10/31/2010
Touched By An Angel - "The Occupant"
(Season 6 Episode 6). The Angels minister to a man who has been demonically tormented most of his life after taking the wrong turn at a young age and getting involved in the occult. Eventually, the man reaches out to saving faith in God and is able to become free of his demonic possession after he receives help from the Angels and his old childhood friend.
*I don't own anything. I have posted this purely for personal, non-commercial reasons. This is an embedded video uploaded by someone else to a host site. I believe in supporting those who make and distribute the product by rightfully purchasing their products. However, in Touched By An Angel's case to the best of my knowledge only seasons 1-4 have been officially released to buy. This episode is from Season 6 and as far as I know has not yet been officially released to buy.*
The History of Halloween
from www.History.com
Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to create the holiday we know today. Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity and life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween has long been thought of as a day when the dead can return to the earth, and ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghosts. The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween. In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. Although the superstitions and beliefs surrounding Halloween may have evolved over the years, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people can still look forward to parades, costumes and sweet treats to usher in the winter season.
CONTENTS
* Ancient Origins of Halloween
* Halloween Comes to America
* Today's Traditions
* Superstitions
Ancient Origins of Halloween
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
Halloween Comes to America
As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied Halloween customs with them. Because of the rigid Protestant belief systems that characterized early New England, celebration of Halloween in colonial times was extremely limited there.
It was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.
In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft.
At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.
By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.
Today's Traditions
The American Halloween tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.
The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
Superstitions
Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. For these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.
Today's Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe. And around Halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt.
But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today's trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about? Many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead. In particular, many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday--with luck, by next Halloween!--be married.
In 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it. In Scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girl's future husband. (In some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.) Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband. Young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands' initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands' faces.
Other rituals were more competitive. At some Halloween parties, the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; at others, the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle.
Of course, whether we're asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid seven years of bad luck, each one of these Halloween superstitions relies on the good will of the very same "spirits" whose presence the early Celts felt so keenly. Ours is not such a different holiday after all!
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
©1996-2010, A&E Television Networks, All Rights Reserved
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31, is a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to create the holiday we know today. Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity and life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. Halloween has long been thought of as a day when the dead can return to the earth, and ancient Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghosts. The Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Catholic Hallowmas period of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day and the Roman festival of Feralia all influenced the modern holiday of Halloween. In the 19th century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. Although the superstitions and beliefs surrounding Halloween may have evolved over the years, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people can still look forward to parades, costumes and sweet treats to usher in the winter season.
CONTENTS
* Ancient Origins of Halloween
* Halloween Comes to America
* Today's Traditions
* Superstitions
Ancient Origins of Halloween
Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
Halloween Comes to America
As European immigrants came to America, they brought their varied Halloween customs with them. Because of the rigid Protestant belief systems that characterized early New England, celebration of Halloween in colonial times was extremely limited there.
It was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies. As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as the American Indians, meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included "play parties," public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other's fortunes, dance, and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the nineteenth century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from Irish and English traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. Young women believed that, on Halloween, they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings, or mirrors.
In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday more about community and neighborly get-togethers, than about ghosts, pranks, and witchcraft.
At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season, and festive costumes. Parents were encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything "frightening" or "grotesque" out of Halloween celebrations. Because of their efforts, Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.
By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular, but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague Halloween celebrations in many communities during this time. By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated. Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats. A new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.
Today's Traditions
The American Halloween tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.
The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as "going a-souling" was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, for the many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, to keep ghosts away from their houses, people would place bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter.
Superstitions
Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. For these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.
Today's Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent, and our customs and superstitions are scarier too. We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats. We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe. And around Halloween, especially, we try to avoid breaking mirrors, stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt.
But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today's trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about? Many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead. In particular, many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday--with luck, by next Halloween!--be married.
In 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it. In Scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girl's future husband. (In some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.) Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband. Young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands' initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands' faces.
Other rituals were more competitive. At some Halloween parties, the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; at others, the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle.
Of course, whether we're asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid seven years of bad luck, each one of these Halloween superstitions relies on the good will of the very same "spirits" whose presence the early Celts felt so keenly. Ours is not such a different holiday after all!
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
©1996-2010, A&E Television Networks, All Rights Reserved
http://www.history.com/topics/halloween
10/28/2010
Castlevania : Lords of Shadow (Official Trailer)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a video game in the Castlevania series, and is a reboot of the franchise. It is an action-adventure game in a fantasy setting in Southern Europe during the Middle Ages.
10/26/2010
Letters To God (movie trailer)
A young boy fighting cancer writes letters to God, touching lives in his neighborhood and community and inspiring hope among everyone he comes in contact. An unsuspecting substitute postman, with a troubled life of his own, becomes entangled in the boy's journey and his family by reading the letters. They inspire him to seek a better life for himself and his own son he's lost through his alcohol addiction.~IMDB
http://letterstoGodthemovie.com
http://bailee-madison.com
Dear Mr. Jesus
Dear Mr. Jesus, I just had to write to you
Something really scared me, when I saw it on the news
A story 'bout a little girl beaten black and blue
Jesus, thought I'd take this right to you
Dear Mr. Jesus, I don't understand
Why they took her mom and dad away
I know that they don't mean to hit with wild and angry hands
Tell them just how big they are I pray
Please don't let them hurt your children
We need love and shelter from the storm
Please don't let them hurt your children
Won't you keep us safe and warm
Dear Mr. Jesus, they say that she may die
Oh I hope the doctors stop the pain
I know that you could save her and take her up to the sky
So she would never have to hurt again
Please don't let them hurt your children..
Dear Mr. Jesus, please tell me what to do
And please don't tell my daddy
But my mommy hits me, too.
Please don't let them hurt your children...
words and music by Richard Klender
© 1985 Klenco, Inc. (Klenco Music Group), ASCAP
10/24/2010
Jesus Is Better Than Football
I found this neat video on YouTube. Points out the obvious. We need to not be obsessed with sports. Sports are great, but we need to keep things in perspective and keep our priorities straight. God is #1 and deserves first place in our hearts and the most praise.
"To be clear, OBVIOUSLY Jesus is better than football. We cannot demean Christ's love or sacrifice by comparing it to something as insignificant as a game. BUT many DO glorify football beyond their praise of God. I am guilty of this in other areas, too!
We obsess about the material things of this world while ignoring and downplaying the greatness of our God.
