Tag God

Gifts of God

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Gen 1:31 (ASV)

Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. James 1:17 (GW)

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God waved a large, majestic hand
And gave us sky and trees and land.
God gave us birds to chirp each morn
And stout, young rows of bright green corn.
God gave us forests in whose shadows deep
Deer keep watch as their children sleep.
God gave us clouds of fluffy white
To shield us from the sun’s bright light.
God gave us homes to keep us warm,
To keep us secure and safe from harm.
In short, God gave us all he could;
God gave us all things great and good.
—Unknown

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Pop Goes The Gospel August Edition

Allen Frederick

Each edition of “Pop Goes the Gospel” will be posted on the 30th of each month. Please be sure to get your submissions in by the 25th to be included in each month’s edition. Any article that relates scripture to “pop culture” will be accepted. Take note: Any submission that does not meet the requirements of traditional Christian values may be refused.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of “Pop Goes the Gospel”! Use our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Welcome to the August 31, 2008 edition of Pop Goes the Gospel. Where the age old Gospel message meets modern pop culture. I received many excellent articles for this edition and I included the best ones below. If you submitted an article and find it not listed in this month’s edition please check with the submission guidelines to be sure your article met with the guidelines of this blog carnival.

Now start the music as we stroll down the midway.

From Church Life

ChristianPF presents 12 Ways to turn a bad day into a better one posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Everybody has bad days – these are a few ways to fix them…”

Daniel Partin presents The Church Papa Built posted at Prophet For Hire: A blog for those seeking relationship with God.Daniel like his prophetic namesake stirs us to take another look at the Church from the ‘Father’s’ perspective. I found his article very thought provoking. Perhaps he could write a series on how the Father looks at most of our comings and goings? What say you?

Yvette Nietzen presents Getting a Direct Power Charge posted at Fresh Wind Ministries, Int´l.Yvette challenges us to plug in directly to the power source rather than seeking a go between. Drawing from the story of the woman with the issue of blood.

For the Family

Crystal Gray [submitting article] / Andy Clark [wrote article] presents Father and Son Enlist and Mom Turns to Faith posted at Today’s Christian, Crystal shares a story she read while surfing the web which blessed her and thought well enough of our readers to pass the blessing along. Be sure to check out this new blog in the blogsosphere as we look forward to more blessings from Andy and Crystal.

Tiffany Partin presents Memory Lane – The Tropical Edition posted at Fathom Deep: Sounding the Depths of God.Tiffany found comfort in the midst of tropical storms through her faith in ‘Papa’. Listen as she recounts the numerous storms she and her family had endured through the years.

ChristianPF presents Getting out of Debt (Part 1): It’s not about you posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, Another fine post by ChristianPF. If you like many others are fighting the sinking black hole of debt perhaps this series of Getting out of Debt articles will benefit you. I have been living debt free for over 25 yrs thanks to the help of the Lord in convicting me of the sin of debt.

In Culture

ChristianPF presents “In God we trust” on our bills? posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “Should “in God we trust” stay on our bills?” And the survey says? Find out at ChristianPF short post concerning our currency.

crebots presents Thoughts from Albuquerque on a beautiful day posted at Stop Believing Start Thinking.Although this article does not promote basic biblical christianity I found it interesting that even non-believers think about religion so I included it because obviously the gospel goes mainstream even when attempts are made to ignore it.

Crystal Nichols presents The Other Nine posted at Christian in the Corporate World.Do you take time to thank God for the small things?

In Education

Fred Lucas presents John Voight: Barack Obama sowing socialist seeds in young people posted at Barack Obama, Fred has been submitting many articles to this blog carnival and I thought I would use this one because it does show the need for keeping watch over what our children are learning. They learn whatever is put before them so parents it is important that you teach your children in the ways you would like them to be taught and not rely on culture to do so.

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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God’s Big Back Yard

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

Then Jesus said to them, “So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16 (GW)

vbs logo1188 North Valley Road was where my early childhood backyard was located. We were the first family to move into this development and my family owned the corner lot and the one behind it.

Having both building lots meant lots of BIG BACK YARD space for baseball, football, a swimming pool, picnics, golf, and wintertime sledding. Our yard could accommodate all the neighbors from the entire neighborhood and still leave room for people to play in the adjacent lot. We had a Big BACK YARD!

After getting my first bicycle my big back yard got even bigger because now I could ride throughout the neighborhood and play in other people’s back yards. As I got older and was able to drive, towns and cities were in reach from my back yard. With today’s modern transportation on any given day we can travel from our back yards to other states and cities and even other countries. Planes, trains and automobiles have taken the place of that Schwinn bicycle of my childhood.

With the advent of the internet the whole world is now accessible from my kitchen table. I can speak to anyone anywhere in the world in nano seconds. Truly our back yards have gotten really, really big.

Artist's conception of GPS satellite in orbit

GPS Satellite

From a control room in Houston Texas NASA can play in the big back yard of space. They have launched space crafts into outer space and even landed a remote controlled land rover on Mars. Voyagers 1 and 2 are speeding towards the ends of our galaxy in rapid pace.

