A few years back a former co-worker stumbled upon my Facebook page. In a note, he read about my faith. He messaged me and asked me why I became one of "those religious people".
I don't know why this popped into my head recently but I feel that it needs to be addressed.
Throughout centuries, religion has been used to manipulate, control, condemn, enslave, abuse and execute people. No religion is innocent.
So first, I am not a religious person. Yes, I attend church on a regular basis and read the bible quite a bit. But no, I am not perfect nor do I see myself better than anyone else spiritually. I don't believe that a set of rules or works will get me into heaven. What I do believe is that I am a sinner. That I mess up all the time.
What I am is a woman crazy about Jesus. I love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
So what convinced me to follow Jesus?
Hope.
Yeah, I said hope. The one thing that keeps human beings from curling into the fetal position and giving up.
In my time of searching to figure out what was true I learned about a lot of different beliefs. They were interesting, tempting, and promised connection but the one thing I found that they all lacked was hope.
I can't say I looked into all belief systems but I will just tell you about the ones that I did.
Catholicism - (screeching brakes) wait a second, aren't they Christians? I am sure that a great many individuals in the catholic church are bible believing, Jesus loving Christians but then again, many (just like any denomination) attend out of tradition. What I learned in my short stint with catholicism was that if I didn't confess my sins to a priest, didn't pray so many rosaries, didn't take first communion or confirmation, wasn't baptised by the catholic church, didn't pray to Mary, didn't perform so many works, I couldn't go to heaven. By their rules and regulations, I was doomed.
Buddhism - Buddhism is the belief that we can become enlightened and work toward being free from affliction, suffering and rebirth by acheiving Nirvana, or continuing on in the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth to help others achieve enlightenment. While the idea of reincarnation used to intrigue me, and the thought that the things that happen in this life are the result of a past life, to me really didn't make sense. This life was enough for me, the thought of coming back again? Not one of hope. What if I made some mistake along the line and came back to a life of horrendous pain and suffering? How did I know if my next life would be amazing, what would I have to do to make that happen?
Islam - The path to heaven includes confessing faith in one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; recitation of five prayers daily; giving alms; fasting throughout Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca. Confessing and repenting one's sins is between the person and God, made only to Allah and for Allah. Strict obedience to God's laws (conveyed in the Qur'an) and His prophet's doctrine is required. You can make up for your sins by suffering in on this earth. Suffering is desired by Allah to erase one's sins. Some suffering is Satan's doing or is the work of his spirit world cohorts ("Jinn") and is allowed by Allah as a test of humility and faith; suffering and adversity strengthen one's faith, as pain often leads to repentance and prayer. But there is still no guarantee that you will go to heaven.
Wicca - is basically the worship and respect of nature they do believe in a creator. They believe in the law of three, basically whatever you put out, you get back three fold. they also believe in reincarnation. that when you die to go to a place to await rebirth, there is no final place like heaven or hell.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when we die, our bodies go into the grave and our souls go to sleep to await the return of Jesus and the resurrection for judgement. Only 144,000 will go to heaven and the rest will either live on the earth forever or will be destroyed completely in hell. They also believe that they are the only ones that truly know God and that everyone else will be destroyed.
I don't know about you but for me, one lifetime on this earth is enough! So what is it about Jesus that drew me to Him.
For many years I struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts. Meds didn't work for long, exercise and good diet didn't work for long. Having a great job didn't lead to lasting happiness. It seemed like nothing I tried kept the darkness at bay.
One day someone invited me to church. I had only ever been to church at Christmas a few times, for weddings and funerals and as I kid I kept my friend company at the catholic church she went to while her parents stayed home and watched tv. So I went to Bethel Gospel Tabernacle in Hamilton Ontario. It was so different than anything I had ever seen before! Within a few months, I had actually heard the gospel. I learned about Jesus' birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, him appearing to people for 40 days after his death and then ascending in front of many witnesses. I learned what sin was in God's eyes. And in a way it scared me! Of course I had sinned. WE all sin! Was it enough for a person to be good to get to heaven? No! God says that our good deeds are like filthy rags. Doesn't sound like much hope right? But Jesus. For centuries the Jewish people would sacrifice animals to pay for their sins but the sacrifice was only good for one year. So Jesus.
Jesus was a man born of a virgin, lived a sinless life and willingly died on the cross and shed his blood for the sins of all men. When he died on the cross, there was darkness for about three hours, there was a massive earth quake and the 18 inch thick curtain that separated the holy of holies from the common people tore from the top to the bottom. (that was one huge curtain)
So now the hope.
If Jesus died and stayed dead then there is no hope. But that isn't what happened. On the third day, the women went to his grave to prepare his body and found that the tomb he was buried in was empty. When they went to the men who followed Jesus and told them, two of the men, Peter and John raced to the tomb to see for themselves. What they found was the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in laying there and the head cloth folded up and set aside. Once the men left, Mary stayed behind and Jesus appeared to her first!
So what does it mean?
Jesus defeated death, but he had willingly died and shed His blood to make a way for us to finally be able to stand before God. The hope is this: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead, you will be saved. There is nothing else that you need to do to be guaranteed a place in heaven. Reject him and it means eternal separation from God.
Someone posted the other day that they didn't want to go to heaven if there were going to be rapists, killers, child abusers etc there. But I countered with, "there will be rapists, killers and child abusers in hell but it won't be a nice place to be. So be in the most amazing place with no sickness pain or sorrow, or be in a place of eternal darkness and suffering but it's your choice."
Jesus is Hope. He is the hope of an eternity filled with love, peace, good health and beauty. No proving yourself, no measuring up. Just trust in Him. He does the rest.
The day that I accepted Christ was the last day that I struggled with debilitating depression. I have never needed another medication for depression. I have never felt overwhelmed with suicidal thoughts. And I have never felt completely hopeless or alone again.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Monday, April 17, 2017
Calling myself a Christian no more....
2 billion people on the earth call themselves Christians.
2 BILLION!!!
I'm not buying it.
If 2 billion people on this planet are truly followers of Christ, I have to ask the following:
How are there millions of abortions happening each year?
How do thousands upon thousands of children die from lack of food and clean water each year?
Why are veterans and seniors and the mentally ill homeless?
Why are people not being healed of diseases, raised from the dead and delivered from demonic oppression?
From here on out, I no longer identify as a Christian. I am a following of Jesus Christ.
So what's the difference?
Well, let's look at the church! Look at all the people that file through the doors on Sunday morning, and what do you see? They look no different than the rest of the world. They dress the same, they mouth the songs, they bow their heads, they warm the seats, they shake hands with the people and then it's back into the world. They struggle with infidelity, immodesty, foul language, alcohol/drug/sex/food/internet addictions, illness, jealousy, anger, anxiety, depression and so on and so on.
So what is missing??
The Power of the Holy Spirit and a true relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 10:18 Jesus told the disciples to Heal the sick,[d]cleanse the lepers, [e]raise the dead, cast out demons.
In Matthew 16:17 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
As followers of Christ, we should also be doing these things. But in the church these days we see people attending church every Sunday with no relief from their afflictions.
And why?