A secondary point of the song and the slideshow is that there is an exuberance to following Christ that does not have to conform to the stereotypical, staid image that many armchair quarterbacks have of church and God's word. GOD INVENTED FUN!
The song says:
1. Jesus Is Better than Football
2. Jesus already won the SUPER Bowl (meaning won the greatest victory, using a phrase that an avid football fan would "get")
3. That the storied comebacks that Peyton Manning has engineered are nothing compared to Jesus's victory over sin and death after three days in the tomb
4. That we should shout and sing about Jesus's greatness
5. That all the whining that peoplel did about the Colts not going undefeated was absurd compared to the perfect record Jesus has and offers(the word "try" there is sarcastic, as if to say "Perfect YEAR? Try perfect FOREVER!")
6. Think a seat at the 50 yard line is the pinnacle of life? Bowing at the feet of our Lord and Savior is far, far more valuable.
7. You raise a foam finger as if to say you or your team are the BEST? Spend that energy praising God! Use that finger to point to where real victory is already won.
8. Instead of spending your Sunday glued to the furniture, wondering if your fantasy team or your betting line will turn out okay, trust in GOD!
9. Jesus is better than a good pass to Reggie Wayne.
10. Touchdowns cannot compare to God's glory.
11. People get crazy enough to paint themselves blue for their team, but then sit in church like it's a punishment.
12. EVERY DAY IS A VICTORY WHEN JESUS LOVE GRABS HOLD OF YOU.
Even some of the images in the slideshow, like Jesus playing football, have a purpose: Jesus, who people know suffered for our sins, is still accessible to the common man who doesn't know the Athanasian Creed by heart.
As Luther said: "Put the best construction on everything. It doesn't take much to see that this glorifies God."
Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm
Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.
Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away
Chorus
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
Chorus
Bluetree - Story Behind "God Of This City"
Bluetree is a Northern Irish contemporary Christian band. The band is most well known for its song "God of This City", which received international exposure when it was covered by Chris Tomlin on the Passion: God of This City and Hello Love albums. -Wikipedia
Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes
A good song that I think illustrates the desire to want to have the same love that Jesus has for humanity, and a willingness to give more of ourselves.
Congrats are in order...
Congratulations on the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants winning the ALCS and NLCS Titles. I had been rooting for those two teams and now I'm so excited about this World Series match-up coming up. And, although I would prefer the Texas Rangers to win because I'm a Texan myself, I say, "may the best team win."
10/23/2010
Rich Mullins - Awesome God (yes!!!!!!)
The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble! Let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name-- He is holy. Psalm 99:1-3
Alice Cooper's Christian Faith
Alice Cooper interview where he speaks about his Christian experience and beliefs on a radio show, 2007.
10/22/2010
Queen - We Are The Champions
My personal tribute to the Texas Rangers winning the ALCS Title for 2010. Go Rangers!
VOM–USA Prayer Update for week of Oct 22, 2010
The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
IRAN —Pastor Sentenced to Death — VOM Contacts
Matthew 5:44–45
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Christians in Iran are reporting that Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani has been sentenced to death for what is called a “thought crime.” VOM contacts confirm that the pastor’s trial was held in recent weeks in the 11th Chamber of The Assize Court of the province of Gilan, but a formal verdict has not yet been delivered by the court. Pastor Youcef, a leader in the Full Gospel “Church of Iran” network, is one of several members of his church who have been imprisoned. The Iranian government has also threatened his wife with life imprisonment and has threatened to take away their two children, who are currently being cared for by relatives. Pastor Youcef was arrested in October 2009 after protesting a decision by the government requiring that his son study the Quran. Media reports suggest that Pastor Youcef was transferred to Lakan prison, which is supervised by the Political Police of the Islamic Republic. If a death sentence is officially handed down by the court and Pastor Youcef is executed, his would be the first judicial execution of a Christian in Iran in two decades. This arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of believers in Iran in the past year. Eighty-three Christians are known to have been arrested in Iran since the beginning of 2010. Of those, 65 were subsequently released, but 18 are still believed to be in custody. Pray for Pastor Youcef, his family and other believers in prison. Ask God to protect them and to embolden them to proclaim his name in the face of great persecution.
IRAQ — Christian Disappears — VOM Contacts
1 Thessalonians 3:7–9
Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Baghdad, Iraq, report that a Christian woman disappeared several days ago after being caught reading her Bible. VOM contacts are not sure who may have discovered the woman reading the Bible, but Christians in Iraq are concerned for her safety. Pray that God will protect this woman and that Christians will be encouraged during this uncertain time. Praise God for all believers in Iraq.
CHINA — Authorities Harass Christian Attorney — China Aid Association
Matthew 5:10–11
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
On Oct. 10, police officers confronted Christian attorney Jiang Tianyong while he was on his way to a worship service in Beijing, according to China Aid Association. As Jiang was walking to church with his wife and child, police officers blocked his way and told him that the deputy director of Yangfangdian Police Station would not allow him to go to church. When Jiang called the station to confirm their claim, he was told that an official from the Haidian Public Security Branch, Song Aixin, was the one preventing him from attending church. Jiang told the officers that he was determined to go to church but said they could follow him if they wished. Then, at a subway station, two young police officers grabbed Jiang from behind. Jiang told his family to leave, then tried to talk with the two officers. They told Jiang that it would be a “serious act of dereliction” if he attended church, and they held him long enough to prevent his church attendance before escorting him home. Pray that Jiang and his family will persevere in faith amid this harassment. Pray that they will continue to yield their hearts to God’s will and demonstrate his love even to their oppressors. Pray that Christians in China will continue to exercise their right to worship, despite opposition.
Add the PrisonerAlert.com application on Facebook by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/prisoneralert/
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
IRAN —Pastor Sentenced to Death — VOM Contacts
Matthew 5:44–45
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Christians in Iran are reporting that Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani has been sentenced to death for what is called a “thought crime.” VOM contacts confirm that the pastor’s trial was held in recent weeks in the 11th Chamber of The Assize Court of the province of Gilan, but a formal verdict has not yet been delivered by the court. Pastor Youcef, a leader in the Full Gospel “Church of Iran” network, is one of several members of his church who have been imprisoned. The Iranian government has also threatened his wife with life imprisonment and has threatened to take away their two children, who are currently being cared for by relatives. Pastor Youcef was arrested in October 2009 after protesting a decision by the government requiring that his son study the Quran. Media reports suggest that Pastor Youcef was transferred to Lakan prison, which is supervised by the Political Police of the Islamic Republic. If a death sentence is officially handed down by the court and Pastor Youcef is executed, his would be the first judicial execution of a Christian in Iran in two decades. This arrest is the latest in a series of arrests of believers in Iran in the past year. Eighty-three Christians are known to have been arrested in Iran since the beginning of 2010. Of those, 65 were subsequently released, but 18 are still believed to be in custody. Pray for Pastor Youcef, his family and other believers in prison. Ask God to protect them and to embolden them to proclaim his name in the face of great persecution.
