“I don’t believe in God. I believe in something, just not in God”.

When questioned about their belief in God, a lot people seem to have a very narrow view of what God is supposed to be, inextricably linked to organised religion. When they cannot reconcile that narrow view with their own belief system they state that they do not believe in God and therefore have no relationship with the divine. That relationship may still be desired, as it could bring security, unconditional love, support at times of need and a sense of belonging, but it would constitute a lie to oneself and can therefore not be maintained. Many who claim they are non-believers however, are still left with the feeling that there is something bigger than ourselves, something they would like to connect to at some level, just not within the traditional context of organised religion.
As I see it, there are many ways to approach the concept of God and organised religion is just one of them.

Organised religion generally poses the personal God, usually male, an omnipotent (all powerful) being who rules the world and who, by allowing human beings the freedom of choice, also allows the existence of His Antagonist, the Devil. This God wants His subjects to come to Him of their own free will, but when they don’t, they will spend eternity in the flames of Hell. There is only one life and it must be lived by God’s rules. Within Christianity, there are ways of purging sins, through confession and true repentance, in which case an officially assigned representative of God can grant you forgiveness and cleanse your soul. If you can not get access to such a representative of God before you die, tough luck, you die and go to Hell whether you are repentant or not. Up until very recently, the Catholic church did not allow stillborn babies into heaven, they had to stay in ‘Limbo’ for eternity because they were not baptised before death. (’Limbo’ is a place just outside Heaven, away from Hell but also away from the presence of God.)

I personally believe that this is a very limited view of God. This God is not omnipotent; there seem to be enormous shortcomings to his power if he is incapable to grant forgiveness to a repenting soul, without an intervening human representative (e.g. priest) acting on his behalf. This God is not omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time) either: he is absent in Limbo, absent in Hell for eternity and absent until access has been granted through baptism, again performed by an officially assigned human representative. Choice is relative, here: ‘you do as I say, or you will burn in Hell for eternity’. After death, this God refuses shelter to anyone who has not abided by his rules; the concept of forgiveness is pretty short lived.

Access to heaven is, up to a certain point, simply luck of the draw. It is not granted on the basis of your contribution to the world as a caring, loving, non-judgemental human being, who is never afraid of helping out other people, and making right and just decisions, rather than ones driven by personal gain. This may play a part, but not the most important one. Access to heaven is gained mainly by baptism, worship on Sunday, by praying and reading your bible, by telling God you think he’s great, you love him and can’t live without him. So if you happen to be born in a place that has never heard of this God; if you die alone; if you cannot get access to one of those representatives before you die, who can grant forgiveness for your sins and cleanse your soul; if you die angry with God because you have been hurt and abused, you are not allowed to be with God. You go to Hell.
Life in this context is not a process of growing: it is a cruel and unfair test, with most people in this world seriously disadvantaged, or even incapable of passing, through circumstances beyond their control.

Organised religions are frameworks, encompassing theological theories about the nature of the divine, usually represented as absolute truths, and rules about approaching and incorporating the divine into one’s life, usually predicting dire consequences if these rules are not adhered to. The most important thing to understand about organised religions is that they have to keep their institutions alive and as such it is within their best interest to stipulate worship through their facilities, using their people. The need to be needed in order to survive must prevail, because otherwise, they will cease to exist. That is why giving money to religious institutions, in collects or as gifts, is considered a divine duty, why one can only receive true salvation through the institutions and why members are ordered to keep coming back, every morning in the past, and now, as most congregations are waning, at least once a week. Institutions, at their best, do wonderful things. Through them, wonderful people help other people in wonderful ways. But they remain organisations whose belief structures and divine rules are coloured by a need to survive.

I believe that the problem many people seem to have with the concept of God could be due to a failure of organised religions to move with the times, theologically. Many individual representatives of the churches do not subscribe to the idea of hell as they used to, nor to the idea of God as a vengeful, punishing force. Many even acknowledge the possibility of a relationship with God outside the confounds of church and traditional worship, but in essence, the churches still put forward an imposing patriarchal society in all aspects of religious life: a personal male God, benevolent father, head of the household, prescribing a framework of morals and lifestyle rules and restrictions as well as regular worship within religious institutions.

The feminine is still entirely absent from the divine. Mary has never been granted divinity; she may be the ‘mother of God’ but she is still considered human. The archangels are male; Jesus is male. Nobody in this divine family has ever had sex because sex, although quite necessary for the survival of the human race (we can not all achieve ‘immaculate conceptions’), is still dirty and, at the heart of it, sinful. At the heart of most religious life is still worship, rather than love for one another in day to day life. Why would God care so much about being worshipped and thanked all the time? Does he have such a big ego?

Monotheism is the existence of a single omnipresent, omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent deity, or God. It is claimed that Christianity is monotheistic, but there are some problems with this claim. In practice we do not see an omnipotent and omnipresent God, as discussed earlier in this article. His omniscience is questionable also. Firstly, his perspective is limited by his sex: he is male and therefore lacks female perspective. (Although in the Old Testament this view of God as solely male is contradicted, e.g. Gen 5.1-2: … When God created man, he made them in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.) Secondly, there are many occasions in the Old Testament where God asks questions in order to get answers, e.g Job 1.7 (To Satan:) “Whence have you come?” (God does not know where Satan came from) or: Gen 18.26: And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” (God does not know how many righteous people live in Sodom). But even if we are to take the bible as written by fallible people, rather than God himself, it is still hard to sustain the notion that this God is truly monotheistic.

So why is this an issue at all? Well, it is an issue because there is an inherent contradiction in organised religion. We are told on the one hand that this God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient, but on the other hand, the entire frameworks prescribed to us by organised religions tell us that he is none of these things. The theology limits God’s power, God’s understanding, God’s knowledge, God’s reach. The fact is, that many people who claim they ‘don’t believe in God but believe in something’ believe in God as something much more than that.

