Please Vote For My Granddaughter (Grace) To Win California Kisses Model Search

Hey everyone, my granddaughter, Grace, is one of three semifinalists competing for a modeling position with a company that makes dancing apparel. The company, California Kisses, is located in Irvine California and they are allowing anyone to vote. There will be three contestants a Month for February, March, and April, for a total of nine contestants. My beautiful and most talented granddaughter, Grace, is one of the first three competing against each other for the Month of February. That is where I need your assistance, to vote and vote often for her. I told my daughter we could help Grace win this.



Grace getting
ready for class

I beg you to vote for Grace by following this link or by clicking on any picture.
The links will take you to Grace's profile page where you can vote for her. You do not have to register, just click the vote button towards the bottom right of her picture. They made it simple by not having any tracking software other than checking for cookies to keep people from voting more than once.
I humbly come before you, with my proverbial hat in hand, to beg and plead for you to help fulfill my granddaughters wish of winning the model search contest. If she does wins for February, then each girl who won their perspective Month will compete against each other.



My daughter Tanya &
granddaughter Grace

In June we will learn if your vote helped her win the semi final. If she does, I will then come back to plead and beg you to vote for her one more time so she can win the contest and become the next California Kisses model for 2014.

My granddaughter is only 11 years old, but she has been training for more than 7 years to become the best dancer she can be. The video below will give you an idea of how good she is already (If I Die young). Her ultimate dream is to be a professional dancer, either in LA or NYC as a commercial or Broadway dancer. Even if she fails to become a dancer at the level she dreams of, she would then like to travel and teach other young girls to dance. Right now she trains with the best dance studio in Texas, the Rise Dance Company in Round Rock. She has even had lessons with one of the best choreographers in the business, Kevin "Tokyo" Inouye.


My two granddaughters,
Hope on left and Grace
on right. Hope is the
younger one

My granddaughters career is before her, but she has already done modeling in and around Austin Tx where she lives, but winning the California Kisses model Search competition will help advance her future plans along with helping her parents pay for her college tuition. After all, 7 years is not that far away, and the price of a good school is just going to be more and more expensive as the years go by.

So, without any further rambling on by this proud grandfather, I ask again to please vote for my granddaughter to win. There is no registering at the site and I made it very simple to get there. Just click on any picture below and it will take you to Grace's profile page where you can vote. Below is a screen shot that I edited to show where the vote button is, and after you finish a thank you will pop up to let you know you voted.

Gone Fishing

by Chuck Ness

It has been a very long and hectic year for me, and I find myself a bit burned out and and not very creative. Oh I realize it is only March 8th, but the past 12 months of my life have been very strenuous. I have tried time and time again to actually step back and slow down, just to find my self being pulled back to do even more then I was before. Well, I truly believe that now is the time for me to take a hiatus from my writing. I have been blessed in that the Lord has led some who have volunteered to write some articles and thus step up to assist me in keeping my blogs somewhat up to date. These guest writers will write articles and Sunday messages as the Lord moves them.

Last year at this time I was confronted by the director of the retirement center where I am a pastor. This is something I have not shared with anyone but my close friends and relatives. As I was giving the message on Good Friday I was told to tame down my description of the suffering Christ went through for our sins. Well, I refused and instead was asked to leave the premises by the director himself. At the time I guessed that I would no longer be the pastor because I refused to give in to the secular thought about one of Christianities most sacred days. Well, about a month later I was told that a mistake had been made and that they had fired the director of the retirement center. I was asked by the new director if I would consider returning as the pastor of the residents. I obviously accepted and have been going strong since. 

Prohibition on Homosexuality Was Not Repealed By Christ

Today there are many false Christian teachers who are are leading many poor souls straight to hell by claiming that Jesus never spoke against the union of two men or two women, so homosexuality is now condoned by God. Let me say right from the start, except for the ceremonials ones (which Jesus repealed), all of the Mosaic laws are still in force. That is because there were three categories of laws given to Israel: civil, ceremonial, and moral. The civil laws were ONLY given to the Israel. The ceremonial laws were filled and abolished in Christ. The moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments and other Mosaic moral laws are universal. They are part of Natural and Divine Law. Homosexuality is clearly contrary to moral and natural laws. All forms of homosexuality are condemned, past, present, and future.

What Jesus did was fulfill the laws handed down by God. Matthew 5:17 If you look at the teachings of Jesus, you will see that he reiterated all the OT laws. What He did do away with however, was the ceremonials laws that were needed to gain forgiveness and be pure before God, but now we look to Christ for our salvation instead of through the works that God required the Israelites to do. So I can say without hesitation that Jesus also did not repeal the prohibition against homosexuality.

Train Rides

Have you ever wondered how people get from point A to point B? Now I don't mean in a physical mileage way, but in an emotional way. 

We all take in our surroundings and make decisions based upon the way we see things happening. Then when we get to a certain point in our life we take an inventory of how we are doing. Sometimes we are relatively satisfied, and other times we are disappointed, but do we ever really reflect upon the decisions we made that ultimately got us to point B?

