Tag Religion and Spirituality

“Pop Goes the Gospel” Blog Carnival November 30th Edition

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

jesusinaboxWelcome to the November 30, 2008 edition of Pop Goes the Gospel. As usual I received many more submissions than I could include in this edition. In order to make every edition the best it can be I choose only the best submissions from each author and only allow one article per author to be published.

All article submissions must meet the guidelines set forth on the article submission page and must set forth a clear Christian perspective in the article. If you have submitted an article to this Carnival and do not see it published here please check the submission guidelines again to be sure your articles meet the requirements set forth there.

Now that all the rules and regulations have been laid out on with the carnival.

Gather up a few minutes and be sure to stop by each vendor and sample what they have to offer. All of these authors have taken the time to present to you a sampling of their wares free of charge. The information contained in one of these articles may be life changing for you. So feel free to sample each offering and then be kind and submit an offering of your own for the next edition of ‘Pop Goes the Gospel’, where the Gospel intersects culture. Until next time Eagle out.

Culture

A Sower presents Will We Be Sodom? posted at A Sower’s Heart. A thought provoking article answering the questions has America become like Sodom? The author cites the Sodomites were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Sounds a little like God’s condemnation to the church in Laodicea.

Church Life

JCL presents Tithing on Gross vs. Net – What Exactly is Gross Income? posted at The Real Estate Investing Journey, saying, “A Christian perspective on tithing as it relates to real estate investments.”

Kathryn presents Did Jesus Giggle? posted at Living the Proverbs 31 Life, saying, “It is okay to enjoy life!” Kathyrn presents a well written article on Jesus and laughter. I say God has to have a sense of humor because He puts up with me. Besides a merry heart does one good as medicine. If we all laughed a bit more perhaps we could laugh ourselves well.

Education

Trevor Watkinson presents Servitude is Personal Development for Christians posted at SaveYourSweat.com Blog, saying, “Why having the heart of a servant is important!” Trevor has been an active contributor to this blog carnival since its first edition hit cyberspace and he is back again with another fine article on servitude. Putting others before self, he explains, is the biblical way to achieve success.

Family

ChristianPF presents 5 Bible verses about money every Christian should know posted at Money in the Bible | Christian Personal Finance Blog. ChristianPF another frequent contributor to this blog carnival comes through once again with a fine 5 point financial primer. His 5 bible verses about money should help you stave off economic disasters. Try them you may just like them. I do.

Tiffany Partin presents Fathom Deep: Sounding the Depths of God: This Thursday is NOT Turkey Day! posted at Fathom Deep: Sounding the Depths of God. Reflections from the Thanksgiving table. The true meaning of giving thanks. Thank you Tiffany for another fine post.

Unlike a Thanksgiving dinner choke full of every imaginable side dish and dessert this edition of ‘Pop Goes the Gospel’ may not appear to be filling but once you sink your teeth into each entrée I am sure you will come away full. So until next month be blessed and be a blessing to others.

That concludes this edition.

Be sure to 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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Doing the Right Thing

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

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

We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive {everlasting life} at the proper time, if we don’t give up. Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers. Gal 6:9-10 (GW)

The Life of the Great Anti-Slave Trade CampaignerDuring the course of his intense efforts to fight against slavery, William Wilberforce came to a desperate place of discouragement, feeling he had absolutely no more strength to continue. In this condition he was about to give up, when his elderly friend, John Wesley, lying on his deathbed, was informed of his friend William’s distress. Wesley requested pen and paper, and with a quivering hand, wrote these words,
“Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it.”
John Wesley died six days later, but William Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years, and in 1833, three days before his own death, witnessed the abolition of slavery in Britain.
Living right in a wrong world can be overwhelming at times. Trying to do right when all around seems to be bent on doing wrong can take its toil on anyone. Standing up for what is right may seem to be a very lonely road but stand we must. Fighting the good fight is a worthy goal with eternal rewards. Giving up the fight can adversely have eternal consequences.
As Christians we are tasked with the responsibility of living right in a wrong sided world. To stand upright in an upside down society. Being salt and light to a tasteless, dark world is the responsibility of the church and those who call upon the name of the Lord. It is our heritage, our cross, our mission, and yes it is our duty to our fellow citizens.
Had William given up perhaps things would be far different in the world today. If we give up things will only get worse not better. We need to be the opposing force to the spread of evil in the world.
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. Romans 12:21 (GW)
Be the good for what ails us.


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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The Original High Speed Communication Device

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

 

Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”

A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’ Acts 2:21Open Link in New Window (NKJV)

 

Holy Spirit Jesus God Trinity

Image by TheChristianAlert.org via Flickr

The Holy Spirit is the original High speed communication device. Instantaneously we can have contact with the Father via the prayer line to heaven. It is initially installed in all new believers in Christ. This high speed connection is always on and never gets a busy signal. There are no traffic congestions on the highway to heaven. There are no stop signs and traffic lights to hinder your call to heaven. There are however many obstacles to constant connectivity. Our wiring can get rusty from lack of use. We can cut ourselves off from this holy hotline by refusing to listen to the advice offered on the other end. Sin and deception in our lives brought about by the enemy of our souls can cause us to doubt in the usefulness of this heavenly hotline. Our own actions can cause the line to heaven to be severed. If we grieve the Holy Spirit it is possible to hinder our access to the heavenlyhotline. It is a toll free call but it does cost you the time and effort it takes to place the call. Jesus promises that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be heard and a answer will be dispatched.

