Image of the Beast & Image of God Comparison

"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

Revelations 13:14-15

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

Revelation 14:9-11

I know these verses are speaking for a time yet to come. Some say that this is speaking about a human being that will be manifested in the Earth, and that will have nature of the devil in himself, e.g. Antichrist. Others say that is speaking of a whole system, and not just a mere man. Whatever the case might be, there are spiritual principles we can draw from these verses.

1. The devil has an image. Of course, it's exactly contrary to God's image.
2. The devil will impose that image of his upon this human being (AntiChrist), or upon a whole demonic system (kingdom), trying to rule upon the Earth. We see that this human representation and extension of the devil is Anti-Christ, Anti-God, Anti-The Anointed One, Anti-The Savior, Anti-His destiny, purposes and intentions.
3. The devil's final purpose is every person to receive the same image of the beast in themselves - some because of deception, others because of fear. This image was given power to speak, act and perform miracles (Revelations 13), so it does require the people that have received it to act accordingly, speaking its language, doing his works, even receiving its supernatural power.

It's main purpose - the self to be promoted and rise against and above Almighty God Himself.

We know that the devil fooled many angels to join him in his battle against the Lord in Heaven and they were all cast out. Now, in the Revelation events, we see him trying to do the same thing with men on Earth, gathering an army that is meant to attack the Lord when He comes from Heaven to the Earth (Revelations 19:19, 20; 20:7-8). That will be an army consisting of totally deranged, mentally distorted and emotionally destroyed people. Why? Because they will have all accepted the beast's image and that's exactly what the devil is.

Somebody will say, "Well, what does that have to do with us? The AntiChrist (man or system) is not yet manifested and nobody has yet accepted the image (mark) of the beast as Revelation says".

Here's the spiritual parallel we must draw. It's point number 4.

4. The Bible says in (1 John 4:3 and 2:18-22) that the spirit of the AntiChrist is already working in the world.

"and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

1 John 4:3

It is definitely trying to creep into the Church, into all it's structures and to respectively permeate every area of the Church life, Christian thought patterns, ways of behavior, ministry ethics, Christian moral, Bible standards and all else.

That's the spirit of religion we are dealing with. Not the pure religion that Apostle James is speaking about in James 1:27. This pure religion is actually a lifestyle of hearing God's word of truth and obeying it; it's a lifestyle of being pure, holy, separated and trustworthy. It's a lifestyle of doing good and breaking every yoke of the devil (Acts 10:38). It's a lifestyle of following the Lord every step of the way, receiving His image in us and exercising His authority in doing His will by bringing His purposes and destiny to fulfillment on the Earth, as it is in Heaven.

The spirit of religion and of the AntiChrist I'm talking about is exactly the opposite. It's being hearers only, but not doers of God's word (James 1:22-25). It's going to Church, but not actually being an integral part of the Body of Christ. It's being like the Priest and the Levite that saw the wounded man lying half dead on the ground and that passed by him, without helping him. It's being religious politicians, deceiving ourselves and the others. It's saying, but not doing, being a Pharisee, a religious fanatic, a fault finder, seeking always to find faults in others, but never checking ourselves at the same time, beholding the mote in our brother's eye and ignoring the plank in our own one. The examples are endless. That's the image of the beast - the image of self-righteousness, raising its ugly head above and against God's humility and grace.

Now these 4 points show the devil's side of things. But we all know that the devil is not a Creator - He is a counterfeiter. he takes from the Lord's principles and thwarts them, perverting them. So, let's look at the original structure:

1. The Lord has an image. It contains all Himself, His Glory, His power, His authority, His Character, His gifts and fruit, His ministries, His dreams, purposes, intentions and destiny.
2. The Lord sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ (as opposed to Anti-Christ). Jesus was the human representation and extension of God. We can see that clearly in the following Scriptures:

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

2 Corinthians 4:3- 4

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell"

Colossians 1:12-19

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Colossians 3:1-17

3. The final purpose of God is to place that same image of Christ on the inside of every one of us, so we can be, speak and act as God is speaking, acting and being.

The main purpose - God's Character to be developed in us in full humility, grace and peace, so we can be mature sons and daughters of God, ready to enter into the inheritance the Lord has for our lives, our families, our children, our ministries, our Churches, our jobs and careers, our neighborhoods, our cities, our nations, and to the ends of the Earth.

4. God's Holy Spirit has been working in God's people ever since Genesis 1:1-2 when He was hovering above God's Planet Earth. In our new birth, He even came to live in us. Will we ever be able to grasp what the Lord has done for us? We have the Lord of Glory living in our hearts, through His Holy Spirit.

Nikola Dimitrov

Pastor, Bible Teacher, Preacher, Translator, Educator, Author

http://www.life-of-jesus.org

Two Witnesses in Jerusalem

Church of God minister Arlen Berkey, in "The Work of God in the Laodicean Era," makes a statement nobody in God's Church would disagree with: "The whole world will soon know about the two witnesses. They will not be welcome by this world."

We are not responsible for how the world reacts to these two men (it does NOT say ministers), however, we should question whether the two witnesses will be welcome by God's Church!

Does that sound preposterous? Presumptuous? Not if you're well-versed in holy Scripture! It was often the religious who opposed the Prophets and it was the religious leaders who stirred up the people to cry out against Jesus: "Crucify Him!" There is nothing new under the sun.

The two witnesses will be sent by God in the spirit of Elijah. The chief spokesman between the two will hail from the royal house of David and fulfills the Elijah role and will shake up the earth by his God-given MESSAGE and MIRACLES! (Zechariah 12:8).

Herbert W. Armstrong, in the spirit of Elijah, laid the foundation for such a great Work, and restored precious truths to God's CHURCH. Jesus Christ will restore God's government to the entire Earth (Acts 3:21). The interlude finds the leader of the two witnesses, in the spirit of Elijah/HWA, restoring truth to the NATION of Israel (Malachi 4:4). There is no contradiction. This is based upon the Law and the Covenant and is testified to by the Prophets.

Some might initially resist God's choice of men to fulfill the controversial roles of the two witnesses (Jeremiah 15:10). Even Moses' met rejection by his own people God sent him to save (Acts 7:25, 35). Moses and Aaron met first with the elders of Israel before going before pharaoh (Exodus 4:29). God's Church will know the identity of the two witnesses before the world sees them take the stand in Jerusalem.

God's apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong, saw we must reach "the cities of Judah" and yet God didn't permit him to do it. But God will give Judah His Message, last but not least! God has been raising up someone for this very purpose (Isaiah 41:27).

Herbert Armstrong also began to see that God's Church has a divine commission to help physically prepare for Christ's coming to Jerusalem: The Great Mideast Commission: Reaching the Cities of Judah. Read and believe it for yourself in Mr. Armstrong's autobiography and wonder why you haven't heard any of your ministers preaching about it or chomping at the bit to get it done.

Soon the the Two Witnesses will rise and shine in this world of darkness, and finish the Work that God has given us to do. Jesus Christ is returning in this generation! May we be found worthy to escape the nuclear blitzkrieg about to strike, and to stand before Christ when He returns to claim David's Throne in Jerusalem!

Here's some kosher food for thought:

Will an earthquake bring water to the deserts? Preparing the way for the Church of God to enter "Her Place?" (Isaiah 43:20).

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Visit the Beyond Babylon blog.

What Does Christ's Church Look Like?

If we know anything about the mind of Christ, then we must also know something about His mind for His church. In other words, if any of us have caught a glimpse of Christ then we should also have a pretty good idea of what His church should look like. Otherwise, if we can't imagine what Christ's church looks like, then how can we claim to know Christ?