I guess we might if we realize we are dissatisfied with our lot in life, but do we ever revisit those moments and try to undo the damage we did by our wayward conclusions. Or do we instead attempt to revise our opinion of our place in society that has us where we are at any given moment? 

Often times I find myself looking at my surroundings and wondering what would be different had I not missed a stop at Mannheim Germany, 26 years ago when my buddy and I were taking a Train Ride back to our unit.

Flying My Flag at Half Mast

By ChuckOn the morning of March 22, I raised my flag to the top of the 25 foot pole In my front yard. I must have forgotten to tie it off, because when I returned later in the afternoon from presenting my Sunday message I noticed that the flag had been lowered to half mast. That evening I watched the the House of Representatives vote on the Senate's version of the Healthcare legislation. As the remaining votes needed to pass the legislation were cast, I began to thinking about the damage this legislation would do to America. It was then that I was struck by how prophetic my flag being lowered to half mast really was. I decided at that moment to leave my flag at half mast where I believe God had lowered it to.
It is my opinion that we are experiencing what could very well be the last decades of what has been called the greatest civilization the world has ever seen. Yes, I believe that the America I once knew is forever gone. I say so because I cannot foresee the Republicans ever reversing the Health Care bill. I do pray that if and when a challenge to the law gets to the the Supreme Court, that it will ruling it unconstitutional. Unfortunately, as much as many will disagree with me, I believe a vast majority of Americans have turned their backs on God. In doing so, He has turned His back on us as a nation. We cannot continue to condone the many evil things we do in America as if God has changed His mind about what says is evil.

Man Regurgitated From Whale lives To Tell About It

These past few weeks I have shared various stories about whales. There was the story about Orca, the killer whale, that decided to take a break from the performance at San Diego's Sea World to eat a pelican that dropped onto the water while the spectators looked on. I also shared the heartwarming tale of the penguin who did all he could to dodge the clutches of a killer whale until he decided to put his trust in mankind by jumping into a rubber raft of spectators for safety. Then just this past week I shared with everyone my opinion of the tactics used by the terrorist organization Sea Shepherds to save the whales from being hunted by Japanese whalers in the Antarctic. All this made me think about an incident that took place a few thousand years ago in Israel about 780 BC with a prophet named Jonah.

Great Video of the “Christ of the Abyss” Statue Under the Waters off Key Largo

In the video at the end of this article, you will see an approximate nine foot bronze sculpture that symbolizes peace of mankind from its unusual setting - beneath the ocean at Key Largo Dry Rocks off John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The statue and the replicas like it around the world are known as the "Il Christo Degli Abissi" or in English - "Christ of the Abyss".

(click on image to enlarge) 

The Sports God vs Jehovah, Who Do You Worship?

by Chuck Ness
Millions of Americans are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl today and like others, I'll will be watching it with my family. It does make me wonder, though, about what we are teaching our children.

Throughout history men have worshiped many false gods, and today is no different. Probably the most popular false god of modern times would be the "sports god". Think about the way we raise our children to worship this false god. We will spend more time and effort to get them involved and interested in sports then we do in teaching them the Word of God. In essence we are telling them, "this is what is really important." We will rush around with more excitement and punctuality to get them to participate in practice and the game than we ever would to get them to church, not to mention the fact that Americans are rarely so strict about our children devoting a moment of the day to devotional reading of the Bible. Fact is, most families in the US have lives that revolve around their childrens' sports programs more than their spiritual life.

Americans are spending billions on sports. Many cities have vast sport stadiums that have become the equivalent of modern cathedrals. While these edifices are large and grossly expensive, chances are most cities involved are even planning even bigger and more expensive stadiums to worship their "sports god". If aliens came from another planet to visit us they would no doubt conclude that these vast sports complexes are the primary places of worship for our metropolitan areas.

Now don't get me wrong, God does not frown upon sports. It's my belief that He invented sports as a diversion for us to pass time, get exercise, and learn to work together. However He does not want humans to replace worship for Him with worship for sports, and sports heroes.

Am I Lost Because If Find It Difficult to Love Them?

I was asked by a reader of my Sunday Messages, “How do I love someone I don't like, and if I can't love them does it mean I do not love God?” I decided to tackle this question because there are many Christians who find it difficult, if not down right impossible, to love those they don't like. We are told by John that, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1John 4:8 John goes on to write that it is impossible to love a God you cannot see, if you do not love your earthly brothers. 1John 4:20 As Christians, we need to understand that if God loved the world and gave His only Son to become a propitiation of our sins, then we should also love one another. John 3:16 & 1John 4:10 So we wonder by reading such passages how we can love the way God loves us. Allow me to first give some background on the apostle known as John.

