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A Heavenly Glimpse at the Life of VernaAnn

Flashes of Divine light and rumbles of celestial thunder emanated from the Heavenly workshop. Gabriel glided to the Creator’s workspace and lighted silently outside the entrance. He peeked inside the sacred shop and watched the LORD complete the final touches on a new soul. The LORD leaned back with a contented smile. Gabriel thought he heard Him whisper, “This is very good.” "Come in, Gabriel," the LORD said. His voice reverberated like the crashing of a thousand oceans. His attention seemed to be focused on His work and yet at the same time fully fixed on His angelic visitor. God’s mysterious omnipresence still invoked awe among the angels, including Gabriel. Gabriel had long ago realized that no one sneaks up on the LORD. He phased through the entrance and stood next to the Creator. "LORD," Gabriel inquired, "What will be the purpose of this soul?" "My dear Gabriel,” the LORD said as He laid His Divine hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, “this one will be

"For I know the plans"

During my devotions this morning I was reading in Jeremiah 29 and came across a familiar and often quoted verse. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” Often this verse is cited as an encouragement to a newlywed couple, a graduate, or someone starting a new career path. Certainly we would find such a promise encouraging, but as is always the case in scripture, context must be maintained. The context of this promise involves Judah ’s exile into Babylon . God has just told them they will be exiled in Babylon for seventy years, but that after their exile they will be restored to the land. Why were they exiled? They were exiled because of their rebellion against the LORD. They chose to trust in other nations and people instead of the LORD, and the history involved flagrant idolatry. So God gives this promise of a hope and a future after His people learn their less

IN GOD WE TRUST

That national motto has been emblazoned on our currency since the 1860’s. Treasury secretary Salmon P. Chase instigated the new inscription on our currency at the prompting of concerned citizens wanting to acknowledge God’s hand in our nation. Emboldened by these promptings, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock , the Philadelphia mint director, in a letter to prepare a motto: Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins. http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml After approval through an act of Congress, the US Treasury began minting coins with the motto “In God We Trust” in 1864. One Hundred and forty-five years later we still read those poignant words on our coins and bills as we transact our day to day business. But do the words still ring true? A 2008 Pew Research poll noted that the number of American

Persecution in America?

On March 5, Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad and Maryam Rustampoor were arrested by Iranian security forces and labeled "anti-government activists," according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN). Marzieh and Maryam's apartment was searched and their belongings were confiscated. "Their only crime is that they are committed Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus," FCNN added. " They are being unfairly labeled as 'anti government activists' because of the hostility of the government towards practicing Christians." http://www.persecution.com/topStory_twoIranianChristianWomenInPrison.html The above report from Voice of the Martyrs went on to say that the two ladies are allowed only a one minute phone call per day to family. On their last call (March 28), Mazieh said, “I am dying.” Such is the reality faced by followers of Jesus Christ in Iran and other parts of the world. This shouldn’t really surprise us, because Jesu

Christ's Take on AIG

Here are the facts about the AIG bonuses as I have been able to ascertain. AIG received over $170 billion of federal bailout money to stay solvent. The company used $165 million (now their saying $218 million) to fulfill contractual bonuses to over 400 employees ranging from $1000 to $6.4 million per individual. The Stimulus Bill passed earlier this year included an exemption crafted by Chris Dodd and the Treasury department to permit the bailout money to be used for such bonuses. News outlets have had plenty to talk about since the bonuses were revealed. The bonuses have incited public outrage. And finally, most Americans don’t even know what AIG stands for. OK, I can’t actually substantiate this last fact, but I have a feeling its true. Public outrage has in fact turned quite ugly. One person e-mailed the company stating, "All the executives and their families should be executed with piano wire — my greatest hope." Another person suggested publishing the names of those &quo

The King is Coming!

I rarely remember my dreams and most of the time my dreams are not worth remembering much less blogging about. However, a few nights ago I had a dream that I want to put in print to remember. I probably want to do this more for my own sake than any other reason, but perhaps it may encourage someone else in the process. In my dream, I was driving on a highway into a metro area and about to cross a large suspension bridge. I looked up into the sky and noticed some odd features in the clouds. I saw some circle shapes that I can't really describe, I just know they were there. Then I noticed indentations in a number of clouds. There was only one indentation in each cumulus cloud and they were different sizes, but each one was perfectly symmetrical. It was like someone took a ball and pushed it into the cloud leaving a perfect indentation. Some indentations seemed to have a ring indentation around the bowl shape. Others were just the bowl shape. I believe I had just finished preaching a

John Adams and the future of America

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." President John Adams spoke those words to America's military on October 11, 1798, fifteen years after the American Revolution officially ended. During the infancy of our nation and in the midst of a military expansion Adams expressed a prophetic concern about the nation he helped form. What perspectives solicited such comments from one of our founding fathers? I don't claim expertise in American History or the life of John Adams, but I will venture a hypothesis regarding Adam's perspective. The founders of our nation established a limited form of government in contrast to the British monarchy from which th