~He Holds My Hand~

So tell me, are any of you guys in a courtship right now? How did you learn about this type of relationship?

God Bless!

Heather

< >< >< >< >< >< >< >< >

What is courtship? (Part 2)

Courtship is the time when you begin to date one person exclusively, frequently, and with the purpose of determining if this is the person with whom you truly want to spend the rest of your life. Courtship begins with a decision to date only one person and ends in a formal engagement or a definitive dissolution of the relationship. In other words, the end of courtship is either an engagement or a breakup. A good courtship can be exhilarating and joyful. A courtship that is conducted poorly or ends badly can leave a person feeling bitter, angry, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, and even depressed. Therefore let’s do courtship right! The Song of Solomon will give us useful guidance on courtship over the next several weeks.

My Question For You:
When entering a dating relationship, have you contemplated that it might lead to courtship? Do you thing about the differences between dating someone and courting them?

My Challenge For You:
Consider that the person you are dating could become your mate. Are you investing the time in this relationship to determine if you should move into the courtship phase of your relationship?

Hey guys! I'm going to start a series on Courtship. These devotions come from the wonderful website, www.thesongofsolomon.com

http://www.thesongofsolomon.com" title="http://www.thesongofsolomon.com" target="_blank"http://www.thesongofsolomon.c...

Feel free to comment! God Bless!!

Heather

< >< >< >< >< >< >< >

[b]Courtship (Part 1)[/b]


Courtship can be a wonderful season in the developing romantic relationship of any couple. Courtship is also an important period. It is worthy of a couple’s utmost consideration. A bad date can be quickly forgotten. It may cost you a little time, a little money, and perhaps a little annoyance. A bad courtship, however, can cost you a piece of your soul—your emotional and mental substance. · Dating is observation. Courtship is involvement. · Dating is time allotment; it is an end in itself. Courtship is directional; it is moving towards something. · Dating has no strings attached. Courtship involves some mutual responsibility, more vulnerability, and a greater need for trust. · Dating is marketing. Courtship is negotiating a potential sale to its close. A person once said to me, “What you are saying is that dating is casual and courtship is serious. I hadn’t thought of it in precisely those terms, but she was right. Unfortunately in our society at large most people take dating very seriously, and then they continue to date without really taking the idea of courtship seriously. Few people truly have a clear understanding about when they move from dating to courtship. Over the next few weeks, we will delve into what courtship is.

My Question For You:
Have you ever thought about the differences between dating and courtship?

My Challenge For You:
If you are in a dating relationship, consider whether you are ready or not to enter from dating to courtship

http://www.thesongofsolomon.com" title="http://www.thesongofsolomon.com" target="_blank"http://www.thesongofsolomon.c...

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."



I love this verse! It's so encouraging and inspiring. Here Paul is saying that we should be on our guard... we should be resisting sin and temptations...we should stand FIRM in the faith. Have you heard the saying, "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for everything" (something like that)? It's true.
We are to be strong and courageous..we have the Lord on our side! Through Him we can do ALL things!
Last, it says that we are to do everything in love. That's powerful...notice it says "everything"..it doesn't say "some things" or "whenever you feel like it" or even "love those who love you" It says that we are to do everything in love.

God Bless you all! Feel free to post a little note or comment on this verse! Have a wonderful day!


< Heather>

[b]A question that many people ask..[/b]

[b]"Is it okay for a man and woman to live together if they are not married?"[/b]


If the man and woman are brother and sister and are living under the same roof, it would be permissible, provided there is nothing illicit in their relationship. If the situation is that a man and woman who are not married to each other and are living together and having sexual relations, that would be sinful. If the unmarried man and woman are living together, are not related, and are not having sexual relations, then other factors come into play. First of all, the Bible says that we are to avoid even the appearance of evil. If their living together stumbles others sufficiently to warrant a different living arrangement, then that should be done.
But, basically, an unmarried man and woman living together, sleeping in the same bed, etc., is wrong and sinful.

