Into the Fire

Sunday's Offerings

 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

 

In commemoration . . .

 

When it becomes politically correct to not remember 9/11 as an act of war . . .

When it becomes politically correct to not allow the foundational Christian message of prayer to be uttered at the cite of the heinous acts against our people and our nation . . .

When it becomes politically correct to tout diversity for only this country's residents and not for those who hate us and promote terrorism against us . . .

When it becomes politically correct to nickname terrorism by any other name . . .

Then politically correct is politically, philosophically, spiritually, and ideologically wrong.

We will not give up. We will fight against the terrorists of every nation, ethnicity, creed, or religion whether in-country or out. You have no right to tell us what to believe, how to think, who to worship, and where we can be free. This includes those politicians who aid and abet the thinking and actions that further the cause of terrorism and intolerance of our own heritage.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.

God Bless America. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember . . .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M08D_vJQrKU&feature=related

 

In honor of those heroes, the ACLJ would like you to see our powerful new documentary, Forever Changed: 9/11 in Remembrance. It is the compelling story of the most deadly attack on American soil – told from the perspective of those who sacrificed the most – the heroes who survived 9/11 and the families who lost loved ones when the World Trade Center became Ground Zero.

 

Please watch this new 9/11 film on our website for a limited time, through Sunday, September 11th. You can share this film with your friends by using the LIKE button in this email.

 

Forever Changed features interviews with former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, the nation’s top law enforcement officer on 9/11; Tim Brown, a former New York City firefighter and first responder who lost nearly 100 of his closest friends and co-workers that fateful day; and many other 9/11 survivors and family members of those who lost their lives.

 

 

Father, please forgive us for our sins, heal our nation, comfort those who've lost so much, and bless those who've given so much. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Coming Soon . . .

 

Reviews of :

The Queen by Steven James

The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson

Father, all I can say is thank you. Thank you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Balanced . . .

 

You tell me: where's the balance? Some of us express our frustrations with reserve, mindful of others' opposite opinions. Others of us use the no-holds-barred approach in examination. In that approach there are no language barriers or courtesy concerns. There's just the opinion.

We face this dilemma as bloggers, as interviewers, as reviewers, as conversationalists, and as writers. How much is too much and when is it not enough?

I've done my share of criticizing Christian Fiction and the publishing industry. And I have no plans of abandoning the genre in reading or writing because there are some amazing artists who write in the CBA just as there are those who write in the ABA.

I have no problem with publishing houses establishing their primary clientele and producing fiction to fit and suit their audience. And I have no problem with those houses who use their imprints to "disguise" a broader appeal or seek that larger audience.

I'm beginning to think my primary problem is with intolerant readers who either mistakenly or deliberately pick up a novel that absolutely won't appeal to their desires for reading material and decide to express their utter dismay that a Christian could've written such a book. And choose to do it on Amazon or any public forum.

Yes, I do have a problem with those readers. If they wish to express their distaste or dislike for such a novel, they need to be forthright enough to say this isn't one they would normally read and not assume that whoever else enjoys the book is hellbent.

 

Father, help us to walk our talk, to be the ones you want us to be, to not constantly assess others as they walk with you but work on our own inabilities. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

Doodling . . .

 

She was no runway model. So it took her exactly two and a quarter hours of intermittent foot travel between her desk and her boss's office to topple off the three inch heel by twisting her ankle as she attempted to gracefully bend at the knees to pick up a dropped file, separating the pencil thin spike from the rest of its shoe. Crimson was not bright enough to describe her complexion as she landed hard on her bottom nearly creating an unintended slit up the side of her straight black skirt, one leg straight in front of her, the other one bent cockeyed at the knee and splayed beside her, the file's contents now spread across the thick grey carpet in front of her, the black spindle just out of reach to her right.

 

Father, thank you for who you are. I'm desperate for you. Everyday, always. Apart from you I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

And counting . . .

 

I know it's pathetic to make a big deal out of the one more day until the computer issues hope to be resolved. However, it has become a big deal in its own way because of the imposed restrictions on just about everything I do on the computer. I haven't been able to read or edit my novels under construction, but, yes, it's a good thing to be totally away from them. My husband's laptop is virtually useless to him without its wireless capabilities, but having checked it out at Best Buy it isn't the computer. Turns out it's the communication between it and the router at home and hopefully it will also be resolved on Tuesday.

So enough about this nonsense. I'm sick of it too.

It's Labor Day. You know the day where most of retail works and others don't. Where some companies shut down and others gear up with dynamite sales. Where it's an extra day of horse racing on a normally off day. Where it's the last blast before school starts for some. So . . . have a good one whatever you must do.

 

Father, you are the focus of my labors. I love you, Lord. Please help me to do what you have for me to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Sunday's Offerings

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Of some interest . . .

 

Please take a moment to learn more about the new attacks on Christians from evolutionist, Richard Dawkins. In his latest round of attacks, Dawkins calls Christians “uneducated fools.” Read my response to his overt hatred for Christians and conservatives. As always, please remember to join the discussion in the Washington Post comments section.

Jordan Sekulow

ACLJ Executive Director

 

Father, you've made the foolish wise and the wise foolish. And given mercy to all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Unbelievable . . .

 

Computers serve a marvelous function, but for non-geeks, for people who will never be tech-savvy, for those who can do just enough to get by on one . . . they can be the pits, the headaches, the blood-pressure raising impetus for family distress. That's a ridiculous state to be in, but it's true.

I am standing, yes, standing (!) at my husband's laptop to post this. For whatever reason, and I do mean whatever, the wireless ability decided not to connect to the internet yesterday. I won't tell you how long I was on the telephone with someone who gave their all to try and work through every possibility to fix it last night. To. No. Avail.

AAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!

Alright then. Nice post, huh?

Five days and counting until the new one is set up.

 

Father, help me keep perspective. This is nothing in the big scheme. Nothing. Dust, Chaff. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.