The Battle For The Truth [Update 2]

My blogging friend Bill Muehlenberg who writes at the blog Culture Watch has a very thought provoking post up called The Attempted Eradication of Christianity.

Excerpt:

The secular jihadists have declared war against Christianity, and are working overtime to ensure that it is eradicated in the Western world. This site has documented many dozens of examples of this, and each new week provides further case studies in this.

The secular crusaders think all would be sweetness and light in this world if we could only get rid of those pesky Christians and their awful religion. They somehow expect us to believe that utopia will arrive on planet earth when Christianity is gone and secularism reigns supreme.

Yeah right. More people were killed last century in the name of secular humanism than all the world’s religious conflicts put together. The bloody side of secularism is unfortunately a historical reality. And the overwhelming good which Christianity has done for the world is also a matter of historical fact, as I discuss elsewhere: A Review of How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin Schmidt.

Personally, I think that the secular jihadists are hell-bent on attacking Christianity because deep down they know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. Such people war against the truth because it hurts to face the facts contained within the truth of the Gospel. The rebellious nature of unrepentant, sinful men causes them to refuse to give up their soul-destroying error(s). This occurs mostly because they are entrenched in the pride of life and have faith only in themselves. No wonder the world is such a mess!

What I think is ironic is that secular jihadists who hate Christianity find themselves willing to compromise the truth of Christian faith, yet embrace false religions/teachers such as Islam. Thus, they form a kind of unholy alliance with them. Who would have thought that liberal leftist, atheistic progressives could compromise their secular beliefs with Islamists who want to impose Shariah law here in the U.S.? But it's happening! Why? Because both agree on at least one thing - the desire to be persistent viruses attacking Biblical Christianity. You know the old phrase, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." But don't you wonder why they would submit to compromise in order to commit such dastardly deeds?

I think that it has to do with lies. The lies that atheists/agnostics/skeptics believe against the God of the Bible and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can work in alliance with the lies of the Islamic religion; as long as they are in agreement about one or more humanistic ideas/principles.

For example, recall in a previous post where I shared that the secular atheist billionaire, George Soros, once approached Qaddafi (leader of Libya) regarding some sort of "deal" that Soros wanted done. I think that it had to do with a green Socialist initiative. When Qaddafi backed out, he became an enemy of Soros. As we know, Soros is the puppeteer (at least one of them) behind the puppet pResidency of Barack Hussein Obama. So it is likely that Soros was the one behind getting the U.S. and NATO involved with bombing Libya during the Arab Spring uprisings. (When I find links to previous blog posts about this I will add them here).

So you see, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" can quickly devolve into a new kind of enemy.

In John MacArthur's book, The Truth War several of his quotes can easily be applied here:

Uncertainty is the new truth. Doubt and skepticism have been canonized as a form of humility. Right and wrong have been redefined in terms of subjective feelings and personal perspectives.

We have witnessed the appeasement of Islamists by the secularist New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who gave approval to a mosque being built near Ground Zero. Yet, at the same time, Bloomberg and others are fighting to refuse to allow the display of the cross at the almost completed memorial - which was formed by girders in the 9/11/01 terrorist attack wreckage. Why? Why was one religious request granted and the other denied? I think that it is because Islam and secular atheism are like two peas in a pod. Both are in error of what God's Word teaches and both are involved with evil.

John MacArthur writes:

The arrogant rationalism that dominated the modern era is already in its death throes. Most of the world is caught up in disillusionment and confusion. People are unsure about virtually everything and do not know where to turn for truth.

BINGO!! MacArthur hits the nail right on the head with that quote! In fact, he mentions Islamic jihad on page 29:

We live in an era when religious fanatics routinely blow themselves up, fly planes into buildings, or commit unthinkable evil acts of barbaric terrorism in the name of religion. The biblical strategy for spiritual warfare has nothing whatsoever in common with the tactics of Islamic jihad.

Scripture is clear that physical force is not a legitimate tool for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

You see, radical Islam is intent on warring against and conquering other religious faiths and nations in order to achieve their end times goals.

As far as Christianity goes, the Truth War has nothing to do with carnal warfare or physical violence. There are, however, times when evil makes warfare absolutely necessary.

John MacArthur notes:

Of course, believers who are policemen, soldiers, or otherwise agents duly authorized by the government must be willing to use deadly force when necessary as part of their duty to the civil government. Scripture nowhere endorses any kind of absolute pacifism.

In fact, Romans 13:1-4 expressly grants governments the authority to wield the sword in order to punish evildoers, defend their national security, and maintain civil peace.

Going to war against those who attacked us on 9/11/2001 was necessary in order to protect our nation and people from further attacks by radical Islam. Unfortunately, the creeping Sharia infiltrating our nation through liberal court judge decisions is making it easier for the false religion of Islam to take hold here in America. We would learn a good lesson if we would heed the warnings from Great Britain where unrestricted Muslim immigration created fierce cultural battles within their nation. They are now seeing that the multiculturalism they embraced over the last few decades is turning against them in cities where Muslim dominance reigns. But that's another subject for another blog post.

In conclusion, John MacArthur instructs us:

The Truth War is not a carnal war. It is not about territory and nations. It is not a battle for lands and cities. It is not a clan war or a personality conflict between individuals. It is not a fight for clout between religious denominations. It is not a skirmish over material possessions. It is a battle for the truth. (emphasis mine).

Paul makes this clear in 2 Corinthians 10:5, where he spells out the ultimate objective of the Truth War: "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." The battlefield is the mind; the goal is the absolute triumph of truth; the priceless spoils of conquest are souls won out of the bondage of sin; the outcome is our willing submission to Christ; the highest prize is the honor given to Him as Lord; and the ultimate victory is completely His.

Hat Tips:

Culture Watch

John MacArthur: The Truth War (Note: Excerpt of book at this link. Scroll down to "Read Excerpt PDF.")

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Update:

Bill Muehlenberg has written a new blog post about multiculturalism:

Force-Fed Multiculturalism

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9/4/11 Update

Be sure to read Noisy Room: The Hate That Never Ended.

Excerpt:

If you are a Jew, they kill you. If you are a Christian, you convert, pay the Jizya tax or they execute you. If you are gay, you will be put to death. Women are property and slaves. Sexual abuse is legal and rampant. Beheading is the preferred method of execution. And the list goes on and on… Imagine a worldwide Caliphate where this is the norm, where a fascist theocracy rules the day and freedom no longer exists. This is what these people bring. They bring evil, slavery, darkness and death.

We are at war with millions of Islamic radicals who believe this. These are the radical Islamists and their hate never ended after 9-11.
It has been going on since Islam began and we are fighting for our lives and our way of life. We better start acting like it if we don’t want something much worse than 9-11 to play out on the lawn of the White House or in some mall in middle America.

The Jihadists need to understand this… We will never submit. We will never forget. We will fight you and the other enemies America faces within and without and we will win. That’s what good does – it wins, it overcomes. We will put an end to your hatred that never ended one way or the other. Evil is stupid and cowardly and in the end – it always loses.

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Update 2:

Bloomberg isn't the only one promoting Islamic mosques and Sharia law in New York. Take a look at this blogpost, 2 videos, and startling article about the New York Times support for Sharia law!

We The People: New York Times is Now Promoting Shariah Law

Excerpt:

The NY Times puts for its drivel following the startling predictions of Avi Lipkin seen in the video below.  Take it for what it is worth my friends, but Sharia hasn’t been creeping through America, it’s been galloping.  Readers of this column are already aware that Sharia Law has been used in Court Cases in 23 States of our United States. 

As the man in the Of Mosques and Men: Reflections of the Ground Zero Mosque video over at Answering Muslims says at the end of the Youtube video:

"Come out of the cave America - it's dark in there."

There Is Healing When You Give Someone Voice

It is my pleasure to present to my dear readers a great Christian friend and sister in Christ, Susan Smith, as our guest blogger here at Talk Wisdom this evening. May her wonderful words of wisdom, brought to us all by the power of the Holy Spirit of God through her, be a special blessing to each of you tonight. I know that what she has shared in this wonderful message has truly blessed me!

Love in Christ,
Christine

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Susan Smith's Newsletter, July 29, 2011


There is healing when you give someone voice. Listening to a hurting heart can be therapeutic when the time is right. Silence can speak volumes, but then again words are powerful too if they come from the Lord via the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is difficult for me to hear clearly and to see with a pure heart. Often I pray for God to open the eyes of my heart and others who are hurting. I also have learned that pain can draw me closer to God, and when I am hurting deeply it tends to draw me closer to God, almost as though he is watching me closer than before.






