Blogs about: Christianity

As with any world religion, it’s quite hard to succintly define Christianity, because there are so many denominations. In basic terms, it’s a shared set of beliefs, a way of life and a community of people. But what it means to be a good Christian or a bad Christian — even after 2,000 or so years after this concept came to exist — is still a topic of ongoing debate. That said, the religion’s core beliefs appeal to more people on the planet than any other religion, and that’s saying something about the man who started it all.

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Lines
Meanwhile, Melody Muses...

Your world covers your lines in high-powered ad campaigns that promise forever young in a bottle, the fountain of youth at a cost; but swallowing emptiness cannot fill canyons. In your lines, I trace the conquest of first love, baby bottles and funeral baking, losses and gains multiplied by loaves and fishes. No serum can replace the living drawn in these lines - this is no paint-by-number out of a box, but an original, a hand-drawn facsimile of you. So hang out your laundry, put it all on the lines.

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Taking Sleep Seriously
Retrievals

Just when you think Western Civilization has enough problems, along comes someone to give you yet another reason to be worried. The time around our prophet of doom is Professor Charles A. Czeisler from Harvard Medical School, who informs us in his recent article in Nature that both children and adults in America are sleeping less and less. The culprit is not the Keurig machine, as devilishly alluring as it is. The culprit is artificial light. And here I thought my sleep deprivation was attributable to my household’s potent combo of little boys. No, apparently it is electric light that is the culprit; as the Professor writes, “The more we light up our lives, the less we sleep.” It not just the overhead lighting that is causing this, but all the light given off by our beloved little electronic gizmos like smart phones, tablets, and TVs. And lest one be tempted to rejoice in our new god-like ability to sleep only six hours instead of 8 or 10 or whatever, the Professor fo

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Thank God for the Rain
Gail Lijauco

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again–my Savior and my God! (Psalm 43:5 NLT) Have you experienced waking up with a heavy heart? When you open your eyes and the rain is pouring outside and the whole room felt gloomy and your heart as well? I woke up today with that feeling. A tad unusual, since I really enjoy it when it’s rainy and all cloudy outside. It means I can sip much coffee and hot choco. I can cook macaroni soup or arroz caldo or champorado. Anything just to warm our cold tummies. But today felt different, it feels like the weather has taken gloom over me too. At the gloom of the moment, I took out my notes of last Sunday’s preaching. It said there, “What if the rain represents God’s outpour of blessings, would you think of the heavy rain the same way again?” I remember when I was young and running carefree in the rain and I’d scream aloud and hide under the tree hearing the loud thunder and then burst into

How To Walk the Narrow Road! Day 9: It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint.
Wanderings

“6As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” -2 Timothy 4:6-8   This isn’t a short road that we are on. It’s narrow, but it isn’t short. It’s something we run our entire lives, from the moment we are born again.  People have the misconception that you can say a prayer and that’s it. You can continue to live life as is, no change. Cause you said the name of Jesus, right? You’re saved. Partially right. Jesus did say that anyone who calls on His name shall be saved. But it isn’t just what comes out of your lips that matters. Romans 10:9 says that “If you confess with your

Messy Questions
Messy Mel

I discovered something about myself tonight.  When I am in an uncomfortable situation, I tend to look around the room and doodle on whatever is in front of me.  Tonight I doodled question marks…what was that all about????? Normally it is flowers and leaves and weird curly cues, BUT question marks!  You ask a question because you need an answer.  I need an answer,  An answer to a question I long to have answered….. Am I ok?  Am I ok if I never tackle my perfectionistic personality and people pleasing? Am I ok if I never grow and change? What if i stayed at this level of growth for the rest of my life? Am I ok with where I am at? Will God still love me if I never change and grow? The answer I tell myself is no! I feel I need to be better to be someone, to make a difference, to be loved.  I strive to some unrealistic goal of perfection to be loved by people and essentially be loved by God. So……. I doodle question marks. But thankfully the answer is YES! I am ok and

From the Ashes
The Fender Bender Life
Morning Prayer 6.20.13: Thursday of Proper 6
The Daily Office West
The Twitter Commandments
ibarfhuckabees
God Directs Our Steps
heavenlyraindrops
Wing and leaf
Ministry of Animals
A chapter from my Book Servant
Sharpword's Blog
Stronger than the Night
Softly, Spoke the River

“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) Reflection: Those who have watched and waited through the night will know the dark and forlorn hours between 02h00 and 04h00. The world can quieten to such an extent that even the sound of a car in the distance is sad and lonely. The moonlight is colder, the night becomes darker and a deeper chill seems to settle on everything – including one’s thoughts and emotions. Those who watch or guard, and those willing the night to end, will scan the eastern horizon for the first signs of the new day’s sun. The lonely psalmist cries out to the Lord for forgiveness and help. With more hope and intent even than the watchman who looks for the coming dawn he looks for signs of the Lord’s coming to him. Such is his certainty in the Lord’s love and forgiveness that he watches and waits with more assurance than the one who looks to the sunrise. In fact, more certain for him is t