True monotheism, which Christianity claims to be but is not, encompasses a God that is truly omniscient, neither male nor female, and at the same time, both; a God that is truly omnipotent, who controls all and yet nothing because the world would run this way because there is no other way; a God that is omnipresent, who is all things and yet, nothing, because the very nature of being is already finite. This God is past, present and future, and all at the same time because this God is time and beyond time. This God is so all encompassing that we cannot escape it, no matter how ‘bad’ we are or how much we deny its existence. To deny this God would be to deny ourselves. This God does not need or demand worship, nor praise or prayer, because this God has no ego. Rather, we are the ones that need prayer, in order to connect back with what is true. Connecting to this God would mean connecting with what needs to be, to embrace life. Hell is merely an illusion, a state of denial, an absence, rather than an active force of being. Hell does not truly exists because God is omnipresent and therefore a place without God can not exist.

So in answer to the main question: does God exist, we might say this: the concept of God as an all-encompassing thing, or life itself in all shapes and forms, embraces any view of the world around us. There is no limit to what you can believe or disbelieve. We know so little and we are so little, in this world. One might say that angels and ghosts and fairies do not exist, because there is no ‘real’ proof. There is even less proof that they don’t exist. One might say that reincarnation is just an inability to accept that when we’re dead, that’s it, we’re really not that important. On the other hand, not believing it might just be an excuse not to learn what we need to learn, because if we don’t, we will have to in the next life. The existential doubt of the existence of God has always struck me as slightly odd. The sun rises every day, doesn’t it? You are breathing, aren’t you? Do you deny the existence of the universe, just because we can not measure it, just because we do not understand?

So what about that relationship with God? How can you connect to all these things at the same time, and why would you bother if you don’t believe in the grey man on the cloud?
Well, the answer is simple. You don’t have a relationship with God for God, that would be ridiculous. You have a relationship with God or ‘the divine’ for you, in order to find a moment of peace and tranquillity and in order to feel connected and in control in a very demanding, stressful world. Addressing God in those brief moments does not automatically mean you believe God is a man on a cloud. You could pray, you could talk to God when no one can hear you, write a letter to God, do yoga, meditate, take some quiet time of contemplation. You won’t be lying to yourself. You can have your theological cake and eat it. And at its best, maybe that is what organised religion manages to offer to some of us: an almostm tangible relationship with something that is ultimately beyond definition.

Margriet Struik is a regular writer for
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Copyright 2006 Daniel N Brown

What do you think about yourself? How do you view the real you?
When you look into the mirror, what are you thinking? Do you
think things like, you’re a winner, I’m proud of you, I love
you, and I believe in you. Or, are you thinking things like,
you’re a failure, you’re stupid, or you’re ugly? What things do
you say to yourself on a regular basis?

Self-talk is vital! We spend more time with ourselves than
anyone else in the world. That’s why we have to be our own best
friend. We live in a fallen world and there’s already too much
in life that is against us anyway. We don’t need to be beating
up on ourselves too.

You may find it easy to speak garbage to yourself because maybe
that’s all you’ve heard all your life. Those tapes in your brain
just keep playing over and over. You may feel completely
worthless because of all that. But, you are NOT worthless! God
created you in His image, and with a purpose. God is perfect in
all His ways and does not make junk.

We tend to kick ourselves when we do something stupid because we
feel like a failure. But, a friend never kicks a friend when
he’s down. Why should you kick yourself? There is never an
excuse to put yourself down! Besides, failure is an event, not a
person!

Let it be known that there is an enemy who is like a roaring
lion that roams around seeking whom he may devour (John 10:10).
He doesn’t need any help.

A lot of us haven’t heard positive things from our parents,
family, or those we’ve spent a lot of time around. So, what we
weren’t able to get from them, we have to give to ourselves.

Look in the mirror. Tell yourself that you really and truly love
yourself and that you really and truly forgive yourself for all
of your shortcomings. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.
After all, you are only human. Tell yourself that you believe in
yourself. You’re gonna make it and God is on your side, and if
God is for you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)!

It will feel really awkward for a while until you get used to
hearing and seeing yourself speak to yourself this way, but it
works. Your self-esteem will improve dramatically!

Most people don’t realize that a lot of the reason why we feel
the way we feel is because of the way we think. Our thoughts
produce our feelings. You will obviously perform much better
when you feel good about yourself than if you keep thinking
you’re a failure.

If we’re ever going to be successful in life we must love
ourselves. We must feel deserving of success in order to have it
and enjoy it. We must be our own best friend and love ourselves
before we can love anyone else (Mark 12:31). Besides, God loves
you, why shouldn’t you?

This lesson will focus on the antichrist and what he will be
doing when he is kicked out of heaven. I know many believe by
the time the antichrist comes you have taken part in the
rapture. If this is the case then you may believe there is no
need for you to study this information. This is what makes the
rapture doctrine so dangerous. Let’s just suppose for a moment
you are wrong. You would be totally unprepared to deal with
tribulation and the deception that shall come upon the whole
world. We don’t insist you believe as we do but I urge you to
consider the information we have provided you on the rapture.
God says in Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for a lack of
knowledge” Make sure you are not one of those people. Consider
this not only are outsiders at odds with the rapture but those
who believe this doctrine are at odds with each other. There are
three different interpretations on when it will happen. This
doctrine is not sound and for this reason it has caused all
kinds of confusion. God is not the author of confusion 1 Cor.
14:33.

To start I think it is important to examine the title
“antichrist”. As English speaking people our first impression of
the title would be that it is in opposition or against the
Christ. This is not so in the Greek, from a prime root 473 in
the Greek dictionary of the Strong’s Concordance. It is defined
as instead of or in place of. We can determine from this
research that the antichrist is not coming openly in opposition
of Jesus but rather in the place of Jesus, playing that role.
This is how he is able to deceive the whole world. Many who have
been taught the rapture will think he is Jesus because of a lack
of knowledge. Let’s examine some of the names Satan has used
over the years and what he is really after.

Isaiah 14

12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken
the nations!

13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will
sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north:

14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High.

These verses show what Satan’s plan is. He wants to be God. This
name Lucifer 1966 in the Hebrew Dictionary is defined as “the
morning star”. This name belongs to Jesus and Satan will imitate
every detail we know about Jesus.

Revelation 22:16

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and
the bright and morning star.

We all know that Jesus is our Rock, that Rock on which Peter
would build the church. That immovable Rock on which we can
stand and not be moved. That same spiritual Rock our fathers
drank from in the desert with Moses. Well in true form Satan
uses this name also.

