The Haitian Earthquake: Where Was God?

An interesting post from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Hatian earthquake. To get this booklet for free click here , if you would like to donate to a charity click here and for more intesting posts like this click here..

The Haitian Earthquake: Where Was God?
A commentary by Ron Kelley

Posted January 14, 2010

The headlines speak of the horrific destruction and mounting death toll in the poorest Caribbean island of Haiti. A major 7.0 earthquake struck this already impoverished nation around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12. The death toll will be staggering, the suffering unimaginable.
The day after the earthquake, Reuters reported: "Television footage from the capital, Port-au-Prince, showed scenes of chaos on the streets with people sobbing and appearing dazed amid the rubble... The presidential palace lay in ruins, its domes fallen on top of flattened walls."
Why did God allow this to happen?
As we see heart-wrenching photos and video of this latest disaster, we are once again left to ponder the age-old questions: "Where was God? How could a loving God let this happen?" These questions seem to have no answer—but do they?
People like to think of themselves as masters of their own fate. They want to feel like they can control their own destiny. Try talking to survivors of a major natural disaster like an earthquake, and you'll get a different perspective. They have experienced absolute helplessness to control anything.
So where is God? If there is an answer to this timeless question, where is it? Why don't we know why God allows such unspeakable suffering to be inflicted upon helpless, innocent victims?
A place to find answers
God does reveal Himself to mankind in the pages of the Bible. We need to read it and understand that God does have a grand master plan for all humanity. The prophet Isaiah begins to answer these questions for us in Isaiah 59:1: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
Some mistakenly think that this means that those affected by disaster must be more sinful than others. But Isaiah was describing all of humanity, as Jesus Christ made clear. In reference to the victims of disasters in His day, Jesus asked: "Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4-5).
The truth is that, starting with the famed episode in the Garden of Eden, people ever since Adam and Eve have chosen to live their own way, apart from God's revealed instruction and involvement in their lives. Romans 8:7 says humanity by nature does not want to live by the laws of God.
Sadly, mankind has chosen to abandon the laws of Almighty God that would bring us blessings, prosperity, happiness and protection from natural disasters. So He allows us to suffer the consequences of living our own way and also allows natural disasters to take their toll in human lives and suffering.
God pleads with mankind to reject going the way that seems right to us and instead open His instruction manual, the Holy Bible, and live by His way of life that will result in His blessings.
Ezekiel records this plea from God: "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'" (Ezekiel 33:11).
What can I do?
In Matthew 24:7-8, the Bible predicts that we will continue to see earthquakes, along with wars, famines and disease epidemics. It also says these are the beginnings of sorrows. What is God trying to tell us? Will we listen to His wake-up call? Could it be that God knows exactly what He is doing and is warning us to read His Book and find the answers to these perplexing questions?
You don't have to live in a world of doubt and despair. You can know that God truly is a caring, compassionate and loving God who has a plan that includes the hope of eternal life for everyone—including those helpless little children so tragically struck down in the devastation of this earthquake in Haiti.
Where was God and why didn't He prevent this latest disaster? Find the answers for yourself in our biblical study of Why Does God Allow Suffering?
There is hope. A new day is coming. One day soon, Jesus Christ will return to establish the government of God on this earth. Zechariah 8:5 speaks of a time when little boys and girls will play safely in the streets of the city. That beautiful world is our sure and certain promise from God.

Hawaii's 50th Anniversary as America's 50th State

A commentary on America's blessings from www.ucg.org/commentary!

Hawaii's 50th Anniversary as America's 50th State
A commentary by Don Hooser
Good News magazine writer,

Fifty years ago on August 21, 1959 the Territory of Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America. Earlier that same year, on January 3, the Territory of Alaska had become the 49th state. Both were immense additions to the nation's wealth and blessings. The history of America's territorial expansion is fascinating. For each addition, the cost was relatively low or none at all.

The source of America's blessings
Looking back on its history, some say America has been amazingly "lucky!" Others say that the evidence strongly points to divine intervention—that God was handing the nation's pioneers a new promised land!
Time after time enormous portions of land seemingly fell into America's lap! One enormous asset of the United States is its abundance of fruitful land in ideal and strategic locations.
But if God has time and again so blessed America, what was His purpose? Before addressing that question let's consider a simplified summary of the territorial expansion of the United States.

U.S. acquisitions
The Revolutionary War that officially began in 1776 concluded with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. That treaty gave the United States far more land than the colonies along the Atlantic coast. It defined the nation's territory as all the land between British Canada to the north, Spanish Florida to the south and the Mississippi River to the west!
Then in 1803 the size of the country virtually doubled with the massive Louisiana Purchase from France! The cost was $15 million, about $18 per square mile.
With a treaty in 1819, the United States acquired more prime real estate when Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. for about $5 million.
The Republic of Texas, having gained independence from Mexico in 1836, was annexed in 1845. At that time, the territory included not only the present state of Texas but also territory that now is part of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming.

From coast to coast
Beginning in 1818 "Oregon Country" from the Rockies to the Pacific was jointly controlled by the United States and the United Kingdom. A treaty in 1846 divided the territory at the 49th parallel, giving the United States the area that now includes Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
At the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848, Mexico ceded an enormous area to the U.S. for about $18 million. The region includes all of the present-day states of California, Nevada and Utah, and portions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming—completing the nation's expansion from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Three more acquisitions
With the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, the U.S. purchased from Mexico a strip of land now in New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million.
Alaska was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 for $7,200,000—about 1.9 cents per acre. Some Americans thought this was a wasteful purchase—that Alaska was just a big icebox!
Hawaii, a republic since 1894, was annexed in 1898. Although there are eight main islands, Hawaii actually has hundreds of islands spread over 1500 miles. Other islands around the world have also become territorial possessions of the United States through a variety of circumstances.

Is God responsible?
Now to the fundamental question: Did God plan and announce long in advance the blessings and mushrooming expansion of the United States? Both the historical and biblical evidence emphatically say yes!
That is not to say that America's earliest settlers personally earned or deserved these blessings. Instead, it's a result of God fulfilling His specific territorial promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is ample historical evidence that the earliest settlers in America came mostly from peoples in Britain who descended from the biblical tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, direct descendants of Jacob's son Joseph.
God promised the biblical patriarchs that because of their obedience and steadfast faith, He would greatly bless their descendants and someday make great nations of them. And He did as He promised.
But He also warned that He would withdraw His blessings from them or any nation or people if they turned their backs on Him. Both the British and American people are rapidly abandoning their biblical roots. What will their future be?

Learn the complete story. It is fully explained in a free booklet that we offer to all of our viewers and readers. Simply request, download or read online this thoroughly documented, free booklet: The United States and Britain in Prophecy.




Related Resources
America's Astounding Destiny: Was It Foretold in the Bible? The rise of the United States of America from British colony to superpower is an incredible story worth retelling. Equally incredible is the fact that the rise of the United States and the British Empire was foretold thousands of years ago.
America's Astounding Destiny Rise To Greatness In part 1 of this series we noted America's unlikely break from Britain to chart a new and independent course—in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Now we examine the foretelling of the United States' rise to greatness and its dramatic fulfillment.
America's Astounding Destiny: A Nation Losing Its Way In parts 1 and 2 of this series we saw the birth and expansion of the United States fulfilling Bible prophecy. We end with a look at America's replacement of Britain as global protector and how a nation's turning its back on God threatens its existence.

