I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t, and die to find out there is!


Sunday, October 23, 2011

What Does "God Inspired" Mean?

fresco at the Karlskirche in vienna (by Johann...Image via WikipediaTHE QUESTION:
I have heard it said that the Bible was "inspired" by God.  What does that mean?

THE ANSWER:
The Greek word for inspiration literally means "God-breathed." Because the Bible was inspired by God, or "God-breathed," -- because it originated from Him -- it is absolutely without error. "God--breathed" does not mean that God dictated the precise words to the writers as though they were stenographers. On the contrary, each writer's literary style and personality comes through. Each writer was super-naturally motivated and influenced by God's Spirit to convey His message to humanity.


RELEVANT SCRIPTURE:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  2 Peter 1:20,21




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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Can Prayer be Directed to Jesus and/or The Holy Spirit?

Cover of "When You Pray: Making the Lord'...Cover via Amazon 
THE QUESTION:
Is it OK to direct prayer to Jesus or the Holy Spirit, or should we address all prayer to the Father?

THE ANSWER:
From Jesus' teaching regarding prayer in John 16:23-27, it would appear He is instructing us to address our prayers to the Father. However, when you read John 14:13,14 (below), it seems to teach that we can also address prayer to Jesus. Scripture does not clearly prohibit directing prayer to either Jesus or the Holy Spirit.  When we pray, the Holy Spirit helps us. See Romans 8:26,27. I see no real problem in directing prayer to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. I think it is very important to remember that we have one God, present in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  When you pray to one you are praying to all three.


RELEVANT SCRIPTURE:
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 16:23

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.  John 14:13,14.







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Monday, May 16, 2011

A reason to weep... A reason to fight

Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA), Member of the United ...Image via Wikipedia


Rep Allen West & Rep Duncan D. Hunter slam Military Leadership Diversity Commission report.

The left is still relentlessly trying to denude our military to the point it will be ineffective and unable to do it's job. Amazing that a 780 SAT will get you where you can violate the Honor Code with impunity while WHITE applicants with a SAT score of 1400 and and a spotless background will be rejected. I am sick of social experiments in the military. Let them go play with the forest rangers or fish and game. Now Obama wants a Military Czar that way he can do whatever he wants without the formality of working with congress. This is a semi-hidden dictatorship within a slowly dying Constitutional Republic and it will certainly grow under the chosen one. Rep Allen West & Rep Duncan D. Hunter slam Military Leadership Diversity Commission report

Obama and the democrats at work behind closed doors. They won't rest until the degradation of our country/military is completed.

In case you weren't aware of the Military Leadership Diversity Commission Report... interesting reading.

A 31-member Military Leadership Diversity Commission, set up by Pelosi's Lame Duck Congress a year ago, requested that the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, execute a "social experiment on diversity"; the goal of the recommendations is to change the make-up of the leadership of the US Armed Forces. The Commission contains a sizable number of civilian-equal opportunity professionals, as well as some retired and active military personnel.

Because ethnic minorities are less likely to meet eligibility requirements for entrance into the US Armed Forces, the Commission is urging the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force to either lower or eliminate the standards that have always been used for acceptance of recruits into the military. The Commission proposal states education, entry test level scores, criminal records, and drug use that up to this time have been used to disqualify a large numbers of applicants, including some minorities and all felons, unfair and should be eliminated.

The commission completed a 162-page report and strongly recommended that the Secretary of Defense and the Congress endorse the proposals, that they act to execute the Commission's "social experiment on diversity."

The Commission wants Secretary Gates to appoint a "Diversity Czar" who will bypass the Congress on all future matters concerning their proposed "social experiment on diversity" and that in the future the Diversity Czar be permitted to by-pass Congress and report directly to the Defense Secretary.

Another of the many recommendations is that at confirmation, all future flag officer selectees be required to demonstrate to the Senate Armed Services Committee that they have a rich background in promoting the "social experiment on diversity"; future promotions to flag would no longer be based upon what senior officers are best qualified to lead military personnel into combat and/or would be most effective at improving their command's "Combat Effectiveness."