Ezekiel 28:12-19

12) Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus,
and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the
sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

The word Tyrus here 6865 in the Hebrew dictionary means “rock”.
In the following verses you will see this can only be speaking
of Satan.

13) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious
stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the
beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and
the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of
thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set
thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast
walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Here you see Satan was made a beautiful and wise cherub. He was
even given the position of guarding the mercy seat. In short he
had it all until iniquity was found in him. If you read verses
16-19 you will find that he fell because of his pride. He wanted
to sit in the mercy seat rather than protect it. It just so
happens this is were Christ sits. Satan wants to hold the
position of Christ and he will get his chance to play Christ
when he is thrown to the earth. He will be very convincing, he
is very capable of fooling you if you are not prepared to deal
with him. Unfortunately those who have been taught the rapture
likely will be fooled.

Now let’s look at some of the methods Satan uses to deceive.

2 Corinthians Chapter 11

2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ.

3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ.

4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have
not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye
might well bear with him.

Notice Paul is very concerned here that the reader might be
deceived. Why would paul be so concerned about us being deceived
if we are to be taken in a rapture before the deceiver comes to
the earth? Verse 4 makes this very clear. We have those here now
who are teaching another Jesus. The rapture teaches you that
Christ will come first. This is simply not true and it can
easily be proven. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 1-4 clearly
state we will not gather back until a falling away first and
that man of sin the son of perdition is revealed. Now let’s
think back to Eve and what happened in the garden. Satan used
God’s own words to deceive Eve. He simply put his own little
spin on them. Another place we can see this is were Christ was
tempted by Satan. This is a good test for anyone. Go to Matthew
4:6 and read what Satan said there. Can you see where he twisted
the scriptures? Now go to Psalms 91:11-12. Satan knows the
scriptures we need to be ready. Let’s read more about these
false teachers Paul is warning us about.

13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light.

15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall
be according to their works.

Here we see Satan himself will appear as an angel of light so
don’t be surprised if those who carry his message appear to be
“holy” men. Be careful the deception has already begun. We know
that Jesus is our Light, are you beginning to see the parallels
between the two?

Mark 13:21-23

21) And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ;
or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22) For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall
shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the
elect.

23) But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Here we are being warned directly from Christ about false
christs and deception. Why would He go to all the trouble to
warn us if we wouldn’t see these things happen. This does not
exclusively address the time before the tribulation. These false
christs will be showing signs and wonders. These are the
supernatural beings you can read about in Revelation chapter 9.
If you went to that chapter notice their power is in their mouth
in verse 19. You talk or in their case preach with your mouth.

Revelation 13 11-14

11) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Notice this beast which is the antichrist looks like the lamb.
Who is the lamb? Jesus is the Lamb slain who cleanses us with
His blood. He speaks as a dragon though, when he speaks he
speaks lies and deception. Over and over we have seen how Satan
imitates Jesus. if you have been taught the rapture these lies
will be hard to seperate from the truth.

12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before
him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down
from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of
those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the
beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and
did live.

Here we learn about the power and miracles that the antichrist
can perform. He is coming to deceive and he will deceive many.
Notice in verse 12 he caused those on the earth to worship the
beast. He didn’t make them. Verse 14 tells us he caused them to
worship the beast through the miracles and deception. We have
learned in this study that the antichrist will not come in
opposition to Christ but in the place of Christ. He will do
everything within his power to make us believe he is.

www.rapturerebuttal.com

Today, Feb. 8, 2,006, French President Jacques Chirac accused
newspapers printing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad of
“provocation”, after yet another French publication put the
contentious caricature on its pages. President Chirac said,
“Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly
religious convictions, must be avoided. Freedom of expression
must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility.” A conviction
is a strong belief in the truth of their religion, a strong
belief that their Holy Bible is the absolute truth, the Word of
God Himself.

The Old Testament is the Holy Bible of Judaism. The Old
Testament plus the New Testament is the Holy Bible of
Christianity. The Old Testament plus the New Testament plus the
Koran is the Holy Bible of Islam. To blaspheme is to say that
the Holy Bible is wrong, false, untrue, not the Word of God.
Galileo was a blasphemer. Galileo had a telescope. Galileo said
that the Earth was moving even though the Holy Bible says three
times that the Earth does not move and it never will. For his
blasphemy Galileo was imprisoned for years by the infallible
incapable of error Pope. The Pope would have executed Galileo
for his blasphemy which was a capital offense but the two men
were friends. The biggest blasphemer is your God, right in your
Holy Bibles. As you can see with Galileo, blasphemy is often
true.

To listen to the Televangelists, it would seem that there is a
complete consensus that every word in the Holy Bible is true,
the absolute truth word from God. Our telescopes to see what is
going on here is our Bible scholars. The Bible scholars of
Judaism, Christianity and Islam will all tell you the same
thing. God of Mount Sinai, aka God the Father, The Holy Spirit,
Jesus Christ, Allah, Elohim and Adonai carved the 10
commandments in stone Himself and gave them to Moses in 1200 BC.
Moses died in 1200 BC. The first book of the Old Testament,
Genesis was begun in 800 BC and the first 5 books of the Old
Testament were edited, added to and deleted from and finally
completed in 400 BC. The New Testament was begun in 100 AD, 70
years after the death of Jesus. It was edited, added to and
deleted from for 225 years until its completion in 325 AD, where
the Church Fathers elected Jesus God, because in the New
Testament Jesus says that he is God and he is not God. The
Prophet Muhammad could not read or write. The Koran was begun
decades after his death. The Koran was an attempt to correct,
straighten out the Old and the New Testament. We know that the
Old Testament was written by the Priests and the Prophets of the
time. We even know their names. They wrote laws and stories and
dialogues and commandments and they signed them “said God”,
“said Moses”, “said Abraham”, “said Adam”, “said Eve”, “said the
snake”, etc.