1 Cor. 6:18, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."

Eph. 5:3, "But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints."

Col. 3:5, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."

1 Thess. 4:2, "For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God."

http://www.carm.org" title="http://www.carm.org" target="_blank"http://www.carm.org

=http://img18.photobucket.com/...


We would be honored to have you join us at...


[b]~He Holds My Hand~[/b]



...a place to come for good Christian fellowship, prayer, discussions, devotions, Bible study, chat, etc! The goal here is to encourage one another and help each other grow closer and closer to the Lord...we just want to give Him the glory He deserves! (And it's NEW and improved...at a new location!)

May God bless you! I hope you'll join us! CLICK HERE to CHECK IT OUT: http://groups.msn.com/HeHolds...


< Heather, Group Manager>

This little story just makes me feel so warm inside..so joyful. God is so wonderful!!

< Heather>



~God Waiting For Us As a Father~

The boy walked along the ocean shore . . . trying not to stray. He looked up to his father saying, “Dad, I want to play.” His father looked upon him, with love showing in his eyes. “Do what you want to, my son . . . but do not leave my side.” “I would never leave you Daddy, I love you way too much.” But the boy took a step away, out of his father’s range of touch. He walked through the surf, the waves tickling one toe. “If I take one more step in .. .” he thought, “Father will never know.” His father called out to him, “Son, remain close to me!” The boy thought . . . “At the moment I don’t need you!” His father felt a sadness, but he held his tongue. Sometimes lessons need to be learned . . . even when so young. The boy stepped out a little further . . . the water covering his waist. His father spoke with urgency . . . “My son, come back to me,” he said, “The day is almost done!” “Not yet, Dad,” the boy yelled, “I’m having fun!” The boy did not have his father’s insight . . . so he could not yet tell, the tide was coming in fast . . . there would be no time to yell. “Father!” he tried to scream, as the water covered his head. “I need you now, Daddy!” was what the boy had said. And in a single instant his father was by his side. “I thought you left me, Daddy . . . I thought you went to hide.” The father looked upon his son . . . a tear streaming down his cheek. The boy looked upon his father . . . and cried the sobs of the meek. “I would never leave you son . . . for I love you just the same.” “I was only waiting . . .for you to call upon my name.”

[b]Is here a God??The following offers candid, straight-forward reasons to believe in God...[/b]


[i]By: By Marilyn Adamson[/i]



Just once wouldn't you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for God's existence? No arm-twisting. No statements of, "You just have to believe." Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons which suggest that God exists.

But first consider this. If a person opposes even the possibility of there being a God, then any evidence can be rationalized or explained away. It is like if someone refuses to believe that people have walked on the moon, then no amount of information is going to change their thinking. Satellite footage of astronauts walking on the moon, interviews with the astronauts, moon rocks...all the evidence would be worthless, because the person has already concluded that people cannot go to the moon.

When it comes to the possibility of God's existence, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God.1 On the other hand, for those who want to know God if He is there, He says, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you."2 Before you look at the facts surrounding God's existence, ask yourself, If God does exist, would I want to know Him?

Here then, are some reasons to consider...


[b]1. Does God exist? [/b]

Throughout history, in all cultures of the world, people have been convinced there is a God.
Billions of people, who represent diverse sociological, intellectual, emotional, educational makeups...believe that there is a Creator, a God to be worshipped. Now, the fact that so many people believe something certainly doesn't make it true. But when so many people through the ages are so personally convinced that God exists, can one say with absolute confidence that they are all mistaken?
"Anthropological research has indicated that among the farthest and most remote primitive people today, there is a universal belief in God. And in the earliest histories and legends of people all around the world, the original concept was of one God, who was the Creator. An original high God seems once to have been in their consciousness even in those societies which are today polytheistic."3

[b]
2. Does God exist? [/b]