The words that are written tell me it is good for me to draw near to God (Psalm 73:28). For me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made him my refuge so that I can tell of all his works. I like David Stern’s translation from Psalm 73:






Whom do I have in heaven but you? And with you, I lack nothing on earth. My mind and body may fail; but God is the rock for my mind and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who adulterously leave you. But for me, the nearness of God is my good.






My friend, you are in the kingdom of heaven now, if you believe the truth. I am not talking about relative or comparative truth that we hear so much about during this season in the world. I am talking about absolute truth. The Messiah is the truth (John 14:6). He is the way we must go in order to come unto the father, and he is the life we must live if we want to choose life instead of death (John 14:6).






When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River, there were still wars in the Promised Land. We are in spiritual battles today, every day we breathe. The battlefield is the mind! We are all experiencing the oppression and what appears to be destruction by the enemy in and on the earth today. What can we do? Nothing, we must BE what we are, by his GRACE! When we are focused and following Jesus, then the Lord directs our path.






We must trust in the Lord with all our corporate heart and lean not on our own individual understanding. In all our ways the ONE body must acknowledge the ONE God of heaven and earth, the ONE God of ISRAEL, and he will make level our individual paths and make them straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).






By God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:10). We have ONE enemy. We are created in the image of God; therefore, we are spiritual people. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The spiritual realm is real. We are slaves to the one we obey (Romans 6:16). We must be sober and be watchful. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).






In union with the Messiah, through his faithfulness, we have boldness and confidence when we approach God. When we suffer for others, it is for their glory. For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name (Ephesians 3:12-15). There is ONE body (Ephesians 4:4). My prayer this day is that the eyes of your heart and mine may be enlightened, so that we both will know what is the hope of his calling (Ephesians 1:18). Do you have hope this day?






I received a personal phone call from a pastor I love last week. He knew I was traveling to Israel for the three-week study tour, and he called to tell me he missed me in worship the first Sunday I was back. My custom is to worship with several congregations throughout each year. I enjoy the variety of the spiritual food I receive from different circles of worshipers.






It made me feel good to receive the call. I told the pastor I wanted to worship with a congregation that I know loves Israel my first Sunday back. He understood and showed me God’s grace when he said he did not want me to feel pressured to attend the religious service where he speaks most every Sunday unless there is a guest speaker. Then I told him I was very interested in attending the Wednesday night bible study he will be teaching later this year.






The study I hope to attend should show me more of the pastor’s heart concerning Israel. I was pleased to hear him call Jesus the “Messiah” not long ago. The study is called a “Precept Bible Study” and the advertisement for the study says this:






Do you know that our relationship with Jesus Christ is built on an Old Testament covenant with Abraham? Do you know that the Covenant bridges the Old and New Testament? Do you know that our Lord and Savior is the fulfillment of that covenant? Do you know that everyone who is not a part of that covenant is not among God's chosen people? Would you like to learn why God chose you for His Kingdom and not others?






God’s people are beautiful all over the earth and in the world where we live in the flesh today. On the sixth day of creation, God saw all that he had made, and indeed it was very good (Genesis 1:31). I am in love with the family of God, the ONE body. Of course even they can be discouraging and even disappointing at times to my fleshly desires.






You see, the Bible study sounds good to my ears; however my hope is not in the written Word of God. My hope is in the Living Word. When I draw near to him, I realize he is keeping a closer eye on me than ever before. I begin to realize his eyes are like a flaming fire; he is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:12-13). It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).






Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations—“He will break them with an iron rod; shatter them like a clay pot” (Psalm 2:9). It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious wrath of God, the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:15-16).






As a believer, I am not very interested anymore in learning more facts and what other people might think. I want to know God and the ONE he sent (John 17:3). I want to believe the Spirit of Truth is guiding me into all truth (John 16:13). Hmmm… if God’s chosen people are made in his image and we are ONE body, then maybe somehow, someway we can learn from one another. I believe I am purely and simply following Jesus. Want to join me? After all, we are ONE! (Colossian 2:9-11 and Colossians 3:9-11). Think about these things… ~ Susan Smith

Hat Tip and many thanks to Susan Smith!

Atheists Sue To Prevent WTC Memorial Cross Display

This morning, I read a post over at The Blaze: Atheists Sue to Stop Display of Cross at World Trade Center Memorial.

Excerpt:

A group of atheists is up in arms over the display of a cross at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The World Trade Center memorial, which is intended to serve as a reminder of the tragic terror attack that occurred nearly 10 years ago, is scheduled to open on the event’s 10th anniversary.

(Read what Meredith Jessup has to say about this legal challenge over on the blog.)

When the Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001, two beams perfectly formed the cross, which many view as both symbolic and iconic. It is this object — a steel cross — that is perfect fodder for atheists and non-believers who do not wish to see any religious items included in the memorial.

Continue reading here.




It is interesting to read the various comments over there. Please view the video (at The Blaze link above) of the blessing of the cross, then you will understand my comment better.

Christinewjc
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 10:38am
I would expect Mayor Bloombutt to sign the complaint, but Gov. Chris Christie? What a huge disappointment! Christie has lost my respect. During the video, the brother read a letter where someone claims that “we all worship the same God,” and that includes Muslims. Well sorry – but that statement is incorrect. Of course, the writer has the right to say and believe what he/she wants. But it doesn’t make it true. Read my essay about this at Talk Wisdom:   Why Muslims Don’t Worship the Same God as Christians.

How ironic it is to realize that Bloomberg approves of the 9/11 mosque being built, but objects to the display of this cross at the memorial! Unequivocal bias anyone?? Muslims and atheists probably have more in common because both obviously worship a different kind of god – a humanistic one.

Hat Tip: The Blaze

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In other news - The Blaze: McCain References TEA Party Hobbits on Senate Floor

I saw the RINO progressive try to distance himself from his own remarks on Hannity last night. Fat chance! Hannity wasn't fooled and neither are GENUINE CONSERVATIVES! I heard that Sharron Angle stated that McCain just "through her and his former running mate, Sarah Palin under the bus."

The thing that this debt crisis debate is bringing out for all to see is just who in the Republican party are genuine Conservatives that support the principles and values of what the TEA Party Patriots are trying to do to correct the corruption and stop the out-of-control spending in Washington D.C. Was McCain blind to the results of the 2010 mid-term election? Ah! It grieves me to see him do this.

But one comment over at The Blaze jumped out at me. It actually makes McCain look quite foolish on this issue:

dr_funk
Posted on July 27, 2011 at 8:47pm
He obviously hasn’t read the Tolkien series, because if he had, he would know that the Hobbits were the only ones with any courage, and that they persevered in the face of all sorts of evils, betrayers, and nay-sayers, and eventually brought down the most powerful evil empire in existence that, if they had not destroyed it, would have conquered the whole of middle earth.

Obviously, McCain has no concept of “courage” or “principle”.

Monday Devotional

In today's world of fear, greed, wars and rumors of wars, political corruption, and world chaos, God's Word is the antidote. It is the best source for encouragement when things are going well, but especially when they are going bad. Why? Because we know Who holds the future!! Jesus Christ!!! He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This is a fact that you, as a believer, can rely on! I can't think of anything else in this world that could be better. Knowing what Jesus has promised us, realizing the warning signs he has given us, while at the same time,  giving us GENUINE hope and plans for a beautiful future in eternity with him FOREVER, cannot be surpassed by anything that the secular, temporal, finite world has to offer!! No matter what happens here, we know where Jesus is and where we are going after our deaths.

Jesus' words:

Jhn 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.


Jhn 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; [fn] if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [fn]


Jhn 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.


Jhn 14:4 "And where I go you know, and the way you know."

NKJV Footnotes:
(14:2) Literally dwellings
(14:2) NU-Text adds a word which would cause the text to read either if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? or if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

Jhn 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Yes Lord!! We know because You have told us! Thank you for saving me from my sins! Thank you for living in my heart today! Thank you for preparing a place for me in eternity! When my life and work for you is over, I will rejoice being with You forever!

~ Christine

The following is a wonderful devotional to share:

Monday, July 25

The Write Encouragement

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.
Philippians 1:3-4

Recommended Reading
Philippians 1:3-11


How many words do you speak throughout a given day compared to the words that you write? One estimation of our spoken words reports that a woman speaks approximately 8000 words a day, and a man speaks about 6000 words. These estimates outnumber our written words by far--even though Internet messaging goes on 24/7. Is it any surprise that sometimes we can't remember what we said or what someone else said? The power of the written word cannot be underestimated.