Other Biblical Prophets watched as the Bible Writers took the
name of God in vain for their own commandments and they railed
against this sin right in your Holy Bible endlessly. God said of
the Bible writing Priests and Prophets, “They say, ‘Says the
Lord’, when the Lord has not sent them.” Your God of Mount Sinai
called your Holy Bible writers forgers of His will. (Ezekiel
13:1-22). God said of the Bible writing Priests and Prophets,
“You Prophesy by Baal, Beelzebub, Satan!” (Jeremiah 2:8).
According to the accurate translation of the Hebrew Tanach, the
Old Testament, God said of the scribes, the bible writers: “They
reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the
prophet are confused with wine, they err in vision, they stumble
in giving judgment. All tables (God’s 2 stone tablets) are
covered with filthy vomit; no place is clean.” God accused your
bible writers of being ignorant drunks leading you all into
disaster by covering His Word, his 2 stone tables, with their
filthy vomit, your Holy Bible. (Isaiah 28:7-15). God of Mount
Sinai said in the Tanach that your Holy Bible writers wrote
“commandment upon commandment, line upon line, here a little,
there a little; in order that we all may go and fall backwards
and be broken and ensnared and taken.” (Isaiah 28:13). God
called the Old Testament other than the 2 tablets, “feces”. God
cursed the bible writers and their offspring and vowed to spread
the feces on their faces! (Malachi 2:1-3). God called his
covenant with Moses, Levi, the 10 commandments the “Truth”.

Jesus Christ was the Jewish born Rabbi, the Messiah of
Christianity and Islam. His job was to purify the 613
commandments in the Old Testament down to God’s 10. Jesus said
that when he returned he would command his angels to bring God’s
2 tablets into God’s Temple and gather up the Holy Bibles and
throw them into the fire and burn them. (Matt. 13:24-30 KJV).
Jesus Christ said that the Prophet Isaiah was right when God
said through Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13, “Full well you
reject the commandments of God, that you may keep your own
traditions. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:6-9 K.J.V.). Jesus
called the extra 603 commandments forgeries of men signed “God”,
and “heavy burdens grievous to be borne placed on men’s
shoulders by the scribes (bible writers) and Pharisees.”
(Matthew 23:1-4). In Matthew 23 Jesus launches into an absolute
diatribe, calling the bible writers venomous snakes spewing
their deadly poison into your bibles which poison would lead you
all into the fire.

Have you heard of 911? Why did it happen? Well, the Muslim men
who flew the 2 airplanes into the two twin towers of the World
Trade Center on September 11, 2001, honestly believed that they
did it on the orders of your God of Mount Sinai, who commands
them in the Koran to “Make War on the Jews and the Christians.”
Furthermore, these Muslim men also honestly believed to the
depths of their souls that the moment they hit the towers, they
would wake up in Heavenly Eternal Paradise with God of Mount
Sinai, 72 Virgins, and Wine with no side effects because they
read this in a book - that this would be their reward from God
of Mount Sinai for Making War on the Christians and Jews.
(Koran, Chapter, Sura, 9:29-30, and Chapter 56, Mecca). The Old
and the New Testament also have countless such commandments,
like in Psalm 2, where God tells the Messiah to break the
Heathen (King James Version), the Non Believers, like pottery
with a rod of iron into millions of pieces. Unfortunately Psalm
2 and the entire Old Testament has now been adopted by all 3
religions who now believe that all non group members, every man,
woman, and child, are the Heathen who God of Mount Sinai wants
pulverized, who God wants them to pulverize, for great eternal
rewards.

In retaliation for 911, the President of the United States
publicly announced to the World that he was launching a Crusade.
As every Muslim person knows, the Crusades were a thousand years
ago when the Pope led his Christian army across Europe,
massacring every Jew in their way, reclaiming the Holy Land,
until the Christian soldiers stood knee deep in Muslim blood in
Jerusalem. So far the President of the United States has
conquered Afghanistan and Iraq, and he is now threatening Syria
and Iran. According to the scribes, the bible Writers, Jesus
said that when he returned he would command his Christian Angels
to throw every last Non-Christian man, woman, and child into the
fire and massacre every last one of them because they all were
Devils, all 4 billion of them on Earth today. (Matthew
13:36-43).

The Christian and Muslim and Jewish children of God of Mount
Sinai following these scripts, these bibles, are presently
engaged in the beginning of Nuclear World War III against each
other. Every nuclear scientist knows that nuclear world war III
will have no survivors. Albert Einstein, Dwight David Eisenhower
and John Fitzgerald Kennedy all said, “The only way to win World
War III is to prevent it.” This statement is infinitely more
true today. Our only hope of survival is to make World Peace. As
long as there is Christianity, Islam and Judaism there will
never be peace on Earth. The Temple of Love is the only solution
for World Peace. Only The Temple of Love makes peace among and
unites Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Everyone else. The
Temple of Love works because we follow your own God’s map to
Peace on Earth forever.

Today, Feb. 8, 2,006, French President Jacques Chirac accused
newspapers printing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad of
“provocation”, after yet another French publication put the
contentious caricature on its pages. President Chirac said,
“Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly
religious convictions, must be avoided. Freedom of expression
must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility.” A conviction
is a strong belief in the truth of their religion, a strong
belief that their Holy Bible is the absolute truth, the Word of
God Himself. The burying your head in the sand approach so that
people cannot see you may work for ostriches but it will never
work for human beings. Only the truth will set you free.
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are now leading us all into the
Apocalypse and extinction, and even their God is a non believer
in these 3 religions, as He says endlessly right in your holy
bibles over and over again. If your own God does not believe in
your religion then why do you? The Religion that your God does
believe in that will prevent your extinction in the near future
is The Temple of Love, The World Peace Religion of your God of
Mount Sinai. See you there.

“In the Worst of All Places”

You’ve heard the saying that truth is stranger than fiction, but have you ever heard that all things are possible to God? I’m sure you have. And I’m sure that you believe it’s a true statement although it might sound like hyperbole. God does the impossible to affirm that He is Sovereign. And because He is Omnipotent, America’s history is sometimes stranger than fiction.

How could a crew of English settlers who had no political ambitions and while living aboard a small ship called the Mayflower write a document that would later seed a national democracy? How could a Native American by the name of Squanto, who just happened to speak English, one-day show up and offer his assistance in teaching the Pilgrims how to survive the new world wilderness? These anomalies speak louder than mere coincidences because of the national impact they had.

