[Steve Myers] Here’s a little tongue-in-cheek discussion on 5 reasons not to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Number one: Flowers make you sneeze and they don’t last very long.
Number two: Pink does not make you look thinner.
In fact, number three: Pink’s a girly color that makes men feel wimpy.
Number four: Chocolate makes you fat.
Number five: Valentine’s Day is just commercialism by the greeting card companies to make millions of dollars.
Are those any reasons that you shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day? There is a more important reason, but it comes back to realizing what is life all about. What is romance after all because Valentine’s Day is supposed to focus on romance? And we often think of the flowers and the candy and the meals out and all those kinds of things.
But you know what? Romance is sometimes vacuuming the house. Romance is sometimes, yeah, cleaning the toilet or maybe changing a diaper or two or maybe making his favorite dessert. That’s what real romance comes down to so much of the time, real life. And sometimes we get fooled by taking one day and trying to make something huge out of it when in reality love is a daily thing. It’s something that we show every single day of our life.
Christ Himself said that whatever we want men to do to us, we should do to them. And it should be something that’s on going, not just a onetime thing.
It reminded me of a passage that’s over in Ecclesiastes in Ecclesiastes 9:9. Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, "Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He’s given you under the sun." So it’s all our days not just one day.
And so you could probably come up with a longer list of reasons not to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but you know they’re not all humorous. There is another reason.
You know that many of the world’s holidays are focused and come from roots of paganism. That’s where they’re rooted. Valentine’s Day is no different, named after a Catholic saint. It’s rooted in paganism. Maybe that’s a question you could ask yourself. What does God think about Valentine’s Day?
Check it out a little bit. Look at what Deuteronomy 12 has to say about it . Check it out. Do a little bit of research . You may be very surprised what you find. In fact, you’ll probably add one more big reason not to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
That’s BT Daily . We’ll see you next time.

Holidays and Holy Days Man's Holidays Valentine's Day

Steve Myers

Beyond Today Presenter, United Church of God Pastor
Steve grew up as the middle child in a close knit musical family from the Midwest. His father was a big band leader and mother loved to sing. She encouraged him often by saying "you can do anything you want with God's help". His enjoyment of music increased as he earned a degree in music education. He not only performed around the country but also served with the USO around the world.

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brianlee

Tuesday, November 15, 2016