God valued the written word and gave us the Bible as His letter of encouragement--a permanent record of His love and concern for us. Many of the books in the New Testament are letters, known as epistles, written to churches and individuals. It's interesting to note that when the apostle Paul wrote a letter, he consistently began with a word of encouragement (Romans 1:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Written encouragement conveys a thoughtful investment of your time. Why not take a minute and think of someone you know who needs a word of encouragement today. They won't forget it!

Written encouragement is one of the most effective tools God has given to His children.
David Jeremiah

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Isaiah 41:1-43:28

Hat Tip:

David Jeremiah.org

Urgency and Necessity of The Truth War

Chapter Three of John MacArthur's book, The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception is entitled "Constrained Into Conflict: Why We Must Fight for the Faith."

I have had this book for a long time. Every so often, I go back and read some of the chapters. If you do a search on this blog, you will find at least four blog posts about the book. Recently, I ran across a link to several John MacArthur Videos. Many of them are excerpts from his book The Truth War.

Years ago, I bookmarked the final three pages of chapter three. It is subtitled, "When It's Time To Go To War." I found it very interesting that the verse in Jude 3, which contains the phrase "contend earnestly for the faith" is actually stronger in meaning when translated from the Greek. MacArthur writes:

The expression "contend earnestly" is translated from a strong Greek verb epagonizomai,literally meaning "agonize against." The word describes an intensive, arduous, drawn-out fight. There is nothing passive, peaceful, or easy about it. Jude "exhorted" them - meaning he urged and commanded them - to wage a mighty battle on behalf of the true faith.

So then literally, we are to "agonize against" the falsehoods that creep up into Christianity that often, quite frankly, turn Christian truth into something unrecognizable. I could cite dozens of examples. But two of the most contentious moral problems of our time are the acceptance of homosexual behavior and abortion of children in the womb.

There will always be people who try and twist the truth to their own advantage. Many times it is used as an excuse to cover their sins. But there is only One Provision for the forgiveness of sins - and that is Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. Christ is the only way to be reconciled unto the Father.

MacArthur continues:

Jude himself says he felt the necessity to write this command. He employs a verb that speaks of pressure. In other words, he sensed a strong, God-given compulsion to write these things. He was not writing them because he took some kind of perverse glee in being militant. He was not responding to a momentary whimsy or personal anger. This was critical, and since the writers of Scripture never wrote by human self-will, but only as they were moved by the Spirit of God (2 Peter 1:21), the extreme urgency of Jude reflects the sovereign influence of the Holy Spirit, and therefore also the mind of Christ.

I love that last line - "This was critical, and since the writers of Scripture never wrote by human self-will, but only as they were moved by the Spirit of God (2 Peter 1:21), the extreme urgency of Jude reflects the sovereign influence of the Holy Spirit, and therefore also the mind of Christ."

I don't know about you, but in my lifetime I have NEVER seen so many liars getting away with their sin and corruption than over the past two and a half years. It seems that ever since the Obama administration got into office, any semblance of a reasonable government was out the window. As one example, we only need to turn on the T.V. each day and hear the bad news about the current debt crisis to understand how fallen man has gotten us into such a mess. Then, in the next news segment we find out that Obama has raised 86 million dollars for his re-election campaign. Why would anyone in their right mind want to re-elect this monster?? Answer: money, power, influence, and the desire to "fundamentally transform America" which is code word for collapsing our Constitutional Republic Capitalist system and bringing in a cesspool combination of communism, socialism, Islamo-fascism and sharia law. What could go wrong? But all of that is for another blog post.

MacArthur continues:

We thus have an urgent mandate from God Himself to do our part in the Truth War. The Holy Spirit, through the pen of Jude, is urging Christians to exercise caution, discernment, courage, and the will to contend earnestly for the truth.

Notice what we are supposed to be fighting for. It is not anything petty, personal, mundane, or ego related. This warfare has a very narrow objective. What we are called to defend is no less than "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

Jude is speaking of apostolic doctrine (Acts 2:42) - objective Christian truth - the faith, as delivered from Jesus through the agency of the Holy Spirit by the apostles to the church. As he says in verse 17: "Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Notice: no one discovered or invented the Christian faith. It was delivered to us. It was not as if someone mystically ascended into the transcendental realm and drew down an understanding of the truth. We don't need an enlightened guru to open the mysteries of the faith for us (cf. 1 John 2:27). The truth was entrusted by God to the whole church - intact and "once for all." It came by revelation, through the teaching of the apostles as preserved for us in Scripture. Jude speaks of "the faith" as a complete body of truth already delivered - so there is no need to seek additional revelation or to embellish the substance of "the faith" in any way. Our task is simply to interpret, understand, publish, and defend the truth God has once and for all delivered to the church.

The fact that the Bible is the Written Word of God, Jesus is the Living Word of God, and the Holy Spirit of God guides us into all truth allows born again believers in Jesus Christ to "interpret, understand, publish, and defend the truth God has once and for all delivered to the church." How can we spot untruths, heresy, apostasy and lies? By making sure that what is being espoused by any preacher, teacher, or layperson is not contradictory to what the Bible teaches!

John MacArthur explains:

That is what the Truth War is ultimately all about. It is not mere wrangling between competing earthly ideologies. It is not simply a campaign to refine someones religious creed or win a denominational spitting contest. It is not a battle of wits over arcane theological fine points. It is not an argument for sport. It is not like a school debate, staged to see who is more skilled or more clever in the art of argumentation. It is not merely academic in any sense. And it is certainly not a game. It is a very serious struggle to safeguard the heart and soul of truth itself and to unleash that truth against the powers of darkness - in hopes of rescuing the eternal souls of men and women who have been unwittingly ensnared by the trap of devilish deception.

This is a battle we cannot wage effectively if we always try to come across to the world as merely nice, nonchalant, docile, agreeable, and fun-loving people. We must not take our cues from people who are perfectly happy to compromise the truth wherever possible "for harmony's sake." Friendly dialogue may sound affable and pleasant. But neither Christ or the apostles ever confronted serious, soul-destroying error by building collegial relationships with false teachers. In fact, we are expressly forbidden to do that (Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 John 10-11). Scripture is clear about how we are to respond when the very foundations of the Christian faith are under attack, and Jude states it succinctly: it is our bounden duty to contend earnestly for the faith.

I have to chuckle each time I see someones car with the bumper sticker that says "COEXIST" where each letter represents a different religion. It seems to me that the liberal/progressive advocates of such a symbol often hate those who adhere to true Christian faith and they tend not to hide their disdain. Just watch some of the alphabet soup news programs and commentary shows out there and you will see what I mean!

Why is there such hatred for Christians? I think that it is because of what Jesus told us in these verses:

Jhn 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.

Jhn 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Jhn 15:25 "But [this happened] that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'

Read the entire chapter of John 15. It starts out Jhn 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." Jesus is speaking in these verses and He goes on to reveal that Jhn 15:5 "I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

John 15 is such a comfort these days. Why? Because Jesus has warned us that followers of him will be hated. It is part of the "turf" in the warfare we are in for the souls of men.

John MacArthur continues:

Notice carefully: Jude is not suggesting (nor am I) that Christians should contend among themselves over every petty disagreement or divide into factions over every personality conflict. In fact, that is the very thing the apostle Paul condemned in 1 Corinthians 3:3-7. Divisiveness and sectarianism are terrible sins that hurt the church when major divisions are manufactured out of petty differences over trivial, doubtful, indifferent, or less-than-vital matter (Romans 14:1).

We cannot include differences over abortion or homosexual practice. They are not in the "petty disagreement" categories. Both of them break at least one, if not more of the Ten Commandments. However, a difference over whether a hard Christian rock band sings a Christmas song or a more traditional choir sings it better would be a petty argument. Such a thing is a matter of taste.

John MacArthur continues:

Now, you might think that the difference between a picayune disagreement and a serious threat to some core truth of Christianity would always be obvious and clear-cut. Usually, it is. Most of the time, it is easy enough to see the distinction between a peripheral issue and a matter of urgent and fundamental importance. But not always. And here is where mature wisdom and careful discernment become absolutely crucial for every Christian: sometimes serious threats to our faith come in subtle disguise so that they are barely noticeable. And false teachers like to surround their deadly error with some truth. Therein lies the seduction. We must never assume that things like the teacher's reputation, the warmth of his personality, or majority opinion about him are perfectly safe barometers of whether his teaching is really dangerous or not. We also shouldn't imagine that common sense, intuition, or first impressions are reliable ways of determining whether this or that error poses a serious threat or not. Scripture, and Scripture alone, is the only safe guide in this area.