Redefining Hate Speech

An article about our right to speak up from www.wponline.org!

Redefining Hate Speech
Hate speech—it can incite racism, prejudices and even violence. But is it hate speech to disagree with others in the public arena on important moral issues? The debate over what is and is not hate speech is much more important than you may realize. There may come a time in the near future when it may be illegal to promote biblical standards concerning abortion, homosexuality or marriage.
by Gary Petty

Do you remember this childhood comeback? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That old saying just is not true. Anyone who has suffered ridicule, slander or verbal attacks knows that words are powerful and can be used as weapons to hurt others.
Tell a child long enough that she is stupid or that he is ugly, and eventually he or she will begin to believe you. Parents and children, husbands and wives, the dearest of friends have been separated for a lifetime because of hurtful words spat out in a time of anger.
Words have been used to incite riots and wars, promote racism and ruin the reputations of good people. Hate speech is a term used for words used to denigrate and hurt others.

Christian hate speech?
Sometimes Christians are accused of hate speech because of their positions on abortion and gay rights. Some opponents claim that Jesus said that we should not judge one another. This becomes an excuse to accept almost any behavior as Christian. In reality, not only nonreligious people but also most religious people would be terribly offended if they read the Bible and knew what Jesus really taught.
Here is the heart of the problem. A person, if he or she is to be a true Christian, must not only accept Jesus as Savior, but also accept the teachings of Jesus and live by them. The hard truth is that many professing Christians don't know or have outright rejected the teachings of Jesus. It is these teachings that provide a moral compass, a direction finder on how to deal with life's problems. Without this moral compass, a set of rules that define right and wrong for everyone, people simply make up their own definitions of morality.
Christ expects Christians to influence society through example. He told His disciples that you cannot hide the light of a city on a hill. True Christianity isn't meant to be lived in the shadows. When one takes a stand for the good of family values, sexual morality and the human dignity of a fetus, one will draw the criticism of detractors.
However, how can Christianity have a positive impact on society when so many of those who claim to follow Christ do not live by what He taught? Christianity is losing the public battle because we are losing the private battles inside our own lives. All too many Christians would rather "trust their hearts" than actually follow the teachings of the Founder of their religion.
The result is that in many churches what passes for the teachings of Jesus is based more on postmodernism or New Age thought than the Bible.
Then there is the inevitable accusation, "Christians just want to force their ways on others, and they're a bunch of hypocrites who don't live by what they preach." We need to face these detractors and admit that there are no perfect Christians, but there is a perfect way of life taught by the Creator of life. That way of life is worth striving to achieve because it is the only way to universal peace and happiness.

The positive message
Christians who understand the teachings of Jesus do not use words to incite violence, but they must speak out against issues like racism, abortion, dishonesty and injustice.
Because Christians are sometimes noted for what we stand against, it is easy to forget what Christians support—family, the basic value and dignity of every human life, the message of the Creator's desire to change our lives for the better, the eternal meaning found in suffering and death, and the promise of an afterlife. What good is it to claim that something is wrong without presenting solutions to the problems?
True Christianity is about change—change at the very core of who you are. Human beings naturally want to live a way of get—"get what is mine," "defend my rights," "blame my problems on someone else." Jesus Christ taught a way of give, personal responsibility and dedication to standards of behavior established by the Creator.
Be honest with yourself. How different would everything around you be if you, and everyone else, approached every situation with the simple idea of, "What can I do that is good for the other person?" Don't use the excuse, "No one else will live that way, so why should I?" The world changes one person at a time. Let it start with you.
The way of life taught by Jesus isn't easy. It is the only way that will bring real happiness, meaning and peace into your life.

The message of Jesus
Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth walked the dusty roads of Judea promoting a message of God's love. His entire message hinged on two main ideas of how human beings should respond to God: love toward God and love toward neighbor. The way of give. It's really a simple concept—treat your neighbor as you wish to be treated and commit your life to loving, obeying and worshipping the Creator.
You might wonder why such a simple message would get the Messenger killed. You see, Jesus also was quick to point out the moral weaknesses of society. He openly denounced religious practices that were not acceptable to the worship of the Creator. He avoided political entanglements and criticized leaders who were unjust. He told people that they had to take responsibility for their lives and be willing to admit when they were wrong.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that it's not just immoral to commit murder, a truly moral person learns to control anger. He even condemned real hate speech. Jesus also taught that a truly moral person not only avoids sexual relationships outside of marriage, but avoids sexual thoughts about someone who isn't his or her spouse.
This may seem like an impossible standard, but Jesus taught that it is one worth striving to achieve. It is time for Christians to stop being intimidated by those who attack the teachings of Jesus and the Bible as hate speech. In the arena of debate about the meaning of human life, the only workable answers come from the Creator of life. WNP

Presidential Pronouncement Premature

A commentary about the Beer Summit by http://www.verticalthought.com/ !


Presidential Pronouncement Premature

A commentary by Frank Dunkle

On July 16 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his own home in an incident that quickly became world famous. Yet, what U.S. President Barack Obama said about the arrest—and what he attempted to un-say—have become an even bigger spectacle.
The allegations
Police responded to an emergency call from a neighbor who heard that someone was forcing open a door at Professor Gates' house. There is more than one version of what exactly happened next, but it seems that the African-American professor became rather irate at being asked for identification by a European-American police officer. When Dr. Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct, questions quickly arose about racial profiling and racism in general.
The press conference
At a press conference a few days later, a reporter asked President Obama about the incident and related issues. The president's answer included the comment that the police had "acted stupidly." His offhand comment provoked a storm of protest, including a demand for an apology from the union representing Sergeant James Crowley, the principal police officer involved.
Two days after the press conference, Mr. Obama went to reporters to retract his statement. "I could have calibrated those words differently," he said. While the president did not quite apologize, he certainly took a long step back from his first position.
A vertical thinking lesson
Much of the ongoing discussion about this incident is focusing on alleged racism and police brutality. Neither of those represents vertical thinking. But there is another lesson here—one perhaps so obvious that we could take it for granted, but let's not do so.
The lesson that President Obama will almost certainly learn from this—and one that all of us should learn—is this: Find out all the facts about a situation before you make a decision, and before you criticize anyone involved. In biblical times, King Solomon of Israel was inspired to say it like this: "He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him" (Proverbs 18:13).
Judging from his backtracking, the president appeared to feel a little foolish when he learned that there was more to the story of Professor Gates' arrest than he first thought. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that the police made no mistakes in the case, but it was certainly a mistake to jump to conclusions. That he acknowledged this and is working to make things right is to the president's credit.
Have you ever?
Have you ever had one friend tell you something terrible about another person that you know? It's natural to believe your friend and to say things about the supposed wrongdoer or even to take action against him or her. However, this is when a vertical thinker realizes that he or she has only heard one side of the story. King Solomon wrote about this, too, saying: "The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17).
What's the value of learning this life lesson? Read "Priceless…" and I think you'll see.
We would all do well to heed the words of the ancient king—and to learn from the example of this modern president. Mr. Obama's "Beer Summit" last night with both Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley to talk things out seems to have been a good step in defusing the situation. Hopefully they'll all give more effort to listening than to judging—and hopefully so will all of us. VT



Comments or Questions
If you have any comments about this article or vertical-thinking questions we can help you answer please send them to info@verticalthought.org.