So, if Christ were leading His church, what would that look like? My answer to this is... I don't know. Or at least I don't know from watching this play out before my fleshly eyes. This is the honest answer for anyone whose primary idea of "church" has been a building, a paid pastor and all the usual, western fixin's.

If your idea of church is not these things and yet you're still taking part in these things, then why? Maybe you know better... or maybe you're fooling yourself into thinking you know better. I'll believe you when you say "I know better" as soon as you start acting better.

But God's Spirit will lead us into freedom.

The first step toward freedom and obedience is to take care of our unfinished business with the Almighty. When our consciences are clear before God, then we will be free to confront any life-circumstance.

The same quality of freedom applies to God's people despite all the hardship or opposition that the world can assemble against us. Our successfulness or lack thereof is not ours to measure. It is our place to obey Christ directly and then trust Him to work out the end product of these things.

If we belong to Christ, then it is fitting that we should stumble around and fail miserably every time we try to live apart from Him.

by Patrick Roberts

http://www.BooksByPatrick.com

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.

Can We Prove That an Invisible God Lives

Here's a pretty good interview about someone explaining the existence of God.

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Peaceful Warrior God

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a christian video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Measure Yourself Against This Positive Practical and Model Example

When I used to go to the football (soccer for those of you reading this across the pond) I expected to see a match taking place with 22 players. I did not expect a concert or flower arranging or knitting. Now, I am not against any of these things. I am not against anything, but sin.

But when I 'go to Church', I expect to hear about Jesus and sense that God is at the very centre and heart of all that is going on.

In Acts Chapter 11 and at verse 26, these disciples of Jesus Christ were always talking about their Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ, and in Antioch they were first called Christians - 'little anointed ones' - 'little Christs'. Antioch must have been a great place to be in these days. Faith was fresh vibrant and dynamic and there were spiritually powerful preachers and teachers.

It is a peculiar fact today, that you can bring the name of Jesus Christ even into some Church meetings, and people can become embarrassed and uncomfortable. Not so in Antioch.

Their lives were so different from other people's lives, in so many ways. They were distinctly different - by their love - their joy - their compassion - their openness - the way they could welcome all who came to faith - their eagerness to learn - their generosity - the way their lives were so radically transformed - the way they coped with and how they could handle suffering. These men and women were different from everyone else in Antioch, and it was JESUS Who made them different.

Sharing - speaking - testifying - fellowshipping - feeding upon the teach of Barnabas and Saul for a whole year - and their willingness to receive The Word of God helped made them different too - strong in character - filled with faith - powerful in The Holy Spirit.

They were so very positive.

Some prophets came down from Jerusalem. A man named Agabus stood up, and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. What kind of man does that? What kind of man would have the courage today to speak forth like that, knowing that if it did not happened he would rightly be labelled as a false prophet.

Agabus had a prophetic ministry. He heard from God, and spoke on behalf of God, with the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him.

There is also something here of a word of knowledge. Agabus knew something, revealed by God, which no-one else knew at that time. God was saying something vitally important, and God was saying it through The Church. A great need was going to arise throughout the whole Roman world. That covered quite an area at that time.

This actually happened during the historical reign of Emperor Claudius.

These disciples of Jesus Christ in Antioch just began to give. There was no appeal for funds, and it was no token offering. Each gave as much as he was able to.

They realised that there was going to a physical problem in Judea - in Jerusalem. As the Holy Spirit revealed the need, these disciples rose to the occasion, in a positive and practical manner.

Wherever real needs arise today will the Church of Jesus Christ respond in such a positive and practical manner without lengthy appeals? As an individual disciple of Jesus will you rise up when you become aware of some specific need in the world, in your local community or in the Fellowship where you regularly worship?

At the end of Acts chapter 11, the Church of Jesus Christ has been going for around four or five years.

Take a moment to consider how that young fellowship of Jesus Christ in Antioch was such a model fellowship, and an example for us today.

Persecuted disciples of Jesus Christ made their home in Antioch and influence many in the community.

They are so eager to hear The Word of God and receive teaching from those who were just a little bit further along the way than the others.

They are open to the Holy Spirit - open to prophecy and a word of knowledge.

There is an obedience to those in authority. These true believers are willing to give generously, and there were men of calibre who could be trusted to deliver the money to the people in need.

Yes, we are reading of these first early years of The Church. How does the Church where you worship measure to what we read of in the Fellowship in Antioch?

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.

His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.

Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com

The Man Who Had Everything

In this text Mark does an excellent job of acquainting us with the dangers of wealth concerning Gods Kingdom even though there are several instances concerning wealth throughout the bible (e.g. Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalm 49:6, Proverbs 13:11, 1 Corinthians 10:24). However, if you explore deeper youll discover that wealth is representative of any vice that prevents us from a closer walk with God. Carpenter & McCown (1992) asserted To enter the kingdom one must die to self-autonomy and self-security (p. 865). Wealth in and of itself is not inherently dangerous but rather the strain that it put on our relationship with God. Leaders must constantly remind followers that there is something greater than ourselves.

The Quest for life

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

-Mark 10:17

This mans enthusiasm was readily apparent by his running. He had everything but eternal life but did not know how to obtain it. And his desire to enter into the kingdom of God was manifested in his inquiry for eternal life. What shall I do He asked as if it was something that is earned through a deed that must be accomplished. As if to say tell me what you did to obtain eternal life so that I can do it to. Eternal life equates to entering the kingdom of God. how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:23).

Its also clear that the man respected Jesus which is evident by his kneeling. But his use of the adjective Good when addressing Jesus as Good Master also sheds light on this mans understanding of Gods kingdom. In other cases in the bible only God is referred to as being good (i. e. Psalm 38:8, Psalm 73:1). Master was a term applied to men of high standing such as a priest, scholar, or teacher. Master alone would have been sufficient enough for this man to demonstrate the his surrender to the wisdom of Jesus. This man viewed Jesus as legendary and someone who achieved this status on his own. But this descriptive word Good implied that it was possible for the man, who considered himself a good man, to be like Jesus or in essence like God.

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.

-Mark 10:18

In this verse, Jesus corrects the man without rebuking him and reminds him that only God is good. Jesus was not denying his own divinity but rather reminding the man that he must not appeal to the humaness in Him but rather to God. Funk & Hoover (1993) suggested that this was Jesuss attempt to refocus attention on God, rather than on himself, as generally in line with Jesus disposition. (p. 91). Jesus may have been merely rejecting a compliment to prevent envy or maybe he wanted the man to understand that only God is good and this is not something that he could achieve. He was forcing the man to recognize that his only hope was in reliance on God alone and that eternal life was a gift from God.

Every manager has had a new protg that was eager and motivated to learn all that she could so that she could in turn contribute to the organization. Her motivation may be to win a promotion or the opportunity to breathe life into an organization. As a mentor, if you help mentees create a satisfying new vision for their life or work, mentees will do most of what is necessary to bring the vision to reality. (Shea, 2002, p. 44). Many people can visualize the goal to be obtained which in turn becomes their driving factor. However, many people get stuck in a rut or are unable to visualize the goal.

These emotions are often combined with thoughts or feelings such as disappointment, embarrassment, or dissatisfaction. Shea (2002) argued The capacity to detect the emotions and feelings of others and to respond appropriately is a critical art of mentoring. Overlooking the feelings that motivate people can limit a mentors effectiveness because feelings inspire people to get things done. Jesus recognized the mans passion for eternal life and therefore chose to handle the situation with caring.