As Dr. MacArthur states in that last paragraph sentence, "Scripture, and Scripture alone, is the only safe guide in this area."

Amen!!!

The term "Scripture" itself appears in the Bible 32 times!

This is a beautiful verse:

Gal 3:22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Hat Tips:

Grace To You.org - The Truth War pp. 74-77

Blue Letter Bible and all links.

Weird Comment

The following comment appeared in my inbox yesterday. Besides ranking as one of the weirdest ones I've seen in a long time, I am quite frankly finding it difficult to label the beliefs of the person who posted it. Since he/she seems to believe in "gods," at first glance he/she might be labeled as a "polytheist."

Some of what he/she has written makes sense, but some of it is way out there - not at all adhering to true Christian faith or Biblical discernment.

This is why it is ESSENTIAL that individual Christian believers know what is written in the Bible so that they do not get caught up in some kind of weird, guru-led gobbledygook that could lead them astray, towards a false gospel and away from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus warned us that the closer we get to the end times, there will be many false prophets out there who will attempt to lead people astray - "to fool the very elect...if that were possible." You see, it is much more difficult to lead an ambassador of Christ into error, heresy, or apostasy. Why? Because he/she is led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God to help with discernment into all truth. And how does one know that he/she is being led by the Holy Spirit? The Spirit of God will NEVER contradict what Jesus has proclaimed as truth. The Holy Spirit adheres to Christ and what is written in the Bible. Therefore, you can see how important it is to have the knowledge and wisdom that is gleaned by reading, studying, and applying the Written Word of God in this life.

The following is a copy of the comment that I am referring to [Note: I have left misspellings intact].  It left me shaking my head at the convoluted nature of this person's belief system.  If you are a Christian, how many errors can you point out?

~ Christine

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "San Fransicko Folsom St. Sadists":

Your job as a future mother is to learn the god's ways and to help your child understand despite the negative reinforcement and conditioning of today's society. Without consciousous parents the child will have no hope, and may even exaserbate their disfavor by becoming corrupted in today's environment.
Your ultimate goal is to fix your relationship wiith the gods and move on. You don't want to be comfortable here, and the changes in Western society in the last 100 years has achieved just that.
1000 years with Jesus is the consolation prize. Don't be deceived into thinking that is the goal.

The gods tempt people for which they are most weak. Artificial Intelligence will create desire in people's minds for the following sins:::
1. Alcohol
2. Drugs
3. Preditory "earning"
4. Homosexuality
5. Gambling
6. Something for nothing/irresponsibility (xtianity)
7. Polygamy/superiority over women/misogyny (Islam)
Much like the other prophets Mohhamed (polygamy/superiority over women/misogyny) and Jesus (forgiveness/savior), the gods use me for temptation as well. In today's modern society they feel people are most weak for popular culture/sensationalism, and the clues date back to WorldWarII and Unit731:TSUSHOGO, the Chinese Holocaust.
It has been discussed that, similar to the Matrix concept, the gods will offer a REAL "Second Coming of Christ", while the "fake" Second Coming will come at the end and follow New Testiment scripture and their xtian positioning. I may be that real Second Coming.
What I teach is the god's true way. It is what is expected of people, and only those who follow this truth will be eligible to ascend into heaven as children in a future life. They offered this event because the masses have just enough time to work on and fix their relationship with the gods and ascend, to move and grow past Planet Earth, before the obligatory xtian "consolation prize" of "1000 years with Jesus on Earth" begins.

The Prince of Darkness, battling the gods over the souls of the Damned.
It is the gods who have created this environment and led people into Damnation with temptation. The god's positioning proves they work to prevent people's understanding.
How often is xtian dogma wrong? Expect it is about the Lucifer issue as well.
The fallen god, fighting for justice for the disfavored, banished to Earth as the fallen angel?
I believe much as the Noah's Flood event, the end of the world will be initiated by revelry among the people. It will be positioned to be sanctioned by the gods and led for "1000 years with Jesus on Earth".
In light of modern developments this can entail many pleasures:::Medicine "cures" aging, the "manufacture" of incredible beauty via cloning as sex slaves, free (synthetic) cocaine, etc.
Somewhere during the 1000 years the party will start to "die off", literally. Only those who maintain chaste, pure lifestyles, resisting these temptations, will survive the 1000 years. Condemned to experience another epoch of planet's history for their ignorant pursuit of xtianity, they will be the candidates used to (re)colonize (the next) Planet Earth, condemned to relive the misery experienced by the peasantry during history due to their failure to ascend into heaven before the Apocalypse.
Never forget:::It is not a house of Jesus.
If this concept of Lucifer is true another role of this individual may be to initiate disfavor and temptation among this new poulation, the proverbial "apple" of this Garden of Eden. A crucial figure in the history of any planet, he begins the process of deterioration and decay that leads civilizations to where Planet Earth remains today.
Which one is it? Probably both:::
One transitions into the other, allowing the gods to wash their hands of obligation to their Chosen One.
Shame.
You are faced with a lifetime to work and prepare for your next chance. Too many will waste this time working, etc.

Spiritual Warfare

With all of the chaos, fear, economic crises, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, illnesses, wars and rumors of wars happening around the world today (with all of such plights increasing at an alarming rate), it should be obvious to most people that there is a huge spiritual warfare going on in the midst of it all for the souls of men.

Dr. David Jeremiah is has a new television series called Spiritual Warfare - Terms of Engagement and he also recommends reading a new book written by Warren Wiersbe entitled, "The Strategy of Satan - How to Detect and Defeat Him" (scroll down at link for book).

At my sister blog, God's Creative Call there is a new post up entitled Ambivalent Confessions? which shares another subtle strategy of Satan that is often used in order to squelch the effectiveness of Christians sharing the Gospel.

Greg Koukl's Stand to Reason website is a library of resources to assist you in your knowledge and defense of God's Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You will be trained to become an ambassador for Christ, growing in knowledge, wisdom, and character through all of the resources available at Stand to Reason.

These days, we need all of the resources available to equip us with our Armor of God, and the websites that I have recommended today are two of the best!

~ Christine

He Is Risen!

Just as he said!

I love the fact that Jesus told his disciples, in advance, that he would rise again three days later after being crucified. On the dreadful day when Jesus was beaten and nailed to the cross at Calvary, his followers must have been in deep grief. But even in this, he told them that their grief would turn to joy! And it did!! On that first Resurrection Day almost 2,000 years ago, the promises of Jesus came to fruition and we can have the ultimate confidence that all he has promised in the Scriptures regarding his second coming will also be fulfilled!

Today's message at church discussed 1 Corinthians 15:14-25, Within these verses is the fact that if Christ had not risen, then our faith is futile. But the fact of history is that Christ did rise from the dead, so our faith is secure and absolute truth. Whether a person believes this or not is up to him/her. Free will and all that.

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 - 20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Franklin Graham's Recent End Times Comments + Other News

Surprisingly, Bill O'Reilly chose to create a poll about Franklin Graham's recent comments in reference to his worries about all of the turmoil going on in the world today. Franklin shared how quotes from the Bible and the prophecies regarding the second coming of Jesus indicate why such things are occuring.

Here is the link to the Youtube video clip:

Youtube: Franklin Graham: Pinhead or Patriot? (3.21.11)

From Bill O'Reilly.com:

Franklin Graham says he's worried about the state of the world and quotes the Bible and the second coming of Jesus as reference to why. For bringing that up, is he a Patriot or a Pinhead.
Go to Bill O'Reilly.com to record your vote.

I VOTED PATRIOT!!!

After voting, you will see this message:


Thank you for participating in the Pinheads & Patriots Poll. Your response has been recorded.
Bill will reveal the results on The O'Reilly Factor after the voting period has closed. Watch The O'Reilly Factor or check back here on BillOReilly.com for results.

It will be interesting to see how the public votes on this issue.

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In other news, check out Patriot Action Network: LIBERAL DEMOCRATS IN UPROAR OVER LIBYA ACTION..... KUCINICH ASKS FOR IMPEACHMENT.

Did you ever think that you would hear the demand for the impeachment of Obama coming from the far leftist loons??

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Nice Deb: Video of Sarah Palin in Israel

What a great photo at the link of the Palins and the Netanyahus!

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Update on Franklin Graham statement. Here is a link to Newsmax video interview.