The complexity of our planet points to a deliberate Designer who not only created our universe, but sustains it today.
Many examples showing God's design could be given, possibly with no end. But here are a few:
The Earth...its size is perfect. The Earth's size and corresponding gravity holds a thin layer of mostly nitrogen and oxygen gases, only extending about 50 miles above the Earth's surface. If Earth were smaller, an atmosphere would be impossible, like the planet Mercury. If Earth were larger, its atmosphere would contain free hydrogen, like Jupiter.4 Earth is the only known planet equipped with an atmosphere of the right mixture of gases to sustain plant, animal and human life.

The Earth is located the right distance from the sun. Consider the temperature swings we encounter, roughly -30 degrees to +120 degrees. If the Earth were any further away from the sun, we would all freeze. Any closer and we would burn up. Even a fractional variance in the Earth's position to the sun would make life on Earth impossible. The Earth remains this perfect distance from the sun while it rotates around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 mph. It is also rotating on its axis, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be properly warmed and cooled every day.

And our moon is the perfect size and distance from the Earth for its gravitational pull. The moon creates important ocean tides and movement so ocean waters do not stagnate, and yet it restrains our massive oceans from spilling over across the continents.5

Water...colorless, odorless and without taste, and yet no living thing can survive without it. Plants, animals and human beings consist mostly of water (about two-thirds of the human body is water). You'll see why the characteristics of water are uniquely suited to life:

It has an unusually high boiling point and freezing point. Water allows us to live in an environment of fluctuating temperature changes, while keeping our bodies a steady 98.6 degrees.

Water is a universal solvent. This property of water means that thousands of chemicals, minerals and nutrients can be carried throughout our bodies and into the smallest blood vessels.6

Water is also chemically inert. Without affecting the makeup of the substances it carries, water enables food, medicines and minerals to be absorbed and used by the body.

Water has a unique surface tension. Water in plants can therefore flow upward against gravity, bringing life-giving water and nutrients to the top of even the tallest trees.

Water freezes from the top down and floats, so fish can live in the winter.

Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is in the oceans. But on our Earth, there is a system designed which removes salt from the water and then distributes that water throughout the globe. Evaporation takes the ocean waters, leaving the salt, and forms clouds which are easily moved by the wind to disperse water over the land, for vegetation, animals and people. It is a system of purification and supply that sustains life on this planet, a system of recycled and reused water.7

The human brain...simultaneously processes an amazing amount of information. Your brain takes in all the colors and objects you see, the temperature around you, the pressure of your feet against the floor, the sounds around you, the dryness of your mouth, even the texture of this article in your hand. Your brain registers emotional responses, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body like your breathing pattern, eyelid movement, hunger and movement of the muscles in your hands.

The human brain processes more than a million messages a second.8 Your brain weighs the importance of all this data, filtering out the relatively unimportant. This screening function is what allows you to focus and operate effectively in your world. A brain that deals with more than a million pieces of information every second, while evaluating its importance and allowing you to act on the most pertinent information...can we say mere chance brought about such an astounding organ?

When NASA launches a shuttle mission, it is assumed a monkey didn't write the plan, but intelligent and knowledgeable minds. How does one explain the existence of the human brain? Only a mind more intelligent and knowledgeable than humanity could have created the human brain.


[b]3. Does God exist? [/b]

Mere "chance" is not an adequate explanation of creation.
Imagine looking at Mount Rushmore, in which the likenesses of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt are carved. Could you ever believe that it came about by chance? Given infinite time, wind, rain and chance, it is still hard to believe something like that, tied to history, was randomly formed in the side of a mountain. Common sense tells us that people planned and skillfully carved those figures.
This article only touches on a few amazing aspects of our world: the Earth's position to the sun, some properties of water, one organ in the human body. Could any of these have come about by chance?