Not Just Hearers of the Law

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultry, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I obsewrved from my youth.
-Mark 10:19-20

Here, Jesus mentions all six commandments that prohibit wrong doing against another person (i.e. Exodus 20:12-16). The prohibition of fraud is representative of the tenth commandment against covetousness. To covet is to desire something with evil motivation. To defraud is to cheat, deceive, or beguile someone which is ignited by evil motivation. To break Gods commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. Jesus was merely testing the man with the recital of the commandments. Funk and Hoover (1993) indicated that every Judean or Christian should know these commandments and that Jesus rehearsal of them was scarcely a distinctive statement. (p. 91). Being wealthy, one would expect that it would be easy for this man to follow the commandments known to everyone. The difficulty for this man was understanding that the kingdom of God is a gift that must be received after all obstacles have been removed.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

-Mark 10:21

In recognizing the mans enthusiasm, as any good mentor would do, Jesus did not shame the man by exposing is failure to grasp the spirtual depth of the kingdom of God. The mans problem was his wealth which prevented him from his spiritual walk with God. There is no indication that the command to sell all of his possesions was meant for all Christians but rahter it was the obstacle that prevented this particular man from trusting Jesus. This man needed to remove this vice from his life but the treasure of salvation is not something that can be earned by simply giving up your material goods but is also received by following Jesus; take up the cross, and follow me. Carpenter and McCown (1993) maintained that the mans great wealth is developed as a symbol of the problem of faith. (p. 865). The mans riches was his vice and he needed to remove it before he could enter the kingdom of God.

Leaders guide protgs in shifting their context to envision worthy goals and move toward their fulfillment. When a leader sees a circumstance in a larger, more meaningful context and is willing to explain it, that leader is in fact creating the context, calling everyones attention to the idea that the context is greater than what first appears. (Pearce, 2003, p. 94). When followers have an understanding of what the organizational context is and are able to put it into perspective, change is inevitable. When others havent considered the context that the leadership has considered; they must be properly informed so that they can make sense of it.
Vices & Wealth: Accumulation of Non-necessities

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possesions.

-Mark 10:22

The tragic decision to turn away reflected this mans greater love for his wealth than his desire for eternal life. Wealth refers whatever spiritual problem or vice Christians happen to be facing. Vice is the opposite of virtue. In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning failing or defect. One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues. A virtue can be corrupted by nonuse, misuse, or overuse. Thus the cardinal vices would be lust (nonuse of temperance), cowardice (nonuse of courage), folly (misuse of a virtue, opposite of wisdom), and venality (nonuse of justice).

For people to listen to others without filters of fear or suspicion, trust is the fundamental requisite. If leaders want followers to take up the organizational banner and follow them, then they must build trust and commitment. Followers will give their hearts and souls to authority figures who say, You really matter, no matter how small the followers contributions may be. (Goffee and Jones, 2001, p. 171). The man had excellent credentials and moral character and he was expecting Jesus to compliment him for his diligence and hard work. The key for todays leaders is to offer constructive criticism in the form of positive feedback as evident in Jesus comment in Mark 10:21, One thing thou lackest, or in other words the only thing you lack. followership implies commitment, but never without conditions. The follower wants the leader to create feelings of significance, community, and excitement. When leaders herald the significance of an individuals work, they are rewarded with loyalty, even obedience. And after all that Jesus had said to encourage and engage this enthusiastic man, he still refused to let go of that which constrained him.

A Kingdom At Hand

Marks Gospel describe Jesus as proclaiming the Kingdom as something that was at hand, and about to break out at present, and not merely a future reality (see Mark 1:15). This might provide another reason why the man was running in Mark 10:17. He knew that the kingdom was at hand and wanted to reserve his seat. Mark clearly illustrates the care Jesus takes in addressing this man. Its obvious that the man is sincere in his quest for eternal life.

Finally, all that we do as leaders must be done out of love for the whole person. It is who we are and our interactions with others that will resonate throughout the organization. Jesus response to this man was prompted by Love Then Jesus beholding him [the rich young man] loved him (Mark 10:21). Mark is the only one who tells us this, as though to show that without love service is barren. (Pink, 1921, p. 34).

References

Carpenter, Eugene and McCown, Wayne (1992). Asbury Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Funk, Robert W. and Hoover, Roy W. (1993). The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York, NY. Polebridge Press.

Holy Bible (1985). King James Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Pearce, Terry. (2003). Leading Out Loud : Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication. San Francisco John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pink, Arthur W. (1921). Why Four Gospels. Grand Rapids, Mich. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Shea, Gordon F. (2002). Mentoring: How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors. Menlo Park, California. Course PTR.

Goffee, Robert and Jones, Gareth. (2001) Followership: Its Personal, Too. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business Review On Breakthrough Leadership: Harvard Business School Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lieutenant Kenneth Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. Lieutenant Rice is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and an Education & Training Management Subspecialty. He is currently enrolled in the Naval War College completing the Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.

North Korea's Purgatory

Thirty or so years ago a 10-year-old boy entered a North Korean labor camp with his family. He lived to tell about it, the first story of its kind*:

The family was among the many that had, a generation earlier, relocated in Japan and become strong supporters there of Socialism, Communism, and North Korea . With the rise of Kim Il Sung, the family was enticed to come back to the fatherland and complete the reforms so badly needed there.

This very rich but very dedicated family moved back to a near hero's welcome. But growing suspicions about their wealth and their connection to the traditional foe of Korea slowly led the family from fame to ghastly impoverishment. The entire family was arrested and a new life begun in one of Kim's infamous reeducation centers.

How does one wind up in jail with all these credentials? To get to a North Korean Camp, one must be either "a land-holder, a capitalist, a U.S. or South Korean agent, a Christian, or members of purged Party circles deemed noxious to the state." Division is made then between "redeemable" and "unredeemable" prisoners. Once classed unredeemable, life is over. Your only worth to the state is hard labor. You will be taken to work at secret sites since there is no hope of you taking those secrets anywhere but to the grave. You will work until you drop dead.

Redeemables, like the author of this book, have a chance. They are taught Kim propaganda. They are thoroughly redone in their thinking processes, and after a number of years, released to live their new life as a trusted member of society.

I present these horrid but true story to encourage you to pray for North Koreans, that in their distress they will call upon the Name of the Lord, and that in calling they will unleash the Power that no dynasty can withstand.

*The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Enter the Baekjeong

The Koreans say "1," that's baekjeong to us, or if you prefer, paekchong. Who are they, and why in the world am I writing about them? Good questions, and deserving of a good answer. Let me try.

Question one: "Member of the lowest class of old Korean society. Executioners (that's pretty low). Grave Diggers (lower still, but somebody's gotta do it). Butchers (no offense, butchers of the world, but in some societies meat-eating is not cool).Leather workers (same problem!). And there's another word I'm not free to print.

So there you have it. Now the answer to your second question becomes even more difficult. Why devote space to persons such as these?

Well, let's just say it's an old family tradition. Now, the oldest family on earth is God's. We can say 4,000 years old if we want to start with Abraham. And from the beginning, and all the way down to modern-day North Korea, (although "modern" and "North Korea" may not sound too well together), God has had this tradition of pulling up baekjeong from nowhere and bringing them somewhere. From nothing, making something.

Whoever said "Out of nothing, nothing comes," didn't know our God!

God loves these "members of the lowest class", these "untouchables", these unspeakables, these folks... well let's just say we might not invite them to dinner. But they're crowding around His table all the time. We might as well get into the flow. And what better place to begin than North Korea?

