Monthly Archives: January 2011

Gotta love those Darlings!

In Genesis, Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman.

In Exodus, He is the passover lamb.
In Leviticus, He is our high priest.
In Numbers, He is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation.
In Judges, He is our judge and lawgiver.
In Ruth, He is our kinsman redeemer.
In 1st and 2nd Samuel, He is our trusted prophet.
In Kings and Chronicles, He is our reigning king.
In Ezra, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
In Esther, He is our Mordecai.
In Job, He is our ever-living redeemer.
In Psalms, He is our shepherd.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is our wisdom.  
In the Song of Solomon, He is the loving bridegroom.
In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace.
In Jeremiah, He is the righteous branch.
In Lamentations, He is our weeping prophet.
In Ezekiel, He is the wonderful four-faced man.
In Daniel, He is the forth man in life’s “fiery furnace.”
In Hosea, He is the faithful husband, forever married to the backslider.
In Joel, He is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire.
In Amos, He is our burden-bearer.
In Obadiah, He is the mighty to save.
In Jonah, He is our great foreign missionary.
In Micah, He is the messenger of beautiful feet.
In Nahum, He is the avenger of God’s elect.
In Habakkuk, he is God’s evangelist, crying, “revive thy work in the midst of the years.”
In Zephaniah, He is our Saviour.
In Haggai, He is the restorer of God’s lost heritage.
In Zechariah, He is the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness.
In Malachi, He is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.
In Matthew, He is King of the Jews.
In Mark, He is the Servant.
In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
In John, He is the Son of God.
In Acts, He is the Savior of the world.
In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
In I Corinthians, He is the Rock that followed Israel.
In II Corinthians, He is the Triumphant One, giving victory.
In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.
In Ephesians, He is Head of the Church.
In Philippians, He is your joy.
In Colossians, He is your completeness.
In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, He is your hope.
In I Timothy, He is your faith.
In II Timothy, He is your stability.
In Philemon, He is your Benefactor.
In Titus, He is truth.
In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
In James, he is the Power behind your faith.
In I Peter, He is your example.
In II Peter, He is your purity.
In I John, He is your life.
In II John, He is your pattern.
In III John, He is your motivation.
In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.
In Revelation, He is your coming King.

He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be…
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!                
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can’t understand him,
The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him, and
The leaders can’t ignore Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him, and
The people couldn’t hold Him!
Nero couldn’t crush Him,* Hitler couldn’t silence Him,
The New Age can’t replace Him, and
Oprah can’t explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right, His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy, He is my comfort,

He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

What happens to an Amish family when they begin reading the Bible in English? What happens to them when they discover that so much of what their Bishop requires cannot be found in the scriptures ?  What happens when they become “Born Again” and are forbidden to share the gospel with others?  I found this 6 part film to be intriguing and interesting.  I found this dear family to be sincere and so loving.  You can’t help but pray for them when you watch their struggles and see their faith lived out. I hope you enjoy this short film as much as I did. Blessings,  Anne Be sure to turn the website music off before beginning the video.

I was but a youth and thoughtless, as youths are apt to be;
Though I had a Christian mother who had taught me carefully.

There came a time when pleasure of the world came to allure,
And I no more sought guidance of her love so good and pure.

Her tender admonitions fell but lightly on my ear,
And for the gentle warnings, I felt an inward sneer.

But mother would not yield her boy to Satan’s sinful sway,
And though I spurned her counsel, she knew a better way.

She made my room an altar, a place of secret prayer,
And there she took her burden and left it in His care.

And morning, noon and evening by that humble bedside low,
She sought the aid of Him who understands a mother’s woe.

I went my way unheeding, careless of the life I led,
Until one day I noticed prints of elbows on my bed.

I saw that she had been there, praying for her wayward boy,
Who for love of worldly pleasure would her peace of mind destroy.

Long the conflict raged within me, sin against my mother’s prayers,
Sin must yield – for Mother never , while she daily met Him there.

And her constant love and patience were like coals upon my head,
Together with the imprints of her elbows on my bed.

And so at last the fight was won, and I to Christ was led,
And mother’s prayers were answered
By her elbows on my bed.

(Author unknown)

“Let it be remembered, that I do not speak to the wild, giddy, thoughtless world, but to those that fear God. I ask, then, for what end do you send you children to school? “Why, that they may be fit to live in the world.” In which world do you mean, — this or the next? Perhaps you thought of this world only; and had forgot that there is a world to come; yea, and one that will last for ever! Pray take this into your account, and send them to such masters as will keep it always before their eyes. Otherwise, to send them to school (permit me to speak plainly) is little better than sending them to the devil. At all events, then, send your boys, if you have any concern for their souls, not to any of the large public schools, (for they are nurseries of all manner of wickedness,) but private school, kept by some pious man, who endeavours to instruct a small number of children in religion and learning.

