MOVE OVER, SATAN!

Daniel 4:30-33

2009-05-13T17:37:00.003-04:00

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

JEREMIAH CHAPTER 1:4

2009-03-20T19:32:00.006-04:00

¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;

and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee,

and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak:

for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me,

Say not, I am a child:

for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee,

and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Be not afraid of their faces:

for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Then the LORD put forth his hand,

and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me,

Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

See, I have this day set thee over the nations

and over the kingdoms,

to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy,

and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Jeremiah, what seest thou?

And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen:

for I will hasten my word to perform it.

And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot;

and the face thereof is toward the north.

Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north

an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

2006-12-20T14:44:00.000-05:00

Letter from Jesus:

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that, let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

4. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

5. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile - it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local suicide hot-line: they talk with people like that every day.

6. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

7. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

8. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

PS - Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember,

I LOVE YOU -

~~ Jesus

Noah and His ARK...

2006-12-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

It is the year 2006 and Noah lives in the United States.
The Lord speaks to Noah and says:
"In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover
the whole earth with water until all is destroyed.
But I want you to save the righteous people and
two of every kind of living thing on earth.
Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark."
In a flash of lightening, God delivered the specifications
for the Ark. Fearful and trembling, Noah took the plans
and agreed to build the Ark.
"Remember," said the Lord, "You must complete
the Ark and bring everything aboard in one year."
Exactly one year later, a fierce storm cloud covered
the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult.
The Lord saw Noah sitting in his front yard weeping.
"Noah", He shouted, "Where is the Ark"?
"Lord, please forgive me!", cried Noah.
"I did my best, but there were big problems."
"First, I had to get a permit for construction
and your plans did not comply with the codes."
"I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans.
Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not
the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system and floatation devices. "
"Then, my neighbor objected, claiming I was
violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark
in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from
the City Planning Commission."
"I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark,
because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect
the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the U.S. Forest
Service that I needed the wood to save the owls.
However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won't let me
catch any owls. So, no owls!"
"The carpenters formed a union and went on strike.
I had to negotiate a settlement with the
National Labor Union. Now, I have 16 carpenters
on the Ark, but still no owls."
"When I started rounding up the other animals,
I got sued by an animal rights group.
They objected to me only taking two of each kind aboard."
"Just when I got the suit dismissed, the EPA
notified me that I could not complete the Ark
without filing an environmental impact statement
on your proposed flood."
"They didn't take very kindly to the idea that they
had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the
Creator of the Universe."
"Then the Army Corps of Engineers demanded a map
of the proposed new flood plain. I sent them a globe."
"Right now, I am trying to resolve a Complaint
filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
that I am practicing discrimination by
not taking godless, unbelieving people aboard!"
"The IRS has seized all of my assets,
claiming that I'm building the Ark in preparation
to flee the country to avoid paying taxes."
"I just got a notice from the State that I owe
some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark
as a "recreational watercraft."
"Finally, the ACLU got the Courts to issue
an injunction against further construction of the Ark,
saying that since God is flooding the earth,
it is a religious event and, therefore, unconstitutional."
"I really don't think I can finish the Ark
for another five or six years!", Noah wailed.
The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine,
and the seas began to calm. Even a rainbow
arched across the sky.
Noah looked up hopefully. "You mean you
aren't going to destroy the earth, Lord?"
"No," the Lord said sadly.
"The government already has!"

Are We Running Out of Time?

2006-12-11T17:35:00.000-05:00

The Basics of Islam

2006-11-29T06:55:00.000-05:00

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!

Allah or Jesus? ...by Rick Mathes

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance.
During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say.The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?"
There was no disagreement with my statements and without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!"
I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?"
The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
He sheepishly replied, "Yes."
I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr.Stanley ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!"
The Imam was speechless.

I continued, "I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be with me?"
You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head.
Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the "Diversification" training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim's beliefs.

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized.

This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry.

2006-10-23T13:32:00.000-04:00

---CLICK ON PHOTO 2 BETTER READ IT!

A Goosebumps Poem

2006-10-04T08:53:00.000-04:00

A drunken man in an Oldsmobile

They said had run the light

That caused the six-car pileup

On 109 that night.

When broken bodies lay about

"And blood was everywhere,"

"The sirens screamed out eulogies"

For death was in the air.

"A mother, trapped inside her car,"

Was heard above the noise;

Her plaintive plea near split the air:

"Oh, God, please spare my boys!"

She fought to loose her pinned hands;

"She struggled to get free,"

But mangled metal held her fast

In grim captivity.

Her frightened eyes then focused

"On where the back seat once had been,"

But all she saw was broken glass and

Two children's seats crushed in.

Her twins were nowhere to be seen;

"She did not hear them cry, "

"And then she prayed they'd been thrown free, "

"Oh, God, don't let them die! "

Then firemen came and cut her loose, "

"But when they searched the back, "

"They found therein no little boys, "

But the seat belts were intact.

They thought the woman had gone mad

"And was traveling alone, "

"But when they turned to question her, "

They discovered she was gone.

Policemen saw her running wild

And screaming above the noise

"In beseeching supplication, "

Please help me find my boys!

They're four years old and wear blue shirts;

"Their jeans are blue to match."

"One cop spoke up, ""They're in my car, "

And they don't have a scratch.

They said their daddy put them there

"And gave them each a cone, "

Then told them both to wait for Mom

To come and take them home.

"I've searched the area high and low, "

But I can't find their dad.

"He must have fled the scene, "

"I guess, and that is very bad."

"The mother hugged the twins and said, "

"While wiping at a tear, "

"He could not flee the scene, you see, "

"For he's been dead a year.

"The cop just looked confused and asked, "

"Now, how can that be true? "

"The boys said, ""Mommy, Daddy came "

"And left a kiss for you."

He told us not to worry

"And that you would be all right, "

And then he put us in this car with

"The pretty, flashing light. "

"We wanted him to stay with us, "

"Because we miss him so, "

"But Mommy, he just hugged us tight "

And said he had to go.

He said someday we'd understand

"And told us not to fuss, "

"And he said to tell you, Mommy, "

"He's watching over us."

The mother knew without a doubt

"That what they spoke was true, "

"For she recalled their dad's last words, "

" I will watch over you."

The firemen's notes could not explain

"The twisted, mangled car, "

And how the three of them escaped

Without a single scar.

"But on the cop's report was scribed, "

"In print so very fine, "

An angel walked the beat tonight on Highway 109.

The 7 Second Prayer

"Lord,

I love you and I need you,

come into my heart,

and bless my family, my home,

my friends, and myself."

Amen.

Reminds Me of R Current Situation

2006-09-20T13:05:00.000-04:00

A mouse looked through the crack
in the wall to see the farmer and his
wife open a package.
"What food might this contain?"
The mouse wondered - he was
devastated to discover it was a
mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard,
the mouse proclaimed the warning.
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched,
raised her head and said,
"Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is
a grave concern to you,
but it is of no consequence to me.
I cannot be bothered by it.
The mouse turned to the pig and told him,
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said,
"I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse,
but there is nothing I can do about it
but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said
"There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse.
I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house,
head down and dejected, to face the
farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night
a sound was heard throughout the house
like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see
what was caught. In the darkness,
she did not see it was a venomous snake
whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital
and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever
with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer
took his hatchet to the farmyard for
the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued,
so friends and neighbors came to sit with her
around the clock. To feed them, the farmer
butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not
get well; she died. So many people came
for her funeral, the farmer had the cow
slaughtered to provide enough meat
for all of them. The mouse looked upon
it all from his crack in the wall with
great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone
is facing a problem and think it doesn't
concern you, remember --
when one of us is threatened,
we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life.
We must keep an eye out for one another
and make an extra effort
to encourage one another.