IRAQ — Christian Disappears — VOM Contacts
1 Thessalonians 3:7–9
Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Baghdad, Iraq, report that a Christian woman disappeared several days ago after being caught reading her Bible. VOM contacts are not sure who may have discovered the woman reading the Bible, but Christians in Iraq are concerned for her safety. Pray that God will protect this woman and that Christians will be encouraged during this uncertain time. Praise God for all believers in Iraq.
CHINA — Authorities Harass Christian Attorney — China Aid Association
Matthew 5:10–11
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
On Oct. 10, police officers confronted Christian attorney Jiang Tianyong while he was on his way to a worship service in Beijing, according to China Aid Association. As Jiang was walking to church with his wife and child, police officers blocked his way and told him that the deputy director of Yangfangdian Police Station would not allow him to go to church. When Jiang called the station to confirm their claim, he was told that an official from the Haidian Public Security Branch, Song Aixin, was the one preventing him from attending church. Jiang told the officers that he was determined to go to church but said they could follow him if they wished. Then, at a subway station, two young police officers grabbed Jiang from behind. Jiang told his family to leave, then tried to talk with the two officers. They told Jiang that it would be a “serious act of dereliction” if he attended church, and they held him long enough to prevent his church attendance before escorting him home. Pray that Jiang and his family will persevere in faith amid this harassment. Pray that they will continue to yield their hearts to God’s will and demonstrate his love even to their oppressors. Pray that Christians in China will continue to exercise their right to worship, despite opposition.
Add the PrisonerAlert.com application on Facebook by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/prisoneralert/
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Josh Hamilton Interview (Daystar TV)
Baseball star of Texas Rangers talks on Daystar Christian television. Josh Hamilton is a professional baseball player who went through a series of events and circumstances that lead him to seek God for help and find his own faith.
http://www.daystar.com/
http://www.crossbridge.com/
10/21/2010
Newsboys - Belly Of The Whale
Newsboys performing "Belly Of The Whale" to clips of "Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie."
10/19/2010
A powerful lesson from ER.
from The Way Of The Master YouTube: A number of people called our attention to this clip from the popular TV series ER. It really is amazing for secular television.
The "Fair Use" law allowed us to teach from it, without violating copyright laws. It has wonderful evangelistic potential, so please use it all over the Internet.
Are you a good person?
"Are you a good person?" animation produced by Cedric Hohnstadt from www.cedricstudio.com
Additional animators include Michael Foster & Chance Dodd
Mr. Nice Guy........................Kirk Cameron
Narrator.............................David Jeremiah
Criminal/ Judge.....Emeal ("E.Z.") Zwayne
Woman..............................Rachel Proctor
Based on Hell's Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort
www.needGod.com
www.wayofthemaster.com
www.livingwaters.com
Celebrity Intelligence Test
Can you name that Celebrity?
What do the most famous stars in the world believe about God? Find out in Ray Comfort's riveting book "What Hollywood Believes."
Now available at www.WhatHollywoodBelieves.com
www.needGod.com
Darrell Mansfield - Tears In Heaven (live)
Darrell Mansfield from his Orphan Blues Tour in Moldova 2005.
Darrell Mansfield - Stand By Me (live)
Darrell Mansfield is a Christian gospel/blues artist. He got his musical start in 1974, releasing his first album Gentle Faith in 1976. He later formed the Darrell Mansfield Band. Over the years he has recorded and toured the US and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Mansfield has contributed vocals and harmonica to many other artists' recordings, including Eddie Van Halen, Jon Bon Jovi, Adam Again and Loverboy. He has also played alongside Jimmy Hall, Joe Turner, Richie Sambora, Billy Idol, Ted Nugent, Five Blind Boys, Earl Slick, Rick Derringer and Billy Sheehan. Darrell Mansfield was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009, and inducted into the Hohner Harmonica Hall of Fame in 1980. A musician and songwriter, he has released more than thirty albums.
Larry Norman - Why should the devil have all the good music?
Learn more about Larry Norman at http://larrynorman.com/
Feb. 25th, 2008, Salem, Oregon - Larry Norman, the singer, songwriter, and producer known as the "father of Christian rock music," died of heart failure on Sunday (Feb. 24) in his Salem, Oregon home. He was 60.
Norman was an eccentric visionary whose songs drew controversy from both the conservative religious establishment and the secular music press for his lyrical mix of radical religious, political, and social themes. His 1969 solo album Upon This Rock was the first Christian rock record, and his milestone 1972 release Only Visiting This Planet is considered one of the best albums in the genre. His music was an influence on such diverse artists as U2, John Mellencamp, and the Pixies.
"Larry was my door into the music business and he was the most Christlike person I ever met," former Pixies singer Frank Black said Monday upon hearing of Norman's passing.
Time Magazine once called Norman "the most significant artist in his field." Over 300 cover versions of his songs have been recorded by artists such as Petula Clark, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Black, and Cliff Richard. His songs have also been recorded by contemporary Christian artists like DC Talk, Rebecca St. James, and Audio Adrenaline. He performed for The White House, twice - and in Moscow at the 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium. He headlined venues like The Hollywood Bowl, The Sydney Opera House, The Palladium and London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall, which he sold out six times, once filling it twice on the same day. In the last 40 years Norman has released nearly 100 solo albums.
