The Great Separation

What Can this Video Teach Us about Oursleves?

God's Best - I saw this video last week and it reminded me of the principle of delayed gratification. It's a principle our society does not practice on the whole and not practicing it continues to lead us down an easy path away from God the Father.

It's a fun video to watch and one I had laugh at, but consider today how our culture teaches that we should give into our passions in life for things like fast money, sex, and success. Take the short cuts the world says. "Why wait? Here's your birth control. You're going to do it anyway." That's a lie from Satan. God tells us to wait for His best. He's provided us the principles to living a life of passion and purity that I believe is so much more better than what the world offers.

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

Comments? Feel free to leave them.

Christ over Life in Iran for Two Women.

They hate you because of me - This is a must see. These two women, Maryam and Marzieh have chosen Christ over comfort and the world's freedom.

Visit http://www.freethemm.com/ to see how you can help.
 

Free Themm - Afshin Ziafat from Free Themm on Vimeo.

For further information on Christian persecution around the globe the Christian Persecution Blog is a good source.

And We Wonder Why the Kids 'Grow Up' So Fast.

Perversion begets perversion - In doing some reading on the web yesterday I came across this item that really just sickens me. It speaks to the perversion that is woven into society and how our culture regards sex and our children.

Sara Nelson writes for the Daily Mail:

A father-of-two has spoken of his disgust after spotting fruity cartoon characters appearing to have sex on SWEET wrappers.

 

Simon Simpkins was buying Haribo MAOAM sour candies for his children when he noticed the 'pornographic' illustrations of limes, lemons and cherries romping with each other.

Mr Simpkins, of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, said: 'The lemon and lime are locked in what appears to be a carnal encounter. 

The article, Father's fury over children's 'pornographic' sweet wrappers, includes photos of the wrappers which I won't display here because I do find them vulgar - particularly the expression on one of the cartoon characters.

The point though is that these candies are of course geared toward the youth. What does it say about a culture's mindset that it no longer seeks to protect its youth from risky, life altering, behavior but instead encourages that behavior through not only its media, music, and now candy?

Oklahoma Pastor Slain.

Horrific - This is a stunning crime of hatred:

Slaying details of Oklahoma City pastor shocking
SLAIN PASTOR WAS DISCOVERED NUDE IN A ‘CRUCIFIX POSITION’ AT ANADARKO CHURCH

Police found the mutilated body of the Rev. Carol Daniels in a "crucifix position” behind her church altar last Sunday, The Oklahoman learned from sources close to the investigation.

Sources confirmed that Daniels’ bloodied corpse appeared to have been left in the form of a cross with both arms outstretched to the sides. Sources also said investigators were disturbed by two other facts at the crime scene....

Be sure to be in prayer for her family and this community.

Oh, if you follow the link there is a news cast report on the page.

I had Chinese this evening and got this fortune

Change is inevitable, except for vending machines.

Question: Is this life meant to be enjoyed?

Saturday Night Live Video on Spending: 'Don't Buy Stuff.'

So true it's funny. - I don't tend to watch a lot of Saturday Night Live stuff, but when I saw this via a twitter I just had to post it.

Representative Conyers Says It's Pointless to Read the Health Care Bill.

Say what!!? - You must be joking with me. A US House of Representative member says there's no point in reading the Health Care bill because it is too long and you will need two lawyers to interpret it?

See it for yourself:

To which I ask, WHY PASS IT THEN!!!????

Good grief. This is taxation without representation. What's more it's asinine.

If a bill is so large and so convoluted that someone with a highschool education can't understand it then it shouldn't be passed.

Uzbekistan: "Joy" Children's Holiday Camp Under Criminal Investigation.

They hate you because of me - I just received this press release from Forum 18, an organization which monitors and promotes religious freedom.

This report is about the religious persecution by the government which a Baptist organization is currently undergoing.

By Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18 News Service http://www.forum18.org>

Uzbekistan's Baptist Union is facing criminal charges brought by Tashkent
City Prosecutor's office for allegedly unlawfully teaching children
religion, and for supposedly misusing their property in a resort area as a
summer camp, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Local Baptists are very
concerned by the claims and think that Pavel Peichev, the Baptist Union's
Chair faces huge fines, the confiscation of the property, imprisonment, or
some combination of these penalties. No officials from either the state
Religious Affairs Committee or Uzbekistan's Ombudsperson's office were
willing to discuss the case with Forum 18 on 28 July.

The criminal charges brought by Tashkent City Prosecutor's are against the
Baptist leaders in charge of "Joy," a children's summer camp run in
Bostanlyk in the Tashkent Region, which belongs to Uzbekistan's Union of
Baptists. The charges relate to the Criminal Code's articles 145 part 2 and
190 part 2 point b and accuse the Baptists of:

- violating the rules of arrangement and maintenance of children's health
camps;

- violating the fire-prevention rules in the period 2006-2009;

- unlawfully using Baptist property for a children's camp;

- selling vouchers for the camp in cash;

- and "involving under-age children in religious organisation as well as
teaching them religion against the will of the children, their parents or
persons substituting them".

Bible School Raided by Chinese Public Security Bureau.

They hate you because of me - I received this press release today from China Aid:

JIANGSU – A Bible school run by Vice-President of the Chinese House Church Alliance (CHCA) Pastor Shi Enhao was raided on July 16 at 11:30 a.m. (Beijing time) in Suqian city, Jiangsu province. Pastor Shi and 11 students were taken to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) office and questioned. They were all released around 5 p.m. the same day. The students were sent back to their hometowns and warned not to come back for Bible study. The school is part of a Bible education school run by CHCA, and has been in existence for several years without any problems from authorities.

It's hard to imagine being told that you can't go to Bible school. Can you imagine here in America the FBI or say the Homeland Security Agency raiding your Bible study class on Wednesay? And then they tell you not to return again? Would you disobey that order?

China Aid offers this course of action if you would like to speak against this action taken against the school:

Contact the Chinese embassy on behalf of the Bible school and ask that students be allowed to study the Bible and worship freely. 
Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong
3505 International Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 495-2000
Fax: (202) 588-9760

NOTE: If you are a citizen of another country, please click here to find the contact information of the Chinese embassy in your own nation http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/2490/.

For further information on Christian persecution around the globe the Christian Persecution Blog is a good source.