Project Genesis

2006-09-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

Internal Corporate Correspondence :

To: General Director Jehovah From: Gabriel, Marketing Director
The market research conducted by our department for the Genesis project, shows that systems of the following configuration will generate the highest level of consumer enthusiasm:
Planet(s): 1
Radius: 3,000 km
Gravitational pull: 0.5g
Land/Water ratio: 1:1
Temperature: +24 C
Atmosphere: Oxygen
Oceans/Seas: Fresh Water
Rivers: Milk, Honey
Fauna: Herbivores
Peripherals: 2 luminary bodies, (for day, night).
Orbital Speed: 0.0007 RPM (1 revolution / 24h cycle)
Resolution:Forwarding to the strategy planning department for preparation. -- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Michael, Strategy Planning Manager
In order to minimize the overall project costs, I propose we power both luminary bodies using one energy source, and substitute Nitrogen for Oxygen.
Comments:Leave at least 50% of the oxygen - otherwise we run the risk of user suffocation.-- Raphael
25% Should suffice.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
In the course of our work on project Genesis, we have run into some difficulties (specifically in the "Let there be Light" phase of the project):
We do not currently have access to a source of uninterrupted light that can be channeled into two separate luminary bodies. I propose we utilize a standard "Red Dwarf" type light source for daytime illumination, and use a mirror for nighttime light.
Comments:Upgrade to "Yellow Dwarf". The cost differential is minimal, but aesthetically, the look is far more impressive. -- Gabriel (Marketing dept.)
But that's a multi-client light source! Why would the user need it for a single-planet system?-- Lucifer
The marketing department will tell to the user what he needs or doesn't need. -- Gabriel
Lucifer, please restrict your comments to questions within the field of your competence. I'm approving the "Yellow Dwarf". -- Jehovah
By the way, with the level of light output generated by a Yellow Dwarf, we can use a regular planetoid instead of a mirror.-- Michael
Agreed.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
The recent deviations from the specification introduced the following problems into the system:
The mass of the uninterruped light source is significantly greater than the mass of the planet. Due to this, the light source cannot be in orbit around the planet. Instead, it is the planet that is orbiting the light source.
Furthermore, due to the energy output of the light source, we are observing surface temperature that consistently exceeds the spec. by a factor of 2. However if we move the planet further away from the light source, the overall dimentions of the system will grow significantly.
Comments:A larger system will probably benefit us from the marketing standpoint, but the fact that the planet is rotating around a peripheral device may lead to self esteem issues on the part of the user. Could we perhaps change the Gravitational Constant to compensate?-- Gabriel
Changing the Gravitational Constant will result in compatibility problems down the line-- Michael
What difference is it to the user what orbits what? Let Marketing come up with some kind of theory of Relativity.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
After the increase in the orbital radius, all attempts to accelerate the planet to specified velocity have consistently lead to a system crash. (The planet escapes from orbit into outer space.)
By the way, the nighttime luminary exhibits the same behavior.
Comments:The internal behavior of the system is irrelevant. We must deliver on the user experience. Why not make the planet revolve around its own axis? The user will then think that both the Sun and the Moon are orbiting it with the speeds originally specified.-- Gabriel
Won't the user catch on?-- Jehovah
Even if he does, it won't be til' the project is long delivered.-- Gabriel
Agreed.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Raphael, QA & Support Lead
Initial testing has revealed the following defects:
1. We are observing consistent overheating.
2. The axis of revolution has shown a 33 deg. declination from the vertical, resulting in cyclic temperature anomalies.
3. The rivers' throughput falls far short of expectations.
4. Herbivore fauna (as specified) is missing.
5. The orbit is unstable. Planet tends to fall into the Sun.
Resolution:Forwarding to the tech. department for review. -- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
1. We are observing consistent overheating.What else did you expect with that Land/Water ratio? For proper cooling to occur we need a ration of 1:3 - 1:4.
2. The axis of revolution has shown a 33 deg. declination from the vertical, resulting in cyclic temperature anomalies.We're working on it.
The rivers' throughput falls far short of expectations.This is because milk curdles, and honey crystallizes.
Herbivore fauna (as specified) is missing.Hebivores require vegitation, which cannot grow in this heat without water. I propose to put water into the rivers. This should also help resolve problem (3).
The orbit is unstable. Planet tends to fall into the Sun.We will intoroduce another planet on a larger orbit to serve as a gravitational counterweight.
Comments:There's not enough room to reduce the landmass. We will have to increase the area of the oceans. This will result in a larger diameter and stronger gravitational pull. Plus the extra planet...-- Michael
That's allright, the user will just have to live with it. We will present the extra planet as an added feature. However, we have already announced the Milk and Honey, will have to at least leave them in the most prominent rivers.-- Gabriel
Let me remind you that the deadline for this project is fast approaching, and yet you are still beating a dead horse. Speaking of which, why have the designers not come up with a horse concept yet, and are still mucking about with the dinosaurs? Who needs these dinosaurs anyway?-- Jehovah
Generally speaking, the user has shown great interest in dinosaurs.-- Gabriel
Fine. But we must have horses too.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Raphael, QA & Support Lead
1. In addition to the unsolved problems with the axis, the planet now has the tendency to fly away into space.
2. Herbivores are missing again.
Resolution:Forwarding to the tech. department for review. -- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
1. In addition to the unsolved problems with the axis, the planet now has the tendency to fly away into space.We'll add another counterweight, this time on a smaller orbit.
2. Herbivores are missing again.They seem to have multiplied, ate all the vegitation and died out.
Comments:How many counterweights do you need?! -- Michael
All in all after the calibration we were able to stabilize the system at nine. -- Lucifer
Did I understand correctly? Instead of one planet the user will be getting 9?!-- Jehovah
So what? Eight of them will be uninhabitable anyway.-- Lucifer
The user doesn't need to know. Half of these planets cannot be seen without a telescope. I suggest ammending the user manual with an 11-th Commandment: "Thou Shalt Not Invent A Telescope".-- Gabriel
No. Then they will definitely invent it.-- Jehovah
By the way, after the orbital radius was increased, the brightness of the night-time light source fell below the specified minimum. I propose using a mirror after all. -- Raphael
Where were you before? We just finished balancing the system! Should we start over?-- Lucifer
There will be no starting over! The project deadline is in six days! Lucifer, either make it all work or you will be demoted and transferred to a different post.-- Jehovah

To: General Director Jehovah From: Lucifer, Head of System Technology Department
> Lucifer, either make it all work or you will> be demoted and transferred to a different post.
How is it my fault, if I didn't get a proper spec?
Anyway... The axis will have to stay angled as it is. The garden of Eden at least, will get +24C, but if the user goes wandering around elswhere, that's his problem. Doesn't look like we'll be able to finish the dinosaurs, but at least the horses will definitely be done. Milk and Honey are out, we made the rivers run with water, although it's bringing salt out into the oceans and seas. We had to introduce some Predators to keep the Herbivores from eating up all the vegetation again. However, we didn't have time to set the predators up to distinguish the users from their prey.
In short, it will all probably work out.
Comments:Let it be so. -- Jehovah

Epilogue
The head of System Technology Department, Lucifer, was in the end demoted and transferred, as punishment for unsanctioned assistance lent to the user in the usability testing phase of project Genesis.

2006-08-11T13:38:00.000-04:00

This is Great:
GOD'S YELLOW PAGES

Carrot-egg-cup of coffee

2006-08-02T12:01:00.000-04:00

A young woman went to her mother
and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going
to make it and wanted to give up
She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed as one problem was solved,
a new one arose. Her mother took her
to the kitchen. She filled three pots
with water and placed each on a high
fire. Soon the pots came to boil.
In the first she placed carrots,
in the second she placed eggs,
and in the last she placed ground
coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil-
without saying a word. In about
twenty minutes she turned off the
burners. She fished the carrots out
and placed them in a bowl. She pulled
the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and

placed it in a bowl. Turning to her
daughter, she asked, "Tell me
what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee,"

she replied.
Her mother brought her closer
and asked her to feel the carrots.
She did and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter
to take an egg and break it.
After pulling off the shell,
she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the
daughter to sip the coffee.
The daughter smiled as she tasted
its rich aroma The daughter
then asked, "What does it mean,
mother?" Her mother explained
that each of these objects had
faced the same adversity:
BOILING WATER!
Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard,
and unrelenting. However,
after being subjected to the boiling
water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile.
Its thin outershell had protected
its liquid interior, but after
sitting through the boiling water,
its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were
unique, however. After they
were in the boiling water, they had
changed the water.

"Which are you?"
she asked her daughter. "When
adversity knocks on your door,
how do you respond? Are you a
carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong,
but with pain and adversity do I
wilt and become soft and lose
my strength? Am I the egg that
starts with a malleable heart,
but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after
a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship or some other trial,
have I become hardened and stiff?
Does my shell look the same,
but on the inside am I bitter and
tough with a stiff-spirit and
hardened heart? Or am I like
the coffee bean? The bean
actually changes the hot water,
the very circumstance that
brings the pain. When the water
gets hot, it releases the fragrance
and flavor. If you are like the bean,
when things are at their worst,
you get better and change the
situation around you.When
the hour is the darkest and
trials are their greatest, do you
elevate yourself to another level?
How do you handle adversity?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean? May you have enough
happiness to make you sweet,
enough trials to make you strong,
enough sorrow to keep you
human and enough hope to
make you happy. The happiest of
people don't necessarily have the
best of everything; they just
make the most of everything
that comes along their way. The
brightest future will always be
based on a forgotten past; you can't
go forward in life until you let go
of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were
crying and everyone around you was
smiling. Live your life so at the end,
you're the one who is smiling and
everyone around you is crying!