The distinguished astronomer Sir Frederick Hoyle showed how amino acids randomly coming together in a human cell is mathematically absurd. Sir Hoyle illustrated the weakness of "chance" with the following analogy. "What are the chances that a tornado might blow through a junkyard containing all the parts of a 747, accidentally assemble them into a plane, and leave it ready for take-off? The possibilities are so small as to be negligible even if a tornado were to blow through enough junkyards to fill the whole universe!"9

When one considers the intricacies of our life and universe, it is reasonable to think that an intelligent, loving Creator provided for everything we need for life. The Bible describes God as the author and sustainer of life.


[b]4. Does God exist? [/b]

Humankind's inherent sense of right and wrong cannot be biologically explained.
There arises in all of us, of any culture, universal feelings of right and wrong. Even a thief gets upset and feels wronged when someone steals from him. If someone violently grabs a child from a family and rapes that child, there is an anger and revulsion and a rage to confront that act as evil, regardless of the culture. Where did we get this sense of wrongness? How do we explain a universal law in the conscience of all people that says murder for fun is wrong?
And in areas like courage, dying for a cause, love, dignity, duty and compassion, where did these come from? If people are merely products of physical evolution, "survival of the fittest," why do we sacrifice for each other? Where did we get this inner sense of right and wrong? Our conscience can best be explained by a loving Creator who cares about the decisions and harmony of humanity.


[b]5. Does God exist? [/b]

God not only has revealed Himself in what can be observed in nature, and in human life, but He has even more specifically shown Himself in the Bible.
God's thoughts, personality, and attitudes can only be known if God chooses to reveal them. All else would be human speculation. We are at a loss if God does not wish to be known. But God wants us to know Him and has told us in the Bible all we need to know about His character and how to relate to Him. This makes the reliability of the Bible an important consideration.
Archaeological findings continue to confirm rather than refute the accuracy of the Bible. For example, an archeological find in northern Israel in August 1993 confirmed the existence of King David, author of many of the Psalms in the Bible.10 The Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological discoveries continue to substantiate the historical accuracy of the Bible.

The Bible was written over a 1500-year span, by 40 different authors, in different locations and on separate continents, written in three different languages, covering diverse subject matters at different points in history.11 Yet there is an astounding consistency in its message. Throughout the entire Bible the same message appears:

God created the world we live in, and created us specifically to have a relationship with Him.
He deeply loves us.
We have sinned and are under God's judgment, in need of His forgiveness.
God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven.
He asks us to receive His forgiveness and have a relationship with Him that will last eternally.
Along with this central script, the Bible specifically reveals God's character. Psalm 145 is a typical summary of God's personality, thoughts and feelings toward us. If you want to know God, here He is.

[b]6. Does God exist? [/b]

Unlike any other revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the clearest, most specific picture of God.
Why Jesus? Look throughout the major world religions and you'll find that Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius and Moses all identified themselves as teachers or prophets. None of them ever claimed to be equal to God. Surprisingly, Jesus did. That is what sets Jesus apart from all the others. He said God exists and you're looking at Him. Though He talked about His Father in heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but of very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in Him, believed in the Father.
He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."12 He claimed attributes belonging only to God: to be able to forgive people of their sin, free them from habits of sin, give people a more abundant life and give them eternal life in heaven. Unlike other teachers who focused people on their words, Jesus pointed people to himself. He did not say, "follow my words and you will find truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."13

What proof did Jesus give for claiming to be divine? He did what people can't do. Jesus performed miracles. He healed people...blind, crippled, deaf, even raised a couple of people from the dead. He had power over objects...created food out of thin air, enough to feed crowds of several thousand people. He performed miracles over nature...walked on top of a lake, commanding a raging storm to stop for some friends. People everywhere followed Jesus, because He constantly met their needs, doing the miraculous. He said if you do not want to believe what I'm telling you, you should at least believe in me based on the miracles you're seeing.14

What did Jesus reveal about God's personality? What about God's thoughts, expectations and His feelings toward humankind? Jesus Christ showed God to be gentle, loving, aware of our self-centeredness and shortcomings, yet deeply wanting a relationship with us. Jesus revealed that although God views us as sinners, worthy of His punishment, His love for us ruled and God came up with a different plan. God would have His Son receive the punishment for our sin. And Jesus willingly accepted this plan.