Barry: A Curse Upon America

Here is a very interesting article from www.badeagle.com about the curses on America!!



Barry: A Curse Upon America
by David Yeagley
The alien black African Communist Muslim, Barry Soetoro (often called “Barack Hussein Obama”) has earned a couple more descriptive identity terms: “lying,” and “America-hating.” He is the lying, America-hating, alien black African Communist Muslim. (No problem with redundancy here. These are well earned dimensions of Barry’s anger, hate, and racism. He deserves each title.)
The Kenyan Clown has declared America to be a Muslim nation, and at the same time a nation that acted without international consensus in the matter of Iraq. (So what’s a Coalition?) The asinine African juggler pretended in Cairo to be a healer of the world. And why not? He’s wowed the world (the grovelling, envious world) with his personal fantasies, hiding so effectively behind his skin. Why not go for broke? It worked in America, why not the world?
A man without a country, without a people, without a real religion, without love, patriotism, or faith–this is poor Barry Soetoro. A man without soul, without true character, but with endless narcissism and manipulation–guided only by adulation, approbation, and popularity polls. More perfectly a vicarious sociopath than Bill Clinton, Barry’s black skin enables him to commit blasphemy with impunity, even without suspicion. He is free to denigrate and rape America–on an international parade! (And to be praised for it!)
How can we find words to really identify the essence of what this freak-wreaking individual is actually doing? No collection of verbs or adjectives seems to encapsulate it. One wearies of the effort. And the globe-trotting jester just keeps on keepin’ on. He seems to be a machine of ill-willed falsity and deception, an indefatigable farce, mercilessly hoisted up over America’s front door, and representing everything odious and detestable in his reservoir of disdain.
At this point, it is obvious: Barry Soetero is a curse. He is a punishment. America’s sins must have caught up with her. It is the only explanation. Barry’s repulsiveness is beyond human. This is divine judgment on us all, surely. Nothing else could account for it. The offense is too awesome. America’s carelessness and selfishness, as a society, has produced this lusus naturae from a alien land. America’s spiritual neglect has given birth to this monstrous affront.
In a way, then, it is useless to point out the horrors of “Hussein,” or the omens of “Obama.” The lying, America-hating alien black African Communist Muslim is essentially the hand of God, in America’s face. It is a knock-out punch. America is down for the count. It’s that simple. Conservative media can go on and on analyzing Barry’s blunders, but conservative media has not made a difference. It has failed. For now, their commentary is little more than useless gibberish. And, at this point, there is no Republican Party. (A few states, particularly Oklahoma, are recreating their own, but, at a national level, the Party is pooped, and totally worthless.)
Barry is a political rapist, a demonic deceptionist out to accomplish the demise of America, a cocky, hateful Negro, a white-hating, America-hating viral host–whatever! There are no words to completely identify him. A concept is necessary. This is why he must be understood as a curse. And not a curse causeless. There are reasons for his galling appearance. The way was well-prepared–by Oedipal white liberals, who console themselves with their fantasies of well-intention tyranny.
We all suffer the effects now. Every time this lying, America-hating, alien black African Communism Muslim appears in media–which is constantly–we are drugged more deeply with his fool-hearty fantasies of self-aggrandizement.
Our natural aversion, our natural grasping for life and recovery–this is all called hate now. The liberals gotcha covered! To love America, and all that means, is simply hate. This is the liberal trump card. Anything that smacks of value, of wanting to keep something you earned and cherish–this is hate. Why? Because you just might act mean-spirited if someone tries to take it from you. This is how the liberal lie goes. Liberals have their greatest liar on stage now. They have triumphed. Conservatism was too weak, to unwilling to fight, too preoccupied with work and success, really. No one ever thought success would lead to failure, but it has.
When the wicked cometh, (–that should be the title of the book on Barry’s reign), then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach. Proverbs 18:3. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Proverbs 29:2.
So, I declare a prolonged day of contempt and mourning for American people. We hold the lying, America-hating, alien black African Communist Muslim in contempt, and we mourn his presence among us. It is the omen of the ruination of our country.
One hopeful note: in the spiritual history of nations, it takes only one man to turn the tide. One faithful, brave and devoted man. It has happened before. We can only pray it will happen again.

Tea Parties, Jesus Christ, Passover, and Unleavened Bread

As you are aware there are multiple Tea Parties happening around the nation on April 15. See here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/tea-party-movie-johnny-tremain-bumped_14.html for more details. However, there is also a time of Spiritual Liberation that happens on this day which happens to also fall on April 15 this year, the Last Day of Unleavened Bread which commemorates the parting of the Red Sea, when the Israelites escaped the Egyptians. The article below explains this, and if you'd like, you can find out more here http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/HD/leavingsin.asp


Passover and Unleavened Bread...True Freedom: A Passover Season Lesson
by Jerold W. Aust
"My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Similar words to the traditional song above must have rung loudly from the lips of our forefathers that first liberating Passover when they were redeemed from death, then set free!
Their time had come to be saved by the One typified as our Passover more than 1,400 years before He lived on this earth.
Earlier that night, Moses had told all the Israelite families to kill the unblemished lambs, called Passover lambs, selected for this time.
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, 'Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.
"'For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service.
"'And it shall be, when your children say to you, "What do you mean by this service?" that you shall say, "It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households."' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped" (Exodus 12:21-27).
God vividly detailed this event to help us remember that without Christ having been our Passover sacrifice, sin would result in our having one inevitable end-eternal death (Romans 6:23).
But the Father wants us to also remember that because Jesus Christ was resurrected to eternal life, eternal death itself can be conquered.
Life Mocks Death
Jesus Himself knew that after His death, death itself would be conquered. Near His physical life's end, He desired that His followers would grasp the magnificence of that new life-for Him and them-that hinged on that death.
He revealed to His listeners that "the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified."
He continued, explaining in terms they might comprehend: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (John 12:24).
Then He told them what they in turn would have to face: " He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor" ( verses 25-26).
While they were considering all this they were stunned by a voice like thunder from the clouds-the voice of God!-affirming Christ's words.
Through His word and His Son's spirit in us, that voice of God still speaks loudly to us today, whereby we're stirred to remember His wonderful promises pictured by His great Holy Days.
Paul, when he was counteracting some who doubted an eternal future, enhanced Christ's metaphor for His death. To Christ's' earthy metaphor, he added those two seeds of human life, Jesus and Adam, to contrast their fruit: "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Paul continued to build his case for the resurrection. He enthrallingly compared the spiritual and natural realms, revealed that our change will come at the last trumpet's sound, and demonstrated how "this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."
His conclusion must have then left speechless those still doubting. If they had in fact ever realized it, he reminded them what their revered prophets Isaiah and Hosea had proclaimed: "Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades [grave], where is your victory?'" (1 Corinthians 15:53- 55).
Because death cannot exist in eternal life, as darkness cannot exist in light, everlasting life then "mocks," as it were, both the grave and death. It "cheats" the grave and death.
This is why the glorious symbolisms of the Passover and Unleavened Bread are so important to us. They signal the road to eternal life.
Christ's Sinlessness and Our Responsibility
The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23) points us to the righteousness, the holiness, of Almighty God.
This helps Christians realize two important factors: first and most importantly, the feast highlights the sinless character of Jesus Christ, the unblemished "lamb" sacrificed for our sins.
Secondly, having repented of our sins and accepted Jesus' sacrifice for them, we have a responsibility to continue removing various sinful habits from our sinful nature. Why? Because sin weakens and destroys.
This is what the apostle Paul was addressing to the Corinthian Church in 1 Corinthians 5:7. The apostle Paul is clarifying this point: establish in your lives what you profess to know.
The church's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for their sins was their first step in becoming uncontaminated, like a new batch of unleavened dough. After accepting Jesus Christ's sacrifice, they were then also required to live a clean life, free from past habits of sin. Not to continue putting sin out of their lives would make a mockery of Jesus Christ's holy sacrifice.
Let True Freedom Ring!
The Passover represents Christ's holy sacrifice, therefore the Passover season constitutes for us true freedom. Freedom from anguish, from debilitating weaknesses, from guilt; freedom from fear and from Satan's wicked manipulations of us; freedom of separation from God and freedom to bond with Him through Jesus Christ.
This is true freedom. NB
http://www.ucg.org/un/nb9803/truefreedom.htm (h/t)