2006-07-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

For nearly three weeks, war has raged in northern Israel — a war begun by Hezbollah terrorists committed to the destruction of Israel, the Jewish people and democracy.
Immediately after the first rocket was fired into Israel, Fellowship staff began responding. Taking calls from mayors in distress because they didn’t have the resources to help people in their cities. . . . Locating food, bedding, flak jackets, water, and other basics for survival for municipal workers and families now living in bomb shelters. . . . Delivering the supplies and a message that Israel is not forgotten by the world because Christians and Jews in America care and are responding with outstretched hands.
Understandably, our staff are weary. They have literally had to run for their lives when the sirens sounded, and have worked around the clock to make sure Israelis in the north have at least the minimum for survival. This is on top of working constantly in a country where a suicide bomber is a very real possibility on any street corner or city bus or in any store or restaurant.
Will you send a message of encouragement — and appreciation — to Fellowship staff in Israel? We have prepared a special electronic card that we will make sure is delivered to them. But we want your name on it! Please add your name and email address to our note of encouragement to the Israeli people. We'll make sure our staff in Israel — including Rabbi Eckstein who is there right now — know of your prayers, your love and your gratitude.
"Sign" the card today!

The struggle in Israel is very real and very exhausting — but all of us at The Fellowship are committed to seeing it through and keeping Israel a strong and safe homeland for the Jewish people. Please stand with our colleagues in their time of need.
Thank you!Fellowship Chicago Staff

Read on-the-ground reports from our staff in Israel.

Support our Israel Emergency Fund.

Remember---

2006-07-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

L-O-V-E

2006-07-26T07:52:00.000-04:00

NoOne Has a Problem Spending It

2006-07-12T08:41:00.000-04:00

And Remember:

'Good friends are like stars.
You don't always see them,
but you know they are there!

2006-07-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

The Lord took my new friend-

I was talking to him at 9:00 on Friday night,

he seemed fine.

He was going across the street to have a few beers,

came home,

used the restroom,

and died!

I just met him a couple of weeks ago,

he seemed like a really cool person.

Always smiling, always cracking jokes!

I thought he would make a good friend!

His name was DAVID

He was only 37----

his birthday is next week,

sooooo young!

He leaves behind a wife,

step-daughter of 15,

and a son of 11.

He will be Missed!!!

I hope he has gone to a better place!

ON THE DEATH OF A FRIEND

Extend your hand, dear God,

to an approaching disciple.

You will know him (as you do already),

a servant of truth and mankind.

This comrade of mine,

always a candidate for your affection,

entered the reality of death and

separation from us without misgiving,

without illusion, heart full of love,

patiently to await a joyous reunion

with his eternal mate. To you, dear God,

I humbly commend him,

this friend of hope and understanding.

He needs no words of welcome,

a simple embrace will suffice

to reconcile and forgive,

to envelope him within

Christ's great atonement and

create the wholeness made real

only through it and his mortality.

One fine day, on a high hill or its

heavenly equivalent, may I embrace him,

expressing gratitude to thee and

to him for his life's enrichment of mine.

Samuel L. Holmes

2006-06-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Monsignor Advice

A new priest at his first mass

was so nervous he could hardly speak.

After mass he asked the monsignor

how he had done. The monsignor replied,

when I am worried about getting

nervous on the pulpit, I put

a glass of vodka next to the water glass.

If I start to get nervous, I take a sip

So next Sunday he took the

monsignor’s advice. At the beginning

of the sermon, he got nervous

and took a drink. He proceeded to

talk up a storm. Upon his return

to his office after the mass, he found

the following note on the door.

1. Sip the vodka, don’t gulp.

2. There are 10 commandments, not 12.

3. There are 12 disciples, not 10.

4. Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.

5. Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.

6. We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.

7. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not

referred to as Daddy, Junior and the spook.

8. David slew Goliath; he did not

kick the shit out of him.

9. When David was hit by a rock and was

knocked off his donkey,don’t say he

was stoned off his ass.

10. We do not refer to the cross as the Big T.

11. When Jesus broke the bread at the

last supper he said, take this and eat it for

it is my body. He did not say eat me.

12.The Virgin Mary is not called

Mary with the Cherry.

13.The recommended grace before a meal

is not Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub,

Yeah God!!!

In God We Trust

2006-06-08T07:53:00.000-04:00

This Came In a E-Mail:
You may have heard in the news
that a couple of Post Offices in Texas
have been forced to take down
small posters that say
"IN GOD WE TRUST,"
The law, they say, is being violated.
I heard proposed on a radio station show,
that we should all write
"IN GOD WE 'TRUST"
on the back of all our mail -After all,
that is our national motto,
and it's on all the money we use
to buy those stamps.
We must take back our nation
from all the people who think that
anything that offends them
should be removed.
If you like this idea, please pass the word on
and DO IT!!!
The idea of writing or stamping
"IN GOD WE TRUST"
on our envelopes sounds good to me.
It has been reported that
86% of Americans believe in God.
Therefore, I have a very hard time
understanding why there is such a mess
about having
"In God We Trust"
on our money and having God
in the pledge of Allegiance.
Could it be that WE just need to
take action and tell the 14%
to "sit down and shut up"?
WRITE IT ON
THE BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES
I THINK THIS A GREAT IDEA.
I WILL START WRITING THIS
ON FRONT OF THEM, TOO!
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Oregon student newspaper runs pictures of Jesus ----> as a homosexual. It is time to SPEAK OUT!

2006-05-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

The Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) has refused to apologize for an obscene anti-Christian assault in the campus newspaper Insurgent. The March edition of the Insurgent ran one of the strongest attacks on Christianity I have seen. The paper ran graphics depicting Jesus as a homosexual. One was a depiction of a naked Jesus on the cross with an erection; the other, titled Resurrection, showed a naked Jesus kissing another naked man, both sporting erections . We warn you that they are extremely offensive. We have pixilated out the private parts.) When asked for an apology by Students of Faith, ASUO refused to give one saying that "there are no grounds for demanding an apology from Insurgent." The ASUO went on to defend the publication saying that the newspaper contributes "to the cultural and physical development of the university community." The Insurgent would never show a naked graphic of the Rev. Martin Luther King kissing another man, both sporting erections. But offending Christians was of no concern to the Insurgent or to University President Dave Frohmayer. The ASUO Women's Center tolerates no defamation against gays and lesbians. Three years ago, ASUO demanded that the university radio station, KUGN, drop Michael Savage (a conservative talk show host). The university promptly discontinued the program. But depicting Jesus as a homosexual is perfectly OK. Here is what Insurgent Student Editor Jessica Brown had to say about the graphics. "I have to say it is really fun to offend people. It is fun to break the rules. If it pisses people off…good that's the point!!! It has here in this office. So read, get pissed and talk about it." Incidentally, the University forces all students, including Christians, to pay student dues of $191.00 per term, part of which goes to support the Insurgent.
Take Action
Send an email letter to the Governor, University President and other Oregon officials protesting this anti-Christian bigotry. Very important! Please PASS this to your friends and family. It is important for them to become aware of the growing anti-Christian bias in our country. It is time for Christians to speak out saying that bigotry against Christians—or any faith—is unacceptable. Share this information with others in your church and Sunday school.
Click Here to Email Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski Now!

If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon,

Founder and Chairman

American Family Association

2006-05-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

and who couldn't use a miracle?!

2006-05-05T08:03:00.000-04:00

Someone has said that, if Christians really
understood the full extent of the power we
have available through prayer,
we might be speechless.
In W.W.II there was an advisor to Churchill
who organized a group of people who dropped
what they were doing every day at a prescribed
hour for one minute to collectively pray for
the safety of England, its people and peace.
There is now a group of people organizing the
same thing here in America. If you would like
to participate:
Every evening at 9:00 pm Eastern Time
(8:00 pm Central) (6:00 pm Pacific),
stop whatever you are doing and spend
one minute praying for the
safety of the United States,
our troops, our citizens,
and for peace in the world.

If you know anyone else who would like
to participate, please pass this along.
Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.
Together, we "CAN" make a difference!
Thank You, and God Bless America.

Webburgled from: so let it be written...

2006-05-04T18:14:00.000-04:00

Your Life Path Number is 5

Your purpose in life is to life freely and collect experiences.

You love life - new adventures, new people, new ideas.
You are very curious, and you crave novelty in all forms.
You tend to make friends easily, and you enjoy the company of all types of people.

In love, you are fun and even a bit intoxicating. But you won't stick around for long.

