If you have a problem and you need truth, where do you seek it from? Most generally, people would respond by saying from the internet. Literally, within a matter of minutes if not seconds, you can get an answer on any subject matter known to man. With the “Information Age” changing the landscape of how people think and search for information is it robbing them from seeking truth from God? I have been thinking about this for a while now. With the instant satisfaction, I want it now age; it is forcing us to run to the nearest means that will give us what we want right now. We are not willing to wait for anything today. We are now an impatient want it now society, but is that exactly how our Lord operates. Does he move in our timing or his? Don’t think that I am saying that the internet is evil and we shouldn’t be taking part in it. That is the furthest from the truth. For everything that is bad, I think there is much more good being done with it. There are souls coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Bible tools and study aids are readily available. People are able to share with their loved ones and encourage them with the love of Jesus. The internet has opened many doors for the gospel that wasn’t there before. I remember a time when I was discussing studying the Word of God with a friend of mine. I was telling him about all the wonderful bible software that I recently purchased and I was able to put away all the big clunky reference books and etc. Now, my studies were streamlined to the computer. He proceeded to tell me how he hated using the computer to do his studies. He loved the feel of the books and felt that the computer was impersonal and researching with actual books were more personal and gave him a greater connection with the Lord as he was studying. Is it that way today in seeking out needed truth? Have we made it so impersonal and sterile today? We can pick up our smart phone, iPad, laptop, or other electronic means and a couple taps here and there have the answer! My challenge to you is this. What if we took one of those times and applied it to: prayer; studying the Word of God; and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us through the process. Would we come up with the same answer or something more profound and a deeper truth? | They say just because it’s on the internet it must be true! Yeah right! We all know that is not true. When I do research on the internet, I am very mindful of the fact that it may not be true or just someone’s opinion. For example, did you know that product review sites can be full of fake reviews posted by the manufacture of the product! Yes, it is a known fact that these companies will make fake accounts to purposefully fill up the reviews with positive remarks. Also, don’t get me started on politically motivated postings, filled with half-truths to manipulate the truth to distort your thinking. I think if there is ever a time where we need to run to the Word of God and press in to hear the real truth is today. We are witnessing right before our eyes people calling evil good and good evil. There are so many voices and influences upon us. It’s like a storm of information coming at us constantly. This is the time and hour where we need to shut off the world and allow the Holy Spirit to help us sort through the distortion of facts, figures, manipulations, and onslaught of information. With a heart of sincerity as we cry out to God for truth, he will guide you by: prayer; his Word; wise counsel; and the peace in your heart. Don’t be so hasty to come to a conclusion just because society says you must make a decision now and have to have the answer instantly. Say “no” to the world and “yes” to the Living God. Say God, “You and only you matter. I want your truth within my heart and not what the world has to say and want me to know.” "The further society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." George Orwell I believe if we take a sincere approach in seeking his face and allowing him to lead and guide us through the process, we will find that not only will we come up with a deeper meaning to those things that we are seeking answers on. We will develop a much more profound relationship with our heavenly Father. Shawn Paul |
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Wow!! Who would have ever thought that the original photo was a penguin colony! Never in a million years!!
CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR BLOG: CLICK HERE SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER--------------> Sorry, I had to make this one really hard. How many times did you count it? LOL Check out our latest updates on our blog! Click Here! Answer: "14" is spelled with the letter "L" small case. PLEASE: "LIKE" and "SHARE" Sign up for our newsletter!----> I think most Christians are oblivious to what our sisters and brothers in these countries go through to worship and serve the living God. Yes, there is persecution in the Western World, but in comparison, you can't even do so. This article should be a reminder to continually lift them up in prayer. CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR BLOG: CLICK HERE Sign up for our newsletter -----------> Open Doors USA, an organization that monitors and exposes Christian persecution around the globe, has released its “2014 World Watch List” — a report that highlights and ranks the worst nations in the world to be a Christian. Topping the list this year are countries known for brutal government crackdowns or for the uncontrolled and murderous tactics of extremist groups within their borders. The absolute worst places to be a Christian this year are: North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The below graphic shows the top 10 most brutal countries for believers; the 2013 results are also present to the right, so you can see where these nations placed last year (for a full explanation on the 2013 results, read our previous coverage): Dr. David Curry, CEO and president of Open Doors USA, told TheBlaze Tuesday that his