Archive for December, 2008


December 31 edition of ‘Pop Goes the Gospel’

Filed under: Pop Goes the Gospel Blog Carnival by Allen Scott — 1 Comment
December 30, 2008

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

'Pop Goes the Gospel'

Welcome to the December 31, 2008 edition of pop goes the gospel.

This Month’s Feature Article

Mike Weaver presents Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue posted at COURAGE FOR TODAY, Mike offers up a memory from Christmas past. Sometimes we need to take a journey back in time in order to appreciate where we are in the present time. Read about Mike’s encounter with the silver Christmas tree and perhaps you will remember your own encounter of the strange kind.

In Family Life

Rich presents Always Be Thankful posted at Blogger For Christ . com.Rich reminds us all to ALWAYS be thankful. We may never know when it will be too late to offer up a word of thanks. Thanks Rich.

In Church Life

Yvette Nietzen presents Ministry opportunities are right in front of you posted at Fresh Wind Ministries, Int´l.Yvette, a frequent contributor to this blog carnival, once again comes through with a thought provoking piece about love. Christmas may be past but the Christmas Spirit of love should continue throughout the year, Yvette reminds each of us to not over look the ‘lepers’ of society for those are the very ones Jesus came to save. And never forget we were once just like they are lost without Christ.

Stephen Miracle presents 5 Inspirational Bible Quotes To Enhance Your Day posted at AltNoise.net, Stephen offers us 5 bible quotes to get us all thinking. If we just put into practice these 5 verses they could change our lives in 2009 for the better. It seems so simple doesn’t it and yet sometimes it takes all we have to just forgive those who trespass against us. Apart from the Holy Spirit that enables us it would be impossible to live the life that Christ would have us live. Thank God He offers His Spirit as a helper. Thank you Stephen.

In Culture

ChristianPF presents What the Bible says about this economic downturn posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog.A must read for anyone who may be facing financial difficulties in 2009. ChristianPF offers solid biblical counsel in regards to how we should handle our finances according to God’s blueprint.

Rich Bordner presents Cross-less Christ posted at The Pugnacious Irishman, saying, Rich, a new contributor to this carnival, offers a well written post of a problem of our culture’s inability to call sin sin, or call evil evil. A good reminder that “why can’t we all just get along” is not a sound biblical basis in which to base your life. I hope Rich will contribute more posts in the future. Thanks Rich.

Brent Diggs presents Save Your Christmas posted at the Ominous Comma.Brent asks us to stop and consider What If? What if Christmas was more of a time of self-giving rather than gift-giving? Hmmm do we dare?

In Family

Tiffany Partin presents Electric Blankets vs. Cabbage Patch Dolls posted at Fathom Deep: Sounding the Depths of God.Tiffany’s post will give you that warm cozy feeling all over when you get done reading it. As a child we want what we want, but as parents we provide what is best. Sometimes what is best and needed is not what us children want and we rebel. But as we grow in God’s grace, and mature in our walk with Him we learn that His gifts are always on time and appropriate. The Lord truly shall supply all our needs. And when you think about it, that should be all we want.

Merry Christmas and may God bless you abundantly in 2009!
There you have it. This month’s edition of ‘Pop Goes the Gospel’ has gone to press. Thanks to everyone who contributed great articles to make this blog carnival a MUST READ.

So until next month. Keep blogging.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of pop goes the gospel using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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The Heartfelt Christmas Tree

Filed under: Tail Feathers, Worship Weds by Allen Scott — 1 Comment
December 24, 2008
A tree with fibre optic lights

There is a special Christmas tree
That lives within the heart.
It isn’t pine, and can’t be bought
At any store or mart.

Each branch holds some fond memory
Of joyful Christmas cheer,
Reminding us of those we love
And always will hold dear.

The gifts beneath this Christmas tree
Are stacked up very high
With kindly deeds of thoughtfulness
That one could never buy.

The Heartfelt Christmas tree expands
Through every passing year
With lovely gifts and blessings
Having come from far and near.