Dave Crowder Band - Revolutionary Love
Desperation leads us here
Leads us here
Illumination meets us here
Meets us here
Revelation brings us here
Brings us here
Restoration frees us here
Frees us here
And I don't want to leave
I don't want to leave this place
No, I don't want to leave
I never want to leave this place
CHORUS
It's so amazing
Your unchanging love
Simply amazing
Never changing love
Love, love a revolutionary love
Reparation leads us here
Leads us here
Liberation meets us here
Meets us here
Jubilation brings us here
Brings us here
Higher elevation frees us here
Frees us here
And I don't want to leave
I don't want to leave this place
No, I don't want to leave
I never want to leave this place
Chorus x2
Your revolutionary love
Your revolutionary love, love, love
You're a revolution I want to be
Revolutionary
You're a revolution I want to be
Revolutionary
You're a revolution I want to be
Love, love, love
Revolutionary love
Indivisible - Plankeye10/18/2010
Carman - witch's invitation
One peaceful afternoon I picked up from my mailbox the strangest looking letter I'd ever seen, a chilling little envelope bordered with flying bats, and eerie serpents whose eyes were tinted green. The letter was addressed to me so as I opened it I froze. What I read turned my complexion three shades of blue. It said, 'My name is Isaac Horowitz. I'm a male witch, a warlock and I feel I need to spend some time with you.'
Now as a Christian from a little church with God's call on my life, a man of faith and power with a challenge to grow I did what any saint would do in my situation. I tore it up said, 'Lord, no way I'm gonna go.' Then gently and methodically the Holy Spirit spoke and reminded me we're God's voice to our nation. It's the church's responsibility to witness, so reluctantly I accepted this witch's invitation.
He had the house you'd expect, the old English cottage, a 'Nightmare on Elm Street' special right to the core, the overgrown ivy, the gate that creaked when opened, somehow you'd expect Freddy to answer this door. The doorbell rang, a hollow gong, the knob twisted then opened, and Isaac stood before me with a grin. His jet black hair and well trimmed beard flowed with his black silk clothes. My skin crawled as he said, 'Please come on in.'
His house was filled with every occultic symbol you could fathom; Hanging pentagrams and horoscope signs, a Ouija board and dungeons and dragons game set on the table, a crystal ball with an incandescent shine. Then graciously he handed me some steaming herbal tea. Its presence caused my memory to jog...I thought of every horror flick I'd seen when I was a kid and thought 'man if you drink this stuff next day you'll be a frog.'
Then he led me to a high backed chair as he meticulously began to unfold his scenario with evil patience. I was given a giant leather bound book jammed with newspaper clippings, thus the reason for this witch's invitation. With eagerness he pointed to each article with pride. He said, 'I healed this woman through a Babylonian chant; You see this man, I cured him while performing druid worship; I was paid to curse this man with AIDS by his aunt.'
On and on, page after page, delightfully he flaunted each incident for an hour without a breath. He said, 'Do you realize through my understanding of the dark regions that I can make you rich or even curse someone to death?' I sat literally intimidated by his immensity in demon power while his face shone with a satanic arrogant bliss. Then placing his hands on the arms of my chair and leaning into my face he said, 'What can your God do to compete with this?'
I knew then how Moses felt, when his rod turned to a serpent and the three Egyptian magicians did the same. It's as if you're sitting there in that stunned moment while your faith gets violated and all you feel is weak, powerless and lame. I desperately and deeply prayed saying, 'Jesus give me wisdom - I don't want to put you through some foolish test. Then a shaft of light shot through my soul igniting my eyes with fire. God stood me up and I threw the book back in his chest.
I said 'Isaac, I'll not compare God's miracles versus Satan's - the issue's not God's kingdom and Satan's lair. The real comparison is the condition of your soul and the condition of mine, and you puppet of the devil, that I will compare. I said, My friend, one day they're coming for you - the soft associates in your incantations - the friendly demons you think you now control. The time will come when you'll be lying in bed wheezing like a dying animal and those spirits lay claim to the rights they own to your soul.'
'Then the room will grow dark, and the most hideous evil faces you ever seen will come flaming out of the floor with a yell! The vile informants that promised reincarnation will claw your spirit and victoriously drag your soul to hell!'
Then I grabbed the book and said, 'In that moment which mantra, which incantation you gonna chant to tell them to leave you alone? I said, My friend, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt what I would say...'I'm bought with the blood of Jesus! Let me go!' '
I said, 'Isaac, when you tossed that book in my lap, you gloated with a sinister victory. You rejoiced when you saw your name in black and white. Now I rejoice, but not that your counsel of demons are subject to Jesus, but that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life!' Then Isaac jumped up from his chair and screamed, 'You must leave now!' I said, 'I will, but one last obligation - Next time think twice before you rumble with a man of God!!! And by the way thanks for your.. uhh... witch's invitation.
10/17/2010
10/16/2010
VOM–USA Prayer Update for week of Oct 15, 2010
The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, “Aha, aha!” Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70
LAOS — Christians Arrested — VOM New Zealand
Psalm 91:1–6
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
On Sept. 18, police arrested 35 Christians in Meung Feung in northern Laos, according to VOM New Zealand. The believers, who were detained while in the area for a tree-planting project, are very active in sharing the gospel and have helped lead many people to the Lord. Thirty of the Christians were released, including the mother of a four-month-old child, but at last report five were still being held. Believers in the area are deeply concerned for the welfare of the five still in detention. Pray for the release of the five believers, and pray that God will strengthen their faith as they face this persecution. In addition, pray that God will grant boldness and wisdom to Laotian Christians as they share the love of Christ amid ongoing harassment and threats of imprisonment.
CHINA — Police Raid House Church — China Aid Association
Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
On Sept. 26, police and security officers raided a house church meeting in Youqing, Sichuan province, China, detaining and beating church members, according to China Aid Association. Authorities, who claimed the Christian gathering was illegal, took 20 believers to the police station for interrogation. Five were released after their families posted bail, but the others remained in detention for several hours before being released. While in detention, two of the believers were reportedly beaten by the police station’s director. When some of the Christians returned to the station the next day to retrieve their property, five were sentenced to 15 days in detention for “disrupting the public order under the guise of religion.” During the raid, authorities smashed a desk and about 30 benches, and they also confiscated Christian books and 500 Yuan (US$29). Praise God for the faithfulness of Chinese Christians who continue to meet for worship despite the risk. Pray that those who were beaten will be strengthened and fully restored to health.
ALGERIA — Christians Acquitted —Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission
Matthew 10:19–20
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
On Oct. 5, a court in the Kabylie region of Algeria acquitted Christian converts Hocine Hocini and Salem Fellak of the charge of “non-compliance with a precept of Islam.” The men had been arrested for eating lunch during Ramadan. Also in Algeria, four Protestant leaders were to have appeared in court on Oct. 10 on the charge of “practicing non-Muslim worship without authorization.” Pastor Yahou Mahmoud and elders Raid Abdenour, Mokrani Nacer and Haouedj Idir lead a fellowship affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria, a large nationally accredited denomination. The outcome of their hearing is unknown. Thank the Lord for the acquittal of Hocine Hocini and Salem Fellak and for the support they received from many Christians across Algeria. Pray that the Lord will use the case of the Protestant leaders to strengthen his church and further the spread of the gospel in Algeria.
