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Homeschooling Struggles	[ addhomeschool ]	Saturday 19 January 12:31
Removed from the distractions of the classroom, provided with customized curriculum, why do some homeschoolers struggle every day with distractibility, memory problems, inability to test well, poor handwriting, and social skills? Homeschoolers can be challenged with dysgraphia (handwriting learning disability), auditory processing disorder, memory deficits, and even ADHD. If you need support, have questions about learning disabilities, or are struggling with a difficult child in your homeschool, join us for loving, Christian support.  http://christianadhd.dytnet.net/
THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH.	[ healing ]	Wednesday 21 November 02:05
THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH. 27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2) 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” (Mark 3)
The Day of Rest	[ c_lug ]	Sunday 12 August 14:49
For years, I've been careful to worship God with my family, and not work for profit on that day.  I've been careful to avoid making others work for me (restaurants, stores, etc), in hopes that by not encouraging business on The Day of Rest, that perhaps others would be freed to rest and be with family on that day. Today was a Day of Rest, and I was considering several projects that I really wanted to get done, such as painting and repairing a car.  The day was looking pretty busy.  I've used the principle that any work done on the Day of Rest was ok, as long as I wasn't trying to profit.  The Day of Rest was made for Man - not the reverse - right? But today, God made me aware of a flaw in my approach to resting.  Simply this:  When he rested, it wasn't profit-based.  He didn't find other hard work to do - he needed to be refreshed.  We need to come away from our Day of Rest with an energized, renewed perspective to tackle the new week. Also keep in mind that The Day of Rest came before the Jewish nation began, so this isn't some cultural thing.  If God is smart enough to do it, we should be too!   Genesis 2 New International Version (NIV) 2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.     Exodus 31 12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. ’”
Dealing with the scope of the creation account	[ bible1year ]	Friday 01 June 10:54
SO many people don't use common sense in understanding the creation account when faced with all the evidence that the earth is really much older than humanity. Some who lean in favor of evolution have logic that flows like this: The Bible doesn't mention evolution, so the Bible and God are flawed creations of man - not credible resources.   Well, the book "iText in Action" by Bruno Lowagie doesn't talk about Perl programming, so is it flawed too? No, because Perl programming wasn't "in-scope" for the book. And the author didn't need to mention all the things that weren't in scope - it was a focused-topic book. Likewise, consider the evidence that the Bible is a focused-topic book, dealing with the creation account, history, and salvation of Man. The Bible gives some information about other creations of God, such as Angels, and other creatures in the throne room accounts, but the Bible isn't really about them and their history or creation. The question we might ask as we read Genesis, is whether the Bible gives room for the earth having already existed for a period of time (more than several days) before Adam and Eve were created. If the earth was already "formless and void" when the 6-day creation event began, then the earth has some history unaccounted for in Genesis. Like ancient astronomers, many Christians think God revolves around us. It's humbling to consider that perhaps Mankind is one of several creation events that God has initiated on this earth, and that we are simply one in a series of creations that have happened over time. We creations revolve around Him. If Angels (who look like mankind, and in one Bible account can even procreate with them) had been created on earth, for example, millions of years ago, many scientists who reject the Creator would suggest the angel fossils are evidence of evolution.  If these "scientists" are determined to reject God before proceeding with their logic flow, evolution is one of the few conclusions they can reach. I encourage you to find peace in understanding that God is a diverse creator of more than just what we seen on this earth every day,  Don't under-estimate Him, and don't be fooled by those whose logic is founded on exclusion (and hatred of) of God the Creator in the first place.
