Early Will I Seek Thee

Parenting is not for sissies!  I've been accused of taking it too seriously, but I really don't believe that's possible. To know that I'm responsible for setting 6 souls on their path to know the God Who created them is a bit overwhelming, and it's especially hard because I am a sinner.  I'm saved and have faith, but how can I pass along that faith to them?  I want them to know that I'm a Christian, but how can I point them directly to Christ, rather than just my pitiful example of Christianity?  I train them, make sure they're clean and fed and safe, I teach them, school them, groom them..... but ultimately, I can not choose for them to be followers of Christ.  It's up to them individually.  God doesn't have grandchildren, only children.

Rather than subject them to the schizophrenic, ever-evolving (or perhaps "eroding" would be a better word) pop psychology methods of child evangelism and youth groups and children's church, Jason and I have trusted them to the same Holy Spirit that saved both of us, and all the generations before us.  God hasn't changed, and neither has His method of salvation, so we've tried to give them a life rich in God's Word, Holy Ghost inspired preaching, and prayer.....oh, how we need prayer.  He and I aren't perfect, but God's Word is.

One evidence of salvation is a hunger for God's Word.  I can remember, as a teen, when God truly opened up His Word to me, and I began getting up early (5 am) every morning before school to devour and memorize Scripture.  I wouldn't take anything in exchange for those days.  That experience changed my life and spared me so much of the grief that my teen peers suffered.  I've prayed that He would do the same for my children.

One challenge I've discovered parenting in the technology age, is the constant distraction of media and devices.  It's overwhelming if not tamed.  In fact, I'm prepared to just say that it is numbing hearts and minds out of the ability to search their souls and let the Holy Spirit of God work on the conscience.  I can remember, as a little child, lying in bed and being convicted of things I'd done, or wondering about heaven and hell, and just pondering on the things of God.  Today's child falls asleep with an iPod or laptop in his hand, focused on worldy pursuits and pleasures with no time for God to speak to them. How sad for these kids, and how negligent of parents!

All my kids have iPods or iPhones, but we've had strict rules from the very beginning.  First of all, no iPods in bed except on weekends.  (We also have a "no spending the night away from home on Saturday night" policy.  We want our kids to be refreshed and ready for worship on Sunday, with their minds on worship and not on pleasure.)  Also, in order to try to cultivate a love for God's Word, we require that they do morning devotions before they touch any kind of device each day. The kids have shown remarkable self-discipline with this, and I consider this proof of their salvation.  Caleb and Madelyn have set their clocks every morning in time for showers and devotions before breakfast for years, but now even the boys have taken this up all on their own.  Seth gets up at 6:30 and Bub at 7:30, whether anyone else is up or not.  Here are the books they are currently using for devotions:

KK and Jason:
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgon

Sis and I:

Seasons of the Heart by Donna Kelderman

Seth:

Their Lives and Your Lives: Children's Devotion on Bible Characters

Bub isn't quite ready for his own book, but he listens to the audio Bible (KJV), and we also do the Bible Study Guide for all Ages.  I discovered this jewel of a resource when I first started homeschooling Caleb in preschool, and we've used it with all the kids since.  As of now, Seth, Bub, and Summer are going through it.  It's wonderful!

The Bible Study Guide for All Ages

Before we read our Bible story each day and do the worksheet, we read a chapter of this little devotional:

Leading Little Ones to God by Marion Schooland 

It's an unusual devotional, in that it presents mature ideas like the Trinity and original sin in a way that children can grasp it.  All the references are King James, and the illustrations are lovely and inspiring.  It's opened up many opportunities for deep discussions with my 5, 9, and 10 year olds.

As inadequate as I am, I am thankful to serve a Capable God Who can save my kids just like He saved me.