Yes, a greater Authority guided America in becoming a world power that has fed, ministered, and helped protect the entire world at one time or another in its history. This invisible hand over America, which has led men to the most unlikely places, is what I wish to speak to you about today.

The Westward Shift

America, America, truly God has poured His grace on you. Although the colony of Jamestown, Virginia, was the first English settlement in the New World, it certainly didn’t have the spiritual impact on the nation that the Pilgrims and Puritans had. Why? Jamestown was established with commerce in mind. They wanted wealth first and religion second. Not so with the Pilgrims and Puritans, they wanted a new Israel, a new Jerusalem where faith in Jesus Christ and His eternal Word would rule throughout their land.

They struggled for this dream and many died, but their blood became the seed that grew to become one nation under God. The Pilgrims actually made a covenant with God to establish His Kingdom in the New World. Throughout America’s history in times of its darkest despair, God has remembered that covenant and pulled her up to live again. This is amazing and happened in some very unusual ways.

Up to the time of the Revolutionary War, the Appalachian Mountains served as the natural western boundary of colonial America, but with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 the British ceded land north and west of the Appalachians to America. It was rich and fertile land and enticed especially New England farmers who had worn out the soil of their ancestors.

When Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 which established the government of the Northwest Territory, the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota were soon to follow. Also some years earlier, Daniel Boone had crossed the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, and stories soon flowed east about the virgin land with blue grass.

These land opportunities were just too good to pass up, and Americans caught the westward fever. Many historians credit the western expansion as the most important thing in American history for shaping the culture, society, and America’s fierce sense of rugged individualism. You either made it by the sweat of your brow, the toil of your hands, or you simply died out west.

What Kind of Religion

With America moving west, the concern among the eastern clergy was what would become of the Christian heritage of America. Would American settlers scatter in the vast wilderness, cutting themselves off from civilization, and become as heathen as the savages whose land they were invading? This was a genuine concern, considering America had been built on Judeo-Christian beliefs. But that was not God’s fear. He had a plan and purpose for the western movement, and it soon became apparent. An awakening was coming. It was coming in force and fury, and when it ended (if ever it did end), America would be stronger than ever in its faith in Jesus Christ. This is amazing in how it happened. It started in the most unlikely place on the face of the earth. It started in Logan County Kentucky.

One of the roughest counties in all Kentucky was Logan County, out in the southwest corner. Technically, it was under United States law, even before Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1796. The trouble was that no one on the frontier was designated to enforce the law, with the result that, as Congress would state, ‘the immunity which offenders experience attracts as to an asylum, the most vile and abandoned criminals, and at the same time deters useful and virtuous persons from making settlements in such society.’ If you were a horse thief, a robber, a murderer, or just real bad, you were probably in Logan County at this time. And from this very lot of bad bloods, God would later raise up a preacher, saved but just as fearless, to first fight them (literally fight them with his fists) and then win them to Jesus. Truly God works in mysterious ways.

In 1798 the Reverend James McGready, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian rode in to Logan County. With buckskin pants and plainspoken sermons, he was soon accepted by the frontiersmen as one of one their own. God had raised up three small congregations located on three of the rivers in Logan County, the Muddy, the Red, and the Gasper. McGready asked his parishioners to sign a covenant, agreeing to pray every Saturday night and Sunday morning, devoting the third Saturday evening and Sunday morning of each month to fasting and prayer.

Things seemed to get worse instead of better, but McGready encouraged the saints to keep praying. Within a year revival began to break out. The records report that the hardest and most vile sinners in the community ‘covered their faces and wept bitterly.’ In June of 1800 at the quarterly communion services at the Red River church, more than 500 hundred people showed up having heard of the earlier conversions. Some of these people had come from as far as 100 miles away from Logan County.

On the last day of the services that had been scheduled, the Spirit of the Lord flooded the place. In a moment’s time, the floor was ‘covered with the slain; their screams for mercy pierced the heavens.’ One could see ‘profane swearers and Sabbath-breakers pricked to the heart and crying ‘What shall we do to be saved?’ Word of the outpouring spread throughout the wilderness like wild fire.

McGready recruited some other preachers—some Baptist, some Presbyterian, and some Methodist to assist him with the large gatherings taking place. Tens of thousands were now pouring in with wagons and supplies to stay through the summer meetings. McGready would stand on an eight-foot podium and preach while his fellow ministers would take their places on the outskirts of the crowds and preach salvation messages. This way, everyone heard and was able to respond to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. From this frontier revival, began what has been recorded in American history as the second “Great Awakening.”

The Results of the Frontier Outpouring

When these crowds began to break up and travel home, they took a bit of the revival fire with them to their part of the western wilderness. Soon little church buildings began to appear. Many of those who were saved in the revivals gathered as Baptists and took pastors from their own rank and file to minister to them. These chosen few had no special credentials other than they were on fire for the Lord. What they lacked in learning, they made up with the Holy Spirit fire in their souls. The Baptist pastors worked their fields through the week and pastored flocks on Sundays. The Baptist congregations grew, forming a foundation that allowed the Baptists to grow to one of the largest Protestant denominations currently in America.

Those who joined together as Methodists were visited by Methodist’s circuit riders. George Whitefield had ridden a Methodist circuit across the eastern seaboard during the first “Great Awakening.” During the second awakening, Francis Asbury, as well as many others, rode Methodist circuits throughout the western frontier. This they did for many years, preaching and encouraging the small congregations in their newfound faith. With this personal attention, the Methodists in the west grew to rival the Baptists in size.

But what about the Presbyterians? They had been at the Gasper River outpouring. Did they take their faith back to their homes? Yes. They did, but something happened in the Presbyterian denomination that stopped them from taking a hold in the west. The Presbyterians split over the revivals that were happening. Some of them said that God was a “God of order” and would never use emotionalism to win the lost. They couldn’t get beyond the quaking, being slain, screaming and hollering, and barking that took place during the meetings. So, the Methodists and Baptists took up the slack.

Far from becoming pagan as many in the east had predicted, the western settlers became born again Christians on fire for the Lord. The unifying faith of Christ did more to bond the western settlers as one nation of Americans than any other unifying factor in early American history. The second “Great Awakening” which had began in a rogue county in Kentucky at the turn of the 19th century, continued in pocket revivals throughout the entire century.