Surer Than The Dawn
The Soaring Eagle

“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) Reflection: Those who have watched and waited through the night will know the dark and forlorn hours between 02h00 and 04h00. The world can quieten to such an extent that even the sound of a car in the distance is sad and lonely. The moonlight is colder, the night becomes darker and a deeper chill seems to settle on everything – including one’s thoughts and emotions. Those who watch or guard, and those willing the night to end, will scan the eastern horizon for the first signs of the new day’s sun. The lonely psalmist cries out to the Lord for forgiveness and help. With more hope and intent even than the watchman who looks for the coming dawn he looks for signs of the Lord’s coming to him. Such is his certainty in the Lord’s love and forgiveness that he watches and waits with more assurance than the one who looks to the sunrise. In fact, more certain for him is t

Quotes from Books I’ve Read “Not a Fan”
Apprentice to The Carpenter

This is the beginning of a series of blogs that will contain quotes from books I have read recently.  When I read a good book, I underline like crazy.  I see it as a way of interacting with the author, saying to him, “I agree with this, this is a great thought.” It also provides a point of reference if I want to find the quote again.  If the book is exceptionally good, I will read it again, underlining even more that I missed the first time through.  When done with the book, I then reread all the things I underlined. I also write in the margins additional thoughts or why I don’t agree with the author at that point…..I have been known to cross out whole pages of bogus theology or places where huge liberties were taken with the Scriptures. I got the idea about 6 months ago to copy these underlined thoughts into a journal for easier reference.  Now that I have this blog, I thought it would be a good place to share some of these.  This will be like “Wisdom for

Re-Swallowing the Blue Pill is Essential
Delightful Oak

The red pill is law, it’s good to know the law, it opens our eyes to harsh reality. But I see two things happen when people are faced with only the law “truth”. They either become very proud of their abilities and tell you that you too can become invincible and they lose their mercy for those around them, or they despair because no one can meet the demands of the law. Sometimes they just see where others are failing and it depresses them because they lose hope in humanity, but (the ones we probably don’t hear about) lose hope in themselves because they realize they can’t meet the demands set before them either. Once someone has mastered red pill thinking and actions, they aren’t vulnerable to hurt, they have the power because they don’t care, they have the confidence to charm and win someone from the opposite sex anytime they wish; it isn’t worth it anymore, it isn’t love anymore. Love requires risk, it requires vulnerability. Once

Lighthouses……Let the Light Shine!
The Abuse Expose' with Secret Angel

<<<<<<<<<<<<  Lighthouses  >>>>>>>>>>>> The word “Lighthouse” came to me, and this definition  came to be: A beacon of light, shining through the night… Standing tall, by the sea. _____________ These words I thought today. So this question I will say… What  kind of “Light” do you display?? The Light of Christ, I hope and pray!!!

The sin of Idolatry
Sermons and Prayers

Jeremiah 11 vs. 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. Idolatry provokes the anger of God. If you have been into idolatry there is no way your prayers would be answered. If you have committed idolatry in the past, you need to pray for God’s mercy.   App    Subscribe    FB   Podcasts   Books   Twitter    Donate Black Berry Pin: 286431e3

Conversations With The Highest Power
The Company Of Solitude

June 19th, Day 4 God, I don’t know what it is about my family. I have found that it is really easy for me to show others your love if I am not related to them. I don’t get it. I know so many people who would jump in front of a moving train for a family member, but I supposed I’d probably push them. I can’t quite figure out where this dysfunction began and you and I both know the excuses abound for why I have to treat them the way I do. But I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be the person who takes your “he who does not hate his father and mother… cannot be my disciple” to the literal extreme because you give me license to. I know that is wrong. I know you mean that the love I have for my family must look like hate compared to my love for you, not that I am to actually bathe them in vitriolic diatribe. I can always tell after the fact that my behavior is not glorifying to you. It’s always easy to tell when you’ve sc

Wandering from the Ancient Paths
Samuel at Gilgal

“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16 ESV) It is obvious that Christianity has lost much of its influence on the western nations. Where it was once prominent in western culture, it has now been squeezed into a much less important role. How has this happened? Far too many ministers and leaders in the church today see their position as a job and not a calling. They have forsaken the Word of God and personal holiness to focus on increasing membership numbers (sometimes called “giving units”). Some are like the priests described by Ezekiel, “They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. And her p

Philosophical discussions
Random thoughts

Prayson has posted a quote from the writings of Hume on his blog, a post that has elicited quite a bit of comment but which I think do not respond directly to what he[Hume] was alluding to and it is my intention to try to address the question here briefly and invite further comments. A little philosophy, says lord BACON, makes men atheists: A great deal reconciles them to religion. For men, being taught, by superstitious prejudices, to lay the stress on a wrong place; when that fails them, and they discover, by a little reflection, that the course of nature is regular and uniform, their whole faith totters, and falls to ruin. But being taught, by more reflection, that this very regularity and uniformity is the strongest proof of design and of a supreme intelligence, they return to that belief, which they had deserted; and they are now able to establish it on a firmer and more durable foundation. - David Hume, (NHR 4:329, Hume’s emphasis) Cited: Natural History of Religion, in The Philo