Remembering

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

I’ve been through a lot of changes in my Christian walk that started back in 1970. I’ve seen many “seeds” fall on rocky ground and not grow. 

I’ve seen other “seeds” be carried off by the birds of the air. 

It always blesses me to run into someone that has blossomed. I’m glad to say that many old friends and acquaintances have grown and still seek Him. Some have gone on to be with Our Lord.

Life has not been easy, but without the knowledge that I am a child of The King and that my Father in Heaven will provide for all of my needs, I do not know how I would survive.

As I put together my entry for this evening I am remembering two “seeds” that were special to me over 30 years ago. Both were carried off by the birds of the air. Tonight I pray that God will touch their hearts and remind them of their days 30 some years ago when they were called and they answered and knew what real Love was. 

May they be reunited with their families and the with the Body of Christ and may they know Your Forgiveness oh Lord Almighty.

May God protect and bless my family and all those that I know.

Christianity and Europe - What Happened?

Excerpts from an essay by Bruce Walker 08/11/2006 from the American Daily

The problem with Europe is not its systems. The problem of Europe is its loss of faith. The problem with Europe is not new, but rather old and it is the natural progression of a loss of faith in God, particularly the God of Judeo-Christian heritage and, because of the history of Europe, more specifically a loss of faith in Christianity. The seeds of failure are at least as old as the French Revolution, which was so hostile to Christianity that one hundred and twenty-five years later in the First World War France suffered from a serious shortage of nurses, which had historically been sisters in religious orders (which had been persecuted systematically in differing degrees since 1789.) How silly to imagine that France, which thumbs its nose at America, is really too timid to take on its Moslem immigrant population! The problem is that the French are trying to fight something with nothing: faith, however misguided, beats nihilism.


Before the First World War authors were writing about how unserious Germans took Christianity. During the years of the Weimar Republic other authors wrote of Germany as a “spiritual graveyard.” The hatred of Christianity by the Nazis was profound and authors during that awful time noted that Nazi Germany had gone farther down the road of “de-christianization” than even the Soviet Union or Fascist Italy.

Mussolini, the leader of Fascism, loathed ethical monotheism of any sort. His first essay, never repudiated, was entitled “God does not exist.” Although he entered into political arrangements with the Vatican, he never embraced Christianity. He, too, made himself into a sort of little god.


This is the opposite of what happened in America. The Founding Fathers warned that free democracies only work with people firmly grounded upon faith in God. Immigrating to America was an act of faith, just like immigrating to Israel. It is not accidental that America, where church-going is higher than in any nation on Earth, the will to resist evil is still strong. It is not accidental that the historical homeland of the Jewish people has an equally strong will to resist evil. Good democracies work, but goodness comes only from God. It is not accidental that godless Europe is failing.

There Is Hope

Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, says the failed plan is evidence of the spiritual darkness in which Muslims exist.

"In the war against terror," says Moeller, "we have to give Muslims a reason for living before they come to us with a reason for dying."

Moeller's group assists Christians living and serving in persecuted countries such as Pakistan, the country of origin for most of the terror suspects in the foiled plot.

"These suicide bombers, these suicide terrorists, are laboring in a hopeless reality, without Christ, without hope of eternal life," he notes, "except -- in their belief -- if they martyr themselves for the cause of Islam.

The Open Doors president says the failed plot shows the importance of Christians living and working in Islamic nations to reach others with the gospel. "We have to reach out in Christ's love to witness to these people so they don't come to us with bombs," he says. "We can go to them with the weapon of love in Jesus Christ."

In the aftermath of the planned terror plot, Moeller is concerned that Christian missionaries in those nations are on the front lines in a war that has eternal consequences. "It is a spiritual battle that has real, physical results on the ground," he explains. "These days are extremely tense right now throughout the Middle East with Israel's and Lebanon's war going on."

And these latest developments, he says, certainly do not help matters. "[W]ith this terror plot unveiled about our transportation between the U.S. and the U.K., these things create increasing tension for our brothers and sisters on the ground in those countries.

"We need to pray for them," he says. "We need to pray that their witness remains strong."
Moeller expects persecution and tensions to increase in Muslim nations as more come to Christ throughout the region.

Islamic Fascists

According to an Associated Press report, officials say most of the suspects arrested in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners are believed to be British Muslims, at least some of Pakistani ancestry.





Accounts leaked by investigators described a plan, just days away from being carried out, that would have used liquid explosives to bring down ten planes in a nearly simultaneous strike.