Let Us Keep the Feast!!!

A very interesting article about the Christian concept of Passover!!! (H/t www.wnponline.com) See a previous post about this in our current times here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/passover-and-end-of-us.html


Let Us Keep the Feast!
April 7, 2009 by wnponline

I have read two articles this week about the state of religion. Newsweek’s cover story proclaims, “The Decline and Fall of Christian America” while this morning’s Wall Street Journal says “God Still Isn’t Dead”.
Coming on the week of Passover and the start of the biblical Days of Unleavened Bread we again see America’s fascination with religion. While the headlines of these two stories may seem the opposite I see them pointing to a churn within Amercian society that cannot be settled by a defective theology.
It is not a question of decline in “Christian America”, whatever that means, nor a a foolish question about God. What nobody questions is whether a seeker’s faith reflects the true God and His message. Those who put their faith in the Bible as His revealed word should seriously examine their belief and practice. Once that is done the fervor and zeal can be channeled into the right direction. The result will be electrifying.
Tonight marks the New Testament Passover. Many faithful will gather to take the symbols of Christ’s sacrifice–bread and wine. One represents the blood of sacrifice that covers for sin while the other represents the life of God. Both are taken in faith. It is a profession of need and hope. We all need salvation and renewal. Our only hope is in Christ and the Father.
In John 17:1-5 Christ prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
Man’s search for spiritual meaning continues. The truth is found within the symbols we take tonight. Let us keep the feast!

See more here http://www.wnponline.org

Passover and the end of the U.S.?

This is an article that is worth reading on the eve of Passover. For a Christian take on Passover look here http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn15/keeppassover.htm


Passover Is Near: Eve of April 8
by David Yeagley · April 2009
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The sociological compulsions of Passover 2009 are imminent and inevitable. Any human being who has ever left his comfort zone for something new and better, however difficult and fearful, has experienced the essence of Passover. Anyone who unconsciously yearns for the older way, no matter how dark, unpromising, limited, and slavish, also knows Passover.
And here we have America, so bold, so new, so grand in the beginning, now yearning for subjugation, for servile ways, for infantile status. America, racing to the womb, leaping into the dream of a carefree life. Momma Obama is the voice of that weakness, that dark place of slavery.
Moses was certainly not a liberal. Barry would have been stoned, if he ever got into the camp.

Yes, it is the original comfort zone: total dependency. Mindless, floating utopia. To leave it, to be born, to be willing to experience the rip-roaring birth, as America once did, is not something anyone seems willing to even talk about. Oh, yes, the talented talkers of conservatism wondrously glorify the ideologies of the founding fathers. But they all fail, totally, to recall the agony of birth! The talkers and the would-be conservative politicians ignore, utterly, the price paid for the implementation of those sacred ideologies of the fathers. War. Violence. Citizens’ resolve.
The fathers were willing to pay the price to be born. Today’s Americans are apparently not. America is aborting itself.
Interestingly, the yearning for a central government was a malady found in the early Israelites after they had settled in their new country. They decided they wanted a king, like all the other nations. The God-bit wasn’t working. (See, I Samuel 1-8, especially ch. 8.) They couldn’t live by principle. They couldn’t live as independent tribes or families. They wanted a visible, commanding person, to handle everything. To wit, they wanted a nation–their idea of a nation. An old idea, a hackneyed idea. An Egyptian idea. They wanted to go back to Egypt, sociologically.

Samuel told them what a central government would bring:
11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

Sound familiar? Yet, this old way they thought they preferred. The new way had proven too difficult for the early Israelites. They remembered the former comfort zone, and they naturally inclined themselves thither. This is human nature. This is what every person does, and all people do.
They failed in their understanding of Passover. They did not see the essence of nationhood in the story or its outcome. America has entered upon the same path. It is spiritual indolence. It is the weakness of the flesh. It is the ego’s poor negotiation with the libido. It is falling backwards. It is surrender.
This is Barry’s message America. This is the demagogues’ message. This is the Democrat and Liberal globalist message. Surrender. Submit. Relax. We’ll take care of you. We know you want to be taken care of.
It is a careful wooing, a delusional doping, a siren song to seduce the nation of its own soul. And it is working, marvelously. It’s worse than gambling. It’s all about spending money that doesn’t exist. It is an irresistible appeal to selfishness, laziness, insecurity, and cowardice. This is where Barry leads, masquerading as “president of the United States.” What United States? The country doesn’t even exist any more. It is gone with the wind.

It all happened without a shot fired. All accomplished by traitors who knew human nature all too well.

Atheist Day!!

You must read this............a proper decision by the courts..........for a change.

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida, an atheist created a case against the Upcoming Easter and Passover days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the Ruling , "Your honor,how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!
This is too good not to forward.

View this link after you had your laugh http://www.beyondtoday.tv/programs/archive/?Title=The-New-Atheism-&ProgramID=bt071

Purim with Commentaries on Esther

I know a lot of people like to read the book of Esther at this time of the year. These links describe some interesting commentaries on this book (H/t http://www.ucg.org/ )


1
Ezra 4:6Esther 1
Opposition to Jews of Judea in the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes); Queen Vashti deposed
2
Esther 2
Esther made queen; Mordecai reports a plot against the king
3
Esther 3
Haman’s plot against the Jews
4
Esther 3
Haman’s plot against the Jews
5
Esther 4
Esther learns of Haman’s plot and agrees to tell the king
6
Esther 4
Esther learns of Haman’s plot and agrees to tell the king
7
Esther 5
Esther’s first banquet
8
Esther 6
The honoring of Mordecai
9
Esther 7
Haman exposed and hanged
10
Esther 8
Edict to save the Jews
11
Esther 8
Edict to save the Jews
12
Esther 9–10
The Jews destroy their enemies; Institution of Purim; The greatness of Mordecai
13
Esther 9–10
The Jews destroy their enemies; Institution of Purim; The greatness of Mordecai
14

Supplement: “Esther: A Woman of Faith and Courage”
15

Supplement: “Esther: A Woman Willing to Save Others”

Increase your Web Savvy Vocabulary

I put a previous post here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-church-uses-internet-to-preach.html about how a church, in this instance the United Church of God (www.ucg.org) is using the internet to preach the gospel. In the article below, there is an explaination of some of the terms used in doing this. I hope you find this interesting!!