You are impulsive and spontaneous - which sometimes leads you to do things you regret.
Sometimes you can be overindulgent with food, sex, or drugs.
You have many talents, so many that you are often scattered and unfocused.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

I see many MANY of these tests

on blogs~

I like this one, it is the

easiest one yet!

thanx green!

To Realize

2006-05-04T08:35:00.000-04:00

2 Realize:

The value of a sister

Ask someone

Who doesn't have one.

To realizeThe value of ten years:

Ask a newlyDivorced couple.

To realizeThe value of four years:

Ask a graduate.

To realizeThe value of one year:

Ask a student whoHas failed a final exam.

To realizeThe value o f nine months:

Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realizeThe value of one month:

Ask a motherwho has given birth to a premature baby.

To realizeThe value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realizeThe value of one minute:

Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize The value of one-second:

Ask a personWho has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when

you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:

LOSE ONE.

The origin of this letter is unknown,

Peace, love and prosperity to all!

Remember...

hold on tight to the ones you love!

THE SNEEZE

2006-05-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

They walked in tandem,
each of the ninety-two students
filing into the already crowded
auditorium, with rich maroon gowns
flowing, and the traditional caps, they
looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles,
and Moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would not pray during the
commencements----not by choice, but
because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The principal and several students were
careful to stay within the guidelines
allowed by the ruling.

They gave inspirational and challenging
speeches, but no one mentioned divine
guidance and no one asked for blessings
on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine
.....until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly
to the microphone. He stood still and
silent for just a moment, and then,
it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them,
suddenly SNEEZED!!!!

The student on stage simply looked at
the audience and said,
"GOD BLESS YOU,
each and every one of you!"
And he walked off stage...

The audience exploded into applause.
The graduating class found
a unique way to invoke God's blessing
on their future
with or without
the court's approval.

Isn't this a wonderful story?
In God We Trust, United We SHOULD Stand.

This is a true story; happened at the Universityof Maryland.

This came in an e-mail

The reason I posted it

is because I don't believe

ANY COURT should be

allowed this kind of

C O N T R O L

over people!

Isn't that what FREEDOM

is all ABOUT?

Just Gotta Walk

2006-04-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

This man is

walking the World

for Peace.

Please pass him on

so that he can reach

his destination.

Say a prayer

he makes it,

then pass this link

on to others!

2006-04-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

For the earth shall be filled

with the knowledge of the

glory of the LORD,

as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

2006-04-21T09:18:00.000-04:00

Revelation 18:8
Therefore shall her plagues
come in one day,
death, and mourning, and famine;
and she shall be utterly
burned with fire:
for strong is the
Lord God who judgeth her.

James 1:11

2006-04-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

For the sun is no sooner risen
with a burning heat,
but it withereth the grass,
and the flower thereof falleth,
and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth:
so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

2006-04-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

As Jonah was
three days and
three nights in
the whale’s belly;
so shall the
Son of man
be three days
and three nights
in the heart
of the earth”
Matt 12:40

2006-04-13T07:28:00.000-04:00

GOD'S MOST PERFECT CREATION

2006-04-12T10:42:00.000-04:00

...and were NOT talkin VODKA!!!

2006-04-09T12:10:00.000-04:00

2006-04-05T08:53:00.000-04:00

Revelation 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;

and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,

nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:

for the former things are passed away.

IN THE BEGINING

2006-04-04T06:52:00.000-04:00

BABY FEET

2006-04-03T08:46:00.000-04:00

2006-04-01T18:01:00.000-05:00

A fifth grade teacher in a Christian school
asked her class to look at TV commercials
and see if they could use them in some way
to communicate ideas about God.
Here are some of the results:
God is like..BAYER ASPIRIN
He works miracles.
God is like...a FORD
He's got a better idea.
God is like...COKE
He's the real thing.
God is like...HALLMARK CARDS
He cares enough to send His very best.
God is like...TIDE
He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God is like...GENERAL ELECTRIC
He brings good things to life.
God is like...SEARS
He has everything.
God is like...ALKA-SELTZER
Try him, you'll like Him!
God is like...SCOTCH TAPE
You can't see him, but you know He's there.
God is like...DELTA
He's ready when you are.
God is like...ALLSTATE
You're in good hands with Him.
God is like...VO-5 Hair Spray
He holds through all kinds of weather.
God is like...DIAL SOAP
Aren't you glad you have Him?
Don't you wish everybody did?
God is like...the U.S. POST OFFICE
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice
will keep Him from His appointed destination.

BLESSINGS FROM MY HOUSE 2 U'rs!

Good Chills~

2006-03-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

A young man had been to Wednesday night
Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about
listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice.
The young man couldn't help but wonder,
"Does God still speak to people?" After service
he went out with some friends for coffee and
pie and they discussed the message. Several
different ones talked about how God had led
them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock
when the young man started driving home.
Sitting in his car, he just began to pray,
"God...If you still speak to people speak to me.
I will listen. I will do my best to obey." As he
drove down the main street of his town,
he had the strangest thought to stop and
buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and
said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get
a reply and started on toward home. But again,
the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young
man thought about Samuel and how he didn't
recognize the voice of God, and how little
Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that
is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like
too hard a test of obedience. He could always
use the milk. He stopped and purchased the
gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the
urge, "Turn Down that street. "This is crazy "
he thought and drove on past the intersection.
Again, he felt that he should turn down
Seventh Street. At the next intersection,
he turned back and headed down Seventh.
Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will".
He drove several blocks, when suddenly,
he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to
the curb and looked around. He was in semi
commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but
it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either.
The businesses were closed and most of the
houses looked dark like the people were
already in bed. Again, he sensed something,
"Go and give the milk to the people in the
house across the street." The young man looked
at the house. It was dark and it looked like the
people were either gone or they were already
asleep. He started to open the door and then
sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane.
Those people are asleep and if I wake them up,
they are going to be mad and I will look stupid."
Again, he felt like he should go and give the
milk. Finally, he opened the door,
"Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door
and I will give them the milk, if you want me
to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be
obedient. I guess that will count for something
but if they don't answer right away, I am out
of here." He walked across the street and rang
the bell. He could hear some noise inside.
A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do
you want?" Then the door opened before the
young man could get away. The man was standing
there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he
just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his
face and he didn't seem too happy to have some
stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk,
"Here, I brought this to you." The man took the
milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from
down the hall came a woman carrying the milk
toward the kitchen. The man was following her
holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man
had tears streaming down his face. The man began
speaking and half crying, "We were just praying.
We had some big bills this month and we ran
out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby.
I was just praying and asking God to show me
how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen
yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some.
Are you an Angel?" The young man reached
into his wallet and pulled out all the money he
had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned
and walked back toward his car and the tears were
streaming down his face. He knew that God still
answers prayers.
This came 2 me as an e-mail!!!

2006-03-25T07:49:00.000-05:00

An ATHEIST ...

2006-03-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

...was taking a walk through the woods.

What majestic trees!

What powerful rivers!

"What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river

he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.

He turned to look.

He saw a 7-foot grizzly charging towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path.

He looked over his shoulder and

saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again,

and the bear was even closer.

He tripped and fell on the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up

but saw the bear right on top of him,

reaching for him with his left paw

and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out:

"Help me God!..."

Time stopped! The bear froze!

The forest went silent!

As a bright light shone upon the man,

a voice came out of the sky:

"You deny my existence for all of these years,

teach others I don't exist,

and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.

Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?

Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light,

"It would be hypocritical of me to

suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now,

but perhaps could you make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out.

The sounds of the forest resumed.

...And then the bear dropped his right paw,

brought both paws together

and bowed his head and spoke:

Lord, bless this food,

which I am about to receive

from thy bounty through Christ our Lord,

Amen!

A GLASS OF MILK

2006-03-22T08:58:00.000-05:00

One day, a poor boy who was

selling goods from door to door

to pay his way through school,

found he had only one thin dime left,

and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal

at the next house. However, he lost

his nerve when a lovely young woman

opened the door. Instead of a meal

he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry

so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it so slowly, and then asked,

How much do I owe you?

"You don't owe me anything,"

she replied. "Mother has taught us

never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house,

he not only felt stronger physically,

but his faith in God and man was strong also.

He had been ready to give up and quit.

Many year's later that same young woman

became critically ill. The local doctors

were baffled. They finally sent her to

the big city, where they called in

specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in

for the consultation. When he heard

the name of the town she came from,

a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went

down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown

he went in to see her.

He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room

determined to do his best to

save her life. From that day he gave

special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office

to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something

on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure

it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all.

Finally she looked, and something

caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words ...

"Paid in full with one glass of milk"

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as

her happy heart prayed:

"Thank You,God, that Your love

has spread broad through

human hearts and hands.

There's a saying which goes

something like this:

Bread cast on the waters comes back to you.

