Thursday, March 31, 2005

Turning Dreams into Action

Ouida and I hope you can join us in attending in this seminar. We've heard some very enthusiastic reports of its value from some of our friends who attended it in January.



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Marriage Enrichment Conference - "Becoming Noble Partners"
April 7-10, 2005, Dallas, TX


Are you ready to ignite passion and purpose in your marriage? This weekend conference is designed to encourage couples to work together to turn goals and dreams into actions by addressing the question, What is the one noble goal we must achieve in our marriage and family?

For more information [click here]

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Sharp Point of Fear

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.. (Prov 23:7)

What happens to you is important.
But, what you think
about the things that happen to you
is absolutely critical
and will
define your future.


We tend to get into cycles of reacting when people touch one of our core fears. It's takes courage to recognize, admit and walk into the face of those fears. But, if we begin to know ourselves, we can learn to respond in faith instead of reacting at the touch of the sharp point of fear. What makes you react?

The paradox of courage is that a man must be
a little careless of his life in order to keep it.
-- G.K. Chesterton

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Killing the Unwanted

My thesis is this: Whether or not the present war on the weak blossoms into a full-blown, irreversible culture of death has more to do with the ethics and character of the Church of Jesus Christ than it does with the rise of humanism, post-modernism, or any other ism. The Church is the centerpiece of history, the salt of the earth, and the primary means for restraining evil and blessing nations. When the people of God are faithful, focused, and unified, nations prosper — because we are not, chaos reigns. (“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people,” Proverbs 14:34.)

There are few significant statistical variances between the behavior of professing Christians and non-Christians on issues of family and life. A recent Barna report indicates that there are no fundamental differences in the training of children between Christians and non-Christians within our society.[iii] In the thirty-two-year wake of Roe v. Wade, we have witnessed the widespread acceptance by Christians of the belief that children are a burden, as well as the related acceptance of the use of abortifacient contraceptives. (No one knows the millions of souls that have been aborted by Christians simply through their use of the Pill.) Not surprisingly, TIME Magazine now reports that a majority of evangelicals support the forced dehydration and starvation of Terri Schiavo.[iv]

How this generation of pastors and parents respond to the murder of Terri may be one of the most important legacies we leave to our posterity. We must confront these issues head on, or we will risk searing the collective conscience of American Christians regarding the sanctity of life, thus opening a philosophical and legal floodgate of euthanasia, assisted suicide, and privatized eugenics in the form of ruthless killing of the disabled, the handicapped, the elderly, and the unwanted members of our society.
-- Doug Phillips at
Vision Forum

Monday, March 28, 2005

How to Bring Your Children to Christ

... In his new book, How to Bring Your Children to Christ, Ray Comfort says parents have a biblical mandate to teach their children about God; however, he asserts that too many mothers and fathers are abdicating that responsibility by sending their children to secular schools. "Parents need to think twice about who they're letting [teach] the children," the author says. "Even some Christian schools seem to lack some depth nowadays, so we need to be prayerful about who we allow to raise our children." As an alternative to a secular or substandard education, Comfort encourages parents to consider home schooling their children, not only to ensure their spiritual growth but to prepare them for what they may face in a secular university setting. "I preach open air and I witness a lot," the evangelist says, "and the most antagonistic and proud and self-righteous people are university students. I mean there's a brain drain -- their brains are getting drained as they get in the door. There are more atheists in universities than there are in secular society." Comfort urges parents to consider home education as the best opportunity for children to receive a solid, biblical foundation and Christian understanding of the world. -- agapepress.org

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Feeding on Plastic Baloney

Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 8:20)

Where have all the men gone? It seems almost incomprehensible that a nation of warriors would let a helpless woman be starved to death. “There was nothing I could do” is always the excuse. Yet, Corrie Ten Boom (almost an old woman) found a way to save a few from the Holocaust while her Minister did not have the courage to help (see “The Hiding Place”, by Corrie Ten Boom). Yet, what have I done? I’ve done nothing very demanding. I’ve prayed earnestly and sent a few emails. I was “too busy” to do more. Only handfuls of people did more. This is a clear demonstration that our churches are filled with “nice guys” rather than warriors.

Because of the lack of men of backbone in our churches, we continue to accept the killing of BABIES (also known by the latin word "fetus") for research, economics and convenience. Now we accept the starving of helpless men and women (vegetables?). Soon we may even tolerate the starving of our pet dog. There are too many churches and too many people wearing the label “Christian” to blame the judges. In reality, we know that the current sports event is more important than seeking the Lord and thirty minutes sleep is more important than hearing God. It is not the judges but the attitudes and votes of Christians for pleasure, entertainment and convenience which have brought our culture to this point.

Jesus laid down His life for us. We are called to the same sort of attitude. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” But, how many of us can even hear that call? Our churches are filled with deaf people who no longer listen for voice of the Lord. Instead of daily spending some dedicated time in seeking God, we rationalize that we pray constantly. Many preachers are more entertainers than expounders of God's Word. What plastic baloney we serve ourselves. Even Jesus frequently had to take time alone to seek God. Are we better men than Him? Jesus reaffirmed the Scripture that says, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD." Our nation is perishing, is killing itself, because we who call ourselves “Christians” no longer listen to the voice of the Lord our God. Let’s commit ourselves to getting some real spiritual nutrition instead of continuing to feed on plastic baloney.

Project:
Let’s commit to sincerely seeking, hearing and acting on God’s voice everyday.
Let’s ask God to give us the guts to act on what we hear.

Let’s pray, “Lord, do whatever is necessary to correct our priorities.”

Friday, March 25, 2005

WorldNetDaily: Terri Schiavo and the resurrection

WorldNetDaily: Terri Schiavo and the resurrection: "However, if the Easter message is true and Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, then we are forced to think about the life of Terri Schiavo, the unborn baby, traditional marriage and other issues from a different perspective. At the core of every major social and moral debate in America today lies this issue. It is an issue that transcends any Supreme Court ruling. The media would attempt to deify the Supreme Court, the opinions of doctors and the legal system. But the message of Easter and the claims of Christ's resurrection echo through history that the real Supreme Court is not based on earth but in heaven, and in the final analysis this is the only court whose decision will ultimately stand."

WorldNetDaily: Terri's crucifixion

WorldNetDaily: Terri's crucifixion

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

One Witness

but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. (Numbers 35:30)


How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. (Ps 41:1)

Project:

* Let us pray for God's perspective of and heart for
the unborn, the handicapped, and the elderly.
* Pray for protection, mercy and grace for Terri Schiavo and those like her.


May God give us His heart of compassion, His will to fight and His Spirit to stand against heartless forces that put convenience, money or status ahead of love, mercy and life. Love has and will overcome evil.

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