WORDDEVO: "The Weekly Word with Rick Warren" [10-28 thru 11-3]

Seven Days of Devotion

 

 

Tell God You Love Him by Singing

Posted by Rick Warren

 

Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God ... Psalm 147:7 (MSG) 

When you express your love for God, it's called worship. One way you can express your love is by singing to him, and during the season, there are more opportunities to praise God in song than any other time of the year.

Did you know that more songs have been written about Jesus Christ than any other topic in the world? Christianity is a singing faith because it's not about religion. It's about a love affair. It's about a relationship with God. He loves you so much that He sent His Son as a baby in a manger.

Nothing will make you more aware of God's love and God's presence in your life than singing His praises. You may be thinking, 'But you don't understand. I can't sing.'

But the Bible says, "Make a joyful noise." You can do that! You don't have to be a perfect singer to make a joyful noise.

Since you can sing anywhere, you can express your love of God anywhere. That means you can worship in the shower. You can worship in your backyard mowing the lawn. You can worship washing dishes. You can worship driving to work.

This season tell God you love him by singing to Him. If you really think about what God has done in your life, you won't be able to help yourself - a song will just burst out of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

 

 

Worship: Offering Yourself to God
by Rick Warren

 

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. Romans 12:1-2 (TEV)

Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about.

This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit.

What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants your life. All of it -- 95% is not enough.

Our total surrender to God is blocked by several things, including -

  • Our ignorance of God - not knowing what he's really like.
  • Our sinful nature - the desire to be God ourselves, and
  • Our misunderstanding of surrender and the trust that it requires.

Can We Trust God?
Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. We won't surrender to God unless we trust Him, but we can't trust Him until we know Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes.

How do I know God loves me? He gives us many evidences:

  • God says he loves you (Psalm 145:9);
  • You're never out of his sight (Ps. 139:3);
  • He cares about every detail of your life (Matt. 10:30);
  • He gave you the capacity to enjoy all kinds of pleasure (1 Tim. 6:17b);
  • He has good plans for your life (Jer. 29:11);
  • He forgives you (Ps. 86:5);
  • He's patient with you (Ps. 145:8);
  • He sacrificed his Son for you (Rom. 5:8).

God loves you infinitely more than you can imagine -

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, HCSB)

If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you."

God is not a cruel slave driver, or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn't try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a Lover and a Liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.

When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

 

 

 

 

TUESDAY

 

 

 

Your heart and personality reveal God's purpose
by Rick Warren

 

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that .... Galatians 6:4b (Msg).

Another way to determine how you can serve others is to ask yourself such questions as:

  • What do I really enjoy doing most?
  • When do I feel the most fully alive?
  • What am I doing when I lose track of time?
  • Do I like routine or variety?
  • Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself?
  • Am I more introverted or extroverted?
  • Am I more a thinker or a feeler?
  • Which do I enjoy more—competing or cooperating?

Examine your experiences and extract the lessons you've learned. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you. Moses told the Israelites, "Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him." (Deuteronomy 11:2 TEV)

Forgotten experiences are worthless; that's a good reason to keep a spiritual journal. Paul worried that the believers in Galatia would waste the pain they had been through. He said, "Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!" (Galatians 3:4 NCV)

We rarely see God's good purpose in pain or failure or embarrassment while it is happening. When Jesus washed Peter's feet, he said, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13:7 NIV)

Only in hindsight do we understand how God intended a problem for good.

Extracting the lessons from your experiences takes time. I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life and consider how he wants to use those lessons to help others.

This will give you very clear direction on the ways he wants you to minister to others. 

 

WEDNESDAY

 

 

 

Don't compare or conform your shape to others
by Rick Warren

 

Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others. Galatians 6:4 (CEV)

Yesterday I noted Satan will try to steal your joy of service in two ways: by tempting you to compare your ministry with others, and by tempting you to conform your ministry to the expectations of others. Both are deadly traps that will distract you from serving in the ways God intended.

The Bible warns us never to compare ourselves with others: "Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others." (Galatians 6:4 CEV)

There are two reasons why you should never compare your shape, ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else.

  • First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you and you will become discouraged.
  • Or you will always be able to find someone who doesn't seem as effective as you and you will get full of pride.

Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your job.

Paul said it is foolish to compare ourselves with others. He said, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV)

The Message paraphrase says, "In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point." (2 Corinthians 10:12b Msg)

You will find that people who do not understand your shape for ministry will criticize you and try to get you to conform to what they think you should be doing. Ignore them!

Paul often had to deal with critics who misunderstood and maligned his service. His response was always the same: Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendation.

One of the reasons Paul was used so greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted by criticism or by comparing his ministry with others or by being drawn into fruitless debates about his ministry. John Bunyan, the author of "Pilgrims Progress," said, "If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter who criticizes me."