The good deed you do today

may benefit you or someone you love

at the least expected time.

If you never see the deed again

at least you will have made

the world a better place -

And, after all, isn't that what

life is all about?

The hardest thing to learn in life

is which bridge to cross and which --

To burn!

2006-03-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

2006-03-17T08:24:00.000-05:00

Hatred stirreth up strifes:
but love covereth all sins!

2006-03-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

2006-03-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

I refuse to apologize to the world
for my nation’s greatness,
for the blood sweat and tears of
my ancestors made it so! I refuse
to feel guilty for the U.S. bombs
that saved nations from despotism,
for it was necessary to preserve
hard-won freedoms. I refuse to
permit radical fringe groups to alter
my culture, for no rights are
afforded to any, in opposition to the
will of the majority. I refuse to be
told when and where I can pray,
and I will pray to whomever I wish,
whenever and wherever I wish!!!
I refuse to permit my nation to be
overrun with illegal immigrants,
for they had no part in building the
society they now seek to exploit!!!
I refuse to permit
disingenuous politicians
to distort my nation’s history and
subvert my nation’s objectives
in the world, to further their selfish
political agendas.
I pledge my allegiance to the flag,
of The United States of America,
and to The Republic for which it stands,
one nation, under God,
with liberty and justice for all!

2006-03-08T06:58:00.000-05:00

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

So............If you a! re a loving friend, send this to everyone, including the one that sent it to you. If you get it back, then they really do love you.

And always remember....when life hands you Lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!

2006-03-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

Psalm 22:27

All the ends of the world

shall remember and turn

unto the LORD: and all

the kindreds of the nations

shall worship before thee.

2006-03-03T12:51:00.002-05:00

Good as Gold!

2006-03-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

beauty

2006-02-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

2006-02-22T08:45:00.000-05:00

"My fellow citzens of the world...
ask NOT what America will
do for you, but what together
we can do for the freedom of man."
............................- John F. Kennedy

2006-02-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

When we come to the edge of the light
and are about to step off into
the darkness of the unknown,
of this we can be sure ...

either God will

provide something solid to stand on
~or....

we will be taught to fly!

1 Kings 14:24

2006-02-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

There were even
male shrine prostitutes in the land;
the people engaged in
all the detestable practices of
the nations the LORD had
driven out before the Israelites.

2006-02-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

...
I received this e-mail:

My son is at

the same base that the helicopter

that went down in Afghanistan
flew out of. He said he saw them load
and leave, never to return again.

Our troops need our prayers....
Respectfully asking...
Nancy Tirello

Hear my heart and join with me in prayer,
I believe you will be blessed and our troops
will have a wall of God's protection around them.
Phil 4:6

The war in Iraq
is getting more intense again.

We need to continue to pray as long
as our troops are giving their time and

their lives for everyones' benefit.

Hold these precious troops daily

in our prayers.

God bless our Troops.
Please pass on the word after a short prayer!

Prayer wheel for our soldiers, sailors, and airmen...
"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands
Protect them as they protect us. Bless them
and their families for the selfless acts they
perform for us in our time of need. I ask this
in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Amen."
Say a prayer for our troops (land, air, and sea)
in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and around the world.
Of all the gifts you could give the US Military,
Prayer is the very best one.....

ALWAYS KEEP OUR MEN AND WOMEN
IN YOUR PRAYERS.

God's Boxes

2006-02-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

I have in my hands two boxes,Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why, And I saw,
in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me..."
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?"
My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go.
"We should consider all of our friends a blessing."
A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Daily Prayer

2006-01-23T23:39:00.000-05:00

Please God, put your arms around my shoulders
...and your hand over my mouth!

Happy Friends week!!!

Many people will walk in and out of your life.
Only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.

He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all!
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough
2 make them all yourself.

Friends, you and me......
You brought another friend,
.... And then there were 3 .
We started our group ..
Our circle of friends....
There is no beginning or end...!

Yesterday is history!
Tomorrow is a mystery!
Today is a gift!
CHERISH IT!

The Plane Ride...

2006-01-21T23:31:00.000-05:00

I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for
everyone to hurry and stow their carry-ons
and grab a seat so we could start what I was
sure to be a long, uneventful flight home.
With the huge capacity and slow moving
people taking their time to stuff luggage far
too big for the overhead and never paying
much attention to holding up the growing line
behind them, I simply shook my head knowing
that this flight was not starting out very well.
I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones
so I was focused on my issues and just felt like
standing up and yelling for some of these
clowns to get their act together.

I knew I couldn't say a word so I just thumbed
thru the "Sky Mall" magazine from the seat
pocket in front of me. You know it's really
getting rough when you resort to the over priced,
useless sky mall crap to break the monotony.
With everyone finally seated, we just sat there
with the cabin door open and no one in any
hurry to get us going although we were well
past the scheduled take off time. No wonder the
airline industry is in trouble I told myself.

Just then, the attendant came on the intercom
to inform us all that we were being delayed.

The entire plane let out a collective groan.

She resumed speaking to say "We are holding
the aircraft for some very special people who
are on their way to the plane and the delay
shouldn't be more than 5 minutes.

The word came after waiting six times as long
as we were promised that I was finally going to
be on my way home.

Why the hoopla over "these" folks?

I was expecting some celebrity or sport figure
to be the reason for the hold up ...

Just get their butts in a seat and let's hit the gas I thought.

The attendant came back on the speaker
to announce in a loud and excited voice
that we were being joined by several
U.S. Marines returning home from Iraq !!!

Just as they walked on board,
the entire plane erupted into applause.

The men were a bit taken by surprise
by the 340 people cheering for them
as they searched for their seats.

They were having their hands shook and
touched by almost everyone who was within
an arm's distance of them as they passed
down the aisle. One elderly woman kissed
the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her.

The applause, whistles and cheering
didn't stop for a long time.

When we were finally airborne,
I was not the only civilian checking
his conscience as to the delays in "me"
getting home, finding my easy chair, a
cold beverage and the remote in my hand.

These men had done for all of us and
I had been complaining silently about
"me" and "my" issues I took for granted
the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the
conveniences of the American way of life.
I took for granted that others had paid
the price for my ability to moan and
complain about a few minutes delay to
"me" while those Heroes were going
home to their loved ones.

I attempted to get my selfish outlook
back in order and minutes before we landed.
I suggested to the attendant that she
announce over the speaker a request
for everyone to remain in their seats
until our heroes were allowed to gather
their things and be first off the plane.

The cheers and applause continued until
the last Marine stepped off and we all rose
to go about our too often taken for granted
everyday freedoms.

I felt proud of them.

I felt it an honor and a privilege to be
among the first to welcome them home
and say "Thank You for a job well done!"

I vowed that I will never forget that flight
nor the lesson learned. I can't say it enough,
THANK YOU to those Veterans and
active servicemen and women who
may read this and a prayer for those
who cannot because they are no longer with us.

GOD BLESSAMERICA!
WELCOME HOME!
...AND THANKS
4 A JOB WELL DONE!!!!!

The LORD Moves In MYSTERIOUS Ways!

2006-01-21T02:02:00.000-05:00

Guardsmen Sense Ghostly Presence In New Orleans

At a Baton Rouge marina, boats were strewn like trash,
but not a shred of paper could be found.
Except for the pages of a Bible,
which was found by a soldier.
It was open to the Book of Revelations.
At a nearby church, nearly destroyed,
another Bible was found,
showing the exact same passage from Revelations.

source

It Shouldn't Have 2 Come 2 This

2006-01-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

2006-01-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

I'm so Glad I'm Not an Only Child!

As Long as U'r Gonna Put Her in my Bed,
.....I Might as Well SHARE A HUG!

I'll Get Past AIRPORT SECURITY in Here!!!

Please, Just 5 More Minutes!

A Bed 2 Lay Down On~ Feels Sooo Good!

I Can't Hear U, I've Lost My Ears!

Love the One U'r With!

Were ALL the SAME~Only Different!

Gimmie a Little Kiss~Will Ya Hun?

Don't Tell the Other Guys About This, or I'll Puddle in U'r Shoes!

Can U Believe How We Look Wet?

SOMEBODY ONCE SAID...

2006-01-11T18:49:00.000-05:00

Somebody Once Said it takes about six weeks
to get back to normal after you've had a baby.
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother,
"Normal," is history. Somebody said you learn how
to be a mother by instinct .. Somebody never took
a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being
a mother is boring ...... Somebody
never rode in a car driven by a
teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother,
your child will "turn out good." Somebody
thinks a child comes with
directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said "good" mothers never
raise their voices . Somebody never came
out the back door just in time to see her
child hit a golf ball through the
neighbor's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an
education to be a mother. Somebody
never helped a fourth grader with
her math. Somebody said you can't
love the fifth child as much as you
love the first. Somebody doesn't have
five children. Somebody said a mother
can find all the answers to her
child-rearing questions in the books ...
Somebody never had a child stuff beans
up his nose or in his ears. Somebody said
the hardest part of being a mother is
labor and delivery .....
Somebody never watched her "baby"
get on the bus for the first day of
kindergarten, or on a plane
headed for military "boot camp."