Also, the second awakening did something unique from any other move of God in world history. Christians began to develop a keen sense of “beyond the church house ministry” mentality. They began to join together, no matter what the denomination affiliation, and work for a common goal of getting the Church ready for the coming Kingdom of God.

They joined together to fight slavery, hunger, alcoholism, poverty, and many more social problems in America. The Christian community developed an aggressive social conscience. In 1804 some young college students were walking across an open field when a thunderstorm blew up. They quickly took shelter under a haystack. While waiting for the storm to surrender, they joined hands and pledged their lives to missions in Asia. This was a radical concept. Up to this time, very little attention had been given to missions beyond the wilderness in America. The Haystack Prayer Meeting is now famous for the foundation it laid and the opening for the Gospel it generated in Asia and around the world.

Then again, the second awakening readied this nation for the coming tragedy of the American Civil War, the death and carnage of brother against brother. On the brighter side, it prepared America for the grand crusades of Charles G. Finney and D.L. Moody. America was greatly influenced by the second “Great Awakening.”

It’s amazing how God’s hand has directed this nation. When many said we were doomed to heathenish by the exodus west in the late 1700s, God had other plans. He always has a plan and the upper hand. God is sure to honor His covenant relationship with America’s first settlers at Plymouth Rock as long as Americans keep seeking Him.

Although America has had many hard and difficult times, and continues to wane at times, God can always find a remnant of His people to stand the gap for this nation. This is the land we love. When believers begin to pray by laying aside all denominational barriers and theological differences, the Spirit of the Living God goes to work, restoring this great land to her national heritage.

Yes, we are one nation under God. We are one nation founded as a light unto this world. We are one nation commissioned to uphold the old rugged cross of Jesus Christ. We must never let our light dim. We must fan the flame, and pray that God will continue the work He started in America from sea to shining sea, even in the most unlikely places, in His most willing way.

May God forever bless America, my home sweet home.

Pastor Terry Dashner
Faith Fellowship Church
PO Box 1586
Broken Arrow, OK 74013
918-451-0270
dash0355@cs.com

About the Author

Writes history articles about faith in early America (918-451-0270).

Heb. 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” What does this mean? It can’t mean that Jesus Christ has never changed.

As the Logos He was co-eternal, enjoying equality with Father and Spirit (Phil. 2:6; John 1:1). Was His incarnation a change? Was it! It was an emptying of cosmic dimensions (Phil. 2:7). But more change was ahead: “Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him….” (Heb. 5:8-9). “He learned… He suffered… He became…” all involved change. But that’s not all. “He suffered death” (Heb. 2:9). Then, God raised Him and exalted Him (Acts 2:32-33; Phil. 2:9).

Sounds like a lot of change. So what does it mean that Jesus Christ is timelessly the same? The context provides the answer. In verses 5 and 6 the author says we must keep free of the love of money because God is dependable, always trustworthy to help us when we’re in need. Then he turns to the local church leaders, holding them up as models worthy of our trust. Finally, he focuses attention on Christ’s dependability.

Look at the past. Christ has been trustworthy in serving your highest interests, even to the point of giving up His riches for the poverty of His earthly life (2 Cor. 8:9), then giving up life itself. Over and over He proved He was your steadfast friend.

Look at the present. At this very moment, Jesus Christ stands before God pleading in behalf of His brothers and sisters (Rom. 8:34). He is our Advocate in the court of heaven (1 John 2:1).

Look at the future. His confession of us to the Father will be the deciding factor in whether we are saved or lost (Matt. 10:32-33). Nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38-39).

This rock-solid dependability of Jesus Christ becomes the unchanging reality on which we can base our lives. It provides a dynamic power from which we can operate. It inspires our hope and energizes our courage.

Don’t you wish we were so dependable?

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.org for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore “The Shallows,” plumb “The Depths,” or use the well-organized “Study Links” for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve’s free “DeeperStudy Newsletter.”

What Do you mean closing there doors? Close doors on Sunday! What in God’s wisdom are they thinking of? Well certainly not it being Sunday. No its Christmas day they are referring to. And though there reasons are not spiritual they make sense; surprisingly are supported by spirituals.

In spite of this that is not why, at least in my opinion they may finally have got it right. Yep it’s that history thing again. That subject we pay so little attention to. The beautiful rendition of Christ’s birth by Luke the Physician and Christ’s historian:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the entire world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:1-11

For today’s Christian, the origin of Christmas is, and should be, the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible; they should accept nothing neither more nor nothing less.

However, most of what we witness and celebrate each December 25 regardless of which day it falls has absolutely nothing to do with that blessed day, which probably occurred in late summer or early fall about 2,000 years ago. In fact, most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin:

The date of December 25th believed to have been the ancient “birthday” of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D.; who was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome being well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire, converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday began the week prior to December 25th became known as Saturnalia. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen boughs in procession throughout the Roman temples.

Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ; it is believed that in 336 AD that Emperor Constantine with his own conversion to Christianity officially converted this pagan tradition into the “Christian” holiday of Christmas.

Again writing about a religous yet most historical event proves informative and fun.

Catholic Bible Study Series Continues to Grow and Provide New
Resources Author Interview with Laurie Watson Manhardt, PhD,
Come and See: The Synoptics by Lisa M. Hendey

Interest in bible study resources written from a Catholic
perspective remains strong, as evidenced by the close to 5.5
million results yielded from a recent Google search on the
topic. The challenge, however, is selecting a study that is both
spiritually productive and in line with the teachings of the
Catholic Church.

Emmaus Road Publishing, a Catholic organization, has a strong
commitment to providing Catholic bible study resources. With the
recent publication of Come and See: The Synoptics, the latest in
the Come and See Catholic Bible Study series, Emmaus Road
augments the resources available to Catholics looking to study
scripture. As an added benefit, the series provides an
opportunity for Catholic parents to share their love of the
Bible with their children. The series’ children’s books combine
learning with craft activities for a result that is both
educational and entertaining. A new addition to the Come and See
series is the video component, which provides added commentary
in a visually and intellectually stimulating format.