¹⁴ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

¹⁶ That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

¹⁷ That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

¹⁸ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

¹⁹ And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

Blessed

I've Missed Out

30 years ago today, when I was 7 years old, I fell under Holy Ghost conviction and surrendered my life to Christ, and He gloriously saved my soul!  I can't thank Him enough for the blessing of being raised in a Christian home and being saved at a young age.  When I look at the broken and shattered lives of the girls that come into the Pregnancy Care Center, or when I see my classmates on Facebook (most of whom are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th spouses), I feel no self-righteous pride whatsoever.  I just feel overwhelming gratitude for the grace of God.  I actually struggled with guilt for many years....Why me?  Why was I born to Christian parents in the United States of America and not to radical Muslims in some remote country?  I know, according to Scripture, that the Lord God Almighty can and will save ANYONE who looks up and calls to Him for help, but clearly my chances of finding the true gospel were greater than most of the world's.

Thank you, Lord.
And yet, I know that....

"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."  Luke 12:48

considering my blessed status, I will also be held accountable for what I did with this privilege.

And so, on this special Spiritual Birthday, my prayer is twofold.  First, I'm asking my Savior to help me make better use of my remaining time on this earth, to keep my attention on things of eternal value.  Secondly, I am thanking him for all the things on which I missed out!



www.ClarkFamilyMusic.com (check them out on iTunes)

No More Sea

I have always been fascinated by the ocean, especially the deep sea.  So much mystery and wonder!  Do you realize that more people have been on the surface of the moon, than have been on the floor of the ocean's abyss zone?  And even below that lies the trench zone!  Who knows WHAT kind of leviathans and strange creatures dwell there.  Scientists admit that the ocean is 95% UNexplored (and that's as far as THEY know!). 

When I see stories like this....

(click on article title to read the story of this giant eyeball)

"Giant Eyeball Washes Up on Florida Beach"

or

this (giant squid filmed for the first time, alive):

my ears perk up!

The ocean covers 70% of the earth.

The earth began as water.
"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Gen. 1:2

The sea creatures were the first animals to be created, on Day 5 of Creation Week (Gen. 1:20).  The birds and flying creatures were created after the sea creatures on the same day, and then on Day 6 the land animals.

God used water to judge the earth in the Great Deluge.  To look at the Grand Canyon and the great mountain ranges gives us an idea of what God can do with water.  In fact, it felt almost apocalyptic when the Tsunami of 2004 occurred in the Indian Ocean.  The pictures were surreal, and over 230,000 people were killed.  Water is powerful.

So why, at the end of this sin cursed age, and the beginning of eternal glory, did God say that the ocean would not be a part of the new heaven and new earth?

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:  for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."  Rev. 21:1

I've pondered on this verse for years.  Literally.  WHY?  No marvelous sea creatures in eternity?  WHY?

I don't know if I'll ever have my answer on this side of the grave, but I came across something amazing while preparing for my Sunday School lesson this week.  I was teaching on what Dr. Henry Morris calls "divine memory loss" from Hebrews 10:17, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

As I was studying this thought out, I came to Micah 7:18-19:

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?  he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.  

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

No more sea.

No more sins.

Well, praise the Lord!

Perpetual Youth

I had an experience recently that was a real eye-opener.  I would love to be able to share all the details, but in consideration of the fact that my blog is open to the public, I feel it would be best not to do so.  I certainly have no desire to hurt anyone's feelings.

To be brief, the experience involved me speaking (on behalf of LMO) at a youth rally.  I took my 2 daughters with me.  What we encountered was just downright embarrassing.  The 2 rock bands were a disgrace to the Holy God about Whom they claimed to be singing.  It was so loud it scared my baby girl and shocked my 12 yr old.  Adults made fools of themselves in the name of doing anything for Christ.  When the Bible speaks of the foolishness of the gospel, I feel pretty confident in not interpreting that to mean getting up on a comfortable, air-conditioned stage and acting like an ape.  Whatever I have said in the past about youth groups, let me just say that I was much too nice about it.