Object Lessons for Children	[ pattonvillebaptist ]	Thursday 16 February 04:19
The month of February has brought something new for the children of Pattonville Baptist!  Each Sunday that Children's Church is not scheduled, a "grown-up" member of the congregation volunteers to talk to the children during worship service and teach them a truth from scripture using some "object".  Mary Potter first taught the children who God loves by showing them a picture of that person.  The picture was actually a mirror! Next time, Boyd used a magic trick to teach them about sin and the only way to truly rid themselves of it's consequences. The egg in the vase represented sin in our hearts.  Removing it from the vase and putting it in a pocket did not truly take the sin away.  After putting the cover back on the vase, the egg (sin) was still there.  Finally, as the cover was placed on the vase (representing the shed blood of Jesus), the egg (sin) was gone forever! Our last object lesson was presented by Ms. Betty.  She taught about harmony in the family of God by letting everyone in the congregation sing their own favorite hymn at the same time.  My, what a NOISE!  Then she asked everyone to sing Amazing Grace at the same time.  What a difference harmony makes! If you would like to volunteer to present an object lesson to the children, there is a calendar and sign-up sheet on the pulpit.  Go for it!
Thanksgiving in America	[ shoulders ]	Thursday 24 November 03:28
America’s first national Thanksgiving occurred in 1789 with the commencement of the federal government. According to the Congressional Record for September 25 of that year, the first act after the Framers completed the framing of the Bill of Rights was that: Mr. [Elias] Boudinot said he could not think of letting the session pass without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move the following resolution: Resolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer. . . . Mr. Roger Sherman justified the practice of thanksgiving on any single event not only as a laudable one in itself but also as warranted by a number of precedents in Holy Writ. . . . This example he thought worthy of a Christian imitation on the present occasion. 15 That congressional resolution was delivered to President George Washington, who heartily concurred with the request and issued the first federal Thanksgiving proclamation, declaring in part: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection. 16
Forthright Makes Changes, Updates	[ forthright ]	Thursday 03 March 14:14
Forthright Magazine http://www.forthright.net Straight to the Cross COLUMN: EDITORIAL Forthright Makes Changes, Updates by J. Randal Matheny, editor Over the next several days, the editors and webmaster of Forthright Magazine will move the website to a new software. The site will be more responsive, and the format will get an facelift. Expect some downtime. Any offline time, however, should be momentary. The email list will continue to function independently of the website. The website domain address will continue the same at forthright.net. The new WordPress software will provide greater flexibility and control. The old software has served us well since 2005, when Kevin Cauley and Eddie Watkins set up the ezine on the Berryville, Ark., church's website, transitioning from the previous host at forthright.antville.org. In spite of the inevitable glitches, this move means another step forward to serve you better and to reach more students of the Word. May the Lord be pleased.
The Law in Today's Society	[ moderator ]	Sunday 27 June 13:31
The authority of law The Bible tells the story of how men often reject God and do what they want to do. The God of the Bible provided laws to try to help men hold society together (a fallback parachute for those people who are not in fellowship with God), but men ignored the laws, or rationalized their own way of obeying the laws. Because the heart and spirit of laws were not being followed, the laws became more complex to convict men intent on rebelling against law. Complex laws do not stop someone intent on breaking the law - the added complexity can actually be used to find more ways to break the law as it gets more disassociated from its heart and spirit. The complication of laws stem from the law-enforcers (judges) disassociation with the giver/authority of law, and inability to discern and apply the heart and spirit of law. What is the heart and spirit of law? "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Who is the authority behind law? If it is man, the authority can be challenged at any time. Man is fallible - he can be tricked and manipulated. Man's power can be overthrown and bought. When man acts as the authority behind law, the laws will change over time as the authority is challenged and as the perspectives of men change. When men create law, it is imperfect and may be corrupt too. In a free society of equals, any man may challenge another. The law of any man may be challenged, because the laws of men are imperfect and are fair game for scrutiny. Our court systems are full of such challenges. The growth rate of these cases might be a good indicator of the effectiveness of man's ability to create law and govern himself. If the authority behind law is God - the God described in the Bible - then the law and lawgiver are perfect and uncorruptable. This kind of law does not change - nor does the penalty for lawbreakers. Although a man may challenge such law, he cannot win because the power of the lawgiver is unconquerable. What is the destiny of a government that rejects God and his law? 1. Increasing social unrest and chaos (society will begin to disintegrate). Since men declare that the law is theirs to take and give, and since all men are fallible, man's law is imperfect and without supreme authority. Just as children with boundaries have peace and stability in a God-honoring home, society needs the kingship of God and the rule of His law to hold together. 