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY

 

How to be thankful in tough times
by Rick Warren

 

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

Don't worry about anything.
Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There's no such thing as born worriers; worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned. Jesus says, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:34, NLT)

Pray about everything.
Next use the time you've been worrying for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

Thank God in all things.
Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love -- but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied; it's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

Think about the right things.
If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think; the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act. So if you want to change your life, you need to change what you're thinking about.

This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God's word.

Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way I choose to think.

When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the Apostle Paul tells us the result is, "The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY

 

  When the Future seems Uncertain
by Rick Warren


 

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans ... to give you a future and a hope ... You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest."   Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (LB)

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen this year, let alone in the next few weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability.

The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future:

Set goals according to God's direction
It's foolish to make plans without first consulting God.  He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it. 

The Bible says, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word." (Proverbs 16:1)  In other words, planning without praying is presumption.  Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do in 2010?"

Live one day at a time -- While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today!

John Lennon once wrote, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."  Decide to make the most of each moment this year.  Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time." (Matthew 6:34)

Don't procrtatsinate - DO IT NOW! - "Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)

Procrastinating is a subtle trap.  It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow.  You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these days." But "one of these days" is usually "none of these days."

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do?  When do you intend to start working on it?Â

 

 

SATURDAY

 

 

 Ministry: Shaped to serve
by Rick Warren

 

Your hands shaped me and made me. Job 10:8 (NIV)

God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped" to do certain things.

Before architects design any new building they first ask, "What will be its purpose? How will it be used?" The intended function always determines the form of the building.

Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how he wanted you to serve him, and then he shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.

The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV). Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." You're God's hand-crafted work of art. You're not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without thought. You're a custom designed, one-of-a kind, original masterpiece.

God deliberately shaped and formed you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique. He carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail God gave in designing each of us: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous" (Psalm 139:13-14, NLT).

Not only did God shape you before your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process. David continues, "Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139:16, NLT).

This means nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others, and shape you for your service to him.

God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory. By identifying and understanding these factors you can discover God's will for your life.

The Bible says you are "wonderfully complex." You're a combination of many different factors: "The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises." (Isaiah 43:21, NJB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WEEKLY WORD WITH RICK WARREN 

Can be found here

 

http://theweeklywordrickwarren.blogspot.com/

 

 Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity.

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, a ministry of Michael James Stone, Volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them..Reading these will help you to prepare daily for life. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon. 

 

Last Generation Christian Edition: October 29, 2012 Monday Heshvan 13, 5773

 

 

October 29, 2012                  Monday                  Heshvan 13 5773

PLEASE NOTE:

If You are reading this "insert" with no News Services on the left and right hand side.

Please Click on the Link below to see the Extensive Exhaustive News Service of the

Last Generation Network News Christian Edition

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God Almighty

There is Nothing you cannot do.

Nations rise and fall at your command
Storms are given and storms recede as you decide
You are in control of the Universe
The earth itself and every aspect there of
Operate according to your plan

THAT ALONE GOD BLOWS MY MIND

Every Hair on my Head
Every breeze in the Trees
Every day there is sunshine
Every raindrop that falls

YOU KNOW THEM ALL

God

Anything less I would expect men to say
But everything more I know you are

You are My God and I am Yours.

Read more:http://michaeljamesstone.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=amorningprayer&thread=2222##ixzz2Ahw1YuXc

 

 

 

 

HEADLINERS 


 Hurricane Sandy blows US election off course

Christian News

Obama during hurricane briefing (Photo: Reuters)

Obama reschedules campaign events, vows to 'respond big and fast' after hurricane hits; Romney re-routes campaigning from Virginia to Ohio News agencies

Hurricane Sandy blew the US presidential race off course on Sunday even before it came ashore, forcing Republican Mitt Romney to shift his campaign inland and fueling fears that the massive storm bearing down on the East Coast could disrupt early voting.

President Barack Obama said on Sunday that he did not expect that Hurricane Sandy would have an impact on voting for the Nov. 6 election but suggested it was something that would have to be examined later.

 

Terrifying Megastorm Cripples Northeast

 

Christian News

Sandy continues to be a large and dangerous system and poses a major threat to portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Residents from New England to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and eastern Ohio should prepare for Sandy immediately and finish those preparations by Sunday night.

 

Dr. Jeff Masters:
Sandy likely to be a multi-billion dollar disaster for the U.S.

 

Christian News

Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather Underground, said this could be as big, perhaps bigger, than the worst East Coast storm on record, a 1938 New England hurricane that is sometimes known as the Long Island Express.

The storm loomed a little more than a week before Election Day, while several states were heavily involved in campaigning, canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Vice President Joe Biden both canceled weekend campaign events in coastal Virginia Beach, Va., though their events in other parts of the states were going on as planned. In Rhode Island, politicians asked supporters to take down yard signs for fear they might turn into projectiles in the storm.