Fear
Pride
Control
Unbelief
Lack of teaching
Over the past five years, I have been on a personal journey learning from amazing authors and preachers about what the bible says about healing, deliverance and spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The secular world mocks Christians while they flock to psychics, ghost hunters, clairvoyants, mediums etc. not realizing that they are exposing themselves to the spiritual realm. These are all things that Christians have been warned to stay away from but some regularly visit energy healers and participate in all kinds of new age practices which give the enemy legal authority over them.
While a Christian cannot be possessed, they can be oppressed, tormented and become physically ill due to the influence of evil spirits in their lives. So why is the church not doing what Jesus told his followers to do?
Fear
Five years ago when I first experienced deliverance for myself, the reactions I got from friends and family ranged from mild amusement to outright "Cori's a religious freak." And at first, I was a bit hesitant to talk about it again, but then I got mad. Was I going to allow my worry about what other people might think to stop me from doing what Jesus asked me to do? No!
Pride
My experience with deliverance was pretty drastic. I think that some people are afraid of looking like a fool if they go for deliverance. Sometimes deliverance is quiet and calm, but sometimes there is shrieking, belching, and vomiting.
Control.
People don't want to give up control but the control they have is just an illusion. When healing and deliverance happens, sometimes a person loses control of themselves. Sometimes they go into a trance, sometimes they scream uncontrollably, sometimes they start laughing uncontrollably. A person who is afraid to give up control to God will have a hard time going through full deliverance.
Unbelief
A lot of people that go to church don't believe in demons, the need for deliverance or the gift of healing even though the bible talks about it a lot. 25 times, Jesus cast out demons. He healed a great number of people throughout the gospels and the disciples after his ascension did as well.
Lack of Teaching
Over the last 100 years, the church has focused more on teaching the gospel and getting people saved then it has teaching on the reality of spiritual warfare, healing and deliverance. The results are congregations full of people not living in the freedom that Jesus died for. And for the outside world, what we have is not attractive because we look just like them. We're living with mental and physical illness, addictions, and so on. The church needs to get back to teaching about spiritual warfare, healing prayer and casting out demons, otherwise, we will not walk in our full authority in Christ.
In Africa, missionaries share testimonies of demonic manifestations, blind people receiving their sight, the sick being made well and the dead being raised. Reinhard Bonnke, an evangelist from Florida-based Christ for All Nations, has witnessed amazing miracles when he has preached throughout Africa. A young British woman* whose right side had been paralyzed since infancy. experienced a tingling in her disabled extremities and as people watched, the woman's underdeveloped right foot grew to its normal adult size.
The Western church needs to set aside their fear, pride, control issues, unbelief and lack of teaching return to teaching the fullness of the Scriptures to see true transformation and revival.
*as told to the houston chronicle - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Known-as-conduit-for-divine-miracles-in-Africa-6083035.php
2 BILLION!!!
I'm not buying it.
If 2 billion people on this planet are truly followers of Christ, I have to ask the following:
How are there millions of abortions happening each year?
How do thousands upon thousands of children die from lack of food and clean water each year?
Why are veterans and seniors and the mentally ill homeless?
Why are people not being healed of diseases, raised from the dead and delivered from demonic oppression?
From here on out, I no longer identify as a Christian. I am a following of Jesus Christ.
So what's the difference?
Well, let's look at the church! Look at all the people that file through the doors on Sunday morning, and what do you see? They look no different than the rest of the world. They dress the same, they mouth the songs, they bow their heads, they warm the seats, they shake hands with the people and then it's back into the world. They struggle with infidelity, immodesty, foul language, alcohol/drug/sex/food/internet addictions, illness, jealousy, anger, anxiety, depression and so on and so on.
So what is missing??
The Power of the Holy Spirit and a true relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 10:18 Jesus told the disciples to Heal the sick,[d]cleanse the lepers, [e]raise the dead, cast out demons.
In Matthew 16:17 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
As followers of Christ, we should also be doing these things. But in the church these days we see people attending church every Sunday with no relief from their afflictions.
And why?
Fear
Pride
Control
Unbelief
Lack of teaching
Over the past five years, I have been on a personal journey learning from amazing authors and preachers about what the bible says about healing, deliverance and spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [b]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The secular world mocks Christians while they flock to psychics, ghost hunters, clairvoyants, mediums etc. not realizing that they are exposing themselves to the spiritual realm. These are all things that Christians have been warned to stay away from but some regularly visit energy healers and participate in all kinds of new age practices which give the enemy legal authority over them.
While a Christian cannot be possessed, they can be oppressed, tormented and become physically ill due to the influence of evil spirits in their lives. So why is the church not doing what Jesus told his followers to do?
Fear
Five years ago when I first experienced deliverance for myself, the reactions I got from friends and family ranged from mild amusement to outright "Cori's a religious freak." And at first, I was a bit hesitant to talk about it again, but then I got mad. Was I going to allow my worry about what other people might think to stop me from doing what Jesus asked me to do? No!
Pride
My experience with deliverance was pretty drastic. I think that some people are afraid of looking like a fool if they go for deliverance. Sometimes deliverance is quiet and calm, but sometimes there is shrieking, belching, and vomiting.
Control.
People don't want to give up control but the control they have is just an illusion. When healing and deliverance happens, sometimes a person loses control of themselves. Sometimes they go into a trance, sometimes they scream uncontrollably, sometimes they start laughing uncontrollably. A person who is afraid to give up control to God will have a hard time going through full deliverance.
Unbelief
A lot of people that go to church don't believe in demons, the need for deliverance or the gift of healing even though the bible talks about it a lot. 25 times, Jesus cast out demons. He healed a great number of people throughout the gospels and the disciples after his ascension did as well.
Lack of Teaching
Over the last 100 years, the church has focused more on teaching the gospel and getting people saved then it has teaching on the reality of spiritual warfare, healing and deliverance. The results are congregations full of people not living in the freedom that Jesus died for. And for the outside world, what we have is not attractive because we look just like them. We're living with mental and physical illness, addictions, and so on. The church needs to get back to teaching about spiritual warfare, healing prayer and casting out demons, otherwise, we will not walk in our full authority in Christ.
In Africa, missionaries share testimonies of demonic manifestations, blind people receiving their sight, the sick being made well and the dead being raised. Reinhard Bonnke, an evangelist from Florida-based Christ for All Nations, has witnessed amazing miracles when he has preached throughout Africa. A young British woman* whose right side had been paralyzed since infancy. experienced a tingling in her disabled extremities and as people watched, the woman's underdeveloped right foot grew to its normal adult size.
The Western church needs to set aside their fear, pride, control issues, unbelief and lack of teaching return to teaching the fullness of the Scriptures to see true transformation and revival.
*as told to the houston chronicle - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Known-as-conduit-for-divine-miracles-in-Africa-6083035.php
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
You just never know....
This past week in the news, I have seen several stories that are heartbreaking.
15 year old boys dies in skateboarding accident
5 year old Calgary boy disappears with Grandparents
Dunville teen killed in auto accident
And then there are the ongoing riots, shootings, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and the growing unrest in the Middle East and at the southern border of the USA.
I don't know about you, but I am not convinced that this kind of thing has been going on forever, we just have better access to information than we've ever had before.