While the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is driving the current aggressive indoctrination of the US Armed Forces, in order to turn the US Military into an openly homosexual organization, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission is pressing the Pentagon to make additional destabilizing changes to the US Armed Forces in the midst of three theatres of armed conflict. Among the many initiatives in its study, is a recommendation to open infantry and armor units to women; the study said that women should be allowed into male-only units to "create a level playing field" in promotions "for all service members who meet the qualifications."

Hardened Combat Veterans say that "direct ground combat" is not like a MP being subjected to exchange of small-arms gunfire with insurgents, or of military personnel being wounded by an IEDs when transiting in a convoy, or a service member being abducted by terrorists while on patrols or on guard duty. There is a true lack of understanding of exactly what direct ground combat entails, what closing with and destroying an enemy combatant by the most violent means available is; often it is a direct eye-to-eye confrontation, then being required to employ upper-body physical strength that physically fit US Marines, US Army Rangers, or US Navy SEALs train for. Direct ground combat is defined as an action when opposing forces engage in violent, intense, close-in, hand to hand combat. According to former Commandant of the US Marine Corps, General Carl Mundy, units which are trained repeatedly into fine-tuned teams to engage and defeat the enemy directly, exist and operate on the basis of masculine cohesion. "I believe that female service members bring tremendous skills and talents to many sectors of our armed forces, but I believe equally strongly that they are not best suited for the unique demands associated with direct combat units."

Congressman Allen West as well as Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, 2 of the 12 endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress who were elected in the 2010 mid-term election (out of the full slate of 27 endorsed candidates who won their primary elections), have already gone public on their view of the proposed "social experiment on diversity"; they feel the proposal is intrusive and inappropriate.

"This is the last thing the military should be thinking about," said Cong. Duncan D. Hunter, a member of the Armed Services Committee who saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as a US Marine Corps Officer. "Our military is engaged in a shooting war," the California Republican stated. "This is just another distraction that can't interfere with what's most important - winning in Afghanistan. Congressman Duncan added, "some people seem to think the military is a staging ground for social testing, and that attitude only puts lives at risk."

Congressman Allen West, a Florida Representative, who as a senior Army officer completed a 1 ½ year combat tour of duty in Iraq, and a 2½ year combat tour of duty in Afghanistan said, "The US Military is a merit based organization where anybody can succeed." Congressman West said the report "is a slap in the face to those minorities who have achieved seniority." In an interview with The Daily Caller, Congressman West, who is black, was not pleased with the report, and said that the military is not a social experiment for outside groups to impose their theories.

The US Naval Academy Admissions Office now openly practices the "social experiment of diversity." The Naval Academy Admissions Board now admits student with SAT scores in math as low as 410 and verbal scores as low as 370; the SAT score cut off for Midshipmen had normally been around
600 out of a possible 800 score.

A former Admission Board Member agreed to make the following statement on conditions of anonymity; he said " The unfairness is absolutely real." The "social experiment on diversity" has been driven by the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff's and the CNO since their appointments, and has resulted in the admittance of marginal students, mostly athletes and minorities, while by-passing fully qualified white students in the pool of 15,000 applicants annually. The results of the admittance of marginal students has been an increase in serious violations of regulations such as drug use (resulting in multiple dismissals), excessive use of liquor and inebriation on weekend liberty, increased violations of the Honor Code requiring retraining to retain minority students (as a former member of the Honor Committee there was no such thing as honor retraining; Midshipmen do not lie, cheat, or steal) and recently, one Midshipman lied to a law enforcement officer when in custody for a federal offense.

The Brigade of Midshipmen have been negatively affected by the "social experiment of diversity," and now the US Armed forces will be subjected to that same experiment during a wartime environment. The Supreme Court has ruled that admission procedures at institutions of higher education that consider percentages of race and gender as a consideration for selecting and making up an entering freshman class is discriminatory and those actions by a college Admissions Board are a violation of federal law.

The "social experiment on diversity" imposed on the Brigade at the US Naval Academy, pushing an openly homosexual environment on the US Armed Forces, and now the proposal by the Military Leadership Diversity Committee have all put the US Military is under unreasonable destabilizing pressure. The proposal by the Commission to select future flag officers of the US Armed Forces using some type of litmus test on diversity will not improve the "Combat Effectiveness" of the US Military.