 

Hurricane Sandy NOAA Charts...

 

Hurricane Sandy forces mass transit 
closure, evacuations in New York City

 

U.S. Stock Trading Canceled as New York Girds for Storm

 

Hurricane Sandy and Washington, D.C.: 
Detailed storm timeline, maps, and frequent questions

 

Washington Metro Suspends All Rail and Bus Service on Monday

 

Millions across East Coast brace for 'Superstorm' Sandy, 
while transit systems close and supplies fly off shelves

 

Obama campaign fears impact on voter 
turnout due to Hurricane Sandy

 

Sandy tied for 2nd largest tropical cyclone since 1988

 

Pre-Halloween Disruption: 'Frankenstorm' takes aim at East Coast

 

-------

 

Sandy developed on the night of the last US Presidential debate 

Sandy developed from an elongated tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22. It quickly strengthened after becoming a tropical depression and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Sandy six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually strengthened. On October 24, Sandy was upgraded to a hurricane, shortly before making landfall in Jamaica.

Romney stated:

Is the Middle East in tumult? Yes. Is — is al-Qaida on the run, on its heels? No. Is — are Israel and the Palestinians closer to reaching a peace agreement?

No, they haven’t had talks in two years. We have not seen the progress we need to have, and I’m convinced that with strong leadership and an effort to build a strategy based upon helping these nations reject extremism, we can see the kind of peace and prosperity the world demands.

Obama's positions on Israel's land are well documented. US-Israel joint military exercises this week in Israel were small and were motivated to stop Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear development program prior to the US election. The renewing of military aid this week was politically timed.

 

Obama's UN Ambassador Rice: 
US does not accept legitimacy of Israel settlements

US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Susan E. Rice said on Monday, October 15, that the US "does not accept the legitimacy of Israeli settlement activity, and will continue to oppose any efforts to legalize outposts."

Speaking at the Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East, Rice emphasized: "The fate of existing settlements must be dealt with by the parties along with other permanent-status issues."

 

Hurricane Sandy expected to wallop the Northeast on the 
21st anniversary of the Perfect Storm and Madrid Conference
 

Hurricane Sandy is expected to come ashore in the Northeast US on the 21st anniversary of the "Perfect Storm." That record setting storm devastated the New England Coast as President George HW Bush hosted the Madrid Conference from October 30 to November 1, 1991.

The Perfect Storm sent 30 foot ocean waves into Bush's Kennebunkport home as he was calling on Israel to give up the West Bank (Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem). The Madrid "land for peace" conference began the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Hurricane Sandy is expected to disrupt the campaign and voting in the 2012 US Presidential Election. Both major political parties have publicly endorsed "two states" on Israel's covenant land.

 

UNHRC plots boycott of pro-Israeli companies

 

Christian News 
UN Headquarters in New York 
(photo: Reuters)

 

Obama endorses same-sex marriage initiatives 
in three states; Maryland, Maine and Washington

 

Christian News 
Obama campaigning 
(photo: Kevin LaMarque/Reuters)

 

As in the Days of Noah: 
Sandy's rain, wind and floods will devastate 6 states and DC that have legalized same-sex marriage with 2 others voting
 

Six states that have legalized same-sex marriage: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, the District of Columbia, with Maryland and Maine voting November 6 on referendums on same sex marriage. New Jersey offers civil unions granting rights similar to marriage. Pennsylvania's state statute bans same-sex marriage.

Laws that would legalize same-sex marriage in Washington and Maryland were passed in 2012, but each will be subject to a referendum during the November 2012 elections, while Maine will also vote on an citizens' initiative to establish same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage has been legalized through court rulings and legislative action, but not via popular vote.

 

 

RAPTURE READY NEWS FLASHER

 

 

29 Oct 12

Could 'Frankenstorm' be a sign from God?
America’s eastern seaboard is in a state of emergency, stocking up on food and battening down the hatches as it anticipates a ferocious weather event some insurance companies would refer to as “an act of God.” But could the “Frankenstorm” – the feared combined forces of a wintery land storm with Hurricane Sandy – actually be a message from the Almighty?  

4.2 earthquake hits Central California wilderness
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the temblor occurred at 9:25 p.m. The epicenter was five miles northwest of Pinnacles and 13 miles northeast of Soledad. The Pinnacles National Monument is a vast wilderness area containing a rock formation left by an extinct volcano. The San Andreas fault runs through the region and seismic activity is frequent. There were no immediate reports of injury or damage.  

Iraq stops Syria-bound jet
In a second time this month, Baghdad stops an Iranian cargo plane heading to Syria, allowing it to leave after ensuring that it is not carrying weapons  

Christianity struggling to return to eastern Turkey
Turkey is home to one of the oldest Christian populations in the world, the Suriyani, who fled during recent conflict. In the last few years they’ve been returning, but problems with their resettlement are apparent.  