Searching Google you will find that April of this year was a record breaking year for earthquakes.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) which issues alerts for tsunamis, April was a very busy month for the earth's crust. Of course there are earthquakes every hour of every day, but the world usually only sees one or two earthquakes per month that are 6.5-magnitude or higher. This April there were 13, including five that were higher than 7.8, prompting tsunami warnings. "Easily a record for this institution," reports PTWC. ~ http://gizmodo.com/a-timelapse-of-all-the-earthquakes-from-this-record-bre-1570401997
How about tornadoes?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/record-breaking-oklahoma-tornado-was-wider-than-manhattan-and-had-winds-of-295mph-8645270.html
Many sites claim that the increase in tornado activity is actually a result of better monitoring, however, it would seem that the storms are getting more powerful... just ask the people in Arkansas, Indiana
This chart may help to show how tornadoes have increased in the last 60+ years:
Flooding?
I for one don't remember hearing about as much flooding up here in Canada as I have in the last couple of years. Between 2003 and 2013 Canada had nine disasters with damages surpassing CAD 500 million each. Prior to that only three Canadian disasters exceeded CAD 500 million in damages.[4] The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) reports that the cost of natural disasters rose 14-fold since the 1950s
So what is going on? Is it Global Warming?
I don't believe it. Especially considering that there was a release lately about high ice levels in the Arctic. http://notrickszone.com/2013/08/23/nasa-stumped-summer-arctic-ice-extent-among-highest-this-decade-antarctica-headed-toward-record-extent/
What is going on? I guess it depends on what you want to believe. Some look to science for an explanation. Some don't care.
But here is what I really believe. In the last ten years, at least, we have seen in increase in all of these things as well as crime, disease, and the decline of morality. The only thing that I can think of that has this kind of affect is God. Yep, I said it, God.
The Bible is pretty clear about a lot of things. And the state of the world is described in the Bible to a "T".
In regards to the people:
2 Timothy 3
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Matthew 24
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved
2 Peter 3
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
sound familiar?
As for the world?
Matthew 24
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Watch what is going on all around the world and you can clearly see wars, rumors of war, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. In the last few years we've seen Libya and Egypt in upheaval, North and South Korea on the brink. Japan and China bickering. Iran threatening just about everyone, Syria has been a mess, and now we have ISIL on the scene, advancing through Iraq, into Syria and threatening Jordan... their ultimate goal is Israel.
In many place in the middle east, Christians are being killed every day.
Which brings me back to the beginning of this post.
Not one of us knows how much time we have left in this life. We could find ourselves facing eternity at any moment. But what is most important is where you are going to spend it.
Anyone who rejects the gospel of Christ, no matter how good they think they are, will be condemned to eternal separation from God. In other words, hell. Do you really want to risk it? Look at the world. It's pretty clear it's a mess and it's going to get a lot messier. Where do you want to end up when you die? A place with no fear, pain, illness or death? or a place of eternal misery?
Jesus said that he is the way, the truth and the life, that no one could get to the father but through him.
What he meant was that if you reject him, you can't get to heaven. Take some time. If you are unsure, ask God to reveal Himself to you. He will. I pray that anyone that reads this will research and consider and choose Christ, before it's too late.
Anyone else noticing an increase in persecution against Christians?
15 year old boys dies in skateboarding accident
5 year old Calgary boy disappears with Grandparents
Dunville teen killed in auto accident
And then there are the ongoing riots, shootings, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and the growing unrest in the Middle East and at the southern border of the USA.
I don't know about you, but I am not convinced that this kind of thing has been going on forever, we just have better access to information than we've ever had before.
Searching Google you will find that April of this year was a record breaking year for earthquakes.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) which issues alerts for tsunamis, April was a very busy month for the earth's crust. Of course there are earthquakes every hour of every day, but the world usually only sees one or two earthquakes per month that are 6.5-magnitude or higher. This April there were 13, including five that were higher than 7.8, prompting tsunami warnings. "Easily a record for this institution," reports PTWC. ~ http://gizmodo.com/a-timelapse-of-all-the-earthquakes-from-this-record-bre-1570401997
How about tornadoes?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/record-breaking-oklahoma-tornado-was-wider-than-manhattan-and-had-winds-of-295mph-8645270.html
Many sites claim that the increase in tornado activity is actually a result of better monitoring, however, it would seem that the storms are getting more powerful... just ask the people in Arkansas, Indiana
This chart may help to show how tornadoes have increased in the last 60+ years:
Flooding?
I for one don't remember hearing about as much flooding up here in Canada as I have in the last couple of years. Between 2003 and 2013 Canada had nine disasters with damages surpassing CAD 500 million each. Prior to that only three Canadian disasters exceeded CAD 500 million in damages.[4] The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) reports that the cost of natural disasters rose 14-fold since the 1950s
So what is going on? Is it Global Warming?
I don't believe it. Especially considering that there was a release lately about high ice levels in the Arctic. http://notrickszone.com/2013/08/23/nasa-stumped-summer-arctic-ice-extent-among-highest-this-decade-antarctica-headed-toward-record-extent/
What is going on? I guess it depends on what you want to believe. Some look to science for an explanation. Some don't care.
But here is what I really believe. In the last ten years, at least, we have seen in increase in all of these things as well as crime, disease, and the decline of morality. The only thing that I can think of that has this kind of affect is God. Yep, I said it, God.
The Bible is pretty clear about a lot of things. And the state of the world is described in the Bible to a "T".
In regards to the people:
2 Timothy 3
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Matthew 24
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved
2 Peter 3
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
sound familiar?
As for the world?
Matthew 24
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Watch what is going on all around the world and you can clearly see wars, rumors of war, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. In the last few years we've seen Libya and Egypt in upheaval, North and South Korea on the brink. Japan and China bickering. Iran threatening just about everyone, Syria has been a mess, and now we have ISIL on the scene, advancing through Iraq, into Syria and threatening Jordan... their ultimate goal is Israel.
In many place in the middle east, Christians are being killed every day.
Which brings me back to the beginning of this post.
Not one of us knows how much time we have left in this life. We could find ourselves facing eternity at any moment. But what is most important is where you are going to spend it.
Anyone who rejects the gospel of Christ, no matter how good they think they are, will be condemned to eternal separation from God. In other words, hell. Do you really want to risk it? Look at the world. It's pretty clear it's a mess and it's going to get a lot messier. Where do you want to end up when you die? A place with no fear, pain, illness or death? or a place of eternal misery?
Jesus said that he is the way, the truth and the life, that no one could get to the father but through him.
What he meant was that if you reject him, you can't get to heaven. Take some time. If you are unsure, ask God to reveal Himself to you. He will. I pray that anyone that reads this will research and consider and choose Christ, before it's too late.
Anyone else noticing an increase in persecution against Christians?
Monday, November 5, 2012
How many weeks left until 2013?
So this year is almost done, with people wondering what is going to happen in the next few weeks. I think that December 21st is going to come and go without incident, just like Y2K. What we should be more concerned with is what is going on in to world. The United States is on the verge of a serious economic collapse. They are over 200 trillion dollars in debt with no way of climbing out.