By recommending that senior military officers only be selected for flag if they pass a test on diversity, and considering their race and gender by some percentages, will not result in the promotion of the most qualified senior officers who would improve the "Combat Effectiveness" of the US Armed Force (there will be no more Admiral Bull Halseys, General Pattons, General Chesty Pullers, General Jimmy Doolittles, etc., because they would not be "politically correct" selectees).

The American people are unaware of the aforementioned coordinated assaults on the most effective and professional military force in the world, they are not aware that the agenda that is being driven by socialists and liberals who oppose the US Armed Forces high standards of duty, honor, country, and its support for the Judeo-Christian religions is hurting the stability of the force. Those coordinated assaults by progressives, pushing a "social experiment on diversity", will weaken the US Military over the long term.

The actions of outside forces supported by the Obama Administration are continuing to push the above listed changes that are marginalizing the "Combat Effectiveness" of the US Armed Forces. The US Military has protected and defended the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Republic for 234 years, experimenting with the structure and make-up of the US Military organization and assaulting its leadership structure will destabilize the US Armed Forces. We must rely on the judgment of the 12 elected Combat Veterans For Congress and other Congressmen to coordinate their efforts to halt the above listed dangerous experiments with the US Armed Forces.

Joseph R. John, USNA '62 Captain, USN (Ret) Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC Reagan Associate/Reagan Administration Alumnus Former FBI/Former DHS Federal Law Enforcement Officer
264 S. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 186 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Fax: (310) 859-0811
http://www.CombatVeteransForCongress.org


Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2011 4:25 PM Subject: LTC(R)/Rep. Allen West slams military diversity report

Rep. Allen West slams military diversity report - by Caroline May


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Thursday, May 12, 2011

Urim and Thummim

An 1893 engraving of Joseph Smith receiving th...Image via Wikipedia 
QUESTION:
In the Old Testament I find references to Urim and Thummim. What are they?

The words mean "lights and perfections," and they are believed to be a name for stones of the breastplate of the high priest. They possibly were stones in addition to the stones of the breastplate (see Leviticus 8:8). In some mysterious way not fully revealed, the Urim and Thummim were used by priests to discern the will of God. They were probably sacred (divinely approved) lots or stones cast like dice to determine a "yes" or "no" answer from God. (read Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63)


RELEVANT SCRIPTURE:
Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart when he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. Exodus 28:30










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Saturday, April 9, 2011

Blasphemy

Head of a PhariseeImage via Wikipedia 
TODAY'S QUESTION:
I have heard there is one sin that won't be forgiven. Is this true, and if so, what is it?

True. The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The general definition of blasphemy is: speaking about God or sacred matters in a disrespectful or rude way. The true sin of blasphemy is to attribute the work of God to Satan, or the work of Satan to God. To do so is to, in effect, call the Holy Spirit of God the unclean spirit of Satan. God finds this unforgivable. (for Biblical examples of blasphemy see Matthew 12:24-29; Mark 3:22-30 and Luke 11:14-23) What does all of this mean to us today? I think we are called to carefully examine all things religious that we come in contact with to determine if they are from the Holy Spirit of God, or from the unclean spirit of Satan. We are not to judge people, but we are to judge their works, with the test always being the Word of God.


Relevant Scripture
"But whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." 
Mark 3:29-30






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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Good News Regarding Islam

Cover of "Son of Hamas: A Gripping Accoun...Cover via Amazon
I spent two hours with Mosab Hassan Yousef  last evening.  Well, to be totally honest I spent two hours with about 1000 others watching and listening to him.  I did not get within 100 feet of him. But, never the less it was time well spent. The most encouraging thing he said was he firmly believes that Islam is going to implode, and will do so within ten years.  He is very serious and, I for one, hope he is correct.  This is good news because Islam is such an evil religious system.

The thing he revealed that I found the most surprising and amazing is that he is working on a movie that will reveal to all Muslims who Mohammed really was. And that will move many Muslims away from Islam.

If you will recall, a fatwa (order to kill) was put on a Danish cartoonist a few years ago for a cartoon depicting Mohammed. It is against Islamic law to depict Mohammed in any form. 

From past news: A Somalian man broke into the home of Kurt Westergaard on Friday armed with an ax and a knife. He is accused of the attempted murder of the Danish cartoonist.