Daily Humiliation Continues: 18 Rockets since Midnight
"At least 18 rockets were fired at Israeli territory, without causing injuries or damage," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, saying the count was from midnight.  

Millions across East Coast brace for 'Superstorm' Sandy, while transit systems close and supplies fly off shelves
As of 5 a.m. Monday, the storm was centered about 385 miles southeast of New York City, moving to the north at 14 mph, with hurricane-force winds extending an incredible 175 miles from its center. The National Hurricane Center said early Monday the storm has intensified, with top sustained winds of 85 mph and higher gusts.  

Euro zone ponders best path to "GEMU"
It stands for Genuine Economic and Monetary Union, a term used in the conclusions of the last two European Union summits in a tacit acknowledgement that the single currency created by the 1992 Maastricht Treaty was flawed and woefully incomplete. It also signals that Europe's leaders are starting to shift their focus from fingers-in-the-dike crisis management to save the euro to a longer-term process of building a more robust, storm-resistant architecture for the currency area. "We are not looking at a 'big bang' moment for the euro zone, a sudden mutation that would transform it into a completely different beast,"  

8 minor quakes jolt Surigao del Norte town in a day
Eight earthquakes, many of which occurred within an hour of each other, were recorded east of Burgos town in Surigao del Norte on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.  

Has General Ham Been Fired?
Has General Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, been fired for defying Leon Panetta on Benghazi? Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, ran a piece Saturday afternoon titled "Interesting Rumor Concerning General Carter Ham and Stand Down Order." This piece is presented as a rumor. It suggests that General Ham was told to stand down from sending aid to Benghazi, that General Ham on his own decided to proceed, and that he was then relieved of his command.  

Bill Clinton told Hillary To Resign, US Arming ‘Syrian Rebels’ With Ties To Al Queda
Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, came forward to “take responsibility overall” for the attacks at Benghazi, but per Ed Klein we now know behind the scenes Bill Clinton advised his wife to resign over the possible criminal fallout of the Benghazi massacre.  

 

VIDDEVO

"Gotta Serve Somebody"

 

 

Oct 29, 2012 


The Second-Term Curse
 

There are many reasons I think Barack Obama should be voted out of office. In the past few weeks, several folks who regularly write for the site have detailed the reasons Mitt Romney would be a better choice. I found an historic reason to send Obama back to Chicago. Of the nineteen U.S. presidents who have been elected to a second term, only seven avoided a troubled or failed second term.

The second-term curse has affected every qualifying president who followed Calvin Coolidge, who luckily retired ten months ahead of the 1929 stock market crash. Here is a rundown of just the last six presidents:

George W Bush: The housing bubble burst on his watch. The financial crisis was caused by loose economic policy that resulted from people being approved for loans that they were unqualified to pay back. The meltdown in 2008 almost destroyed the economy. The Bush administration added $4 trillion to the nation debt.

Bill Clinton: Special investigator Kenneth Starr uncovered Bill Clinton's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton denied the allegations in a televised appearance on January 26, 1998, but was later forced to recant. The Republican-controlled House impeached him, but he was saved by all of the Democrats in the Senate voting for acquittal.

Ronald Reagan: The Iran-Contra affair was a major distraction during Reagan's second term. The administration sold weapons to Iran to gain the freedom of hostages held in Lebanon, illegally diverting the profits to the Contras, a rebel force fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Lt. Col. Oliver North and retired naval officer John Poindexter were both convicted of obstructing Congress. Reagan's knowledge of the arms deals remains a mystery.

Richard Nixon: Five members of Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) were arrested for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex. Nixon became implicated in the break-in by ordering a cover-up. He became the first president to resign when it became clear he faced impeachment.

Lyndon Johnson: The Vietnam War conflict started during the Kennedy administration. Johnson presided over a major escalation of fighting, sending an additional 35,000 troops to Vietnam each month. After the North Vietnamese launched their deadly Tet offensive, confidence in the campaign quickly collapsed. Johnson chose not to run again after being confronted with protestors who would often chant the line, "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids have you killed today?"

Dwight Eisenhower: During the height of the Cold War, a U-2 spy plane operated by the CIA was shot down by the Soviet military. Eisenhower denied the plane was in Soviet airspace, but Kremlin leader Nikita Khrushchev proved Eisenhower to be a liar by parading pilot Francis Gary Powers before the media. Khrushchev compounded Eisenhower's embarrassment by walking out of the U.S.-Soviet peace talks. His chief of staff became embroiled in a bribery scandal before being forced to resign.

I think what causes second-term presidents to veer off track is the cockiness that comes from annihilating your presidential opponent. Having had a first term that was successful enough to warrant the voters giving them a second term, presidents become convinced that they have the magic touch. Second-term presidents also don't need to worry about being reelected. The lack of caution leads to disaster.

