วันอาทิตย์ที่ 10 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2556

Book Review of "Financial Armageddon" by John Hagee


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Financial Armageddon: We are in a Battle for our very survival. [Hardcover]

by John Hagee

144 pages, $10.99

ISBN-13: 978-1599796031

Nonfiction

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

No matter where you turn, the economy springs forth as an ominous topic. Recession, inflation, and depression are words that consistently boom across the airwaves. In Financial Armageddon, John Hagee speaks skillfully to the problem. He weaves an accurate portrait of current instability by alluding to appropriate biblical passages conflated with notable quotations from leading Christian economists. Financial pundits have realized America was barreling ahead to certain economic disaster for almost a decade. Hagee wants Christians to have a game plan for survival.

His analysis of what brought America to the edge of economic collapse parallels discussions by other leading economists. Subprime lending lead to too many unqualified mortgages that caught the banking industry with their pants down. The desire to rid our nation of these toxic assets has increased our national debt since foreign investments have effectively floated our way of life. Too many foreign creditors are realistically beginning to doubt the continued value of the dollar and their eventual withdrawal from our economy will be the death knell of America. Biblically, the backdrop of the Apocalypse indicates an economic world, out-of-control, into which the Antichrist will emerge.

Pre-tribulationists are waiting for the Rapture that will whisk the obedient Church out of the ultimate quagmire. Until then, Hagee is quick to point out that the Bible demonstrates God as able and willing to take care of his own. For instance, when the nation of Israel was being formed as slaves in Egypt, God's provision is apparent regardless of the darkest of plagues. An appropriate Christian theology appreciates God's provision in spite of the economic problems which surround the United States.

Sadly, Hagee chooses not to develop his thesis theologically, but instead turns his analysis into a quasi-investment strategy. The contention is held forth that prosperity is a choice and Christians can profit even in the darkest days. Noah is likened to a man with "insider information" who skillfully manipulated his task into an opportunity to build wealth. Never mind that God gave Noah specific marching orders when constructing the ark.

Read this book if you would like a good development of our economic crisis and discussion of possible future events. Take the last section with a grain of salt, however, since worthless money will be worthless for everyone - including Christians.




วันพุธที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2556

The Lord's Doing!


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Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud nor such as turn aside to lies. Many O Lord are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts towards us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them. They are more than can be numbered. PSALM 40: 4 - 5

DAILY THOUGHTS...

"For I know the thoughts I think towards you says the Lord; thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

NOW MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS....

To who would you commit your cause? Job said: " To God who only does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number... Hear it & know for yourself!" God says: "I know the thoughts that I (GOD) think towards you - they are higher than whatever you can think for, about or to do for yourself! Can you let them (His thoughts) materialize for you? They are Thoughts... of peace and not of evil,... to give you a hope and a future... to bring you to the expected end! "Your peace, your hope, your future...... are not yours, you don't have it either!

God does and He only, gives it! He also has your end, your destination! God is not in any end that is not peace(full)... Because God is a God of Peace; His Spirit is the Spirit of Peace; His word is Peace and Jesus is the Prince of Peace! Otherwise, His thoughts & works would not be of peace. God's word to us is that it is not the beginning... i.e. how you begin or began with God, that matters but the end... i.e. how you end in it or ended it. Every end is a work of materialization of thoughts. What has been the end of your affairs? What and whose worked ends are evident around you... God's or yours or those of another man? But we know that every end of God is and will always be good... Every end with Him is not war but peace putting pieces together into one piece called ' the Lord's doing'... It is Blessed, Wonderful, Mighty and Marvelous in our eyes; and will endure(last & remain) forever, not for a moment! In peace there are no pieces... That's why God's works can be counted until they become unaccountable in order! Who can number the stars in the sky... the sands on the shore... the hairs on the head? No one... For 'Marvellous things' can't be numbered! What is that thing; that work?

Just Let God work His thoughts into a marvelous thing for you! He does work things out if you make Him your trust in truth; having no respect for the proud. The proud defy God to gain 'victory' by works for themselves unto themselves which do not endure. There is no 'wonder', 'beauty', or anything to 'marvel' in works you have done (worked out) by your strength! So the scripture says - " Mark the end of a man perfect with God (in ALL his ways),... it is peace! God never takes peacemakers away from peace but He takes peace away from the wicked; this is His wonderful doing to His sons, the peacemakers!