 

I have had times in my life where that high speed hotline seemed to have been blocked or otherwise rendered ineffectual. During those times it was difficult to remain fearless in waiting on that line to be connected again. I know from personal experience the angst that is present when the heavens seems like brass. When we are waiting for an answer it is hard to wait patiently. The enemy of our souls would have us think that God does not care and is ignoring us. The devil would have us doubt the love of God and His ability to help us in our time of need. The devil would have us think that when we need Him the most God is going to turn His back on us and leave us to struggle on our own.

All these are just static on the hotline to heaven. It is nice when we have a constant clear connection but at times there is a great deal of static on the line we must sift through. The noise and distractions brought on by this static can be very unnerving. God does care. He promises to be with us even until the end of the age. There is no where we can go to escape the presence of God for He is everywhere. Therefore we have confidence when we pick up the hotline to heaven that we will always have a connection.

Anyone who has had a high speed internet connection for any time knows that there are times when the connection is not available. Service outages are common, although infrequent they do occur. Service outages are common in the life of a Christian as well. Although God is always present we are also bombarded with the fiery darts of the evil one. These darts are meant to cause us to doubt God and His word. We need to rely upon the validity of God’s word which is our guarantee of His faithfulness. He gives us a service guarantee when He sends us His Spirit. The presence of God’s Spirit in our lives is our service guarantee from heaven. As long as the spirit is active in our lives then we have the assurance of heavenly protection.

Therefore do not disconnect yourself from the Spirit of the living God for He is your hotline to heaven.

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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Six Things God Hates

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

 

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)
  1. A look of pride: A man ought not to think too highly of oneself. A haughty spirit goes before a big fall. God exalts the humble but resists the proud.
  2. Lying lips: misrepresentation of actual facts is lying. Leaving out important facts when asked specific questions is also lying. Twisting the truth to make yourself appear better is also lying. Failing to offer up proof to back-up assertions can also be considered lying. Deliberately misleading the public is lying.
  3. Hands that shed innocent blood: who among us is more innocent then the unborn child? Killing of babies is shedding innocent blood. A child has not done anything deserving of death.
  4. Heart set on devious plans: How wicked a web we weave when we practice to deceive. Purposefully planning on destroying an opponent to one’s own personal gain is devious and despicable.

  5. Feet swift to spread evil reports and bring evil upon others: 30 pairs of feet where swiftly dispatched to Alaska for the sole purpose of finding EVIL REPORTS to bring against Sarah Palin. A bevy of reporters and campaign workers set out to discredit Joe the plumber. Every attempt to shed light on a certain political party’s candidate for President is met with SWIFT destructive practices and policies.
  6. Bearing false witness. Lying about someone: Deliberate misrepresentation of someone’s character or positions is bearing false witness.
  7. Sowing discord amongst peaceful people: Turning people against each other by sowing distrust amongst people groups with the intent of furthering one’s own agenda is also despised by God. Causing fights to break out over supposed malfeasance all as a ruse to cover-up one’s own nefarious intent is hated by God.

Those who engage in such behavior as a matter of course or sanction it amongst their supporters and associates are not friends of God nor can they be counted among the faithful followers of God. Instead they stand in direct opposition to the ways of God and the very nature of God; therefore they are destined for eternal judgment and damnation from God.

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Socialism 101: A lesson in charity

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

so·cial·ism (so’sh?-liz’?m)
n.
  1. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
  2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. Karl Marx

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I have to wonder lately if I have been transported to another country. In the past several weeks I have watched as more and more of our economy is being centralized in Washington and more government controls are being placed on private business. And then to top it all off we hear from one of the Presidential candidates talking about spreading the wealth around. Taking from some and giving to others as the government sees fit. I do not know about you but this sounds to me like socialism.The bible teaches us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. It stops short of compulsive means to collect charitable contributions.

Each of you should give whatever you have decided. You shouldn’t be sorry that you gave or feel forced to give, since God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Besides, God will give you his constantly overflowing kindness. Then, when you always have everything you need, you can do more and more good things. 9 Scripture says, “The righteous person gives freely to the poor. His righteousness continues forever.” 10 God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat. God will also give you seed and multiply it. In your lives he will increase the things you do that have his approval. 11 God will make you rich enough so that you can always be generous. 2 Corinthians 9:7-11a (GW)

A person under the influence of God will give far above his means to others in need, willingly. However if you take away the influence of God in a persons life, or a society then you are also taking away that willingness to give generously. For many decades this nation has prospered and given FAR MORE than any other nation in the world because of the many God influenced people who live here.

Marxism teaches to take from each person and give it to others. The Lord says that we should freely give to one another and not be forced to do so. It should be an act of charity not a rote of law. But in a society which is quickly abandoning God at every turn it is no surprise that government mandates are taking the place of Spiritual conscience. When you take God out of the nation that same nation can not reap the benefits of a society with the blessings of God upon it. Because it has removed the very foundation upon which those blessings flow- from the heart of a child of God that nation has also removed the very means by which it would receive a blessing.

A Christian nation is a blessed nation, a godless nation is not. Choose you this day whom you will serve. I personally much prefer doing things Gods way. What say you?