Add the PrisonerAlert.com application on Facebook by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/prisoneralert/
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
www.persecution.com
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, “Aha, aha!” Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70
LAOS — Christians Arrested — VOM New Zealand
Psalm 91:1–6
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
On Sept. 18, police arrested 35 Christians in Meung Feung in northern Laos, according to VOM New Zealand. The believers, who were detained while in the area for a tree-planting project, are very active in sharing the gospel and have helped lead many people to the Lord. Thirty of the Christians were released, including the mother of a four-month-old child, but at last report five were still being held. Believers in the area are deeply concerned for the welfare of the five still in detention. Pray for the release of the five believers, and pray that God will strengthen their faith as they face this persecution. In addition, pray that God will grant boldness and wisdom to Laotian Christians as they share the love of Christ amid ongoing harassment and threats of imprisonment.
CHINA — Police Raid House Church — China Aid Association
Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
On Sept. 26, police and security officers raided a house church meeting in Youqing, Sichuan province, China, detaining and beating church members, according to China Aid Association. Authorities, who claimed the Christian gathering was illegal, took 20 believers to the police station for interrogation. Five were released after their families posted bail, but the others remained in detention for several hours before being released. While in detention, two of the believers were reportedly beaten by the police station’s director. When some of the Christians returned to the station the next day to retrieve their property, five were sentenced to 15 days in detention for “disrupting the public order under the guise of religion.” During the raid, authorities smashed a desk and about 30 benches, and they also confiscated Christian books and 500 Yuan (US$29). Praise God for the faithfulness of Chinese Christians who continue to meet for worship despite the risk. Pray that those who were beaten will be strengthened and fully restored to health.
ALGERIA — Christians Acquitted —Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission
Matthew 10:19–20
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
On Oct. 5, a court in the Kabylie region of Algeria acquitted Christian converts Hocine Hocini and Salem Fellak of the charge of “non-compliance with a precept of Islam.” The men had been arrested for eating lunch during Ramadan. Also in Algeria, four Protestant leaders were to have appeared in court on Oct. 10 on the charge of “practicing non-Muslim worship without authorization.” Pastor Yahou Mahmoud and elders Raid Abdenour, Mokrani Nacer and Haouedj Idir lead a fellowship affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria, a large nationally accredited denomination. The outcome of their hearing is unknown. Thank the Lord for the acquittal of Hocine Hocini and Salem Fellak and for the support they received from many Christians across Algeria. Pray that the Lord will use the case of the Protestant leaders to strengthen his church and further the spread of the gospel in Algeria.
Add the PrisonerAlert.com application on Facebook by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/prisoneralert/
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
www.persecution.com
Hollywood Prayer Network October Newsletter
Dear HPN Pray-ers,
It’s October already and LA is totally decorated in orange for Halloween – the 2nd biggest retail holiday in America, after Christmas. So, let’s pray for God to give people wisdom in responding to the holiday festivities. It’s actually the only day of the year where we can go over to any of our neighbors houses, ring their doorbells and introduce ourselves to them, without needing a reason to do so.
UPDATES:
• Please continue to pray for marriages in Hollywood. They are always under attack because the business often becomes our priority, sucks up our time, and leaves the family coming in second (or third, after God, who is usually second to the industry). It's very destructive. For non-believers it's even worse for they often have no other priority than "getting ahead".
• Continue to pray for Lindsay Lohan. She is back in the news for failing a required drug test. Regardless of what the media is saying Lindsay needs our continued prayers. She is obviously crying out. Here is an excerpt from her recent Tweet: "Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before judge Fox next week as a result...Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps...forward every day. I am testing every single day and doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future...This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I'm prepared to face the consequences...I am so thankful for the support of my fans, loved ones and immediate family, who understand that I am trying hard...but also that I am a work in progress, just as anyone else. I am keeping my faith, and I am hopeful.” May Lindsay find complete healing from Jesus.
PRAISES:
• We praise God that almost 20,000 HPN media packets have been sent out across the US and to over 47 countries. We are so thankful that more and more people around the world are seeing Hollywood as the world’s most influential mission field and wanting to be a part of our network to pray for the people creating the world’s entertainment. If you haven’t received an HPN media packet then just email Caren@hpnemail.org and we’ll send you one right away. It includes our DVD “The Hollywood Tribe” a brochure listing the 18 Christian ministries in Hollywood and tips on how to be praying more specifically for Hollywood.
REQUESTS:
• Let’s pray for Michael Eisner, ex-CEO of the Walt Disney Company, the other featured speakers, and the decisions that will come out of The Entertainment and Technology Summit held in Santa Monica next week. As keynote speaker, Michael will lead the Summit as they discuss what the consumers’ tastes are and how technology can meet those needs through entertainment. May the Lord intervene and allow them to consider the tastes of Christian consumers and may He soften their hearts as they analyze the American audience and the technology used in our entertainment. For more info. on the Summit, click here.
• Pray for the family and friends of Stephen J. Cannell, the prolific television writer and producer who co-created "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team" later becoming a bestselling novelist. He died early this month and is an icon in the TV world and yet there is nothing revealed about his spiritual life. May the Lord touch the hearts of those who loved him, and admired him and lead them to Jesus as they mourn the loss of this creative man. For more info on his life, click here.
• Let’s pray for the outspoken atheist author and columnist for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens, who is struggling to survive with cancer. Christians are now praying for writer of the 2007 book “God is Not Great” all over the world. They want to see him find God before his death. Let’s join others in praying for this man whom God loves SO MUCH. For how to pray for Mr. Hitchens, click on this article.
• Please be praying for Glen Keane, a wonderful member of our community and creator of TANGLED, the Disney animated film based on the Rapunzel fairy tale. Glen says, “From the start of this film I wanted this to be a story about a girl with a supernatural gift that could not be held back...it had to be shared. Her gift is a transforming one, a healing gift.” May God give Glen confirmation, on November 24th, when the film opens across the country, that his work at Disney is making an eternal difference.