2. The law will have no morality in itself (laws will begin to promote immorality). Morality is an action of man to follow Godly behavior even while not in relationship with Him. As God is rejected from government, morality is also rejected because it reminds the ungodly, of godly behavior. They will not tolerate such a reminder. 3. The government will persecute those who follow God. Such persecution is prosecution for lack of obeying the laws of men, which promote ungodly behavior. God is the lawgiver his followers will obey, and some of these laws will be diametrically opposed to the ungodly laws of men. 4. God will not bless a government or people that rejects Him. They will lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 5. God will shake them, and allow them to be conquered - in hopes that they will turn to Him as their savior and King. 6. An ungodly government will eradicate God, reminders of God, and godly men from itself. Worse, in a government-run state, it will seek to prevent the people it governs from pursuing God too. In the United States, because the Government is "of the people", the concept of separation of church and state will be imposed on the people (a law twisted to suit men's whim). Minimally, no godliness will be allowed to be expressed in a government role. Imposition of Anti-Christ government rule on society No openly professing follower of God will be allowed to pursue government office. As society collapses and the government-state increases in power, the anti-God agenda will oppress and persecute the people of God more. For example, government branches will dictate proper standards for raising children in the home, and children will be taken from followers of God, who do not adhere to government laws prohibiting godly parenting practices. Any business (there will be many due to economic strife) contracted or bailed out by the government will be obliged to comply with government standards. Thus, worker behavior in the private sector will also be mandated. These behaviors are the complete antithesis of the Constitutional objective, which was to allow freedom of people from government oppression in the expression of their faith, and representation of people of faith by like-minded and like-acting representatives. The perfect Government Man has proven himself incapable of successfully governing himself. What nation has ruled itself for thousands of years without oppressing its people and being mired in internal corruption, meanwhile exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? None. There will be no perfect government until there is one that follows God's law flawlessly and has a direct, functioning relationship with Him - the giver of perfect law. Solomon said at the onset of his kingship "Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?" While this should be the ambition of government, the only perfect governor is the Lord Jesus Christ. Of His rule, there will be no end. But what do we do in the meantime? "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV "Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." Exodus 18:19-21
Get over 15% off on the perfect gift for graduation	[ uplift ]	Wednesday 21 April 10:05
Will the high-school or college graduate like it? Will I feel good about giving it? Is the price affordable? Will it help the graduate in this transition phase? Yes. Yes. Yes. And, yes. The popular UPLift series, "Choose to Shine," bigger and better with new material, is now in book form and will be arriving from the printer just in time for graduation. Renamed CHOOSE! 13 Choices to Transform Your Heart and Soul, the book is professionally done, with dark brown ink on cream-colored paper. The style is light, but the message is spot on. If you order by May 15, you'll get over 15% off the cover price of the book. And be sure to get your own copy as well. For more about CHOOSE!, click here.
What Is Life?	[ test ]	Monday 15 February 12:29
Astrobiology Magazine has an article at Space.com titled "What Is Life? A New Theory" The article starts out:  Biology is often called the study of life, yet in the history of the field, experts have never agreed on just what, exactly, life is. Sometimes the old news about life is adequate.  There's LIFE and then there's LIVING. The first thing called "living" in the Bible, were the air and sea creatures God created on the 5th day, and on the land on the 6th day.  God had not called the plants living. Genesis 1:20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. In Genesis 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. The creatures created prior to man, were not said to have received this treatment from God.  Why would they?  They were not what God had set his focus on when he determined "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." What did God breathe into us - just air?  James 4 says "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us". Then mankind is something very unique - a living creature carying the spirit God has placed in us.  And we know God doesn't die - He is eternal, and so is that spirit within us.  This is the eternal life Jesus Christ came to save - OUR eternal lives. Jesus says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Jesus is referring to something more than the life so many men and women put up with - the daily grind.  Several of the articles below describe the purposeful LIFE God has in mind for us, which sets the pattern for our eternity. If you have not devoted your life to God, I urge you to do so. Please read on...