organization is hoping the report will help draw attention to the fact that Christians, despite being in the majority in the U.S., are actually the largest persecuted religious minority in the world. “We’re going to motivate the U.S. to pay attention to this issue as a critical component of creating free societies and to support Christians wherever they may be in the world,” he said. In ranking each country on the list, Curry said his team looked at violence, government pressures and other related indicators. These issues are collectively assessed and countries are rated on a point system, which subsequently led to the current rankings. “Not every circumstance is the same. For example, in North Korea, you have a quasi-Stalinist government that is the most difficult place to call yourself a Christian on the planet — and has been for the last 12 years,” he noted. TO READ MORE: CLICK HERE SOURCE: The Blaze Satanists’ statue design for Oklahoma Capitol: ‘Sit on the lap of Satan’ Members of the Satanic Temple have unveiled their design for a 7-foot-tall statue of the devil they want to locate at the Capitol building in Oklahoma, right next to a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood since 2012. And to many, the design may prove shocking. The Associated Press reported an artist’s depiction shows Satan as the goat-headed and horned figure of Baphomet, complete with wings and a long beard. The Satan figure is shown sitting on a throne decorated with pentagrams, in the middle of a few smiling children. “The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond,” said Lucien Greaves, a spokesman for the group, in a statement reported by the AP. “The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation.” The group is based in New York, but says it’s not fair for Oklahoma lawmakers to let a Ten Commandments statue stand at the building, without also allowing monuments that reflect other spiritual beliefs, The Associated Press reported. The Ten Commandments statue was privately funded. The American Civil Liberties Union sued to have it removed shortly after it was place, AP reported. And the Satanic Temple isn’t the only group seeking equal access to the site. READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE: CLICK HERE SOURCE: The Washington Times How many of you got it right? I admit, I had to cheat myself, LOL! Check out our latest updates on our blog! Click Here! Answer: There are "10" red words. There are 8 words which are "red" and 2 "red" words: "red"-efine, "red"-uce. PLEASE: "LIKE" and "SHARE" Sign up for our newsletter!----> I don't know about you parents out there, but myself, it hurts when your teenager goes from loving on you constantly as a child. Then to totally ignoring you because you're not cool. I say that all that in love. Today, both of my beautiful daughters are young women that show their parents love daily. This is a very cute story about a dad that took it to another level! READ MORE OF OUR BLOGS: CLICK HERE Dale Price has officially been labeled the “world’s most embarrassing dad.” The stay-at-home father of three from American Fork, Utah, dressed up in weird and wacky get-ups to wave goodbye to his 16-year-old son’s school bus every morning. For the entire school year, he wore some 170 different costumes, dressing up as everyone from King Triton to Princess Leia. Why? It was Dale’s way of showing his love for his son. Rain Price was initially horrified when he looked outside the school bus window passing his house and saw his dad, Dale, donning a scarecrow costume and waving goodbye. It was the first day of his sophomore year–and terribly embarrassing. On the second day, his dad showed up sporting a San Diego Chargers helmet and jersey. Day three came along and his dad was dressed as Anakin Skywalker. At first the costumes were simple and modest, but they progressively became crazy…Batgirl, Chiquita Banana, Little Mermaid. Over the course of the year, he dressed up as every Wizard of Oz Character. Luckily, Rain has a sense of humor and realized that his dad was just having fun, and friends found Rain’s father hilarious. “Most of them like it, and we roll down our windows and wave. It’s fun,” Rain told theDeseret News. Rain’s a straight-A student and about to become an Eagle Scout. Dale says he did this out of love. “It’s a way of letting him know that we really care about him, but doing something a little different. It’s a father’s way of saying I love you,” Dale told KSL.com. Dale never wore the same costume and he claims to have spent only $50 on all his get-ups. Dale pulled from the family’s Halloween collection and neighbors pitched in and loaned outfits and props. READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE: CLICK HERE SOURCE: SFGate Blog 3:00PM EDT 5/11/2013 JEREMY WILES There’s a reason why breaking up from a sexual relationship is much more emotionally painful and much harder to forget than one that didn’t involve sex. There are several neurochemical processes that occur during sex, which are the “glue” to human bonding. Sex is a powerful brain stimulant. When someone is involved sexually, it makes him or her want to repeat that act. Their brain produces lots of dopamine—a powerful chemical, which is compared to heroin on the brain. Dopamine is your internal pleasure/reward system. When dopamine is involved, it changes how we remember. The other part is oxytocin, which is designed to mainly help us forget what is painful. Oxytocin is a hormone produced primarily in women’s bodies. When a woman has a child and she is breastfeeding, she produces lots of oxytocin, which bonds her to her child. For this reason, mothers will die for their child, because they’ve become emotionally bonded due to the oxytocin that is released when they’re skin-to-skin with their child. The same phenomenon occurs when a woman is intimate with a man. Oxytocin is released, and this makes her bond to him emotionally. Have you wondered sometimes why a woman will stay with a man who’s abusing her? We know now that it’s because she