Somebody said a mother can do her job
with her eyes closed and one hand
tied behind her back ....... somebody never
organized four giggling Brownies
to sell cookies. Somebody said
a mother can stop worrying
after her child gets married .. Somebody
doesn't know that marriage adds a new
son or daughter-in-law to
a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when
her last child leaves home .... Somebody
never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother
knows you love her, so you
don't need to tell her ......
Somebody isn't a mother!!!
~~~UNKNOWN

Pass this along to
all the "mothers" in your life.
Have a Blessed Day!

This Post Is Dedicated to
mrsbeach! May God Bless U,
and keep U in his hands
4~ever!

2006-01-10T00:39:00.000-05:00

This IS very Sad, and Can NOT Continue......
Please Click the Link Below~Can U HELP???
The "Vang Chu" Epidemic...

CONCLUSION ~ final

2006-01-08T12:12:00.000-05:00

But thank our God, He will not allow this scenario to go this far. But God is going to allow it to go far enough to teach all of us a lesson that we will never ever forget. He is going to show us how quickly humans can be deceived by Satan and his demons, and the only thing that has kept this world in one piece throughout human history has simply been the power and restraining force of God the Father Himself operating through the Holy Spirit.
Bottom line - there is only maximum life with God or maximum death without Him. The last three and half years of the Tribulation will show us what maximum death will really be like when God removes His Church off the face of this earth, and then He allows the Devil and the Antichrist to do what they want with the power that will be given to them.
After we watch and see all of these horrific events unfold, we will never, ever want to forsake our God again. We will come to the full realization that without God in our lives - we can never have or find true happiness, joy, love, peace or fulfillment in our lives.
Without God in our lives, there is only eventual maximum death - and the last three and half years of this Tribulation is going to prove that point once and for all to all of us. It will be the greatest history lesson that the world will ever receive, and something that we will never ever forget for the rest of our eternal lives.
Will there be a Rapture? You will each have to decide for yourselves on the way the above Scripture verses are worded. My own personal conclusion, after putting all the above verses together like a jigsaw puzzle, is that there will be a Rapture, and that it will occur sometime before the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation.
I believe the Rapture is a "mystery" from God and that it is "hidden" in the above verses. God does not want the rest of the unbelieving world to have full access to this mystery, otherwise people will be accepting His gift of salvation for the wrong reasons - to escape the coming horrors of the Tribulation and not with a true, repentant heart to want to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior for the sinners that we all truly are.
Again, you may want to put this article on the shelf in the event that we start to fast approach end time events in our lifetime. This article will make for good debate with other Christians who may not believe in the Rapture!

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries.Their website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2ndComing of Jesus. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All RightsReserved.

CONCLUSION pt. 1

2006-01-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

If there is going to be a Rapture, I believe that God will rapture His believers off of this earth sometime before the start of the 7 year Tribulation. I don’t think He will wait to the midpoint of the Tribulation where the Antichrist seats himself in the Temple proclaiming himself to be God and then starts all the persecution of God's saints.
I believe the Antichrist will be fully revealed to the world near the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation when he enters into a peace treaty and covenant with Israel, and then allows them to start rebuilding their Temple so that he can eventually get into it at the midpoint of the Tribulation to proclaim himself to be God.
And remember the very first verse above, that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until "He" is taken out of the way. And when "He" is taken out of the way, then the Antichrist can be fully revealed to the rest of the world. And the "He" in my opinion may be the Church or the main Body of Believers that are living at the time of these events.
The other reason I think the Rapture will occur sometime before the start of the 7 year Tribulation is that the Antichrist is going to need some time to set things up. Once the Church is taken out, he will be free to start operating at full throttle.
The first thing he is going to do is convince and persuade the rest of the world to follow him, and I feel he will do that by trickery and deception. If he starts the mass persecution too early on those who will not take his mark, he will risk not being able to gain full control of everything.
I believe he will first suck everyone in by peace and diplomacy and the promise of a better world. Then once he has enough of the nations on his side and the Jewish Temple has once more rebuilt, that will be the time that He will then go for all of the marbles.
He will seat himself up in the Temple at the midpoint of the Tribulation, proclaim himself to be God, kill anyone who will not accept his mark and will then seek total world domination and control.
Think about this. This one man, through the power of Satan, will get a chance to have more power and more control over the entire world than any other man has ever had during the entire course of our human history. This will be the ultimate ego trip for a power hungry human being.
I believe that the last three and half years of the Tribulation is going to be the last and final history lesson from God to us. With the Church being taken out of the way so Satan and the Antichrist can operate at full force, I feel that God is going to show all of us how much terror, death and destruction humans and demons are capable of committing if given half the chance without God directly intervening.
In three and half years, Satan and the Antichrist are going to cause so much death and destruction on this earth, that Jesus Himself says that had these days not been shortened by God the Father Himself - that no flesh would have been saved! I really feel that Satan, if he knew he had the chance, would set up the entire scenario with the Antichrist to destroy the entire world through nuclear weaponry.
Satan already knows he is defeated. He already knows he will eventually end up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone forever and ever. He knows that this will be his last chance for mass destruction and terror. He hates all humans and anything to do with God and heaven.
If God would allow him anymore time than the three and half years, I really believe Satan would set the world up for mass destruction through nuclear weapons. He would then have the satisfaction that he literally destroyed the entire world before he goes to his final fate.
.......................2 b continued...

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries.
Theirwebsite is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to ourend times section
of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2ndComing of Jesus.
Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All RightsReserved.

The RAPTURE~PART 2

2006-01-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

2. This next verse talks about that those who are "alive" will be "caught up" to meet the Lord in the "air." Here is the verse:
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
This verse really seems to be implying that there will be a group of saints who are going to "caught up" or pulled up to meet the Lord in the air while we are still alive! Those words spell possible Rapture to me.
3. The next verse tells us of a "mystery"- that not all of God’s saints are going to "sleep" - and that this group is going to be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and that this event will occur at the last trumpet. I believe that the Last Trumpet is God’s last call to His people, and that it implies that whoever is saved and born again when this trumpet sounds off will be raptured and spared from having to go through the horrors of the 7 year Tribulation.
I believe that the word "mystery" is being used to let us know that God is keeping the possibility of a Rapture a secret and a mystery to the rest of the world. This is why many of the Scripture verses pertaining to this event do not perfectly spell it out or state it without any shadow of a doubt. However, there is enough of a hint in these verses for God's own people to pick it up, but not the rest of the unbelieving world. Here is the verse:
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." (1 Corinthians 15:51)
I believe that the words "last trumpet" tells us this event will occur at the end of times. The words "shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," really do describe what could be a Rapture - the immediate vanishing or disappearance of God’s people from the face of the earth in the snap of a finger.
4. The next verse is coming from Jesus Himself out of Revelations. Here is the verse:
"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." (Revelations 3:10)
This verse could be literal interpretation - that Jesus will keep His Body of Believers that are living at this time out of the hands of the Antichrist. He obviously will either do it by rapturing them off the face of the earth or by providing some kind of physical protection for them if there is no Rapture. My guess is that He will do this by rapturing them off of the earth.
5. Here is another verse from Jesus stating that we watch and pray that we be counted worthy to escape all the things that may be coming our way in the end times.
"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36)
This verse really seems to be hinting or implying once again that God is going to allow some of us to escape or be prevented from having to go through the horrific events of the Tribulation.
6. Now here are some additional verses that are not quite as strong as the above verses, but do suggest the possibility that God will keep us from these horrific events.
"... and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
This verse either means Jesus will deliver us before the wrath comes, which would line up with a Rapture, or it may mean when He comes down for the second time at the battle of Armageddon to put an end to all of the carnage with the Antichrist.
"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
This verse could be implying that His Body will not be appointed or be subject to the events of the Tribulation - or the wrath could simply be pointing to people going to hell for refusing to accept Jesus and His gift of eternal salvation.

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their
website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our
end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2nd
Coming of Jesus. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights
Reserved.

The RAPTURE~PART 1

2006-01-04T01:15:00.000-05:00

Here is the 50 million dollar question - will there be a Rapture of God’s saints before the Tribulation, or will all of God’s people living at that time have to go through the Tribulation and possibly be martyred for their faith?
I’m going to go ahead and give you the main verses from Scripture that deal with the possibility of a Rapture. There is divided opinion in the Body of Christ as to whether or not there is going to be a Rapture.
Each one of you will have to come to your own conclusion on this subject per your own interpretation of the Scripture verses I will list below. I’ll give you my two cents on the subject. I’ll point out key words and key phrases in the following verses.
As you will see in the following verses, I feel that there is very strong evidence from Scripture that there will be a Rapture, and that it will occur before the Antichrist starts the persecution of God’s saints, and before God starts to pour out His wrath upon the earth during the 7 year Tribulation. In other words, it will be a pre-tribulation Rapture.