A federal law enforcement official in Washington says that at least one martyrdom tape was found during ongoing raids across England on Thursday. Such a tape, as well as the scheme to strike a range of targets at roughly the same time, is an earmark of al-Qaida. President Bush said the foiled plot is a reminder that America "is at war with Islamic fascists."

Officials with the Washington, DC-based Council of American-Islamic Relations are worried that such language used to described the suspects could spark a "religious war." The group takes issue with President Bush's statement that "his nation is at war with Islamic fascism," saying that it "contributes to a rising level of hostility to Islam and the American-Muslim community."

The group's executive director says Muslims do not link Christianity to fascists or terrorists, and he would like the same courtesy extended to Islam, which he calls a "religion of peace."

Islamic -Main Entry: Is•lam
Pronunciation: is-'läm, iz-, -'lam, 'is-", 'iz-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Arabic islAm submission (to the will of God)
1 : the religious faith of Muslims including belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet
2 a : the civilization erected upon Islamic faith b : the group of modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion

Fascist - Main Entry: fas•cism
Pronunciation: 'fa-"shi-z&m also 'fa-"si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

Islamic and Fascist are two different words. Perhaps the majority of Muslims are peaceful. In regard to recent issues they seem to be keeping a low profile. This group of terrorists, according to Mr. Webster, are indeed Islamic Fascists.

They Are Seeking To Destroy US

The debate rages regarding the Israeli War against Hezbollah. NATO would like to see resolution to stop the violence and destruction of Lebanon. Lebanon would like to see its infrastructure restored and the war to end. The US would like the war to end and the status quo returned. Some members of our Congress want the War in Iraq and Afghanistan to end.

As long as situations such as this persist, no war will end. The following CNN article is further proof of this. As long as those who oppose Judaism and Christianity seek to destroy us. And they are seeking to destroy us.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Terrorists were in the final stages of planning to blow up planes heading to the United States from Britain, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday.

The plot was the "greatest terrorist threat" against the United States since 9/11, government officials are saying privately.

Information gathered after recent arrests in Pakistan convinced British investigators they had to act immediately to stop the plot, sources told CNN.

A British security official told Reuters news service the plotters could have been just days away from their attacks.

The plans were "suggestive of an al Qaeda plot," Chertoff said.

British police said they had arrested 21 suspects in the plot to blow up passenger jets flying between the United Kingdom and the United States.

The effects of the plot rippled across the globe Thursday.

The U.S. raised the terror threat level to "severe" for all flights leaving Britain for the United States. Britain raised its alert level to "critical."

The plot involved hiding liquid explosives in carry-on luggage, U.S. officials said.

Passengers at all U.S. and British airports, and those boarding U.S.-bound flights at other international airports, are banned from taking any liquids onto planes. British police are also banning passengers from carrying electronic key fobs, which have the potential to trigger bombs.

A U.S. administration official said the plot targeted Continental, United, British Airways and American Airlines flights to New York, Washington and California.

Six to 10 flights were targeted, U.S. officials said.

U.S. and British officials said some suspects could still be on the loose and their investigations were continuing
.
Flights were canceled or delayed at airports across Europe and the United States as the new security measures produced massive lines at airports.

In a sign of the heightened security, Chertoff said the U.S. was dispatching extra air marshals to Britain.
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ordered the National Guard to Boston's Logan Airport.
Police said they were still raiding businesses and homes, and Chertoff said it was unclear if all suspects were in custody.

Chertoff said the plotters were "getting close to the execution phase."

"There were very concrete steps under way to execute all elements of the plan," he said.

The plot was "intended to be mass murder on an unimaginable scale," London's Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson said.

Diamonds

You can take your diamonds and lock them in your room
And you will lose everything you save.

You can take your flowers and lay them on His tomb,
But I know he rose up from the grave.

Make Me Over

Lord make me, make me over,

Wash me clean in Living Water.

To love you more, more than before,

Lord, my Lord.

Lord wake me, to wake others,

Let me go and tell my brothers.

In every land, raise up Your Hand,

Lord, my Lord.

With a song on my lips and a yearnin’ in my heart.

Let Your Spirit come and meet all of my needs.

There’s a River that flows, deep inside of me it goes,

Rushing forth to quench the thirst in me.

Lord fill me, with Your Spirit.

Speak Your Word, let me hear it.

Open my eyes, open my heart,

Lord, my lord.

This is one of my favorite songs. It was written by Pastor Michael Wilshire of Cornerstone Church of The Roanoke Valley Virginia.