Tomorrow is a presidential election with people threatening to riot if either candidate wins. The pickings leave much to be desired.Will they reelect a man that does not support the sanctity of life and marriage and is the least open, transparent president in history, or will they elect a man that does support the sanctity of life and marriage, even though his religious beliefs are very bizarre and he's not being very open about his taxes over the last ten years. Either way, the USA is in big trouble.
In the last week, the east coast has been battered by Hurricane Sandy, leaving many thousands without homes, others without electricity and heat, and gas shortages. People never expected cities like New Jersey and New York to be hit by such a disaster and yet here we are with "unprecedented" damage and human suffering. New York is the city that never sleeps, but last week, it was like a ghost town with stores, theaters, restaurants and other businesses closed up. Is God sending them a warning? There are some people who would say that. Like Joel Rosenberg has been saying, is America on the verge of a major implosion? They are trillions in debt, people are jobless and relying on the system in huge numbers, culturally they have become obsessed with sex, celebrities, drugs and alcohol and to a degree self. They have also become a society that is death-centered... abortion rates are so high, violent crime is on the rise etc.
Now I am not saying that all other countries are innocent. We are seeing western society as a whole, circling the drain. How long is God going to allow the degradation? Fathers are abandoning their children, children are hating their mothers, mothers are killing their unborn, marriage between a man and a woman is under attack with divorce rates through the roof, and the growing acceptance of gay marriage. Addiction is on the rise, either to drugs, porn, alcohol, sex, tv, food, or the computer. People love money and possessions above all. It will be interesting to see how the next few days play out. I'll be praying for America as they vote...
Tomorrow is a presidential election with people threatening to riot if either candidate wins. The pickings leave much to be desired.Will they reelect a man that does not support the sanctity of life and marriage and is the least open, transparent president in history, or will they elect a man that does support the sanctity of life and marriage, even though his religious beliefs are very bizarre and he's not being very open about his taxes over the last ten years. Either way, the USA is in big trouble.
In the last week, the east coast has been battered by Hurricane Sandy, leaving many thousands without homes, others without electricity and heat, and gas shortages. People never expected cities like New Jersey and New York to be hit by such a disaster and yet here we are with "unprecedented" damage and human suffering. New York is the city that never sleeps, but last week, it was like a ghost town with stores, theaters, restaurants and other businesses closed up. Is God sending them a warning? There are some people who would say that. Like Joel Rosenberg has been saying, is America on the verge of a major implosion? They are trillions in debt, people are jobless and relying on the system in huge numbers, culturally they have become obsessed with sex, celebrities, drugs and alcohol and to a degree self. They have also become a society that is death-centered... abortion rates are so high, violent crime is on the rise etc.
Now I am not saying that all other countries are innocent. We are seeing western society as a whole, circling the drain. How long is God going to allow the degradation? Fathers are abandoning their children, children are hating their mothers, mothers are killing their unborn, marriage between a man and a woman is under attack with divorce rates through the roof, and the growing acceptance of gay marriage. Addiction is on the rise, either to drugs, porn, alcohol, sex, tv, food, or the computer. People love money and possessions above all. It will be interesting to see how the next few days play out. I'll be praying for America as they vote...
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
It's a New Year
Welcome 2012... this year is rife with anticipation. Will the world end on 12-21 as the Mayan calendar seems to imply? Will we achieve a "higher state of consciousness"? Just what is going to happen this year?
Well, the year started out with Iran firing their first, surface to air, mid-range missile, and announcing an advancement in their nuclear program. The sanctions placed on Iran have lead them to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz, choking off a major oil shipping route. Should this happen, I can only imagine that the price of gasoline will soar. It seems like the tensions in that area of the world can't get any worse, and then something new happens. I can imagine with the recent nuclear development in Iran, Israel is ramping up preparations for a pre-emptive strike, or at the very least, preparing to defend themselves from the attempt to "wipe them off the face of the earth."
To add to Israel's unease is the latest statement out of Egypt, announcing that Egypt is going to end their peace treaty with Israel. I am sure that this comes as no surprise, as the new government elected into power is predominantly the Muslim Brotherhood.
Throw Russia and China into the mix, with their warnings to the US about a nuclear attack on Iran and then have Condoleeza Rice chime in "We must do everything we can to bring Iran down." And we are looking at a very interesting but scary time.
If things go down over there, and I think we can all agree that they will, we are heading into some very dark times. Things foretold thousands of years ago are coming to fruition right before our very eyes and yet many people have no idea what is going on. We need to WAKE UP! The media needs to stop lying to us and "protecting" us from the truth. Be ready, because the world is in for a big warning of God-sized proportions.
Well, the year started out with Iran firing their first, surface to air, mid-range missile, and announcing an advancement in their nuclear program. The sanctions placed on Iran have lead them to threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz, choking off a major oil shipping route. Should this happen, I can only imagine that the price of gasoline will soar. It seems like the tensions in that area of the world can't get any worse, and then something new happens. I can imagine with the recent nuclear development in Iran, Israel is ramping up preparations for a pre-emptive strike, or at the very least, preparing to defend themselves from the attempt to "wipe them off the face of the earth."
To add to Israel's unease is the latest statement out of Egypt, announcing that Egypt is going to end their peace treaty with Israel. I am sure that this comes as no surprise, as the new government elected into power is predominantly the Muslim Brotherhood.
Throw Russia and China into the mix, with their warnings to the US about a nuclear attack on Iran and then have Condoleeza Rice chime in "We must do everything we can to bring Iran down." And we are looking at a very interesting but scary time.
If things go down over there, and I think we can all agree that they will, we are heading into some very dark times. Things foretold thousands of years ago are coming to fruition right before our very eyes and yet many people have no idea what is going on. We need to WAKE UP! The media needs to stop lying to us and "protecting" us from the truth. Be ready, because the world is in for a big warning of God-sized proportions.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Is Thanking Our War Vets Enough???
Today is Remembrance Day, a day that we take time out to reflect on the World Wars I & II as well as many other wars that have taken place since. A day to thank a Veteran. But shouldn't we thank them every day? These are people who fought to ensure that freedom and (hopefully) good prevailed. Sometimes what I see happening to people in the military saddens me. Why is it that Vietnam Vets, who only did what they were told to do, live in suffering, mentally and physically, sometimes on the streets, sometimes addicted? These are people who followed orders, some losing their life in the process (and maybe those are the lucky ones). Imagine the atrocities that these men and women saw, and now live with. It is a shame that there are people who fought for our freedom, living on the streets. It is a shame that the disabled ones are living on a disability pension that hardly covers the cost of living. I did a search and found a chart that applies to American Military... A Veteran who has a disability of 70-100% and has a spouse and one child is eligible for a benefit of $2932 per month. If they have more than one child, there is an additional amount added of up to $75 (under 18), up to $250 (in college/university) per child. (having children myself, I can assure you that it costs much more than that to raise a child). There are Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs in place as well, but the bottom line is, do we do enough for our Vets? (this is in the US, I'm not sure about Canada) Some stats I found are sobering. In the United States, approximately 107,000 Vets are homeless and another 1.5 million are at risk of being homeless because of living in poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded and substandard housing. HOW IN THE WORLD DOES THIS HAPPEN? We pay athletes millions of dollars to play sports and yet men and women are leaving their families behind for a pittance. This world has it's priorities all messed up. Why should someone who acts/sings/plays sports make millions while someone who heads off to potentially DIE for your freedom make barely enough to support their family. They miss out on births, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, recitals, school plays, graduations, weddings, and funerals, to ensure that we don't have to and yet they are left to fend for themselves in droves. Something has to change.... Thank a Vet, find out if there are any in your community living on the street, and bless them in some way. Demand change...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
What's next?
