WARNING: This blog contains a message that may be offensive to some. I'm going to say it anyway..... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
There it is. I said it, and I'm not sorry, even though some people want those words banned. One dopey principal in New York wants everything related to Christmas and God eliminated from the public school system.
At one school in Brooklyn, Santa Claus is banned. The Pledge of Allegiance is no longer allowed.. “Harvest festival” has replaced Thanksgiving, and “winter celebrations” substitute for Christmas parties.
The dopey principal, Eujin Jaela Kim, has given the school a politically correct scrub-down, to the dismay of many teachers and parents.
“We definitely can’t say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa,” PTA President Mimi Ferrer said administrators told her. “No angels. We can’t even have a star because it can represent a religious system, like the Star of David.”
A memo last month from assistant principal Jose Chaparro suggested a “harvest festival instead of Thanksgiving or a winter celebration instead of a Christmas party.” He urged staff to “be sensitive of the diversity of our families. Not all children celebrate the same holidays.”
If I went to that school, I would go out and buy a bunch of Merry Christmas shirts and wear one every day! If I got suspended, I would just enjoy my extended Christmas break!
I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this. The Bible says as followers of Jesus we will be persecuted and even hated: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
In the end, though, this principal reversed her decision because of the protests from students and parents. Christmas will still be celebrated. But this principal is still a dope!
Friday, December 18, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Imagine Heaven (The End)
One thing is certain about heaven.... you'll never be bored! People often think heaven will be one long worship service. In Imagine Heaven, John Burke writes about the important jobs and responsibilities we'll have in heaven.
He says we'll be rewarded with special assignments and projects. It will be work perfectly fitted to what God created you to do. It's what you were wired to do. If you love creativity, imagine creating something for the Creator of the universe.
The Bible says some of us will rule cities and nations. Burke suggests others will compose music, paint beautiful pictures or write stories for God. All those special projects you didn't have time for here on earth, you'll be able to complete. You'll have all the time in the world to finish it.
Some NDErs in the book said there's plenty to do in heaven. You can explore the beautiful mountains and breath-taking scenery in heaven. Some said there are libraries, museums, art galleries, music concerts and sporting events. Now, I'm not sure about all that, but it makes sense. If God gave us all these things to enjoy while we were on earth, why would He take them away when we get to heaven?
Heaven will be a partying place. There will banquets and extravagant dinner parties. For us Texans, it may be a Bar-B-Que hoedown! It will be the best tasting food you've ever eaten. We can finally pick fruit from the Tree of Life and eat it. The best part is that Jesus will be the guest of honor at our parties!
Of course, there will also be music and worship before the very throne of God. We'll never want to leave His presence, and the good news is we'll never have to leave. This is only the beginning of what awaits us in heaven.
As you can probably tell, I enjoyed this book. In writing these blogs, I hope it makes you want to go to heaven as much as it makes me want to go there. Heaven is real. Don't miss it!
He says we'll be rewarded with special assignments and projects. It will be work perfectly fitted to what God created you to do. It's what you were wired to do. If you love creativity, imagine creating something for the Creator of the universe.
The Bible says some of us will rule cities and nations. Burke suggests others will compose music, paint beautiful pictures or write stories for God. All those special projects you didn't have time for here on earth, you'll be able to complete. You'll have all the time in the world to finish it.
Some NDErs in the book said there's plenty to do in heaven. You can explore the beautiful mountains and breath-taking scenery in heaven. Some said there are libraries, museums, art galleries, music concerts and sporting events. Now, I'm not sure about all that, but it makes sense. If God gave us all these things to enjoy while we were on earth, why would He take them away when we get to heaven?
Heaven will be a partying place. There will banquets and extravagant dinner parties. For us Texans, it may be a Bar-B-Que hoedown! It will be the best tasting food you've ever eaten. We can finally pick fruit from the Tree of Life and eat it. The best part is that Jesus will be the guest of honor at our parties!