Increase Your Web-Savvy Vocabulary
by Elizabeth Cannon
Viral posting? RSS? Twitter? With all of these new words and ideas, it seems like the Internet is creating its own language! To help you make sense of this new Web lingo, read this short list of key terms you need to know when sharing UCG Web sites, publications and videos on the Internet.

RSS Feed
When you subscribe to a newsletter, you expect to receive regular updates on events and news. An RSS feed does the same thing but with Web sites. When you subscribe to an RSS feed, you will be provided with frequent updates to any changes or additions made to the Web site. Popular sites that offer ways to read these updates are iGoogle, My Yahoo or My MSN, which put content such as news, weather and stock quotes on a user's personal page.
You can receive updates to new content on our Web sites by subscribing to any of the Web sites' RSS feeds. Just look for this icon.

Bookmarking
Just as you would put a bookmark in a book to save your place in a story, social bookmarking on the Internet is a way for you to save your place on your favorite Web sites. Think of it as a list of Web pages that you want to remember to visit. An added benefit to online bookmarking is that it allows you to store, organize, search and manage your bookmarks of Web pages.
There are plenty of online services to choose from, such as Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Furl or Newsvine. All you have to do to bookmark UCG Web pages is get an account with one of these services and then click on the “ShareThis” link on any of the UCG Web pages.
By bookmarking and rating a Web page, you are also telling the Internet community that this is a Web page that should be visited.

Social Networking Site
Your social circles include anyone—from friends and family to coworkers, classmates and acquaintances—with whom you share interests. Social networking sites have now made it easier to keep in touch and share information with those social circles by creating easy-to-use Web sites solely focused on creating an online community. On these networking sites you can post pictures, send messages, share music, videos and Web sites with all of your friends who are part of your online network. Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter are four of the major social networking sites on the Internet.

Viral
Think about the last time a pesky flu bug was going around the office. First one person came to work with a cough and the sniffles. Then two people, then four people, and on it went until the whole office was sick with the same symptoms.
Now take this concept and apply it to your bookmarks and your social networking site. Once you have bookmarked a GN commentary and have shared it with your friends on your social networking site, you have just initiated the first step to making that GN commentary go viral. Now that your friends have access to it, they can watch it, increasing its popularity on the Internet, and share it with their social network, who can, in turn, share it with their social network and so on and so forth. Suddenly the GN commentary has spread like a virus.

Posting
When you want to share a GN commentary, you have the option of putting a link to the commentary right on your social networking site. This is called posting a link. Most social networking sites have an easy-to-find section such as on Facebook that helps you to post a link.
By posting a link, you are making it easier for friends in your network to watch the GN commentary by making it easily accessible to them on your social networking page. UN

http://www.ucg.org/un/un0903/increase-your-web-savvy-vocabulary.htm

How a Church uses the Internet to Preach the Gospel!!

This is a very interesting article as a how-to on preaching the Gospel via Social Networks. In particular, this is from the United Church of God www.ucg.org

How You Can Help Preach the Gospel on the Internet
In this interview, Internet managing editor Aaron Booth explains the logic of sharing UCG Web content on the Internet and how you can make an impact in preaching the gospel.
by Elizabeth Cannon
Since July 2008, visitors to the UCG Web site used the "ShareThis" link to share our Web pages and articles in 704 e-mails, 233 Facebook posts, 118 MySpace posts and a slew of shares on sites such as Delicious, LinkedIn, Windows Live, StumbleUpon, Yahoo/Google bookmarks and Digg.
"The more people who bookmark our articles and sites, the more buzz we can create," said Internet managing editor Aaron Booth. "If more people find it valuable, others will say, 'What's this all about? What's all the excitement about?' and then want to go to the links on our sites."
When others click on a link you have bookmarked, this adds to the total number of viewers. In some cases, videos become very popular and end up with thousands of viewers all around the world. In the industry this is known as "going viral," because the video spreads quickly without our help.
One way to promote viral activity is the "ShareThis" link, located on all of our Web sites. "ShareThis" is a tool that makes it easier to bookmark and share articles, commentaries, booklets and other content on our Web sites with a limitless audience on the Internet.
"ShareThis" has been used to share The Good News magazine through 2,035 e-mails, 447 Facebook posts and 251 MySpace posts.
More people may be sharing articles and information from our Web sites, but "ShareThis" is designed to track this kind of sharing and allows us to monitor how many times people share our sites and literature. People can share anything that is posted to our sites—anything from booklets to magazines to Beyond Today programs to Good News commentaries.

The Theory Behind "Viral"
First, a person sets up an account on a Web site, either a bookmarking Web site such as Delicious, Twitter or Digg or a social networking site like Facebook or MySpace.
Then after reading articles or viewing videos on our Web sites, that person can share links to them on their bookmarking or social networking Web site by clicking on the "ShareThis" link on our Web sites. By doing this, that person has just shared that link with a new audience.
"I would love to see 40 of my friends [on Facebook or Twitter] posting the same thing I'm posting, because that means all of their friends see it too. It will create more buzz, because you're reaching additional people, all with very little effort," continued Mr. Booth.

The Key Is Generating Buzz
"Our goal is to have thousands of views per video to create more buzz. It just takes members watching the videos. The more views you can get, the more chances that the video can get posted to the YouTube home page. We can jump to 25,000 or 50,000 views with very little effort," he said.
Currently there are 64 GN commentary videos posted on YouTube. As of Feb. 12, they have been viewed 43,088 times, or 673 views per video.
"The daily commentaries, which deal with items currently in the news, are intended to pique viewers' curiosity and draw them to the Good News Web site for further information," added GN commentary contributor David Johnson.
As of December 2008, we have posted 274 videos on YouTube. These include Beyond Today programs, Beyond Today commentaries, Good News commentaries and various World News and Prophecy seminars. To date, they have been viewed 452,571 times.
Some videos have more views than others—some have 20,000 views—but we want to see each video have half a million views. It may seem like a long shot, but the process is surprisingly simple.
For instance, say five people watch a video, enjoy it, and then want to share it with five of their friends. Those first five views have just become 25 views. If this process is repeated, that video will soon become viral, with thousands of views logged.