It seems to me that we have already had Barack Obama's second term. All the errors from previous administrations have been at work during the past forty-five months. Obama has made zero progress towards getting government spending under control, welfare roles have exploded under his watch, his administration has become rife with corruption, and the "Fast and Furious" scandal is the first time I've ever seen a White House show total contempt for the rule of law.

It scares me endlessly to think of what we have yet to see in the cocky and reckless president who will emerge from a second-term victory. I'm reminded of the phrase written by Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

The second-term curse isn't the only jinx we need to worry about. The Bible promises a series of curses to any nation that rejects God's biblical truth. Since we've been going down the path toward destruction for so long, the greatest curse may be the inability to turn the rudder around. On November 6, we may find this to be the case.

"Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (1 Kings 3:9 ESV).

"If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them" (Ecclesiastes 5:8 ESV).

--Todd


Startling Starting Over? 

Rumor has it that the politicians and the money powers that be, nationally and globally, have a plan that would eliminate all debt and intend to put it in place and restart up again under a totally changed economic system. Things are so chaotic within the fiscal world that such is the only solution.

Absolutely ludicrous--unthinkable--you say? Well, I thought so, too, until the rumor began taking on more and more legitimacy just this past week.

Rush Limbaugh made a special point of the fact that it came to his attention that the planners of the Obama administration were rumored to be considering such an option immediately, or not long after beginning a second term. All debt would be written off with a stroke of the presidential pen and a new monetary regime, excluding the old dollar, would be put into place.

He didn’t give details, but who could possibly give details on what such a change would take–and would mean? Such rearrangement would have incalculable ramifications and consequences, it seems to me.

So, I pushed that to the back of the cogitations of my gray matter. Then, I began seeing stories appearing talking about such possibilities as wiping out debt and replacing the system with something…exactly what, who knows?

One such article, in particular, I’ve excerpted here.

So there is a magic wand after all. A revolutionary paper by the International Monetary Fund claims that one could eliminate the net public debt of the US at a stroke, and by implication do the same for Britain, Germany, Italy, or Japan. The IMF reports say the conjuring trick is to replace our system of private bank-created money.

One could slash private debt by 100pc of GDP, boost growth, stabilize prices, and dethrone bankers all at the same time. It could be done cleanly and painlessly, by legislative command, far more quickly than anybody imagined.

The conjuring trick is to replace our system of private bank-created money--roughly 97pc of the money supply--with state-created money. We return to the historical norm, before Charles II placed control of the money supply in private hands with the English Free Coinage Act of 1666.

Specifically, it means an assault on "fractional reserve banking." If lenders are forced to put up 100pc reserve backing for deposits, they lose the exorbitant privilege of creating money out of thin air.

The nation regains sovereign control over the money supply. There are no more banks runs, and fewer boom-bust credit cycles. Accounting legerdemain will do the rest. That at least is the argument. (Ambrose Evans Prichard, "IMF's Epic Plan to Conjure away Debt and Dethrone Bankers," Telegraph, 10/22/12)

All one has to do to imagine the upheaval such a thing as writing off all debt and beginning again would bring is to think of one word –China. Imagine that the U.S. says to China, “We are writing off all we owe you. Hope you will understand.”

Now, I’m no economist, and I realize all of the above is so shallow in its pondering as to probably make yours truly appear a simpleton to those with acumen within and great knowledge of global economics. But, I do know that the Chinese leadership would not take kindly to our saying: “We’ve decided to just not pay you back. Now, won’t you please join us in this new monetary experiment?”

And that brings me to the point that such an undertaking as writing off debt and beginning again could never be as simple as a stroke of the pen. We have contemplated often that there is no way out of the economic morass in which this nation and the world are now imprisoned. We have considered often that either something must be done or the U.S. and the world face catastrophic implosion.

Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, Paul tells us through divine inspiration (1 Timothy 6:10). So, it is fitting that this world of rebels has made its own bed and now must climb into it.

That rebellious world will still be the same in its comportment following this presidential election. No matter who wins, America and virtually all other nations face the prospect of stark change or total implosion. And that is just considering the economic circumstance. Throw into the mix the Middle East rumors of war and the myriad potentially devastating problems on the horizon, and to paraphrase the late Sen. Everett Dirksen regarding billions of dollars in spending the government was already doing, pretty soon you’re talking some real problems.

Whoever is the president after the next inauguration, their task is not to be envied. However, I’m convinced that Christians can continue to look forward to the brightest of all futures, because God’s most devastating judgment is reserved for the time when Jesus intervenes and brings His Bride, the church–all born-again believers—into His presence and takes them to the Father’s house (John 14:1-3).

We are in the end times the Lord described as like the days of Noah and the days of Lot. The same day those men and their families were removed from their judgment-bound environments, judgment fell. That’s why the total implosion of the economy continues to loom rather than occur.