I have taken a lot of heat about this subject through the years, but time has shown us that we have done a grave disservice to our kids by inventing a new way of evangelizing them.  By "reinventing the wheel", we have completely departed from New Testament faith.  We've lost confidence in the glorious gospel and the power of Holy Spirit preaching, and put our trust in recreation and psychological games.  We mock a Spirit-filled man of God and flock to metrosexual dudes with holes in their jeans and untucked shirts.  We've traded the "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" for (....I'm trying to be nice here...give me a minute...) generic, mediocre, chants to the beat of a pagan drum.  And our children are lost.

My 12 year old, one of the church pianists who plays beautifully from the Church Hymnal and carries herself with a mature grace and charm well beyond her years, was dumbfounded.  "Mom, do they not realize how silly they look?  I'm embarrassed for them."  It grieved me to see the "dumbing down" that was taking place. Where is the challenge to embrace a serious walk with Christ?  What can be gained by encouraging perpetual youth?

And our children are lost.

As I was discussing this with a friend yesterday, her daughter shared this video with me.  I LOVE the Blimey Cow guys!  They're a perfect testimony to homeschooling, and the ability it gives people to think outside the box of mainstream mania.  This video sums up the futility of youth groups, as well as why they draw so many kids, most of whom sadly do not make the cross-over into grown-up church. (Of course, the Bible NEVER makes a distinction!  When Paul wrote to the Colossians and the Ephesians, addressing the children and the parents, he never paused for the youth pastor to bring his group in to hear the reading of the letter.  He expected they were all sitting together in the congregation listening as a family!)

I Bow My Knees

Having a child who's nearly 15 years old has brought me to a new stage in my parenting life.  I find that I cannot micro-manage every area of my children's lives, at least their thought life, at this point.  I've always been very protective of them and their outside influences, and I still am.  Unlike conventional wisdom, I am NOT going to loosen the reigns at my teenager's critical stage of life; however, I am realizing more and more how small I am, and how dependent I must be on the work of the Holy Spirit of God to do anything good and lasting in their lives.

This post has nothing to do with me being more lenient on what kind of friends they have, or what kind of movies they watch, or what kind of books they read.  I am determined now more than ever to keep their minds pure and clean.  I will be more careful than I've ever been about those things!  I've never understood the strategy of shielding children during their young years, and then exposing them to sensual media during their hormonal teenage years in the name of "giving them space".  But because my children don't have access to computers and television and friends outside of my watchful eye, they've never even asked to watch or go anywhere inappropriate.  Thank the Lord, that's never been an issue here!

What I mean, is that I'm quickly realizing that teaching my children the ways of God and keeping them innocent....will not save them.  I am helpless to do this, and I humbly throw myself at the mercy of God on behalf of their little souls.  As I've prayed over them earnestly, God has laid a Scripture on my heart that has been such a blessing to me, and I wanted to share it:

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:14-19

This was Paul's prayer for his beloved congregation at Ephesus, and it is my prayer for my children.

Obama Is Making Kids Gay

My poor blahg! I will resurrect it soon. It's just such a busy time right now! In the meantime, refresh yourself with a little straight talk from a 14-year-old kid.

Life Unworthy of Life?

The Elite Are Attempting to Convince Us That Killing Off Our Sick Grandparents Is Cool and Trendy

I wanted to share this article from the "End of the American Dream" blog (which, by the way, I highly recommend).  The topic of elderly euthanasia is close to my heart for many reasons, and I rarely speak on the topic of abortion that I don't bring in the close connection to this.  In case you think it's something in the mystical future of our country, please know that it is already here, and has been a part of our society for quite some time.  Now, it's mainstream.  Soon, it will be the law of the land.  Perhaps we will have mobile euthanasia squads like the Netherlands in the near future.