PERSONAL CONFESSION: Lord, in your peace I shall find peace for Great Peace have they who love your law. By Your doing, Lord put every pieces in my life together into 'doings' of your peace;and I will reign with the Prince of Peace!

FURTHER READING: Job 5:8-9; Genesis1:31; Isaiah.55:11

BLESS God with Psalm 72:18 - The mountains will bring peace to you and yours by righteousness & break your oppressor in pieces!




วันเสาร์ที่ 19 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2556

Self-Examination Urged by McKinley's Am I Really a Christian?


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If you don't want to be a Christian this book is not for you. Put it down. If you believe you are a Christian and are satisfied with your grasp of the doctrine of salvation, the role of faith in salvation, personal assurance of salvation and the manner in which your life lines up with your belief system, this book has nothing to offer you. Walk away. There is danger, however, in thinking you are past the point of need for self-examination or for peer-accountability regarding the direction of your life. Since your eternal destination hangs in the balance, the subject matter should be worth your consideration. With these statements Mike McKinley, the pastor of a Baptist congregation, pinpoints the intended audience of Am I Really A Christian: The Most Important Question You're Not Asking (Crossway, 2011).

Christian jargon can bring more confusion than clarity. McKinley's perspective of born again is one of regeneration. The regenerating love and mercy of God is the cause of salvation while the fruit of the believer's life is the result or effect of salvation. Being a Christian goes beyond respect for Jesus to belief and faith in him.

Am I Really A Christian? is scripture rich. McKinley relies heavily on passages of scripture and points readers to them by providing direct quotations within the text. Like John Piper's Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (Crossway, 2010), McKinley compels readers to look past feelings and common Christian expressions to contemplate questions like the following: What do I believe? Do I agree? Does scripture bear out his arguments? How should I respond in light of these truths?

McKinley's message is to the church. He speaks as a fellow sojourner wanting to guide, encourage and strengthen the faith of believers. He takes care to reassure Christians with sensitive consciences. His pastoral gifting of nurturing and shepherding the faith of others rings true. The author continually brings to the forefront the need for believers to be surrounded by brothers and sisters that can be trusted to come alongside to encourage and guide them as they walk out their faith. As the body of Christ, the goal should be self-evaluation in consultation with trusted mentors in order to seek and find evidence that the cause of our salvation (God's regenerating love and mercy) has taken root and our lives are beginning to reveal the fruit (effect) of that salvation. To aid in this process, McKinley recommends the formation of year-long one-on-one mentoring relationships.

The format for each chapter is text followed by a How to Respond section containing four points: reflect, repent, remember, and report. The book contains three appendices: Notes, containing sources for in-text references divided by chapter; Subject Index and Scripture Index.

Am I Really A Christian? can be useful to individuals apart from a group environment. It's best and most complete use will come in the form of small groups of believers within the body of a local congregation. If you are willing to put quality time into self-evaluation in consultation with trusted friends at your local congregation, Am I Really a Christian? is worth your time and attention.

Kimberly Bower is an ordained minister. Her primary purpose is to glorify God and make Him known to all men. She enjoys sharing great books that entertain, encourage, enlighten, enrich and empower people to fulfill their destinies.

She writes as the West Palm Beach Spirituality Examiner on http://www.examiner.com/ and can be reached there or via Facebook under the screen name gladeslibrarian.




วันศุกร์ที่ 4 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2556

Teen Passion Validated by Hannah Farver's Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed By a Radical Love


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In Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed By a Radical Love, Hannah Farver offers a fresh voice on what it means to be a young woman of modesty, purity, and femininity. Her style is conversational and unassuming. The reader will get no sense of finger-pointing admonishments to live a pure and holy life from a perfect person. Rather, Farver opens herself to her readers with all her faults, fears, concerns, doubts and questions as a fellow traveler on the road to a life well-lived. Her focus is not on `thou shalt nots' but rather on guiding her readers to find the Cause who is able to fulfill their inner desire to be wholly and unconditionally loved.

