You may recall that I called the Superbowl within 1 point last year, based on scriptural references and inferences. I can't tell you the number of people who were amazed over my Bible-sports prophecy. One man in church was actually kind of in awe of me after. It was sort of scary.
Well, what does the Bible say for this year? (apart from the fact I am rooting hard for the Giants)
Giants were feared by the Israelites, and temporarily kept them out of the land (end zone?)due to unbelief. They looked strong and powerful until confronted. But ultimately the giants all were tackled and fell. They were evil. The bigger they were, the harder they fell (think about Goliath). They were finally fully exterminated. They were wiped out.
Another thought is found in 1 Samuel 2:12-"The sons of Eli were worthless men, they did not know the Lord." They were harshly judged by God. Surely this is also not good news for Eli Manning, the Giants' quarterback.
On the other hand, New England claims to be Patriots. But surely this is false advertising. New England is probably the least godly part of the country, having first legalized gay marriage, as well as slavery (just learned this Wednesday in the Black History class). It is easily the weakest area of the country for the Gospel. Churches are generally few, small, and weak up there. And Massachusetts ranks up there as among the worst in all this.
Tough prediction. Patriots by 3.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Today is...
Today is National Peanut Butter day.
I love pb. When I was a kid, we used to eat peanut butter on hot dogs (it is good). Now I love peanut butter chocolate ice cream.
What is your favorite peanut butter combo?
I love pb. When I was a kid, we used to eat peanut butter on hot dogs (it is good). Now I love peanut butter chocolate ice cream.
What is your favorite peanut butter combo?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Vision of America
Saturday night at the prayer meeting for the nation, state, towns, I had a vision. Someone mentioned that the US had been a place of refuge for peoples from all over the world. At this I saw a light-up map of the US. Then I heard the voice of God saying, "No longer will America be a place of refuge, it is now under my judgment. People will flee and leave it, no longer will peoples come to it. But there will remain a few cities of refuge in it." I saw the light of the map go out, but a few lights on the map remained.
Not such good times ahead. None of the lights were in the northeast.
Not such good times ahead. None of the lights were in the northeast.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Why go to Israel?
Israel is a place every Christian should visit once in their lifetime. Why?-I broke the reasons into past, present and future-
Past-
-to walk in the steps of Jesus is incredible. It will bring the stories of the Bible alive.
-you can go to Capernaum (where Jesus lived), the Sea of Galilee (try walking on water there if you want!), Mt Carmel (where Elijah battled the false prophets), Jerusalem, the city of David- these are real places that still exist.
-there is an unusual sense of God's presence in Israel. I am not into holy places, but you can feel God's presence at the Western Wall so heavily.
Present-
-this will be one of the great spiritual experiences of your life. Believe me, it will be.
-Israel is the center of 3 continents, and a fascinating mix of cultures.
-it is small, the size and population of NJ, and thus easy to get around.
-it will give you a great understanding of the Jewish people and culture.
-God says His eye is always on it. To Him, it is the center of the world.
-you will understand the perpetual political struggles over this land when you visit it, and see how small and pivotal it is.
-it is safe, we will not go to any dangerous places, like Gaza.
Future-
-Israel is where world history ends. You can visit Armageddon, the site of the last battle, and the Mount of Olives, where Jesus will return to earth. This will so enrich your understanding of prophecy.
-you will walk where the Jewish temple was, and will be rebuilt in the future. People there are planning this now.
If there is any way you can get in on this trip, do it. It will be the spiritual experience of a lifetime. We have our interest meeting on November 20 after church.
Past-
-to walk in the steps of Jesus is incredible. It will bring the stories of the Bible alive.
-you can go to Capernaum (where Jesus lived), the Sea of Galilee (try walking on water there if you want!), Mt Carmel (where Elijah battled the false prophets), Jerusalem, the city of David- these are real places that still exist.
-there is an unusual sense of God's presence in Israel. I am not into holy places, but you can feel God's presence at the Western Wall so heavily.
Present-
-this will be one of the great spiritual experiences of your life. Believe me, it will be.
-Israel is the center of 3 continents, and a fascinating mix of cultures.
-it is small, the size and population of NJ, and thus easy to get around.
-it will give you a great understanding of the Jewish people and culture.