Witch Doctor Renounces Voodoo in Haiti

When we hear and see the devastation left by the earthquake in Haiti, many will inevitably wonder how anything good can come out of it all. We feel that way when personal disasters strike, whether it follows a car accident, a house burning down, or even the sudden death of a loved one. However, as Christians we are told that it is not this world we are promised, but the next one that Christ will bring when He returns to judge the world. So we as sojourners here on earth, must look at this world as a place that is here today and gone tomorrow. So while I agree that seeing the destruction and human suffering in Haiti can test ones faith in God's promise to care for, and comfort those who are suffering, if you look beyond what the MSM wants to show us, you will see miracles happening all over Haiti. It is those miracles which should assure you that God is fulfilling the promises He has.

A little history on Haiti and its Voodoo problem will help me introduce you to a certain little old lady named Anne Marie Polestier, and the miracle God is performing with her and others all over Haiti. Let me take you back, back to a time when Europe was at war and America was doing all it could to avoid being brought into it; a time when few if any of your grandparents even knew of Haiti, let alone the existence of Voodoo and black magic. The time was 1941 and a young teen girl was becoming enamored with the power she saw in the practices of Voodoo. The Catholic Church started to come down hard upon those who practiced the black arts, they even put pressure on the government to outlaw Voodoo and disband the practice. There were two other times the church attempted to eradicate the practice of witchcraft and mysticism, once in 1896 and again in 1913. However, in 1941 the church began a campaign of intolerance that led to the dismantling of hundreds of Ounfos (voodoo temples), the burning of thousands of parchments, and the destruction of paraphernalia used in black magic rituals.

Video of Kirk Cameron Giving Away Free Copies Of "Origin of Species"

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort have found a loophole and decided to exploit it for Christ. It would seems that Charles Darwin's book, "Origin of Species", is considered public domain by the law. So what Kirk and Comfort have done was open a hornets nest by distributing hundreds of thousands of free copies of Darwin's book with Christian material and messages as a forward. Then they distributed them for free at universities across America and Europe. The 50 page introduction picks apart aspects of Charles Darwin’s work and links it to everything from Nazi eugenics to the scientist’s alleged ‘disdain for women.”


Now you can watch the video below that was of put out by their "Way of The Master" organization that headed up the bold plan of taking on Darwin and his book. Cameron had said before the plan was carried out on November 18, 2009 that,

“Atheism has been on the rise for years now, and the Bible of the atheists is The Origin of Species. We have a situation in our country where young people are entering college with a belief in God and exiting with that faith being stripped and shredded. What we want to do is have student make an informed, educated decision before they chuck their faith.”

Don't Blame God, Tragedies Happen

After the Earthquake that devastated Haiti, Pat Robertson was accused of saying that God was punishing Haiti because of the evil practices of its people. At first I must admit that I cringed and even stated that he was out of line and the statement was ignorant on his part, especially when the Scriptures go directly against such foolish beliefs. Then I looked into what Pat actually said, and found this statement put out by CBN:.

”Pat Robertson's comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed. Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment, Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. CBN

So Pat Robertson did not say what he was accused of saying, yet I still have a problem with the so called scholars whom he quoted and it is their belief that I want to address today. I must question how well learned these scholars are for making such a claim. After all, a simple reading of the encounter that Abraham had when he was visited by three angels on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah should be enough to dispel such nonsense. 16Genesis 18:16:33 God was willing to spare the whole of Sodom and Gomorrah if, as

Judging Others

I am always amazed how those, when told by a Christian that they are sinners, accuse the Christian of being judgmental. They claim that the Bible, a text that Christians claim is the inspired word of God, says we are not to judge others because of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1

"Judge not, that you be not judged".Matthew 7:1

First off, it would be wise to know that originally there were no such things as chapters and verses in the Greek and Aramaic texts. They were added later to facilitate ease of use. It was not until Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro began to create a concordance of the Latin Vulgate, that he found the need to use chapters and verses. These made it easier for others to cross reference verses and look up the information that he was listing in his concordance around 1244 to 1248 A.D. The original manuscripts that made up the Bible were fragments of letters written by the authors. Many of which were but copies of the original letters passed along from church to church for the defense against heresies, education, and edification of the many followers of Christ. Others give credit to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, who started his listing and categorizing 1227 A.D. When Wycliff translated his English version of the Scriptures he used Langton's verses and chapters as a guide in 1382.

Adored By Social Outcasts

One late evening, a little over 2015 years ago, a man named Joseph and his young wife named Mary arrived in Bethlehem only to discover that there were no rooms at the local inn. Imagine the frightening situation they faced since Mary, who was expecting a child, probably had been experiencing birth pains for the last 10 miles of their 80 mile journey. Now that they had finally reached their destination they were told that the only place the inn keeper had to offer for their comfort was an animal shelter. This was not exactly the place Joseph expected he and his wife to be spending the night when they reached their destination. Imagine the stench from the animals and the flies that buzzed around them. Even considering the archaic way children entered the world back then, this was not the way Mary and Joseph had envisioned their first child being born. It would not be long after Joseph made Mary comfortable that the time for the child to be born had arrived. Soon Mary's screams from the pain of childbirth would break the silence of the night as their first Son entered the world. With only the animals to greet the newborn, it would not be long before some very unsavory individuals would stop to greet the new parents and their child. They were shepherds who had been tending their flocks when an Angel visited and told them that a child had been,

....For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Luke 2:12-13

I say unsavory, because times had changed since the days when King David was a young shepherd boy and God has chosen him to lead Israel. By the time Jesus was born, shepherds were among the lowest and most despised social groups in Judea. The very nature of a shepherd's job would keep them from entering into the mainstream of Israel's society. After all, many of these men were usually transients who would take any job they could find just to work. Some would have been former landowners who lost their land for one reason or another and thus many Jews considered them to be of questionable character because God surely punished them for some untold sin they had committed.