Farver opens with an acknowledgement that passion is good and hard-wired into our DNA. We are designed to be passionate about a cause. The world dangles all sorts of causes in front of our eyes to lure us away from the one Cause that can deeply satisfy the desires of our hearts. These worldly causes include the desire to be considered beautiful, popular, famous, and loved. The problem, Farver contends, is that all of these causes are fleeting and leave the seeker wholly unsatisfied. Rather, she challenges, we can live for the one Cause that claims our hearts with a radical love and provides a fully satisfying life. This doesn't mean she wants to remain single all of her life but that she is willing to seek a relationship with the one Cause (God) and allow Him to prepare her heart for relationship with the man He has chosen for her.

The book closes with a modesty checklist and an unofficial checklist to help young women determine if they are ready for marriage. The author begs, however, that readers don't take either of these resources as the final word on either topic. A study guide is also included.

I enjoyed this book. It was thought-provoking and encouraged self-reflection. Even as Farver advises young teens to seek out older, more mature 'Titus 2 women' I sensed a subtle shift, seemingly unknown to the author, of her becoming just such a woman for the younger teens in her audience.

I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up. A church youth group leader could use this title for either a preteen or teen small group discussion for girls. I give this book five out of five stars.

Kimberly Bower is an ordained minister. Her primary purpose is to glorify God and make Him known to all men. She enjoys sharing great books that entertain, encourage, enlighten, enrich and empower people to fulfill their destinies.

She writes as the West Palm Beach Spirituality Examiner on http://www.examiner.com/ and can be reached there or via Facebook under the screen name gladeslibrarian.




วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

Life Is No Coincidence - The Life and Afterlife Connection


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Title: Life is No Coincidence ~ The Life and Afterlife Connection
Author: Sheryl Glick
ISBN: 9780595373239
Publisher: iUniverse, 2006
Reviewed by Yvonne Perry

Signs, Signs, Everywhere are Signs!

Have you noticed that the time between thinking something and seeing it manifested is far less than it used to be? Are you seeing that when your emotions, feelings, and thoughts are aligned that your desires (and fears) come into play much more quickly? Do you ever feel like you've known someone even though you just met them? You may think about an old friend you haven't seen in years and within days (hours or minutes) she shows up or calls you. This is synchronicity, not coincidence.

Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that seem unrelated or unlikely to occur by chance; nevertheless, they occur together in a meaningful manner.

Things we never noticed or paid attention to before are being brought to our awareness. You may see symbols such as numbers on a digital clock or car tags, animals that reappear in your path, synchronicities (meaningful coincidences or event occurring in perfect timing), or other signs.

The week of 11/11/11, I was parked in front of a fruit stand at a convenience store while my husband went in to make a purchase. When I looked up I noticed that the number 11 was printed on several of the boxes. I counted more than five number elevens. Five years ago, I would have walked by without even seeing this.

Sheryl Glick's book is filled with stories like these that show how we are without a doubt connected through numbers, birth dates, names, and synchronicities. After reading Life is No Coincidence, anyone will become more aware of the signs from Spirit and be encouraged to look more closely at things that seem random.

A very interesting and easy read that will inspire you to pay attention!

Yvonne Perry is a metaphysical teacher, who enjoys helping people grow spiritually. In addition to hundreds of articles, she has written several books. Go to We Are One in Spirit to access Yvonne's blogs, podcast, articles, videos, audios, bookstore, and other spiritual resources. Her latest book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You, is a resource for intuitive people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. http://whosestuffisthis.com/




วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 13 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2555

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley


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This is the story of the women in Camelot and King Arthur's court, told from their perspective with Morgaine, a priestess and sister of Arthur, as the main voice. You have heard the legend of Arthur before but not in this way or with this emotional appeal. A child from Morgaine's mating with Arthur, under the guise of the King Stag in a sacred ceremony, haunts them throughout their lives.

But that is a small backdrop to the richness of the story set at the time of the ending of the reign of the goddess and the druidic beliefs in Britain as Christianity entered to replace the old religions. Not a new novel, published in 1982, this is a great read if you have never read it before, love novels, enjoy historical intrigue or simply want to enjoy the experience again. I have finished the 876 pages at least nine times in the past 20 years, and with each reading I find myself lost and immersed in the lives and actions of Morgaine, Gwinevere, Morgaine's mother and aunt who struggle to fulfill their roles of queens and servants to the goddess. Their lives and tasks were not easy.