One reason I believe that the topic of euthanasia, or "good death" is so close to my heart, is because of a college interim course I took on the Holocaust when I was just 19 years old.  It was almost brutal the way the professor immersed us for 30 days in the horrors of the Holocaust (and I now question the wisdom of that), and I was forever changed in the way I view both humanity and the human heart and its capacity for evil.  What most people do not know about the Holocaust, is that it did not start with the Jews.  In fact, it ended with the Jews.  It started with the Germans.

That's right.  Germans.  Sick Germans.  Elderly Germans.  Handicapped Germans.  Mentally retarded Germans.  "Inferior" Germans.  Hitler enacted a policy of "Lebensunwertes Leben", or "Life Unworthy of Life". 


Here's a propoganda poster from Nazi Germany:

English translation:  60000 RM.  This is what this person suffering from hereditary defects costs the Community of Germans during his lifetime.  Fellow Citizen, that is your money, too.


The euthanasia program began well before World War II, and it started with the same Eugenics brainwashing propaganda that Planned Parenthood founder, Margaret Sanger, was spewing out here in the U.S.  It began with forced sterilizations of the deaf and mentally handicapped, and then progressed to the outright murder.  When the inherent value of humans as Image-bearers of God is denied, there is no stopping the death mentality.  In America, it begins with abortion and progresses to Obama's death panels.  Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop warned of this in the 1970s, and everyone thought they were crazy.  Sadly, they have been proven exactly correct.


What is really scary, is that in America, Christians are the new Jews.  What I mean is, that Hitler targeted the Jewish people and characterized them as inferior.  Today, the elitists are characterizing Christians in the same manner, and Christianity is being criminalized with unnecessary hate crimes laws.  We're even being called domestic terrorists by the government!


Please take time to read the article I linked to above, and share it with as many as you can.  

"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"  Proverbs 24:11, 12

Suffering NOT a Jezebel! Yay Pastor Scott Rodriguez!

For a background on this video, you can read the Pastor's own humble account here:  Pastor Scott Rodriguez and "Pastor" Dayna, the Real Story

In a day when mainstream "evangelical" leaders embrace false teachers from the New Apostolic Reformation and Word of Faith groups and give them credibility, it's a blessing to see a pastor who is willing to stand up and call it like it is.  Just watch her facial expression change!  You can see the wolf come out!



Jesus spoke in Revelation to the church at Thyatira about suffering, or allowing, "that woman Jezebel".  Of course, in context of the church dispensations, Thyatira is the age of the Papacy, and the Lord is rebuking them for embracing the heresy of the Pope and Mary Idolatry, but the lesson is applicable today.  False teachers much be called heretics, and they must not be allowed to commit their gospel treason with the blessing of true Christians!

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."  

Revelation 2:20-21 

The Watery Grave

We had such a wonderful weekend!  The Lord has really been moving in our church, and we've had 2 of our own get saved in the last few weeks, my son, Seth and my cousin, Ethan.  I'm so thankful to see the Lord still moving in the lives of young people, and praise Him that He still saves sinners!  Both Ethan and Seth wanted to be baptized in a river.  It truly was a glorious day!

The first thing Seth did when we got to the river was....catch a frog, of course!  Love my scientist!

If I Wanted America To Fail

Although the phrase "Agenda 21" is not mentioned in this video, clearly the makers of this video are keenly aware of what Agenda 21 has done to our country.