Nine Reasons Santa Must Be A Conservative Republican

Back in May I wrote an article that asked the questioned, "Was Jesus A Socialist?" As I wrote in the article it is my understanding of the Scriptures, and of God's many rules and regulations to the Israelites, that Jesus was a capitalist. Thus I believe if He were walking among us and actually voting in our elections today, He would most certainly be a conservative capitalist. Now we find ourselves at the doorstep of Christmas and unfortunately more children have probably heard of Santa than have heard of Jesus. So in the spirit of the season, and just so I can be fair and equitable with my political opinions, I have decided to share what I think of Santa's political persuasion.

My regular Sunday messege will be presented on Christmas morning this week, so today I have decided to have a little fun. Oh I realize it is not a Christian message so much as it is a political statement I am making here, so I ask those who may be offended by this to accept it in the spirit it is offered. I also do not want anyone to think that I am putting a beloved character on the same level as God, I am not, and please do not misconstrue the meaning of this article. I offer it as a simple and fun explanation of how I see liberals and what I think of Santa's politics.

Hated For My Names Sake

"They will hate you for My sake".This is what Jesus said would happen to those who follow Him.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."Matthew 24:9-13

Up until recent times, most Christians in America could not imagine living in a country where such things would happen in their lifetime. Who would ever imagine a time when Christians would be hated and people would betray their faith for the false prophets? I can't help but think of folks who grew up in the Bible belt or of the Laura Ingalls-type pioneers of the 19th century prairie days. Did they ever come close to imagining what that kind of world would be like? And yet here we are, actually living in such times.

"You will be hated by all nations because of me," Jesus said. It's not just imaginary anymore, because since the House of Representatives passed the so-called "Hate Crimes Bill", it is just a matter of time before Christians are persecuted for quoting Scripture from the Bible.

This is real, this is now. Jesus Christ knew that this day would come, and he spoke of it when He walked among us. We are living during a time when we will see attacks on Christians, and conservative political radio, escalate as it has in Canada, because of newly adopted hate crime language in the law. It is clear to me that we must be ready to stand up and fight for what is right. I know that not all of us have a public reach through web logs (blogs), radio, books, and TV. But at the very least, we must stand up for our Christian principles in our communities and with our friends and family.

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

Start off your week right by checking out this video of the high school students in the Chamber Choir of South Kitsap High School of Port Orchard, Washington were the students perform a great rendition of Halleluia!   This was in Dec., 2008 in the Winter Festival.    Freeper Lynn D's wife actually made 4 of the monk costumes, both Lynn and his wife were in the audience during the presentation of this concert. Great work Lynn, and thank your wife for such a great job on the costumes.

From Genesis to Revelation in One Year

If you are looking for the video of the Silent Monks Singing Halleluia, then go to this link and you will see it. Sorry for the confusion.
Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

From Genesis to Revelation in One Year

I have been asked by numerous individuals as to how I manage to get through the Bible in one years time. It is a task I attempt to undertake every year, and I must admit that often times I find myself bunching up a few books around the end of the year to accomplish my task. There are many schedules put out every January by various Christian Churches and organizations that will guide you in accomplishing such an endeavor. I am sure those who attend church regularly will find that their Church offers a schedule every December. Unfortunately, what I have learned through the years is that these lists and schedules are usually put together by someone whose hours and lifestyle doesn't always fit for others. So for today's Sunday message, I have decided to offer a few ideas for those who have yet to read the Bible through in a year and desire to do so. I will attempt to show how I have been able to get into the rhythm of reading the Lords gift to us, His Word, from cover to cover.

The best way to begin is to share my own experience. One of the most difficult obstacles is to be disciplined about picking the Bible up everyday and reading it. Now I do not mean to say that I did not have the desire to read the Word, I did. My problem was that when I finished with all the exciting passages, I was faced with the task of reading the books I felt did not pertain to my life. So for many years I just kept rereading the same books over and over again. Well, you can imagine, my walk with the Lord was not as full and rewarding as it could have been. I was missing a major part of Him, my Father who created me. Then one day I was told by Pastor Bud Chauvin that besides reading through the Bible once a year, he also read the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs 12 times a year. After hearing this, I decided to follow suit, and began reading the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs through in one month.