Jesus was tortured with a whip of nine sharp-tipped ends. A "crown" of two-inch thorns was pressed into his head. Then they secured Him to a cross by pounding nails through His hands and feet into the wood. Given His other miracles, those nails didn't keep Him on the cross; His love for us did. Jesus died in our place so we could be forgiven. Of all the religions known to humanity, only through Jesus will you see God reaching toward humanity, providing a way for us to have a relationship with Him. Jesus proves a divine heart of love, meeting our needs, drawing us to Himself. Because of Jesus' death we can be forgiven, fully accepted by God and genuinely loved by God. God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."15 This is God, in action.

The most conclusive proof that Jesus is equal to God was Jesus' most closely scrutinized miracle - His own resurrection from the dead. Jesus said that three days after His burial He would come back to life. On the third day after His crucifixion, the almost two-ton boulder in front of His tomb was catapulted up a slope.16 The guard of well-trained Roman soldiers saw a blinding light and an angel. The tomb was empty, except for the burial clothes that had been wrapped around Jesus' body. Over the years, legal, historical and logical analysis has been applied to Jesus' resurrection and the most feasible conclusion still is that Jesus rose from the dead.

Does God exist? If you want to know, investigate Jesus Christ. We're told that "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."17

[b]Do you want to begin a relationship with God and actually know you are accepted by Him? [/b]

This is your decision, no coercion here. But if you want to be forgiven by God and come into a relationship with Him, you can do so right now by asking Him to forgive you and come into your life. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. He who hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him [or her]."18 If you want to do this, but aren't sure how to put it into words, this may help: "Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. You know my life and that I need to be forgiven. I ask you to forgive me right now and come into my life. Thank you that you want a relationship with me. Amen."

God views your relationship with Him as permanent. Referring to all those who believe in Him, Jesus Christ said of us, "I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand."19

So, does God exist? Looking at all these facts, one can conclude that a loving God does exist and can be known in an intimate, personal way.



< This was taken from a wonderful website called, EveryStudent.com > http://www.everystudent.com

Yes, Christianity is the one true religion. That may sound awfully dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant, narrow-minded, stupid, and judgmental. They do so because they believe what Jesus said. They believe in Jesus, who claimed to be God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19f). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth. He is the only way.
Christianity is not just a religion; it is a relationship with God. It is a trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn't raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable information written about them, they are believed in.
The scripture is right when it says in 1 Pet. 2:7-8, "This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed." (NASB).

The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy

"The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, ‘we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."
Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157, or 1 in 10,00,000,000,000,000,000 ,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,0 00,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000, 000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,0 00, 000,000,000,000,000,000,0 00,000,000,000,000,000,00 0 000,000,000."

(This information was taken from the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell.)

The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 1079. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident. He was who He said He was: the only way (John 14:6).



**This article was found at http://www.carm.org

New film mocks Christianity

by WorldNetDaily.com

A noted movie critic says the new film "Saved!" is a sad, bigoted, anti-Christian movie that mocks the Christian faith.

Ted Baehr, the founder of the Christian Film & Television CommissionT ministry has come out swinging against the MGM movie, according to Assist News Service. The film was released May 28.

"'SAVED!' is a hateful, politically correct movie," Baehr declared. "It is being heavily marketed to the community it mocks to lead Christian youth astray and make them resent their own faith."

The movie, which stars Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin, tells the story about self-righteous Christian youths in an uptight Christian school. Baehr urges religious leaders, including Jews and Muslms, to warn their constituents about the movie.