Look what God did with a bunch of southward-bound refugees on that peninsula! Back in the 40's and 50's, terrible tragedies pushed many of God's people and a whole lot of people that were not His into some new turf. For a long while South Korea hung in the balance. But Christ, at first Himself a baekjeong of Korea, lonely, unknown, has now become , as missionary Arch Campbell put it, "enshrined in the hearts of hundreds of thousands who know Him as an intimate friend... who love Him with a deep passion seldom found in the sophisticated West."

This Christ was preached and this Christ was accepted by these terribly poor and terribly unacceptable (by the world's standards). And now? Some of the biggest churches in the world grace that small but mighty Korean nation.

Just think what will happen when Christ is given His due place among the northern baekjeong. Oh my, do I want to see that!

Next in this series, a baekjeong story. Then you judge for yourself what God just might want to do...maybe through you?

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

From The End-Time Signal To The Descending Savior

What an exciting series of events follows the final sign that Jesus has given for His coming.

Matthew 24:16-20. Those listening, and especially those reading , are told to get out of town when they see the signal. Yes, there is still some unfinished business to take place in the Jewish community. The fact that A.D. 70 was a "false alarm" does not cancel out the ultimate judgment coming to that part of the world. The Word of God still stands, and it is unfulfilled. Thanks to Him for the many who have gone to Israel to call out a remnant of the Jewish people to salvation. But the great majority of Israelites will not accept Israel's God until forced to do so.

Yes, Israel will run again on that day. In the midst of the prophecy of this destruction given in Zechariah 12, God says to Israel (v. 12) that they will be asked to look on the One Who was pierced for them. A spirit of supplication will come upon them as they look and are grieved at what they see. While fire rains from Heaven all around them, they will be taken to a place of refuge and exposed to the truth about Messiah. 144,000 such believing Jews are enumerated in Revelation 7:1-8. The "woman" of Revelation 12, whom we know to be Israel, is taken to a hiding place for three and one half years and "nourished" miraculously. Here is where they meet Messiah, in my opinion. This would explain why there is still going to be some "running" in Israel's future. They will run right into Jesus' arms.

Needless to say, none of this happened in A.D. 70. The prophecy is not fulfilled.

Matthew 24:21 should have been the "give-away" thought to all of us who lived through the turbulence of the 20th and early 21st centuries. We should have seen that a temporary destruction of Jerusalem by an ancient Roman army was not what Jesus was talking about when he mentioned unprecedented trouble. Never before, never since, says verse 21. No world catastrophe that comes near this one. And yet we can all think of or read of times when the peoples of our world, or even the Jews alone, were in greater trouble than those days of history following Jesus' stay here. How many people perished in the World Wars? How many Jews in the Holocaust? What about atomic bombs and nuclear warheads?

Jesus saw the chaotic drama of all time taking place. So horrifying, so universal, so devastating that our Sovereign God will step in and shut it all down (v. 23) before every living thing on the planet, including those chosen to enter into Kingdom life, is snuffed out. That was not A.D. 70. Our thinking must change. The sign of Matthew 24:15 points to the end, not to A.D. 70.

Verses 23-25. During the course of this destructive period, which we have not yet entered, more false prophets and Christ's arise. Great signs and wonders will occur, orchestrated in part by the religious assistant of the man of sin described in Revelation 13, and alluded to in II Thessalonians 2. People love signs and wonders. Not content with what the Word says, they will have itching ears and listen to anyone who can back up his message with a miracle. In antichrist's reign there will be miracles a-plenty, and this is how he will keep the world in his grasp.

Verses 26-28. Many will try to say that Jesus has already come, as they did as early as the first century, in Thessalonica. It was this perversion of the truth, an early attempt at a rapture theory, that occasioned the book of II Thessalonians... and thank God for it! Jesus asserts in Matthew that He is not coming back gradually, slowly, casually, or spookily. When He is here, you will know immediately!

Verse 29, coming here as it does, following a lengthy response to his beloved and very curious disciples, ought to stop forever the thought of a pre-tribulation catching away. Is it conceivable to you that Jesus, having been asked what He was asked by disciples, not Jewish rabble, not enemies, would fail to tell His closest friends and allies about a secret coming seven long years before His arrival again to the planet? When they wanted to know about His coming, would He have deliberately passed over the fact that they would not have to run when the others did, that they should not fear false prophets as the others feared, that they should not be bothered about looking up to the heavens as the others when signs in the heavens occur, because they would already be with Him?

Two key words appear in this verse. First, "immediately". After the trouble caused by the abomination of desolation, the "sign" the disciples asked for, no years, months, weeks or days intervene. When that time period, defined by Daniel and John in their visions, is over, immediately it is the end of the age!

And need I say it, secondly, the word "after". Jesus comes for His own after the tribulation, the world's great trouble, Jacob's trouble. What more can Jesus say to our confused church generation than what He already said? No hint of a previous coming seven years earlier. But a clear statement of this one. All the powers of the heavens shaken. Jesus appears. He sends His angels. They sound the last trumpet. They gather His chosen from the four winds. They are caught up! They are raptured! They are spared the judgment that now falls on the planet. But they are not spared the great tribulation.

So there is Matthew 24, and the outline of the last days. How clear it is. How muddled has been our thinking. Oh how much better to take what Jesus says as He says it.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Christ Is At Hand

Jesus would never deceive His people. Never mislead them. What He says is always perfectly true. But surface skimmers will never discover this. They will take a look, decide it is unbelievable and either concoct an even more unbelievable explanation or walk away from faith altogether.

Have you never cringed a bit when preachers say Jesus is definitely coming and coming soon? I have. Because I don't want God's truth to be ridiculed or ignored. So why the title of this article? Why do I carry on with a line of thinking that will cause some to lose faith?

Read again. My title dos not promise a soon coming, though it may be relatively soon. Jesus never promised this. He promised that when He came He would come quickly. Swiftly. In the twinkling of an eye. No evolution. No warm up. Signs beforehand, yes. But the actual appearance immediate.

I say what He said, that His coming is near. That's not only a chronological word, it's a geographical one. The Greek, pronounced engus, means "at hand." See Luke 21:8 , where the time is said to be eggus. But then in the next chapter, Judas draws eggus to Christ to kiss Him.

We earth-bounds think that near means soon. But another think or so reminds us of the times we almost won the maiden's heart, or almost got the prize, or almost fell down the steps. A miss can sometimes be as good as a mile, but near is almost, not altogether.

I enjoy taking a radical approach to Scripture. That is, believing it as it is. John in Revelation 1:3 says that His coming is eggus. John and all the early believers believed it would be soon. They were wrong. But the word they used was correct. It was at hand. It was very close. And it still is.

Some say, Well if it was so close back then, it must be very much closer now. No, we cannot run away with the text. The time is still at hand, eggus. We are still very near, just as we always were. He hovers, waits, while the Gospel seeks out every nook and cranny on earth, hopeful of one more who will be saved.

When Antichrist comes and is given His permission to do His worst, the church's ranks will thin out. The salt will be removed, not by rapture, but by destruction. When salt is removed, the Creator's taste for the planet will be lessened until finally that which is hovering will be landed.

The best example I could think of is the helicopter. It can stay in one place for long periods of time. It can be very near, at hand, without being at its final destination. So the Lord is not far from each of us. We need not yell our prayers. His Spirit is within us and His body hovers over the planet, seeking and saving and soon wrapping up His program for mankind.

Let's not grow weary waiting. This word is especially meaningful to our North Korean friends suffering in prison camps for their faith. Hang on.

Above all, let us not corrupt and change His Word because we thought that maybe a mistake was made. It's still true. I can hear the wings whooshing above us right now. And you?