With dozens of bible translations available today and a myriad of voices preaching and teaching from these bibles how do we know which is trustworthy? It is simpler than you think.

During the dark ages the scriptures were chained to pedestals in the major cathedrals of the world. The common people could not read the bible and even the clergy were limited to reading it only where it stood. Those days have been eliminated by the courageous efforts of clergy and reformers like Luther, Calvin, Tyndale and a host of others who in some cases gave their lives in the effort.

We now enjoy the fruit of their labors throughout most of the free world. Not only are all the versions of the bible available here in America but one publisher has begun offering the bible bound and covered in your choice of designer colors!

Yet for all of this profusion of bibles one of the flimsiest excuses for not reading or trusting the bible is still being used everywhere throughout the land. Who has not heard someone say, “The bible is open to interpretation and that’s why it can’t be trusted.”

If honestly examined, this excuse will be found to be just another one of those “common wisdom of the day” utterances that has no more truth in it than water in the desert. It is grown out of ignorance, watered by indifference and harvested in laziness. It is used glibly but has dire consequences; in fact it could cost a person their entire future.

The first rule of interpretation says that no one has the right to interpret the scripture in a merely personal or private way. …Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. I Peter 1:20 If the bible is not open to private interpretation then it must only be open to public interpretation. That is the key. The universal bible believing church the world over has an interpretation that qualifies this fact, the minor doctrinal differences and the trend toward liberalism notwithstanding.

Whether Pentecostal, Evangelical, Baptist, Methodist or any other major historical denomination the bible is interpreted the same. Jesus death and resurrection is the key to salvation and his teachings are the key to our best behavior. When people stray very far from this kind of interpretation of the bible they are bordering on heresy, cultism or something worse.

Another great rule of sound biblical interpretation is to let the bible interpret itself. Let the whole bible reflect on any part of it in particular. You will rarely ever go wrong by applying this rule. This of course implies that you would have to study the whole bible. That alone would just about eliminate any problem with bible interpretation you will ever encounter.

An old preacher from Vermont once told me of a basic rule of interpretation he had learned while attending Bible College. I have never forgotten it and I’ve never failed to use it. He said, “If the scripture makes plain sense, seek no other sense”. Being complicated is not a prerequisite to being a bible student so don’t bury your self in hidden meanings and obscurities, just get on with what is known and apparent.

Finally take a lesson from the smallest child. Ask them what Jesus meant when he said we should love each other, or that we should forgive others. They know what these things mean even when those who hide behind the idea that the bible is riddled with too many interpretations don’t. Some passages are simple but that does not mean they aren’t profound.

Other passages are more complex but can be clearly understood by the simplest approach, much like that of a child. The child like approach to scriptural interpretation is the shortest route to understanding; in fact it is also the shortest route to salvation itself. Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15

We must cease to view the bible as some deep manual of religion only to be known by the initiated or specially trained. Someone once said that the bible and more so, the New Testament is a letter from God the Father to his children.

Who would think a letter from your father was meant to create confusion. It would speak of his love, his intentions, his ongoing plans and his final return home. It would give instructions and details on what to do until he returns. No one would throw a letter from their father in a corner and say I don’t understand any of that so I’ll just do what I want to until he returns home and take it up with him then.

The words of the bible never create confusion. In fact it is the dismissing of these words that creates confusion. If we hide behind the worn out cliché about “it is all open to interpretation” we will find ourselves with no where to hide in the final day.

Jesus said the very opposite about his words, He said they would illuminate our lives and bring peace to us, not confusion. In fact they would produce life itself within us…”the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:33

americanprophet.org/

Study as much as you practice.
Know what you want to execute.
Use only the best materials.
Keep your pens very clean.
Watch your slant carefully.
Master one style at a time.
Sit up, don’t slouch, and breathe regularly.

- Louis Madarasz

I hope you enjoy this clip on penmanship.  Be sure to turn off the website music first.

Just scroll down past the clock to turn it off.  Enjoy!  ~Anne

Consumers are seemingly more sensitive to buying American around the holidays than most other times during the year. Perhaps because it’s because as we search for gifts for those on our Christmas list, we run across the words “made in China” a little more often than we would like.

But now that Christmas is over and the New Year has begun, how can we continue to buy American if the bulk of our purchases, for the time being at least, are over?

The good news is that buying American doesn’t always have to involve items that are big enough or expensive enough to put under the Christmas tree, and there are more opportunities to buy American than for just big ticket items like cars, lawnmowers, or large appliances.