How You Can Help
This is where all the members in the Church can get involved. If 1,000 Church members watch the GN commentaries or the BT commentaries, then we have already logged 1,000 views. If those 1,000 Church members post a commentary to a bookmarking site or on a social networking site such as Facebook, then that video has now been exposed to a greater audience who will continue the momentum of sharing the video, increasing the likelihood that more people will view it.
When more people view the video, the popularity of the video skyrockets, and suddenly the message we are preaching becomes viral. This is an exciting way that every Church member can become involved in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the whole world. UN
http://www.ucg.org/un/un0903/how-can-you-help-preach-gospel-on-the-internet.htm

Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi - In Memory of!

Death of Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi December 20, 2008
From Scott Ashley, Arvada, Colorado. ShareThis
Since many of us are familiar with the work of this great Sabbatarian scholar, I pass this message on with considerable sadness. He had been ill from liver cancer for the last several years, but even in his illness had been able to publish his final book, Popular Beliefs: Are They Biblical?, earlier this year before his passing. We wouldn't agree with him on everything, but his works on the Sabbath are a great resource to Sabbatarians worldwide and he did a great deal to advance Sabbath-keeping.
Here is an announcement from his family---

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our precious father and husband. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, December 20, Samuele Bacchiocchi breathed his last breath. During his last breaths, he was surrounded by his three children and wife of 47 years (today would have been his 47th wedding anniversary), and we read together 2 Timothy 4:6-8: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." This quote sums up the life of a man who sacrificed practically all of his time and energy to help others understand the Bible more fully, even up to end as he gave his last seminar in England the Sabbath before being taken to the emergency room. We are very grateful that we could all be together at this time and believe that it is fitting that God chose the Sabbath day, the day that he loved most and spent his life preaching and writing about, to be the day that he entered into his final earthly rest. We take comfort in the fact that the next time he will open his eyes he will see his Lord and Savior, and that we will be reunited with him in heaven. His incredible journey here on earth has come to an end, but may we continue his legacy until Jesus returns! The funeral services will be held this coming Sabbath, December 27, at 4:00 pm at the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan.
We would like to thank each and every one of you again for the incredible outpouring of love and prayers that have provided us with supernatural peace and comfort during this difficult time. We are privileged to be a part of this extraordinary community of faith.

If any of you would like to send a message to the Bacchiocchi Family, we encourage you to send it to any of the following addresses of his children:
Loretta Bacchiocchi, at loretta_bacchiocchi@fhchs.edu,
Gianlucca Bacchiocchi atbacchiocchi@gmail.com,
or Daniel Bacchiocchi at dbacch@sbcglobal.net.

May God richly bless you all,The Bacchiocchi Family

Do We Need Another Bible?

I wanted to let you know about this article from about new Bibles that are coming out. I hope you find this interesting.


Do We Need Another New Bible?
You don't need a new illustrated or politically correct version of the Bible. Judging by statistics, you have a perfectly
perfectly good version at home. It's the word of God. All you need to do is pick it up and start reading. When I graduated from high school and was accepted to a Christian College, my parents gave me a good quality, well-made Bible. I still have it. As you can see, it is now well-worn, and marked up with plenty of notes in the margins. I've used it now over forty years. I bet you have a Bible or grew up with one in your household.From this Bible I learned about God, Jesus Christ, and God's plan for mankind. This book has been the greatest influence in my life and has formed my values and my worldview. I learned that "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (II Timothy. 3:16) Did you know the Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year for as long as anyone can remember? In the past few weeks two new Bibles have hit bookstores to join the endless parade of special interest Bibles. My question is DO WE NEED ANOTHER VERSION OF THE BIBLE? This one is a slick, illustrated, coffee-table version of the New Testament. The Illuminated Bible is a post modern version filled with edgy photos designed to grab the attention of younger people. It is produced by a non-religious advertising professional; not a theologian. The other new Bible is an environmentally friendly edition that takes advantage of the popularity of the green movement. This Green Bible, made of recycled materials, uses green letters to highlight the scriptures that address issues concerning the environment. It reminds me alot of the comments made by the Apostle Paul when he wrote of those, "...who worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator..." (Romans 1:25)You know you don't need a new illustrated or politically correct version of the Bible. Judging by statistics, you have a perfectly good version at home. It's the Word of God. All you need to do is pick it up and start reading. What are you waiting for?!?
http://www.gnmagazine.org/

UCG Blogs - UYC Jordan

I wanted to let you know about this UCG blog. It is run by Youth in our church who post what they are doing on their blog. I put one of their more spiritual blog entries and one of their more reflective entries below. If you'd like to visit their blog it is at http://uycjordan08.blogspot.com/.


The Dead Sea -- Zach
3 days and 2 nights at a 5 star hotel at the Dead Sea sounded like a pretty nice get away. The catch? Take 14 students with you! Last week I got to tag along with Lewis and the Robotics team to the annual First Lego League robotics competition at the Dead Sea. The students had been practicing for a couple months to come compete against 58 other teams from Jordan & some neighboring countries. Lewis is the coach for one of the 2 robotics teams at ABS, and I volunteered to help supervise...field trip mom was my official title. We got to spend a lot of time with the small group of students and get to know them a little better. I haven't laughed as much as I did in those three days in awhile. There were definitely frustrating moments too though. The boys found it hillarious to try to teach Lewis & I some new Arabic words, telling us they meant one thing when they meant something totally different (as if Arabic isn't hard enough!), but one of them would always flash a sneaky smirk or let out a giggle, so we knew something was up. It's amazing how you can go to the other side of the world and kids are still kids! We enjoyed the warm hotel room, hot showers, swimming in December, and the beautiful view of the sea, but the best part was spending time with the students. Sometimes they are challenging and they test my patience, but for some reason I always want to come back to them. The good out weighs the bad I guess, or maybe it is because I see in them myself just a few years back...
Posted by Jordan Crew 08 at 12:40 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Growing Older -- Lena
Today was my birthday, or rather, it still is, for a few more hours at least, and this has put me in a philosophical mood, well, as philosophical as I get. You see 29 years ago today I graced my family with my presence (trust me, this is said with a good deal of smirkiness, and very little seriousness). This makes me the oldest of our little group here. Well, I've always been the oldest, but since there aren't anymore birthdays for a few months, it feels as though I've widened the gap. It has been a very good birthday. I had the opportunity to speak with my parents briefly on the phone, some of my fellow teachers at the Bunyat Centre threw me a little party and gave me some delightful gifts, and my wonderful Jordan Crew family baked me a cake and gave me some invaluable gifts (chocolate and warm socks). I'm not sure what 29 is supposed to be like, but hopefully I do a good job of it. I had just gotten comfy with 28, but I suppose time stops for no man (or woman). If someone had asked me at 19 where I would be in 10 years, I doubt Amman, Jordan would have been anywhere on the list. This is the beauty of life, we never know where God might lead us, I've been truly blessed that my path has been fairly scenic, and graced with so many wonderful friends and family. I've included a couple of pictures of me and my family when I was at my cutest. What are families for, if not to post embarrassing photos for all the world to see?!
Posted by Jordan Crew 08 at 11:12 AM 1 comments

UCG Blogs - This is Rich

I wanted to let you know about another UCG blog run by a lay member. I am including a sample article about a spiritual topic as well as a second about one of his interests to bridge to non-church members.I hope you find this interesting about one of your spiritual brothers is doing. You can visit his blog here http://thisisrich.blogspot.com/.