If you are following the news lately, you might be astonished by all of the things happening. Earthquakes, floods, fires, rise in crime etc. There are many who believe that we are living in the end of days. Based on Scripture, I would have to agree to an extent. There are some people who believe that May 21 of this year is the beginning of the end. Hey, I am all for the rapture happening sooner than later, however, I have to say that I do not believe that this will happen. Jesus clearly said that no man would know the time and that HE did not even know when he would return. God knows when this is to happen, yet many men have come forward claiming a date. As far as I am concerned, when any man comes forth with a date, claiming that is the day of the return of Jesus, we should just ignore them. If God wanted us to know the date, it would have been clearly outlined in Scripture, we would not have to do all kinds of math to figure it out.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
things are getting interesting...
I remember when I was living in Toronto, in the mid 1990s and early 2000, there was a man that used to preach on the corner of Young and Dundas. I remember hearing him and thinking he was a nut with all his messages of "God Loves You," "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near" and "the end is coming." I thought he was just another dooms-day-er, freaking people out. I never really paid attention to him as I waited for the light to change at the corner. You never looked at him, eye contact would draw his attention to you and then you were trapped! So now, it's some 9 years later and I get it. At that time, I knew just about nothing about God, Jesus and the bible, except what I had seen in movies and we know how accurate Hollywood is when it comes to that. (I hope you read a lot of sarcasm into that last bit) Anyway, in 2003 I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and things changed. I suddenly had this desire to read and learn the bible, and when I did read it, I understood it for the first time. So where am I going with this? Well, the guy on the corner was right. God does love us. We do need to repent. And yes, the end is coming. I am sure that I am losing some of you with that remark, but I'll ask you to stick around so that you can get some understanding of why I say all this. I have been doing a lot of reading and research lately into what is going on in our crazy, messed up world and *surprise, surprise* a lot of it lines up with what the Bible has to say. Anyone who has known me for the last 20 years, knows that there was a time when I dabbled in the occult, visiting psychics, playing with ouija boards, reading tarot cards etc, so you know that I always want to know the future. Well, the Bible is the only sure-fire way to learn what the future holds. The Bible has foretold many events and is 100% accurate. In the Old Testament, Prophets were 100% correct, 100% of the time. This is how the people knew that they were speaking on God's behalf. If the Prophet was wrong, they were not speaking on God's behalf and were killed. Pretty harsh. The most prominent Prophets were Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel but really the Bible in itself is a Prophetic book, showing us what God's plan is, and how Jesus is the fulfillment of many of the Prophecies, including future ones. He was born to a virgin, lived free from sin, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, was betrayed, beaten, spit upon, rejected, given a crown of thorns, crucified, pierced, buried in a rich man's tomb, and rose on the third day. He told us that he would return and for centuries the world has said that he is coming. And every person in every century was right, he is coming, it's just that now, we are seeing the fulfillment of many prophecies indicating that the time of his return is imminent.
Many people look to Matthew 24:3-12 -
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Ishmaelites = Arabs
Hagrites = Clan of Ishmaelites
Inhabitants of Tyre = Lebanese
The Descendants of Lot = Moabites and Ammonites
These are the groups of people that are planning to march on Israel in the coming week if the facebook page is to be taken seriously. The Bible tells us that they will not be successful, we will just have to watch and see. As for the significance of the 63 years, I will explain in my next post....
Many people look to Matthew 24:3-12 -
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people, 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
I think that we can agree that we are seeing many of the things mentioned in verses 4-8. But did you know that all over the world people are being persecuted because of their faith in Jesus? Maybe not so obviously in North America, but in places like China, India, Egypt, and most of the Middle East, Christians are tortured, and killed because of their faith. More and more people are turning away from the faith in North America, either claiming atheism or that they are agnostic, they believe in something but not necessarily what the bible says and statistics show that 70% of kids raised in the church are leaving the faith by the time they are in college. I think we can agree that there have been many "false prophets" that set dates for the end of the world, only to be proven wrong over and over. There have also been many who have claimed to be Christ, (David Koresh, James Jones, etc) and based on what we are seeing in the news, the love of most has definitely grown cold. I mean, when a kid kills his mother on mother's day or another beats his mom because she drank his iced coffee, or another young person pistol whips her mother so that she will buy her a car, we can clearly see that wickedness has increased and love has grown cold. So what is next?
Look to the middle east... Over the last several months, we have seen many protests. People fed up with tyranny and wanting freedom to choose their leaders and live the way they want to. In some places like Egypt, the people have been heard and the leader has fled. Many believe that this is a step to fulfillment of Isaiah 19, which talks about Egypt falling apart.
Others believe that we are about to see the fulfillment of Psalm 83. Recently there has been a call for a 3rd Intifada. An Intifada is a "shaking off" and the first two have been uprisings against Israel. The first was in 1987-1993 and was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The second was in September of 2000 and saw a death toll of over 7000. Again the Palestinians rose up against the Israelis and while the first Intifada was mostly protests, the second was much more violent. As for the third? From what I have seen, this time it won't be just the Palestinians trying to "shake off" the Israelis. Social media has been used recently as a way to organize uprisings and the Third Intifada is no exception... A Facebook page calling for a mass protest to start in Cairo was recently taken down however, beforehand, thousands of people "liked" the page and it had some 75,000 members. The message on the page indicated that "millions would gather in Cairo" "but this time for an All-Arab march toward Israel." It just so happens that this is to take place around the 63rd year of Israels independence. So what is the significance? Psalm 83 reads
1 O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b]
Ishmaelites = Arabs
Hagrites = Clan of Ishmaelites
Inhabitants of Tyre = Lebanese
The Descendants of Lot = Moabites and Ammonites
These are the groups of people that are planning to march on Israel in the coming week if the facebook page is to be taken seriously. The Bible tells us that they will not be successful, we will just have to watch and see. As for the significance of the 63 years, I will explain in my next post....
Friday, April 29, 2011
There are just some things I will NEVER understand
When I was driving past a nearby, very prominent hospital I saw a sign that was very disturbing. It said something along the lines of: "9 months... that's how much time you have in Canada to get an abortion... with no medical reason necessary." If I hadn't been driving I would have burst into tears on the spot. I remember having my ultrasound done at 10 weeks when I was pregnant with each of my children and marveling at the sound the the heart pumping the blood through the tiny human being that was developing. I could not imagine how someone could think that at that point, it was not really a life. But to then think of a person aborting a child at 22 or 23 weeks (or later) when so many have been born at this age and survived was heartbreaking for me. In the moment when I realized what the sign said, I glanced at my children in their car seats and I wondered if I feel such heart ache, what does God feel when each life is snuffed out?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Videos and agreements...