• Pray for PEACE to replace FEAR in the hearts of both Christian and Non-Christian entertainment professionals. Most decisions here are made out of fear. We need to find peace and joy in what God wants for us and we want those who don't know about God have to find Him in order to replace their fear with love.
• Pray for supernatural love and unity among the believers here. The enemy wants to keep us divided so that we are ineffective. We have to have wisdom to resist the devil and love even the "unlovable" in order to build community and be a powerful presence in Hollywood. The pre-Christians will know that we are Christians by our love for one another and it will draw them to Jesus. We must be full of grace, forgiveness and love!
• Pray for more Christian leaders to rise up in Hollywood, who are totally sold out to the Lord. We want Christian men, in particular, who will take the lead to challenge others in the faith, in their daily walk with the Lord, in their
service to others and to their trust in the Lord to guide them in their careers.
REQUESTS FROM HPN MEMBERS:
• Let’s pray for Jennifer, who just graduated from college last May and is trying to pay her rent as she pursues a career in Hollywood. After finally finding a part-time job, her hours have been cut and she not able to meet her bills. She says: “Last week I got a call from my parents saying that they can no longer help me pay for things, so if I cannot pay December's rent I will have to move back home.” Jennifer needs wisdom to know what God’s plan is for her and what her part is in meeting her financial and physical needs, while trying to stand strong in pursuing what she believes is exactly what He wants her to do. Jennifer represents thousands of creative people who find that pursuing a career here does not allow them to make an income. Would you ask the Lord to guide these precious people in the next step and to move Christians outside of Hollywood to pray for and to support blossoming artists who sometimes need financial support to keep going, just like missionaries on a foreign mission field receive support!
• Pray for Tim who is also struggling to survive right now. He asked us to pray for him. He emailed: “Please forgive me for being a bother. Work has run-out for me again. Please pass my name on if you hear of any work that I might do. Thanks for your help. God Bless.” Tim
• Please pray with Ohio HPN Local Chapter Director Megan Stauffer. She asked us to pray for her boyfriend Sam. “He is working on an indie feature in Pittsburgh. It's a 22 day shoot and it is his first feature. Pray for physical strength and for him to stay strong in his walk with God and that he could be a light to those around him. Thanks!” Megan (http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/local-chapter/canfield)
• HPN West Virginia Local Chapter Director Robin Knotts asks us to take action as we pray for Lindsay Lohan. She emailed us: “This is great....check this out. Mr. Positive says: ‘It dawned on me the other day that people are so quick to watch the decline and struggle of someone famous and there’s so few that speak up and offer encouragement.’ I'm glad he wants and feels the need to do something. I am sending Lindsey a card and praying for her!!’” Check out this link to learn how to write an encouraging note to Lindsay as she is in rehab.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
• Every Wednesday at noon there is an industry prayer time in Wiley Chapel at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Please pray with the group or even come and pray at "God Can Do It Again." For more info, email Burt Swardstrom at burts99@gmail.com.
• Every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 7:00 – 8:00pm there is an industry prayer time in Wiley Chapel at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Again, either pray with us from wherever you are or join us those evenings. For more info, email Caren Bream at Caren@hpnemail.org.
• Thursday, November 18th is our next Worship evening. Come worship the Lord with us in the Wylie Chapel at the Hollywood Presbyterian Church (1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood, CA 90028) from 7:30 to 9:30 pm!
• There are more and more prayer groups, Bible studies, fellowship groups, screenings, Festivals and weekly events for Christians in Hollywood. If you want to find out all that is going on you can click on: http://hollywoodconnect.com/events.
Thanks so much for praying with us and for us. May you have a blessed month and a confidence that you are making an eternal impact by praying for the world’s most influential mission field!
Love,
Karen and Caren
TIP OF THE MONTH:
Rejection is not fatal. Read a good reminder that rejection is only temporary at http://www.philcooke.com/rejection
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"Almost every definition I find of being a Christian is also a definition of being an artist." Madeleine L'Engle
VERSE OF THE MONTH:
“Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship.” Exodus 25:30-33
http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/new/welcome
It’s October already and LA is totally decorated in orange for Halloween – the 2nd biggest retail holiday in America, after Christmas. So, let’s pray for God to give people wisdom in responding to the holiday festivities. It’s actually the only day of the year where we can go over to any of our neighbors houses, ring their doorbells and introduce ourselves to them, without needing a reason to do so.
UPDATES:
• Please continue to pray for marriages in Hollywood. They are always under attack because the business often becomes our priority, sucks up our time, and leaves the family coming in second (or third, after God, who is usually second to the industry). It's very destructive. For non-believers it's even worse for they often have no other priority than "getting ahead".
• Continue to pray for Lindsay Lohan. She is back in the news for failing a required drug test. Regardless of what the media is saying Lindsay needs our continued prayers. She is obviously crying out. Here is an excerpt from her recent Tweet: "Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before judge Fox next week as a result...Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps...forward every day. I am testing every single day and doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future...This was certainly a setback for me but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I'm prepared to face the consequences...I am so thankful for the support of my fans, loved ones and immediate family, who understand that I am trying hard...but also that I am a work in progress, just as anyone else. I am keeping my faith, and I am hopeful.” May Lindsay find complete healing from Jesus.
PRAISES:
• We praise God that almost 20,000 HPN media packets have been sent out across the US and to over 47 countries. We are so thankful that more and more people around the world are seeing Hollywood as the world’s most influential mission field and wanting to be a part of our network to pray for the people creating the world’s entertainment. If you haven’t received an HPN media packet then just email Caren@hpnemail.org and we’ll send you one right away. It includes our DVD “The Hollywood Tribe” a brochure listing the 18 Christian ministries in Hollywood and tips on how to be praying more specifically for Hollywood.
REQUESTS:
• Let’s pray for Michael Eisner, ex-CEO of the Walt Disney Company, the other featured speakers, and the decisions that will come out of The Entertainment and Technology Summit held in Santa Monica next week. As keynote speaker, Michael will lead the Summit as they discuss what the consumers’ tastes are and how technology can meet those needs through entertainment. May the Lord intervene and allow them to consider the tastes of Christian consumers and may He soften their hearts as they analyze the American audience and the technology used in our entertainment. For more info. on the Summit, click here.
• Pray for the family and friends of Stephen J. Cannell, the prolific television writer and producer who co-created "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team" later becoming a bestselling novelist. He died early this month and is an icon in the TV world and yet there is nothing revealed about his spiritual life. May the Lord touch the hearts of those who loved him, and admired him and lead them to Jesus as they mourn the loss of this creative man. For more info on his life, click here.