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Supper with Jesus

The marriage supper of the Lamb of God. Ever think of what this means? Reservations are needed, but the meal and the eternity that follows with Christ Jesus have been totally paid for. What will it be like to sit and eat with the King of Kings? There'll be no bickering about places at the table. The apostles and other Bible-mentioned chiefs of the faith will sit at His right and left. And anyway, the honor on that day will be all His.

What will the food be like? Yes, we'll be able to eat in our new bodies. Jesus showed us that after He rose from the dead. And attire, well that's one area covered by the Revelation of John, chapter 19. Let's go there.

The chapter opens with great rejoicing for the annihilation, finally, of wicked Babylon. The smoke rising up will be a constant scene for eternity, a perpetual reminder that God avenges His people.

Then comes the announcement. It is not the feast itself, mind you, only the proclamation that we have now come to the point of the Jesus story called Wedding Day. The saints are given their clean bright linen wedding clothes, symbolic of the righteousness imputed to them all by Jesus, His wedding gift. Forgiveness. Clean slate. Holiness. Purity. And all by grace.

Then it's time to depart. Take care of some business. And eat.

One of the downsides of the so-called pre-tribulation coming of Jesus is that the passage before us is whisked away to a time seven years prior to the Babylon events. In the mind of the pre-trib theologian, any day now we'll be spirited away, while on earth will break out chaos. But it won't bother us, because after all, we overcame. The saints left behind, backslidden and unworthy, will have to deal with antichrist on their own, while we sit at the table spread by Jesus Himself.

It will be a happy day when this man-made theory dries up totally, loses its sway over Western believers, and joins the ranks of the hundreds and thousands of strange notions that have plagued God's people through the years.

You can see that the passage before us is clearly at the end of earth's suffering. You can see that the words are a mere announcement. No one sits and eats. Heaven is going out to dine. Out to a quaint little place called Earth, on the top of a hill there called Mt. Zion.

Why not eat in Heaven? First, it makes more sense for your Bride to be taken away to joy after a wedding ceremony, not to battle, as is the next thing in the text. Though the saints are dressed to dine, they must get to their dining place through a mine field readied by the Devil himself. Jesus will be coming with His saints to judge the earth's wickedness. Then we can sit and eat and rest.

But the main reason I know the Wedding Supper is on terra firma is that Jesus said so. The promise is in Luke 22, twice. I paraphrase verses 15-18:

I have really been looking forward to this Passover meal . I tell you the truth, we will not enjoy a Passover together until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Then He took the cup, prayed, and said, Drink this, and remember, I will not be drinking wine with you until the Kingdom of God comes.

And the Kingdom of God comes, per Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and John, from Heaven to Earth when Jesus comes to judge sin, and establish His Throne in Jerusalem. The whole series of Kingdom events begins around the great Table.

Don't miss it! And join me in prayer that the closed nations of Earth, such as our dear friends in North Korea, will be able to receive their personal invitation to the Dinner, without which entry will not be gained.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Alas! Babylon

So you've figured out what the Bible is talking about when it mentions Babylon? Let me ask you: Is the Babylon in the Old Testament the same as the one in the New? Have the Old Testament prophecies been fulfilled? In the New, do the seven hills of Revelation 17 point to Rome? Is it Catholicism? Is it America?

Babylon is a study in confusion, to be sure. But then the very name means confusion, and when you attach the word Mystery to it, as God does when talking to John, there should be no surprise that it's hard to figure out.

One thing you do not want to do in coming to a conclusion about this mystery or any Biblical mystery is, trust men. Including this one. Go check it out yourself. Read everything that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the apostle John had to say about it. Look at its history in the Kings and Chronicles. Look at the Tower in Genesis 11, and Nimrod, the founder of this city as well as Nineveh, the true "man behind the myths" of the mystery city.

If you read as I read, you'll discover some of the following evidence, I believe - but don't take my word for it:

• Babylon of old was founded by Nimrod. The record is in Genesis 10. He was a mighty man opposed to God's rule. He was able to persuade others to leave the God of Noah. False religion in the new world began in this rebellion.
• Babylon and the empire that formed around it became one of the mighty forces surrounding the Bible story, along with Egypt, Assyria, and Medo-Persia.
• Babylonish-type religion was transferred from kingdom to kingdom. Only names of gods changed. Idolatry was the order of each empire.
• Eventually Babylon was permitted to attack and conquer Israel. Its resultant delight, instead of remorse that it had to be used in this horrid task, caused God to plan its destruction.
• Many prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah point to a sudden, swift and complete annihilation. Unfortunately, those prophecies were not fulfilled totally. Babylon only very slowly retreated from power and population.
• Empires that succeeded Babylon used that still great city as one of their places of renown, as we would a tourist attraction. Emperors used "King of Babylon" as one of their titles.
• Even in New Testament times, hundreds of years after the warning of a swift demise, Babylon prospered. Many Jews lived there, and a church was born in that place.
• But unquestionably, the city had lost its world-wide prestige, so much so that the prophecy of the New Testament about a great and wealthy business center, could not, at least in those days, refer to the same city.
• Instead, the New Testament Babylon actually ruled over the kings of men. This is a not-so-veiled reference to Rome, the only city in John's day that could be so described. The fact that seven-hills are mentioned has caused most Bible scholars to point to the New Testament's Babylon as being that famous city on the Tiber.
• Many of the predictions about the New Testament Babylon parallel the Old. Sudden, swift and permanent destruction.
• Must we conclude that there is more than one Babylon? My own study, found in Scarlet Threads (1994), revealed a Babylon type of religion in every age, dominating the religious landscape. The mysteries are simply passed on from generation to generation.
• It should be no secret that Romanism, though containing much that is absolute truth, has mixed in with its belief system much that can only be called pagan and Babylonish. Why Bible believers want to head back toward this system that killed Jews and saints of God shamelessly is another mystery, one that I must reserve for another article.
• But certainly it cannot be ignored that Babylon is a city, and is so labeled by the apostle. The Catholic tradition is not all that is Babylonian in Rome's history. There was pagan Rome too. More than that is the move toward even greater paganism that has been afoot in Rome since Vatican II. The same Popes that have convinced Baptists to "come home" have been able to sway Buddhists too. It's the nature of Babylon to mix, and that's the reason God's people are called out of it.
• In short, the ecumenical movement will eventually be dominated by Rome and will later, I believe, have a "false prophet" at its helm. He will be granted miraculous power.
• When Rome dominates again, she will crush those who try to oppose her. In this she will be aided by the antichrist, whose back she rides to world power. There is nothing but trouble for those who oppose, or "protest" in that day. trouble and death.
• I absolutely and categorically mean no insult to any person of any religious faith. I speak only of governmental systems and the doctrines that come from anywhere but Heaven and the written Word.
• So where are we with this? When the Bible says Babylon will be destroyed, is that just a continuation of the Old Testament prophecy that was never totally fulfilled? Shall Rome surrender its religious powers one day to a revived city of Babylon? Or is Babylon a code name for the Satanic system that found its way to Rome? Is Rome therefore the target of God's wrath?
• One thing is pointed out by John's writings. Many other cities are going to fall in that judgment. Whatever city is storing up the wrath of God because of its treatment of His special children, will be visited on that day. But exactly who and where Babylon is still hasn't fully emerged. At least, in my opinion.

In my ongoing appeal for attention for North Korea, this word that relates to today's subject: I have spoken elsewhere about my concern for the nation when it finally opens up. People who have been treated as the North Koreans have been are going to be easy prey for anything false. We must pray that God's true people will have a voice all over the land, and that North Koreans will have a discernment to weed out that which can only harm them.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

How Do Christians View The World?