If you're not familiar with Agenda 21, you're a day late and a dollar short.  Good, old fashioned, salt of the earth Americans no longer have the luxury of skimming the surface of politics anymore.  We're going to have to research and educate ourselves and prepare our families for what lies ahead.  There's no need to let our fear triumph our faith, because our Lord foretold it all.  Clearly, this world is headed toward our own modern day Tower of Babel, a one-world government, upon which the Anti-Christ will build his kingdom and demand the long sought-after worship of Satan. (Revelation, note especially chapters 6 and 13.  If you get depressed, just skip on over to chapter 20)
What is Agenda 21?  Short answer:  The United Nations' plan to transfer all sovereignty, wealth, and control to itself.  The official plan for "sustainable development" was penned more than 2 decades ago, and it was put into full force in America by globalist George H. Bush in 1992.  Congress has never voted to offically accept the protocols of Agenda 21, and yet it is being implemented voluntarily by some 2,000 local communities in the U.S.  Most people are ignorant of the final outcome, and you'd have a hard time convincing anyone educated in the government schools after the 1970s that it is a bad thing.  In fact, the U.N. has written its own curriculum to brainwash all the best and brightest students to accept, without question, the complete streamlining of all the world for the sake of the "greater good".  The curriculum is called The International Baccalaureate School program (IBS).  (Go to the offical website and click on "Find an IB World School and see how many exist in the state of Georgia alone!  Frightening!)  My own little cousin just got accepted into the program in a neighboring county (which breaks my heart, but everyone is just thrilled to death that she is given such a high honor).
So, in short, what does this mean to ME and YOU?  This article below by American hero and watchman Henry Lamb does a great job describing what our world may look like in just a few short years:
Sustainable Development:  Transforming America "What could America look like in 50 years under the direction of Agenda 21?"
No U.S. sovereignty  (The ignorant legislators are putting themselves out of a job by allowing power to be transferred from our elected representatives to unelected bureaucrats through ObamaCare and czars)
No individuality
No national, state, county, familial, religious identity
No homeschools, obviously
No personal farms, business or hobby farms
No automobiles
No hunting
No indulging in electricity (notice the smart meter they just installed on your house?  notice the drive to make wi-fi spread all across the nation?)
No right to bear arms
No parental authority
No American Dream homes owned by hard-working people
This is no longer the stuff of conspiracy theorists.  It's all out in the open now, and it doesn't take much sleuthing to figure it all out.  The communists and progressives in the White House and Congress are deliberately collapsing our dollar, so that we'll be forced to accept a regional or global currency, and probably deal in not only that "euro-type" currency, but in the imaginary "carbon credits" as well.
I hope the video above will shake some Americans out of their "American Idol stupor" and cause them to gear up for battle.  Sadly, I don't expect this to happen; but as the Apostle John wrote in Rev. 22:20, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

Portraying Christ in film?

Here's a wonderful, principled, Scripture-based response by Dave Hunt as to whether or not Christians should see films, such as The Passion of the Christ, that portray our Lord.

Question: I heard you recently express concern that an actor played the part of Jesus in the Mel Gibson movie....What about the Jesus film that has been the means of millions coming to Christ around the world? Why are you just now becoming concerned? | thebereancall.org

Answer:  I have consistently opposed attempts to portray Christ in film and other visual media. My reasons are rather simple. If you carried in your wallet a picture that you took out several times a day to look at in order to remember and honor your wife or husband—but it wasn’t a picture of that person at all, but of someone else—wouldn’t your spouse be justifiably be upset?

Literally hundreds of pictures of “Jesus” exist by different artists, famous and otherwise: “Christ Crowned with Thorns,” by Dutch painter Jan Mostaert, c. 1510, in the London National Gallery; “Crown of Thorns,” done about the same time by Italian painter Correggio; “Christ Carrying His Cross,” by Italian and Spanish painter El Greco, 1580, in New York’s Metropoli-tan Museum of Art; “Head of Christ,” by Rembrandt, 1655, held in the Picture Gallery, Berlin; “White Crucifixion,” by Russian painter Marc Chagall, 1938, Art Institute of Chicago; “Head of Christ,” by Warner Sallman, 1940, copyrighted by Warner Press, Inc.; the pitiful, any-person androgynous “Jesus of the People” that won the National Catholic Reporter contest against about 1,700 other entrants in 1999, etc., etc.

These alleged “portraits” are all different. Which one is the true Christ? Not one! Then what is the point for an artist to paint or for you to honor an image of “Christ” that is not what He really looked like—and certainly is not as He appears now in glory?! To whatever extent any depiction (portrait or by actor on stage or film) isn’t accurate but influences your thinking, you have been led astray.