"The one character who tries to preach the Gospel in the movie is actually the villain," Baehr noted. "The heroine Mary, played by Jena Malone, has a vision that Jesus tells her to fornicate with the school hunk in order to save him from homosexuality. At the end, Mary learns that her only true friends are Cassandra, an irreverent Jewish girl who claims to have been a stripper, and the villain's brother, who denies being a Christian and lusts after the stripper."

The movie's website includes phrases alternately shown on the homepage, including: "Got passion? Get Saved! 5:28," a Scripture-like reference to the film's release date. Other phrases are "Let's kick it Jesus style," and "Prayer works, it's been medically proven."

Baehr added: "Cassandra is the real heroine who turns Mary away from the uptight Christian students who believe in faith, values and the power of prayer. Imagine if this movie were set in an Orthodox Jewish school with faithful Jewish children cast as the villains and a Christian girl shows how legalistic the Jewish girls are. Or, what if it were set in an Islamic school with faithful Muslims cast as the villains and a Christian or Jewish girl exposes how legalistic the Muslims are? The outcry in the press would be tremendous! Not to mention the righteous outcry from Jews or Muslims!

"Looking at it from the point of view of other faiths highlights how bigoted the movie 'SAVED!' is and reveals how MGM is marketing it to Christian children to try to divorce them from their faith!"

Brief audio snippets from the film featured on the website include one female character angrily shouting at another: "I'm filled with Christ's love!"



< >< >< >< >< >< >
What do you think about this guys? I haven't seen the movie, I've only heard about it and seen bits of scenes. Some say that it's not what we think, and others say that it's not worth watching. I don't like the looks of it, but I can't figure out whether it's making fun of the many "so-called christians" out there who live as hypocrites..(the "luke-warm christians" ) or what. Either way, from hearing what I heard about this movie, I don't want to see it or support it.


Check this out:


"The script for this film originally called for the Elms, a Christian retro band, to play themselves at American Eagle’s prom. But the Elms backed out a week before their scene was to be shot. Band manager Craig Jager said his band was not amused by the script’s mocking spiritual tone. “It’s over the top. It brings out a radical type of Christian lifestyle. It really goes overboard with the Christian jargon,” he said. Elms vocalist Owen Thomas posted a statement on the band’s Web site saying that their decision not to perform was made because being a part of the film would have required them “to condone and support things we’re wholeheartedly against, moral and spiritual issues. ... We’re not ready to forfeit our loyalty to those things.”

Several Christian musicians in the Vancouver area (where the film was shot) were asked to fill in for the Elms, but they too turned down the “opportunity.” Likewise, a Christian homeowner whose house was slated to become a set decided against it at the last minute. And a Lutheran church refused to let cameras on-site. "


*From the Pugged In Christian Movie reviews website:
http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a000175 7.cfm" title="http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a000175 7.cfm" target="_blank"http://www.pluggedinonline.co...






hmmmm..... :(

We Are Losing Ground in the Abortion Battle

by Jerry Falwell

It is apparent that the culture of death is intensifying its stranglehold on the culture.

This week, a federal judge ruled that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (PABA), which was signed into law by President Bush last November, is unconstitutional. President Bush's signing of this important law came after Congress overwhelmingly passed the legislation. But since its signing, the PABA has been the target of hysterical abortion-rights groups that want absolutely no limitations on that disingenuous catchphrase - "a woman's right to choose."

Furthermore, a British study has revealed that growing numbers of women are becoming so calloused in terms of abortion that they are choosing to abort their unborn children simply because they are discovered to have medical problems such as Down's syndrome, malformed feet, and even cleft lips/palates. The culture of abortion has brought about a sense of designer fashion in terms of unborn babies; if the baby doesn't fit the parent's desires, it is cast off like an out-of-style suit.