Remember Who Holds You Today

I once heard a descriptive quote in the cartoon movie called "The Prince of Egypt" that described what God is building here on this earth can be seen as a beautiful tapestry, perfect in every way, from the perspective of heaven. Yet, here on earth we can only see the underside of jumbled threads, colors and knots that cannot reveal the finished product. I thought that was a great description of our imperfect, sinful, human struggles here on earth. Yet, in eternity, all of the "whys," "what ifs," "how comes," "why me," "why not me," "why him/her," "hows," "whens," "wheres" and "whats" that we encounter in this life that often become questions for God; will be finally revealed to us. We just have to remain patient, even when we do not comprehend or understand all of the "whys" of this world.

You can be sure that evil, sin, and death are the causes of much pain, grief, sadness, crying and suffering. Whatever we, as Christian believers, can do to alleviate such sufferings for the sakes of others, can be counted as good. But we can't expect to do it all. It would be way too overwhelming. What we can do within our sphere of influence, should be done for the sakes of those who are in our lives at the moment and those in need around us who need help.

In the chapter entitled, "Remember Who Holds You" in Max Lucado's book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, Max writes:

Frightening thing, this pride. It would rather kill the truth than consider it.

Doesn't it sneak up on us? We begin spiritual journeys as small people. The act of conversion is a humbling one. We confess sins, beg for mercy, bend our knees. We let someone lower us into the waters of baptism. We begin as self-effacing souls. Timid children who extend muddy hands to our sinless God. We relate to the thief on the cross, identify with David's forgiven adultery, and find hope in Peter's forgiven betrayal. We challenge Paul's claim to the chief-of-sinners title, wondering if anyone could need or treasure grace as much as we do.

We come to God humbly, no swagger, no boasts, no "all by myself" declarations. We flex no muscles and claim no achievements. We cup sullied hearts in hands and offer them to God as we would a crushed, scentless flower: "Can you bring life to this?"

And he does. He does. We don't. He works the miracle of salvation. He immerses us in mercy. He stitches together our shredded souls. He deposits his Spirit and implants heavenly gifts. Our big God blesses our small faith.

[We] need a big God because we've made a big mess of our lives.

Boy...ain't that the truth! Who hasn't had to admit that they have "made a big mess" of something in their own lives? We all have had one or more experiences where we say, "I should have," "I could have," "I wish I did this, or that," or "I wish I DIDN'T DO THAT," haven't we? Some choices are much more profound than others and bother us for not having listened to the urging of the Holy Spirit guiding our lives. Been, there, done that. We suffer from guilty feelings.

Max Lucado goes on in that chapter to say that "gradually God changes us." It certainly doesn't happen in one felled swoop.

As God gradually changes us, we find that we don't want to do the sins that we used to do quite frequently in the past (and probably without guilt feelings before being saved.) But after being saved by Christ on the cross, His sacrifice for our sakes changes us forever. There is no turning back to that "old lifestyle." This isn't forced upon us, because we still have that sin nature and free will to carry it out if we want to. But our desire to please Him changes us and we look towards His righteousness to guide our lives. We look heavenward more.

Max goes on to say that our good deeds then can often get recognized by more people and if we aren't careful, can result in pride. The Bible warns us, "pride comes before a fall." We should never forget who brought us here. Max describes it this way:

"We think we're shaking up the world when actually we're just along for the ride."

Take time to remember. "look at what you were when God called you" (1 Cor. 1:26 NCV). Remember who held you in the beginning. Remember who holds you today.

Who Holds the Future

Who Holds the Future

Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers.

- Song of Solomon 1:4

Recommended Reading
James 4:13-17

Forbes magazine is famous for its lists, one of them being “The 20 Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings.” Among the astounding number of dollars spent on cakes, dresses, and honeymoons, at least five of the twenty couples spent money on a fairy-tale setting for their wedding: a castle. Scotland’s Skibo Castle was used twice, and Italy’s Odescalchi Castle was also used along with England’s Sudeley Castle and India’s Umaid Bhawan Palace.

While not exactly a castle in the strict sense, King Solomon’s palace in Jerusalem probably fulfilled all his bride’s expectations when they married. No wonder she said to him early in the Song of Solomon, “Draw me away!” What young girl doesn’t dream of that most romantic of days in her future—her wedding day? Yet what a comfort to know that God holds the real-life answers to every heart’s dream. We may not know what the future holds, but we definitely know who holds the future.

If you have dreams or questions about tomorrow, commit them to the God of the future. If your dream doesn’t come true, it’s only because God has something even better in store.

Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to his love, and the future to his providence. Augustine

Read-thru-the-Bible

Leviticus 13:45 – 15:33

Hat Tip:
David Jeremiah.org

The 23rd Psalm

Psa 23:1 [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.


Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.


Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.


Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.


Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Also read:

A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23

The God Who Shepherds Us

The God Who Invites Us to Rest

The God Who Guides Us

The God Who Is With Us

Living A Yielded Life

Recall the powerful scene in the movie "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?". where the character John Prentice (played by actor Sidney Poitier) stopped his dad from complaining about and objecting to the path of life he had chosen for himself? In one of the most memorable lines in that movie, Poitier said, "you did what you were supposed to do!"

Here is a link to the video clip of the scene:

YouTube video
Now, this scene was more about a son trying to tell his father that "he doesn't think of himself as a 'colored man'. He sees himself as a man."

However, when any person gets the feeling that they have sacrificed enough for his/her family and wonders..."when do I get my life back?"...or, "why are my kids not following in my footsteps?" or, "why isn't this or that being done the way I did it?" etc. - we could certainly relate to the frustration that the dad exhibited in that scene. He felt that because he carried a mail bag over 75,000 miles over the course of 30 years, his son "owed" him something. But Poitier's line, "you did what you were supposed to do" is a classic!

Think about it. Our parents sacrificed for our sakes. We now sacrifice for our children (and, in some cases, for our elderly parents who need extra care now). One day, (hopefully), our children will sacrifice for their children (and with millions of baby-boomers retiring and getting older), those children may need to sacrifice for us, too! But that is what families are all about...aren't they?

I truly believe that when we sacrifice for our loved ones, it is pleasing to the Lord. We are to take care of each other! That was the way it was when I was growing up. My parents scrimped and saved for me and my siblings. They gave us all a good life. We weren't rich, but we were well cared for.

I recall my grandparents being taken care of by my mom and dad. Each of their siblings helped out too.

I recently became aware of the fact that my mom helped out a nephew during a desperate time of need. Living a yielded life for family members extends itself out in that direction, too. If we are able, we help and care for one another.

The same applies towards friends!

Recall that scene in the Wizard of Oz where the wizard quips to the Tin man: "And remember my sentimental friend. A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."

And sometimes, being loved by others also means being there for them because you may be the first one they call in an emergency!

Time out for a brief story. I had just come in from raking sticks and wood shavings after we had a tree service company chop down, cut up, and haul away three trees from our back yard. A fourth tree fell during all the rainstorms we have had. All of the trees had caught some kind of a disease and died. I had never seen a dead tree before.

Anyway, just as I was about to get into the shower I get a panicked call from my best friend! The call broke up right in the middle of what she was saying. It sounded like, "Chris! I have an emergency! I'm over by Melrose Dr. and my car f....ire. I said, "what?" Then she said, "Oh, an officer just stopped. I'll call you back." I took a 1 minute shower and got dressed to go "rescue" my friend from what I thought was a car fire! As it turned out, she only had a flat tire. Others came to her aid that day instead of me. But later, when she texted me that "she has been rescued," she also wrote, "when anything bad happens, you are the first I think of to call...lucky you." I had to chuckle about that. Was so glad it wasn't anything as serious as a car fire!

I got to thinking about that incident after watching and listening to Dr. Jeremiah's sermon this morning. I thought that here I was, ready to jump in my car and drive to save my friend from her dilemma because she needed help. So...why don't I feel that way about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others? Why don't I have that "fire" within me to rescue relatives, friends, and acquaintances from an eternity without Christ? When I think of all the people I know who aren't saved, why am I reluctant to share Jesus Christ with them? I think that Dr. Jeremiah told me, point blank, during his sermon. Not enough prayer.

Is your prayer life suffering? I know that mine could be much stronger! It is something I am working on this year.

My car dilemma friend is already saved. We attended many Bible studies together over the years so that I could be certain of her salvation. This past November, she gave me a silver heart pendant that reads on the inside, "A true friend reaches for your hand but touches your heart." Wow...what a weepy, tears-of-joy lunch we had the day she gave me that birthday gift! We have been through many challenges over the years and have helped and supported each other through the good, the bad, and the ugly events in life. My dear friend has reached out for my hand many times over the years, and has touched my heart in the way that only a true friend ever could! [K - if you are reading this - no tears!]