What must Jesus think of these misrepresentations! If your wife or husband would not be pleased with your carrying the picture of another to remind you of him or her, is Christ pleased by those who claim to love Him honoring so many phony representations?!

Moreover, is not Jesus God himself? Tell me why pictures pretending to represent Jesus are not a violation of the commandment not to make an image of God, even in our minds. Is this any better than the Israelites embracing idols as representations of Yahweh? You say you don’t bow before pictures of Jesus. But you do look upon them as representing Jesus, do you not? If not, why have them?

The error is even worse when someone dares to portray Christ on the screen. Of himself, Jesus said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn:14:9)! What actor playing “Jesus” would dare to say that? Yet they are attempting to portray in their flesh what Paul described as “without controversy, great is the mystery...God was manifest in the flesh...” (1 Tm 3:16). What audacity! And what of those who watch with approval and are influenced by such portrayals?

Jim Caviezel felt that in order to accurately portray Christ in The Passion he had to ingest the wafer turned into “Christ” in the Mass each day. Would that help?

After viewing movies, many sincere people see in their minds the actor who played “Christ” every time they think of Jesus. Does that please our Lord? I will leave that to your conscience.



And, may I add just one comment?  The Bible says, "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (I Cor. 11:14).  It's ironic that so many who attempt to paint or portray our Lord, or have a vision of Him, always reveal Him as having long hair.  Our Lord was perfect, and though He bore our shame on the cross, He never committed sin Himself.  "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4), OUR LORD WAS NOT A LONG HAIRED HIPPIE!

On which list is YOUR name?

I've read many interesting articles today about the RMS Carpathia, and its arrival in New York 100 years ago today, carrying just over 700 Titanic survivors. The Carpathia became known as the Ship of Widows because of the disproportionate number of men who gave their lives so that women and children could live. Here's one article:

Titanic Survivors: Their Enduring Stories

and another:

RMS Titanic: Aftermath

It was so sad to me to see how the women still held out hope that their husbands had been picked up and rescued. Hope was held out in spite of the frigid waters and the fact that they knew the Carpathia was the first rescue ship, meaning that their husbands would had to have survived in the sea for several hours (which was impossible).

Still, when they arrived, they wanted to see the list of survivors. It's interesting that, at the beginning of the voyage, all that mattered was whether or not you were a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class passenger. And afterward, all that mattered was whether you were on the "saved" list or the "lost" list.

In life, we dwell so much on things that don't matter; yet in the end, it only matters if you're saved or lost.

Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life?

9 iPhone Apps for Surviving the Breakdown of Society

Of course things could change at any moment at any point in history. Pompei wasn't expecting the volcano. The South Pacific wasn't expecting the tsunami. Hiroshima wasn't expecting the bomb. Pearl Harbor wasn't expecting the air raid. But now, with the political and social unrest everywhere, a Marxist in office, and Biblical prophecy quickly unfolding, it only makes sense to prepare our families

9 iPhone Apps for Surviving the Breakdown of Society

This is assuming, of course, that we have electricity, but these apps do not run off internet connectivity, so they might be useful in the event of something that brings down the phone towers.

A Tale of Two Voyages

In memory of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic yesterday, I want to share this message by Dr. John Whitcomb. In it, he brings in interesting thoughts on both the Titanic and also Noah and the Ark. There is commentary by Doug Phillips, Dr. John Morris, and Ray Comfort. It's being offered as a free download on Sermon Audio. I'm going to embed my free download so you can listen here, but if you download it, I encourage you to do so directly from Dr. Whitcomb's sermon audio page so they can count the downloads.

There are only 2 Bibles

Happy Resurrection Day!

