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More Persecution Information

The other day, I asked Christians to pray for the persecuted church and to get informed about what believers around the world are enduring. Some of us in America have persecution, but frankly, it is child's play compared to what happens in China, North Korea, Iran , India and other areas. I've been listening to Crosstalk podcasts (thanks to a tip from Silly Goose ), and on Monday, November 15 , they were discussing the persecuted church. This was with someone from Open Doors , another organization that ministers to, and gives information about, persecuted Christians. There are tens of thousands of Christians persecuted primarily for being Christians (although sometimes ethnic persecution is another part of the problem). Of course, there are always losers that have to mock. After all, there is no widespread persecution for jerks, atheists, leftists, Muslims, communists or others. Give a listen to this — person — who called into the show: Heartless loser. As far as I'm con

DCLXVI

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Isaiah 14.12-14 Revelation 13.18 He came like a savior from the east With the face of an angel But the soul of a beast Out of war he promised peace And to all, prosperity We trusted him and that was when He brought us to our knees We wanted an end to all our fears He told us peace would reign a thousand years And as we swallowed up his lies Slowly we were paralyzed He sealed our fate, then far too late We saw through his disguise Six sixty six It was hard to believe we could be so deceived by Six sixty six For a mark on our skin we sold our souls to him Without it no one could buy or sell He made the world his throne, this prince of Hell And those who would not worship him Were never seen or heard again His word was law, we surrendered all But we prayed for life to end Six sixty six It was hard to believe we could be so deceived by Six sixty six For a mark on our skin we sold our souls to him And th

Time Wasters: Unreliability

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Buon giorno. Today's lesson on time wasters is when people and things are unreliable. F'rinstance: Cell phone service should be there when you need it Internet service should be consistent Cable TV service should be available on demand Your auto's battery should start it up The can opener should open cans every time, or Fido and Fluffy will start to get cranky and demanding The airplane should stay together from takeoff through landing "Big deal, Uncle Bob! We know all that stuff." I'm glad you're paying attention. Now, how about people? You should be reliable on the job. If the boss considers you unreliable, don't expect that promotion, raise or even continued employment Your boss should pay you for your work Your friend should be reliable and willing to share your burdens You should keep your appointments and be on time A pathological liar hammered you again, and he should be honest Your doctor should diagnose your condition accurately

Pray for the Persecuted Church

"Muslim people of Russia...all of your mosques and religious places were being destroyed during the reign of the Czar...From today your beliefs and ideals will prevail and should remain free forever." — Vladimir Lenin, 1917 Several countries in the former USSR were Muslim. Since Islam flourished under Soviet rule (Lenin wanted to destroy Christianity and the Jews, not Islam), Muslim governments reign in several of those countries today. As a result, persecution of Christians is widespread. Naturally, Christian persecution is still rampant in atheist regimes as well. Lenin declared that "The church is dead" in 1923. Instead, the church is very much alive, and Lenin has gone to meet the Maker that he claimed did not exist. Sunday, November 14, 2010 has been designated as a day of prayer for persecuted Christians around the world. I urge you to see what is happening in the rest of the world. Venture away from rose-colored stained-glass windows in our hot tub Christ

Working in a Quote Mine

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(Revised) Today, I want to prompt you to use some rational thought, and I'm going to use hyperbole do to it. Is that all right with you? If not, get over it, I have points to make. There is an increasingly popular expression called "quote mining", where your opponent's words are used against him. The problem is, people get to crying that quotes are taken out of context or otherwise misused. Leftists fuss about alleged "quote mining" when their words are used against them, but they run their mouths and spew so much hate, it is not difficult to find something that they said and use it against them (check Joe Biden, for example). When evolutionists are faced with quotes they do not like, they dismiss quotes with a wave of their magic wand and pretend they disappeared. When you fire off some anti-evolution statements by evolutionists, they put their lab coats over their heads, picket your home and burn models of the DNA molecule in your yard. Tha

Frog Gigging, or, What Do You Have to Offer?

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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."  2 Cor. 1.3-4 ESV — The Apostle Paul Edited for clarity and fixed links. Buona sera. Wow, I've been at this since May 30, 2007 and almost 600 posts. Should I have a party for article number 600, or my four-year anniversary? Both? So anyway. From the Ministry of Dreadful Analogies, I present: Frog Gigging. Basically, it's skewering the critters with a big fork-like spear in the middle of the night. (Some people think it's a fun sport and a variation on hunting, but I'm not fond of the idea for the most part. Perhaps if I had eaten frog legs I might feel differently.

More About That Supernatural Discussion

Buona sera. There have been a few articles and discussions regarding the supernatural here and elsewhere in which I have been involved. One of the main points is whether or not (or when and how ) to use "the supernatural" (or miracles, God or other explanations). Well, Podcast #177 from Please Convince Me apologetics addresses these matters to some extent, as well as discussing the Virgin Birth, the Early Gospels and other issues. It runs about an hour, but at least it's free. And the host is very qualified regarding what qualifies as evidence. You can listen to that here .