• Let’s pray for the outspoken atheist author and columnist for Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens, who is struggling to survive with cancer. Christians are now praying for writer of the 2007 book “God is Not Great” all over the world. They want to see him find God before his death. Let’s join others in praying for this man whom God loves SO MUCH. For how to pray for Mr. Hitchens, click on this article.
• Please be praying for Glen Keane, a wonderful member of our community and creator of TANGLED, the Disney animated film based on the Rapunzel fairy tale. Glen says, “From the start of this film I wanted this to be a story about a girl with a supernatural gift that could not be held back...it had to be shared. Her gift is a transforming one, a healing gift.” May God give Glen confirmation, on November 24th, when the film opens across the country, that his work at Disney is making an eternal difference.
• Pray for PEACE to replace FEAR in the hearts of both Christian and Non-Christian entertainment professionals. Most decisions here are made out of fear. We need to find peace and joy in what God wants for us and we want those who don't know about God have to find Him in order to replace their fear with love.
• Pray for supernatural love and unity among the believers here. The enemy wants to keep us divided so that we are ineffective. We have to have wisdom to resist the devil and love even the "unlovable" in order to build community and be a powerful presence in Hollywood. The pre-Christians will know that we are Christians by our love for one another and it will draw them to Jesus. We must be full of grace, forgiveness and love!
• Pray for more Christian leaders to rise up in Hollywood, who are totally sold out to the Lord. We want Christian men, in particular, who will take the lead to challenge others in the faith, in their daily walk with the Lord, in their
service to others and to their trust in the Lord to guide them in their careers.
REQUESTS FROM HPN MEMBERS:
• Let’s pray for Jennifer, who just graduated from college last May and is trying to pay her rent as she pursues a career in Hollywood. After finally finding a part-time job, her hours have been cut and she not able to meet her bills. She says: “Last week I got a call from my parents saying that they can no longer help me pay for things, so if I cannot pay December's rent I will have to move back home.” Jennifer needs wisdom to know what God’s plan is for her and what her part is in meeting her financial and physical needs, while trying to stand strong in pursuing what she believes is exactly what He wants her to do. Jennifer represents thousands of creative people who find that pursuing a career here does not allow them to make an income. Would you ask the Lord to guide these precious people in the next step and to move Christians outside of Hollywood to pray for and to support blossoming artists who sometimes need financial support to keep going, just like missionaries on a foreign mission field receive support!
• Pray for Tim who is also struggling to survive right now. He asked us to pray for him. He emailed: “Please forgive me for being a bother. Work has run-out for me again. Please pass my name on if you hear of any work that I might do. Thanks for your help. God Bless.” Tim
• Please pray with Ohio HPN Local Chapter Director Megan Stauffer. She asked us to pray for her boyfriend Sam. “He is working on an indie feature in Pittsburgh. It's a 22 day shoot and it is his first feature. Pray for physical strength and for him to stay strong in his walk with God and that he could be a light to those around him. Thanks!” Megan (http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/local-chapter/canfield)
• HPN West Virginia Local Chapter Director Robin Knotts asks us to take action as we pray for Lindsay Lohan. She emailed us: “This is great....check this out. Mr. Positive says: ‘It dawned on me the other day that people are so quick to watch the decline and struggle of someone famous and there’s so few that speak up and offer encouragement.’ I'm glad he wants and feels the need to do something. I am sending Lindsey a card and praying for her!!’” Check out this link to learn how to write an encouraging note to Lindsay as she is in rehab.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
• Every Wednesday at noon there is an industry prayer time in Wiley Chapel at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Please pray with the group or even come and pray at "God Can Do It Again." For more info, email Burt Swardstrom at burts99@gmail.com.
• Every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 7:00 – 8:00pm there is an industry prayer time in Wiley Chapel at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Again, either pray with us from wherever you are or join us those evenings. For more info, email Caren Bream at Caren@hpnemail.org.
• Thursday, November 18th is our next Worship evening. Come worship the Lord with us in the Wylie Chapel at the Hollywood Presbyterian Church (1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood, CA 90028) from 7:30 to 9:30 pm!
• There are more and more prayer groups, Bible studies, fellowship groups, screenings, Festivals and weekly events for Christians in Hollywood. If you want to find out all that is going on you can click on: http://hollywoodconnect.com/events.
Thanks so much for praying with us and for us. May you have a blessed month and a confidence that you are making an eternal impact by praying for the world’s most influential mission field!
Love,
Karen and Caren
TIP OF THE MONTH:
Rejection is not fatal. Read a good reminder that rejection is only temporary at http://www.philcooke.com/rejection
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
"Almost every definition I find of being a Christian is also a definition of being an artist." Madeleine L'Engle
VERSE OF THE MONTH:
“Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship.” Exodus 25:30-33
http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/new/welcome
10/15/2010
10/14/2010
Requiem For A Dream scene in typography/motion
The "You're on uppers" scene in REQUIEM FOR A DREAM portrayed using nothing but kinetic typography.
10/13/2010
Soul Asylum - Runaway Train
The music video shows children/teenagers that have resorted to running away from home for whatever their personal reasons are. Some of them are kidnapped. The video shows pictures of real children that had gone missing. Also, at the tail end of the video there is a scene with a woman who's baby was taken away from her in public as she happened to not be looking at the time. The kidnappers take off with the mother running after the vehicle only to never catch up to the kidnappers. Her baby was stolen and lost. That scene is based on a true story.
The Inside Counts
1 Peter 3:4 states: Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. God doesn't look at how you appear to others to the outside; He pays attention to the inside! This shirt represents this verse by utilizing an unzipped zipper representing the inside of the wearer being exposed. A heart and peaceful colors are exposed by the zipper, representing that God looks at a person's heart and loves to see a gentle and quiet spirit.
Find "The Inside Counts" here: http://www.c28.com/shopping/productdetails.asp?recordid=14032
Hope, when life hurts most
Life isn't easy. We experience problems and setbacks every day. But during the hardest parts of life, when the bottom seems to fall out, where do we turn for peace? Although God doesn't offer any easy solutions, He does offer Himself and His cross as an anchor of hope no matter what we face in life. And more than simply enduring suffering, the hope we find in Him allows us to leverage our darkest moments for His fame. When life hurts most, the world listens most intently to our message, allowing us to broadcast through our pain the goodness of the One who loves us the most. Hope : When Life Hurts Most by Louie Giglio
Josh Hamilton, "Ginger Ale" Celebration...