I've been reading and believing the Bible for over 50 years. I unapologetically say that my worldview is between the covers of that Book. The way the born again see it is this: There is God, and there is everything else.

But the transcendant God, we believe, has entered our bounds, and walked with us in the person of Jesus Christ, Himself God and man. We teach that after His cruel death and glorious resurrection, He ascended to Heaven, then came back via Spirit to His followers. (This is not to discount a bodily return at the climax of world history.)

As He filled and fills His disciples with Himself, He actually exerts an influence in the world that He likened to salt and light. God's people, filled with Christ Himself, are preserving this planet and giving it the only true guidance it has.

He is here. He is working steadily among men to call out a people for Himself. All of this, while kingdoms rise and fall around Him and His people. All this while nature rages and time rushes to its final destiny.

Let me break it down more:

The world. Created by God for God.

The world. Corrupted by man in the face of God.

The world. Loved by God and redeemed by His blood for those interested.

The world. Overseen by God but now managed by Satan until all rule is given to Christ.

The world. To be destroyed and renewed and ruled by God's people, when Christ returns.

The world. A place now of temptation and danger.

The world. The enemy of the souls of men, posing as its friend.

The world. Setting of spiritual battles directed from the heavenlies.

The world. Here, we are pilgrims, passing through.

The world. Its peoples are loved by God, but its ways are to be avoided by believers.

"God so loved the world (not the corruption but the needy people) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life ."

John 3:16

That's God's worldview. Though we have corrupted ourselves, He holds out His hand and calls us still...

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

Overpopulation really isn't that hard to understand. People love each other, want to reproduce and have offspring. Their parents took care of them, and they will take care of their children. People love to have families and these families love to have more families. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

Now is overpopulation a religious problem? If you listen to religious text and understand a few simple sentences, you will see that there are plenty of religions all over the world that encourage the multiplication of mankind.

In the Bible, God tells man to be fruitful and multiply. If you read this a little differently, you might take it that God wants men to eat as much fruit as he wants to and plant more trees so that he can have more fruit and be fruitful.

That's not exactly how most Christians read this Bible verse. Christians need to have more children, and their children need to have more children. This is how they interpret the words, to be fruitful and multiply.

I do believe that religions all over the world play an important part in our worlds population problem today. It's not the people who are educated, that are constantly reproducing, in today's world.

Most religions support population expansion, but what are they going to do, once the world becomes so overpopulated, that we can't even take care of ourselves. This should give you another point of view to look at, especially if you one part of the problem and not the solution.

What About The End of The World

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with superior biblical knowledge , answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

Rocking the Foundation of Christianity

Whatever you build a house, you start with the foundation, if you're writing a book, it might be an outline for the table of contacts, but when were talking about Christianity, rarely do any Christians ever research the origins or how Christianity began.

Most Christians assume that Jesus was the one who started Christianity, however, he was Jewish and there is a good chance that he never even thought about starting a new religion. I know, Jesus is God and he knows everything and he knew that he was going to start Christianity. Okay, but what if.

That might not be entirely true. We don't have any proof that Jesus was actually a superior god like being. We can speculate or assume all that we want to, however there is very little evidence to support, that Jesus did anything that the writers of the New Testament, suggested he had done.

I would like to challenge most Christians, to do a little research and quite possibly start rocking the foundation of Christianity. It's much more important to understand Christianity than to call yourself a Christian. Will a little bit of research help or hurt you, as you study Christianity.

You can start by looking at the origins of the Bible, the Council of Nicaea, the Emperor Constantine, the missing years of Jesus in the early Roman Catholic Church.

To understand anything, you must understand its origins. Take some time out of your busy life, to start studying the foundation of Christianity.

Do Christians Believe Everything
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a Christian Article Library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
Thanks

Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

I have heard Catholics tell me that the pope has a direct line to God. I don't really know if that's true, but if he does, or anyone else does, I would like to ask them to do me a favor.

I would like them to ask God a few questions, these questions aren't going to be difficult, and we could even make them in yes or no formats, but these answers need to be asked and only God can provide us with the answers.

The first question that I would like to ask God, would be about starvation, why are there so many starving people all over the world? Are we or are we not supposed to be fruitful and multiply? Is overpopulation creating more problems in the world today, than it might have 2000 years ago?

These questions above, could be a little difficult to answer, but they shouldn't be too difficult for someone like God. I believe that God can handle a few tough questions and if the Pope or anyone else has direct communication with God, I would like to suggest something to them, quit wasting your time on frivolous things and start asking God the serious questions, that every one is really interested in.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, to pray and worship to somebody who realistically won't answer or deliver the things that we are requiring. I realize that most religious people are told, that God only answers some prayers or that God isn't ready to answer your prayers yet.

Anyway, if gods not going to answer all of our prayers, couldn't he at least answer some of our questions.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended authors, Don Miguel Ruiz

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks For Reading Our Articles

Living the Ultimate Lie - Religious Fundamentalism

I've been doing research on Christianity and other religions throughout the world for quite some time and find it hard to believe that most of these religious followers, won't even listen to facts that I and others have found regarding their religion.

I find most of these people to be living the ultimate lie and when it comes to Christian fundamentalism or someone who I would consider to be a super Christian, these people adamantly hold both hands over their ears, while stomping their feet, trying to scare me into submission.

No matter how you slice it, no matter how you want it delivered to you, the truth is always going to be the truth. If you won't listen to the truth, you will live trapped living in a world of lies. It doesn't matter whether you're a Christian who believes in Jesus or an Islamic follower of believes in Allah, the truth, for most people, can only be found outside of your religion.

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. How many religions talk about how the world was created, most of their followers, choose to believe their religious leaders and their religious text, without ever questioning, but often doubting what they were taught.

Science teaches us one way, religion teaches us another, however, neither one of them have any scientific evidence to back up their theories.

The minute that you state either one of these beliefs as a truth, you're living in a world of lies. If a scientist or religious leader, can convince you that their way is right, they have simply took a belief, without any evidence and made it into a fact. This illusion, is simply a belief that you have personally made into a truth and as long as you continue to believe this, without doing any of your own research, you will continue to spread lies and rumors throughout the world.

Problems With Noah's Ark Story

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religous article library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Thanks

Is Overpopulation a Religious Problem?

Overpopulation really isn't that hard to understand. People love each other, want to reproduce and have offspring. Their parents took care of them, and they will take care of their children. People love to have families and these families love to have more families. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

Now is overpopulation a religious problem? If you listen to religious text and understand a few simple sentences, you will see that there are plenty of religions all over the world that encourage the multiplication of mankind.

In the Bible, God tells man to be fruitful and multiply. If you read this a little differently, you might take it that God wants men to eat as much fruit as he wants to and plant more trees so that he can have more fruit and be fruitful.

That's not exactly how most Christians read this Bible verse. Christians need to have more children, and their children need to have more children. This is how they interpret the words, to be fruitful and multiply.

I do believe that religions all over the world play an important part in our worlds population problem today. It's not the people who are educated, that are constantly reproducing, in today's world.

Most religions support population expansion, but what are they going to do, once the world becomes so overpopulated, that we can't even take care of ourselves. This should give you another point of view to look at, especially if you one part of the problem and not the solution.

What About The End of The World

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.
His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with superior biblical knowledge , answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

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Rocking the Foundation of Christianity

Whatever you build a house, you start with the foundation, if you're writing a book, it might be an outline for the table of contacts, but when were talking about Christianity, rarely do any Christians ever research the origins or how Christianity began.

Most Christians assume that Jesus was the one who started Christianity, however, he was Jewish and there is a good chance that he never even thought about starting a new religion. I know, Jesus is God and he knows everything and he knew that he was going to start Christianity. Okay, but what if.