When I think of a "Heart that is loved by others," and One who "touches your heart" there is one Person, more than any other Person who has ever walked this earth that stands out as the best example - Jesus Christ. We already know how much He loves us! But can we even fathom how much He is loved by others? How many billions of people who have inhabited the earth over the centuries have been, and are, lovers of the Lord of Life? Can anyone even make a guesstimate?

Jesus is speaking:

Jhn 10:9 "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.


Jhn 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.


Jhn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

There is no greater love!
This leads me to the sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah on today's Turning Point Ministry T.V. broadcast. In his new series, "Signs of Life" Dr. Jeremiah points out what we, as Christian believers and lovers of Christ, are to be doing while here on this earth.

My Talk Wisdom forum friend Sothenes shared a link that demonstrates how desperately the Christian church needs these "Signs of Life." Go read Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010. There are one or two good things on that list, but most of them are terribly disappointing to read!

Contrast what is written in that report with what Dr. Jeremiah discusses in his "Worn-Out Knees - Living a Yielded Life" message.

Enjoy this excellent lesson! Please share your thoughts in the comment section!

Christine

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You can watch this week's broadcast at Dr. David Jeremiah.org Just click on the green box that reads, "WATCH NOW, THIS WEEK'S BROADCAST."

About the series:

Signs of Life
ABOUT THE CURRENT TELEVISION SERIES
A man named Dennis, who lived in Katy, Texas, was preparing to go out of town on a Tuesday. And as usual, he was behind schedule in his preparations. He needed to take a suit to the cleaners and get it back the same day. He remembered a dry-cleaners in his town with a big sign that said, “One-Hour Dry Cleaners.” Perfect, he thought. So he drove across town to the establishment.

After filling out the drop-off ticket, he said, “I’ll need to get this back in an hour.”

The clerk said, “Sorry, but the soonest I can have it for you is Thursday.”

“I thought you did dry-cleaning in an hour,” Dennis said, surprised.

“No,” the clerk replied, “that’s just the name of the store.”

A one-hour dry cleaners that doesn’t do dry-cleaning in an hour? How confusing is that? Probably just as confusing as Christians who claim to be Christians but fail to act like the one whose name they bear.

A man named Dennis, who lived in Katy, Texas, was preparing to go out of town on a Tuesday. And as usual, he was behind schedule in his preparations. He needed to take a suit to the cleaners and get it back the same day. He remembered a dry-cleaners in his town with a big sign that said, “One-Hour Dry Cleaners.” Perfect, he thought. So he drove across town to the establishment.

After filling out the drop-off ticket, he said, “I’ll need to get this back in an hour.”

The clerk said, “Sorry, but the soonest I can have it for you is Thursday.”

“I thought you did dry-cleaning in an hour,” Dennis said, surprised.

“No,” the clerk replied, “that’s just the name of the store.”

A one-hour dry cleaners that doesn’t do dry-cleaning in an hour? How confusing is that? Probably just as confusing as Christians who claim to be Christians but fail to act like the one whose name they bear.

Imagine a professing Christian screaming and shouting obscenities and shaking his fist at someone who cuts him off in traffic. “I thought you were a Christian,” his car-pool companion says. “Oh, no,” the driver responds, “that’s just what I tell people at work. It’s just a label I use to make people think I’m a nice person.”

Can you imagine? It’s only right for people to expect those who follow Jesus Christ to bear some resemblance to Him and to obey His teachings. As someone has said, “If you’re gonna wear the name, you need to act the same.”

What are the signs that a person who claims to be a Christian is a true follower of Jesus Christ? There are many, of course, but a good example is one Jesus gave directly to His twelve disciples. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Love, compassion, tenderness, understanding, forgiveness—because Jesus manifested those traits, so should we who claim to be His disciples.

The purpose of this series is to examine five categories of divine life that should be evident in every Christian. “Signs of life” they are called: Dusty Shoes (a relevant life), Worn-Out Knees (a yielded, peaceful, and submissive life), Rolled-Up Sleeves (an authentic, servant’s life), Open Hands (a generous life based on God’s Harvest Law), and Outstretched Arms (a compassionate, community-based life). These lifestyle traits are like signs that we hang over the door to our life that tell people what they should expect to find within. And because these were all traits that Jesus Christ manifested in His life, when people enter into a relationship with us, they gain some perspective on who Christ is.

If the church is going to make an impact in this world, it will do so only on the basis of authenticity and truthfulness. We cannot claim to be one thing with our words and then reveal we are something different by our lives. These signs of life certainly need to be practiced within the church, but they definitely need to be practiced in the Christian’s neighborhood, workplace, and community as well.

Signs of Life can serve as a self-evaluation tool for every Christian. By building the five categories of signs of life into one’s walk with Christ, there’ll be no inconsistency at all.

The 112th Congress Makes It An Historic Day

The new 112th Congress with the huge Republican majority is certainly a breath of fresh air! The stench of corruption led by the biggest corruptocrat of the Democrat Party, namely Nancy Pelosi, has been stripped of her powerful position. How scary it was to realize that she was second in line behind Biden to the presidency!

With John Boehner at the helm, and the many freshman members (many of which are TEA Party supported), perhaps the House will be FINALLY cleansed from the wasteful government spending and the damaging 5.2 trillion that was added to our nation's debt under Pelosi's rule.

I attempted to watch the entire historic reading of the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House, but was called away for some of it. I started watching it on the Fox News Channel, but when I noticed that they were not revealing who was a Democrat or Republican when each representative was reading their particular segment, I switched over to C-SPAN.

I wondered whether or not any protesters would interrupt the proceedings - especially when the reading of Article II Section 1, clause 5 (only Natural Born Citizens qualify for POTUS) was read. Like clockwork, a single protester did shout from the gallery. You can read about it over at Gateway Pundit:

Bummer. Screaming Protester Interrupts Reading of Constitution – Upset About Obama’s Citizenship (Video)
posted by Jim Hoft at The Gateway Pundit - 10 hours ago
Bummer. After all of the resistance by democrats then this happened… A protester interrupted the reading of the Constitution on the House floor today screaming about Obama’s eligibility to be president.

There is some discussion about whether or not the protestor was a plant by the Democrats, but the "Birther" is revealed at Death By 1000 Papercuts.

Anyway, it wasn't until I saw The Glenn Beck Show later today that I found out that some portions of the Constitution (deemed "offensive" by some members) were NOT read out loud during the session. Glenn pointed out (as he has done in the past on his show) that the 3/5ths clause was actually a way for the Founders to start the process of freeing the slaves!

Another portion that was left out was the Eighteenth Amendment (known as the prohibition against alcohol), but the Twenty-First Amendment (which included the repeal of the 18th) was read on the floor.

Weird...huh?

Well, at least MOST of the U.S. Constitution was read during this historic start of the 112th Congress!

While I watched the reading of the Constitution, I noticed that C-SPAN included some details about each Congressperson under their name and party affiliation. It was interesting to see so many freshman Congressmen/women get into office through winning some very close races! I don't have names to share, but some wins were by margins of 1 - 3 points, while other victories were won by just 500 votes!

I think that God, in His mercy on America, answered our prayers and gave us this huge victory to help us bring America out of the clutches of the Socialist, progressive movement being forced upon our nation by Obama and his evil cohorts, back towards what our Founders had created - a Constitutional Republic!

We must remember that God has created unique people to accomplish a variety of purposes throughout the world. Of course He would also follow through in the same way here in America. We may not always agree, but each person's influence has a unique role to play. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that.

As an example, some commentator once quipped that if Obama hadn't become president, then the damaging agenda and goals of the progressive socialist movement would not have been so highly exposed as it has over the past two years. Americans would still be asleep and not awakened like they were through the efforts of the TEA Party movement and shows like Glenn Beck's radio and T.V. show on Fox News Channel.

I see it now as God's goal to put ourselves (America) in situations that may even scare the crap out of us in order to wake us up out of our stupor of complacency regarding our liberty, freedoms, and the ability to pursue happiness in our lives. We were, individually and as a nation, put in a place where it genuinely required God to come through for us. And He has!! But it's not over - not by a long shot!

There is a saying, "there are times like these that try men's souls." But is it possible that those particular times have been the most meaningful and satisfying in our lives? Could we admit that they were actually the times when we truly experienced life and God? After all, Jesus DID warn us that "in this life you will have tribulation (trouble). But take heart! For I have overcome the world."