Some the easiest – and most inexpensive – ways to buy American are in areas where the consumer is really indifferent as to which product to buy. The good news is that when it comes to simple, everyday items like soap, deodorant, or cotton swabs, usually any product will do since the price difference is usually negligible. The even better news is that sometimes it’s even cheaper to buy American than not.

So here are eleven easy ways to buy American in 2011 using the money you’re already going to spend anyway.

1. Cotton Swabs. Don’t call them Q-Tips. The Q-Tips brand is made in America, but guess what? The company that owns the brand isn’t American at all. The name of the company is called Unilever (ever seen Lever 2000 soap?), which is a joint venture between England and The Netherlands. An American alternative would be the CVS or Walgreen’s brand, which are both made in USA as well for about the same price. Both CVS and Walgreen’s are American-owned companies and are based in the United States.
2. Deodorant. Suave and Dove are both owned by Unilever, so the profits go overseas and the taxes are paid overseas to foreign governments when you buy either of these brands. Want an American brand to buy and save money, too? Go to the Dollar Tree store and buy the Speed Stick brand for $1 each, which is made in USA by American-owned Colgate-Palmolive. If you drop five or ten dollars, you won’t have to go back to the store for this item anytime soon.
3. Bath Soap. Irish Spring sounds like it might be foreign, but it’s actually an American brand made in the United States. Ivory soap is American, too. Jergens is made in America, but Jergens is owned by a Japanese company. Think of it like this: Just like a Toyota made in the U.S. is still a Japanese car, a bar of Jergens soap made in the U.S. is still a Japanese soap. Dial is owned by a German company.
4. Mustard. French’s mustard isn’t French. It’s owned by the British. Grey Poupon sounds like it might be foreign, but it’s owned by an American company, and is made in America.
5. Pasta sauce. Did you know Ragu is owned by Unilever, the foreign-owned company we learned about in examples one and two? Prego is an American brand owned by the Campbell Soup Company, and is made in the United States.
6. Disinfectant. Lysol and Clorox are both effective disinfectants and there is little if any price difference between the two, but only one is American owned. Lysol used to be owned by Kodak, but Kodak sold it to a British company in 1995. Clorox is American owned.
7. Coffee. Two of the most popular brands in the United States are Maxwell House and Taster’s Choice, but only one is owned by a company based in the United States. Taster’s Choice is made by Switzerland-based Nestle Ð the largest food company in the world. Maxwell House is an American brand. The coffee beans for both brands are imported, however. For truly American coffee from tree to cup (the beans come from Hawaii) check out the USA Coffee Company at www.USACoffeeCompany.com.
8. Cosmetics. Revlon is an American-owned company and many (not all) of their products are made in the United States. Maybelline was American-owned until 1996 when French-owned L’Oreal bought the company for $758 million.
9. Bottled water. Now that we know the French own at least one brand many probably thought was American owned, what other popular brands are owned by companies based in France? You might be surprised to know that Dannon bottled water (and other Dannon products like yogurt) are French owned. Aquafina (owned by Pepsi) and Dasani (owned by Coca-Cola) are American brands.
10. Peanut Butter. They say choosy mothers choose Jif. Choosy patriotic Americans choose Jif, too, because Jif is American-owned. Skippy is owned by our favorite foreign brand Unilever.
11. Apparel. Why shop at Wal-Mart and buy foreign-made t-shirts when you can buy American-made t-shirts from All American Clothing Company (www.AllAmericanClothing.com) where they use 100% U.S.-grown cotton for just $7.99. Are the shirts in Wal-Mart that much cheaper? I have to admit I don’t know because I don’t shop there. But I do know Wal-Mart is the biggest seller of Chinese-made goods on the planet.
12. Okay, I had to give another example because this is probably the best one, and since winter is still here, we might be adding some hot chocolate to our shopping cart at the supermarket. Swiss Miss is American owned, but Carnation is owned by the Swiss.

The good news is that the more we buy American-owned and American-made products, the more powerful and positive impact we will have on the U.S. economy. And the even better news is we can usually do it without any extra cost or inconvenience to the consumer. Awareness is the key.

Roger Simmermaker is the author of How Americans Can Buy American: The 
Power of Consumer Patriotism and writes “Buy American Mention of the Week”
articles for WorldNetDaily.com and his website www.howtobuyamerican.com.
Roger is a member of the Machinists Union, has been a frequent guest on Fox
News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has been quoted in the USA Today, Wall Street
Journal and Business Week among many other publications.