Of course, there will also be music and worship before the very throne of God. We'll never want to leave His presence, and the good news is we'll never have to leave. This is only the beginning of what awaits us in heaven.
As you can probably tell, I enjoyed this book. In writing these blogs, I hope it makes you want to go to heaven as much as it makes me want to go there. Heaven is real. Don't miss it!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Imagine Heaven (Part 5)
What we do with our lives matters. Every moment matters more than we can even imagine. That's what John Burke writes in his book, Imagine Heaven. He says we should live every day with eternity in mind.
While most of the people in the book who described their near-death experience said they didn't feel condemned or judged when they "visited" heaven, many of them reported seeing lots of books in heaven. Lots and lots of books that record our words and actions while on earth.
The Bible describes two judgments in heaven. The white throne judgment is a judgment of faith and determines who belongs to God. Anyone whose name isn't found in the Book of Life will be thrown into hell.
Burke explains that the other judgment is called the bema seat judgment and is where God will reward us for things we did for Him in our earthly life. The word judgment is translated from the Greek word bema and refers to the judge's seat at the ancient games. It's like the Olympic judge's stand, Burke says. He likens it to a giant awards ceremony, such as the Oscars.
While everyone in heaven will experience the bliss of an eternal home with God, there will be levels of rewards. God loves to reward every faithful deed. We don't earn God's love or acceptance into heaven -- that's a gift that we receive or reject. But our faithfulness to God in this life determines our experience in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-20 tells us, "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven."
I don't know what kind of rewards we'll receive. We always hear about earning another jewel in your crown. I think the rewards will be something more substantial. If God blesses us with so many good things in this life, I can only imagine what He has in store for us in heaven!
The greatest reward of all will be being with Jesus. We'll be in His presence forever. Nothing can compare with that!
While most of the people in the book who described their near-death experience said they didn't feel condemned or judged when they "visited" heaven, many of them reported seeing lots of books in heaven. Lots and lots of books that record our words and actions while on earth.
The Bible describes two judgments in heaven. The white throne judgment is a judgment of faith and determines who belongs to God. Anyone whose name isn't found in the Book of Life will be thrown into hell.
Burke explains that the other judgment is called the bema seat judgment and is where God will reward us for things we did for Him in our earthly life. The word judgment is translated from the Greek word bema and refers to the judge's seat at the ancient games. It's like the Olympic judge's stand, Burke says. He likens it to a giant awards ceremony, such as the Oscars.
While everyone in heaven will experience the bliss of an eternal home with God, there will be levels of rewards. God loves to reward every faithful deed. We don't earn God's love or acceptance into heaven -- that's a gift that we receive or reject. But our faithfulness to God in this life determines our experience in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-20 tells us, "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven."
I don't know what kind of rewards we'll receive. We always hear about earning another jewel in your crown. I think the rewards will be something more substantial. If God blesses us with so many good things in this life, I can only imagine what He has in store for us in heaven!
The greatest reward of all will be being with Jesus. We'll be in His presence forever. Nothing can compare with that!
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Imagine Heaven (Part 4)
Heaven is real. That was made very clear by many of the people in John Burke's book, Imagine Heaven. But not everyone who had a near-death experience (NDEs) saw heaven. Some saw a very different place. They got a glimpse into the hellish afterlife that awaits those who aren't saved. They found that hell is also real.
A lot of us, including some Christians, believe in a "fairly tale" version of hell, complete with a little red devil with a tail and holding a pitchfork. We know hell is a bad place, but it is far worse than we can ever imagine.
The NDErs who "visited" hell don't like to talk about their experience. It's too painful. Those who did share their experiences in the book say it felt like they were trapped in a cave or deep pit where there is complete darkness. They describe a putrid smell like feces, burning sulfur or death. The odor was so overwhelming that it was nearly impossible to breathe.