Tis The Season to Share Christ

As we approach Christmas, you will no doubt be confronted by those who would like to remove the name Christ and any reference to Him from the Holiday season. That is because the world we live in has been judged by Him and it's end is near. Thus, those who hold onto this world will do all they can to keep the lost from finding the Messiah, Christ Jesus. Many do not even want to use the word "Christmas" to describe this holiday season. There are disputes across this country in community after community where public officials are debating whether a large public tree display should be called a 'Christmas" tree or a "holiday" tree. Added to this disgrace is the many department stores across America that carry "Christmas cards" with poems and greetings that don't even mention the words Christ, Christmas, or God, let alone a verse from the Holy Bible.

Remember the days when you entered a store, and a clerk wished you a Merry Christmas? Now when you enter a store you will be lucky if you here the phrase, "Happy Holidays", let alone the greeting, "Merry Christmas". Now, I could continue on the path of pointing out all the areas of our society where Christmas is being supplanted by the generic "Holiday Season" theme, but I have a larger point to make. You see, this attempt to remove Christianity from society is not unexpected; fact is, most Christians have always known that it would eventually happen. What must be understood is that this is part of a larger agenda to do away with the Christ of Christmas and the God who created mankind. Just like the effort that has been underway for years to remove the phrase "IN GOD WE TRUST" from our coins and paper currency, so too is there an effort to remove the Christian God from all aspects of the American culture and replace Him with entities of worship that are neither real nor Divine.

The First Thanksgiving, A Lesson For Obama

When a ship called the Mayflower set sail for the Americas on August 1, 1620, no one would have thought that a historical lesson in politics would be learned by those who gave up everything for a chance at a new life in a new world. 102 passengers set sail with William Bradford that day and once they were on the high seas they all signed an agreement. This agreement, or contract if you may, established what was to be a just and equal law for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. What the settlers signed was a contract we now recognize as the Mayflower Compact. It was a mutual agreement that was entered into by the settlers and their merchant-sponsors back in London England.

Basically what the settlers formed was the first social commune of the New World, something that anyone growing up in the 1960s and 70s would easily recognize as a community where all land, houses, farming and other goods were distributed equally amongst all the inhabitants regardless of religious or political beliefs or station. It was the world's first society that was truly set up in a way that nobody would own anything and everyone who was in need would have what they required if it existed. In essence, the Mayflower Compact was a concept that would be popularized 255 years later in 1875 by Karl Marx's slogan,

"from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs."

What many do not realize is that the ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact were thought to have come from the Bible. The Pilgrims were Godly Christians who understood and followed the Scriptures and wanted to do what they thought was right by God. So they looked to the ancient Israelites as the example of how to begin their new society in the new world. After all, if it worked for God's people it should work for them too, right? And, because they thought that they were following what the Biblical precedents had set forth in the Scriptures, they never doubted that their experiment would work. Unfortunately they misread the Scriptures, and their experiment in the new world would almost destroy everything they had hoped and prayed for within their first year together in the new land.

Which Jesus Do You Follow and Serve?

Christians need to realize that being a true Christian does not mean you are to be proud and boastful. It does not mean that you will be blessed with money and riches as the prosperity pimps like T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Hagin, Joyce Meyer, Paul Crouch and others preach. No, true Christianity is a call to be imitators of Christ, not seekers of worldly goods. After all, what did Christ do? Did he go around town riding in style? No. Did he have tons of money? No. What did He do? He gave his own life to Save ours. Yet so many Christians walk around not helping others, not acknowledging others hardships or pain. All they do is show off their possessions and status in society while telling you, "I'll pray for you". The teachings of Christ call us to a life of action, not self-interest and Christian passivity.

I am by no means attempting to say that Christians should be poor and destitute. God says that He will bless those whom He chooses to bless, and history is full of good Christians who were well off. However, if a Christian's goal in life is that of luxury and ease, then I question that Christians true faith. Our goal in life as a Christian should be to do as Christ told us to do. Should any Christian wonder what it is Christ tells us to do, I suggest reading the "Sermon on the Mount". I have always taught that the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution of Christianity, given by Jesus Himself. If you learn nothing else from the New Testament, I suggest you study and learn what it was Jesus said on that hill. One thing you will not find in the sermon is how to search for worldly wealth and prosperity.

No Evolution in 58 Million Years

by Chuck Ness

Well it seems like those who continue to cling to the few remaining threads of hope that Darwin was right, have another problem with Darwin's theory of evolution. From the evidence accumulated by the University of Florida there seems to be the exact same families of plants around today as there was 58 million years ago. That is the what the evidence points to from a press release from the university that stated, “Plant fossils give first real picture of earliest Neotropical rain forests,”

With the evidence uncovered from the Columbian Forests we can now say for certain that the Young Earth Creationists, like myself are not grabbing at straws of faith. It is getting pretty scary for the evolutionist minded scientists who are at the mercy of such groups like the Institute for Creation Research who are celebrating this find as confirming not just a the young earth model but also the global flood mentioned in Genesis.

Why Does God Allow Christians to Suffer?