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Contrary to Popular Belief, You're NOT # 1
My advertising exec daughter brought this well produced site to my attention. It's called I Am Second, which begs the question, huh?I don't know who's behind this site but they're doing the Lord's work. Go there! Listen to a couple of the featured guests. You might come away from there a different person.This is a really neat website. It's the future! If not, we have none!



Sirius XM struggles...for now!
Three months after merger, Sirius XM is struggling as a result of slow car sales. It's in new cars, after all, where people listen to satellite radio.Well, just hang in there for a little while because as soon as the Fairness Doctrine is implemented satellite radio will become the home of Talk Radio, read, Rush, Sean, Levin, Glenn Beck, Boortz, Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager, Mike Gallagher, Bill Cunningham et al, ad infinitum, not to mention all the local talkers. Where else are they going to go?Thanks to the authoritarian leftists in Congress and the White House, who hate free political speech, AM radio, as we now know it, is going to go bye bye and satellite radio is going to go crazy like it's never gone before. So, hang on guys, it's about to skyrocket!The loyal and numerous listeners to Talk Radio aren't about to do without our Talkers. They're have become one of our main means of information (along with the Internet) and will continue to do so, which is why they are so hated and feared by those in Big Govt and the lapdog media.

UCG Blog - Nathan Albright

I wanted to let you know about another UCG blog called after its owner Nathan Albright. I am including two samples from it the first is a spiritual entry and the other is one of his personal interests. You can visit his page here http://nathanalbright.blogspot.com/ .

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

On Theonomy

In the course of my theological readings, I have come across a movement that describes itself as a fringe on the fringe of Calvinism, but though it springs from somewhat different denominational origins than my own personal religious tradition, it springs from nearly identical hermeneutical (and presuppositional) assumptions about how to interpret scripture, even if the interpretations themselves are sometimes different. This relatively recent theological phenomenon is called Theonomy, coming from the Greek words for "God's law," and this group of people, mostly from a Protestant Reconstructionist background (more on that in a bit), view God's law as the sole source of human ethics. This particular viewpoint also views the biblical laws (especially those found in the Penteteuch) as remaining valid in Christianity, a view I hold most strongly and that springs from my own personal religious heritage. It almost goes without saying that this view also holds the scriptures to be inerrant and to be the eternal and unchanging standard for how individuals, families, churches, and societies to behave.Many of the people who are called (or who call themselves) Theonomists spring from a Calvinist and postmillennialist tradition, with the belief that regeneration of society can spring from a conversion of people to biblical Christianity and the adoption of a biblical worldview that leads to actions by believers in line with biblical principles. Many theonomists, particularly those whose believes are in accordance with Dominion Theology, view the millennium as something to be brought about by an ever-more redeemed Christianity whose biblical worldview ever increasingly influences the world around us, thus bringing corrupt and fallen human institutions further and further in line with God's laws, thus eventually bringing the millennium to this earth through the action of the Holy Spirit in believers.I do not come from that particular tradition, nor am I particularly optimistic about the ability of human society to be redeemed apart from the direct imposition of biblical law by Jesus Christ upon his return to earth. As someone who believes the law to be an enduring covenant between God and believers for all time and also believes the law to represent the way in which God has ordained for society to be run, though, I would have to consider myself a Theonomist in some fashion. Interestingly enough, I find myself in recent years to have found quite a few close friends of mine within the Church of God tradition who themselves have been (almost without knowing it, perhaps) engaging in serious research and Bible study on exactly these lines, and I have been the fond reader (and occasional implementer) of this research. What all of these lines of thinking, many proceeding from independent grounds, have in common is their start from the premise that God's law in its entirety remains a part of the covenant that Christians commit to by accepting a personal relationship with God. This idea of the covenant as containing within it the entirety of biblical law as revealed in scripture leads to interesting implications, and I will briefly examine some of them here.For example, one friend of mine has recently written a lengthy and quite authoritative study on the biblical precedent for self-defense springing from the case law of the Penteteuch. It follows that if that one considers that law to be authoritative and binding in its entirety for Christians today unless specifically revised by the New Testament, that self-defense remains a right, and the defense of innocent life remains a responsibility for Christians today. The only way one can sever the link is either through dubious interpretations of the NT that are themselves divorced from proper context, or through denying the validity of the entire Bible to the conduct of Christians. If one does not wish to obey God's commands, and is not willing to admit one's self as a sinner (as, unfortunately, is necessary for me to do quite often) one is left to partake of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and face the punishment of a rebel and a traitor to God's kingdom.Another friend of mine was a co-writer some years ago in a short book about Sabbath observance which has created quite a storm. Though I struggle to put into practice the ideals of that book about Sabbath observance, it did trigger some thinking about how people react when their actions fall short of the standards of, say, Nehemiah. A friend of mine, who disagreed quite strongly with the analysis and found the point of the research to be glaringly obvious (it is), nonetheless conceeded that if Christians are to be an example to the world that it would then follow that these recommendations would need to be followed. Are we not to be an example to the world? We have not been called to retreat from this world, though we are called to be different from the world even as we interact with the world and provide examples of how citizens of God's kingdom should behave, which would automatically make us an example, whether we want to be or not. What this means is sometimes difficult to determine, though it is something we should always keep in mind.Even in my own writings, without realizing it, I have examined matters from a Theonomic perspective. An example of this is in my work on the development of Christian virtue, in which I maintained that the development of Christian virtue comes through internalizing God's law such that it no longer becomes a list of do's and don'ts, but rather becomes so entrenched that one sees the law as a prompting to behave in love far beyond the minimum requirements of the law (see, for example, the way in which Boaz surpassed the minimum requirement of allowing Ruth to glean and was prompted to show great generosity to her without shaming her). It is in this sense that the law remains, not as a billy club to pound others for not being obedient, but rather as a way to develop, through the habit of obedience, the very loving character of God Himself, so that we may become more like Him in the way in which we conduct our lives. It is also in this way that we can redeem our own families and congregations, one life at a time.Perhaps it is in this way that my agreement with the Theonomists is most profound, because it is not something to be done from the top-down, but rather from the bottom-up, and all redemption must spring from the free choice of people, one at a time, to accept the divine offer of unmerited grace. It is only then that redemption can work its magic to heal the wounds of life in a fallen world, to turn repentant sinners into fitting examples of godly behavior, and to help redeem the curse that has fallen upon this world.
Posted by Nathan at 1:51 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Theonomy