I had an opportunity to speak with series co-author Laurie
Watson Manhardt, Ph.D. concerning recent developments in the
Come and See Catholic Bible Study series.

Q: Please give an update on the series.

A: “Come and See - Catholic Bible Study” is currently being used
by about 35 groups around the country in a variety of ways. Some
homeschooling families are doing the study for a “Family Night.”
Couples are doing the study for neighbors in mixed marriages.
Parishes are doing the study for Moms and pre-schoolers.
Teenagers are doing the study with Fr. Ponessa in Montana and
inmates are doing the study in a prison in Florida. The Lord
seems to have a wide variety of ideas for inviting His people
into the study of His Word. Q: Please describe the new Synoptics
study. How does study of the Synoptics vary from your study of
John? A: The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke are
studied side by side to gain a deeper appreciation of the
evangelists’ insights into the life and ministry of Jesus of
Nazareth, Our Redeemer. Monsignor Jan Majernik, STD from the
Franciscan School of Biblical Studies in Jerusalem, who has been
a spiritual director for pilgrims to the Holy Land for two
decades brings a rich understanding of Catholic theology along
with the biblical geography of the Holy Land. A series of videos
offer short wrap-up lectures that include scenes of the Holy
Land and classic Christian art to draw hearts and minds into the
beauty and mystery of the life, ministry, passion and death of
Jesus Christ, Our Savior. These are particularly appealing for
the visual learners among us. Q: Can you tell us a bit about the
new members of your team who are assisting with your work and
writing? A: Fr. Jan Liesen, SSD, the Pontifical Institute of
Biblical Studies in Rome, who currently teaches at the Seminarie
Rolduc in Kerkraade, the Netherlands taught us in the Summer
Catholic Bible Study School offered by Renewal Ministries at Ave
Marie College in Michigan last summer. He spoke about the Gospel
of Mark pointing to the Eucharist. This year, he will be writing
our next book in the series on the Old Testament book of
“Sirach.” Q: What led to the development of the video resources
that accompany your study and what benefit do they bring to
those who use them? A: Fr. Ponessa and Monsignor Majernik have
thousands of slides of the Holy Land. I have been collecting
classic Christian art depicting biblical scenes from the life of
Jesus from museums and churches around the world. We pooled our
resources and I cut up my art books to share with those who want
to delve deeper into the Sacred Scriptures and for those who
learn better through visual images than the printed word. The
result is an additional short commentary with visuals to add to
the written commentary in the book. Q: Please let us know, once
again, the value of a solid Catholic bible study program?

A: God wants to draw each of us deeper into His great and
personal love for us. The Sacred Scriptures are one way that God
speaks to us, comforts us, leads and guides us. Studying the
Bible along with the Catechism of the Catholic Church allows us
to grow into Christian maturity and understand more clearly the
beauty and fullness of truth of the Catholic faith. Catholic
Moms have a responsibility to KNOW their Catholic faith, so they
can LIVE their Catholic faith, and TEACH the Catholic faith to
their children. Q: What comments and feedback have you had from
participants in your Bible Study programs? Last week a doctor
from Michigan e-mailed that he had tried a Bible Study, which
was too difficult for the people in his parish and they became
discouraged. The found the “Come and See ~ Catholic Bible Study”
to be both orthodox and lay person friendly. It was something
that busy lay people could manage in their regular prayer time.
One young Mom started doing her study and reading the Catechism
of the Catholic Church. Suddenly, she looked up and found that
two hours had passed and she had spent her children’s whole nap
time enthralled in her reading. After studying “The Gospel of
John” in a prison in Montana, all the inmates (even the ones who
weren’t Catholic!) decided they wanted to go to Confession in
Holy Week. Several wanted to study for baptism and confirmation
in the Catholic Church. Fr. Ponessa was too busy to start an
RCIA class for one lady, so he gave her “The Gospel of John”
book to read and do on her own. She completed it with members of
her family and they all asked to be baptized and come into the
Church. Several ladies in a class in Florida encouraged one
another in their small group to celebrate the Sacrament of
Reconciliation after having been away for several decades. They
all went one Saturday morning to pray for and encourage one
another as they went to Confession. A home-schooling family in
Michigan learned that the children could memorize scripture
better than the parents. And the youngest daughter completed
almost all of the crafts in one sitting! Q: What words of
encouragement would you share with those who have perhaps never
studied the Bible or do not have an opportunity to do so in
their home parishes? A: Just do it! Pray for one or two other
people to study the Bible together. One young Mom from your web
site contacted me from a small parish in a small town in Texas.
She put an ad in the bulletin and prayed for just one other Mom
to study with. In the middle of the winter, I got an e-mail
requesting a book to be sent to another young Mom in the same
town and learned that they had more than a dozen women doing
Bible Study together! God answers prayer. God is pleased when we
study His Word, whether there are 2 of us or 200 of us. Whether
we are Moms and tots or couples or teens or older folks, God is
inviting us to draw deeper into His Word and to grow closer to
Him. Q: What’s next? Can you share your future plans for this
wonderful bible study series? A: Presently, we have four adult
books and two children’s books. Come and See KIDS: Friends of
God should come out next summer, along with Come and
See~Catholic Bible Study: Sirach. For those who are interested,
Renewal Ministries will offer another wonderful Catholic Bible
Study School this summer from July 13-16, 2006 in Michigan. Go
to www.RenewalMinistries.net for more information. We hope to
have Fr. Ponessa and Fr. Jan Liesen there to teach us once
again. Everyone is invited and expected to be blessed and
inspired! Q: Are there any additional comments you’d like to
share? A. If God puts a desire in your heart to study the Bible,
please GO FOR IT! You don’t need to be a scholar. You don’t need
special training or a college degree. St. Catherine of Siena
couldn’t read or write and she is a Doctor of the Church! Don’t
be fearful or intimidated. Pray about it. Get a Catholic Bible
and start with “The Gospel of John.” God will draw near to you
as you make an effort to study His Word. The Holy Spirit can
give you insights and understanding beyond your years or your
expectations. Contact CatholicBibleStd@aol.com and we will be
happy to answer your questions or give you some encouragement.
To order a Catholic Bible, Catechism of the Catholic Church, and
our Come and See ~ Catholic Bible Study books and videos contact
Emmaus Road Publishing at 1 (800) 398-5470 or www.EmmausRoad.org
May God bless you and draw you deeper into His Word and deeper
into His immense and personal love for you! For more information
on Come and See: The Synoptics visit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931018316/catholicmomcom

Lisa M. Hendey is a mother of two sons, webmaster of numerous
web sites, including http://www.catholicmom.com and
http://www.christiancoloring.com, and an avid reader of Catholic
literature. Visit her at http://www.lisahendey.com for more
information.