Josh Hamilton included in celebration
By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Hamilton's teammates weren't going to celebrate without him this time.
As soon as the Texas Rangers hugged on the field and headed for the tunnel following a 5-1 ALDS Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the clubhouse attendants told Hamilton to get his goggles on.
"I was getting a little worried," Hamilton said. "I didn't know what was going on."
Hamilton, who has battled drug and alcohol addiction, said it's best for him not to be around champagne. So he walked into the clubhouse to find his teammates waiting on him and holding bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale.
"Everybody yelled 'Ginger ale!' and I just jumped in the middle of the pile and they doused me with it," Hamilton said. "It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can't be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates."
When the club clinched the AL West title in Oakland in September, many of players grabbed water bottles and tried to find Hamilton to douse him. But he had already changed clothes and was ready to speak to some church groups in the stadium as part of Faith Day in Oakland. This time, he looked as wet as everyone else.
By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Hamilton's teammates weren't going to celebrate without him this time.
As soon as the Texas Rangers hugged on the field and headed for the tunnel following a 5-1 ALDS Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the clubhouse attendants told Hamilton to get his goggles on.
"I was getting a little worried," Hamilton said. "I didn't know what was going on."
Hamilton, who has battled drug and alcohol addiction, said it's best for him not to be around champagne. So he walked into the clubhouse to find his teammates waiting on him and holding bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale.
"Everybody yelled 'Ginger ale!' and I just jumped in the middle of the pile and they doused me with it," Hamilton said. "It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can't be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates."
When the club clinched the AL West title in Oakland in September, many of players grabbed water bottles and tried to find Hamilton to douse him. But he had already changed clothes and was ready to speak to some church groups in the stadium as part of Faith Day in Oakland. This time, he looked as wet as everyone else.
10/11/2010
My Life Through Music
Songs that, for whatever reason, have had the most imprint on me in my life, so far...
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
John Lennon - Jealous Guy
The Cranberries - Dreams
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Haddaway - What Is Love
Lemonheads - Into Your Arms
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
Casting Crowns - East To West
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
John Lennon - Jealous Guy
The Cranberries - Dreams
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Haddaway - What Is Love
Lemonheads - Into Your Arms
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
Casting Crowns - East To West
10/10/2010
What Is The Meaning Of Life?
www.GotQuestions.org
Question of the Week
Question: "What is the meaning of life?"
Answer: What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there's nothing there.” Many goals reveal their emptiness only after years have been wasted in their pursuit.
In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling when he says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he pursued. And yet he summed up “life under the sun”—life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses—is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here-and-now. Solomon said of God, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men...” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that the “here-and-now” is not all that there is.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and “heaven on earth” obtained?
Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ
Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus Christ as Savior.
Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new believer), you might be saying to yourself, “That does not sound very exciting or fulfilling to me!” But Jesus made the following statements:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).
The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work “from the front row” is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so, you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.
© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.
GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week
Question of the Week
Question: "What is the meaning of life?"
Answer: What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there's nothing there.” Many goals reveal their emptiness only after years have been wasted in their pursuit.
In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling when he says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he pursued. And yet he summed up “life under the sun”—life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses—is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here-and-now. Solomon said of God, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men...” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that the “here-and-now” is not all that there is.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and “heaven on earth” obtained?
Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ
Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus Christ as Savior.
Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new believer), you might be saying to yourself, “That does not sound very exciting or fulfilling to me!” But Jesus made the following statements:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).
The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work “from the front row” is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so, you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.
© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.
GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week
Good Soil (Trailer)
Starring Shin Koyamada (The Last Samurai)
Written and Directed by Craig Shimahara
Ships from Europe brought Christianity to the shores of Japan in 1549. For nearly 100 years the seeds of faith grew under the watchful gaze of the shogun. But the fear of foreign influence eventually gave rise to persecution. By 1624 Japanese Christians had only a few more years of peace.
Masuda Jinbei, a Japanese Christian of the samurai class, draws his strength from his faith, family, and fencing. Life is good, until the shogun decrees a brutal policy of religious cleansing. Now Jinbei must choose between his family and his faith.
This short film combines a retelling the the parable of the sower with a glimpse of the plight of the Japanese converts to Christianity under the shogunate.
Otaiya: Japan's Hidden Christians
Purchase: http://der.org/films/otaiya.html In the sixteenth century Portuguese Catholic missionaries introduced Christianity to Japan, only to find the flourishing religion banned by 1614 by the Tokugawa government. About 150,000 believers, known as the "Hidden Christians", went underground. Through the occasion of this ceremony, the film tells the story of Japan's Hidden Christians. Made with the cooperation of contemporary Hidden Christians on the remote island of Narushima, the film features the only two remaining priests in the Goto Islands. The ceremonial and religious lives of these two men stand in stark contrast to the materialism of the younger generation.
10/09/2010
Testimony
What proof do we have that the Apostle's testimonies are true? Besides whatever outside sources there might be, the simple fact is: Why in the world would they go through everything they went through unless it was true? No one would go through all that is written of them in the Bible unless they were telling the truth. Either that or they were completely insane.
John 21:24 (Apostle John) This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
2 Peter 1:16-21 (Apostle Peter) For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Galatians 1:11-21 (Apostle Paul) 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.
John 21:24 (Apostle John) This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
2 Peter 1:16-21 (Apostle Peter) For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Galatians 1:11-21 (Apostle Paul) 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.
10/08/2010
Christian Goth
Just found what looks like a really cool site: Christian Goth, which states that it's "serving the Christian Gothic community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ." How cool is that?! Might want to check it out...
http://www.christiangoth.com/
http://www.christiangoth.com/
Evanescence - Good Enough
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
10/06/2010
10/05/2010
Jamie Walters - Wonderland (live)
didn't find the lyrics on the internet so i tried to translate the lyrics from what i could hear in the song, but i didn't get it exactly...
and it's the place to
i need you i'm calling out to you
i need and i'm calling out to you
i need you
the way you smile...
...................
didn't want to say so much more
i was floating off the floor
now i'm back in wonderland
and it's the place to...
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you
lies again, my head lies again
somewhere inside but then there'll be some truth now
love again
i think i'm in love again
somewhere inside
but then there'll be...
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you
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