Isn't it times like these where we pray more? Depend on God more? Grow closer to God? Pursue Christ more?

Living for Christ takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness. I know these facts intimately because I have been on the other side (before becoming a Christian) and can now see how much I ignored God during those years!

I know that I wasn't very conscious of heaven in the past. But Dr. David Jeremiah's book, Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven study guide helped change that!

I love the devotional that talks about Greater and Lesser Lights. Dr. Jeremiah concludes at the end of that devotional:

Only by taking His light with you can you enlighten the world.

The gift we Christians are given in the Holy Spirit describes what we are to be doing to advance the kingdom of God during our brief life on this earth. In the following passage, it is Jesus Himself speaking:

I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. - John 16:7-8, 13

Without the Holy Spirit of truth in our lives, we cannot be guided "into all truth." Some may have a portion of the truth, but just like the mistake that some people make about the meaning of the 3/5ths clause in the Constitution, they can also make mistakes about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God's Word, the Bible which exists to lead us "into all truth."

We never stop learning from God's Word! And with the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18 tells us, "Be filled with the Spirit.") in our lives, we know that being "filled with the Spirit" isn't a one-time endeavor, but is something we are to do always and repeatedly.

I have found that when I am caught up in the scary chaos of what is going on in the world, [special thanks to my blogging friend Stevex09 for that link!] I am not focusing very clearly on "what the Spirit says to the churches." [See Revelation 2:7 and 2:17]

When you and I appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ, I pray that we will all be able to proclaim what Paul did in 2 Timothy:

2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:


2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Hat tips to all links.

In 2011: We're to be strong...in the power of His might.

For several years now I have been a subscriber to Dr. David Jeremiah's free Turning Point magazine devotional and a supporter of his excellent ministry. I love the fact that I get the devotional weeks before the next month begins.

In the new January 2011 issue, there is an article that I think is one of the best ever written! I tried to find it online, but the website only has one of the articles published there today.

It would have been so much easier to copy and paste it here. But I will consider it a "labor of love" to type out sections of it so that readers here will get to enjoy it today.

The new devotional is entitled, "Unclaimed Possibilities." Before I share sections of the article, "Claiming the Power," I want to share the last few paragraphs of the last article in the booklet, "Claiming the Message."

In this essay, Dr. Jeremiah stresses that the Bible's message is the same as it has always been. It is good to know that the opportunities may increase and the methods used by Turning Point may change, but THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST never will!

Sadly, I have seen some churches loose the importance of that statement. They become so worldly focused that they are no longer heavenly focused! I like how Dr. Jeremiah puts it:

The best packaging in the world won't compensate for faulty content. Technological innovations are worthless without an abiding message to communicate.

I wholeheartedly agree! When I witnessed two churches drifting away from the original purposes for their existence, it was truly sad to see. I could no longer support such ministries. It breaks my heart to admit that, but it is true.

I feel confident in supporting Turning Point Ministries because I have the assurance that the message being shared is committed towards Bible truth and the Christ-centered gospel.

Excerpt:

I want to assure you with all the power of my convictions that however quickly our opportunities may increase and our methods may change here at Turning Point, our message never will. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is immutable and imperishable. His Book is infallible and inerrant. The human heart is as sinful as ever, but the blood of Christ will never lose its power to redeem and save lost souls. Heaven and hell are real, and Christ is coming soon. We have a message to preach, a Gospel to share, and millions of lives to encourage.

Sometimes innovation is necessary or else our ministries become museums and then mausoleums. [Note from Christine: I know EXACTLY what he means! I've seen some museum-like churches teetering towards the mausoleum phase!] But when that change weakens the message, the result is a graveyard for evangelism. The historic motto of Youth for Christ was: "Anchored to the Rock...Geared to the Times." It doesn't do any good to be geared to the times if your message slides off the rock. The best packaging in the world won't compensate for faulty content. Technological innovations are worthless without an abiding message to communicate. Timely methods deserve a timeless Gospel for the human heart.,

Our Lord Jesus used every means at His disposal to share His message. He preached and used object lessons like birds, flowers, coins, and even the children He lifted in His arms and sat in His midst. He performed signs and wonders, stilled storms, and turned water into wine. He wasn't showing off. He was using object lessons as only He could use them. On one occasion, He stooped and wrote in the dirt with His finger.

According to Acts 1:1, the Gospel is the account of "all that Jesus began both to do and teach." The 2000-year history of the church is the story of all that Jesus is continuing to do and to teach, using every worthwhile means a His disposal through His people and His church.

I'm not willing to let the devil have full use of all of today's technologies. Why yield an inch to him? Why not claim some unclaimed resources and reclaim the message for Christ? Nationally and internationally, we're committed to exploit every fresh opportunity and get the changeless message of our Lord before more people than ever before in our history.

People, it has been my prayer and hope that this little ole' Talk Wisdom blog has been even just a bit of a blessing to each of you. When I first started this blog, it was a little scary. But I soon found out (back in 2004) that I might just be talking to myself! You see, I didn't have ANY comments for weeks! Then, one day a reader posted the first comment.

Over several years I have "learned the ropes" of blogging. I found numerous blogs - many of which were so much more sophisticated than mine - and tried some of the methods that they were utilizing. But still, I didn't have any idea how many people were visiting this blog until I got my counter. Over the past few weeks, there have been hundreds of hits here just using the search phrase, "true meaning of Christmas." How delightful it was to know that in December of 2010, people are genuinely seeking the TRUE MEANING of Christmas - and coming here to read about it!

It is my desire to share more of the essay, "Claiming The Power" in my next blog post. For now, I will share the most important part:

Psalm 62:11 says, "power belongs to God." According to Psalm 65:6, God is "clothed with power." Jeremiah 10:12 says that God "made the earth by His power." Psalm 66:7 says that He "rules by His power forever."

Luke tells us that Jesus went about His ministry "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14; Acts 10:38), and people were amazed at His "authority and power" (Luke 4:36). He had power on earth to forgive sins (Luke 5:24), to heal illness (Luke 6:19), to still storms and alter weather patterns (Mark 4:39). He said that all power had been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He is declared to be the Son of God with power by His resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). And when He comes again, it will be in "power and great glory" (Matthew 24:30).

We can only live for Him effectively when we tap into the infinite source of His power. We're to be strong...in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).

Hat Tip:

David Jeremiah.org

As 2010 Winds Down

As another year quickly comes to a close, I find myself thinking about a variety of thoughts. In a reminiscent way, I have been thinking about many of the events (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that occurred during 2010. I have either written about many of them, or linked to blogs that have discussed these events. Some readers have enjoyed what I have written (and linked to), while others stated that they did not like what I chose to write about this past year. So be it!

Some readers prefer that I write ONLY about Jesus and the Bible and not so much about Obama and the gangster government he created which is currently wreaking havoc upon the American people.

I am of the opinion that it is very important for Christians to be engaged in whatever is happening - politically, socially, morally, and intellectually in our nation and in the world. It is through these events that we can be alert to the spiritual battle that is going on and informed about how close we are getting to the end times. I have tried to live up to the descriptive reason that I put at the top of my blog when I decided to start writing online several years ago:

Talk Wisdom's goal is to defend the tenets and values of Biblical Christian faith. We defend our Constitutional Republic and Charters of Freedom, especially when speaking out against destructive social and political issues. As followers of our Savior and Lord, we should boldly stand up for Jesus Christ in our present circumstances. He is our Savior, Lord, and King, and His love needs to be shed abroad in our hearts and in our world - now.

Over the years, I have come across comments from skeptics who pompously claim that when the Bible tells us that Jesus "is coming quickly" - it's a lie. However, what these nonbelievers do not realize is that the term "quickly" can mean "suddenly." Therefore, Christians in every generation need to be prepared for His return. When he does return, it will be a sudden event.

I think that it is a very good thing that Jesus' return will be sudden. If we all knew when Jesus was coming back for his church, what habits might we be tempted to change?

We are told to wait, watch and work until the Lord takes us into His Kingdom. Which of these three might suffer if we knew for sure exactly when Jesus would return? You guessed it - our work for the sake of the Kingdom would suffer.

Speaking of working for the sake of the Kingdom, Sarah Palin discusses her faith in her new book. As I finished reading "From The Heart," I wondered whether or not she would run for the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

The more I get to know her through her books, her T.V. show - Sarah Palin's Alaska - and her commentaries both at the Fox News Channel and on Facebook, the more obvious it appears to me that her wonderful and positive Christian influence on the world of politics as well as her dedication to the American people and the ideals instilled by our Founders for our Constitutional Republic would be better served if she continued doing exactly what she has been doing over the past two years.