It's that awkward time of year again, where Christian parents (reportedly 88% of them) are placed in the impossible position of trying to reconcile the Easter Bunny with the Resurrection of Christ. Most will take the path of "these are 2 separate things," as in, "Easter is really about the resurrection of Christ, but at the same time we dye and hunt eggs and await the arrival of a benevolent, gift-bearing rabbit". (I'm trying to keep a straight face.) However absurd that is, if it were true, there would be nothing inherently immoral about that. But the truth is, the Bible has a lot to say about the origin of the Easter Bunny, and all the pagan rituals that accompany the arrival of spring.
Below is a link to an excellent article that provides a history (from Biblical and secular sources) of the beginnings of the Mother-Son cult that began at Nimrod's tower in Babel.
"Where Did Easter Get Its Name? Where Did the Concept of an Easter Egg and Bunny Originate?"
This article does an excellent job of laying its history. After reading it carefully, consider these scriptures that deal with the Mother-Son Cult:

Jeremiah 44:15-19 (The Queen of Heaven, also cakes)

Jeremiah 7:18-19 (cakes, now known as Hot Cross Buns)

Ezekiel 8:13-14 (weeping for Tammuz, now known as Lent)

Ezekiel 8:15-16 (sunrise service)*

(*I do realize that Christians, completely apart from pagan practice, might legitimately have a sunrise service to commemorate the Resurrection, "early in the morning the first day of the week"; however, the pagans did it first for different reasons)

These Scriptures are startling when you further study the history of Constantine and his "conversion"; in which all the Mother-Son Cult practices were conveniently switched over to a Christianized version. Thus, Semiramis became Mary; and Tammuz became Jesus. Of course, this eventually morphed into the Mother-Son Cult of the Catholic Church, with Mary as the Queen of Heaven.

The true Mary would be appalled at such worship, although even before the Crucifixion, Satan had inspired one woman to worship Mary (his lies never change, they're just re-packaged with every generation and culture). Note:

"And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." Luke 11:27-28

Other names for the Mother-Son cult in scripture to run references on are Baal, Ashtoreth, Ashtaroth, Chemosh, and Molech.

It's a lot to soak in, and if you'd like to research it more, I can recommend 3 books:

The Genesis Record by Dr. Henry Morris

The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop

Babylon Religion by David W. Daniels

Do I think that people are going to hell if they dye and hunt Easter eggs? Of course not! But the false religion of Babylon has sent billions to hell through the ages, and I don't want to be a part of it! In fact, the Bible calls the Babylonian religion "The Great Whore".

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the women drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" Rev. 17:5, 6 (think: inquisition!)

We are also admonished to "come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Rev. 18:4, 5
I will be remembering Christ's resurrection with my family and my church tomorrow. The Bible actually gives the church 2 ordinances by which to remember Christ's death and His resurrection, and that is through The Lord's Supper (His death) and Believer's Baptism (His resurrection). [Incidentally, we are not commanded to mark His birth, although we're not told NOT to.]

I hope all my friends have a wonderful Resurrection Day tomorrow! I rejoice and look forward to our own bodily resurrection one day. For "if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (I Cor. 15:19) But praise God, He is the firstfruits! And because He defeated death...

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

I Cor. 15:51, 52

Christ the Lord is risen today! Hallelujah!

Class Dismissed

Here's a trailer for a movie that will be released soon called "Class Dismissed". It looks very interesting, and it says something that I admit even I have a hard time just coming right out and saying to others. The message is that a homeschool education is superior to a classroom experience.

It's true that I'm a Christian, and I don't want to turn my children over to a secular, atheist government to indoctrinate them with humanism and evolution. It's also true that I'm a mother hen, and I don't want to send my kids off to be violated by perverts (men and women these days), and having them WITH ME is my ONLY guarantee against this. The prevailing notion has been that homeschool parents are willing to sacrifice a quality education to guard against these evils; therefore, those who don't see a true threat in these areas just consider homeschoolers irresponsible and negligent toward their children. However, the wonderful truth is that while homeschool parents are protecting their children, they are are also able to provide them with a well-rounded, tailored education that prepares them for a life of success.