When the Lord calls as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the crash so feared will cascade upon this doomed world. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Now, that will truly be a startling starting over!

***

When writing the Nearing Midnight commentary for October 15, “October Surprise Surfacing,” I wrote: “There is, however, surely coming an October surprise of some description. We shall see...”

That “October surprise" is upon us, and it is from God, not from either political party in the presidential race. However, it isn’t the ultimate October surprise–the Rapture— for which so many emailers expressed to me that they had been hoping. But, we aren’t at election day yet, I guess it is good to remind.

This storm is certainly hyped like none other I can remember. Hurricane Irene in 2011 came forth and threatened much of the East Coast of America. But, its teeth were removed to some extent before landfall, and the region was mercifully spared from what might have been.

Hurricane Sandy looks to be one whose teeth are getting sharper as it joins with advancing storms from the north and west to create a “perfect storm,” as the 1991 East Coast monster was dubbed. It is more than coincidence–because there is no such thing as coincidence within God’s economy—that the storm is coming at this time, with this intensity and into such a heavily populated region so central to the governing of this nation. How it might affect voting on Tuesday of next week is a matter most intriguing.

An October surprise it is, indeed!

 

--Terry

Featured News 

Iranian ships dock in 
Sudan after strike
 

Yesh Din: We Will Help UN 
Mission on Settlements
 

Tehran claims it received 
photographs of restricted 
areas from downed drone
 

20 rockets hit southern 
Israel since Sunday night
 

US Navy tests innovative 
Israeli technology 


In Putin's Russia, Jewish 
groups adopt silence as 
best protection
 

Cabinet approves south's 
fortification plan 


Satellite images suggest 
airstrike on Sudan site
 

In new video, al Qaeda leader 
calls on Muslims to kidnap 
Westerners
 

Latest News 

UBS shares jump at prospect 
of 10,000 job cuts
 

14 rescued, 2 missing from 
HMS Bounty off N.C. coast
 

New Iranian TV channel to 
challenge Tehran leaders
 

Iraq stops Syria-bound jet 

Nigeria attacks highlight 
global problems faced by 
Christians
 

Christianity struggling to 
return to eastern Turkey
 

Missionaries rescue trafficked 
Koreans in China
 

South Korea activists send 
leaflets to North
 

Private SpaceX capsule 
lands after historic 
mission to Space Station
 

Powerful storm kills at least 
30 in Philippines, Vietnam
 

Massachusetts shuts down another 
compounding pharmacy after 
inspection prompted by meningitis 
outbreak
 

Traavel Plans Thrown 
Into a Tailspin
 

Governments to debate 50 billion 
euro cut to EU budget
 

Hundreds of thousands ordered 
to evacuate as Sandy nears
 

Syrian fighter jets bombard 
suburbs of eastern Damascus
 

Burma violence: 20,000 
displaced in Rakhine state
 

White House News 

Poll: Israeli Jews favor 
Romney by large margin
 

Obama, Romney reverse roles 
as election looms
 

Obama is a Shabbat-friendly 
boss, chief of staff says
 

Israel News 

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither
slumber nor sleep. - Psalms 121:4 (KJV) 


Turkey to return drones 
purchased from Israel
 

20,000 attend memorial rally 
for Rabin
 

PM Netanyahu Meets with Italian 
Prime Minister Mario Monti
 

Provocative Commentary 

The Gimme Society: The 
entitlement state mugs our 
descendants - George Will
 

Voting is a right, not 
a duty - Jeff Jacoby 


Analysis: Fiscal cliff could 
hit economy harder than 
many expect - Jason Lange
 

Petraeus Throws Obama 
Under the Bus - 
William Kristol
 

Regime Change in Iran the 
Real Answer - Linda Chavez 


If Not 'Apologizing,' Mr. President, 
What Would You Call It? - 
David Limbaugh 


On Mount Zion, a Crossroads 
of Faith and Fable - 
Aviva & Shmuel Bar-Am
 

Rape, God, Life And 
Liberals - Mona Charen
 

The limits of US power - 
Caroline B. Glick 


Obama stoops, doesn't conquer - 
Charles Krauthammer 


What About Religious Freedom? 
The other consequences of 
Obamacare. - Wesley J. Smith
 

What is our foreign 
policy? - Cal Thomas 


Silenced by Washington: Mass firings 
have ended the distinguished history 
of Radio Liberty in Russia - 
Mario Corti, Ted Lysien
 

Romney passed the test - 
Fred Barnes
 

Fact checking the final 
debate - Glen Kessler
 

Over the Rainbow - South Africa 
going backwards - Economist
 

To some, Obama is the 'wrong' 
kind of Christian - John Blake
 

Inspired by God 

 