The ones who visited heaven said they felt such incredible love and acceptance, but those who went to hell said they felt totally alone and abandoned. They could hear the cries and screams from others, but the complete darkness kept them for seeing another soul. They felt such isolation in hell because they had been separated from God forever.
The NDErs who saw hell believe their experience was meant to be a warning. They were given a chance to come back to their earthly lives so they could change and avoid spending eternity in that place of torment.
We all have that same chance now. God never intended for humans to be in hell. He created hell for Satan and his angels. God gives us a choice. We can accept Jesus and live for Him and spend eternity in that wonderful place called heaven, or we can reject Him and spend eternity in hell.
Heaven is real, and hell is just as real. Which will you choose?
A lot of us, including some Christians, believe in a "fairly tale" version of hell, complete with a little red devil with a tail and holding a pitchfork. We know hell is a bad place, but it is far worse than we can ever imagine.
The NDErs who "visited" hell don't like to talk about their experience. It's too painful. Those who did share their experiences in the book say it felt like they were trapped in a cave or deep pit where there is complete darkness. They describe a putrid smell like feces, burning sulfur or death. The odor was so overwhelming that it was nearly impossible to breathe.
The ones who visited heaven said they felt such incredible love and acceptance, but those who went to hell said they felt totally alone and abandoned. They could hear the cries and screams from others, but the complete darkness kept them for seeing another soul. They felt such isolation in hell because they had been separated from God forever.
The NDErs who saw hell believe their experience was meant to be a warning. They were given a chance to come back to their earthly lives so they could change and avoid spending eternity in that place of torment.
We all have that same chance now. God never intended for humans to be in hell. He created hell for Satan and his angels. God gives us a choice. We can accept Jesus and live for Him and spend eternity in that wonderful place called heaven, or we can reject Him and spend eternity in hell.
Heaven is real, and hell is just as real. Which will you choose?
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
The Truth About Trump
With Donald Trump at the top of the polls, I'd had a wait-and-see attitude about him. Trump says what a lot of people are thinking, especially about immigration. But he's also drawn criticism for his personal attacks on anyone who dares to disagree with him.
I laughed when he called Rosie O'Donnell "a fat pig." I overlooked it when he said John McCain wasn't a war hero. I even ignored it when he insulted my favorite Fox News anchor, Megyn Kelly.
But he went too far for me with his mocking of a disabled New York Times reporter. Worse still, rather than apologizing for making fun of the reporter, Trump claims he is being unfairly attacked for his comments and alleges that he doesn’t even know what the reporter looks like.
This hits home with me because I know what it's like to be mocked and made fun of. It's not funny. It's mean, and it hurts.
All of Trump's attacks are mean-spirited and hurtful. They are more than that, though. They reveal a character flaw in Donald Trump.
The Bible teaches that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45), and so Trump’s consistent pattern of personal attacks points to deeper issues which make him unfit to be president.
Think about it. Is this the man we want to be our president? The warnings in Proverbs are strong: “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20). And, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).
We need a statesman as our next president, not an irresponsible flame thrower like Trump.
I laughed when he called Rosie O'Donnell "a fat pig." I overlooked it when he said John McCain wasn't a war hero. I even ignored it when he insulted my favorite Fox News anchor, Megyn Kelly.
But he went too far for me with his mocking of a disabled New York Times reporter. Worse still, rather than apologizing for making fun of the reporter, Trump claims he is being unfairly attacked for his comments and alleges that he doesn’t even know what the reporter looks like.
This hits home with me because I know what it's like to be mocked and made fun of. It's not funny. It's mean, and it hurts.
All of Trump's attacks are mean-spirited and hurtful. They are more than that, though. They reveal a character flaw in Donald Trump.
The Bible teaches that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45), and so Trump’s consistent pattern of personal attacks points to deeper issues which make him unfit to be president.
Think about it. Is this the man we want to be our president? The warnings in Proverbs are strong: “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20). And, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).
We need a statesman as our next president, not an irresponsible flame thrower like Trump.
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