1. This first verse is very interesting. You already know that one of the names of the Antichrist is the "lawless one", per the Scripture. This verse is definitely talking about the Antichrist. Here is the verse:
"And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in our time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming." (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8)
You know the lawless one is referring to the Antichrist because then the verse says that Jesus will destroy him when He comes back for the second time.
But look very closely at the phrase "only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed ..." The "H" in the word "He" is a capital H. This means "He" is either referring to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Since God and Jesus are in heaven right now, the "He" has to be referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has always been referred to as the One who restrains evil from getting out of control on this earth.
It says that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until He is taken out of the way. Since we know that the Holy Spirit still has to be down here even if there is a Rapture, who is "He" referring to? If there is a Rapture, there still will be a multitude of people that are going to get saved and then martyred. If they are saved, then they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which means the Holy Spirit is living on the inside of them like He is with us.
I believe the "He" may be referring to the "Holy Spirit operating through the Church." This means that the Body of Christ, the Church, will be what is taken out before the Antichrist can be revealed.
Think about this. The Antichrist is going to be very easy to spot once he starts to enter into the world scene. All of the Scripture verses on the Antichrist and 7 year Tribulation spell out exactly what is going to occur, and there will be more than enough astute Christians who are going to be able to pick up who he is when all of these events start to occur.
With some of the powerful TV ministries that we now have in place, I am sure that the Body of Christ will be shouting from the rooftops once the Antichrist is spotted. The word will be spread and it will become very hard for the Antichrist to rise to the kind of power that the Bible is foretelling.
I believe that the Church has to be taken out, as the above verse is stating, before the Antichrist can be revealed to the rest of the world. And the above verse states exactly that - that the Antichrist will not be revealed until "He" who is restraining him is taken out of the way!
Once the Body of Believers are raptured off the face of the earth, there will nothing that will be able to stop the Antichrist’s rise to power. The rest of the world is going to be easily duped into believing in this man - especially with all of the false signs and wonders that will be performed on his behalf by the False Prophet.
I believe the above verse alone is very strong Scriptural evidence that there will be a Rapture of God’s saints before the Antichrist actually rises to full power.
(2 B Continued....)

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their
website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our
end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2nd
Coming of Jesus. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights
Reserved.

WARNING~Part 2

2006-01-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

Let these words sink in to your memory banks and don't ever forget them in the event that there is no Rapture and the Tribulation takes place in our lifetime. Here is the verse giving all of us this dire warning:Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation." And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." (Revelations 14:9-11) Notice the very graphic warning that God gives in reference to ending up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. You will end up in this place and the smoke of your torment will ascend forever and ever - with no relief ever. This horrible torment will last day and night forever and ever! Bottom line - all Christians who get caught up in this predicament will have to be willing to lay down their lives for God and Jesus. In other words, you will be martyred for your faith. This will be the ultimate test for any Christian to pass. I really believe that God put this warning in writing in His Word because He knows a lot of His people may get weak and scared if they are approached with this choice by the Antichrist. Each Christian will simply have to override any fears or doubts that they may have, believe what the Word of God has to say about the matter and be willing to die for their faith in Jesus. If they do not, their eventual end will be too horrible for any human words to describe.Hopefully, there is going to be a Rapture of God's saints before the Tribulation starts, and we will not have to go through any of these horrible events. If there is a Rapture, then the saints that the Bible mentions that will be persecuted will be the people that get saved after the Rapture occurs. It's almost as if God may be saying to the ones that get saved after the Rapture - "You all had your chance to accept My salvation before the Rapture and turned it down. Now that the Rapture has taken place, you now know that My people were telling you the truth about My message of salvation. Now I will accept any and all who willing to come to Me, but you will have to prove yourself to Me by being willing to die for your faith in Me by refusing to worship or receive the mark of the beast. If all of these events occur in our lifetime, I believe God will use all of us to get the message out to as many people as possible in order to save as many people as He possibly can from all of these horrible events. If their is going to be a Rapture, then it obviously is going to be the first train out, and God will try and get as many people warned, saved and on that first train as He possibly can. The sad reality is that there are a lot of stubborn people out there who will not accept God's free gift of salvation the first time around and they are going to have to suffer the consequences for not doing so. Hopefully, they will accept God's gift of salvation through His Son the second time around after all of the saints have been Raptured - but then it will cost them their physical lives by being martyred for refusing to accept the mark of the Antichrist.Pray that none of your loved ones miss the first train out if there is going to be a Rapture. If by chance they miss the Rapture, let them know they are NOT to take the mark of the beast if they are ever faced with having to make this choice.

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their
website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our
end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2nd
Coming of Jesus. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights
Reserved.

WARNING~Part 1

2006-01-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Do Not Take the Mark of the Beast
This article on the mark of the beast will be short, sweet and straight to the point. This is an extension off of articles on all of the events that will be occurring leading up to the return of Jesus back to our earth to set up His Millennium Kingdom.
In the first article titled "Basic Overview of Main End Time Events", The False Prophet will set up a system on how he and the Antichrist will try to get everyone to receive the mark of the beast on either their foreheads or their right hands. The verse then goes on to say how no one will be able to buy or sell anything without this mark. The verse also says that anyone who will not worship the Beast will be killed.
Due to the importance on this one issue, I'm going to go ahead and restate this verse. I will then give you the verse on God's warning regarding this specific event. This verse is talking about the False Prophet and what he is going to do.
He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666." (Revelations 13:15-18)
Now here is the real scary part. God Himself says in Revelations that none of His people are to receive this mark of the beast. If they do, they will end up coming under His wrath that will be released upon the earth during the latter part of the Tribulation.
God then pronounces what is the most dire warning imaginable if any of His people receive this mark. He flat out says that in addition to suffering His wrath that will be poured out during these last days - that they will also end up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Antichrist, the False Prophet and Satan will eventually go.
In other words, you will go straight to hell when you die - no if, ands or buts about it!

* Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their
website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching.

If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our
end times section of our website for all 15 articles regarding the 2nd
Coming of Jesus. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights
Reserved.

AIDS WARNING

2005-12-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

...........SENIOR CITIZENS
............R THE NATION'S
.......LEADING CARRIERS OF AIDS!
.........

..HEARING AIDS
...BAND AIDS
....ROL AIDS
.....WALKING AIDS
......MEDICAL AIDS
.......GOVERNMENT AIDS

....Luv 2 C U Smile

Give me a sense of humor, Lord!
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humor out of life,
And pass it on to other folk!

2005-12-28T05:45:00.000-05:00

I dreamed I was in heaven
Where an angel kept God's book.
He was writing so intently
I just had to take a look.
It was not, at first, his writing
That made me stop and think
But the fluid in the bottle
That was marked eternal ink.
This ink was most amazing,
Dark black upon his blotter
But as it touched the parchment
It became as clear as water.
The angel kept on writing,
But as quickly as a wink
The words were disappearing
With that strange eternal ink.
The angel took no notice,
But kept writing on and on.
He turned each page and filled it
Till all its space was gone.
I thought he wrote to no avail,
His efforts were so vain
For he wrote a thousand pages
That he'd never read again.
And as I watched and wondered that
This awesome sight was mine,
I actually saw a word stay black
As it dried upon the line.
The angel wrote and I thought
I saw A look of satisfaction.
At last he had some print to show
For all his earnest action.
A line or two dried dark and stayed
As black as black can be,
But strangely the next paragraph
Became invisible to see.
The book was getting fuller,
The angel's records true,
But most of it was blank,
with Just a few words coming through.
I knew there was some reason,
But as hard as I could think,
I couldn't grasp the significance
Of that eternal ink.
The mystery burned within me,
And I finally dared to ask
The angel to explain to me
Of his amazing task.
And what I heard was frightful
As the angel turned his head.
He looked directly at me,
And this is what he said...
"I know you stand and wonder
At what my writing's worth
But God has told me to record
The lives of those on earth.
"The book that I am filling
Is an accurate account
Of every word and action
And to what they do amount.
"And since you have been watching
I must tell you what is true;
The details of my journal
Are the strict accounts of YOU.
"The Lord asked me to watch you
As each day you worked and played.
I saw you as you went to church,
I saw you as you prayed.
"But I was told to document
Your life through all the week.
I wrote when you were proud and bold,
I wrote when you were meek.
"I recorded all your attitudes
Whether they were good or bad.
I was sorry that I had to write
The things that make God sad.
"So now I'll tell the wonder
Of this eternal ink,
For the reason for its mystery
Should make you stop and think.
"This ink that God created
To help me keep my journal
Will only keep a record of
Things that are eternal.
"So much of life is wasted
On things that matter not
So instead of my erasing,
Smudging ink and ugly blot.
"I just keep writing faithfully and
Let the ink do all the rest
For it is able to decide
What's useless and what's best.
"And God ordained that as I write
Of all you do and say
Your deeds that count for nothing
Will just disappear away.
"When books are opened someday,
As sure as heaven is true;
The Lord's eternal ink will tell
What mattered most to you.
"If you just lived to please yourself
The pages will be bare,
