C is for Crazy

As most of you already know, our Govorner Jerry Brown has signed SB 48. This bill "[prohibits] discriminatory instruction and materials against certain categories of people from being adopted by the State Board of Education." These "certain peoples" are gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders. In other words, these legislators are going to make up history, and include these materials in non-opt out history classes! Such lies would include that George Washington, a devout Christian and a founding father of this country, actually had a gay side to him! This is lunchmeat!!! There is no possible evidence to support this idea! In order to postpone the action of this bill until another vote is taken, we must collect 550,000 petition signatures. PLEASE go to http://www.stopsb48.com/, and print out the petition or just sign it right there on the webpage.

B is for Banned Belief

Close your eyes and imagine for a moment that America has been taken over by Communists. The Communist leader has banned anything to do with Christianity.  Believers that still meet for church services must come together in secret places like underground tunnels. You are attending one of these church services when all of a sudden, Communist soldiers rush in and order everyone to get on the ground. One by one they execute those who won't denounce the Christ's name. You watch men, women, and children bravely face their death, while others cower away after rejecting their faith to keep their life. Now a soldier walks up to you, puts a gun on your head, and says, "Are you a Christian?"

        

Now stop imagining. Would you associate yourself with those people under the ban, or would you deny your faith?  It's a hard question about which I often find myself thinking. Would I die for Christ?  While some have a definite answer to this question, others question themselves. Christ gave His life in the worst death one could have, which is crucifixion, so that we, the sinners, could live forever with Him, the God of all creation, forever in paradise!  How could we do less than give our fleeting vapor of a life for Christ's sake?

A is for Albania



This is Albania's flag

Albania is a small country that borders Greece, Macedona, Serbia, and Montenegro.  It has coasts on the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.  It is less than 45 miles from Italy. 

This country is very poor and one out of every three children dies of hunger.  Hospitals have very little equipment and medicine.  And the orphanages are over-flowing because parents can't even afford to feed their own children! 

The transportation consists of bicycles or wooden carts attached to either a horse or a donkey.   Every once and a while there will be a motored vehicle going down the street, but those belong to the very wealthy. 

Albania's history is very fascinating and consists of a dictator, Communism rule, and persecution of Christians and Muslims. In 1944 the country was taken over by Communists and was ruled by Enver Hoxha who banned anything to do with Christianity or the Muslim religion.  He outlawed the teaching of Jesus and God, prayer, and even banned the use of Christian or Muslim first names for the people's children! What a wicked ruler! 

In 1991 the Communists lost control of the country and the people established a new government, but their troubles didn't end there. In fact, in parts of Albania the struggle for life still continues to this day. Despite their hard times, the people are happy because they are now free to worship as they please and to tell others about their faith.  Please keep these people in your prayers.

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                     

Generation Joshua

"The Vision of Generation Joshua is to assist parents to raise up the next generation of Christian leaders and citizens, equipped to positively influence the political processes of today and tomorrow."

Generation Joshua is a program that is put on by HSLDA [Home School Legal Defense Association] to teach teenagers about the importance of standing up for what is right to make a difference in local and national government. They teach about the values of leadership and being good stewards with what God has given us to do. 

It's a very neat program that I plan to be involved in soon. Visit their website at: http://www.generationjoshua.org/ .

HUMILIATION

This was taken out of a book called Valley of Vision , a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions compiled by Arthur Bennett.

SOVEREIGN LORD,

When clouds of darkness, atheism, and unbelief come to me,

   I see thy purpose of love

   in withdrawing the Spirit that I might prize him more,

   in chastening for my confidence in past successes,

   that my wound of secret godlessness might be cured.

Help me to humble myself before thee

   by seeing the vanity of honour as a conceit of men’s minds,

        as standing between me and thee;

   by seeing that thy will must alone be done

       as much in denying as giving spiritual enjoyments;

   by seeing that my heart is nothing but evil,

       mind, mouth, life void of thee;

   by that sin and Satan are allowed power in me

       that I might know my sin, be humbled, and gain strength thereby;

   by seeing that unbelief shuts thee from me,

       so that I sense not thy majesty, power, mercy, or love.

Then possess me, for thou art only good and worthy.

Thou dost not play in convincing me of sin,

Satan did not play in tempting me into it,

I do not play when I sink in deep mire,

    for sin is no game, no toy, no bauble;

Let me never forget the heinousness of sin

      lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed,

           as in the greatness of the Person sinned against.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me, by showing me

      that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch,

           but that in Christ I am reconciled, made alive, and satisfied;

      that I am feeble and unable to do any good,

           but that in him I can do all things;

      that what I now have in Christ is mine in part,

           but shortly I shall have it perfectly in heaven.