bonded to him emotionally because of the oxytocin released during sex. Men produce vasopressin, which is also referred to as the “monogamy hormone,” and it has the same effect as oxytocin has on a woman. It bonds a man to a woman. These “bonding” agents narrow our selection to one person. That is wonderful in a marriage relationship but really bad in a dating relationship because you lose your objectivity when you’re searching for your potential lifemate. Impaired Judgment According to neuropsychologist Dr. Tim Jennings, “When you have premarital sex, your reward circuitry is bonded to them now, and it will be much deeper and hurtful. Oftentimes, in breakups of people who’ve been sexually active, they can’t tolerate the sense of emptiness, so they rush into another relationship. The neuro circuits did not have time to reset, and so they’re impaired in their ability to bond with the next person, and they may become sexually active with them. This is just a repetitive cycle, and there are real impairments in bonding going on.” Becoming Bonded With Porn These same neurochemicals are present when viewing pornography. A man will become bonded with whatever he is engaged in during the moment these chemicals are released. When your relationship is being carried on with an image, you become bonded to whatever you’re viewing. Dr. Doug Weiss, a marriage counselor, advises men to have eye contact with their wives during sex because they become bonded with that person. By doing this, he explains that, over time, individuals will decrease the “neural pathway to pornography and sexually inappropriate thoughts and believes and glue to healthy sexuality to [their] wife. When your brain thinks sex, it thinks, ‘Where’s my wife?’ And that is a great way to fight this battle." Discovering how our minds were designed to operate by a magnificent Creator reveals truth in the way we are to live READ MORE: CLICK HERE SOURCE: Charisma News READ MORE OF OUR BLOG: CLICK HERE Did you forget to count the letter f's in the words "of"? It gets many people!! Check out our latest updates on our blog! Click Here! Answer: There are 7 "F's" PLEASE: "LIKE" and "SHARE" Sign up for our newsletter!----> Are your eyeballs fried by starring at all the 9's, LOL Check out our latest updates on our blog! Click Here! Answer: There are 3 "8's" PLEASE: "LIKE" and "SHARE" Sign up for our newsletter!----> WARNING: The following may make you uncomfortable…may even make you mad! Last Sunday morning I found myself sitting on a soccer field with one of my children for a tournament game. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining. I was enjoying some fabulous coffee. I was also experiencing great frustration and conflict. I was frustrated because I could count 20 families from our church who were also at sports games that morning. This meant that these families were not at church. I was also conflicted as I reflected on how I got into this situation. My husband and I know the value of church family. We know that consistency is very important for our children to build relationships with their church family and to grow as disciples of Christ. We have made many decisions over the years to say “no” to other things in order to say “yes” to church. And, yet, here I was on a soccer field on a Sunday morning! A couple weeks earlier the coach gathered the parents around and presented this opportunity for the soccer tournament that would land on a Saturday and Sunday. The way it was put to us, I felt like I had no choice but to participate. The team wouldn’t be able to play in the tournament unless everyone chose to play. If we said no, we would be letting down 12 other kids. So, here I was sitting on the sidelines of a soccer game contemplating the predicament of so many families. Many families I’ve talked to about this feel like they have no choice for a variety of reasons. Maybe it’s a sport that our kids love, maybe there are opportunities that would be missed if we pulled our kids, maybe we feel an obligation to a team, maybe there’s real potential in our little athletes that may never be recognized. There are many reasons that we come to the decisions that keep our families away from church. I completely understand how we get there – but I also know the long term effect that missing church will take on our families. And that’s the predicament that has been tormenting me. TO READ MORE: CLICK HERE SOURCE: http://familydiscipleshippath.com
"We enter a little coffeehouse with a friend of mine and give our order. While we’re approaching our table two people come in and they go to the counter: ‘Five coffees, please. Two of them for us and three suspended’ They pay for their order, take the two and leave. I ask my friend: “What are those ‘suspended’ coffees?” My friend: “Wait for it and you will see.” Some more people enter. Two girls ask for one coffee each, pay and go. The next order was for seven coffees and it was made by three lawyers - three for them and four ‘suspended’. While I still wonder what’s the deal with those ‘suspended’ coffees I enjoy the sunny weather and the beautiful view towards the square in front of the café. Suddenly a man dressed in shabby clothes who looks like a beggar comes in through the door and kindly asks, ‘Do you have any suspended coffee?’ It’s simple - people pay in advance for a coffee meant for someone who can not afford a warm beverage. The tradition with the suspended coffees started in Naples, but it has spread all over the world and in some places you can order not only a suspended coffee, but also a sandwich or a whole meal. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have such cafés or even grocery stores in every town where the less fortunate will find hope and support? If you own a business why don’t you offer it to your clients… I am sure many of them will like it. TO READ MORE OF OUR BLOG: CLICK HERE Please join https://www.facebook.com/SuspendedCoffeess Very Respectfully, Scott Sonnon www.facebook.com/ScottSonnon |
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