How can we restore America? By recovering the original Pilgrim and Puritan vision of America as a shining “city upon a hill.”

Those first Christian settlers who stepped ashore on the beaches of Massachusetts were not just a bunch of religious refugees who came over here to avoid persecution. They had a compelling vision: to put the Bible into practice and create a self-governing society with liberty and justice for every soul. They were missionaries, intent on creating a Bible-based commonwealth that would be an example to the rest of the world — that would, as Abraham Lincoln would later phrase it, “hold out a beacon of hope to all men of all time to come.”

But we have lost that vision — we seem to no longer know who we are or why we are here. We seem to have developed a serious case of national amnesia, a loss of our collective memory. That means that in order to restore America we have to recover the truth about America’s Christian heritage, and God’s hand in our history. For example, Patrick Henry, a great Founding Father, and one of the strongest evangelical Christians of his time, said that “It can not be too often repeated, or too strongly emphasized that America was not founded by religionists nor on any religion, but by Christians on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” This is a statement that never shows up in the history books that are read by the vast majority of American schoolchildren. John Adams, our second President and a true son of the Puritans, spoke for all the Founding Fathers when he spoke these words to the Massachusetts Militia in 1798: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Adams is telling us is that unless we have a rebirth of the Spirit of God in each new generation of Americans, our Constitution will not work, and we will not be able to have a society with liberty and justice for all. Why? The simple reason is that in order to have a just society we have to care for our neighbor. But the Bible tells us that every human being is born with a sinful and fallen nature — we are by nature self-centered. So, in order for us to care about our neighbors we need an infusion of the Spirit of God that will get us out of our natural self-centeredness. That is why we need revival in each generation of Americans.

But, our society’s moral and spiritual crisis is so desperate that we need a nation-wide revival of such historic proportions that it could be called the Third Great Awakening.

How can we get such a spiritual revival? We must put 2 Chronicles 7:14 into practice. That verse says: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This scripture clearly puts the burden of restoring America on the Church — “my people!” Revival must start with the recovery of the dynamic power of true New Testament Christianity in our local churches and fellowships.

When God’s people begin to seriously live out His call to repentance in 2 Chronicles 7:14, I believe that we will discover three main areas of “wicked ways” that we must repent of. If we deal with these, God promises that He will heal our land.

Initially, we Christians need to repent for our shallow superficial “churchianity” — our “feel good” resistance to facing our own sinfulness and seeking daily the cleansing power of Jesus to change our hearts. Modern American churches seem to focus on everything except the main point of the Christian life — daily seeking to abide in Jesus, and to be cleansed from sin and self.

Next, we Christians must repent for our lack of honest, confessional, and caring relationships with each other in our fellowships and churches. The New Testament calls for us to confess our sins to each other (James 5:16) and “wash each other’s feet” (John 13:14-15), as did the Early Church. But most believers in Christ are not living with each other in these ways, for if we were, the Church would be impacting our society with the restoration of Biblical values, as the Early Church impacted theirs. Sadly, the Church is not often being the Church!

Finally, we Christians must repent for decades of non-involvement in the society around us. Because American Christians have lost the Biblical vision of the Church reforming society, most of us are still in a defensive posture toward the world around us, whereas Jesus calls us to take the offensive. He tells us to go into the world with the Good News of the Gospel. We must recover the zeal of our evangelical forefathers, who in the 19th century began new ministries to every social problem in the nation! When Christians begin to build together a new life focused on Jesus as Savior and Lord, they experience an explosion of outreach and ministry and mission from their midst. The New Testament teaches that ministry comes out of a shared life in Christ!

Notice that there seems to be a natural progression through these three stages, which together make up God’s plan for revival and restoring America (see Acts, Chapter 2).

Is there hope for America? Yes! Turning things around doesn’t require every citizen’s response. God promised Abraham long ago that He would spare Sodom on behalf of ten righteous people, a tiny remnant. But our national healing will not automatically happen just because we pray for it. If we American Christians truly respond to God’s call, we may yet see the nation-wide revival that will restore America. But the hour is late, and we must respond quickly.
Peter Marshall Ministries

Let’s keep the conversation going shall we?  Perhaps we can put some of these quotes to memory so that we can retrieve them when faced with liberal lies and revisionist history falsehoods.

“To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.” George Washington

”It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” Patrick Henry

“The greatest glory of the American Revolution was this: It connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.” John Quincy Adams

“The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.” The US Congress 1782

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” John Jay (First Supreme Court Justice)

“The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of men.’ And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” – Benjamin Franklin

“I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am perfectly satisfied that the Union of the States in its form and adoption is as much the work of a Devine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testaments.” – Benjamin Rush