Christian News

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." - E. M. Bounds 


October 29: How to Foster True 
Friendships - Charles Stanley
 

October 29: Substitution - 
Oswald Chambers
 

October 29: Specialize 
in the Impossible - 
Streams in the Desert
 

A.W. Tozer's Daily Devotional 

Charles Spurgeon's 'Morning and 
Evening' Daily Devotional
 

Daily Light 'Morning and Evening' 
Devotional - Jonathan Bagster
 



CHRISTIANITY NEWS FLASHER

 

sandy
(Photo: Reuters)

'Superstorm' Sandy Moves Closer to 60 Million People Along US East Coast

By Anugrah Kumar

Rains, floods, and high winds are bearing down in eastern cities, as Hurricane Sandy moves northward with about 60 million people in its path and seems set to collide with two other weather systems to form one of the worst storms in the U.S. Tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes Sunday. Christian charity Salvation Army said it was mobilized to serve.

Obama May Win Election Without Winning Popular Vote, Polls Suggest

By Napp Nazworth

Based upon recent polls, the possibility of President Barack Obama winning reelection without winning a plurality of votes appears more likely than usual. As of Sunday evening, the current Real Clear Politics average of national polls shows Obama's challenger, Republican candidate Mitt Romney, ahead by 0.9 percentage points (47.7 to 46.8).

US

voters

'Women's Issues' Not the Cause of the Gender Gap, Expert Says

By Napp Nazworth

President Barack Obama's reelection campaign has lost some of his advantage with women voters since the first presidential debate on Oct. 3. To win those voters back it has devoted some attention to the issues of equal pay, abortion and contraception. Political scientist Christina Wolbrecht, an expert on women and politics, argues, though, that the gender gap is not largely driven by those issues.

A group of Washington State Catholics have opted to go against the positions of their bishops and profess their support for a referendum question that would legalize same-sex marriage.

President Barack Obama attended a church service with his daughters on Sunday morning before meeting with federal emergency officials for an update on Hurricane Sandy's path and the danger it poses.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio returned to his home in Miami Saturday afternoon after he was told his 12-year-old daughter was involved in a car accident. Rubio heard the news while he was campaigning with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney elsewhere in the state.

A new ad by the Obama campaign featuring HBO "Girls" star Lena Dunham talking about her "first time" has drawn the ire of conservative women who are offended by the ad's sexual nature, saying that it belittles women by portraying them as only caring about reproductive services.

Church & Ministries

Church

Virginia Megachurch Hosts Halloween 'Terror Maze' for Hundreds of Students

By Michael Gryboski

As October brings the sights and sounds of Halloween, one Virginia megachurch decided to provide a scary site for the sake of evangelism.

Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church International in Georgia, on Sunday urged members to help pay all the bills for the family of the 37-year-old church employee who was shot and killed at a church prayer meeting last week.

A call for Christians and churches to show more love as modeled by Jesus for people living a homosexual lifestyle was made by more than a dozen pastors and ministry leaders speaking during "The Nines" leadership webcast.

Bishop T.D. Jakes is bringing the MegaFest conference, one of America's largest Christian events drawing tens of thousands of people, for the first time to his support base in Dallas, Texas, in August 2013.

Any time a moral failure, such as sexual impropriety, occurs among church staff, the congregation should be told immediately. Otherwise, rumors will inevitably spread, say pastors who have gone through the experience.

 

CHRISTIAN NEWS FEATURE

(HELD OVER)

 

BY ALEX MURASHKO , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
OCTOBER 22, 2012|9:14 AM

LAKE FOREST, CALIF. – BRITISH-BORN ENTREPRENEUR MARK BURNETT, WHO IS THE CREATOR OF SUCH REALITY TV SHOWS AS CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, SHARK TANK, SURVIVOR AND THE VOICE, SAID ONE OF HIS FEARS IS THAT OF NOT MAKING A "MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION" IN LIFE. BURNETT WAS INTERVIEWED BY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND PASTOR RICK WARREN FOR A TAPED SEGMENT SHOWN DURING A BUSINESS SUMMIT AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH IN LAKE FOREST, CALIF., ON FRIDAY.

 

"I have had great fear, but my fear isn't of the failure of the project. It's looking back later having done nothing. It's a very serious fear. The fear of not making a meaningful contribution, of being insignificant, of looking back [and thinking] that I didn't step up. I am honestly petrified of that, or I was, and my pain of feeling like I let myself down, my family down, and not taking the risk to do it was far greater than the pleasure of being calm," said Burnett.



The reality television pioneer was one of five speakers featured at the O.C. (Orange County) Business Summit, spearheaded by Warren. The Saddleback Church founder said he felt that one way to tackle a struggling economy was to bring together the brightest minds in business to discuss how they achieved success. More than 2,000 people attended the day-long conference which included sessions led by Steve Case, who is the former CEO of America Online and presently chairman of the Case Foundation; Lynda Resnick, listed #634 on Forbes Billionaires list and #212 on Forbes 400; Michael E. Gerber, who is well known as a business guru and author of The E-Myth Revisited; and Warren.