And God will issue no reward
For you when you get there.
"In fact, you'll be embarrassed,
You will hang your head in shame
Because you did not give yourself
In love to Jesus' Name.
"Yet maybe there will be a few
Recorded lines that stayed
That showed the times you truly cared,
Sincerely loved and prayed.
"But you will always wonder
As you enter heaven's door
How much more glad
you would have been
If only you'd done more.
"For I record as God sees,
I don't stop to even think
Because the truth is written
With God's eternal ink."
When I heard the angel's story
I fell down and wept and cried
For as yet I still was dreaming
I hadn't really died.
And I said: "O angel tell the Lord
That soon as I awake
I'll live my life for Jesus-
I'll do all for His dear sake.
"I'll give in full surrender;
I'll do all He wants me to;
I'll turn my back on self and sin
And whatever isn't true.
"And though the way
seems long and rough
I promise to endure.
I'm determined to pursue the things
That are holy, clean and pure.
"With Jesus as my helper,
I will win lost souls to Thee,
For I know that they
will live with Christ
For all eternity.
"And that's what really matters
When my life on earth is gone
That I will stand before the Lord
And hear Him say, 'Well Done!'

Mark 8:38

2005-12-26T06:06:00.000-05:00

If anyone is ashamed of me and
my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of him when he
comes in his Father's glory
with the holy angels."

2005-12-21T08:57:00.000-05:00

This is a Christmas tree!
It is not a Hanukkah bush,
it is not an Allah plant,
it is not a Holiday hedge.
It is a Christmas tree.
Say it... CHRISTmas~Yes!
CHRISTmas -
Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ!!!
SO TRUE!!!
I am NOT celebrating a winter holiday!!!
I AM celebrating the birth
of Jesus Christ, son of God,
and MY Lord and Savior!!!
CHRISTmas!!!!

Take a stand and pass it on !!!

Deuteronomy 7:4<<+>>

2005-12-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

For they will turn away thy son
from following me, that they
may serve other gods: so will
the anger of the LORD be kindled
against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Genesis 6:19

2005-12-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

And of every living thing of all
flesh, two of every sort shalt
thou bring into the ark, to keep
them alive with thee;
they shall be male and female.

Isaiah 58:6-7

2005-12-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

"Is not this the kind of fasting
I have chosen: to loose the
chains of injustice and untie
the cords of the yoke, to
set the oppressed free and
break every yoke? Is it not
to share your food with the
hungry and to provide the
poor wanderer with shelter...."

Isaiah 34:7

2005-12-17T01:38:00.000-05:00

And the unicorns shall
come down with them,
and the bullocks with
the bulls; and their land
shall be soaked with blood,
and their dust made fat with fatness.

2005-12-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

For in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that in them is,
and rested the seventh day:
wherefore the LORD blessed
the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

2005-12-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

Lord, I am grateful that you are in control of
all things. I’m worried about Christmas.
5 Children and a crummy economy
are making it very difficult this yr.
You are still in control. I know it will be ok.
I do not want to borrow. I ask that you provide
supernaturally, Lord, thank you!
Lord, I'm so grateful that I feel no fear,
no fear that I’m all alone to deal with this.
I thank you for the wisdom I know you provide.
I’m grateful that this bears one experience
I need not be fearful of!
I’m grateful that it will be ok...that you'll
be there for me! I know things could be worse,
Thank you Lord for Jared, Kayla, Salvatore,
Britney & Billy! I’m encouraged by
their smiles today, and everyday!
I surrender to you my anxiety, my peace,
Rest in where you want me to be.
Where ever I am, the person I’m serving is
still you.
Thank you Lord for you are a great God.
You are worthy of all praise.
You are in control of all things.
You provide, you direct, and you mould!
I choose to see your hand upon my life!
I choose to see situations as opportunities
for growth and learning! I choose to see them
as stepping stones and 'certificates' of maturity
and growth. it will be okay,
.....for all things are in your hands

2005-12-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

God grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change; courage
to change the things I can; and
wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway
to peace; Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not as I would
have it; Trusting that He will
make all things right if I surrender
to His Will; That I may be
reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
............Amen.
.....................................................--Reinhold Niebuhr

2005-12-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

James 5:13-16
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.
Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders
of the church to pray over him and anoint him
with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the
sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to each other
and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

2005-12-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

¶ Is there not an appointed time to man
upon earth? are not his days also like the
days of an hireling? As a servant earnestly
desireth the shadow, and as an hireling
looketh for the reward of his work:
So am I made to possess months of vanity,
and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise,
and the night be gone? and I am full of
tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

2005-12-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and
the number of my days; let me know
how fleeting is my life."

I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.

Daniel 12:1[ The End Times ] "At that time Michael,
the great prince who protects your people, will arise.
There will be a time of distress such as has not
happened from the beginning of nations until then.
But at that time your people—everyone whose name
is found written in the book—will be delivered.

(any likeness 2 the 'Pilsbury Dough Boy' is strickly coincidence!)

Genesis~Chapter 1

2005-12-06T12:25:00.000-05:00

1 ¶ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters. 3 ¶ And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 ¶ And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of
the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which
were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called
the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning
were the second day. 9 ¶ And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,
and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10 And God
called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after
his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was
so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding
seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed
was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 ¶ And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let
them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the
heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to
rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he
made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to
divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it
was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were
the fourth day. 20 ¶ And God said, Let the waters bring
forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life,
and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales,
and every living creature that moveth, which the waters
brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every
winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl
multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the
morning were the fifth day. 24 ¶ And God said, Let
the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind,
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth
after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the
beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their
kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth
after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God created he him; male and female
created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and
God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth. 29 ¶ And God said, Behold,
I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is
upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it
shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the
earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every
thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein
there is life, I have given every green herb for
meat: and it was so. 31 ¶ And God saw every thing
that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

2005-12-05T11:09:00.000-05:00

1 ¶ And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,
or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself
to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto
thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of
the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the
LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is,
and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed
the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 ¶ Honour thy father
and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt
not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou
shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox,
nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

2005-12-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 ¶ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets,
and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye
shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye
scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all
the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the
blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between
the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you,
All these things shall come upon this generation.

2005-12-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine
heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any
grudge against the children of thy people,
but thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself: I am the LORD.

2005-12-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

2005-11-30T07:40:00.000-05:00

2005-11-29T07:13:00.000-05:00

Canst thou by searching
find out God? Canst thou find
out the Almighty unto perfection?

2005-11-27T06:43:00.000-05:00

The LORD is my rock,
and my fortress, and my deliverer;
my God, my strength, in whom I
will trust; my buckler,
and the horn of my salvation,
and my high tower.
I will call upon the LORD,
who is worthy to be praised:
so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

2005-11-26T06:13:00.000-05:00

"All that I have seen
teaches me to trust
the Creator for all I
have not seen."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

2005-11-23T07:35:00.000-05:00

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a
flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire,
and the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight,
why the bush is not burnt.

2005-11-22T06:18:00.000-05:00

Behold, he cometh with clouds;
and every eye shall see him,
and they also which pierced him:
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.

2005-11-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

...
Now I lay me down 2 sleep,

I pray the Lord my Soul 2 keep,

if I should Die B4 i wake,

I pray the Lord my Soul 2 take.

2005-11-18T06:35:00.000-05:00

2005-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Beloved, follow not that which is evil,
but that which is good. He that doeth
good is of God: but he that doeth evil
hath not seen God.

Call Me

2005-11-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

2005-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

And, behold, I come quickly;
and my reward is with me,
to give every man according
as his work shall be.
I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end,
the first and the last!

SMILE---Pass It On...

2005-11-12T07:25:00.000-05:00