Women are the focus, women with their strengths and flaws; this is not a rosy feminist picture but an assessment of what makes us human, the good and the bad. Without spoiling the ending or providing more of the excitement encompassing this story, I simply want to share a quote from the novel, words that speak particularly to those of us much too critical of ourselves and our actions:

I did not fail. I did what she [the Goddess] had given me to do.
It was not she but I in my pride who thought I should have done more.

Cheryl A. Chatfield, Ph.D. invites you to visit her nonprofit organization at http://nottinstitute.org/ to preview the first chapters of her new novel, As The Light of Venus Rose, a spiritual and mystical novel. Receive a free download when you post a comment on the blog about the story.




วันพุธที่ 28 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2555

Church - Home Turf Or Base of Operations?


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My son is a captain in the army. His job is what the military calls "vertical construction." That means he and his company erect the buildings at the forward base of operations. His wife is a captain in the same brigade. Her specialty is "horizontal construction." She and her company build the roads, barricades, catch basins and anything else that doesn't have four walls and a foundation. Vertical construction paired with horizontal construction-a match made in heaven!

The base of operations is the place where men, women and materiel are deployed in preparation for battle. Troops don't dig in and wait for the enemy to come to the base. Why would the enemy want to attack the stronghold where there is no tactical advantage? No, troops bring the battle to the enemy. The base is for provisioning, regrouping and redeploying. This is the proper mission of the church building. It should be a place where we prepare for the battle. The enemy isn't going to come to us. We have to go to him.

Rethinking Church

If we are going to use the church building as a base of operations, we need to rethink the way we do church. The church building with its auditorium and classrooms functions as a modern community center more than it does a first century style church, except that community centers are buzzing with activity six days a week. It is designed for didactic activities like preaching, teaching and worship, activities that deluge newcomers with new information. Combine that with the fact that visitors are surrounded on all sides by a whole lot of strangers and a subculture they don't understand, and church can be a very forbidding place! It is easy for newcomers to get lost in the crowd since there is no easy way to distinguish them from regular churchgoers. For this reason, the church doesn't readily assimilate outsiders. So many never return for a second time.

Since most people come to Christ outside the church, perhaps we should think about using venues other than the church for outreach. Community centers, civic centers, club houses, restaurants, retirement homes, public auditoriums, believers' homes, public parks, hotel conference rooms, movie theaters, camps and recreation centers are some possibilities. Pick the type of venue with which your target audience is most familiar.

Church Mission Statement

Draft a mission statement for your church that describes how you will build the Kingdom of God in your corner of the world. Include specific people groups, objectives, and methods. Start with 'the least of these' in your community. Where is the need for the Good News the greatest? Develop ministries that match the objectives and meet folks at their point of need. Get to know their world. Minister incarnationaly-mingle with them in their familiar surroundings before expecting them to come to church. Remember, Jesus equated the church with His body, not the Temple building, so as part of His Body, you are the church wherever you go.

Consider targeting ministry to some of the following groups:

1. The unemployed

2. Broken families

3. Troubled teens

4. Victims of abuse

5. Convicts and ex-convicts

6. The elderly

7. The disabled

8. The destitute

9. The lonely

10. The discouraged

11. Alienated Christians

12. The homeless

13. Fill in the blank

Making Connections

Read the local paper with a highlighter, marking articles that point out needs in your community. Then determine where you might find these people. Try social welfare agencies, the county jail, juvenile detention centers, employment groups, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, civic centers, etc. Form relationships with the police department, courts, department of child and family services, and other social service groups that are at the forefront of the fight for family values, peace and justice. Be prepared to offer your services in a way that supports their mission and provides opportunities for sharing the love of Christ. Then you can say in all sincerity that you have put feet to Christ's command to 'go ye into all the world.'

Take a look inside the book The Casual Christian at: http://casualchristian.net/book-site

Find more articles like this one, visit my blog at http://casualchristian.net/blog