Why does God allow there to be evil in the world? Are are we not all created in the image of God? Many ask, and few seem to have good answers, for the question of,

"Why God didn’t just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, and sadness?"

After all, He has the power to make the world free of evil, yet He chose instead to make us creatures with free will. Thus, free will was the door left open for the possibility of evil to exist. If we have the right to chose between right and wrong, there is a 50% chance that we will chose to do the wrong thing and thus suffer the consequences of our sin. But why did He not just make us all good? Why must we live with the possibility that we, and others, may chose to do something that will harm us and the world we live in. After all, is he not a loving God? Either He's not as powerful as we're led to believe, not as perfect as we're led to believe, or He's just another abusive father who enjoys watching his children suffer. What's the purpose? Why does God allow evil and suffering?

Continue reading

Lifted, Like A Snake In The Desert

Have you ever given it much though about the phrase, “Lift Christ up with Praise”? Quite often you will here a pastor use this phrase as he instructs you to give glory to God though His Son. But have you ever really consider what the phrase means to you and and the significance of it? Give me a moment of your time and allow me to introduce you to something very few Christians have actually ever considered when hearing this phrase, “Lift Christ up with Praise”.

Most people know the verse John 3:16 , many have even memorized it. For me, that was the first verse I ever memorized in Sunday School as a child growing up in Duluth Minn. If there is any verse that say's it all, it is John 3:16. God's gift to mankind was His only Son Jesus. With the death of His Son on the Cross, all we need to do is confess Him as our Lord and Savior and our sins have been paid for in full. Salvation in a nut shell. Praise God for simplicity! Now, as great as this verse is, what is truly interesting to me is the verses that precede John 3:16. I lose count of how many times I have read these verses, just to have my mind mentally skip over and almost ignore the meaning of them.

Multimedia message

Greg William, my dear brother in Christ who works at CVS Drug Store in the pharmacy department. Greg is an active evangelist who spends many hours learning the Lords Word and spreading the Gospel with anyone he feels the Lord has led an opening to, which is everyone...LOL

The Windchime Ministery Attendees

Windchime church members, small crowd today. They had a walk-a-thon yesterday, so many members were too tired to attend church.
This is from June 2008, and most of the women that attend were present. I took this picture for my Church bulletin board. The top picture is from this past Sunday on Oct 11. I took it because I have a gentleman who has been attending for the past couple of months. He is only the second man to attend on a regular basis, in the five years I have been doing the sermons at Windchime. The last gentleman, Harvey, is now battling ilnesses and does not attend very often, so keep him in your prayers.

In The Begining God Created

(I would like to give special thanks to Hanna for the artwork used in my article.)

There is a disturbing trend that has taken hold of the modern day Christian community, and it is my opinion that this trend is causing a schism as big as the one that was addressed at the Council of Nicea over the Trinity. Now this is not a debate for those who have no faith in Christ, for what accord has Christ with Belial? No, this is strictly a debate for those who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, those who attempt to address the problem are usually labeled as rabble-rousers who only wish to spread discontent within the ranks of Christendom. This trend I speak of, is the compromising of the Word with the idea of evolution known as theistic evolution or Old Earth Creationism. I say “compromise”, because in the 150 years since Darwin offered his theory of evolution, the only side in the argument that has offered to compromise its position has been the Christian side. I have yet to see the evolutionary camp temper it's teachings to include God anywhere in the equation of creation.

The Clarion Call of the Great Commission - Part II

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."Matthew 28:19-20

The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father would become the clarion call for thousands of Christians missionaries throughout the years. Many, like Stephen, would die a martyr’s death while others would work in obscurity never to be remembered but by Christ Himself. Regardless of their success, they would all follow in the footsteps of the greatest missionary of them all; like Paul of Tarsus they would spread the gospel to the four corners of the world. Last week I touched on the missionary movements of Asia and Africa, today I will attempt to do justice to the missionaries that spread the gospel to the Indians of the American West and the jungles of South America. 

The Clarion Call of the Great Commission - Part I

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

These were the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. While it would eventually take the stoning of Stephen to actually force His followers to obey His commandment, many Christians would answer the clarion call of the great commission to leave home, friends, and family to spread the gospel to the gentiles of the world. It is no coincidence that the standard bearer that missionaries have used throughout the years has been Paul of Tarsus, who was present when Stephen was stoned. By being the example of what it means to follow the “Great Commission”, Paul would take the gospel to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire, and eventually share the gospel with Nero himself. For the next couple of centuries men like Polycarp, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian would continue where Paul and the other disciples left off until 314 BC when Constantine would embrace Christianity and make it the favored religion of the empire.

While there were men like St. Patrick and Columba who would win Ireland and Scotland to Christianity through their missionary work, it would not be until the 14^th and 15^th centuries that the great commission would again be followed with such fervor. That is when the Franciscans and Dominicans, who had ministered to the poor and helped nurse a population ravaged by the Black Death, began spreading the Gospel to the barbarians of Brazil, Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. Soon followers of Loyola like Xavier and Ricci would start Jesuit missions in the Asian countries like Japan, China, and the Philippines. When the Spanish Armada (Spanish account, and the English account), was defeated by Queen Elizabeth's smaller and faster ships in 1588, the Roman Catholic Church lost its ability to control the missionary movements to the new lands of the West and eventually to the East as well.