In his discussion about fear, Burnett also talked about the making of "The Bible," a 10-hour miniseries, filmed in Morocco with his wife, Roma Downy, as co-producer and playing the part of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The series is scheduled to premiere on the History Channel early next year.


"In doing the Bible project with Roma, if I would have over-analyzed it and took too much advice I would have never started. It's too enormous, too scary, but actually my fear was of looking back and feeling like a loser that I was called to do this and I didn't do it and I have massive regrets and I'm not going to have that happen," Burnett told Warren. "I don't know for a fact that the Bible project will be as big as I hope it is, but I know I did it well and that's what matters."

When asked to talk about his creative process, Burnett first talked about the opportunities that are unique to the United States.

 

Follow us


 

 

"America is a country, which obviously from my accent I wasn't born here but moving here, it is the land of opportunity and what that means is that this country will allow you to have an idea, take a risk, make mistakes, and try again. This country celebrates ideas and action. I know that what I've succeeded to do in television here would have unlikely been done in Europe where I came from," he said.


Once someone has an idea they should rely on their instinct that it is a workable idea and not ridiculous, because "the first thing that usually happens is a hundred people will tell you how stupid you are," Burnett explained.


"When I set out to do Survivor the amount of people who said to me, 'You know why that's not going to work? If it was so good somebody would have already done it.' I thought that's crazy. Everything has to start somewhere," he said.


"Survivor did sound like a little crazy idea that I'm going to find an island, take 16 Americans that have never met before, get them to build a society, and play this game on television. But I just kind of knew. I knew there was something extraordinary about the idea about people who have never met. Have you ever sat on an airplane and wondered if this thing goes down where do I fit into this society? Am I the leader or the follower? Am I brave, am I weak? I always wondered this things and that is the embodiment of Survivor."

 

Contact: alex.murashko@christianpost.com@AlexMurashko (Twitter); Alex Wire (Blog)


Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/mark-burnett-talks-about-fear-bible-miniseries-with-rick-warren-83689/#i8sZBAdSXbvP17C6.99 

 

 

 

Man has looked at Man for answers and failed

There is no answer in Man

 

We have chose a lesser way and failed the glory God intended for us

WE HAVE SINNED

WE HAVE FAILED

WE ARE OBVIOUS BY THE CHOICES WE MAKE

GOD

WE NEED YOU

 

Lord have mercy on us

Hear our cry

God shed your grace on us

Again.

 

 

 

 

http://michaeljamesstone.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=viddevotoday

 

 

WEEKLY WORD

[image]

 

VOTING ABC’S

Who cares who you vote for?

I don’t.

I don’t care if you vote for the latest bad guy or good guy.

I really don’t care what you think about each or any person you vote or don’t vote for.

 

I CARE HOW YOU VOTE

This is how you “Should vote”

IF God has told you already that you should vote.

 VOTE as Jesus tells you to.

  ASK HIM then do as HE LEADS YOU.

 

FOLLOW THIS SIMPLE PLAN

 

1) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

2) Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

3) Not MY will but THY WILL be done.

 

  Let God decide for you as you follow Him.

 

If you DO as HE tells you to do

YOU HAVE NO CONSCIENCE to invoke or Provoke

You simply Obey as He told you to

The results are up to Him

 

 

BUT

If you vote without asking Him

Based on your “idea” of what you think from politicking, issues and appearances

YOU ARE IN REBELLION TO GOD

 

How?

Read Number 2 above.

That is not a Suggestion, it is a commandment

IF YOU VOTE

DO AS GOD TOLD YOU

 

 

 

(Weekly)

The Soul of America

 

In a Nation that used to Pride itself of "Neighborly Love" "United We Stand" and "We the People" I fear for the Soul of a Country that begins motto's with "It's My Right to Carry a Gun" "Everyone in Government is Evil" and "Chooses to Voice what is Wrong with the World" than what is right.

Not the Land I was raised in.

People say the soul of a nation is established in the way we treat our elderly, our poor, our needy and our children. If that's true as odd as it seems according to the news, we are doing a pretty good job. I know a lot of people will disagree, but for the most part, IN AMERICA we do good with that.

We Care.

And that is the Soul of America.

We Care.

We don't always agree on HOW TO care but given an incredible need or a heartfelt tug and because we care, We Help.

As long as there is a Helping Hand coming from America we have not lost our soul, but merely let others with louder voices shout over the actions we do.

YOUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Don't panic over Bad News or Trash Talk on the Radio

As Long as We care.

As Long as We help those in need.

As Long as we share what we do have.

The Soul of Every American is in the right place.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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