That might not be entirely true. We don't have any proof that Jesus was actually a superior god like being. We can speculate or assume all that we want to, however there is very little evidence to support, that Jesus did anything that the writers of the New Testament, suggested he had done.

I would like to challenge most Christians, to do a little research and quite possibly start rocking the foundation of Christianity. It's much more important to understand Christianity than to call yourself a Christian. Will a little bit of research help or hurt you, as you study Christianity.

You can start by looking at the origins of the Bible, the Council of Nicaea, the Emperor Constantine, the missing years of Jesus in the early Roman Catholic Church.

To understand anything, you must understand its origins. Take some time out of your busy life, to start studying the foundation of Christianity.

Do Christians Believe Everything
You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a Christian Article Library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
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Does Anyone Have a Direct Line to God?

I have heard Catholics tell me that the pope has a direct line to God. I don't really know if that's true, but if he does, or anyone else does, I would like to ask them to do me a favor.

I would like them to ask God a few questions, these questions aren't going to be difficult, and we could even make them in yes or no formats, but these answers need to be asked and only God can provide us with the answers.

The first question that I would like to ask God, would be about starvation, why are there so many starving people all over the world? Are we or are we not supposed to be fruitful and multiply? Is overpopulation creating more problems in the world today, than it might have 2000 years ago?

These questions above, could be a little difficult to answer, but they shouldn't be too difficult for someone like God. I believe that God can handle a few tough questions and if the Pope or anyone else has direct communication with God, I would like to suggest something to them, quit wasting your time on frivolous things and start asking God the serious questions, that every one is really interested in.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, to pray and worship to somebody who realistically won't answer or deliver the things that we are requiring. I realize that most religious people are told, that God only answers some prayers or that God isn't ready to answer your prayers yet.

Anyway, if gods not going to answer all of our prayers, couldn't he at least answer some of our questions.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended authors, Don Miguel Ruiz

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

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Paul And The Place Of Women In The Church

The Scriptures are not silent or obscure regarding the issue of women and their place in the church of Jesus. Neither should we be.

Before sin came into the world God created, first, a man. Then in response to man's need , and out of that man, God created a woman. Woman is from man. Woman was brought to man. Woman was to be a helper for man. That is the Divine order. All else falls short of His glory.

We must remember that this was before the curse. When that curse came, the natural submission of woman to man became law. Now the man was to rule over the woman. She would be at his mercy. It was her enticement that brought man down, so man would bring her down.

Now, in Christ, the curse is done away. Men are to "rule" women, but in love, and women are to return to natural and holy submission, as before sin came into the world. The error into which women fall in our day is the departing, not only from the curse, but from the very order of creation. This, Paul tells us, cannot be in the true Church.

By the time Paul takes pen in hand to address the issue of female leadership, over 4000 years have passed. But in the great apostle is no desire to remove the ancient landmarks. 2000 years from Paul, we should be similarly steadfast in our resolve to pass to the next generation, unchanging truths.

Paul's letter to the Corinthians contains a number of straightforward commands. Flee sexual immorality. Flee from idolatry. Earnestly desire the best gifts. Let all things be done decently and in order. Few would have a problem with any of that. In the midst of all of this command giving (chapter 14) is this command, of equal authority: (verse 34) Let your women keep silence in the church.

Oh my! We have a serious problem with that one. That was cultural, we say. That was historical. That was temporary. Oh a multitude of "reasons" are elevated to truth status by those who would excuse the woman teacher, for this is not an age when one wants to confront women's rights!

But Paul's statement stands. In fact, in many translations, including the Greek rendition available in the Parallel New Testament, part b of verse 33 is connected to verse 34, making the statement even stronger:.."As in all the churches of the saints, let your women keep silence in the Church." I am assuming that modern translators found textual evidence to be sufficient for such a rendering.

"Silent" means "silent." "Women" is translated "wives" by some, though the same word is rendered "women" in other passages. Consistency will not allow such random changes. I Timothy 5:2 commands younger "women" (same word) to marry. Try "wives" there! But even if it were "wives", the command is generally disobeyed. And why the word "your" ? The letter is addressed to the church. The "your" refers to that church, not to the men of that church only!

They are not permitted to speak. And permission is denied because of God's original commands in Genesis, not because of some local restraint placed on them by "woman-hater" Paul. (Such rubbish actually circulates among us!)

In Paul's mind the opposite of female authority is female submission, and he places it here as being a command from God in "the law". In the same chapter (verse 21) he refers to Isaiah 28:1 as the "law". For him it is a broad term that encompasses Genesis to Malachi.

Verse 35 mentions a possible incident that may have given rise to this apostolic injunction, but this does not in any way affect the strong language of verse 34. It is possible that women were shaming their husbands by raising their voices in the assembly and boldly questioning the speakers, ignoring the fact that their own husbands could supply them the knowledge needed. At least this is the gist of the "myth" that has been created to make this verse understandable to us. I am not aware of the historical proof-text from which this story is lifted.

Paul tells them that such action is not called for, that women are to be silent. He settles that Corinthian issue, but in so doing he has settled our issue too, if we will hear him. Silence means no more questions! It follows that this also means, no teaching! If the simple asking of a query is met with such consternation by the man of God, with what spiritual rage would a full-blown lesson be met? Unthinkable!

Keep silent. It is shameful. Is this not clear enough? Much of the New Testament was written to correct a local issue. But for the most part, we do not shrug off the teachings because they were first written to the "early" Christians. We assume the eternality of a Word from God. Why not here?

He goes on to ask, (verse 36, paraphrase) Are you the originators of Scripture? Are you in charge here? Is it to be your feelings and experiences that will dictate the practices of the church of God?

More than that! (verse 37), even if there be among you a "godly" person who basks in his great revelations from Heaven, let him come down out of the clouds long enough to realize that we're dealing here with the Prophet Moses and the Apostle Paul!

Of course (38) he adds, if you'd rather be ignorant, go ahead, but to your own peril.

Paul knew his teaching was not popular, and I know it too. But what does that have to do with the dissemination of truth? Let's say what God says and see what happens.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Who Succeeded the Apostles?

Apostolic succession. The question for many centuries. Who has authority in the Church? Who's in charge? Jesus warned us about dealing with this question, reminding us that it is the "Gentiles", the nations of the world, that are especially worried over it. In the world, everyone wants to be the top man. Top woman, today.But we are to seek the bottom. Servanthood. Bondslaves of Christ, we are called. Nevertheless, Jesus did not shy away from the topic, and He let us know that there are indeed leaders among us. First and foremost, not just "in Heaven", but right here with us, is the Chief Shepherd of the sheep, Lord of the Church, Who said, "All authority has been given to Me..."

That settles that! All authority given to Jesus. He rules. Period. Then He went on to say, "Therefore, you go, you preach, you baptize, you teach." Since Jesus is in charge, we go, in His authority.

Now, right before that final word, the apostle John lets us in on a private conversation between Peter and Jesus. It was this little glimpse that gave the Medieval Church the idea that not only Peter, but some imagined "line" following Peter, would be the true rulers of the church. You remember the incident?

Peter, do you love Me? Sure I love You. Then feed My lambs. Do you love Me? Of course I love You! Feed my sheep. Do you really love Me? Master, You know everything. Surely You must know I love You. Three denials at the arrest. Now three affirmations, as Jesus arrests Peter.