Today I saw a video from Iran that talks about the coming of the Mahdi. For those who don't know what the Mahdi is, it is the Muslim Messiah. They claim that the Mahdi is coming and that with him Islam will conquer and rule the world. On the flip side, most Christians believe that their Messiah, Jesus Christ is also returning soon. So who's right? Or could they both be right? If you are a believer in the bible, you have to be able to see that the potential for both sides to be right is there.
So what's coming? We live in a very exciting time. It's plain to see that something is going on. The political unrest in the Middle East, people protesting in England, the fall of the Canadian Prime Minister and his party, the economy still not recovered, natural disasters happening on an almost weekly timeline, the issues with radiation in Japan, the rise in criminal activity and the fall in morality, the speed at which technology is advancing... something is going on.
At a dinner with some friends last night, we broached on many of these topics and another, the consistency with which our pastors at different churches are preaching very bold, very truthful messages. It seems that in the four congregations represented at the table, we could all agree that the days of preaching sugar coated, don't offend anyone messages are gone, and we are getting walloped with messages that convict and I am sure offend some. AND WE ARE HAPPY! I want to be in a service where the pastor says, "look, this is the way God is telling us we are too live and if you don't like it, there are consequences." We need this! For too long we have been told that God loves us, that He forgives us, that's He's our friend. And yes, this is true but you know what? He is also a jealous God, He is a judging God, and He can be a very angry, wrathful God. We need to have a fearful respect of God and I think too many churches are afraid that if they teach about all of the characteristics of God, people will get scared off... but do we really want a church full of believers that only love God because He is warm and fuzzy and will give us whatever we want? Just like children, we need a father who is consistent and will correct us when we do something wrong.
Some of what we are seeing in the world is God trying to get the attention of people who don't believe in Him... Some will turn to Him, and some will curse Him and turn away. Where do you fit in?
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:14
So what's coming? We live in a very exciting time. It's plain to see that something is going on. The political unrest in the Middle East, people protesting in England, the fall of the Canadian Prime Minister and his party, the economy still not recovered, natural disasters happening on an almost weekly timeline, the issues with radiation in Japan, the rise in criminal activity and the fall in morality, the speed at which technology is advancing... something is going on.
At a dinner with some friends last night, we broached on many of these topics and another, the consistency with which our pastors at different churches are preaching very bold, very truthful messages. It seems that in the four congregations represented at the table, we could all agree that the days of preaching sugar coated, don't offend anyone messages are gone, and we are getting walloped with messages that convict and I am sure offend some. AND WE ARE HAPPY! I want to be in a service where the pastor says, "look, this is the way God is telling us we are too live and if you don't like it, there are consequences." We need this! For too long we have been told that God loves us, that He forgives us, that's He's our friend. And yes, this is true but you know what? He is also a jealous God, He is a judging God, and He can be a very angry, wrathful God. We need to have a fearful respect of God and I think too many churches are afraid that if they teach about all of the characteristics of God, people will get scared off... but do we really want a church full of believers that only love God because He is warm and fuzzy and will give us whatever we want? Just like children, we need a father who is consistent and will correct us when we do something wrong.
Some of what we are seeing in the world is God trying to get the attention of people who don't believe in Him... Some will turn to Him, and some will curse Him and turn away. Where do you fit in?
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:14
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The World...
This year has been a crazy one and it's only March... earthquakes in New Zealand, and Japan, flooding in Australia, Volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, Japan, Hawaii, Guatemala, civil unrest in many Middle Eastern Countries including Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, and now Syria. Is any of this sounding familiar?
The disciples asked Jesus what would be a sign of his return and he told them:
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come. -Matthew 24:4-14 (italics my emphasis)
It's pretty obvious that we hear wars and rumours of war in this world... look at Libya. Prior to the current unrest and resulting conflict, there were rumblings pointing to what we are seeing. And we are seeing the rise of nation against nation with France, Britain, USA and Canada stepping in to protect the civilians of Libya. A part of me wonders if this is really the intent or if the dismantling of Qaddafi's regime is ultimately for their benefit. Anytime the western world gets involved in any Middle East conflict, I feel suspicion, a niggling of "What's in it for them?" (or should I say us, as I am living in the west)
Falling away from the faith is almost a fad now. One stat that I heard was that 70% of children that attend church will leave the church before they graduate from college. Considering that the percentage of kids who regularly attend church is not that big to start with we are looking at a huge falling away! It's only natural that people will hate each other, if you are not communing with God and experiencing His love, how can you love anyone? 1 John 4: 8, 19 Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. We love because He first loved us.
Just look at the shows on television, like the Springer show or Maury. Would these shows even exist if we didn't hate? If you love someone, do you cheat on them? Some would argue yes, and ok, you can love someone and cheat on them but to do so over and over is not love for them but love for self and self-satisfaction. I would also put forth the argument that the love of others has definitely grown cold. People for the most part are disconnected from each other. We text rather than talk, most of us don't really know the people that live around us or work with us, except on a surface level, and compassion (while still alive) is waning. Sure we are upset when we hear about the devastation in Japan, but how quickly do we move on to the next news story, thinking, thank God that's not me. I know for myself, I wish that there was something that I could do but at the same time, there are struggles that I am facing in my life and so I focus on that...
So what is my point? I strongly believe that we are living in the end times. We are eye witnesses to exactly what Jesus was talking about. And what does that mean? Well, it's coming down to a real time of decision. When things really hit the fan who's got your back? I am so thankful for my faith in Jesus because I know that He will take care of me and all the other believers out there. For anyone that doesn't know Jesus, I urge you to open the new testament, read the book of John, learn about how Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all men, and open your heart to Him. Take your place as a child of God, be an heir to His promises and His kingdom....
In His love,
Cori
The disciples asked Jesus what would be a sign of his return and he told them:
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come. -Matthew 24:4-14 (italics my emphasis)
It's pretty obvious that we hear wars and rumours of war in this world... look at Libya. Prior to the current unrest and resulting conflict, there were rumblings pointing to what we are seeing. And we are seeing the rise of nation against nation with France, Britain, USA and Canada stepping in to protect the civilians of Libya. A part of me wonders if this is really the intent or if the dismantling of Qaddafi's regime is ultimately for their benefit. Anytime the western world gets involved in any Middle East conflict, I feel suspicion, a niggling of "What's in it for them?" (or should I say us, as I am living in the west)
Falling away from the faith is almost a fad now. One stat that I heard was that 70% of children that attend church will leave the church before they graduate from college. Considering that the percentage of kids who regularly attend church is not that big to start with we are looking at a huge falling away! It's only natural that people will hate each other, if you are not communing with God and experiencing His love, how can you love anyone? 1 John 4: 8, 19 Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. We love because He first loved us.
Just look at the shows on television, like the Springer show or Maury. Would these shows even exist if we didn't hate? If you love someone, do you cheat on them? Some would argue yes, and ok, you can love someone and cheat on them but to do so over and over is not love for them but love for self and self-satisfaction. I would also put forth the argument that the love of others has definitely grown cold. People for the most part are disconnected from each other. We text rather than talk, most of us don't really know the people that live around us or work with us, except on a surface level, and compassion (while still alive) is waning. Sure we are upset when we hear about the devastation in Japan, but how quickly do we move on to the next news story, thinking, thank God that's not me. I know for myself, I wish that there was something that I could do but at the same time, there are struggles that I am facing in my life and so I focus on that...