So, what do you think they will want to do with Mosab Hassan Yousef?  He is a very brave man committed to his beliefs.

Please read this entire report, and watch the video.  Then “google” him for more information.

Mosab Hassan Yousef: The Hamas prince who was spy for Israel


BY RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, February 25, 2010

He was Israel's most valuable spy inside Hamas - and certainly the most unlikely.

For more than a decade, Mosab Hassan Yousef disrupted dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts by the militant group, saving hundreds of lives.

Infiltrating the upper echelons of Hamas came relatively easy for Yousef: He is the son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef.

"So many people owe him their life and don't even know it," an Israeli security agent told the Israeli daily Haaretz on Wednesday.
"People who did a lot less were awarded the Israel Security Prize. He certainly deserves it."

Yousef's astonishing career as a spy is chronicled in his soon-to-be released memoir, "Son of Hamas."

Yousef, 32, was recruited by the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, in 1996 after he was arrested.

Inside Israel's intelligence community, he became known as the Green Prince - a nod to the color of Hamas' flag and his pedigree as the son of one of its founders.

Yousef's exploits are the stuff of legend.

He once picked out a suicide bomber in a crowded square after the Shin Bet received a vague tip.

About 10 years ago, in the Palestinian uprising known as the Second Intifadeh, Yousef supplied intelligence that led to the arrests of several key Palestinian leaders.

Among those Yousef helped take down is Ibrahim Hamid, a Hamas commander in the West Bank and Marwan Barghouti, who is accused of orchestrating numerous attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.

There was one person Yousef would not help capture: his father, Sheikh Hassan Yousef.

The elder Yousef did not elude authorities for long: He was arrested in September 2005 and is in an Israeli prison.

In a statement from prison, he said it was possible the Israelis recruited his son, but that his son had no access to the movement's secrets.

"Whether what Haaretz reported is true or not, Mosab was not an active member in Hamas or in any of its military, political or religious branches, or any other body," the elder Yousef said.

Yousef fled the West Bank in 2007 and is a devout Christian living in California.

The revelations of his stint as a spy come amid suspicions that a Hamas informant recently helped Israel assassinate a top leader in a Dubai hotel last month.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mosab Hassan Yousef’s book “Son of Hamas” has been published and is available almost everywhere including Amazon.

Go here to see the video (about 10 minutes) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYXHKLmpVBs&feature=related

Monday, March 14, 2011

Slain in the Spirit

QUESTION:
On TV I saw a preacher touching people on the head and they would fall over as if in some sort of trance. They called it being "slain in the spirit." Is this a biblical practice?



ANSWER:
No, it is not. I do not find either the term or the experience anywhere in the Bible. There are examples in the Bible of persons dropping to their knees, or even falling prostrate before God, but these examples do not support the phenomenon of "slain in the spirit" as it happens today. In the Bible people dropping to their knees or falling prostrate always fall forward. In the phenomenon of "slain in the spirit" they seem to always fall backward. Could it be the person touching them is actually pushing a little? Proponents of the phenomenon of "slain in the spirit" often point to such passages of Scripture as Genesis 15:12-21, Numbers 24:4, and Matthew 17:6 but these offer no support when studied carefully. The Idea of being touched by a human being who is "anointed" by the Spirit and then being knocked out cold is not a biblical phenomena.


SCRIPTURE:
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,      2 Thessalonians 2:9


Wayne






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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Greater Miracles than Jesus?

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...Image via Wikipedia
QUESTION:
In John 14:12 Jesus seems to indicate that we would do greater miracles than He did.  What did He mean?

Jesus was not granting his followers sweeping supernatural powers so that we could out-perform His miracles.  He was foretelling of the coming of the Holy Spirit and a resulting worldwide ministry. In this verse Jesus is saying that His many followers would do greater things in total (in number) than He Himself would do. As an example, followers have taken the gospel to multitudes of people.  Jesus is referring to the entire impact of God's people on the world. He was speaking in terms of quantity, not quality. Remember, Jesus was not trying to impress anyone and was not going for any records.  He was performing miracles as part of God's overall plan, and we should do our part for that same plan.

SCRIPTURE:
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the father.
John 14:12

Wayne
www.Capstone-Ministries.org



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