Atop this tree a star shines bright,
While angels sing God’s praise;
Rejoice! The Christ-child’s Love is shared,
And blesses ALL our days.
—Peggy Ferrell

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Colorado’s Energy Regulation Threatens to Shut Down Energy Extraction

Filed under: Eagle Views by Allen Scott — Leave a comment
December 23, 2008
In the words of Ronald Wilson Reagan:

“[G]overnment’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. “

That about says it all.

clipped from online.wsj.com

DENVER — Colorado’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is asserting control over the state’s booming energy industry with its approval of the most far-reaching drilling restrictions in the nation.

Regulations laid out this month in a 177-page document immediately drew fire from the industry and from some lawmakers, who say the restrictions will drive energy companies out of the state at a time when Colorado needs more high-paying oil and gas jobs.

Among other things, drilling will be restricted — and, in some areas, prohibited — around streams that provide drinking water. State wildlife officials must be consulted before drilling proceeds in vast stretches of western Colorado that are labeled “sensitive habitat” because bald eagles nest there or mule deer overwinter.

“These rules have made a grim situation almost intolerable for these companies,” said state Sen. Josh Penry, a Republican who represents a heavily drilled region on the western slope. “This is killing jobs.”
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O Little Town of Bethlehem

Filed under: Insights on Scripture by Allen Scott — Leave a comment
December 22, 2008

 

I have been blessed by receiving Worthy Devotions in my inbox each day for over a year now and I wish to share just one of the many insightful messages I have received from this Jewish writer. A Jewish perspective can add valuable insight to a study of the bible, and so it is with this topic of Jesus being born in Bethlehem. Once again we can see the intricate design of God throughout the biblical narrative. If you are not already receiving Worthy Devotions in your inbox each day I would recommend that you sign up for an email subscription today. You will be blessed for having done so.

Micah 4:8;5:2 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

There are many who are not aware of the very deep significance of Bethlehem,Yeshua’s (Jesus’) birthplace. Everyone knows that Bethlehem was a place where shepherds grazed their sheep, and where the Messiah was to be born, but do not realize that it was a town designated as the birthing place for lambs which were used for the Passover sacrifice. The Scriptures give significant details about this little town lying slightly south of Jerusalem.

 

In Micah 4:8 we read about the “watchtower of the flock”, or in Hebrew, “Migdal Edar.” According to the “Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah“, by Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish believer in the late 1800′s, Migal Edar was the location where the Messiah was to be revealed. This watchtower stood as a place of protection for the city from approaching enemies, but it was also utilized by shepherds to watch over the specific flocks from which sacrificial Passover lambs were taken.

The shepherds who were tending these particular flocks were no ordinary shepherds. They were specifically trained by the Rabbis for a holy task. They had to insure that, as much as possible, every lamb was free of any blemish or injury, in order to be used for the Passover sacrifice. Since they were instructed by the Rabbis, they almost certainly knew of those passages in the Targums (Aramaic translations) and the Mishna associating the birth of the Messiah with “Migdal Edar”. For example, Migdal Edar is translated in one of the Targums as “The Anointed One of the Flock of Israel.” It is also written in the Mishna that “He spread his tent beyond Migdal Edar, the place where King Messiah will reveal Himself at the end of days.”

Those shepherds had strong hints of Messiah’s advent in the very town where they lived, so that when the angelic host appeared announcing his arrival, they responded immediately and went to worship Him. We too have increasing signs of His soon Second Coming. Are we also prepared to respond? Our readiness to act in faith and worship will show how well we understand the signs of our own times. With so much work to be done, let us stay awake and be inspired by the expectation of his soon arrival – for, just like those shepherds of Bethlehem, we truly were born for such a time as this!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

 

George, Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Currently in the Negev Desert, Israel

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Loose fiscal policy is said to doom democracies to despotism

Filed under: Eagle Views by Allen Scott — Leave a comment
December 22, 2008
GIVE ME! GIVE ME! GIVE ME SOME MORE! What ever happened to sacrifice and service? What ever happened to looking out for our fellowman? What has happened to this once great country?

Oh yeah I remember….. WELFARE! aka socialism!

clipped from www.csmonitor.com
“A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from
the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from
the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always
followed by a dictatorship….

“Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from
liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy
to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.”

Have we gone from “rugged individualism” to the complacency or even dependency of the national trajectory quoted above?
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