Satellites orbit the earth and send back images and sound waves which we can receive via satellite receivers on earth. These satellites can tell us pinpoint accuracy where we are in the world by GPS positioning. Radio and television programs can even be broadcast world wide.

ps241As technologies have changed throughout the course of my lifetime some things have still remained the same. One of those constants is the commission from God to the church to go into His big back yard and proclaim the gospel to everyone. We can no longer just look at our physical address as our back yard.

With the availability of web casting, chat rooms, instant messaging, and email the whole world is in reach of any individual or church congregation. Radio, television and now GodTube have all become instruments from which we can spread the gospel into God’s big back yard.

I do not own physical real estate but I do stake several claims in cyberspace. Our church has an address on the World wide web as well. The Christian witness can be accessible 24 hours a day thanks to the modern day internet. As a church and as a congregation we should be reaching out in every way possible into God’s big back yard in an effort to spread the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples.

To think it all started with 1 man (Jesus) who told 12 others about the kingdom of God and now we have been entrusted with that same message to proclaim from our own back yards into God’s big back yard. We all have a circle of influence, all of our lives intersect other’s lives, and as a result we are required to look out for our neighbors by sharing the same joy of salvation with them which we have received. Are you being a good neighbor? Are we as a congregation doing everything we can to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ? How big is our BIG BACK YARD really?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

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Disrespect not very becoming

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org
“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts Mal 1:6 (NKJV)

Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person. Romans 13:7 (GW)

I’m sure you’ve seen an insect such as a fly struggling desperately to escape to the outside world through a closed window. He never gives up. His frenzied effort would be almost funny if it weren’t a life and death struggle. He backs off. flies into the glass head on, Crashes. backs off, flies into the glass head on again, and again, and again. He totally exhausts himself and drops dead on the windowsill. Little did he know he was doomed from the start.

Human nature is much like that common housefly. We have a tendency to want to rage against God constantly, while our lives are spinning out of control. We continue to raise our fists toward heaven and dare God to make His presence known, while not having a clue as to what a powerful force we are dealing with. I mean would you purposely enter into a lion’s cage and pick a fight with a hungry lion and have no protection from when that lion decides to attack? I mean if that lion wanted too, just one gulp would be all it would take to end your battle against him.

Knowing the nature of a lion, we are not quick to pick a fight with one. I guess we reason because God has not been quick to show retaliation we can hurl insults at Him unabated. Because God chooses to be long suffering toward insolent people he is much maligned. We stand and shake our fists at Him believing he is either not there, asleep at the wheel, non-caring or some other foolish notion.

Let’s take a look at a few of these arguments. If God does not exist then what is the use of shaking your fist at him? Is it because your own life is so out of control you have to blame someone or something for it? So you pick a non-existent deity to blame for your failures? If not, you really look foolish blaming someone who does not exist for your problems. Your problems obviously would be a result of your own decisions.

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Hear Ye Hear Ye Read All About It!

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

 

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign that you are coming again, and when will the world come to an end?” Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people. “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are only the beginning pains {of the end}. “Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me. Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved. “This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come. Matt 24:3-14 (GW)



In this week’s news headlines we read about earthquakes in Japan, floods in the Midwest and southern China, uncontrolled forest fires in California and the Southeast, a bus station bomb exploding in Nepal, and suicide bomber attacks soccer fans in Baghdad.

 

We read of religious cult leaders involved in polygamy and sexual misconduct with minors, as well as those who encourage their followers to harm themselves or others in the name of god.

Famines, and starvation abound throughout the world, many innocent people are being kidnapped, killed and tortured. Christians in many lands are persecuted for what they believe. And all this is only a weeks worth of news.

Jesus was asked by his disciples to tell them when the end would come, what signs would point to the end of the age. He went on to list basically what we see happening in today’s headlines. Despite all this bad news prevalent today, there is still the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Although there is a structured attempt to stamp out anything and everything that speaks about Christ, or resembles Christian, Jesus said that the ‘good news’ about his kingdom would continue to be spread throughout the world before the end comes, as a testimony to all nations.

Though nations be at war or in peace, whether they are experiencing famine, pestilence, war, or strife, even in the midst of all this turmoil the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is still being proclaimed.

Through earthquakes, windstorms, floods, and fire, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God marches on. Even while being tortured, persecuted, murdered, or imprisoned, dear saints of God stand firm in their retelling of the ‘good news’.

Right in the middle of all this bad news, there is still a thread of ‘good news’, the goodness of God stands in stark contrast to the evil news of the world. The gospel of Christ is today, and for all time, the greatest story ever told.

Have you heard the ‘good news’? Have you read about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? Have you ever been told the ‘good news’ of God’s love for you?

Do not let the headlines discourage you. All these things must happen and continue until the time when Jesus himself shall bring it all to an end.

Until then, have hope in God who continues to spread His word throughout the world as a testimony to the nations. This is the ‘GOOD NEWS’, — Jesus died for us so that we can live, even though we are surrounded by such death and destruction. Look up, take heart, for your redemption is drawing near.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

 

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