God's way is always the best way! In addition to providing a superior education, homeschooling allows me to:

• shelter my children from evil and guard their innocence (Rom. 16:19; I Cor. 14:20)
• pass along my faith (I Tim. 1:5 and 3:15) in a walk-along, talk-along manner (Deut. 6:6-9)
• customize socialization (Prov. 13:20; I Cor. 15:33)
• avoid ungodly teachers that will undermine their faith (Psalm 1:1; Jer. 10:2; I Tim. 6:20, 21)
• cultivate a perfect heart and a willing mind (I Chron. 28:9)
• order their education priorities: faith THEN virtue THEN knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5-8)
• not give to Caesar that which belongs to the Lord (Ezekiel 16:20-21; Matt. 22:21)

Hooray for home education! I hope this film will open the hearts and minds of many parents.

When you pray, pray for this woman.

Below is a heartbreaking article from the daughter of Alice Walker, the author of the morally destitute, lesbian love story "The Color Purple".

"How My Mother's Fanatical Views Tore Us Apart" by Rebecca Walker

Here's how it begins:

The other day I was vacuuming when my son came bounding into the room. 'Mummy, Mummy, let me help,' he cried. His little hands were grabbing me around the knees and his huge brown eyes were looking up at me. I was overwhelmed by a huge surge of happiness.

I love the way his head nestles in the crook of my neck. I love the way his face falls into a mask of eager concentration when I help him learn the alphabet. But most of all, I simply love hearing his little voice calling: 'Mummy, Mummy.'

It reminds me of just how blessed I am. The truth is that I very nearly missed out on becoming a mother - thanks to being brought up by a rabid feminist who thought motherhood was about the worst thing that could happen to a woman.

You see, my mum taught me that children enslave women. I grew up believing that children are millstones around your neck, and the idea that motherhood can make you blissfully happy is a complete fairytale.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1021293/How-mothers-fanatical-feminist-views-tore-apart-daughter-The-Color-Purple-author.html#ixzz1qzGQWM92

I pray that at the end of this woman's journey for truth, she finds the ultimate love that only Christ offers. Pray for her!

Monumentally Disappointed

Let me just say at the beginning of this post, that I HAVE NOT SEEN KIRK CAMERON'S NEW MOVIE MONUMENTAL. My personal conviction is that a movie theater where my Lord's name is cursed and mocked hundreds of times each day (along with glorifying all other manner of sin and debauchery) is no place for a child of God, even for a "good" movie. Even so, I have heard and read much about the movie.

I don't mean to beat up on a fellow believer, but I was quite alarmed to hear that Kirk Cameron arranged to have Mormon Glenn Beck piped in live at the beginning of the film. Reading the transcripts, it was so disheartening to see that he allowed Beck to speak of God and counsel the audience on spiritual matters. Having learned so much from Kirk's ministry (Way of the Master) about Mormonism, I was utterly shocked at the complete failure of discernment on Kirk Cameron's part to give accreditation to Beck's cult.

Most Christians today have little or no discernment. Their commitment to theology and doctrine is an inch deep and a mile wide. They are impressed with Beck's talk of God and Jesus and even salvation, but the reality is that his God and Jesus are not the God and Jesus of the Bible!

I guess what has shocked me the most about Kirk Cameron's inclusion of Glenn Beck in this spiritual enterprise, and thus his endorsement of Beck's theology, is that Kirk Cameron was one of the VERY FEW who declined involvement is Beck's pseudo-revival 8/28 Restoring Honor rally, an ecumenical hodgepodge.

Wow, how far he's come...now that he has a new line of products to sell.

I have been blessed by the ministry and integrity of Kirk Cameron through the years, but I do believe he has fallen into the same ecumenical ditch about which he has spent the last 10+ years warning others. He is in my prayers.

See also:

"Concerns About Kirk Cameron's Movie Monumental" by Christine Pack