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

On Thankfulness
As Thanksgiving approaches, I have thought (naturally) about the subject of thankfulness and gratitude, and apparently it is not a subject I have ever talked about directly in this particular blog, so I would like to correct that notable oversight. Thinking about the things one has to be grateful for is a useful task, a balance to the sort of complaints that are sometimes a bit too quick to come. Though this almost-completed year has had a lot of stress, I have many things to be very thankful for, and while this is not a complete list, it should at least serve as a start.*Start the drumroll*I would first like to thank God (a good place to start), because while this year has been crazy, stresfull, and full of ups and downs, it has also been full of a lot of much-needed lessons, and much-needed love. I'm not sure where some of the parts of my life are going, but I am thankful to be alive, in good health, with people who love me (more on that below). I consider much of these developments to be due to the grace of God and not my own modest skill.I would also like to thank my family this year, both in the physical and spiritual sense. As I have detailed in at least one post, I have had a difficult time with some members of my family this year, but getting some issues out in the open helped me (and they) realize that our love for each other was present, even if it was not always recognized. I get the feeling my family is always going to be the source of some drama in my life, but things are much easier to deal with when you can see the love. My spiritual family in South America this year was also especially warm and loving, and helped me to see that some of the issues I struggle with have at the base of them a lack of recognition of love, and are much easier to deal with in the context of loving relationships with other people. We were not made to be alone, but were made to live in a nexus of warm and affectionate relationships.Speaking of relationships, the feast in Mendoza has given me a very unusual one with a very lovely young lady named Cony. I cannot call her my girlfriend, as she is not, but in being a sweet and loving and affectionate young lady, full of kind words, a gentle touch, and an open heart, she showed me something very important that I needed to learn, and taught me that underneath all of the scars that there is a loving, tender, and even brave heart within me, and that I have the capacity to love and feel loved in return, and that is a gift I greatly treasure, even if I don't really know how to handle it at this point, as I'm still trying to sort it all out. Again, this blessing was not due to my own doing, but rather was a gift from God through a sweet young lady who I hope I always have the chance to chat with.I must also give some thanks to other friends that I have, as they have patiently listened to me tell my complicated stories, help me figure out what it means, and been generally supportive even in difficult times. A good friend is one who celebrates with those who laugh, and cries with those who mourn, and there has been plenty of both this year to be had. My friends have given me some welcome advice, helped me calm down my rather tense nerves, and given congratulations (and the occasional warning) when necessary, as well as giving many recommendations on books to read, podcasts to listen to, and so on. Without such friends in my life, I would certainly be a lot worse off. Even a kvetchy sort like myself has much to be thankful for, and so do you.

UCG Blog - Brave Anonymous Poster

I wanted to let you know about another UCG blog. I put one of this bloggers spiritual articles and one of his personal articles. His blog is here

http://braveanonymousposter.blogspot.com/
if you'd like to visit it.

I've been seeing the advertisment for this book for a few weeks now...
I haven't read it, and probably won't, but the sales pitch is really something.This Joe Kovacs fellow has discovered a few things in the bible that God's Church has been teaching for years.
Notice:Did you know?
Jesus said no one has gone to heaven except Himself
"Christmas" is not mentioned in the Bible
"Three Wise Men" appear nowhere in the Bible,
and none are ever mentioned visiting baby Jesus in a Bethlehem manger
The Bible doesn't say Jesus died on a Friday,
or rose from the grave Sunday morning
There were not just two of every kind of animal aboard Noah's Ark
I'm a bit tempted to order the book, just to see how close to the truth he gets. Right now I get the feeling that this book will appeal to the bible hobbyist. Some folks are big on trivia and they will read this so they can "know" things that their friends don't.Oh well....who knows, some of it might stick.

After almost 23 years and 300,000 miles, it's time to part.
It's amazing how guys get attached to their trucks, isn't it? I've lived in 3 different cities but my trusty '86 Ranger has been with me the whole time. I had no idea I'd have that truck for so long, but that's how things worked out.I never had any real problems with it either. It was a very dependable vehicle. I've hauled gravel, horse manure, plywood, animals, mechanical equipment, you name it, it's been in the bed of that truck. I've dragged the boat to and from the lake countless times. Couldn't use 5th gear while towing the boat, but hey, no biggie....lol.....28mpg is worth it (not while towing the boat, just normal highway driving).I hear that Ford is discontinuing the Ranger after the 2009 model. I suspect that a similar truck will be offered but under a different name. Probably a truck they sell in Europe or somewhere now will be re-badged and sold here.Actually, all of this nostalgia is not so much about the truck, but thinking back over the last 23 years. Memories of life, family and what all. Parting with something that played a part in your life tends to bring back memories. My son LOVED to go ride in "dad's truck". It was a monumental event when he was big enough to ride in it without the booster seat! I taught him how to drive in that truck. He eventually got the use of it all through high school and it went off to college with him too. I think he put the last 100,000 miles on it....lolWell, we bought him a car when he got his degree, so I got my old truck back. I'd drive it around town here a couple of days a week, just to keep it from sitting up. Lack of use will ruin a vehicle quicker than anything. The Mrs. had been on me to "sell that old thing" for the last year or so, and I finally relented.I advertised it on Thursday, and sold it the next day. I had no idea people would line up to purchase something so old and with so many miles on it. Honestly, I had a waiting list of buyers. The first one took it so I had to call 3 people back after that to tell them that it was sold. (I stopped taking names after 3, I told everyone after that to call back on Monday and I'd let them know if it was still available) The disappointment in their voices was profound. The truck was in exceptional condition considering it's age and mileage, but still, it won't last forever.Anyway.....the Ranger I drive now has almost 200,000 miles on it....who knows, in a few years I may get to do this all over again!

Life Nets Calendar

I wanted to let you know about this link which is from the charity LifeNets, that is run by a UCG member Victor Kubik. You can print this out and visit his website http://lifenets.org/newsletter/ if you'd like!

Calendars here
2009 Calendar
2009 Calendar (higher rez)

Twitter II

I previously sent an article describing Twitter here http://brianleesblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/guide-to-twitter.html
and wanted to send you this article below which continues the description. I hope you find this tool interesting!


Twitter II

[Scroll down and the majority of those not picture are not following you or anyone for that matter - why matter? see below]

You may want to quickly mention it so they sign in again to find you. And a link on your blog would help them to, a lot of them are not following you. Twitter will quickly become useless to them if they don't understand they will leave it in the waste bin of Internet Explorer. If you want them, then you have to hold their hand a bit at first. I've tried to follow them through an account that is mainly to give out the show details [which as you tweet more will become obsolete]. Hopefully they will see that and see links to other people and grow their Twitter universe from there.

By my rough count 48 people signed up for Twitter that didn't know immediately how to follow you so they are alone, not following anyone and no one following them. 48 that mentioned they are on Twitter after hearing your show. There may be more that I don't know how to track. Now there are others for sure that were able to find and follow you quite well. Probably if you look at the 883 followers you now have @hughhewitt, most likely the ones without a picture heard about it and fortunately knew how to find you on twitter.

But fresh Twitter-ers right out of the box are in the wilderness. And sorry, but you keep telling people to look up the wrong stuff. I've heard you several times saying "go to twitter.com and look up hughhewitt no space at twitter.com" [which equals: hughhewitt@twitter.com - you did this for @Lileks yesterday] That will get them no where quickly. The browser will shoot nothing back for them. You've got to tell them to do a google search by typing hughhewitt no space and twitter. Or you've to to link to it:

@hughhewitt
@HHRadio
@hughhewittblog
@Radioblogger
@atomyoungman

And in a tweet, you have to add the @ sign before the person's twitter name:

"Smoking a cigar with @Lileks"
"Waiting for @mkhammer to pick up the cell" <---That's Mary Katharine Hammer
"Can't believe @guybenson wore the pink shirt"

That will make their twitter name a link to their Twitter page for people to check the profile and see if they want to add.