-God says His eye is always on it. To Him, it is the center of the world.
-you will understand the perpetual political struggles over this land when you visit it, and see how small and pivotal it is.
-it is safe, we will not go to any dangerous places, like Gaza.
Future-
-Israel is where world history ends. You can visit Armageddon, the site of the last battle, and the Mount of Olives, where Jesus will return to earth. This will so enrich your understanding of prophecy.
-you will walk where the Jewish temple was, and will be rebuilt in the future. People there are planning this now.
If there is any way you can get in on this trip, do it. It will be the spiritual experience of a lifetime. We have our interest meeting on November 20 after church.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Interesting facts about the Reformation
In the course of studying about the Reformation for Sunday's message, I learned many interesting facts. Here are a few.
1. The Reformation was promoted by a new technology, the printing press. Luther's supporters published countless flyers and pamphlets with his writings.
2. Luther's salary was paid in part by income derived from tourists who came to see his employer's extensive collection of relics. Frederick " the Wise" had over 16,000 relics, most of which were fake and incredibly superstitious.
3. Frederick was raised up by God to protect him, without him Luther would have been destroyed by the church and pope early on. Frederick the Wise was just far enough from Rome, strong enough, and smart enough to keep Luther alive.
4. Luther may have been motivated to post his theses by Halloween. The church replaced pagan Halloween with All Saints' Day, which was a huge time for people to come and venerate the saints and the collection of relics. Anticipation of this huge crowd may be why Luther posted when he did.
5. Columbus discovered America only 9 years after Luther's birth. Maybe God prepared America at this time for refugees of the religious persecution coming from the backlash against the Reformation.
6. Jan Hus, often called the Morningstar of the Reformation, gave basically the same message as Luther 100 years earlier in Prague. He was burnt at the stake by the church for heresy, but prepared the way for the Reformation. He is considered the national hero of the Czech Republic. His huge statue in the center of Prague (I was there about 4 years ago) brought tears to my eyes.
7. The Reformation only succeeded in countries which were never controlled by the Roman empire. Ex-Roman countries stayed with Catholicism, which was also tied in with a political commitment to Rome.
8. A century after the Reformation and continuing to today, the new Protestant Reformation countries became more prosperous and prominent than the Catholic countries, due to the teachings of the Reformation.
1. The Reformation was promoted by a new technology, the printing press. Luther's supporters published countless flyers and pamphlets with his writings.
2. Luther's salary was paid in part by income derived from tourists who came to see his employer's extensive collection of relics. Frederick " the Wise" had over 16,000 relics, most of which were fake and incredibly superstitious.
3. Frederick was raised up by God to protect him, without him Luther would have been destroyed by the church and pope early on. Frederick the Wise was just far enough from Rome, strong enough, and smart enough to keep Luther alive.
4. Luther may have been motivated to post his theses by Halloween. The church replaced pagan Halloween with All Saints' Day, which was a huge time for people to come and venerate the saints and the collection of relics. Anticipation of this huge crowd may be why Luther posted when he did.
5. Columbus discovered America only 9 years after Luther's birth. Maybe God prepared America at this time for refugees of the religious persecution coming from the backlash against the Reformation.
6. Jan Hus, often called the Morningstar of the Reformation, gave basically the same message as Luther 100 years earlier in Prague. He was burnt at the stake by the church for heresy, but prepared the way for the Reformation. He is considered the national hero of the Czech Republic. His huge statue in the center of Prague (I was there about 4 years ago) brought tears to my eyes.
7. The Reformation only succeeded in countries which were never controlled by the Roman empire. Ex-Roman countries stayed with Catholicism, which was also tied in with a political commitment to Rome.
8. A century after the Reformation and continuing to today, the new Protestant Reformation countries became more prosperous and prominent than the Catholic countries, due to the teachings of the Reformation.
Dream
Friday night I had an odd dream. I saw a very short ugly lady standing in front of me, who was a demon and blocking my way. I tried to rebuke her so I could move on, but could not. After several tries I was able to say the name Jesus, and she moved aside and I was able to move ahead.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Moneyball
This is a really good movie, regardless of whether or not you like baseball (if you like baseball, it is a fantastic movie). It is a true story, my favorite type of movie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