THE PABA

This week, Federal Judge Phyllis Hamilton predictably fell in line with the radical abortion-rights community when she ruled that the PABA establishes an "undue burden" on women seeking abortion. The Clinton appointee said the PABA is "unconstitutionally vague" because it does not include a health exception for women seeking a partial-birth abortion. Her ruling protects for now 900 Planned Parenthood clinics which carry out such abortions.

Abortion-rights supporters want women to have the unregulated ability to determine that they need an abortion. A health exception in terms of partial-birth abortion allows doctors to formulate any number of trumped up reasons to call for abortion for a patient wanting one. A so-called health exemption would essentially render powerless the partial-birth abortion ban.

Following Judge Hamilton's PABA ruling, Wendy Wright, senior policy director for Concerned Women for America said the judge was "pre-disposed" to such a ruling. She also noted that the American Medical Association has said this especially barbaric type of abortion procedure is never medically necessary.

She said, "Judge Hamilton did not allow key, relevant testimony such as the pain felt by unborn babies and records that would prove that partial-birth abortions are never medically necessary."

Roberta Combs, president of Christian Coalition, added that "judicial tyranny" was responsible for the ruling. Identifying the leftist agenda of this judge, she highlighted the fact that Judge Hamilton "is the same judge who (last year) allowed a San Francisco-area school district to force school children into 'becoming Muslims' for two weeks as part of their world history unit on Islam."

Radical judicial activists like Judge Hamilton are imposing their own views of America on the nation. It is apparent that their perspectives on life and liberty are far different than most Americans, and certainly poles apart from our Founders' beliefs.

Witnessing these types of irrational rulings makes clear the importance of electing a pro-life president who will place responsible judges on our federal courts. I believe that a vote for a presidential candidate who favors abortion rights is an outright betrayal of the unborn.

ABORTION AND THE DISABLED

According to 2002 statistics recently released by the Office for National Statistics in England and Wales, handicapped children in the womb are facing the increasing risk of abortion. The organization found that abortion of Down's syndrome babies elevated 17 percent, from 690 in 2002 over 591 in 2001. In fact, the study found that more Down's babies were actually aborted in 2002 than those that were born with the disease.

Nuala Scarisbrick of the British pro-life group LIFE said these increases in abortion statistics are troubling, especially to people who are living fulfilled lives despite their disabilities.

"The message is being sent out to disabled people that they should not have been born," Ms. Scarisbrick said in a statement published on The Drudge Report.

Learning of this report caused me to recall the book "Another Season," by renowned football coach Gene Stallings who recounted the unexpected blessings that came into his life through the life of his son Johnny, who has Down's syndrome. In addition, as a minister of a large church, I can frankly report that I am aware of countless parents who say they would not change a thing about their children born with disabilities.

The permissive culture of death has made it acceptable to simply kill off an unborn baby that requires additional attention. What a tragically selfish perspective on life this is.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

The most important thing that can be done is for pro-life Americans to get off of their couches and out of their church pews in order to become proactive in terms of speaking out for the unborn.

Volunteer in a local home for unborn mothers, start a church-based pro-life organization, bring pro-life speakers into area schools, call your lawmakers to encourage them to vote for pro-life legislation. And most importantly, vote only for legislators and national leaders who revere life for the unborn. Let's join together to take the momentum away from those who have contempt for the unborn!

There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Various verses are cited (out of context) and the verses that people use to show that homosexuality is wrong are explained away. The world wants to change God's words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires. Nevertheless, the truth stands: The Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin. Let's look at what it says.

Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"

1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."

Homosexuality is clearly condemned by the Bible. It goes against the created order of God. He created Adam and then made a woman. This is what God has ordained and it is what is right. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple: They are given over to their passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:18ff). As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing. Without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

What should be the Christian's Response to the Homosexual?

Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.
As a Christian, you should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same you would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, you should show him same dignity as anyone else you come in contact with. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don't compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.

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note: All Bible quotes are from the NASB Bible.



**This article was taken from http://www.carm.org