So what is my point? I strongly believe that we are living in the end times. We are eye witnesses to exactly what Jesus was talking about. And what does that mean? Well, it's coming down to a real time of decision. When things really hit the fan who's got your back? I am so thankful for my faith in Jesus because I know that He will take care of me and all the other believers out there. For anyone that doesn't know Jesus, I urge you to open the new testament, read the book of John, learn about how Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all men, and open your heart to Him. Take your place as a child of God, be an heir to His promises and His kingdom....
In His love,
Cori
Friday, March 4, 2011
in awe...
I am finding myself in awe of people who blog on a regular basis, sometimes even daily. I would like to do that but where do I find the time. I admit that I could likely get off that addictive Faceb--k and use that time more wisely but it's addictive! LOL Do those people just have better discipline than I do? likely! Or has this become their addictive outlet? Who knows... with two little ones, it's not always easy to get on the computer either... so I guess I'll settle for sporadic blogging until I can manage to change this into my addiction! :P
Sunday, December 12, 2010
the 12 tribes of Israel...
In the Bible, the 12 tribes of Israel are talked about a few times... in Exodus, Numbers and in Revelation. I don't know about anyone else but when I read in the bible that the 144,000 elect that govern the kingdom with Christ are 12,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel, I take that literally. Revelation 7:4-8 -
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
In Hosea it is written:
Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain... Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.
In Psalms the men of Ephraim did not keep their covenant with God and refused to live by his law. Even though God freed their ancestors from Egypt they rebelled against Him!
Could this explain why Dan and Ephraim are not a part of the 12 tribes in Revelation? Only God knows for sure...
4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The last visit that I had with the JWs talked about this very topic. They believe (from what I understand) that the 144,000 are JWs that God has chosen already. They say that the tribes named in Revelation are different from the ones in Genesis and that people who are believers are adopted Israelites. (although, it would seem from scriptures that they have pointed out to me, that they do not think that I am a true believer, which really gets on my nerves.)I told them that I believed that two tribes had been replaced and I couldn't find the reference for it so I did some digging after they left.
In Revelation the tribes listed are:
Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.
In Genesis, Exodus and Numbers, they are:
Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Benjamin and Dan
I wanted to find out why they were different. So I googled. I found a website that seemed to answer my question... Why were Ephraim and Dan left out of Revelation? Well, we aren't always going to really understand the ways of God but there are a few interesting ideas floating about... In Genesis, Jacob gives his blessings to his sons when he is dying and of Dan he says,
Dan will be a snake by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.In Hosea it is written:
Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain... Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols.
In Psalms the men of Ephraim did not keep their covenant with God and refused to live by his law. Even though God freed their ancestors from Egypt they rebelled against Him!
Could this explain why Dan and Ephraim are not a part of the 12 tribes in Revelation? Only God knows for sure...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Jehovah's witnesses
For the last month or so, I've had visits from Jehovah's witnesses. Most people would be annoyed but I actually don't mind. I am in no danger of being recruited. As a born-again Christian, I am safe in my salvation but I am interested in learning more about their doctrine and even helping some of these people come to know the truth. Last week one of the women who came got quite worked up when we were talking, frustrated probably because no matter how many scriptures she showed me to try to convince me that Jesus is not God, I would not budge. One good thing that has come from it is that I have been doing research and really diving into God's Word to learn and be able to show them the REAL truth of it. I feel sad, because I have learned that the bible that they study is not an inspired translation, rather one that a few men got together and wrote. Now I know that there are some who are thinking, isn't that what all bibles are? Well, no. See, The Bible translations that are considered true are ones that are translated by scholars from the original Greek and Hebrew. Turns out that the JW version was not. Actually to clarify, here is a website with some great info. http://www.bible.ca/Jw-internet.htm#watchtower
In my heart, I feel that these people really do love God and want to be faithful believers but they are misguided and mislead. I love what my Mother-in-law says to them when they come to her door. "If you really are believers and have asked Jesus to come into your life as your saviour, you are going to heaven in spite of yourself." Someone told me not to take their printed materials because they get points, which apparently count toward them getting into heaven. What I want to know is, where does it say in the bible that God is keeping count? Just because you hand someone some information, doesn't mean that they are going to read it, or even understand, hence the return visits. I do look forward to them coming actually, I like the debates and sharing information. I really wish that I could talk to them about the truth about their translation, but I know that they will just get upset and walk away, and that is definitely not what I want. So, if anyone actually reads this blog and is a believer like me, please pray for me and for them. That God keeps them coming back, that they become thirsty for truth, and that God would use me to lead them to it.
In my heart, I feel that these people really do love God and want to be faithful believers but they are misguided and mislead. I love what my Mother-in-law says to them when they come to her door. "If you really are believers and have asked Jesus to come into your life as your saviour, you are going to heaven in spite of yourself." Someone told me not to take their printed materials because they get points, which apparently count toward them getting into heaven. What I want to know is, where does it say in the bible that God is keeping count? Just because you hand someone some information, doesn't mean that they are going to read it, or even understand, hence the return visits. I do look forward to them coming actually, I like the debates and sharing information. I really wish that I could talk to them about the truth about their translation, but I know that they will just get upset and walk away, and that is definitely not what I want. So, if anyone actually reads this blog and is a believer like me, please pray for me and for them. That God keeps them coming back, that they become thirsty for truth, and that God would use me to lead them to it.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
AIG makes me want to be sick.
All this news lately about these companies that are begging the government for bailouts, gives me a sour taste in my mouth. I mean, in the U.S. AIG got some bailout money and they turned around and paid out bonuses to execs. WHAT?!?!? Oh, they were contractually obligated to pay those out. Insert sarcasm here. First off, I don't care who you are or what you do for a living, no one needs to make a million dollars a year or receive a bonus of that size or bigger. Secondly, as an exec, when your company is in big trouble and gets a bailout, do you hold out your hand and say, um... bonus please? How do these people live with themselves? Every person that has invested one red cent in AIG should pull all their money out... the bailout money that they got came from your pocket and they already wasted the money that you gave them! And now the big auto makers are making threats. Bail us out or else! This really ticks me off. If I was a small business owner and it fell apart, is the government going to bail me out? Not likely. The difference between the little guy and the big corporations is that the little guy doesn't employ hundreds or thousands of people. But does that mean the big guys are more important? If anything they should be held more accountable for the trouble that their company is in. They've got the professionals in place to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen. Now I recognize that with the downturn in the economy they haven't made quite as much money as they should but you'd think that they would have seen this coming. I mean, I am no economic mastermind but even I knew that we couldn't keep ticking on the way that we were. Bottomline, boycot AIG.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Treat in ReTREAT
I spent this past weekend with approximately 35 women and 3 baby girls. Yes, I did say 35. After much urging from my husband and having a few people at the church ask me if I was going, I decided to go to the PVCC retreat. It started out with me in a bit of a frenzy. I had mismanaged my time on Friday and so for about an hour, I ran around like a headless chicken trying to make sure that I had everything that I needed. That time was spent, finishing packing, loading kids into cars, racing to Walmart, finding a sleeping bag and then rocketing over to pick up Connie. I managed to get to her place by around 6:40 ish which was good because we figured that the ideal check in time at the Circle Square Ranch would be around 7:30. I also had to stop to get something to eat, I wasn't kidding around when I said I mismanaged my time on Friday! Anyway, I did managed to get myself a little calmed down after we arrived and unloaded all our stuff from the car. I still can't get over how much stuff a baby needs for a weekend. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that I took Grace with me. This was a source of much stress for me, not because she is a hard baby to take care of but because I was concerned that she was going to be too distracting for everyone there. As it turns out, there were plenty of ladies there, willing to lend a hand and she and the other two babies were well taken care of and well loved.