Video Proof, Women Use More Words

Check out this video and see if you agree with me, that women are born using more words than men.

by Chuck Ness

This video reminds me of a joke I heard about a husband who was looking through the paper when he came upon a study that said women use more words than men?

Well there was a married man who read in a magazine that, "Men use about 7000 words per day, but women use 20,000". Excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all along when he accused her of talking too much, he showed her the study results. The wife thought for a while, then finally she said to her husband,

"It's because we have to repeat everything we say."

The husband looked at her quizzically and replied,

"What?"

Now isn't that just like a typical response a man gives his wife? I must admit that I do that quite often to my wife. Well we have all heard of the studies that concluded women us more words per day then men. Yea, yea, I know about the study that was done between 1998 and 2004 by the "British National Corpus" that concluded men and women speak about the same amount of words in a day. My only problem with their study is that they did it on College students. Show me a college student that doesn't talk a lot, regardless of gender. Oh, here a link to the study I mentioned that I disagree with. You need to register and sign over your freedom if you want to read the study, I did and I read the study so I know why I disagree with it. (just kidding about the loss of your freedom, but you do need to register if you want to read the study)

Anyway, my point isn't to debate the accuracy of the BNC's study so much as I wanted to bring to the table the evidence I found that ends all debate upon which gender uses more words. This study proves that women not only use more words than men do, but that they were also born using more words than men. Unfortunately for men however, it also proves that fathers train their daughters from an early age to accept the fact that us men will shine you ladies on regardless of what you say.

The Last Church is Lukewarm (Laodicea)

Founded around 255 BC and named after his wife Laodice by the Seleucid King Antiochus II, this city was located about 100 miles directly east of the first church mentioned by Christ, "Ephesus". Situated on one of the great Asian trade routs, Laodicea became prosperous because of its garment industry which used a black wool that had a soft texture like silk and could be found only in the Lycus Valley. However, it was also known for a medical school that grew out if it’s temple worship of the Phrygian god Men Karou, located 13 miles west of Laodicea.

Its most famous medicines were ointments made from spice; "nard" for the ears and an eye salve made from alum called "Phrygian powder". This eye salve was actually a powder made by crushing Phrygian stones and forming it into tablets. Believed to be a cure for weak eyes this medication was sold throughout the Asian and the Mediterranean lands. All of these aspects of its economy led Laodicea to becoming a leading banking center. Due to the frequent earthquakes in the area, their financial success in banking meant they did not need to depend upon any aid from Rome to rebuild. Laodicea was thus a kind of Bank of America, Wal-Mart and Mayo Clinic all rolled into one
In this letter, Christ introduces Himself to the Laodicean church as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation" (Rev 3:14). By introducing Himself as a faithful and true witness, Christ presented them with a sharp contrast to their own inactivity in witnessing and serving. Upon reading the letter, they would have been convicted by its description of their faith. Christ likened it to being lukewarm, an obvious reference to their tepid drinking water supplied from a distant thermal springs in Hierapolis (Rev 3:15-16). They also would have found it ironic that He called them "poor and naked and blind" (Rev 3:17). An obvious reference to their banking, clothing, and eye salve industries that enriched them to the point of being able to turn down Rome’s financial help in times of need. They needed no one and obviously they acted in such a way when it came to their walk with Christ.

Who is What in the Creation/Evolution Debate

At a site called Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, I found this description of for each choice in the poll. After some feedback, I have realized how inaccurate my poll is in the questioning, but it it was it is and now that it is in progress I cannot change the wording. I do realize that I should have had an "Other" for a choice and usually I do, but I forgot and maybe I should have had two or three more distinct answers for those who do not quite fit the ones I have. For anyone still taking the poll, I only ask that you chose a category that best fits you and maybe leave a comment for me if you would like to give me more information that would help in the future when i take such a poll. Well, here are the descriptions for the poll art hand.

Philadelphia, The Faithful Church

Known as the “City of Brotherly love”, this earthquake prone city was the home of this faithful church. Founded by the Pergamon King Attalos II, for his brother Eumenes, this city often changed its name during various times of its history, depending upon what ruler the inhabitants wanted to honor. The name Philadelphia was a reflection of the love and commitment that Attalus II showed to his elder brother Eumenes who ruled throughout Lydia before him. Thus, the “City of Brotherly Love”. Attalos wanted his new city to be a center for the Greco- Roman civilization, this way he could spread the Greek Culture and language toward the east. This made the city of Philadelphia a mission of sorts for evangelizing this new culture. As the last city to fall to the Turks in 1392, Philadelphia’s resistance was haled as an island of Christianity in the sea of Turkish domination. 