The internet is a great resource of information on all kinds of topics, including religion. Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of religious intolerance and just plain bad information on the internet as well.

Of course, even generally trusted sources of information such as dicitonaries, encyclopedias, and textbooks contain some errors.

As an example, I have a Dictionary of Christianity which says that Lutherans believe in consubstantiation. However, if you ask a Lutheran pastor, he will say this is not true.

Newspapers are presumably more likely to contain errors due to the fact that news stories develop quickly and they don’t always have time to verify all of the information being presented before press time.

With the internet, it is even more important to be discerning in what you read. Afterall, anybody with no training or credentials of any kind can self-publish on the internet. As a result, you will find all kinds of opinions on the internet, and lots of information being published with little or no effort to verify sources.

As they say, “You can’t believe everything you read.” There’s a supposedly Japanese version that goes like this: “If you believe everything you read, better not read.” Of course, in our modern society it would be hard to get along without reading. So, it obviously would make more sense to adopt a few guidelines for reading in a discerning way to avoid being “taken in” by bad information. Below is an attempt at a few such guidelines with a particular focus on evaluating information regarding religious topics.

1) Consider the source.

a. Is the author hostile toward the religion they are discussing? If so, they are probably not an unbiased and trustworthy source of information.

b. Does the author go in for conspiracy theories? If so, they are probably easily duped by false information which they may then pass on to others.

c. Is the author an apparently unbiased outsider? If so, much of their information may be from other outsiders, some of whom may be hostile, so they may be unknowingly spreading false information.

d. Is the author a zealous insider? If so, they may be trying very hard to promote their own point of view with little regard to checking facts.

e. Is the author an apparently unbiased insider? If so, the author may attempt to be unbiased, but may be influenced by information from other biased sources.

2) Check sources.

a. Does the author tell you the source of his information? In most cases, the author is not the originator (primary source) of the information. If they don’t give their sources, how can you verify that their sources are trustworthy?

b. If the author has listed sources, who are those sources? Are they likely to be biased or unbiased?

c. Some authors may include a very long list of sources in order to impress the reader, which also makes it harder to check all of them. Who has the time? If this is the case, try to determine which sources are the most important and check them first.

3) Verify accuracy.

a. If possible, verify that the author has not misquoted his sources or taken them out of context.

b. As much as possible, verify dates, facts, and figures.

The author, Greg Bonney, is the owner of Bonney Information and E-Commerce and founder of Scoutcamping.com (http://www.scoutcamping.com).

Copyright © 2005 Bonney Information and E-Commerce.

See cover of book at http://www.blackshear.newsgeorgia.com/articles/index.cfm?artoid=271095&draft=

IS JESUS CHRIST STILL THE SAME TODAY AS YESTERDAY? Does He really care about our daily lives? My book, My Walk with the Lord, gives true examples of how He works in our daily lives.

Summary
This book of true stories based on scriptural fact is a modern day book of the Acts. You will be amazed, you will laugh, you will cry as your eyes are opened to see how much Jesus loves and cares for you.

Keywords
SHORT STORIES, INSPIRATIONAL, FAITH, JESUS, PRAYER, FAMILY, SINGLE PARENTS, BOOKS, ANGELS, DREAMS, FINANCIAL, HEALINGS, CHILDREN, CHRISTMAS, DEATH, NEIGHBORS

Press Release Body
I recently wrote and had published my first book, My Walk with the Lord. This book contains short testimonies of how the Lord has led me, guided me, and used me for the past 17+ years. The local newspaper editor wrote an article about it and said “This book is well worth reading. This publisher read the manuscript before it was published and wept…..the vignettes in the book will appeal to everyone in their varied walks in life. Some of the stories are accounts that are nothing short of miraculous.”President George Bush wrote upon receipt of my book “Thank you for your kind gesture”.Georgia Governor Perdue wrote “……I especially appreciate the way that you have allowed God to use you and your gift of writing to help others. Thank you for sharing your writings with me.”Major General Eric Olson wrote “…your book will be placed in the base library for service members and their families. Your life experiences are an inspiration to everyone.”Elsie from Florida wrote “…I couldn’t put it down until I had read the whole book!!!”From Dr Reed, a friend of John Hagee, San Antonio Texas…”It means so much to me!”From Tennessee…”Your book has been a great blessing!”From Florida “..I was so excited to get your book..I read it all the first night! I feel truly blessed”From Texas “If anyone hasn’t yet read this book, it is a must read! Once I began to read, I couldn’t put it down!”From a reader from Barnes and Noble “..I don’t read many books, but reading this book I could not put it down until I finished.”From Texas “received the book and began reading…I can’t hardly put it down..”From South Carolina “…you caused me to stay up until 3AM reading your book…I couldn’t put down the book.”A reviewer from Writer’s Digest wrote “…This is a very lively book and nicely produced in all respects. The author’s voice is friendly and down-to-earth and the material is very personal in a way that invites readers into the book as well as entertains…..The author’s stories, taken from real life, are the kind of reading we all can enjoy since they involve people and people’s experiences. Certainly his life of prayer will provide an inspiration to all.”My book was released on 18 November 2003, and over 350 copies have been distributed. One man bought 20 copies to give as gifts to his friends. It has spread across the United States and is in England, Iraq, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Many of the short stories have been distributed to other people, and they have been blessed.

Some of the stories can be viewed at http://www.goarticles.com/ or http://www.faithwriters.com/ or http://www.authorzone.com/ . My book is listed on http://www.campusi.com/ www.selahbooks.com and amazon, booksamillion and barnes and noble. The ISBN code is 1589301137

Irvin L. Rozier

iwcroga@aol.com

About the Author

author, preacher, retired military