Anyway, about the retreat. There is a reason why the word retreat has the word TREAT in it. What an amazing weekend. Yes, it was difficult too, but full of blessing. Our speaker this weekend was Kathy Butryn, a wonderful woman of God, lifecoach, mentor, and mom. She taught us so much and really showed us how faithful she is when, on Sunday morning, she obeyed God and threw out her notes. We were so incredibly blessed by what happened on Sunday, I am sure that our church will never be the same. This weekend, especially Sunday, has bonded us in so many ways. There were many women who opened up and shared their hurts and fears and were embraced and prayed for by everyone there. I was so afraid of getting to the retreat and feeling like I was on the outside looking in on all the cliques but this was not the case. There was no cattiness, no gossip, no man-bashing (that I heard other than during the movie we watched which was purely in fun) and most of all, there was not one group of women that you could not approach for fear of being ignored or brushed off. For a long time, I've been searching for a church where we really felt like we belonged and was ready to throw in the towel, but this weekend showed me that Pleasant Valley is a church that we can call home.
Anyway, about the retreat. There is a reason why the word retreat has the word TREAT in it. What an amazing weekend. Yes, it was difficult too, but full of blessing. Our speaker this weekend was Kathy Butryn, a wonderful woman of God, lifecoach, mentor, and mom. She taught us so much and really showed us how faithful she is when, on Sunday morning, she obeyed God and threw out her notes. We were so incredibly blessed by what happened on Sunday, I am sure that our church will never be the same. This weekend, especially Sunday, has bonded us in so many ways. There were many women who opened up and shared their hurts and fears and were embraced and prayed for by everyone there. I was so afraid of getting to the retreat and feeling like I was on the outside looking in on all the cliques but this was not the case. There was no cattiness, no gossip, no man-bashing (that I heard other than during the movie we watched which was purely in fun) and most of all, there was not one group of women that you could not approach for fear of being ignored or brushed off. For a long time, I've been searching for a church where we really felt like we belonged and was ready to throw in the towel, but this weekend showed me that Pleasant Valley is a church that we can call home.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
curiosity killed the cat....
So, I was at the library last week and I saw a book and thought that it would be interesting to read because it is on the topic of one of my favourite things. Jesus. Unfortunately it is written by someone who is seriously misleading people. Her name is Sylvia Browne and the book is "The Mystical Life of Jesus." I know, I know! What am I doing reading something by someone who claims to be a psychic but has rarely if ever been right, claims also to have a "spirit guide" and says that there is no such thing as hell, satan or demons. Some of the statements she makes in this book are just outrageous. For instance, she says, "Since I myself am psychic, perhaps I can recognize the outward appearances of psychic ability more than most. It is perfectly clear to me that Christ manifested psychic powers... But the fact remains that there is overwhelming evidence in the writings about Jesus that he had psychic ability." huh. I guess the fact that Jesus is God, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent would have something to do with that. However, Sylvia doesn't hold that viewpoint. She says that her spirit guide has told her that Jesus was clairaudient and was able to hear and speak with God and that he was first contacted by God when he was four. She claims that his abilities to heal were psychic abilities. But let's go back to the beginning. Not that it's really a big deal but she claims that Jesus was not born in a manger. She claims that Joseph and Mary were both from wealthy "royal" families and that they stayed in an inn. She goes on to say that they would not have been able to present the baby Jesus at the high temple if they were poor because they would not have had the money to gain entry. The most outrageous claim she makes is that Mary was impregnated by Joseph and that Jesus was called by God. This is a woman who claims that we choose our parents when we incarnate. She believes in reincarnation. Her information is so flawed, I mean, she says that Elizabeth, mother of John the baptist, is Mary's sister. The bible says that they are relatives. no mention of them being sisters. I could go on and on with all the lies this woman tells but then, I'd be writing a book so I will just leave it at this: Sylvia Browne is a fraud... you can search her out on youtube and see many of the predictions that she made over the years that have been WRONG. I feel sorry for people who believe that she is a psychic, and agree with her train of thought. I honestly believe that she is being used in the spiritual battle to lure people away from the truth. This is a woman who charges exorbitant fees for "readings" and seminars, claiming to be able to tell you the future or give you "messages from the other side". And example of her complete failure as a psychic is an appearance on the Montel Williams show where she tells Mr. and Mrs. Hornbeck that their missing son, Shaun, is dead and that he had been taken by a dark skinned (but not black) man with dread locks. Later on in that same year, their son was found alive and the man that had kidnapped him was a big fat white guy named Michael Devlin. But don't take my word for it... do some research of your own and see what I mean!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas???
I usually look forward to Christmas. The carols playing in the stores, the decorations and lights making everything pretty, the shopping, the family gatherings and the treats and drinks to make the season Merry, but for some reason, I just can't seem to get into the spirit of it all. I thought putting up the tree would help, but nothing. It seems like a lot of folks feel this way. Is it because of the economy? It's hard to say... it just seems like the magic of Christmas has faded. Shopping has been a total bust, I have no idea what to buy for my own kids, never mind nieces, nephews, siblings, parents.... I'd like to know when Christmas became this retail holiday rather than the celebration of our Lord and Saviour's birth. There are so many people in the world who have no idea about the true meaning of Christmas, and it's sad. Rather than basking in the glow of some LEDs on a tree, we should be basking in the glow of the Light of the world, the one who came to set us free...
Thursday, December 4, 2008
So the Gov'ts on a break....
What else is new? These people who are supposed to run our country seem to take more time off than on! While there is a little relief that the opposition parties are not being allowed to band together and take over, I'm still frustrated. I admit, when it comes to politics, I do not follow, however, I was extremely irritated to hear the news that the NDP and Liberal parties, along with the Bloc were banding together to overthrow a party that was voted into power. Like it or not, the conservatives won the election and they should be given the chance to govern. It almost comes across like the other parties are trying to get their own way, they didn't like the outcome so they'll force the outcome that they want. Seriously, who really wants Dion in power? Not me! The guy is so out to lunch and the two, sorry three parties that are joining together, really have not much in common. There was a time when I liked Jack Layton, I liked the idea of the money on the kitchen tables of our country and not on the boardroom tables, but how is this going to happen when Dion is such a supporter of the carbon tax? ARen't we taxed enough? And where does all the millions that they collect from us in income tax, gas tax and the hundred or so other taxes, go? Shouldn't we, the public be demanding that the books be opened for us to see? shouldn't we get to decide if government officials deserve a raise or not? Canadians are too content and complacent. In other countries when the gov't does something they don't like, they are protesting in the streets, demanding change. Over here, not much happens. Let's hope and pray that in the new year, the government that was voted into power with actually have the chance to do it's job!
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