Don't get me wrong - if she ran for president I would definitely support her!

However, think about all of the powerful influence that she has had on everything from criticizing (and rightly so!) the Obama administration's terrible policies to helping to get a Republican majority back in the House of Representatives. Look at how successful she was in backing the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party candidates and helping many of them to get elected! Look at the success she has demonstrated in raising five wonderful children! Look at the success she enjoyed showing the public the beauty of her home state and the adventures that her family has enjoyed living there!

Recently, William Kristol (editor of the Weekly Standard and Fox News Contributor) went on the record to state his opinion that Sarah Palin will not run for president in 2012. Could he be correct about that? Only time will tell.

I do know this. Sarah Palin is not the type of person who would run for office for fame, fortune or glory. How do I know this? Because she believes that all the glory belongs to the Lord! She would sincerely do it to serve the American people - only if she felt that they (and most of all - God) are calling her to serve in this manner. That is the difference between someone who is being an obedient servant of God for the Kingdom, rather than an elitist who thinks he (like Obama), or she should be crowned "king or queen" and have the minions serve him/her.

This is one of the greatest differences between Obama and Palin. Palin is a genuine Christian who desires to serve the Lord, care for her family, and if necessary, serve the nation. But she will base her decision on whether or not the Holy Spirit's guiding leads her in that direction. She will rely on the calling that God would give her at this time in history to determine His will for her life.

Obama has revealed himself as being a fake type of Christian who uses the religion whenever he is trying to get people to follow him or vote for him and his ill-begotten legislation. His policies have been an absolute disaster! Hopefully, the incoming House Republicans can reverse most of the damage.

Whatever Sarah Palin decides to do with her future, America can be very proud of this "Mama Grizzly" woman who represents the REAL women in America. She is GENUINE - not ANYTHING LIKE the phony leftist women who parade around as self-described "feminists" who care more about abortion rights than anything else in life. The liberalism of the leftist elite females won't allow them to recognize that they should "choose life - your mother did." Instead, they will support any and all organizations that would snuff out the lives of unborn children and call it a "normal" endeavor. What sick-in-the-mind type of logic is that? Abortion KILLS BABIES IN THE WOMB! That is the sad, disgusting, and evil truth of the matter. It is time to start offending these "femi-Nazis" for the sakes of all of the defenseless unborn boys and girls that they think matter less than the dumb slogan - "a woman's right to choose." We must ask, "choose what?" Death for their unborn child?

Women like that - including most of the ones who host that awful show - "The View" - hate Sarah because she is normal and they are not. Their most cherished liberal beliefs are exposed as the sins that they truly are by conservative Christian women like Sarah Palin. And they hate and despise her for that!

The Bible has a lot to say about "deeds being evil."

Jhn 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Ezekiel even goes so far as to say that such people will secretly "loathe themselves":

Eze 36:31 "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.

It is because of men/women "loving darkness rather than light" that makes them feel shameful for their "evil ways and deeds that were not good." What could be more evil and shameful than killing an innocent human being in the womb?

The truth is that women who have had abortions often feel terrible and unrelenting guilt for their entire lives. It is not a quick "solution" to their pregnancy dilemma. However, there is forgiveness for such a sin at the foot of the cross of Jesus!

It is my prayer that God will keep His loving arms of protection over our nation as we head into a new year. Without Jesus, we are truly lost. He is the way, the truth and the life - no one comes to the Father but by him! It is my sincere and heartfelt prayer, dear reader, that no matter where you came from or have been this year (or, for that matter, in the next), that you will come to the realization that you need the Savior! Choose you, this day, whom you will serve! I pray that you will choose to know the love, grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

True Meaning of Christmas

While waiting in line to mail packages at the post office, I couldn't help but notice that every Christmas card on display was of a secular nature. The only cards that actually said "Christmas" on them were of the Peanuts gang and Santa Claus.

I decided to do a search to find out the last year that the Madonna Christmas stamps - depicting Mary with the Christ Child - were sold at the post office.

In my first search, I found the following stamp dated 2006:



Description from USPS.com:

Christmas: Chacón Madonna and Child with Bird

The 2006 Christmas stamp features an oil-on-canvas entitled Madonna and Child with Bird. Dating from around 1765, the painting is attributed to Ignacio Chacón-an artist active from about 1745 to 1775 in Cuzco, Peru. It is now part of the Engracia and Frank Barrows Freyer Collection of Peruvian colonial art at the Denver Art Museum. In designing the stamp, art director Michael Osborne slightly cropped the painting's floral "frame" and surrounded the entire composition with a gold border that echoes Chacón's use of gold-leaf embellishments.

A famous painting by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo entitled La Sagrada Familia del Pajarito (The Holy Family of the Little Bird) probably served as an indirect prototype for Chacón's Madonna and Child with Bird. The importance of birds in Inca culture would have made the topic of Murillo's painting particularly resonant in Peru. Birds were sacred to the Inca, partially because of their ability to fly and move closer to Inti, the sun god. So in Cuzco, colonial artists often incorporated birds or feathers into images of the Virgin and Christ to indicate their divine status.

Of course, this stamp is created more for the Catholic religion which believes that Mary was also divine - as was Christ. Unfortunately, that is incorrect. According to the Bible, Mary is NEVER mentioned as "divine." She is properly honored as the mother of Jesus (not "the mother of God") and is called "blessed."

During my second search, I found an article dated back in 2008 at The Telegraph UK which was entitled, "Church leaders fear religious Christmas stamps will be scrapped."

The sub-title tells us why:

Church leaders fear religious Christmas stamps could be scrapped for pantomime designs after Royal Mail forced them to be sold "under the counter".

Take a look at the ugly "pantomime design!" I don't even want to post the photo here at this blog. Well - at least "pantomime sisters" are rightly labeled as "The Ugly Sisters!" Ha! But...c'mon!! What do their ugly faces have to do with Christmas?

I agree with this Canon Chancellor:

Canon Chris Chivers, the Canon Chancellor of Blackburn Cathedral, has called the choice of stamps "utterly demeaning" and said in a letter: "If we are to have Christmas stamps at all, let them be Christian. But if for some mindlessly secularist reason we must have a choice, then let there be stamps of both sorts, in equal number."

Continuing on in my search, I found a blog called Darleen's Place. Her blog archive contains an essay entitled, "US Post Office goes Politically Correct - Updated". She claims that the Mary With the Christ Child stamps were not available in 2005, but correctly speculated that it would be back in 2006 (see stamp above). Lots of great comments there, too.

Darleen's blog led me to a 2005 post entitled, "The War Against Christmas" at Michele Malkin.com. Lots of additional links to explore there, too.

One of the prettiest Christmas stamps I found during my search was from Canada!



Ahhh! I'm running out of time. Hopefully, I can return to the search and find more photos of the Madonna and Christ Child commemorative stamps.

USPS.com Postal History PDF page has listings of all of the Christmas stamps over the years, but no photographs of them. According to that page, the last stamp of this kind issued was in 2009.

4424 Christmas: Madonna and Sleeping Child
by Sassoferrato, by Giovanni Battista
Salvi.
After 17th c. painting by Italian artist
Giovanni Battista Salvi, more commonly
known as Sassoferrato. Hearst Castle,
San Simeon, California.

Oct. 20, 2009 44¢ Carl T. Herrman

It appears that the site hasn't been updated past the date of January, 2010. Perhaps there IS a Mary and Christ Child stamp out there but it's under the counter and customers need to ask for it?

How sad!!!

Darleen was unfortunately correct back in 2005 when she shared:



P.S. After waiting in line and shaking my head about the secularism displayed at the post office, I went to The Family Christian Store and found some beautiful CHRISTIAN themed ornaments!

One is a blue bulb ornament from "The True Meaning of Christmas" line that says, "A Child Is Born" with Isaiah 9:6 NIV on the other side: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given."

A pretty red bulb ornament says, "Keep Christ In Christmas."

A flat wooden look ornament with a north star design depicts the nativity etched upon it.

A hand painted ceramic heart-shaped design on a dark red background states, "Be still and know that I am God."

The fourth one is in the shape of the cross and has the entire 23rd Psalm written on it!

Psa 23:1 [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.


Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.


Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.


Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.


Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

All so beautiful!







Hat Tips:

USPS.com

The Telegraph UK

Darleen's Place

Michelle Malkin.com