We don't have to say the opposite of Rome in every word they speak. Remember that a goodly portion of Roman teaching is straight out of your Bible. It's the other part we must oppose. There can be no explanation of this passage that denies Peter the leading role in that Jerusalem church. Yes, James was the "administrator", yes Paul was free to oppose him. It was not military autocratic rule. But it was true leadership. Peter's always in a leading position when you see him in the Book of Acts. Eventually his leading position led him to go to the cross as his Master had done. True servanthood.

Of course it must be noted, that without consulting the church of Jerusalem, "Peter's flock," Jesus called another apostle, Paul, who established a whole new order of congregations among the Gentiles, independent of Jerusalem, governed by well-chosen elders full of the Holy Spirit.

That the other apostles shared in Peter's leadership is witnessed throughout Acts, and the histories that trace each of them to a violent death. Jesus had so indicated by filling them with the Spirit even before Pentecost and giving them a charge.

So they led, they fed, they died. Their witness of the resurrection was sealed. They laid the foundation , their words were recorded and passed on. Done. Course finished.

Where we differ with Rome and all latter-day "apostles" is in the need for such apostolic work to continue. Who succeeded Peter? No one. Where was the "headquarters" for many years? That question has been contested in every age, and never settled. Most historians tell us there were at least five "centers" of the church until the growing political structure of the Roman Church forced others into submission as their predecessors in Imperial Rome had subjugated the old Empire. The church had fallen into the trap Jesus warned about. The professing visible church was no better than "the nations." The salt had lost its savour. The world was plunged into darkness.

In every generation of that Darkened church, bloody struggles decided who was the "successor" of Peter. Today, in a world decidedly democratic in its ways, Rome "votes" for the leadership of God. But whether by sword or by ballot box, it is a fleshly line of succession that has fooled the world and good portions of the church for centuries.

Nevertheless God's true church prospers. For He has a people and He provides them with leaders whenever they call upon His Name. Elders are moved into place, and the true ones give their lives to protect and feed their flocks. And upon what do true ministers feed them? Why the words of the apostles, what else? For you see, the answer to my original question is, "No one succeeded the apostles." They do not need succeeding. Their words have remained, by God's miracle, for these 1,900 years, and added to the words of the prophets, they constitute everything we could possibly need.

Who are the leaders of my church? To whom do I submit? Jesus, Peter, Paul, Matthew, John, and the rest. And every minister of God who speaks their words. The apostles still lead God's church. Let all would-be "apostles" in our day be sure to speak exactly what they spoke. Those who do not need to be challenged and stopped.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Rapture Or Second Coming? A Second And Third Distinction Refuted

Those who hold that the "catching away" of the church to glory and the second coming of Christ are two distinct events teach that, at the rapture, all believers are resurrected, whereas at the Second Coming there is no resurrection until antichrist is defeated. This is called "begging the question," using your preconceived conclusion as proof of your conclusion!

In Revelation 19 we are shown an army of believers behind Jesus, meeting Him in the air. They have just been resurrected and are on their way to conquer the earth. They are not fresh from the graves, it is reasoned, so it is assumed they have been with Jesus seven years and therefore are not resurrected.

But the theory calls for more than the two Bible raisings, the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation called for by Jesus (John 5:28-29). It demands a third resurrection, for one is seen in Revelation 20:4-6 also. Here, John, relating things not always in order, but sometimes by topic, states in chapter 20 that the persons he sees are part of the first resurrection. He does not see a resurrection, but sees the ones who have been resurrected. That means that there was no resurrection seven years before , except in the Hollywood style movies of our own generation.

John is saying here that he saw thrones set up after antichrist is judged. The reign with Christ foretold here is for all those who suffer with Jesus. Romans 8:17, "If we suffer with him" we are "heirs with Christ." The whole creation is awaiting our reign, 8:19. II Timothy 2:12, "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him." Revelation 5:10 quotes the "elders" , those who have gone on before us, as saying, "We shall reign on the earth."

So in talking of the thrones he brings in a description of the persecuted saints who reign with Jesus. He is not implying that the whole army following Jesus is not a resurrected entity. He is in fact in perfect harmony with Daniel 7:25-27:

"He [little horn] shall persecute the saints of the Most High...then the saints shall be given into his hand [tribulation] for a time, and times and half a time [the same three and one half years of John's Revelation]. But the court shall be seated, [judgment]...and the greatness

of the kingdoms...shall be given to the saints of the Most High [resurrection]..."

There are two resurrections coming (John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:4-5). The first, and the second. The first, when Jesus comes to earth. The second, 1000 years later, the resurrection of the damned. By calling this pre-tribulation event a "rapture", the fact that it is a resurrection is covered up. But , added to the two resurrections of revelation 20, well, that's just one too many.

Another supposed distinction seen between rapture and second coming: Immortality is given believers at the rapture, but at the second coming

they already obviously have it. Here again, normally logical scholars break the rules of logic by using the conclusion to prove the point. It is seen as utterly impossible for saints to be raised, glorified, "immortalized", and coming back to earth in so short a time. Forgotten, perhaps, is what happened on "Resurrection Day", commonly called Easter. Jesus in His new body began immediately to do the work God called Him to do, though He had been dead for three days. In our new bodies, made after the image of Christ, will be placed new instincts, skills, and powers. A simple flight to Jesus does not seem all that complicated for a God who can speak worlds into existence, and raise up Christ from the dead in an instant.

We shall all rise. We shall be changed. In a moment! In the twinkling of an eye. Dead shall rise and experience the same miracle. And their first assignment: Hold on! We're going for a ride with King Jesus while he pours out judgment on the earth.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

A Review of Catholic Gifts

As someone who has been a devout practitioner of Catholicism for as long as I've been breathing, it stands to reason that many of my family and friends are Catholics as well. People always gravitated to those who share similar values. This is comforting on many levels, and helps reinforce my faith all the more.

In addition, these are the people that I really care about and cherish in my life and I know what they hold dear. For the most part, because I know them so well, I can be sure that they'll appreciate receiving Catholic gifts on special occasions. It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to find stores in my area that carry Catholic gifts in their inventory, but because of the marvels of the Internet, I'm always able to find quality items. These days, there are numerous websites that are dedicated solely to selling Catholic gifts, which is great if you are shopping for baptisms, first communions, confirmations, Christmas. Whenever one of these occasions comes up for someone in my circle of family and friends, I always go online because I know there will be a plethora of high-quality and affordable Catholic gifts to choose from.

Are you curious to know what types of Catholic as I can purchase online? Well for starters anything you can buy at a regular store you can buy on the Internet. For example, there are many websites that offer reading materials such as inspirational books, faith-based living guides, Bibles, and more. There are books that are written for all ages from 3 to 93, so right there alone is a huge treasure trove of appropriate gift ideas.

Jewelry is another category of Catholic gifts that is always popular and always appreciated. Probably the most popular next to artwork. Again, there is a huge collection of choices, ranging from the very basic to the very exquisite. Necklaces in the form of gold or silver crosses, crucifixes, and medals are appropriate for both men and women, which really opens up the gift giving universe. Other jewelry products that make for fantastic Catholic gifts include chastity rings, prayer bracelets, and rosaries. Most of these items can be personalized with an inscription of your choice to truly make them a meaningful keepsake.

There are also Catholic gifts that would make wonderful decorations for the home. I'm talking about items such as wall hangings, framed prints, statues, figurines, plaques, and even holy water fonts. You can get all these products online and have them conveniently shift right to your door. This and that a lot better then jumping in the car and driving all over the place not nine if you can find anything to your satisfaction?

The next time the thought of giving Catholic gifts comes to mind, he did not advise and check out the World Wide Web. You might be surprised at all the terrific and affordable products that you can order right there at your fingertips!

Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding religion. You can get interesting and informative information here at Catholic Gifts.