Christ's Message to Sardis, The Dead Church

The fifth church mentioned in John’s message was probably the oldest settlement in Asia Minor. Archeological evidence shows that Sardis was probably first inhabited shortly after the confusion of languages and the subsequent dispersion of the people (Gen 11:5-7). As the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, Sardis was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. In the 6th century BC it was ruled by a king named Croesus, some believe he was the infamous King Midas of legends of old, and probably the wealthiest man since King Solomon. Like Bill Gates the name Croesus’s, or Midas, became a proverb of sorts for wealth and luxury thanks to the gold and silver panned from the Pactalus River. The abundance of electrum, a gold and silver alloy, allowed the Lydians to be the first society in history to mint coins. By fixing a guarantied value to their coins, the Lydian currency became acceptable for tender in trade throughout the known world.

The Duggers and Overpopulation

The news is out that Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger are having another child, their 19th. Yes you read correctly, 19 children and their oldest son's wife is expecting their first child. Let us all pray that he follows in his parents footsteps, by having as many children and being as prosperous as his parents. I have heard many people ask the question, "Are they keeping up the household without being on the government dole?" The answer to that question would be that they have never received a dime of taxpayer's money. That is not how they operate. In fact the Duggers run a their own ,business which teaches people how to budget and save by buying only what you can afford among other businesses they own and operate. They built their own home themselves, and had it paid for before it was finished. Right about now many liberals are screaming that the world is already overpopulated and this couple are just adding to the problem. Overpopulated? Is it really?

Thyatira, The Corrupt Church

Of the seven churches addressed by John, the fourth church, Thyatira, is the smallest yet it received the longest message. (Rev 2:18-29) This corrupt church was located 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea in an alluvial plain between the Hermus and Calcius rivers . There were no natural geographical formations like steep mountains or deep rivers to provide it with a good base from which to defend its position. Its sole purpose was to act as the first line of defense in front of a hostile advancing army and to hinder their movement while the kingdom's main forces were mustered deeper behind the battlefront.
The history of thyatira consists of being controlled by the leading powers of the time, whether it was Alexander’s Greece, the Pergamon Kingdom, Antiochene empire, or the Roman Empire. Because it was so easily overrun, for most of it's history it remained a relatively small city compared to that of Ephesus and Pergamum. However, after Rome introduced Pax Romana, it settled into becoming a fairly peacefull city that boasted more trade guilds than in any other Asian city of its time. From excavated coins it is evident that guilds of carpenters, tent makers, bakers, bronze smiths, wool workers, potters, linen weavers, tanners and the famous dyers of purple were all active in the city. Lydia the seller of purple was from this city (Act 16:14). We do not know if this church was founded by Lydia or not, but it did grow in time to be a very wealthy church. Unfortunately it probably grew wealthy because of its members compromising their values by listening to the advice of a certain prophetess.

Scotty Beam Me Up!

It seems like some men around the world think that getting a sexually transmitted disease is a badge of honor not shame. It truly is sad that we do not shame those who participate in activities that can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering for some. But like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, evil is considered good, and good is considered evil. Just as Paul warned Timothy about when he wrote,

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 2Timothy 2:1-4

So here we are in 2009 where homosexuality is not just accepted as normal sexual behavior, but it is touted by many as a healthy lifestyle. If they get married at all, men and women treat marriage like high school dating by getting married then divorced then married again without even considering the consequences. Churches even condone these practices by allowing those who practice such immoral behavior to even be priests. Now we have a portion of the world's male population looking upon sexual diseases as if they are a badge of honor, not shame. Check out this story from Sweden, “Chlamydia helps young men feel more 'manly': Swedish study”

Christ's Message to the Church of Pergamos

In my ongoing review on the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, I began by sharing my understanding of certain aspects of the end times and how I see them. Then last week I started a review of the letters Jesus dictated to His disciple John while he was a prisoner on the island of Patmos. This week I will cover the letter to Pergamos, the compromising church.

The Roman historian Pliny called the city of Pergamum the most illustrious city in Asia because of all its statues, temples, monuments, and public buildings. Strategically located high on a humped or cone shaped hill that dominated the Caicus plain, Pergamum had an excellent view of the sea and distant mountain ranges making it an important military town that was fortified and well defended. Both Smyrna and Pergamum were a part of the same kingdom ruled by Attalus III, who was shrewd enough to help Rome defeat the Seleucids during the Punic Wars. When Attalus died in 133 BC he bequeathed his domain to the Roman Empire. Thus Pergamum realized a partnership with Rome that would last the duration of the Roman Empire’s dominance in Asia.

Messages to the Churches of Revelation

While a prisoner on the island of Patmos John was visited by Christ who told him, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." He was told to address each letter to “the angel of the church”as represented by seven stars which were the angels of the seven churches, and the ”seven lampstands” which were the seven churches. (Rev 1:20) Popular opinion says that the angel refers to the person who publicly represents the church as its leader. Some however have put forth the opinion that the angel represents an emissary or messenger sent from each church who visited John while he was in prison as Paul was visited while imprisoned in Rome.

But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. (Phil 4:18)